Chapter 191
Elowen's POV
The weight of revelation still pressed against my chest as I sat between Casper and Cassian in the room. My real parents—dead. My entire life—a lie. And now, sitting across from Austin and Ella, I could feel another truth hovering just beyond reach, waiting to shatter me all over again.
Cassian's hand found my thigh beneath the table, his fingers gentle but grounding. Through our bond, I felt his concern wrap around me like a protective blanket.
Are you okay, babe? His voice was soft in my mind, worried.
I glanced at him, then at Casper on my other side. Both of them were looking at me with identical expressions—like I was the most precious, fragile thing in the world. Like they'd tear apart anyone who dared hurt me again.
Even in the midst of my grief and rage, that look made something warm bloom in my chest.
I will be, I sent back, squeezing Cassian's hand. But I need answers first.
"Perhaps we should take a break," Cassian suggested aloud, his analytical mind already working. "This has been... a lot for Elowen to process."
"No." My voice came out sharper than intended. "No more delays. No more half-truths."
I felt Casper shift beside me, his body tense. Through our bond, Leo stirred—protective, possessive, ready to defend me at a moment's notice.
Easy, cutie, Casper murmured through our connection. We're right here. You're not alone in this.
I drew strength from their presence, from the solid warmth of their bodies flanking mine, and fixed my gaze on Ella.
"Why?" I asked, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. "Why did Cindy's marriage contract stipulate that I had to marry Drake? That I had to be forced to mate with him?"
The silence that followed was deafening.
Ella's face went pale, her eyes darting to Austin as if seeking rescue. Austin himself looked... uncomfortable. Guilty.
"We don't know the specifics," Ella finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was a non-negotiable condition of the alliance. They insisted—"
"Insisted on what?" I interrupted, my hands clenching into fists on my lap. "Insisted that I be handed over like property? Like some kind of... of bargaining chip?"
The fury was rising now, hot and vicious in my veins. I could feel Juno stirring, her rage mixing with mine until I couldn't tell where she ended and I began.
Control it, I told myself. Stay calm. Get the truth first.
But it was hard. So fucking hard when all I wanted to do was scream.
Through our bond, I felt Cassian's attention sharpen. He'd sensed the shift in my emotions, the way my anger was transforming into something darker, more dangerous.
That's not just anger, he sent to Casper through their twin bond, his mental voice troubled. That's... hatred.
She has every right to it, Casper replied, and I felt his pride mixing with something else. Something heated that made my skin prickle despite my rage. Look at her. So strong. So fucking magnificent.
Now is really not the time to get hard, brother.
Can't help it. When she's all powerful and angry like this, it just—
Stop staring at me, I snapped through our three-way bond, not bothering to hide my irritation.
Casper's mental voice turned playful, teasing. Never, cutie. You're the most magnificent creature I've ever seen.
Actually, I shot back, allowing myself a moment of dark satisfaction, you should be calling me "Your Majesty" now.
I felt both of them react to that—surprise, pride, possessiveness all tangled together. It should have been overwhelming, but instead it steadied me. Reminded me that I wasn't that scared girl anymore. I was Princess Elowen Ashborne. Lycan King's heir.
And I was done being pushed around.
"Let me make sure I understand this correctly," I said, my voice dropping to something cold and precise. "You—both of you—agreed to let me mate with a man who you watched humiliate me. Who mocked me. Who showed me zero respect in public and private."
"Elowen, we didn't—" Austin started.
I held up a hand, cutting him off. My gesture was sharp, imperious. The gesture of someone who expected to be obeyed.
"You'll have your turn to speak," I said quietly. "But right now, I'm asking her." I turned to Ella, my heart aching. "You practically raised me, Ella. You were the closest thing I had to a real mother. You held me when I cried. You taught me how to braid my hair. You..."
My voice cracked, but I pushed through. "You were happy to let me bind myself to a man who treated me like garbage? Who you personally witnessed degrading me?"
Ella's eyes filled with tears. "Elowen, sweetheart, it wasn't like that—"
"Wasn't it?" I leaned forward. "Tell me, Ella. Did you or did you not see Drake refuse to let me eat at pack gatherings? Did you or did you not hear him tell me I was 'fat enough already' in front of your entire family?"
Beside me, both Casper and Cassian erupted into simultaneous, bone-deep growls that shook the windows.
Jesus Christ, I heard Cassian snarl through our bond. He said that? To our mate? I'll fucking kill him. I'll rip his throat out with my teeth and—
Get in line, Casper shot back, his fury matching his brother's. Leo was right there at the surface now, demanding blood. I'll tear him apart piece by piece while he—
Not now, I sent to both of them, firm but gentle. I need to focus. Please.
They subsided, but I could feel their rage simmering just beneath the surface. Could feel Zero and Leo both straining for release, wanting to hunt Drake down and make him pay for every cruel word, every casual humiliation.
The knowledge that they cared that much—that they were that furious on my behalf—made my chest tight with emotion.
"See?" I said to Austin and Ella, gesturing at the twins. "They didn't even know, and they're ready to kill him for it. But you two? You saw it happen and did nothing."
Through the twin bond, I felt Cassian's realization hit him like a physical blow.
If they knew, he sent to Casper, his mental voice ice-cold with fury, if they knew what he was doing to her and they still pushed for that mating... Zero won't be able to stop me from doing something I'll regret.
"There's more, isn't there?" Ronan's voice cut through the tension. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, his fierce green eyes fixed on Austin and Ella with open suspicion. "There's always more with secrets like these."
I looked at my brother—my brother, God, I still couldn't quite believe it—and saw my own determination reflected back at me.
"Yes," I said slowly, turning back to face Austin. "There is more. Because here's what I don't understand, Alpha." I put a cold emphasis on his title, deliberately distancing myself. "Why did I stay with Drake? For years, I let him control me. Demean me. Make me feel worthless."
I paused, let the silence stretch. "I always told myself it was because I loved him. Because I was weak. But that wasn't it, was it? There was something forcing me to stay. Something you and Ella and my... and Jessica knew about."
Austin and Ella exchanged another loaded glance.
There it is, Casper's mental voice was sharp with vindication. They're hiding something.
Ask them, Cassian urged me through our bond. Make them tell you.
I stood up slowly, bracing my hands on the table. Both twins immediately rose with me, flanking me like guards. Like the mates they were.
"I'm asking you directly, Austin," I said, my voice steady and cold. "What else are you hiding from me?"