Chapter 165
Cassian's POV
Elowen pulled free from my arms, walked toward the demon. My heart lurched, but I forced myself to stay still. To let her make this choice.
"What's the catch?" she asked quietly. "There's always a catch with demons."
Raven's smile widened. "So clever. Yes, there's a catch. But we'll get to that in a moment."
"No." Casper moved between them. "Tell us now. Absolutely fucking now."
"Patience, pup." Raven's red eyes glinted with amusement. "First, let me explain what I'm offering. If you want my protection, if you want me to shield those bonds and save your cubs, I can make it happen. The Moon Goddess won't see through my magic. Your father lives. And Elowen keeps those precious babies growing inside her."
The cathedral seemed to shrink around us. I could hear my own heartbeat, Casper's ragged breathing, Elowen's soft sob.
What do we do? Casper asked through our bond. Brother, what the fuck do we do?
I looked at Elowen—really looked at her. Saw the terror, yes, but also the fierce determination. The love she had for us, for our unborn children, burning bright enough to illuminate the darkness.
"The cubs," I said slowly. "If we do this, they'll be safe? All of this—the rejection, the deception—it won't hurt them?"
"They'll be perfectly fine." Raven examined his nails. "Better than fine, actually. With me protecting the true bonds, they'll grow strong. Healthy. And when the time comes for them to shift, when they need their fathers' strength..." He paused. "You'll all still be connected. Just invisible to divine eyes."
Elowen crossed to us, took both our hands. "If we do this," she said, voice shaking, "we need to know everything first. What you want from us. Why you're helping."
"Why I'm helping?" Raven laughed, the sound echoing through the cathedral like broken glass. "Let's just say I have my own reasons for wanting to piss off the Moon Goddess. Consider this payback for past grievances."
It wasn't a real answer. We all knew it. But something in his tone made my wolf bristle with unease.
Something's wrong, Zero warned. This is too easy.
I know, I shot back. But what choice do we have?
Casper caught my gaze. Through our twin bond, I felt his anguish. His rage at being backed into a corner. But underneath it all—hope. Desperate, foolish hope.
"So what's your price?" I asked, voice steady despite the dread pooling in my gut. "What do you want from us?"
Raven's smile turned predatory. He moved closer to Elowen, and I had to fight every instinct not to tear him apart.
"You're carrying twins," he said softly. "One boy. One girl."
Elowen's hand flew to her stomach. "How do you—"
"I can sense them. Their little heartbeats. Their potential." Raven's gaze dropped to her belly, and something hungry flickered in those red eyes. "The boy will be strong. A fighter like his fathers. But the girl..."
He trailed off, and the silence felt like a noose tightening around my throat.
"The girl what?" Elowen whispered.
Raven looked up, met her eyes. "The girl will be extraordinary. I can feel it. She'll have power beyond anything the werewolf world has seen in centuries. A bridge between realms, perhaps. Or a key to something far greater."
No, Zero snarled. Whatever he's about to say, the answer is no.
But I knew. Before Raven even spoke, I knew what he was going to ask for. The dread in my chest became a living thing, clawing at my ribs.
"Tell us," Casper demanded. "What do you want?"
Raven smiled—a terrible, beautiful smile that made my blood run cold.
"I want your daughter," he said simply. "That's my price. I protect you, save your father, keep your family intact, shield you from the Moon Goddess's wrath..." He paused, letting the words hang in the air like a death sentence. "And in return, when your daughter is born—when she's strong enough to survive without her mother's milk—you give her to me."
The world stopped.
Elowen made a sound—half sob, half scream. Casper lunged forward, but I caught him, held him back even as my own wolf howled with murderous rage.
"You want our child?" Elowen's voice was barely audible. "You want to take our baby?"
"Not take, sweetheart." Raven's tone was almost gentle. "Raise. Protect. Teach her to harness the incredible power she'll possess. She'll be safe with me. Cherished, even. And she'll become something magnificent."
"Go to hell," Casper spat.
"Already there, pup." Raven's red eyes never left Elowen's face. "Already there. But this is my offer. My only offer. So decide quickly—before your father's heart stops beating for good. Before the rejection tears Elowen apart from the inside. Before everything you love turns to ash."
He stepped closer to Elowen, his voice dropping to an intimate whisper that somehow carried through the entire cathedral.
"I want your daughter, Elowen. That's my price for saving your world."