Chapter 12
Elowen's POV
Drake hesitated, then turned on his heel, throwing one last glare over his shoulder before disappearing into the shadows of the reception hall. The moment he was gone, my legs gave out. I collapsed onto the stone bench behind me, the cold seeping through my thin silver dress, but I didn't care. Tears poured down my face, hot and unstoppable, mixing with snot as I buried my face in my hands. My shoulders shook with every sob, and I couldn't stop the ugly, broken sounds escaping my throat. "I can't believe this… how could she do this to me?" I choked out, my voice raw. "He cheated! He hurt me!"
She's always been like this, Juno snarled in my head, her voice thick with rage. Always treating you like a damn pawn. She never cared how you felt!
I couldn't respond to her. I was drowning in my own pain, my chest so tight it hurt to breathe. The salty taste of tears filled my mouth, and my fingers dug into my scalp as I tried to hold myself together.
Suddenly, a thought hit me like a slap to the face. I whipped my head up, eyes narrowing through my tears as I stared at Cassian. "Wait a minute," I spat, my voice trembling with anger. "You brought me out here. You specifically asked me to come to this balcony with you." My breathing became ragged as suspicion bloomed. "Did you know? Did you know Drake would be here? That my mother—" My voice cracked as a fresh wave of tears threatened to overwhelm me.
Cassian's face remained impassive, though something flickered in his ice-blue eyes—a flash of hurt that I would think so poorly of him, quickly replaced by a controlled anger. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "No, Elowen. I didn't know," he said, his voice lower than usual, with an edge that conveyed more than just denial—it carried wounded pride.
"Bullshit!" I was on my feet now, wobbling slightly in my heels, pain morphing into rage. "You're an Alpha heir! You notice everything! Was this some kind of sick joke? Are you working with them?" My hands were shaking so badly I could barely wipe the tears from my face. "Maybe you're all in this together—you, Drake, my mother—all plotting behind my back!"
"El, that's not fair," Casper stepped between us, his voice gentle but firm. "Cass wouldn't do that to you. Neither of us would."
"Then why?" I demanded, glaring past Casper at Cassian. "Why bring me here of all places?"
Cassian's jaw tightened, a muscle ticking in his cheek as he stared at me. For a long moment, he said nothing, then he exhaled slowly. "I swear on my life, on my wolf, I had no idea Drake would be here." His voice had lost some of its usual cold edge. "I just..." He glanced at Casper, something vulnerable passing between them before he looked back at me. "I just wanted a few minutes alone with you. Away from everyone else."
I blinked, taken aback by his admission. It was so simple, so... normal, compared to the conspiracy I'd imagined.
"Truth is," Casper added softly, "we've both been trying to get you alone all night."
My anger deflated, leaving only the raw pain behind. I sank back onto the bench, the fight draining out of me.
Casper knelt down, his knees brushing against the rough stone as he pulled out a handkerchief embroidered with the Thornwood Pack crest in deep green thread. "Shh, it's okay, Little Freckle," he murmured, his voice soft and soothing, a stark contrast to the hardness he'd shown Drake. He gently wiped at my face, clearing the mess of tears and snot, his touch careful but firm. The fabric was soft against my skin, smelling faintly of pine and smoke, grounding me just a little.
Cassian didn't kneel. He stood beside me, a solid presence, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder. His fingers pressed just enough to let me know he was there, the heat of his touch seeping through my dress. "Don't go head-to-head with your mom right now. It'll only make this mess worse. Let us handle it," he said, his tone steady, almost strategic, but there was a warmth in it I hadn't expected.
I lifted my head, my eyes red and swollen, tears still clinging to my lashes as I looked between them. "Why? Why are you helping me?" My voice was barely a whisper, hoarse from crying, but I needed to know. I needed something to hold onto in this storm.
They exchanged a quick look, their eyes meeting for a split second before they turned back to me. Casper's voice was low and certain as he spoke first.
"Because we'll protect you," he said, his amber eyes never leaving mine.
"We want you to be our mate," Cassian finished, his tone leaving no room for doubt, the conviction in his ice-blue gaze matching his brother's perfectly.
The words, though spoken separately, hit me as one powerful declaration that vibrated through the stone bench and up my spine.
My breath caught, and my heart did a weird flip in my chest. Holy shit, that's double the trouble, Juno exclaimed in my mind, her tone a mix of shock and intrigue. But hell, it's a million times better than Drake!
Before I could even process their words, a sharp voice cut through the haze. "Elowen!" Cindy's voice cracked like a whip from the doorway. Her wedding gown shimmered as she stormed toward us, her new husband hovering behind. Her eyes, blue and sharp, zeroed in on my tear-stained face, and her expression instantly turned feral. "What the fuck did you two do?" she snarled at her brothers, not bothering to lower her voice despite being at her own wedding reception. "I swear to god, if either of you made her cry, I will rip your throats out with my teeth. Alpha heirs or not, I'll make you regret the day you were born!"
"No, Cindy, it's not them," I interrupted, wiping at my face with the back of my hand, Casper's handkerchief still clutched in my other fist. My voice trembled, but I forced the words out. "They're helping me. It's Drake… and my mom…"