Chapter 124
# Casper's POV
The world bled into crimson the moment his fingers touched my temple. Then, the memory hit like a wave. Sudden. Violent.
I was Leo. No. Leo was me.
We were in the ballroom. Music was playing. People were dancing.
Then I saw him. Ethan. Talking to Cindy. Laughing.
A thought, sharp and brutal, cut through the haze: Make sure no one can take her from us.
Rage boiled up. Hot. Consuming.
I charged. People screamed. Scattered.
Ethan turned. His eyes went wide. "Casper? What—"
I didn't let him finish. My wolf form slammed into him. Teeth. Claws. Pure violence.
"Please!" Ethan screamed. "Stop! Please!"
But I didn't stop. I grabbed his leg. Shook him like prey. Like he was nothing.
The sound of bones breaking. Wet. Horrible.
I threw him down. His body hit the marble with a sick thud.
Make sure no one can take Elowen from us.
I bit down. Into his stomach. Tearing. Ripping.
Blood. So much blood.
This was for her. For Elowen. For us.
Then someone grabbed me. Pulled me back.
Dad.
"Son, please!" Dad's voice was desperate. "Stop this!"
But I didn't recognize him. Or maybe I did and didn't care.
I turned on him. Snarled.
"I love you, son!" Dad's eyes were wide. Terrified. "Casper, it's me! Please, stop!"
My paw pressed against his chest. I felt his ribs crack.
"Please..." Dad's voice was weak now. "Please, fight it, son..."
I leaned down. My jaws opened wide.
One bite. Quick. To the neck.
Mercy. That's what this was. Mercy.
Dad's eyes went from pleading to shocked to empty.
Dead.
---
I snapped back to reality. Gasping. Shaking.
I was on my knees again. In the exact spot where Dad fell.
"No..." The word tore from my throat. "No, that's not... that's not how it happened!"
But was it? My hands trembled as I stared at them. Were these the hands—the paws—that killed him?
I pushed the stranger away. Hard. "What did you do to me? What the fuck did you just show me?"
He stumbled back, surprised.
"That wasn't real!" My voice cracked. "That can't be real! You... you put that in my head! You—"
"Stop it!" I grabbed my head. "Get out of my head!"
"Casper—"
"I don't know what you are, but those memories aren't mine!" Tears burned my eyes. "They can't be mine! I would never... I couldn't..."
His expression shifted. The fake sympathy dropped away. He looked... calculating now.
"Are you sure about that?" His voice went cold. Mocking.
"Yes!" But my voice wavered. "I... I don't remember it like that. It wasn't like that!"
"Then how was it?" He stepped closer. "Tell me, Casper. What do you remember?"
I couldn't answer. Because the truth was, I didn't remember. Not clearly. It was all a blur of red and rage and screaming.
"That's what I thought." His smile wasn't friendly anymore. It was predatory. "Fine. Let's try something else, shall we?"
He stepped closer. I tensed.
"Elowen is pregnant."
The words hit like a bomb. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
"You're lying."
"Am I?" He smiled. "Don't believe me?"
"Of course I don't believe you!" I backed away. "You just tried to trick me with fake memories. Why would I trust anything you say?"
The stranger's smile widened. "Let me show you."
Before I could react, his hand shot out. Cold fingers pressed against my forehead.
Suddenly, I felt it.
A pulse. Faint. Distant.
Like a heartbeat that wasn't mine. Or Elowen's.
Smaller. Weaker. But definitely there.
Life. Growing inside her.
"No..." I whispered.
The stranger pulled his hand back. "Still think I'm lying?"
I shook my head, trying to clear it. "It's... it's just an illusion. You're messing with my head."
He laughed. Cold. Cruel. "You people only know Selene." His eyes gleamed red in the darkness. "But I know many truths. I know far more than that moon goddess ever could."
My blood ran cold. "What are you?"
He ignored my question. Instead, he stepped closer. His voice dropped to a whisper. Intimate. Dangerous.
"Casper." He said my name like a promise. "Join me."
"What?"
"You have this gift." His hand gestured to the destruction around us. To the blood. "You're powerful. Your wolf's violence. That rage. It's exactly what I need."
I backed away. "You're insane."
"Am I?" He tilted his head. "Or am I the only one who sees your true potential? Cassian fears you. Elowen will fear you when she learns what Leo can do. But I..." His smile was all teeth. "I appreciate you."
"Get away from me."
"Choose me, Casper." His voice was hypnotic. Persuasive. "And I'll give you everything. Power. Control. The truth about what you really are."
I couldn't speak. Couldn't move.
His gray eyes started glowing brighter. Red light. Like fire from hell.
Like a demon.
The room smelled like blood. Pine smoke. Metal. All mixed together.
My legs felt weak. My breath stopped. Like invisible hands were choking me.
"You... what are you?" The words barely came out.
The stranger's smile widened. But he didn't answer.
He just watched me. Waiting.
And I stood there, frozen in horror, unable to look away from those burning red eyes.