Chapter 46
Casper's POV
I tapped my fingers anxiously on the steering wheel as we drove toward City Hall.
"Do you really think she just wants to go shopping with Cindy?" I asked Cassian, glancing at him in the passenger seat.
Cassian's ice-blue eyes narrowed slightly. "She seemed... too eager to get rid of us."
"Exactly," I nodded, the uneasy feeling in my gut growing stronger. "But we agreed anyway."
"We could use this time to talk to Cindy about Drake," Cassian suggested, his voice calculating as always. "Figure out how to handle that asshole without causing a public scene."
I growled, my hands tightening on the wheel. "We should just find Drake and tell him I'll rip his fucking throat out if he goes near Elowen."
Cassian remained calmer than me, which both pissed me off and relieved me. "Violence won't solve this. We need strategy, not just brute force."
I hated when he was right. I closed my eyes briefly and reached out through our mind link.
"Little freckle, you okay? Just checking in."
For a moment, I felt a faint response, a distant whisper of her presence. It was too weak to pinpoint her emotional state, but the fact that the connection was still there eased my mind slightly. Still, the nagging feeling remained.
"She good?" Cassian asked, his voice tighter than usual.
"Seems like it." I nodded, but kept my brows furrowed. "Let's find Cindy first."
We parked in front of City Hall, my Porsche screeching to a halt as I slammed on the brakes. Something about this whole situation felt wrong, and the thought of Elowen alone at home made my skin crawl with unease.
We walked through the glass doors, Cassian matching my urgent stride. Though we're twins, I always felt our differences—he stayed controlled while my emotions ran hot. But when it came to protecting Elowen, we were completely in sync.
We found Cindy with her husband Ethan in the meeting area. She wore an elegant dark blue dress that highlighted her perfect figure and black hair. Seeing her discussing date plans with Ethan almost made me forget why we came.
Ethan tensed when he spotted us, his posture shifting slightly, I could practically see his ears perking up. "Unexpected surprise, Thornwood brothers. Thought you'd be busy with... other matters." His eyes searched our faces for clues.
Cindy rushed over and hugged us both. "Casper! Cassian! What brings you here? Where's Elowen?" She looked past our shoulders, searching for her friend.
"We need to talk to you about something, Cindy," Cassian said, his voice low. I glanced at Ethan, hinting we needed privacy.
Cindy immediately caught on and touched Ethan's arm. "Honey, can you give me a moment with my brothers?"
Ethan didn't look happy but agreed. "Sure, I'll get some coffee."
Once Ethan was out of earshot, we moved to a quiet corner in the hallway. I noticed his gaze still following us, which unsettled me. This Starfall Pack wolf was too wary around us.
"What's wrong?" Cindy asked quietly, her expression shifting from joy to concern.
Cassian leaned against the wall, keeping his voice low. "Jessica came by this morning. She told Elowen some things about her father. Elowen took it hard."
I cut in more directly: "I'm worried Drake might be involved. From what I know, he has some sort of contract with her mother."
Cindy's eyes widened with shock. "What kind of contract? They want to force Elowen to be with Drake?"
"Basically, yes," Cassian replied coldly. "But now she has our marks, so the contract should be invalid."
I noticed Ethan slowly moving closer, pretending to check his phone but obviously trying to eavesdrop. I caught Cindy and Cassian's eyes and tilted my head slightly.
"No time to explain everything now," I said quickly. "Elowen mentioned wanting chocolate from that new shop and meat skewers from the market stall. We should get those for her while we figure out where she might be."
Cindy nodded, understanding our need to change topics. "That chocolate shop is amazing! They're planning a chocolate party that everyone's trying to get tickets for."
We left City Hall and headed to the food district downtown. As we walked, I couldn't shake the feeling that Elowen had intentionally misled us, and I hated not knowing why.
"She played us," I muttered to Cassian. "She knew exactly what to say to get us out of the house."
Cassian's expression remained stone-cold. "Question is: what was so important that she needed to lie to us?"
The air filled with tempting aromas as we approached the chocolate shop, but even the sweet scent couldn't distract me from my worry. Still, I found myself selecting treats I knew she'd love.
"Elowen will fucking love this," I couldn't help smiling despite my concern, remembering how her eyes lit up when eating sweets. "She can't resist anything sweet."
We were going through the motions, buying these gifts while knowing something was terribly wrong. It felt like we were actors in a play Elowen had carefully scripted, and the feeling was gut-wrenching.
Cindy enthusiastically described the upcoming chocolate event. "It's the hottest ticket in town. They'll have twenty-four different chocolate flavors to sample, even a chocolate fountain and a making workshop."
Cassian selected several boxes of different flavored truffles, specifically choosing ones with caramel and sea salt. "Elowen mentioned she likes this flavor," he said flatly, but I detected his attention to detail when it came to her.
At the meat skewer stand, the aroma of meat grilling over open flames made me inhale deeply. "Smells like heaven."
The cook skillfully threaded marinated beef and lamb onto metal skewers, placing them over the fire. The fat dripped onto the coals with a sizzle.
"Elowen always goes for the ones with extra spices and chili," Cassian pointed out. "Her lips always turn bright red afterward."
The image of Elowen with slightly wet eyes and red lips after eating spicy food sent heat through my body. She had no idea how tempting she looked like that.
Cindy laughed. "She looks so cute eating spicy food. Her eyes get all watery, but she insists, 'It's not spicy, really not spicy!'"
I pulled out my phone and texted Elowen: Food's taking longer than expected. Everything okay?
Her reply came almost immediately: All good. Just relaxing. Take your time.
Reading her response, I felt my blood run cold. Every word screamed deception. That uneasiness that had been lingering since we left home now twisted like a venomous snake around my heart. Something was very wrong.
The meat took longer than expected, partly because several customers ahead ordered large quantities. Cindy told us she'd continue her date with Ethan and come home later.
"Be careful," I told my sister seriously, watching her walk away with Ethan.
As we prepared to leave, Cassian's attention caught on a tennis outfit in a shop window. "Elowen would look great in this," he said, pointing at the white skirt and top. "She's always loved tennis since she was little."
We entered the shop and picked out several different styles. The salesgirl recognized us and started fawning, constantly recommending various items, which delayed us. Usually I'd enjoy the attention, but today I just wanted to get back to Elowen.
Finally, loaded with bags of food and clothes, we headed to the parking lot. "We need to hurry back. Don't want to keep Elowen waiting too long," I quickened my pace, anxiety building with every step.
I tried contacting Elowen through our mind link again.
Babe, we got you surprises. You're gonna love these chocolates and meat skewers.
No response.
Cassian seemed to notice something wrong too and tried reaching her.
Sweetheart, we'll be back soon. Hope you're feeling better.
Silence. Not ordinary silence, but a terrifying emptiness like shouting into an abyss with no echo. It felt like a rope suddenly cut, sending you falling into a bottomless pit.
I looked at Cassian in panic, his face turning pale. "Can you feel her?" My voice turned hoarse with fear.
Cassian's eyes had already shifted to wolfish amber. He shook his head, his voice low and icy. "No. The link... it's gone."
We rushed to the parking lot, my heart pounding like a drum. My mind raced with only one thought: Elowen was in danger.
I yanked the car door open, practically jumping into the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white. "If Drake hurt her, I'll kill him."
Cassian slid into the passenger seat, his voice cold enough to freeze blood. "No, we'll kill him together. But we need to find her first!"
Our eyes simultaneously changed to wolfish amber, panic and rage intertwining. I floored the gas pedal, the Porsche roaring onto the road. Elowen, I called out in my mind, hang on, we're coming.
But only suffocating silence answered me. It felt like someone had ripped my heart out, leaving a bloody hole. I'd never been so scared in my life.