Cassian sat quietly in their chamber, absentmindedly turning a small communication crystal over in his hand while the room settled into an uneasy silence. Without another word, Rosalie rose and disappeared into the bathing room.
When she emerged some time later, her hair still damp from the scented herbs she had washed it with, she found him sitting at the edge of their bed, the crystal resting in his palm.
"Freya reached out," he said. "She told me she found the legal elder you were looking for. She said she'll pass the name along soon."
For the briefest moment, the color left Rosalie's face.
She could only wonder whether Freya had revealed anything else.
Suppressing the unease in her heart, she gave a quiet nod and sat before the dressing table, rubbing a few drops of moonflower oil through the ends of her hair.
Cassian watched her reflection in the polished mirror, his gaze lingering longer than usual.
"What do you need a legal elder for?"
Rosalie lowered her eyes, pretending to concentrate on her hair.
"I'm helping a friend."
"You could have sought Elder Hodge instead," Cassian replied. "Why trouble Freya with something so simple?"
His voice remained even, but she recognized the suspicion hidden beneath it.
"I'm not familiar with Elder Hodge," she answered without hesitation. "Besides, I'd rather not involve anyone connected to this pack."
The explanation came so naturally that even Rosalie was surprised by how effortlessly the lie left her lips.
Neither of them spoke again.
By the time she finished, Cassian had already gone to bathe.
When he returned, the candles had been dimmed, and Rosalie was already lying beneath the blankets.
She did not read.
She did not reach for another communication crystal.
She simply turned her back toward him and closed her eyes.
The distance between them felt heavier than the stone walls surrounding the manor.
Ever since returning from Arabella's side, Cassian had sensed something had changed.
Rosalie was quieter than before.
Calmer.
As though she had quietly stepped farther away from him without ever leaving the room.
Unable to ignore the feeling any longer, he shifted closer and slipped an arm gently around her waist, drawing her toward him.
"Rosalie," he murmured. "What's wrong?"
Her body stiffened beneath his touch.
Cassian felt it immediately.
Only then did he realize how long it had been since they had shared even the smallest moment of intimacy.
He leaned closer, but before he could close the distance between them, Rosalie turned and placed a gentle hand against his chest, stopping him.
"I'm tired," she said softly. "Let's sleep."
Cassian released her without protest, though the question weighing on his mind refused to disappear.
"Are you upset because of Arabella?"
Rosalie smiled faintly.
It was a smile that never reached her eyes.
"Why would I be?"
She paused before continuing in the same quiet voice.
"What right do I have to be angry?"
The answer unsettled him more than any accusation could have.
By all rights, she should have questioned him.
She should have been hurt that he had remained by Arabella's side for an entire week before bringing her back to live only a short walk from their own home.
She should have demanded an explanation.
Instead...
She accepted everything with unbearable calm.
Cassian frowned.
He no longer knew what she was thinking.
After a long silence, he finally spoke again.
"Arabella is well known among the packs. Rumors like these could ruin her standing. There is nothing between us. Don't believe everything you hear."
Rosalie remembered the message Arabella had shared through the territories' communication crystals.
She also knew Cassian must have seen it.
Yet he had done nothing to deny it.
When wolves accused Rosalie of stealing Cassian away years ago, he had remained just as silent.
Now his silence carried the same meaning.
Keeping her voice perfectly steady, she asked,
"What rumors?"
She looked at him without the slightest trace of emotion.
"I've been occupied these past few days. I haven't paid much attention to what the pack has been saying."
Relief flickered across Cassian's face before disappearing almost as quickly.
"It's nothing important," he said quietly. "Get some rest."
Rosalie closed her eyes.
Before long, her breathing became slow and even.
Beside her, however, Cassian remained awake.
An unfamiliar restlessness refused to leave him.
Long after the manor had fallen silent, he slipped from the bed and made his way downstairs.
As he passed the study, something caught his attention.
The door stood slightly ajar.
He pushed it open.
In the corner of the room rested several wooden crates, each one carefully packed and sealed.
Cassian stopped where he stood.
The books Rosalie had claimed she merely wanted to air beneath the moonlight had all been packed away.
His eyes slowly drifted lower.
Resting inside one of the open crates was the carved frame that had once displayed their mating portrait.
The frame remained.
The portrait itself was gone.
A strange unease settled over him as he stood motionless in the quiet study.
After what felt like an eternity, he reached for his communication crystal and infused it with a thread of his aura.
Though the hour was well past midnight, he did not hesitate.
When his Beta finally answered, Cassian spoke without preamble.
"Did the Moon Healer ever send over Luna Rosalie's examination records?"
