Chapter 173
Elowen's POV
The cathedral trembled beneath my feet. Dust rained from the vaulted ceiling as Juno's power surged through me. My amber eyes blazed gold, and I felt her strength coursing through every nerve.
Raven's red eyes widened. Just for a second. Then that infuriating smirk returned.
"Impressive," he drawled. "But futile."
I lifted my chin. My hands stopped shaking. "You need me to make this deal, don't you? That's why you used mind games and tricks to force Casper to agree."
"Agreement is agreement." His voice was cold metal scraping stone.
I didn't look away. Couldn't. The golden light from my eyes cast sharp shadows across his pale face. Through the mate bond, I felt Casper's surge of pride. Cassian's protective fury.
Don't back down, Juno growled in my mind. Show him strength.
Raven turned toward Casper. "Is she always this spirited?"
"Yes." Casper's voice was rough with pain, but there was amusement in it. A tiny spark that made my lips twitch despite everything.
"Answer her question," Casper added. His deep amber eyes found mine across the darkness. Blood still dripped from where the wall held him pinned, but he smiled. Actually smiled.
Raven's gaze snapped back to me. His red eyes narrowed, boring into my skull like he could dig out every thought. He stepped closer. His huge frame blocked the dim light from the stained glass windows.
I backed up. One step. My hand pressed against my stomach.
Mine, Juno snarled. Protect them.
"Wait." My voice came out stronger than I expected. "Why not Cassian?"
Raven stopped. "What?"
"Cassian." I gestured toward where he hung motionless on the wall. "He's just as protective as Casper. You really think he doesn't get a say in who his daughter's mate is?"
"Your daughter," Raven corrected. That smile again. Like he knew something I didn't.
"We're a family!" The words burst out of me. Hot and fierce. "All of us!"
Through the mate bond, I caught Casper's movement. Subtle. Shifting his weight. His muscles coiled like a spring about to snap. He was going to attack.
"That's a mistake," I called out.
Casper froze. His golden eyes locked on mine. Fury burned in them, but not from Leo. This was all Casper. Pure alpha rage.
I shook my head slightly. Pleading with my eyes. Please don't. Not yet.
His jaw clenched so hard I heard his teeth grind. But he stayed still.
"You think I care who her father is?" Casper's voice cut through the tension. "We don't give a fuck about bloodlines."
Raven flicked his wrist. Didn't even look at Casper. Black energy slammed into him, shoving him harder against the wall. Casper grunted, blood trickling from his mouth.
"Casper!" My wolf screamed.
"I'm fine." His mental voice was strained. "Keep him talking, cutie."
I swallowed hard. Turned back to Raven. "We'll be a team. All three of us raising these babies together."
"Is that so?" Raven's laugh was low. Dark. It made my skin crawl.
I stepped forward. My bare feet were silent on the cold stone. "There won't be his and his. Only ours."
Raven's smile vanished. His eyes flashed brighter red. "Bold words."
"True words." I forced strength into my voice even though my knees wanted to buckle. "We make decisions as a family. We raise our children as a family. No question that Casper, Cassian, and I are equal in this."
"Are we now?" His voice turned bitter. Sharp. Like fingernails on a chalkboard.
I saw it in his face. He had more to say. Something that would hurt.
"Say it, beast."
My eyes flicked to Casper. He had Cassian's chin in his hand, lifting his twin's head up. Worry filled Casper's features as he looked at his brother. The sight made my chest tighten with fear.
We need to get out of here. Fast.
"From the glimpse of the future I've seen..." Raven's smile returned. Triumphant. "Cassian will be standing on the... beast side of things."
My blood turned to ice.
"So you see, I don't need his agreement." Raven's eyes glittered. "I know he'll give it freely. In fact, he'll beg me to pursue her."
He winked.
The gesture was so casual. So confident. It shattered something inside me.
"No." The word came out as a whisper. "That's not possible."
Through the mate bond, I felt Cassian's confusion. His desperate attempt to understand what Raven just said. Then came the horror. The absolute denial.
Cassian would never—
But Raven's certainty was like poison. It seeped into my thoughts. Made me question everything.
I looked at Cassian. His ice-blue eyes were wide with shock. With betrayal that I could even consider believing this lie.
"Elowen." His voice in my mind was broken. "Don't listen to him. Please."
Casper's growl rumbled through the cathedral. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Raven circled around me. Predatory. "Think about it. Cassian's always been the calculating one. The one who sees the bigger picture. And when he realizes what I can offer him..."
"Stop." My hands clenched into fists. Claws sprouted from my fingertips. "You don't know him."
"Don't I?" Raven leaned close. His breath was cold on my cheek. "I've seen his future, little wolf. I've watched him make his choice. And it won't be you he chooses."
"Liar!" Casper roared. His body thrashed against the wall. Blood splattered the floor beneath him.
Cassian said nothing. His silence was worse than any words.
Through our triple bond, I felt his devastation. His fear that maybe—just maybe—there was truth in Raven's prediction.