Chapter 230
Elowen's POV
This plan is insane, I thought, staring at Casper and Cassian. Completely fucking insane.
"Wait," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "You're telling me we're supposed to convince Sarah that you two want her as your mate. But what happens when she actually expects you to... you know..."
I couldn't even say it. The words stuck in my throat like broken glass.
"Fuck her?" Raven supplied helpfully from where he lounged on the altar, that infuriating smirk playing on his lips.
Don't let him get to you, Juno warned. Remember what Selene said. She's watching. Always watching.
"Sarah's going to expect—" I started again, but Raven cut me off.
"Oh, there are so many delightful ways to phrase it," he mused, examining his nails. "Do the deed. Make the beast with two backs. Horizontal refreshment. The mattress mambo. Netflix and—"
"Not helpful, asswipe," Casper growled, his amber eyes flashing gold.
Cassian took a step forward, his ice-blue gaze turning deadly. "Raven, I suggest you—"
A low, rumbling growl cut through the tension. I turned to see Grimm, the massive hellhound, rising from his position beside the altar. His eyes glowed with that unnatural fire, fixed on Cassian with an intensity that made my skin prickle.
"Easy," Raven said lazily, though I noticed his posture had shifted slightly. More alert. "We're all friends here."
"Hiding the sausage," Raven finished his list with a grin.
Despite everything—the fear, the anger, the crushing weight of this impossible situation—I felt my lips twitch. A small, involuntary smile.
Fucking hell, Juno muttered. Did he really just—
Cassian was at my side in an instant, his hand finding mine. His touch sent warmth flooding through our bond, and I could feel Zero's presence too, protective and fierce.
"Our bond with you is unbreakable," he said, his voice low and intense. His ice-blue eyes bored into mine. "Nothing and no one will ever change that."
Before I could respond, Casper moved behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist. His lips found the mark on my neck—his mark—and pressed a gentle kiss there. The sensation shot straight through me, making my knees weak.
"There is only one girl I want to play hide the sausage with," he murmured against my skin, and I could hear the smile in his voice even as his arms tightened possessively. "And she's right here in my arms."
I leaned back into him, letting my eyes close for just a moment. "I believe you," I whispered. "Both of you. But I still need to understand how this is actually going to work. Sarah isn't stupid. She'll expect—"
A sudden pressure against my legs made me gasp. Grimm had appeared out of nowhere, his massive body pushing between me and Casper. The hellhound's head was easily as high as my waist, his dark fur surprisingly soft as he pressed against me.
"What the—" Casper stumbled back.
Grimm circled me slowly, his tail brushing against my thighs as his body wove around mine like a cat. There was something oddly gentle about the way he moved, despite his size.
"Raven," Cassian said, his voice tight with tension. "Call off your dog. Now."
But I wasn't afraid. That was the strange part. I should have been terrified—this was a hellhound, for fuck's sake—but as I reached out and let my fingers sink into Grimm's thick fur, all I felt was... calm.
He won't hurt us, Juno said softly. Can't you feel it?
And she was right. There was something in the way Grimm looked at me with those glowing eyes, something almost... protective.
"Interesting," Raven drawled. I looked up to find him watching us intently, his red eyes gleaming with an emotion I couldn't quite read. "He recognizes you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded, still stroking Grimm's massive head.
"You're broadcasting your thoughts rather loudly, sweetheart," Raven said, tapping his temple. "All that worry about your little passengers."
"Stay out of my head," I snapped, heat flooding my cheeks.
But Grimm had already moved, his enormous head lowering to press against my still-flat stomach. I froze, my hand suspended in mid-air.
"Same litter," Raven said softly, and for once there was no mockery in his tone. "He recognizes the pup you carry. Or should I say, pups."
"He can sense them?" I breathed, my free hand moving to cover Grimm's head where it rested against my abdomen.
"Hellhounds are very perceptive creatures," Raven replied.
"Wait," Casper said suddenly, his voice strangled. "Hellhounds. As in plural." He turned to Raven, his face going pale. "Leo. You gave me a damn hellhound!"
The pieces clicked into place. Leo, Casper's wolf—the one that could go feral, the one that seemed different from other wolves. Because it wasn't a wolf at all.
Grimm's head swiveled toward Casper, and a low, warning growl rumbled from his chest.
"Well, technically," Raven began, but Casper was already moving.
"You put a fucking demon inside me!" Casper's hands fisted in Raven's shirt, yanking him forward. "Leo nearly killed people at the dance. He destroyed the ballroom. And you knew—you knew what he was all along!"
"He's served you well enough, hasn't he?" Raven said, infuriatingly calm despite being manhandled. "And yes, I can influence Leo. He comes from my domain, after all."