Chapter 144
Cassian's POV
I stood in the hallway outside the office, my fingers drumming against my thigh. The air felt thick, oppressive. Every breath I took tasted like copper and something darker—fear, maybe. Or violence waiting to happen.
My wolf, Zero, paced in my head like a caged animal. Something's wrong. Very wrong.
I pressed my palm against the wall, feeling the cool wood grain under my skin. My nails dug in slightly, not quite breaking through. The scent that leaked from under the door made my stomach turn—blood, sweat, terror. And underneath it all, three distinct Alpha signatures that set every instinct on high alert.
Casper shifted beside me, his amber eyes darting between me and the door. His jaw was tight, a muscle ticking just below his ear. I'd seen that look before—right before he'd torn apart a rival pack member who'd gotten too close to Elowen.
"We should've brought backup," he muttered, his voice rough.
I didn't answer. What could I say? That he was right? That every fiber of my being screamed this was a trap?
"They helped me before," Elowen said quietly, almost like she was trying to convince herself. "When Drake—"
"I don't give a fuck what they did before." The words came out harsher than I intended. I grabbed her wrist, pulling her around to face me. Her eyes widened, golden flecks catching the dim hallway light. "Listen to me, Elowen. Stay close to Casper. If I tell you to leave, you leave. Immediately. Do you understand?"
Her eyebrows drew together, that stubborn line forming between them that I'd come to recognize. "I've proven I can handle—"
"This isn't about trust." I loosened my grip, let my thumb trace the delicate bones of her wrist. My voice softened, but the steel remained. "You're not alone anymore. Remember that."
She opened her mouth to argue, then stopped. Something in my expression must have told her I wasn't budging on this.
Casper moved closer, his hand finding the small of her back. "We need to tell her."
I nodded slowly. The memory sat heavy in my chest, a weight I'd carried for years.
"Our father," I began, watching Elowen's face carefully, "when our mother was pregnant with us, he encountered a group of rogue wolves. They targeted her specifically."
Casper's hand tightened on Elowen's waist. "Dad didn't just fight them off. He ripped the attacker's arm clean from his body. Dug his heart out with his bare hands."
Elowen's breath hitched. I saw her swallow hard.
"That was before Mom lost the first baby." The words tasted like ash. I stepped closer, close enough that I could see the faint freckles dusting her nose. "If anything happens to you or the child, Elowen, what Casper and I would do would make that look merciful. That's not a threat. That's a promise."
Her pupils dilated. Fear? Arousal? With Elowen, it was always both.
"But I've only been pregnant for like a week, Cassian." She tried for defiant, but her voice wavered. "You can't wrap me in bubble wrap for nine months. I'll lose my mind."
A cold smile tugged at my lips. "Watch me. I can, and I will."
Casper pressed his forehead to her temple, his voice a low rumble. "We'll protect you, cutie. Whether you like it or not."
I could see her resistance crumbling. Good. She needed to understand what was at stake.
I reached for the door handle, then paused. "Ready?"
Casper nodded. Elowen took a shaky breath.
The smell hit me first when I opened the door—blood and metal, thick enough to choke on. The lights were dim, throwing long shadows across the floor. Drake sat bound to a chair in the center, his face a mess of bruises and split skin. Silver handcuffs gleamed on his wrists, etched with symbols that made my skin crawl just looking at them.
Jessica stood near the window, her back rigid. Kade leaned against the desk beside Drake, his dark hair perfectly styled despite the hour. Those amber eyes—so similar to mine and yet completely alien—tracked our entrance.
"Luna Elowen!" Ronan's voice boomed from the corner. His bronze skin seemed to glow in the low light, emerald eyes bright with something dangerous. "Finally."
Alaric stood near the wall, his silver hair catching what little light there was. That smile—the one that never reached his pale blue eyes—made my hackles rise.
I stayed by the door, forcing myself to lean casually against the wall. My nails bit into my palms hard enough to draw blood. The wet warmth trickled down my fingers, but I didn't move.
Zero growled in my head. Kill them. Kill them all before they hurt her.
Not yet, I told him. Wait.
Elowen walked past me, Casper at her side like a shadow. I watched every movement, cataloging threats. The window—could someone come through it? The desk—what weapons might be hidden there? The other door in the corner—where did it lead?
"Elowen." Kade's voice was smooth, controlled. He gestured to Drake's torn shirt, revealing words carved into his skin with silver. The letters screamed obscenities, the flesh around them raw and weeping.
I felt Elowen's shock through our bond. Not horror—something colder. Emptier.
That scared me more than anything else in this room.
"Those are interesting handcuffs," Casper said, his tone deceptively light. "Why isn't he healing?"
Elowen answered before Kade could. Her voice was flat, clinical. "They're special silver cuffs with suppression runes. As long as he's wearing them, Drake's basically human. No strength, no healing, no connection to Ragnar."
Ronan grinned, showing too many teeth. "Makes punishment so much more... effective."
I watched Elowen through our mental link, feeling for any emotional response. Her heartbeat was steady. Her breathing even. She looked at Drake—at the wounds, at the degrading words carved into his flesh—and felt nothing.
That should have relieved me. Instead, it made Zero whine with concern.
What did they do to her? he wondered. What did Drake break inside her that she can look at this and feel nothing?
Kade straightened, spinning something in his hand. A knife. Silver, from the smell. "Want to try?"
He held it out to Elowen.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Casper went rigid beside her. I dug my nails deeper into my palms, the pain keeping me grounded.
"You can carve anything you want into him," Kade continued, his voice honey-smooth. "He insulted you. Betrayed you. Fucked your mother. Don't you want to make him understand what that felt like?"
"When you're done," Alaric added, his smile widening, "we'll give him a nice salt and wolfsbane bath. Make sure those reminders stay permanent."
Ronan leaned forward, emerald eyes glittering. "This is your chance for revenge, Elowen. No one would blame you."
Elowen stared at the knife. Through our bond, I felt something shift—a dark curiosity, a hunger for vengeance that made my breath catch.