Chapter 56: Do not interfere in my affairs!!

Several male members of the pack nodded and hurriedly helped Cassian push the stone door.

"Srakkk!"

The stone door slowly slid shut until it finally sealed the cave entrance tightly.

The atmosphere inside the cave grew quiet once more. The buzzing of the bees could no longer be heard.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, realizing they had finally managed to escape the danger of death.

The cave was dark—pitch black. Only the dark eyes of the other pack members were visible.

Yet the tension had not fully disappeared.

Cassian quickly strode over and moved toward Vera.

"Bugh!"

Vera’s body was shoved against the cave wall.

"Ukh!" she groaned, trying to free herself from Cassian’s grip.

Cassian stared sharply into the woman’s eyes.

"Vera... you dare try to harm Liliana? I held myself back from killing you right away the last time you injured Liliana’s horse. But now you dare try to hurt her again?" Cassian asked in a low voice.

Vera pounded at Cassian’s arm that was choking her neck, desperate for him to let go.

Cassian smiled coldly.

"You know what happens to anyone who lays a hand on the Draven family, don’t you?"

"C-Cassian..." Vera gasped, struggling for breath. "I didn’t do it... it was... Liliana’s own fault for not holding on tightly to her tiger."

Cassian scoffed. His grip on the woman’s neck tightened further until Vera could no longer speak, not even manage to draw a single breath.

Vera’s face instantly flushed red. Cassian’s strength was clearly something an ordinary omega like her could not withstand.

Beta Mano and Beta Gio, realizing that Cassian truly intended to kill Vera, finally stepped forward.

"Young Master Alpha... please calm your anger."

Cassian shoved both of them aside with his other arm without even looking.

"Do not interfere in my affairs!" he ordered in a low, sharp voice.

The atmosphere inside the cave grew even more tense. Everyone there knew that Cassian could no longer be reasoned with at this moment—not even by his future beta candidate.

"Young Master Alpha..." Beta Gio finally said while kneeling. "You cannot kill Vera here. Please remember the Dean’s order. We are forbidden from killing one another in this secret realm."

Cassian’s hand immediately loosened. His eyes flashed before he released his grip from Vera’s neck.

"Brugh!"

Vera’s body collapsed onto the floor beneath her.

Cassian took a handkerchief from his robe and wiped his hand with it. He then tossed it aside carelessly, as if the object had been contaminated.

Vera clutched her neck and took several rapid breaths.

"Cassian, what’s so special about Liliana? She’s just a lowly wolf who doesn’t even have any special abilities. Her face is even so plain. How could she get close to you?" Vera asked after a moment.

Cassian tilted his head. He looked down at Vera.

"You’re questioning my decision? Vera, how dare you? Have you forgotten your status?"

Vera lifted her head.

"Cassian, I am the daughter of an Elder of the Draven Pack. Is my status not enough to eliminate Liliana?" she asked indignantly.

"Buagh!"

Cassian’s foot kicked Vera’s body, sending her flying several meters away.

"Do you think the Draven Pack is short of elders? Vera, you overestimate the importance of your position."

Vera spat out a mouthful of blood before staring at Cassian in disbelief.

"Why? Cassian, we’ve been friends since childhood. Now you’re treating Liliana as far more important than me?"

Cassian regarded her for a moment.

"Friends? You’re merely a member of my pack. Do you think someone like me, who doesn’t need a Luna companion, would need a female friend like you?"

Cassian exhaled roughly.

"I’ll let you go for now. But don’t expect to be free once we get out of here."

Cassian looked down and fixed his gaze more intently on Vera.

"I reject you from joining as my companion in this secret realm. Leave and stay away from us. I, Cassian Draven, will not accept a pack member who dares to act as she pleases. From this moment on, I will no longer care about your life."

Vera’s eyes widened in disbelief as she quickly crawled toward Cassian.

"Cassian, you’re abandoning me? You’re abandoning me here?" she asked in shock.

Cassian flung away Vera’s fingers that were clutching his robe, then found a corner far from everyone else and sat calmly beside the striped tiger that was now only licking its fur, dirtied from Vera’s earlier shove.

All the pack members moved away from Vera’s side and sat along the stone walls without saying a word.

Vera, unable to do anything, could only sit with her head bowed. Her long black hair, now disheveled, covered her face, darkened by suppressed anger.

Meanwhile, deep in the dark ravine where Liliana had fallen, Liliana opened her eyes after keeping them closed for an hour.

Her mind focused, attempting to heal the wounds all over her body.

A bright white light shone within the ravine, helping Liliana see her surroundings.

Slowly, her back, hands, and legs—which earlier could not move—began to regain mobility.

Liliana blinked both eyes. Her hand moved to touch her forehead, which still bore traces of blood.

The white light appeared again on her forehead. In an instant, the gash on her forehead closed, leaving only the artificial wound from Olive’s medicine.

Slowly, she rose from her position. She opened her backpack, took out the resin lamp from Cassian, and used it for light.

Liliana drew a rough breath.

"Standing beside an unpaired Alpha really does invite trouble," Liliana muttered with an annoyed expression.

She stepped forward, continuing to walk as she tried to find a way out of that place.

The path ahead was dark. Liliana could only rely on the light in her hand to help her see.

She tried to find the direction of the wind that was gently blowing from another side.

After walking for more than half an hour and encountering two dead ends, she finally found a gap leading outside.

Liliana let out a sigh of relief as she emerged from the darkness, but that relief did not last long. Before her, giant trees stood blocking the way. Her face grew gloomy once more.

She looked up at the sky—night was about to fall. There was no way she could keep waiting for Cassian here. She did not know whether her brother was still being chased by the bees or had already managed to escape.

Liliana clenched her fists, then stepped firmly forward.

But after just one step, she suddenly stopped.

Someone was standing right in front of her.

Liliana’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"You..." she said as she slowly stepped back.