Chapter 245

Brett's POV The private room fell into an uneasy silence as I sat there alone, the remnants of dinner cold on the plates. Cassian had made everyone leave, claiming he wanted a 'proper talk.' As if I needed another lecture. I'd gone into that damn lineage test with hope—stupid, naive hope. If Clara was mine, it would mean the curse wasn't absolute. That I could have a child. That Lilith hadn't betrayed me. That maybe… I still had a future with her. But the test crushed that hope. A lie. All of it. Rage tightened in my chest like a vice. "Alpha Brett, are you seriously moving the mating ceremony to May?" Cassian's hand landed on my shoulder. "Yeah," I muttered. "You're really pushing it up?" "I said yes." My tone was sharp, final. Cassian sighed. "You're doing this to prove something, not because you love Vanessa." I turned to glare at him. "You don't know what you're talking about." Jacob stirred inside me, restless and growling. But I forced him down. Vanessa had stood by me. She was l