Chapter 185
Casper's POV
I closed my eyes, memories flooding back. The pain. Oh god, the pain. Like my bones were being crushed and reformed over and over again. Like my skin was being peeled off in strips. I remembered screaming until my voice gave out, remembered Mom and Dad hovering over me with cool cloths, their faces masks of concern.
"We thought it was just a late manifestation," Mom whispered. "We told you it was natural, that some wolves just take longer—"
"But it wasn't natural," I cut her off, opening my eyes to stare at them. "It was because of Leo. Because you let a fucking demon plant a wolf inside me without telling me the truth."
Through the bond, I felt Elowen's hands squeeze my shoulders gently. I reached up, covering one of her hands with mine, and carefully guided her around to stand beside Cassian instead. She gave me a confused look, but I shook my head slightly.
I need to do this alone, I sent through our bond. Please.
She hesitated, then nodded, letting Cassian pull her close. I watched as she settled against my brother's side, one of his arms wrapping protectively around her waist, and felt a surge of gratitude. They would support each other. Whatever happened next, they'd have each other.
I turned back to my parents, feeling Leo's presence surge stronger within me. "Would you rather I had died?" I asked quietly.
"No!" Mom gasped. "Never, Casper, we—"
"Then why lie?" My voice rose despite my best efforts to stay calm. "Why make up stories about late manifestations and natural development when you knew—you fucking knew—what was really happening to me?"
"We accept Leo," I continued before they could answer. "I trust him. He's part of me now, and I wouldn't change that. But that's not the point, is it? The point is that you did this because you were afraid. Afraid of what the pack would think. Afraid of losing your precious Alpha status. So you let a demon plant a pet wolf inside me just to save face."
Dad's face had gone red. "That's not—"
"That's exactly what happened," I snarled, and felt Leo pushing forward, my eyes probably flashing amber-gold. "You were so concerned with maintaining the perfect Alpha family image that you were willing to let me suffer. To let me think there was something wrong with me. To make me believe I was broken."
"We didn't know Leo would be so strong," Mom tried, her voice breaking. "We didn't know he'd be so hard to control—"
"Bullshit," Cassian cut in, and his voice was like a whip crack. "You knew exactly what you were getting into. That's why Casper was never allowed to train with the pack in wolf form. Why he never joined us on territory runs or pack hunts. You kept him isolated because you were afraid Leo would hurt someone."
I stared at them, feeling something crack open inside my chest. "You... you deliberately kept me away from the pack?" The words came out barely above a whisper.
Mom's tears were flowing freely now. "We had to," she sobbed. "The demon-given wolves are more aggressive than natural ones. We couldn't risk—"
"So everything I believed about myself was a lie," I said flatly. "My entire childhood, all those times I wondered why I wasn't allowed to run with the others, why I had to stay behind during full moons—it wasn't because I was fragile or needed more training. It was because you thought I was dangerous."
"You did well controlling Leo last night," Dad said suddenly, and his voice had taken on that forced-cheerful tone that made my skin crawl. "The control you showed was remarkable—"
"He was drugged," Elowen spoke up, her voice sharp with anger. "Drake poisoned him with something that made Leo react defensively. This wasn't a failure of control—it was attempted murder."
Dad's jaw tightened. "Be that as it may, it wasn't the first time Leo lost control."
My blood ran cold. Through the twin bond, I felt Cassian's shock mirror my own.
"What?" I breathed.
"There were... incidents," Dad continued, not meeting my eyes. "Times when Leo took over completely. When you were younger."
"What incidents?" My voice came out strangled. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
Mom's face had gone ashen. "There was a patrol member," she whispered. "He... he challenged your position in the pack hierarchy. Said you didn't deserve to be Alpha's son because you weren't a real wolf."
No, Leo growled in my head. No, no, no—
"Leo killed him," Dad said bluntly. "Tore him apart before we could intervene."
The room spun. I gripped the arms of my chair so hard my knuckles went white. "I don't—I don't remember that."
"We erased the memory," Mom admitted, her voice barely audible. "We couldn't let you carry that burden. You were so young, and it wasn't your fault. The patrol member had been warned—"
"You erased my memory?" I repeated, feeling hysteria bubble up in my throat. "What else? What else did you fucking take from me?"
"Your English tutor," Cassian said suddenly, and his voice was flat, emotionless. "When we were fourteen. He disappeared suddenly, and no one would tell me why."
Mom let out a choked sob. I looked at Elowen, saw her amber eyes wide with horror.
"What happened to my English tutor?" I demanded.
"He..." Mom's voice broke. "He called you stupid. Said you were too dumb to understand the difference between 'their,' 'there,' and 'they're.' That you'd never be fit to lead anything."
"Good," Elowen muttered, and when I looked at her in surprise, she lifted her chin defiantly. "He deserved whatever he got."
"He deserved to be obliterated?" Mom asked, her voice rising with hysteria. "Leo didn't just kill him, Casper. He destroyed him. There was nothing left to bury. Just... pieces. Scattered across your study room."
I couldn't breathe. The walls felt like they were closing in. Through the bond, I felt Elowen's horror mixing with a fierce protectiveness, felt Cassian's cold fury and Zero's calculating presence.
They made you into a monster, Zero's voice echoed through both bonds. And now they blame you for being what they created.
"I'm done," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "I'm done with this conversation."
"Casper, please—" Mom reached for me, but I stood up so quickly she stumbled back.
"We need to understand—" Dad started.
"No," I interrupted, heading for the door. "You need to understand that I'm done being your puppet. Done being manipulated and lied to. Done letting you control my life."
Dad moved to block the door. "Casper, be reasonable—"
"Move." My voice came out in Leo's growl. "Move, or I'll make you move."
"You'd threaten your own father?" Mom's voice was sharp with shock.
I turned to look at her, feeling something cold and hard settle in my chest. "You mean like you threatened my entire existence by making a deal with a demon? Like that?"
"We saved your life—"
"You saved your reputation," I corrected. "And you know what's funny? The demon was right. You never really loved me. You loved the idea of what I could be for your perfect Alpha family."
Dad's face had gone pale. "That's not true—"
"Isn't it?" I looked at Cassian, saw my twin's ice-blue eyes flash with understanding. "Tell them, Cass. Tell them about the marriage contract."
Cassian's expression hardened. "When I asked Father for permission to openly pursue Elowen," he said, his voice deadly quiet, "he told me no. Said she was already promised to someone else as part of a deal. A political arrangement."
Elowen made a small, hurt sound. I saw her hand go to her stomach, protective and fierce.
"What deal?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What arrangement?"
Dad's silence was answer enough.
Elowen let out a bitter laugh. "So what's the going rate for a brown-haired Beta girl these days?"