Chapter 62
# Casper's POV
The scene darkened and twisted. The warm sunlight of the memory faded, replaced by harsh artificial lighting. Drake stood over Elowen in his apartment, his finger jabbing at her chest. I could smell his scent now—sulfur and grease, repulsive.
"You don't belong with them," he spat. "You're mine. No more pack activities without my permission."
"But the full moon run is tradition," Elowen protested, her voice small and almost lost in the evening wind on the balcony of his apartment.
In the memory, I noticed she wore that pale-blue dress, and suddenly my own memories collided with the vision before me. That was the same dress from last spring's gathering, the one that hugged her body like it was made for her alone, turning her skin silver in the moonlight and her eyes into something I couldn't look away from. I remembered every damn detail. After berating her, Drake moved away in contempt, positioning himself two steps behind her, staring past her like she was invisible. How could he not see how beautiful she looked in it? How could he not see her?
"Let them wonder," Drake sneered. "Or maybe I'll let slip to the Thornwood twins how eagerly you spread your legs for me."
My stomach turned at his words. I felt sick as I watched Elowen's face crumple in shame, even though I knew it was a lie. She'd never been that way with him—I could smell the falseness of his claim, even in this memory.
Another flash. Elowen trembling as Drake backed her into a corner. His apartment looked sparse, cold—nothing like the warmth of her personality.
"Either you come over and give me a bath tonight," he threatened, gripping her wrist so hard I could see the bruises forming, "or the Alpha twins might have an unfortunate accident."
"You wouldn't," Elowen whispered, but her scent reeked of fear. She believed him.
"Try me," Drake smiled, his teeth looking unnaturally sharp in the harsh light. "Car brakes fail all the time. Especially when someone tampers with them."
I felt her terror, the absolute certainty that he meant every word. She was trapped, cornered like prey.
The memory shifted again, the colors darker, the edges blurring with the intensity of fear. Drake pinning Elowen against a wall in what looked like his bedroom. Her arms were trapped above her head, his body pressed against hers in a mockery of intimacy.
"Tonight you either fuck me or suck me off," he hissed, his breath hot against her face. "Otherwise, those Thornwood brothers might get seriously hurt. How would you feel, knowing you could have prevented it?"
"We're not even together anymore," Elowen pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Please, Drake. Don't do this."
"You belong to me," Drake said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Forever. It's in the contract."
Red tinged my vision as I watched Drake reach into his pocket and pull out a syringe. I tried to move, to stop him, but I was just an observer in this memory.
"No!" Elowen cried, struggling harder.
"This suppressor is for your own good," he said as he jabbed the needle into her neck. Her body went limp, sliding down the wall as she crumpled to her knees. "Your wolf is too wild. She needs to be controlled. Just like you."
I felt Elowen's connection to Juno snap, felt the horrible emptiness inside her as her wolf went silent. The world went gray around her, sounds muffled, smells dulled. She was alone in her head for the first time since puberty, cut off from the other half of her soul.
Fury unlike anything I'd ever felt exploded inside me. My wolf howled, nearly materializing in the memory space. The sound reverberated through the vision, causing ripples like stones thrown in a pond.
I'd kill him. I'd fucking end him for this.
Another shift. We were in a different place now—a sitting room of the pack house. Elowen's mother was on her knees before her, clutching at her daughter's hands.
"Please reject the twins," Jessica begged, mascara running down her cheeks. "Drake is the only suitable match for you."
"Don't kneel, Mom," Elowen pleaded, pulling at her mother's arm, looking around as if afraid someone would see. "Get up, please."
Jessica's face contorted with desperation. "You don't understand! Your father didn't die of cancer! I faked his death certificate to save his reputation! He had gambling debts. Before you could even walk, he traded you to the Reid family!"
Elowen staggered back, her face going pale. "What are you saying?"
"He sold you!" Jessica sobbed, her whole body shaking. "To settle his debts. Your marriage to Drake was arranged before you could even speak. You were his collateral!"
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Elowen hadn't just been manipulated by Drake—she'd been sold to him. Traded like property before she could even walk or talk.
"Jesus," I breathed. "You've been carrying this alone all this time."
The connection broke suddenly. I stumbled back, gasping for air as my bedroom snapped back into focus. Sweat dripped down my face, and my heart hammered in my chest like I'd run a marathon. My legs felt weak, and I grabbed the bedpost to steady myself.
Elowen's body stood before me, eyes still blazing gold. Juno's expression was triumphant but grim.
"Now do you understand?" Juno asked. "Why she can't tell you everything? She's ashamed. She thinks you'll see her differently. That you'll think she's damaged goods."
"I'd never—" I started, my voice breaking with emotion.
My door crashed open before I could finish. Cassian burst in, his blue eyes wild with concern, his chest heaving like he'd sprinted down the hallway.
"What the fuck is going on?" he demanded. "I felt your rage through our twin bond. It nearly knocked me over during my call."
His eyes landed on Elowen, narrowing instantly at the sight of her golden eyes. He froze, recognition dawning on his face.
"Shit," he breathed. "Wolf spirit control? This is dangerous as hell! How long has she been like this?"
Juno turned toward him, Elowen's head tilting at an angle that seemed slightly unnatural, too predatory. "She needs both of you to know the truth. She wants to protect you, but who's protecting her?"
Before I could warn him, Juno grabbed Cassian's wrist with lightning speed, yanking him toward us.
"Don't—" I started, but it was too late.
Juno pulled Cassian into our small circle, pressing her forehead against both of ours. The gold light returned, brighter than before, engulfing all three of us. I felt Cassian's shock through our twin bond as the world around us dissolved once again.
In the last moment before we plunged deeper, I heard Elowen's voice from somewhere far away, desperate and afraid:
"No! Please stop! That's my darkest memory!"