Chapter 213

Chapter 213

WREN

I had promised myself that once Cassian and I returned home, I would get some rest and forget about everything, even if it was for a few days. I was tired. I just needed a little pause. We knew Derek would be hard to catch, but now it felt like he'd even be more elusive.

The pack doctor called me in a few hours after I had arrived home for another examination. I had one almost every day now. I was under constant monitoringz

He was gentle, almost too careful with me as he pressed his hands over my stomach, checking pulse points, listening with his stethoscope. His brows pinched for a moment, then he gave me a smile.

“You’re fine,” he said softly. “But you need more bed rest. No more stressful tasks for a while. I heard you've been running around lately, no more running around. And most importantly, don’t overthink.”

I nodded, trying not to laugh. “You do know who your alpha is, right? Cassian makes overthinking into an art form. It rubs off.”

The doctor chuckled, shaking his head. “Then it’s your job to balance him out, Luna. Bed rest, remember. Don’t make me report you to him.”

I lifted my hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. Bed rest.”

......................

Back in our private quarters, I found Cassian pacing the length of the room like a caged wolf. His shirt was half-unbuttoned, his jaw locked tight. Every few seconds he ran his hand through his hair, muttering under his breath.

I leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. “You’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep that up.”

He stopped, just for a second, then resumed pacing. “It's been hours now and no news yet from Locke, Reed or Alexander."

“You don’t even know what’s happened yet,” I said gently, moving toward him. "I'm sure everything is fine. Reed can handle things. That's why he's your beta."

Cassian turned sharply, his eyes burning. “That’s exactly why I should’ve been there. I can’t leave this to him, not when my brother is involved. Not when....” He broke off and clenched his fists.

I placed my hand on his chest. “Cassian. Breathe. Please. Everything will be fine. You can’t be everywhere at once. Let them do their part.”

He stared at me for a long moment, his chest rising and falling beneath my palm, then he pressed his lips together and nodded stiffly. But he didn’t stop pacing.

Minutes ticked by in silence, only broken by the sound of his boots against the hardwood. My nerves buzzed, not just because of his restlessness, but because I could feel the weight of his emotions in the air.

Finally, his phone rang. Cassian snatched it up so quickly it nearly flew from his hand.

“Yes?” he barked into the receiver.

I watched his shoulders stiffen, his face harden. Then his jaw dropped, just slightly.

“What? … No. Tell me exactly what happened.” His voice was low, lethal. “Where is he now?”

I pressed my hand to my lips, heart racing.

Cassian’s eyes found mine. “Locke was hit. Silver bullet. They’re rushing him to the nearest hospital.”

The world tilted. Locke might have been difficult, cruel at times, but he was Cassian’s brother. His blood.

“Which hospital?” Cassian demanded into the phone. “Good. I’m on my way.” He slammed the phone down, already grabbing his jacket.

“I’m coming with you,” I said immediately.

“No.” He whirled around, his voice sharp. Then, seeing my face, he softened it. “Please, Wren. I need you safe here. If something happens at the hospital, I can’t protect you.”

“Cassian..."

“Please.” His hand cupped my cheek, his eyes desperate. “Stay here where it's safe."

The words lodged in my chest. I hated it, but I nodded. “Fine. But call me. Every hour.”

He pressed a kiss to my forehead, then left in a blur. The door clicked shut, and the silence swallowed me.

..............

Not long after, Sybil slipped into the room, her face pale.

“What happened? Why did Cassian leave like that?”

I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. “Locke was hit with a silver bullet. They rushed him to the hospital.”

Sybil gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Goddess above.”

She turned to me, wide-eyed. “We have to tell Christina. She deserves to know her son’s in danger.”

“Not yet,” I said firmly. “We don’t even know how bad it is. Let’s wait until we have more news.”

Sybil hesitated, then sighed. “You’re right. But we can’t keep it from her too long.”

The minutes turned into hours. I curled up on the couch, my phone clutched in my hand. Every tick of the clock made me flinch. Sybil sat with me, restless, her legs bouncing as she sipped tea she didn’t drink.

Finally, Cassian’s name flashed on the screen. I answered before the first ring finished.

“Cassian?!”

His voice was tight but calmer. “He’s stable. The surgeons got the bullet out. He’s going to need time, but he’ll live.”

Relief washed over me so strong my knees nearly buckled. “Thank gods.”

“Tell my mother. She'll want to see him. She deserves that much.”

“We’ll tell her right now,” I promised.

............

Sybil and I found Christina in her own wing, in the sitting room, sipping tea with a book in her lap. When she saw our faces, her own paled.

“What's going on? You guys never come up here. Did something happen to Cassian?” she demanded.

I took a deep breath. “Christina… Locke was hurt. But he’s stable now. Cassian says you can see him at the hospital.”

Her teacup clattered to the table. “Hurt? How badly?”

“Silver bullet,” Sybil said quietly. “But he’s stable. Cassian said so himself.”

Christina was already on her feet, grabbing her coat. “Take me to him. Now.”

When Christina rushed out, I finally collapsed into my room, exhaustion crashing over me. I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and sleep.

That’s when my phone buzzed again. Gods can I catch a break? I thought as I looked at my phone.

I frowned at the screen. Derek.

With hesitation, I answered. “Hello?”

“Why did you betray me, Wren?” His voice was cold, low, full of restrained fury.

My stomach dropped. “Betray you? You're the one who betrayed me."

“You let Cassian come instead of you. I trusted you."

“You didn’t hold your end of the bargain,” I snapped, heart hammering. “You were never going to!"

A humorless laugh crackled through the line. “Don’t play games with me. After what happened today, I've figured out the truth."

My throat tightened. “What truth?”

“That Cassian has something to do with Alpha Roland's death."

I froze.

I forced my voice steady, feigning confusion. “I don’t even know who that is.”

“Of course you do.” His voice was sharp, bitter. “But it doesn’t matter. You’ll never catch me. None of you will.”

The line went dead.