Exposed (3)

Madeline watched in horror as Alaric stepped back, raising his hand as a sign for his guards to get Cassian, but the young lad seemed unfazed as he stared at Alaric with his crimson eyes - the same color of eyes that reminded the young King of the sight of blood, and it was a look he greatly detested.

But then something strange happened.

Madeline thought she saw Cassian's eyes soften, his fangs receding as he concentrated on calming himself. It was as if a switch had been flipped, and suddenly he was just a man again.

"Cassian."

Alaric seemed just as surprised as Madeline, but he didn't let his guard down. He was still having trouble believing that Cassian was one of those things that abducted his people, but what he had witnessed with his own eyes makes it difficult for him to deny it.