Chapter 141
Elowen's POV
I woke up to the soft glow of morning light sneaking through the curtains, my body still heavy with the warmth of last night. My head rested on Cassian’s chest, his steady heartbeat grounding me, while Casper’s arm draped over my waist, his hand shamelessly cupping my chest. I felt his breath tickle the back of my neck, hot and slow. “Just for comfort, baby,” he’d mumbled last night with that cocky grin of his. Yeah, right. Then there was Cassian, whose hand had somehow found its way between my thighs while he slept, his excuse being, “My hand’s cold.” I rolled my eyes at the memory, a mix of irritation and sweetness swirling in my chest. These two. I swear, they’d find any reason to keep me glued to them.
The faint buzz of a phone vibrating somewhere in the room snapped me out of my thoughts. I groaned softly, not wanting to move from this cocoon of warmth and safety. Casper stirred behind me, tightening his grip. “Where you goin’, cutie?” His voice was rough with sleep, sending a shiver down my spine as his lips brushed my shoulder.
“Bathroom,” I muttered, carefully peeling his hand off me. “I’ll be back.”
“Better be,” he grumbled, but his arm fell away, letting me slip out of bed. My bare feet hit the cool floor, and I winced at the sudden chill. As I shuffled toward the bathroom, my mind wandered to last night—Kade handing me that phone with a weird, tense look on his face. I’d stuffed it into the bra of my dress during the chaos, and later, when I’d showered, I’d left it on the bathroom counter. A pang of guilt hit me. I’d promised Casper and Cassian no more secrets, and here I was, hiding something again.
I pushed the bathroom door open, the tiles cold under my feet, and spotted the phone right where I’d left it. My fingers hesitated before picking it up. The screen lit up with a bunch of missed messages. My eyebrows shot up as I scrolled through them—random women asking “him” if he’d be around tonight, some with winking emojis, others straight-up filthy. I snorted, a laugh escaping me. Kade, you dog. I remembered his offhand comment about liking hookers, and it all clicked. These had to be his little side chicks blowing up his phone. I shook my head, a grin tugging at my lips.
Before I could put it down, the damn thing vibrated in my hand. My stomach flipped. I answered, keeping my voice low. “Hello?”
“Elowen, you okay?” Kade’s tone was sharp, laced with worry. It wasn’t like him to sound so on edge, and it made my skin prickle.
“Yeah, I’m fine. What’s up?” I leaned against the counter, the cold edge pressing into my hip.
Before he could answer, the bathroom door swung open with a bang, and Casper stormed in, stark naked, his muscles flexing with every step. My breath caught at the sight of him—broad shoulders, tight abs, and that damn scar on his brow that made him look even hotter. He snatched the phone from my hand, his amber eyes narrowing. “She’s fine. Who the hell is this?” he barked into the receiver, his voice dripping with suspicion.
I couldn’t help but smirk, crossing my arms over my chest. “Real possessive, huh?”
He shot me a look, his gaze softening for a split second before he growled, “Damn right I am, little freckle.” His eyes raked over my bare body, lingering way too long, and I felt heat crawl up my neck.
“Casper, it’s me,” Kade’s voice crackled through the speaker. “You good, man?”
Casper didn’t answer right away, too busy staring at me like I was breakfast. I rolled my eyes, but my pulse was racing. Then Cassian appeared in the doorway, low-slung sweatpants barely hanging on his hips, his black-brown hair messy from sleep. Those ice-blue eyes locked on me, and I swear my knees went weak. Damn it. How did I end up with two men who could unravel me with a single look? Juno’s voice purred in my head, “Because your mates are sex gods, babe. Own it.”
I bit my lip, fighting a smile, as Casper finally put the phone on speaker but held it out of my reach like a jerk. “What do you want, Kade?” he snapped, his tone still edged with irritation.
Kade’s voice came through, heavy and cautious. “I’ve got news, but Elowen’s not gonna like it. You two should come hear it in person.”
My stomach dropped. I reached for the phone, but Casper pulled it back, shaking his head. “Just say it now,” I insisted, my voice sharper than I meant it to be.
“No can do,” Kade replied, his words clipped. “Messengers get shot, you know? You need to hear this from the horse’s mouth. Or, well, the donkey’s, since he’s a total asshole.”
I frowned, confusion mixing with dread. What was he talking about? Casper’s jaw tightened, and Cassian stepped closer, his bare chest brushing my arm, sending a jolt through me. The air in the bathroom felt thicker now, charged with tension.
Ronan’s voice cut in from the other end, a low chuckle. “Yeah, ‘cause donkeys are jackasses.”
Kade snorted. “And horses got big dicks. Unlike Drake.”
My eyes widened, and I nearly choked on a laugh despite the growing knot in my gut. Casper’s grip on the phone tightened, his knuckles whitening. “Why the fuck did you grab Drake?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
Kade’s tone shifted, darker now. “Let’s just say we’re getting to know him better.”
A muffled whimper came through the speaker—Drake. My heart slammed against my ribs, memories of his hands on me flashing through my mind, bitter and raw. I glanced at Cassian, whose icy stare had turned hard, unreadable. I knew he was seeing something through Juno, something I couldn’t. His jaw clenched, and the air around him seemed to crackle with suppressed rage.
I opened my mouth to ask Kade how the hell he even knew about Drake’s… size, but I clamped it shut just in time. Not the moment. Casper’s eyes were on me now, burning with a mix of protectiveness and something darker, like he was ready to tear someone apart. Cassian’s gaze flicked to me too, sharp and assessing, watching every twitch of my expression. I swallowed hard, the weight of their attention pressing down on me, heavy and electric.
“Meet me,” Kade said finally, breaking the tense silence. “We’ll talk. Bring her.”
Casper didn’t respond right away, his thumb brushing the edge of the phone like he was debating smashing it. I reached out, touching his arm, feeling the heat of his skin under my fingers. “We need to know,” I whispered, my voice steadier than I felt.
His amber eyes met mine, softening just a fraction. “Fine. But you’re not goin’ anywhere without us, baby.”
Cassian nodded, his hand finding the small of my back, his touch firm and grounding. “Never again,” he added, his voice low, a promise carved in stone.