Chapter 268
Ronan's POV
"A hookup," I supplied helpfully, because if I was going down, I might as well go down swinging. "A booty call. A—"
"If you finish that sentence with any kind of derogatory term," Kade interrupted, his voice dangerously soft, "I'm going to make you walk to wherever Casper is. Barefoot. In the snow. While I drive your truck and leave you behind."
The mental image of me trudging through the snow, barefoot and shirtless, while Kade drove my truck with Elowen in the passenger seat, was both humiliating and strangely amusing, and I had to bite back a laugh because this entire situation had officially crossed the line from dramatic to absurd.
"So here's how this is going to work," Kade said, turning his attention back to Elowen. "You're going to get out of this truck. You're going to go back inside. You're going to get some sleep. And Ronan and I are going to go get Casper, bring him back, and make sure he doesn't die. And in the morning, when you're calm and rational and not making decisions based on pregnancy hormones and misplaced loyalty, we can all sit down and have a nice, civilized conversation about boundaries and appropriate responses to emergency situations."
"And if I don't?" Elowen challenged, her chin lifting in defiance.
Kade's expression didn't change, but there was something in his eyes that made me take an involuntary step back, something cold and calculating that reminded me that underneath the sarcasm and the medical degree and the carefully controlled exterior, Kade was still an Alpha, still someone you didn't want to cross when he'd made up his mind about something.
"Then I'll go get Casper," he said quietly. "And instead of bringing him back here safe and sound, I'll drive him to the nearest river and dump his drunk ass in it. Let him sober up the hard way. Let him figure out how to get home on his own. Let him deal with the consequences of his actions without anyone rushing in to save him."
The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by the sound of the truck's engine idling and the distant rustle of wind through the trees, and I could see the exact moment when Elowen realized that Kade wasn't bluffing, that he would absolutely follow through on that threat if she pushed him.
"You wouldn't," she said, but there was uncertainty in her voice now, doubt creeping in around the edges of her determination.
"Try me," Kade replied, his tone utterly flat. "I gave up a perfectly good evening for this. I'm standing out here in the cold having this conversation instead of being exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to do, with someone who actually listens when I talk. So yes, Elowen, I absolutely would. Because maybe it's time Casper learned that actions have consequences, and maybe it's time you learned that you can't save everyone, especially not people who don't want to be saved."
I watched as something shifted in Elowen's expression, watched as the fight slowly drained out of her, replaced by something that looked uncomfortably close to resignation or defeat, and I knew in that moment that Kade had won, that he'd found the one argument she couldn't counter, the one threat she couldn't call his bluff on.
"Fine," she said finally, her voice tight with frustration. "Fine. You win. I'll stay here. But if anything happens to him—"
"Nothing's going to happen to him," Kade interrupted. "Except possibly a massive hangover and a lecture about responsible drinking. Now get out of the truck."
Elowen's hand hesitated on the door handle, and for a moment I thought she might change her mind, might decide to make one last stand, but then she was pushing the door open and climbing out, moving with the kind of careful deliberation that suggested she was fighting to maintain her composure.
"I hate you," she said as she passed Kade, but there was no real heat in it, just exhaustion and frustration and maybe a hint of relief that someone had finally made the decision for her.
"No you don't," Kade replied calmly. "You hate that I'm right. There's a difference."
I watched as Elowen made her way back toward the house, her shoulders hunched against the cold, and something in my chest twisted with the need to call her back, to tell her it was okay, that we'd figure this out together, but Kade caught my eye and shook his head slightly, a silent warning not to undermine what he'd just accomplished.
"Elowen," I called out anyway, because apparently I couldn't help myself. "I love you."
She stopped, turned back to look at me, and for a moment I thought she might say it back, might give me some sign that she understood I was doing this because I cared about her, because I wanted to keep her safe, but instead she just flipped me off with both hands and kept walking.
"Charming," Kade observed dryly. "Really heartwarming family moment there."
"Shut up," I muttered, but I was already moving toward the truck, already climbing into the driver's seat that Elowen had just vacated, the leather still warm from where she'd been sitting.
But before I could start the engine, before I could put the truck in gear and drive away, I leaned out the window and called out one more time.
"Wait," I said, and Elowen stopped again, turning back with an expression that suggested she was approximately two seconds away from throwing something at my head. "I need to say goodnight to the twins."
"Are you serious right now?" Kade asked, his voice flat with disbelief. "We don't have time for—"
"It'll take two seconds," I interrupted, already climbing back out of the truck, already moving toward where Elowen stood frozen in the driveway. "I'm not leaving without saying goodnight."
I could see the exact moment when Elowen realized what I was about to do, could see the way her eyes widened and her hands came up in a defensive gesture, but I was already there, already kneeling down in front of her, already pressing a gentle kiss to her slightly rounded belly.
"Goodnight, you two," I said softly, my lips moving against the fabric of her shirt. "Be good for your mom. Don't give her too much trouble. And stay safe while Uncle Ronan goes and rescues your idiot father."
"Ronan—" Elowen started, her voice thick with emotion, but I was already standing up, already moving back toward the truck, already climbing behind the wheel before she could finish whatever she was going to say.
"I love you too, Kade," Elowen called out as I started the engine, her voice carrying across the driveway with a hint of her usual sass returning. "Just so you know."