To Marry A Monster (by Brey Mitchell) novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

ATASHA’S POV

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“Why do I have to come?” I asked, my voice tight with disbelief. Cassian had just told me he was going back to the pack, and he was taking me with him. Just the two of us.

I saw his eyes shift slightly, unreadable as always, so I quickly added, “I mean… we’ve already left the borders. Even if I wanted to come, it would be hard for me to run back undetected. I…I don’t have a wolf. I’d be exhausted before we even got close…”

Cassian didn’t blink. “Isn’t that the point? To find out if the map you gave me is the real one?”

My eyes widened as the truth settled in. Of course. That was what this was really about.

He didn’t trust me and why would he? From his perspective, I could’ve handed him a forgery, a decoy meant to lead him straight into a trap. If the map turned out to be false, it wouldn’t just be a mistake–it would be proof of betrayal.

Bringing me along wasn’t a gesture of partnership. It was insurance. If the map was fake, I’d be the one to pay the price.

However… We were camped for the night, about two hours from the border. The forest surrounded us, thick, damp, and restless. Rain had started to fall again, pattering against the canvas of the carriages and soaking into the mossy ground.

I stared at the muddy road outside, then back at him. I didn’t mind accompanying him, but I still couldn’t understand something. “In this weather? We’re going back now?” And how was I supposed to run with him? I am physically weaker.

But he looked perfectly calm, as if the rain and cold didn’t touch him. As if we weren’t in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a thousand ways to die. Slowly, I understood. Maybe he didn’t want to tell me some of his secrets? Then again, to him, I was still a stranger. A potential traitor with a fake smile and a stolen map.

Then, his voice cut through the sound of rain. “We’re not far from the area where the Demon Fangs attacked.”

That made my breath hitch.

“If they’re smart, they’ll attack again tonight. An ambush.”

My chest tightened. “What?”

Cassian gave a half–shrug, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Traveling makes soldiers tired. Exhausted men make easy targets. And we’ve been traveling for almost a day

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Chapter 28

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now. That’s what they’re hoping for. That’s why we need to move. Now. In the middle of the

chaos.”

Before I could form a response, he was already stepping out of the carriage, pulling the hood of his cloak over his head. The door creaked behind him. Then it stopped.

He was waiting.

Outside, in the rain.

Holding out a hand.

I stared at it. Then at the soldiers nearby. Of course they all knew who I was. I wore a deep cloak that shielded most of my features, but it didn’t matter. Everyone around the carriage had seen me. Cassian’s new bride. His fifth.

I recognized some of them. Rio, for one, and a few of the lieutenants I had helped treat. Their gazes flicked in my direction, unreadable.

Cassian didn’t say anything, just kept his hand extended.

I stepped out and took it.

He didn’t lead me far. Just away from the carriages and down a slope where the guards thinned out and torches burned less frequently. The trees grew closer here, and the shadows

thicker.

“Do the others know?” I asked quietly, my voice barely above the sound of the rain.

“That we’re expecting an attack?” he replied, still holding my hand. “Yes.”

We kept walking.

To anyone watching, we must’ve looked like lovers taking a stroll through the woods. The thought made me flinch but also, strangely, made my cheeks grow warm.

“They’re not afraid?” I asked again.

Cassian didn’t stop walking. “Fear is natural. But they’re prepared. That’s the difference.”

“But the Demon Fangs… they don’t care if they live or die. They don’t have families to protect, no sense of loyalty, no real purpose beyond destruction. They fight like death means nothing to them… like they welcome it. And that makes them dangerous. They’re strong. Maybe not as strong as your people, but they don’t hesitate. They strike without fear, without restraint.” That’s what made them… frightening and almost unstoppable.

“You’re getting talkative,” he said suddenly, glancing at me with a faint tilt of his head.

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Chapter 28

I instantly shut my mouth.

But then, without warning, he pulled me toward him.

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I stumbled, my body colliding with his chest. His cloak was damp and cold, but his arms were solid, steady.

My eyes flicked up, and I found his.

Storm–gray and sharp, narrowed slightly as he looked down at me.

“Are you scared of me?” he asked.

“I- “Was I? Of course, I was! Naturally, I didn’t want to be one of his dead brides! “Is there something else to be scared of?” I heard him chuckle in response.

“You are a terrible liar,” he suddenly said before adding. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone harm you,” he said.

My lips parted, but no words came out.

Before I could even react, he bent slightly and lifted me.

One arm hooked under my knees, the other around my back.

Like I weighed nothing.

Like I was something worth carrying.

“Wha–what are you doing?” I stammered, startled.

He didn’t answer. He just started walking through the rain, carrying me through the forest like this was the most logical thing in the world.

Cassian didn’t say a word as he carried me through the downpour. Then… without warning, he started running. Fast.

The trees blurred past us, shadows streaking across my vision before I closed my eyes shut. Rain slapped against my cloak and stung my skin, but none of it touched me directly. Not with him holding me the way he did. His grip was firm but not rough. Surprisingly steady.

I expected the cold of the storm to seep through his clothes, but his body was warm. Solid. Like a wall of heat in the middle of winter. The rhythm of his stride didn’t jolt me the way I thought it would. Each movement was smooth, efficient, like he had done this before, carried someone like this before.

Except, I doubted he had.

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Chapter 28

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I wasn’t supposed to enjoy it. But… part of me did.

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Wrapped in his arms, moving through the darkness with only the sound of rain and his heartbeat in my car, I felt… strange. Not safe exactly, but not in danger either. Like I was being watched over. Shielded.

We ran for what felt like forever. Through thick woods, over uneven terrain, past the last flickers of torchlight from the camp.

Then, slowly he began to slow down.

His boots crunched softly against wet gravel as he came to a full stop.

He lowered me gently back to the ground, setting me on my feet with surprising care. I adjusted my cloak and looked around, brushing wet hair away from my

face.

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