Chapter 145
Elowen's POV
I laughed. The sound came out wrong—too high, too sharp. My head dropped onto Casper's shoulder.
"No thanks," I said. The silver knife gleamed in Kade's hand. Drake's blood dripped from its edge. "I'm good."
Casper's body trembled against mine. His muscles locked up tight. I couldn't tell if he was angry at my mother or at Kade. Maybe both.
Last night flashed through my head. Casper's rage. The broken glass. The violence in his eyes when Leo took over.
I didn't want to feel that again.
"You sure?" Kade tilted his head. His amber eyes caught the dim light. "Listening to what he says will make you feel better."
"Give her that knife one more time," Casper said. His voice dropped low. Dangerous. "I'll slit your throat with it. Let Leo fuck your corpse."
My mouth opened. Casper's hand squeezed my waist—a warning. I shut up.
"You know she's naturally good with knives, right?" Ronan grinned from the corner. His emerald eyes sparkled with something nasty.
Kade's smile widened. He looked amused, not offended.
"I'm not," I said quickly. My eyes scanned the room. The walls were splattered with blood. Drake sat in his own piss and blood. The smell made my stomach turn. "I've never—"
"Scared?" Juno's voice cut through my thoughts. She sounded disgusted.
"He deserves to die by our hands," I said. My voice came out stronger than I felt. "Only ours."
Juno howled in satisfaction. I smiled despite everything.
"Yesterday you stuck a silver bookmark through his hand," Kade said. He gestured at Drake. "And a pen through his shoulder. Very creative."
My gaze flicked to Cassian. Pain flickered across his face before disappearing. He stood near the door, watching everything.
"Casper." Kade's voice sharpened with impatience. "Can we move this along?"
Did you really do that? Casper's voice filled my head through our mind link.
Cassian hovered at the edge of our connection. Silent but listening.
I did what I had to do, I thought back. Heat crept up my neck. I wish I could say I didn't enjoy it. But I did.
I wish I could've seen that, Casper said.
Kade, if she touches that knife, I'll make you wish you were Drake. Cassian's voice was ice cold.
Knew you liked the kinky stuff, Casper shot back.
I almost laughed. Almost.
Kade cleared his throat. Everyone's attention snapped to him.
"This one," he pointed at Drake, "squealed like a pig. But he didn't know much." His finger moved to someone else in the shadows. "That one was harder to crack."
I squinted. Another figure sat slumped in a chair. My mother.
"What did they say?" I asked.
"Jessica wanted Drake to drug the drinks," Kade said simply.
"Because he's a spineless piece of shit," Alaric added from behind Drake. He still held that silver letter opener from yesterday. It twisted in Drake's shoulder blade. Drake whimpered.
"He knew what the drugs would do," Kade continued. His voice stayed level, like he was discussing the weather. "The plan was to drug everyone. Give Jessica a chance to make her deal."
My chest tightened. "What deal?"
"If Drake killed Ethan, he got you." Kade's eyes locked on mine. "The plan was to get you pregnant. Solidify his position in the pack." He paused. "Then kill Casper and his brother."
Kade winked at Casper. "He's quite the charmer, isn't he?"
"We knew that," Casper said. He shrugged, but his jaw clenched tight. "Didn't know I was on Jessica's death list. Makes sense though."
My head whipped toward him. "You knew?" My hand fell to my stomach. "You knew he wanted to use me like that?"
Casper's smirk made my blood boil.
"Did you get me pregnant," the words tumbled out before I could stop them, "just so he couldn't?"
I shook my head. "I thought it was an accident, but—"
Casper grabbed my chin. Panic flashed in his eyes. He tried to stop me.
Too late.
"You're pregnant?" My mother's voice cracked through the room.
I closed my eyes. Fuck.
"It has to be Drake's," Jessica said quickly. Her words came faster, more desperate. "You've only been mating for a few days!"
"No one will accept you as Luna," she added. Her voice rose higher. "Not with his bastard—"
"It's not Drake's!" Casper's voice boomed. He pulled me closer. "They haven't fucked in months! He's been too busy screwing everyone else."
I bit down on my tongue. Hard. The pain kept me quiet.
"Want me to cut his dick off, Luna?" Alaric's laugh echoed. "I could gift wrap it for you."
I rolled my eyes. "Don't call me that."
"But you are our Luna," he said. The more I protested, the more he seemed to enjoy it.
"No thank you!" I said. A small laugh escaped. "I have enough dicks keeping me satisfied. Don't need that tiny thing."
Casper's mouth twitched. He was trying not to smile.
I felt Cassian's stare burning into the back of my head. He probably thought I was being too bold with the alphas.
Through our mate bond, curiosity leaked from him. He wanted to know how they'd react to me talking like this.
"Why kill Ethan?" Casper changed the subject. Probably at Cassian's request.
"Not wise to discuss this with Elowen present," Alaric said. His playful expression vanished. Something serious replaced it.
"I'm pregnant, not a delicate fucking flower!" The words exploded out of me. "Can people stop treating me like I'll break!"
I was so tired of this.
"Is she always this rebellious?" Ronan laughed.
Casper's hand slid from my waist to my arm. He turned me toward him, pulling me close.
"Yes!" Casper and Cassian said at the same time.
Their voices harmonized perfectly. Like they'd practiced it.