Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She scrambled right back up and pressed close to him, mimicking me from my last life, purring, "How can you be disgusted by me? While you were out cold, I fed you mouth-to-mouth every single day. You didn't seem to mind then."

Cassian actually gagged.

His hand clamped around her throat, his eyes dark and venomous. "Who gave you permission to touch me?"

My sister didn't even flinch. She kept stroking his face, gentle as ever. "I know you think I'm beneath you. But I truly want to take care of you."

In the Phoenix Clan, no one had ever dared treat Cassian like this. He hurled her across the room in a blind rage.

Spotting me, my sister let out a cold little snort.

"Don't look so smug. He's just shy. He'll accept me soon enough."

She could sound so sure for one reason only: in my last life, Cassian had treated me exactly the same way―and then he'd woken up and loved me like I was his last breath.

Whit shifted back into his bunny form and came bouncing over. "Josie, you're up? Why didn't you wake me?"

My sister gave Whit a look of pure disdain. "I didn't realize your shifter was this childish, Josie. He's basically a toddler. How is he supposed to love you?"

"That's really not your problem, Sis."

I bent down, scooped Whit into my arms, and walked away.

Whit nuzzled into my chest. "Josie, was she talking trash about me just now?"

I rubbed his ears. "She's got sawdust for brains. Don't waste a thought on her."

Whit wrapped himself around my neck, cozy and content. "Don't worry. I really, really like you now."

Over the next few days, whenever Cassian wasn't paying attention, my sister stole kisses from him. She even crawled into his bed to tease him and "help him relieve the pressure."

Cassian woke up furious and humiliated.

He cursed her out and swung at her.

But with his wounds still healing, there was only so much he could do to her.

Every single day, the two of them turned the cottage upside down.

Cassian, face like thunder, knocked over the fresh-brewed medicine, so my sister shouldered her basket and hiked back up the mountain for more herbs. Bruised or not, she went willingly.

When Cassian threw his food away, she patiently cooked another portion―and another―until he finally ate.

When he called her shameless, she went even further, offering to "ease his urges" for him.

Every bit of it was stolen from the suffering I'd endured in my last life, repurposed as her stepping stone.

Then, in the final days before his wounds fully healed, Cassian accepted her.

He went everywhere with her, even climbed into her bed of his own accord, and wore her out so badly she couldn't get out of bed for three days.

When he learned my sister wanted to see me, he even escorted her to my little yard with tender care, supporting her arm the whole way.

My sister glowed like a woman thoroughly adored, cheeks flushed as she announced, "Josie, Cassian has accepted me. It's only a matter of time before he's completely in love with me. Meanwhile, here you are, spending every day with a dumb bunny. Don't let him rub off on you and turn you into an idiot too."

"And when you fail your task, don't blame your big sister for not warning you to pick that fox."

I stroked Whit's ears and said nothing.

Oh really?

If Cassian had truly accepted my sister, then he already knew she'd make the finest blood sacrifice of all.

Which meant my sister's death was right around the corner.