Forbidden Spade
[PART TWO]
werewolf!Cassian x human!reader
summary There is no magic in my blood, only in the deck of cards I have in my pocket. The handsome stranger I meet has something wild and untamed glittering in his eyes. I have to be careful not to fall for him. He’s forbidden but my heart thinks otherwise.
warnings fluff, angst, hurt/comfort
words 5.1k
an please leave a comment and reblog if you enjoyed this second chapter. Chapter three is almost done! Things are heating up. Happy reading <3
YN
I shut the door behind me with the faintest hint of a noise. The adrenaline is running low in my body and exhaustion washes over me as my back connects with the smooth wood. My fingers slide against the cards in my pockets again as I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
I have to go to bed, before anyone notices that I was gone for so long. I reopen my eyes with a sigh and glance at the ornate tapestry that fills the entire wall in the entrance hall, stretching right up to the curved ceiling that always reminded me of a cathedral. Sconces illuminate the woven faces of the family tree. Generations of witches are perching on branches. All the covens are a matricary, that's why the husbands are only mentioned by name while the eyes of my female ancestors literally look down at me like they all know what a disappointment I am for not holding their magic. A hollowborn, that’s all I am.
I feel cold suddenly and my hands snake around me like I could protect myself from their cold stare. There is no one I know of that has the same fate as me, no one I could share my thoughts with. Loneliness rules my mind. For as long as I can think I’ve wished for a sibling. A sister that would take me in her arms and lend me her favorite dress for a special occasion. A brother that would sit by my side and play chess with me, or ruffle my head when he would pass by.
But that’s not how the covens work. Whenever a witch has more than one child, the magic splits evenly among the children. To maintain the most powerful coven, means to have the most powerful witches, that means that there can only be one who inherits the magical abilities. The stars were in a cruel position the night I was born and I was spared of that magic ability. I’m not sure I could ever forgive myself for being such a burden to my mother.
But there is still hope. Even if I have no direct line to the magic, my blood holds the potency to give my daughter the ancestral magic when I’ll be mated some day.
“What are you doing here?” The familiar voice screeches through the calm hall and echoes over the mounted flames on the walls, shrieking back like they’re fearing what's coming next. It’s the second time tonight that I've got that question.
My head shoots up to the top of the winding staircase where my mother grips the railing with her immaculately pointed nails. Her stare is filled with disbelief and superiority as she descends gracefully. I push off the door, smooth out my crinkled dress and tug a strand of hair behind my ear to look most presentable to her. “I-uh.” I stammer and my fingers slide over my lips like they could pull out a string of lies. My family always demanded honesty from me and they treated me well – I never had to lie one word, not even when I was a child.
“What ruffled your feathers?” She asks impatiently as she steps closer and studies me up and down. “Your dress!” her shocked voice is like a sting to my chest. I follow her line of sight to the torn linen. It's mocking me mutely. Mother leans in and her nostrils flare. “Why are you reeking like you had a roll with a wet dog?”
My palms get sweaty and my fingers drift over my lips.
Lie. Come up with something. Anything.
“Uhm, after the ritual I needed some air.” Good, now mix a small lie under the truth. “I went for a walk and petted the chimera puppies that live down the north river with the Blanchets,” Just one more. “Their little teeth must have gotten caught in my dress when we played.”
She rolls her eyes and waves her hand to me to follow her upstairs. Thank the Cauldron she swallowed it. “Hideous beasts. It always escaped my understanding why they breed them. But I must say I’m impressed by your community spirit. Upholding good relations with other covens is an important part of our society. Remember, one hand washes the other.” She holds up her manicured index as she lectures me.
We come to a halt in front of my rooms. “You will take one of our guards next time you go for a nightly walk. There are too many dangers out there.” I know she means well, I’m just a human and her only child. She would be devastated if something happened to me.
She takes a step closer, seeing that the only thing holding me together is the tiredness. But there is something else in her eyes…frustration and disappointment. “The ritual will work eventually, child. Do not worry. We’ll try again next week. Do not lose hope.” I’ve heard that speech more times than I could count and right now I’m not sure if she says it to me or to soothe herself.
“Take a bath and wash off that disgusting smell.” Then she closes off the distance to place a protective hand on my belly and rubs it like she does it since I've been a child and puts a light kiss to the crown of my hair. “Sleep well, treasure.”
My heart blossoms every time she uses my nickname. It assures me that I mean the world to her, even if I’m not perfect.
“Good night mother.” I smile at her but she’s already turning around and vanishes. Only the lingering swirls of black glitter are left.
The door handle squeals as I enter my rooms and I let it fall into its lock behind me.
“Where have you been?” The unamused voice hisses and I find a set of emerald eyes on a black canvas of fur that stare at me angrily from the bed.
“Nowhere.” I say nonchalantly and find the matchbox to light the candles in the classic non-magical way.
Feather light paws tap over the polished wooden floor as I turn around to get to the next sconce. I take another step. “Tell me!” his angry voice mewls at me just when my foot hooks into the feline. I stumble and almost trip over myself, kicking the inky furry accidentally into the air.
He hisses at me and jumps on the mantlepiece gracefully, just so he can look down on me with arrogance and feigned hurt.
“Beelz, for the last time – stop spinning around my feet when you know exactly where I am walking!”
I light the last candle right next to him and raise a brow at the beautiful black cat. His ears are flat against his small head as he licks between his toe beans, pretending I’m not there. “You still haven’t told me where you were.” He retorts indifferently.
I raise my chin and pull on his tail playfully when I know I’m out of reach of his clawed paw. The scratches on my arm count that we’re even. I snicker as I walk past him but he scrunches up his little nose. “And why do you smell like dog?”
My mother and Beelz said that. Perhaps a stray marked the stone I sat on and I haven't noticed it. “That’s none of your business.” I counter as I peel out of my dress and leave it on the spotless floor as I make my way over to the bathroom. My heart beats fast again, the incident of tonight still lingering on my thoughts.
White marble greets me like an uninviting hall of an infirmary. It's cold against my feet just like the flawlessly polished walls. Dark velvety curtains are draped to perfection around the ceiling eating windows that allow a glance over the gardens and let the night inside. I light the candles as the hot steam from the filling tub curls around the flames. The last undergarments are gone and I dive into the relaxing bubbles.
“Come on, YN. Tell me please! You’ve been to the forest again, haven't you?” Beelz begs and jumps on the corner of the tub where my foot rests. “I’ve been waiting for you the whole night. And you forgot to leave the door to the balcony open. I considered scratching the wallpaper and the bed frame as a reminder.” He says cockily and dips his head to lick some of the bubbles.
I sigh and put a wet cloth on my forehead. “Yes, I was in the woods after the ritual.”
He stops licking for a second and mumbles around his snout. “Your mother will freak out if she ever finds out that you go there.”
“I know.”
“What else happened? Usually you’re just exhausted when you come back and crash at an instant.” He sits up straighter and pushes out his chest while tilting his head to the side. “Today, you’re different. Restless.”
My eyes fly around the chilly hall-like bathroom – add a floor length mirror and a ballet class of at least ten dancers could have their dress rehearsal here. I gaze out the foggy window, the blurred silhouette of the crescent moon looking back at me.
“I met someone.” I mumble and hide my lips beneath the surface.
Beelz is on all fours, his back arched, hackles raised. “You what?” he meows with popped eyes.
“I was in the stone circle again and there was this man.” Flashes of Cassian pressing against me invade my mind. The hot water around me is nothing in contrast to his welcoming body heat.
Bellz’s eyes grow wider, pressing me for more answers. “He’s a peaceguard.”
“You always had a thing for knights in shiny armour…” he trails off but his eyes go soft. “Was he pretty?” He’s always in for my secrets.
“Devestatingly…” his mesmerizing eyes look back at me in my mind and my pulse begins to race. “We talked and he was nice. Really nice and charming. He even wanted me to show him a card trick.” My words fade away and smile to myself at the memory. No need to tell him that I almost kissed a stranger. He’d yell at me for being too reckless anyways. But I do not regret it.
“Wow, that's a new one.” Beelz looks astonished. “When was the last time you could show one to Morgana?”
When I was eight. It was clear early on that I had no magic inside of me. To make up for that, I began to learn magic tricks and the ones with cards fascinated me most. I wanted to prove to my mother that I had at least some kind of magic. But she never was impressed by that. My parents called me out after the third week in a row when I constantly tried to show them new ones, telling me that I better focus on my studies instead of pointless children's games. I’ve never tried to show them after that. I have kept it to myself since then.
And to Beelz of course.
He sighs, recognizing my sinking heart. He frowns while balancing on the slippery rim before he sits on the corner next to my head, purring. “Can you show me once more how you do that thing with the three cups and the marble? I’m sure I’ll see how you do it this time.”
He can be very sweet if he wants to. Especially if he’s trying to cheer me up. I smile at him and lean my head towards his, so he can scrunch his whiskers against my cheek. He’s my only friend.
“I’ll show you tomorrow. But honestly by now you should know how I do it.” We chuckle and my thoughts drift again to the handsome peaceguard.
“What else did he do?” Beelz asks. “He must be special if you’re not able to wash that stupid smile from your face.”
“I’m not smiling.” my cheeks rise and he gives me a shit eating grin.
I stare holes into the air as I go on. “I don’t know, he was just…Good. The way he looked at me. No one has ever looked at me like that. Like he could see into my soul and see me.”
“Someone’s having a crush.” He says proudly and sits comfortably like he’s the king in person. Sometimes I think he was a royalty in a life before this one.
“Am not!”
“Poor girl is in denial.”
“Okay. Maybe a little crush.” My smile widens and I hide my face behind my hands while I squeal. “But you can’t tell anyone!” I warn him, tapping his cute nose.
He sneezes from the drop of water I left there and I chuckle at the droplets he shoots at me.
“When are you meeting him again?”
“Next Sunday, after the ritual.”
I leaf through the book before me without even trying to actually read the words I’m supposed to study. I hate mathematics. All the formulas filled with a bunch of letters of the alphabet and complicated derivations. It bores me so much that I have to reward myself after reading three pages of the proof by sneaking into the kitchen to grab some sweets or even just a glass of water to escape those horrible pages. But not even my other subjects can conquer the thoughts that rule my mind. Its like I’m possessed by Cassian.
This week I have gone to the city a ridiculous number of times, just because I hoped to see him there. I also took longer walks than usual, anticipating to run into him accidentally. Waiting to meet him feels like torture but today is Sunday, and we’re meeting later in the woods.
“I’m talking to you.” my mother scolds me and I jump in my chair at her voice.
“I’m sorry, I’m just tired today.” I say massaging my temples and bite my tongue at the dishonesty.
“You have been off this whole week.” she sneers under her breath. She’s right, I haven't been myself for the past few days. Since I met Cassian my mind follows the thread he holds in my head. His genuine smile and his raspy voice haunt me. I have a sizzling feeling in my gut permanently. My mother probably has a potion for that in her arsenal. Not that I would take it. I like how the butterflies roam inside of me at the thought of him.
“Are you nervous because of your appointment with the Augur next week?” her voice slices my thoughts.
I almost forgot about that.
I’ll turn 22 next week. ‘Coming of age’ is what the elders around me like to call it. Everyone in our world has to see an Augur on that day. She’ll tell me what my life beholds, how my future will be. Not straight away…it’s more like a prophecy, a riddle that haunts you for your whole life and you try to meet it as best as you can. As far as I know, those are quite accurate.
But no matter what the Augur tells me, I’ll be happy to follow my duty and my future. That’s what my parents want from me.
“No, it’s not bothering me, mother.” I say truthfully.
“Maybe it’s your circle. You’re always jittery when it comes closer.”
“Yes, perhaps it’s that.” I sigh and look down to the pages again. The hazel eyes of a certain peaceguard flash across my mind and my cheeks turn pink. I hide one cheek with my palm as my index glides over the lines on the page – Swirls and letters of derivations that mean absolutely nothing to me evade my focus, but I try. “Please, could you explain this to me again.”
Cassian
“Anything new, lieutenant?” my captain asks with his head peeking from the ajar door. His tone is annoyingly nice.
“Nothing yet.” I throw the pencil across the scattered sheets on my work desk and lean back with a sigh, my hand drifting through my hair again.
He opens the door fully and leans against the threshold with crossed arms and a frown on his face. “Maybe start all over again. Take a look at the places where the victims vanished again. Perhaps you’ve brooded over those reports too often. One step back might bring you one step forward.”
I’ve been working on that case for months. People, mostly wolves, have been disappearing in and around the woods for months. There are indications that it has been going on for years but I can't make sense out of it. In all those months there hasn't been one witness. Not one.
This is not surprising, because especially the woods are forbidden to most of the city dwellers. Too dangerous is the no-mans-land. We as peaceguards are protecting the law inside of the city, but the forest around is huge and thick.
My mind drifts to the girl I met last week in the stone circle. A simple but shatteringly beautiful human girl all alone by herself in that dangerous forest. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her on that day.
Anger rises in my chest and my mind grows wild. Heat runs down my spine and my hackles rise. I shove the loose papers from my desk, some of them shredded by the claws that are growing on the ends of my fingers.
“You’ve always been too hot headed.” captain says, taking in the chaos with cool indifference.
I look around the chards of papers that cover the floor of my office and my hands drift over my face nervously in hope to calm me down again. “Fuck. I’m sorry.” I huff.
He pushes off the wood and grabs the brass knob of the door. “You better call it a day. Enough work for now. Head out, take a breather, stroll around for a bit and calm down.” he advises with a half-smile. “Take tonight off and start fresh tomorrow.” he pushes the door completely open and waves his hand for me to exit.
The chair beneath me squeals as I get up and cross the distance to pass him. He pats my shoulder. “We don’t want to cause your rut from all the stress.” he chuckles and closes the door behind me.
He’s a good captain, even if he’s only a beta. Even though he's beneath me in rank in the wolf world because he’s a human, he earned his status in the peaceguards. He got there, because he’s worked his ass off and without being a true werewolf. Usually the alphas fill those positions for obvious reasons… natural authority, high physicality, and leadership.
I was born an alpha. At first I was weak and thinner than the others, but I fought my way up to the top. And I intend to go even higher to change some things in the law of the wolf-world. I wasn't an easy child, so my mother enrolled me in one of the training camps when I was eight. Every wolf has to go there at some time, but I was there two years early. It’s cruel and unforgiving. It was like I was an orphan all of the sudden, but I stayed as strong as I could. There, I met Rhysand and Arzriel. They’re alphas too. We had our brawlings and more conflicts than I could count but somehow, we grew together as a pack. But we’re more than just the usual hierarchy…instead of one alpha per pack, we’re three and planning on staying together like that.
Rhysand has already found a mate. A lovely omega named Feyre. For years, Az had a thing for Mor but recently his focus shifted to someone else, but the fucker isnt telling us who the lucky female is. I had my fair share of women over the years, female wolves and other shifters but it was never enough to settle. The last relationship I had was with Nesta, Feyre’s older sister. Strong minded and with a shitload of trauma she had to overcome. Her friends helped but we grew apart. She’s an alpha and we banged our heads constantly. Our breakup was for the best. I never cared about what my partners were as long as it worked out.
But since last week my mind is insatiable thirsting after one special girl.
YN.
She’s occupying my mind like no other before. The way she laughed and held her cards in her soft and tiny hands is turning my world upside down. Her delicious smell hovering in my mind and I’m sure I smelled her sometimes when I was in the city. I looked around but never saw her, she had been there sometime ago. I know it. I could never forget that sweet fragrance. The faint smell of her lingered on my shoulder when she was pressed against me last sunday. It’s like having an angel on my right side.
And I knew that I was a goner when she almost closed off the distance between us. I would have given anything to kiss her. I always had been a physical male but with her…it’s different. It's like she enthralled me with a spell and I don’t want it to stop.
Still, I have no idea why exactly she had been in the woods that night. I followed her into the thicket but lost her trace at some point, like there was a barrier that veiled her from me. I hope she got home safe. I haven't properly slept since then, counting the hours until I’ll see her again. What will be in a couple of hours.
I cross the moon gate that leads into the forest. The cold air is a nice contrast to my ridden nerves. For the past weeks I have been patrolling the forest at night to find out how those people vanish. But I push those thoughts to the side as I approach the stone circle.
She’s already there. I stop in my tracks, rooted to the ground. Sitting on that rock like last time, humming a sweet tune like she has no worries at all. The breeze weaves her perfume towards me and I inhale her deeply. Something like peace settles inside of me and I can feel a tug in my heart.
“Hey sweetheart.” I call out to her and she spins around with the brightest smile. I cross the distance and I can hear her heartrate shoot up, just like mine. They pound in sync like a secret melody in the calm woods of tonight.
“You came!” she smiles and stands, leaving her deck of cards on the mossy surface of the stone. Her eyes gaze up and down my body. I’ve changed my uniform for some casual trousers and a loose henley that gives her a good look at my chest. It's like she can't decide where to look but her gaze lingers on my lips for a second too long as if she thought about our almost-kiss just as much as I did.
I smirk and take her small hands in mine, they’re cold at the tips like she has been waiting for me for too long already. “Course I did. I was worried you’d try to impress the trees with your card tricks instead. Couldn't let that happen.”
Her little laugh has my chest blossoming. “So, how was your week?”
Her smile falters and breaks altogether. Silver lines at the edges of her eyes. I frown and smell the stress that evades her body. My smirk disappears instantly as she sniffs. “Hey, hey…” I step into her and let my hands brush her upper arms in a soothing sweep. I search for her gaze, letting my voice drop into a warm soundless purr. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” she whispers, shaking her head but her voice betrays her. “It was just…rough.”
She said the same thing last week but she held herself together. The days since I last saw her must have been devastating to her and I fear that she might be more broken next week. How long has she been enduring this pain? What if she’s getting worse with every week?
I have to know, I stay close, solid as a wall, so she can cling to me like ivy in the cracks of an old structure. My thumbs draw gentle circles on her arms. “Rough how?”
Her throat works heavily. “My family has…expectations. Sometimes it feels like they’re trying to squeeze something out of me that isn't there.” She lets out a bitter, shaky laugh. “Like…torture, really.”
My jaw clenches at her words. What the hell are they doing to her? My gaze never leaves hers, there is no judgement but a good portion of pity that’s slowly mixing into anger towards her family. “Sounds like they’re the problem. Not you.”
My words hit her and her eyes light up like sunlight breaking through the clouds after a storm. As if no one ever said it that way before. “You don’t…see me as less?” she asks softly.
I suppress a frown and leave it at a gentle curve of lips. That’s ridiculous! “Less? Sweetheart, I’ve seen people with power crack under pressure like eggshells. I don’t know exactly what you’re going through, but I can tell that you’re very strong. You’re still standing. That's more strength than most have.”
My mission is complete as her cheeks flush and her smile is back on her pretty face. “You can’t just say things like that,” she whispers, tucking her chin down.
I cup her chin and lift it up, forcing her gently to look at me again. “Hey,” I grin, the cockiness is back. “At least that nearly earned me a kiss last time.”
Her eyes go wide and her cheeks heat up even more, it’s cute. “You– remember that?”
“Hard to forget when your breath was on my lips just before getting denied.” I lean just close enough to challenge her for a brush of our lips. “Though I’m starting to think you enjoy teasing me.”
A smile blesses her lips as she shoves my chest lightly. “Maybe I do.”
She collects her precious cards and we sit on the stone again, one arm around her middle. Her body is shivering a bit and I regret leaving my cloak back at the station. I pull her in closer, my body heat has to warm her. My eyes run over her arms, where her dress exposes her skin. It looks like she has been rolling in paint and failed to wash it away. Perhaps she likes to paint.
We sit in silence for a bit, just enjoying being close to each other. I consider not washing myself for the rest of the week, just so that her smell stays on me when I cannot see her. I sigh heavily thinking of a way to meet her sooner this time, my shoulders heavy. I just can't stay away from her.
“How have you been doing the last few days?” she asks, placing her head on my shoulder.
“My week wasn't great either. First, I wasn't able to see you.” That earns me a chuckle from her, the sweetest melody. “Second…we’re chasing leads that go nowhere. People keep vanishing and…it feels like I’m failing them.”
She reaches out, her fingers brushing me where she rests them on my thigh. Her palms burn marks into my skin and I never want her to stop touching me. “You’re not flailing. You’re here. You’re trying. That’s what matters. I’m sure you’ll find out who does this soon”
The forest melts away as our gazes meet. “Careful,” I murmur with a wry smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Say things like that and I might not let you go.” I pinch her side lightly and she jumps from the tickle just enough to crash into me fully. I pull her in my lap and wrap both my arms tightly around her as if I’m afraid that she might want to run away. Soft eyes clash with mine and all I want to do is pepper kisses all over her face. Her breath catches as we’re wrapped in quietness, it’s like she too feels whatever this is between us, like it's too fragile to put a name on it.
Moments stretch into eternity as I lose myself in her eyes. At last she pulls back carefully and we stand but she’s still in my arms. The bell of the church’s tower rings out three times and I know that our time is over. She rises onto her toes, pressing a briefest kiss to my cheek. Her pillowy lips are warm and I just know my stubble is scraping her. It ignites just the same thing in her that I feel, too. The faintest smell of her building arousal drifts to my nose and I get drunk on it.
“Thank you,” she whispers. “For cheering me up.”
I can't move. I can't breathe. Like the kiss has stolen my mind from me. She steps away and just then I notice a soft smirk that's plastered on my face. “Next time, sweetheart… aim a little closer.” I wink at her.
Her face lights up once more and her flushed cheeks burn against the night. I take one of her hands again and place a kiss there as goodbye. I want to keep her close but I know she has to go.
Images of the feral wilderness that surrounds us flash through my mind and fear creeps up inside of me. I have to protect her at all costs. “Let’s stop meeting here. It’s too dangerous.” My brows furrow as I plead. “How about Tuesday, at noon, at the market?”
With a quick nod and a smile she promises to meet me there before she hurries into the trees and seconds later.
I take a deep breath and let my senses be flooded by our evening. She’ll be the death of me. Then, I stride with soundless steps in her direction to accompany her home from where she can't see me.
I almost lose her smell in the woods but then I hear fast paws approaching.
Four.
They’re swift.
It’s a wolf.
My heart flutters as pure terror burns through me.
It’s following her.
My feet begin to work before my mind knows what I’m doing. I sprint and follow, trying to catch up as quickly as I can.
Suddenly, the calm of the night is ripped by a low growl and the snapping of sharp teeth. It ululates, like a predator that’s found its prey just before I hear bones snap.
Then a scream. Ice floods my chest. My heart stops.
YN.
[PART ONE]
[PART THREE]
tags @donnadiddadog @sophieliz @saltedcoffeescotch













