Chapter 67
Elowen's POV
Sophie gathered the last of her makeup supplies, glancing out the window. "Looks like you've got company," she said, zipping up her bag. "I should head out before things get... interesting."
I watched her pack up, my body still warm from where Casper's hands had been. The knowledge that we would infiltrate The Moonbleed Taproom tonight made my skin tingle with nervous energy.
"Remember," Sophie whispered as she headed for the door, "that silver-blue dress will drive them both wild. Use that power." She winked and slipped out just as I heard footsteps in the hallway.
Before I could process her words, Casper moved behind me, his chest pressing against my back as his arms caged me against the wall. His scent—pine and smoke—engulfed me. Cassian stood close, his fingers playing with strands of my hair.
"What do you think you're doing?" The cold voice cut through our intimate bubble.
My blood froze. Mom.
I turned my head to see her standing in the doorway, dressed in her signature gray suit, lips pinched in disapproval. Her amber eyes—so similar to mine—were wide with shock.
"Oh my Jesus!" she gasped, hand flying to her chest. "What exactly is happening here? Elowen, you shouldn't be doing... this... in broad daylight!"
I tried to squirm out of Casper's hold, but he tightened his grip, his body heat searing through my clothes.
"We're busy," Casper said, his voice low and dangerous. His breath tickled my ear, sending shivers down my spine despite my anxiety.
"I need to speak with my daughter. Alone." Mom's voice was sharp enough to cut glass.
Cassian laughed, the sound lacking any warmth. "No, Beta Jessica. I don't think that's happening." The way he emphasized her title dripped with disrespect.
"Elowen," Mom snapped, ignoring Cassian's tone. "This is completely inappropriate. What about your arrangement with Drake? The pack needs this alliance."
"Arrangement?" Casper growled, his lips brushing against my neck. Juno, my wolf spirit, stirred inside me, enjoying his territorial display. "You mean the one where Drake was drugging her with suppressants?"
Mom's face went pale. "How do you know about—" She stopped herself. "That's private pack business."
"Nothing about Elowen is private to us anymore," Cassian said coldly, moving closer. His fingers continued playing with my hair, but there was nothing gentle about his expression. "She's ours now."
My heart hammered in my chest. Being claimed so openly—especially in front of my mother—made my skin flush hot.
"Elowen," Mom said, her voice softening into the manipulative tone I knew too well. "Sweetheart, this isn't what your father would have wanted. Drake can provide stability for you."
"Stability?" Casper's laugh vibrated against my back. "Is that what you call it when he put his hands on her? When he left bruises?"
Mom's eyes narrowed. "She must have provoked him."
"I didn't provoke anything!" The words burst out of me before I could stop them. I finally pushed away from Casper, facing my mother directly. "Drake controlled and manipulated me. He hurt me. And you knew. You always knew!"
"I did what was best for the pack," Mom said, straightening her spine. "For your future."
"My future?" I felt something breaking inside me—the last thread of hope that my mother might actually care about me.
"I know everything," I said, my voice shaking. "I know I was just a transaction to you. A way to clear Dad's gambling debts."
"That's not fair," she hissed. "Drake can give you security. These boys—" she waved dismissively at Casper and Cassian, "they're just playing with you. You're a novelty."
Casper moved so fast I barely saw it. One moment he was behind me, the next he was right in front of my mother, towering over her.
"Say that again," he whispered, his voice terrifyingly quiet.
Mom stepped back. "This doesn't concern you."
"Everything about Elowen concerns us," Cassian said, moving to my side. His hand slid possessively around my waist. "Tell Reid his little plan failed. The contract is void."
"Contract?" Mom's eyes darted between them. "What do you know about the contract?"
"Enough," Casper said, turning back to me. He deliberately buried his face in my neck, inhaling deeply. My legs nearly buckled at the intimate gesture.
"Mom," I said, finding strength in the twins' presence, "I don't belong to Drake. I never did. You know what he is, what he's done, and you still pushed me toward him."
"He made mistakes," she said weakly. "All relationships have problems."
"Problems?" Cassian's laugh was knife-sharp. "Is that what you call it when he drugged her? When he forced her?"
My mother's face went white. "What?"
"You love Drake so much, Mom?" I finally said, my voice stronger than I felt. "Then maybe you should marry him yourself. I'm done being your bargaining chip."
Mom flinched like I'd slapped her. "Everything I've done has been for you—"
"Bullshit!" The curse felt good on my tongue. "It was for the debt. For the pack. For your reputation. Never for me."
Casper's thumb rubbed circles on my hand, silent support that gave me courage.
"These boys will ruin you," Mom said, desperation edging into her voice. "Your future—"
"My future is mine to decide," I interrupted. "And I've decided. I'm with Casper and Cassian now."
Cassian moved behind me, his chest against my back, mirroring Casper's earlier position. He bent down, lips brushing my temple in a possessive kiss that made my mother's eyes widen in horror.
"She already has us," he said smoothly. "You might want to tell the Reids that any plans involving Elowen are dead in the water."
My mother's gaze hardened. "This isn't over," she said quietly. "You have no idea what you're getting into." She turned and walked out, her heels clicking sharply on the floor.
As the door closed, I sagged between the twins, exhausted. Standing up to my mother had drained every ounce of courage I possessed.
"Holy shit," I whispered. "Did I really just do that?"
Casper's arms wrapped around me from the front while Cassian held me from behind, sandwiching me in their warmth.
"You did," Casper murmured, pressing his lips to my forehead. "And it was fucking hot."
I laughed despite myself, the tension breaking. "She's going to make our lives hell."
"Let her try," Cassian said, his voice vibrating against my back. "She can't touch you anymore. Not with us here."