Chapter 180
Casper's POV
My father's eyes swept over the room one last time before he turned toward the door. His jaw was tight, shoulders rigid.
"I need to ensure Drake and the others are properly secured," he said.
His voice was too controlled. Too careful.
My gut twisted.
Something's wrong, Leo whispered in my head.
Dad didn't wait for a response. He pushed through the door, his Alpha authority radiating off him in waves that should've felt reassuring.
They didn't.
Mom followed immediately, but not before I caught it—the way her gaze skittered away from mine. The sheen of sweat on her forehead. The nervous twitch at the corner of her mouth.
She's terrified, Leo growled.
My heart hammered against my ribs. I stared at the closed door, my hands curling into fists.
"Casper."
Cassian's hand landed on my shoulder, firm and grounding. I flinched at the contact.
"Relax, brother," he said quietly.
Relax?
I wanted to laugh. Or scream. Maybe both.
"It's not that simple, brother," I said, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.
Elowen's head snapped toward me, those amber eyes narrowing. "Casper?"
Fuck. I was scaring her.
I forced myself to take a breath, to loosen my jaw. "Sorry, baby. I'm just... frustrated. Stressed."
Liar, Leo muttered.
I ignored him. But the unease wouldn't leave.
Because I kept hearing it. Raven's voice, silky and poisonous, echoing in my skull.
"Your brother will beg me to let your daughter bond with me."
I looked at Cassian. At the careful neutrality in his ice-blue eyes.
Did he believe what Dad was saying? That there was no demon in me or Leo?
Or was he just... protecting me?
"Casper, don't take this out on Cassian," Elowen said softly, moving closer. Her vanilla-and-honey scent wrapped around me, soothing and maddening all at once. "Cassian is on your side."
Is he?
The words burned on my tongue, but I swallowed them. Because if I said them out loud, I'd have to face the answer.
And I wasn't ready for that.
"Is he?" I heard myself say anyway.
The room went silent.
Cassian's hand dropped from my shoulder. His eyes—those cold, calculating eyes—flickered with something I couldn't name.
Hurt?
No. Cassian didn't get hurt. He got angry. Or he got even.
But right now, he just looked... tired.
"Casper—" Elowen started, but I cut her off.
"I'm not saying you're lying, Kane," I said, using his old name without thinking. "I'm just saying... maybe you believe them too easily."
Or maybe you want to believe them because it's easier than facing the truth.
Cassian's jaw tightened. "And what truth is that, Casper? That our parents are hiding something? Or that you don't trust me anymore?"
The accusation hit like a punch to the gut.
"I trust you," I said quickly. Too quickly.
Do you?
Leo's question hung in my mind, unanswered.
Because the truth was, I didn't know. Not anymore.
Not after Raven.
Not after seeing that look in Dad's eyes when Leo had surfaced.
Not after Mom's hands had trembled when she'd touched my face.
They're scared of me, Leo whispered, and for the first time, he sounded uncertain. Vulnerable.
They're scared of us.
"Casper." Elowen's voice was gentle, her hand reaching for mine. "Cassian loves you. He's just trying to protect you."
I looked down at her, at the concern etched into her freckled face, and something inside me cracked.
"You've been in the demon realm too long," I said, forcing a grin I didn't feel. "You're starting to read minds now?"
She huffed a soft laugh, but her eyes stayed serious. Then she leaned up and pressed her lips to mine.
The kiss was everything I needed and nothing I deserved. Soft and sweet and grounding. Her fingers tangled in my hair, and I pulled her closer, desperate to lose myself in her warmth.
When we broke apart, her eyes were glowing faintly gold.
Juno's watching, Leo murmured.
Good. Let her see how much we love her human.
"He needs you, Elowen," Juno's voice came through, low and soothing. "More than he knows."
I wanted to argue. To say I didn't need anyone.
But the lie wouldn't come.
"You done being all broody and dramatic?" Cassian's voice cut through the moment, dry as dust.
I turned to find him standing a few feet away, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised.
"You're such a creep," I muttered.
Pot, meet kettle, Leo said.
Cassian's lips twitched—the closest thing to a smile I'd seen from him since Dad had walked in.
"Your emotions are bleeding through the bond loud enough to give me a headache," he said, moving closer. "So either get your shit together, or let me help."
Zero's worried too, Leo whispered.
I could feel it now, the faint hum of concern coming through our twin link. Cassian was better at hiding it, but his wolf wasn't.
"I don't want to fight with you, Kane," I said quietly.
"Cassian," he corrected, his voice equally soft. "And I don't want to fight either."
He stepped forward, his hand landing on my shoulder again. This time, I didn't flinch.
"I'm with you, brother," he said, his ice-blue eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made my throat tight. "Whatever happens here... I'm with you."
My vision blurred.
Don't you fucking cry, Leo growled.
Too late, I thought.
"He means it," Leo said suddenly, his voice filled with something suspiciously close to relief. "Kitten's right. He's telling the truth."
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
Elowen stepped back, giving us space, but her expression was pure satisfaction.
I told you so, her face seemed to say.
Smug little thing, Leo said fondly.
The moment shattered when Dad walked back into the room.
He looked worse than before. His shoulders sagged, his face pale. But his eyes...
His eyes were sharp. Assessing.
And scared.
He's afraid of something, Leo said, his hackles rising.
Dad's gaze swept over the three of us before landing on me.
"Casper," he said, his voice rough. "Where did you go? Why were you consorting with demons? And why are you suddenly so close to those three Alphas?"
The questions came rapid-fire, each one hitting like a blow.
But it wasn't the questions that made my blood run cold.
It was the way his shoulders tensed. The way his hands flexed at his sides, like he was bracing himself.
Preparing for something, Leo growled.