Fake Mate of the Enemy Shifter (Red Oak Shifters #2)

2. Cassia

Chapter two

Cassia

W ith every step I take, deeper into Everblade’s grand castle, the sicker my stomach feels with guilt.

Awful, heavy guilt.

“How long have you been traveling?” Grey asks me as he leads me through a large foyer, sunlight streaming onto the stone floor through the room’s large windows.

“All day,” I say, fighting past the tension in my throat. I glance behind me to see the rest of the Moonveil witches filing into the castle with Everblade witches and wolves flanking them.

Morgana glances over at me, her face hardening for a second. A look meant only for me, and its message is clear.

Play my role. Don’t mess up. Consequences will follow.

I tear my eyes away from Morgana and focus back on Grey, who lifts an eyebrow at me. My duty is to distract Grey, and I’m already not doing a good job.

“Thank you for your kindness. Your castle is beautiful,” I tell him as I stick close to his side, detecting notes of evergreen and musk in the air around him. It’s borderline intoxicating.

My job would be much easier if he wasn’t so distracting. He’s unmistakably handsome with his dark brown hair that slightly falls against his forehead in subtle waves and green eyes that remind me of the forest. He’s far larger than me with pounds of lean muscle and inches of towering height.

He looks like the heir to the largest kingdom in the region, but if Morgana and Lucian’s plan goes how it should, it won’t be his kingdom any longer.

This isn’t some casual, harmless visit. This is the setup to a siege.

“It’s been in my family for generations,” Grey replies as he takes me down a hallway, cold stone surrounding us on either side as torch light flickers off the wall. “I’ve never come across Moonveil witches before. You took me by surprise.”

The way his eyes skirt off my figure and how his mouth curls up on one side make my chest tighten, causing my rapid heartbeat to feel that much more intense. Why does he have to be charming? It’s hard enough having to follow Morgana and Lucian’s orders when I don’t agree with their crazed desire for clan conquering, but it’s even harder when Grey doesn’t seem like a bad person.

He's sheltering us out of the goodness of his heart!

But, like him, there are people that I need to protect. If I don’t follow orders, Gliselle, my mother by choice and not birth, will face the same consequences as me. So, truly, who can I put first?

The woman who raised me as her own or a clan of enemies?

“Well, I wasn’t expecting to be in the presence of the Everblade hybrid,” I comment, making his laughter echo between the stone walls. I’m lying through my teeth, and he’s laughing like we’re old friends.

My stomach twists.

“You’re making me sound like some sort of spectacle.”

“You’re rare,” I point out, my heart briefly stopping when his green eyes meet mine. If I concentrate hard enough, I can feel the sheer power coursing through his veins. The crackle and spark of witch and wolf abilities melding into one.

Morgana and Lucian are insane for going after his kingdom, but Everblade is the crown jewel of this region. As their forest dies, their strength weakens, and my “aunt” and “uncle” aren’t going to miss out on an opportunity to conquer them. Every single day, I feel bad for Gliselle and how she has to endure having them as older siblings.

Grey takes me into a large dining hall, leading me to a long table where there are chalices and pitchers. He picks up one of the silver pitchers and pours me a glass of water, his fingers brushing mine as I take the glass.

A flicker of heat ignites in my chest at our fleeting touch, my cheeks slightly warming as I busy myself with a long sip of water. My eyes do a sweep of the tall ceiling, the glowing hearth, and the precisely carved chairs at the table. Moonveil started out as a modest, small coven, but that wasn’t good enough for Morgana and Lucian when they took control.

This is what they want. Castles. Miles and miles of land. Hundreds of people at their command.

It’s not what I care to have.

“Thank you,” I say once I drain the glass, having been genuinely parched. Lying makes my mouth go dry.

Grey steps closer to me and takes the glass, our hands brushing once more. He sets it on the table and looks back over at me, his lips forming a casual smile. “I hope you enjoy your stay here.”

My teeth briefly graze my bottom lip as I peer up at him, the heat of his body radiating in the air. I wonder how warm his skin would feel under my fingertips. “We’re only bothering you for one night.”

Grey smirks and shakes his head. “Not a bother. I’m always looking forward to a little excitement every once in a while.”

He’s quite the charmer, isn’t he? I try not to smile in response, but the sides of my mouth uncontrollably curl up a degree. I can’t help but wonder if he’s always like this or if he’s genuinely intrigued by my presence.

“What kind of excitement? Something new? Dramatic? Scary?”

Grey shrugs, his eyes not leaving mine. It’s like he can’t stand to look away. “Something that gets my heart racing.”

Well, he’s certainly not alone.

My heart pounds wildly, the sound echoing in my ears. Can he hear it? Sense it? Our bodies are so close that he can probably hear the hitch in my breath. Feel the heat burning on my skin.

Grey holds my gaze for a few more seconds before turning away, giving his neck a light roll as his smile starts to fade. “I’ll take you back to your coven. I wouldn’t want them to think that I kidnapped you or something.”

Disappointment flashes through me as his tone becomes more serious, but it’s like cold water being dumped on my head, jolting me out of my daze. It doesn’t matter how good he looks, how charming he is, or how he makes my heart race. He’s an enemy, and I have a part to play.

Whether I want to or not.

“Please, lead the way.”