Chapter 94
Cassian's POV
The moment I shifted, the world took on a crimson hue. Leo—or whatever had taken over my brother's body—stood across from me, golden eyes blazing with madness. His massive form dwarfed the surrounding furniture, jaws dripping with saliva as he snarled at the terrified guests.
"We should kill him," Zero growled in my mind, his instincts pushing for violence. "Leo is too dangerous. He'll hurt Elowen."
"No," I thought back. "He's my brother. Our brother."
I circled Leo cautiously, my paws silent on the marble floor. The slick surface made it difficult to maintain traction. I needed to keep him distracted, away from the fleeing guests. Away from Elowen.
Where was she? My eyes scanned the room frantically until I spotted her near the doors, helping my mother guide people out. Good. Safe.
Leo lunged suddenly, faster than I anticipated. His teeth snapped inches from my throat as I twisted away. Pain exploded through my side as his claws caught me, tearing through fur and flesh. Blood—my blood—spattered across the white marble.
"Cass!" The anguished cry escaped me, echoing through the link only my brother and I shared. But it wasn't Casper who answered. Leo's snarl filled my head, primal and threatening.
My body shifted instinctively back to human form as I crashed against the wall. The transition left me disoriented, naked and vulnerable. I scrambled to my feet, blood streaming from the gash in my side, trailing down my bare skin where expensive tuxedo pants had been just minutes before. The wound throbbed, but I forced myself upright, eyes fixed on Leo.
"Everyone out!" I shouted, my voice strained with pain. "NOW!"
Leo stalked toward me, body low to the ground, predatory. Behind him, I saw my father approach from behind. What was he doing? He couldn't shift!
"Father, don't!" I warned.
Too late. I saw the desperate calculation in my father's eyes—knowing he couldn't shift, yet seeing Leo about to charge toward a group of defenseless guests. As Alpha, he made the only choice he could, however irrational. My father, Alpha Austin Thornwood, launched himself at Leo. Even in human form, his movements carried decades of combat experience.
For a moment, it seemed to work. Leo staggered, surprised by the attack. Then he recovered, twisting with supernatural speed. I watched in horror as Leo seized my father and hurled him toward the stage. The sound of his body striking the edge made my stomach lurch. He lay motionless, blood pooling beneath his head.
"Father!" I shouted, my voice cracking with panic. "He's dying! Someone help him!"
The security team rushed forward but stopped short as Leo turned toward them, teeth bared.
Then I saw her. Elowen. She broke away from the remaining guards and stepped into the center of the room. Her dress shimmered under the lights, making her look ethereal and impossibly vulnerable.
"Elowen, don't!" I shouted, pushing myself away from the wall despite the searing pain in my side. "I told you to stay back! It's dangerous!"
She ignored me, her eyes fixed on Leo. "I told you I could help! He needs me!"
Leo turned toward her, his aggressive stance softening slightly. The golden-red in his eyes flickered, alternating rapidly as if two forces battled for control.
"Freckles..." The word rumbled from Leo's throat, distorted but recognizable.
I limped forward, positioning myself between them. Blood continued to seep from my wound, but I ignored it. "Elowen, please. He's not in control. He'll hurt you."
"He won't," she insisted, her voice trembling but determined. "I can feel him, Cassian. Casper's still in there."
I felt the warmth of her hand on my shoulder and the familiar tingle of our mate bond. Through our connection, I sensed her fear, but also her conviction. The mark on her neck—my mark, our mark—pulsed with energy.
Before I could respond, Leo charged. The attack caught me off guard. His massive body slammed into mine, throwing me to the floor. His paw pressed against my throat, claws digging into my skin. I struggled to breathe, to fight back, but he outweighed me significantly in this form.
Zero howled in my mind, demanding release, demanding I shift back and fight. But I couldn't risk it—not with Elowen so close, not with the potential for crossfire.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Elowen stumble backward from the impact of our collision. Her head struck something hard—a fallen chair perhaps—and she crumpled to the floor. Blood trickled from a small cut on her forehead. She wasn't moving.
Rage surged through me. I bucked upward with all my strength, trying to dislodge Leo. His eyes burned into mine, murder in their depths. My vision began to darken from lack of oxygen.
Then, like a phantom whisper, I heard Casper's voice in our shared mental link.
"Stop fighting him, brother!"
The voice was strained, distant, as if calling from a great depth. But it was undeniably Casper.
"Don't resist Leo. He won't hurt Elowen. But if you keep fighting... he'll kill you!"
Leo's grip on my throat loosened slightly, his head cocked to one side as if listening to something only he could hear.
"You don't understand," Casper continued, his mental voice growing stronger. "He thinks you're threatening what's his. What's ours."
I stopped struggling, forcing my body to go limp beneath Leo's weight. Every instinct screamed against this surrender, but I trusted my twin. We had shared a womb, shared thoughts, shared a mate. If anyone could reach through Leo's rage, it was Casper.
"I'm trying to protect her," I projected back, focusing all my energy into the connection. "To protect everyone."
"I know," came the weary reply. "But Leo doesn't see it that way. He sees you as competition. As a threat."
Leo's growl subsided to a low rumble. His paw remained on my throat, but the crushing pressure eased enough for me to draw a shallow breath.
"What do I do?" I asked, eyes still locked with the feral golden ones above me.
"Stop blocking him from Elowen. Let him see her."
Every protective instinct rebelled against this suggestion. "He'll hurt her."
"No," Casper's voice was firm despite its distance. "He won't. She's our mate. Our freckles. She's the only one who can reach me now."
I hesitated, glancing toward Elowen. She had regained consciousness, sitting up slowly, one hand pressed to her bleeding forehead. Her eyes met mine, questioning, concerned.
"Trust me, brother," Casper pleaded. "For once in your life, don't try to control everything. Let Leo approach her."
It went against everything I believed about keeping her safe. But what choice did I have? My father lay unconscious, possibly dying. I was pinned and injured. The Pack members who could have helped were either evacuated or incapacitated by Drake's drugged champagne.
"If you harm her," I warned, directing my thoughts at both Casper and Leo, "I will never forgive you. I will hunt you to the ends of the earth."