Chapter 224
Casper's POV
The voice from the shadows made us all freeze, hearts hammering in unison. Then she stepped forward—elegant, otherworldly, unmistakable. The Moon Goddess emerged from the darkness near the window as if the shadows themselves had birthed her, silver hair catching the faint light as she moved with fluid grace toward the foot of our bed. Each step was silent, purposeful, until she stood there bathed in an ethereal glow that made her look like she'd just stepped out of some fantasy painting.
Silver hair cascading down her back, pale golden eyes fixed on us with an expression I couldn't quite read. Amusement? Contempt? Maybe both.
My first instinct was to lunge at her. To demand what the hell she was doing in our room, watching us sleep like some cosmic fucking voyeur. But Cassian's hand clamped down on my shoulder, his grip tight enough to bruise.
Easy, his voice whispered through our twin bond. Let me handle this.
I forced myself to nod, even though every muscle in my body screamed to move. Leo stirred inside me, curious and wary. The demon had been quiet lately, almost docile since Elowen had calmed us both. But now I felt him pressing against my consciousness, wanting to see this goddess for himself.
Cassian sat up slowly, his ice-blue eyes never leaving Selene's face. "You mentioned another option," he said, his voice carefully neutral. "What did you mean?"
The goddess tilted her head, that ethereal smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "No greeting? No reverence?" She made a soft tsking sound. "Your father taught you better manners than this, Cassian Thornwood."
Elowen shifted beside me, and I felt her consciousness sharpening through our bond. She'd been half-asleep, warm and soft against my side. Now she was fully alert, her amber eyes flickering with gold as Juno rose to the surface.
"Maybe we'd show respect," Elowen said, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade, "when it's earned. When goddesses stop treating us like entertainment. Like chess pieces for their amusement."
Holy fuck, I loved this woman.
Selene's eyes narrowed slightly, the only sign that Elowen's words had hit their mark. "I am not cruel, child. I simply maintain balance. What I asked of you before—the choice between your mate bond and your children—was born of necessity. To bring back Alpha Austin, to prevent your cousin's death... a price must be paid. That is the law of balance."
"Balance," I spat, unable to keep quiet any longer. "You call that fucking balance?"
The goddess's attention swung to me, and for a moment, I felt the full weight of her power. It was like being crushed under a mountain, like drowning in ice water. But I refused to look away.
She drifted closer, her feet barely touching the floor, and stopped at the edge of the bed. Her gaze dropped, focusing on Elowen's stomach with an intensity that made my protective instincts flare.
Without thinking, I moved between them, blocking Selene's view of my mate. "Back the fuck off, bitch."
Cassian's hand found my arm, probably trying to pull me back, but I shook him off. The goddess's eyes flashed white, bright enough to hurt, and I could've sworn I saw actual fear in them. Just for a second. Just enough to know I'd touched a nerve.
"Did you truly consider it?" Selene's voice was softer now, almost curious. "Making secret deals with demons? Trading your souls for what you think you want?"
Cassian cleared his throat. "We don't want to deal with devils," he said carefully. "But when you offer us impossible choices—"
"What did Raven tell you?" Elowen interrupted, sitting up fully now. The sheet fell away, revealing the marks on her neck—mine and Cassian's, proof of our claim. "How do you know about his... offer?"
My stomach dropped. Fuck. How much did this goddess actually know?
Selene's lips curved into something that might've been a smile if it wasn't so cold. "I know everything that happens in the moonlight, child. Every secret whispered, every deal made in shadow." She paused, her eyes finding mine again. "Raven offered you a choice, didn't he? If you choose to keep the children rather than your mates, he would help you raise your daughter. And in exchange, when she comes of age, she would become his mate."
The words hit me like a physical blow. My daughter. Our daughter. Handed over to a fucking demon like some kind of... of commodity.
Play along, a voice whispered in my head. Raven's voice, smooth and dark. Confirm it. Make her believe that's all we discussed.
I felt the same message ripple through our bond to Cassian and Elowen. A silent instruction to lie to a goddess.
"Yes," Cassian said, his voice steady despite the tension coiled in his frame. "That's what he offered."
Selene studied us for a long moment, and I wondered if she could see through the deception. But then she nodded slowly. "I see. And this... concerns me."
"Why?" Elowen leaned forward, her hand resting protectively over her stomach. "Why do you care what deals we make?"
The goddess's expression shifted, something almost vulnerable flickering across her features. "Because the child you carry will be more powerful than I am."
The room went dead silent.
Elowen's eyes narrowed, and I felt her mind working through the implications. "That scares you," she said softly. Not a question. A statement.