Cassius had been doing everything within his power to give Sofia distance and time to grieve and be with her mom and sister without him trying to butt in. It was killing him and in his long life, seldomly had he had to exercise such restraint. Never had he felt his instincts wanting to rule him so fiercely. Then again, he had never met his Destined in all of that time.

Watching her put on a brave face while being able to feel how profoundly she was hurting without the ability to take that pain away was torture. His own sorrow had to wait. His inner beast demanded answers and retribution for the loss of one of his friends. Someone so near and dear to his coven. His desire for vengeance was for both his people and his beloved who deserved to see the culprits pay in blood.

Foul play was clear to them even if human doctors would not discover it. It reeked of poisonous intent and his closest men all agreed that it was too much of a coincidence for something like this to occur right after the rogue hunters had been pushing into their territory and growing bold in their actions. "Whoever this group of hunters is, they are clearly willing to ignore the peace treaty to attack us. We can't rule out that they targeted one of our familiars to send a message" Ezra had calmly stated but there was fury in his eyes.

Seeing Sofia after the funeral both soothed his soul while breaking his heart. It was obvious how desperately she was trying to keep it together and appear strong and composed. He yearned to take her into his arms and ease her despair. He should have been beside her the entire time, offering his strength and comfort. Unfortunately, it was too soon for that. He had to make do with the brief interaction, trusting Hiari to stay behind and look after her where he could not.

Receiving the call from his Childe that Sofia had not arrived back after going to the airport had knocked the breath out of his lungs. Amir and Javier took it upon themselves to round up a few of their closest men and head out to search but Cassius could not wait around. He flashed straight to the airport. The muddle of bodies departing and arriving made scents mix which did not help matters but eventually he was able to distinguish his Destined's uniquely beautiful scent.

Cassius was able to track her trajectory and cursed himself for not realizing the cemetery was the most obvious place she would go in the midst of her mounting anguish. He did his best not to panic but the rain was falling in thick curtains and the night was growing colder. Both are things that hardly registered to him but Sofia is human and vulnerable in these conditions. Without wasting any more precious time, Cassius flashes over to where they had laid Huan Lin to rest just hours ago and nearly wept at the sight of his precious girl shivering on the ground and barely conscious.

Sofia's normally warm olive skin is deathly pale and cold to the touch. Her lips have lost their natural rosy hue and taken on a purple tint. Her teeth chatter and her breath comes out in pants, her chest not fully expanding the way it should from the chill. Rich brown locks are darkened by the rain and sticking to her face.

He quickly weighs out the pros and cons of flashing with Sofia in his arms. It would be disorienting for her but considering her unconscious state, it should be fine. Still, he cradles her tightly against his chest before taking off. Within a minute, he is rushing into Huan's home where the petite beauty is now staying. His wish would be to take her back to the coven where he could watch over her but he knows he must be reasonable...for now.

Hiari sighs with relief and takes over changing Sofia while pushing Cassius away to go make up the bed and gather warm bedding and a heating pad. He could have fought against his Childe's insistence but he knows at this point in time Sofie would feel more comfortable with Hiari if she were to wake up. The thought burns and something ugly and possessive inside of him surges up but he quickly reins it in. Now is not the time for that.

With Sofia dried off and comfortably tucked into bed, Cassius watches over her as Hiari makes the call to assure the guys that Sofia is safe and back home now. He tunes it out and concentrates instead on the sound of Sofia's heart beating regularly again, no longer frantic from the stress the cold and rain was putting on her body. Gently, his fingers run through her short locks and he marvels at how such a beautiful woman could possibly be his.

Sofia's steady breathing calms him in a way nothing else could and he vows to keep a closer eye on her. The need to be close to his Destined is far too powerful to be ignored but he will do it with finesse. Cassius decides to gradually insert himself into her life and get to know her. Before she even realizes it, they will be too intertwined to distinguish where one of them stops and the other begins.

A lifetime of experience will hopefully aid him when his patience runs thin, and his compulsion to simply reveal everything about himself and their bond grows too much to bear. Unfortunately, the secret of what he is does not only pertain to him. He has an entire coven of vampires to do right by and Sofia deserves better than to have her world turned upside down when she is still finding her footing after such a devastating loss.

Thoughts of Huan once again bring up the issue of these hunters and the threat they pose. He will have to be cautious about how they handle the issue but handled it shall be. Hopefully, he will one day be able to tell Sofia that those who took her grandfather from her no longer draw breath.

Cassius registers Hiari's presence by the open bedroom door and reluctantly pulls himself away from his Destined. Bending, he kisses her forehead before backing away. With one last longing glance, Cassius tells Hiari to contact him if anything happens or if he is needed then heads back to the coven. There is much work still to be done and the lingering feel of Sofia in his arms helps push him forward even as he wishes he were laying in bed with her, enveloped in her warmth.