Chapter 33
Elowen's POV
I stood between Casper and Cassian, facing the door. My mother's angry voice echoed through the hallway, making my stomach knot with dread. The marks on my neck throbbed slightly, a constant reminder of who I belonged to now.
"Let's go downstairs," Casper murmured, his breath hot against my ear. "I don't want to have this confrontation in my office."
Cassian's fingers intertwined with mine, his touch protective and grounding. "We face this together."
We descended to The Red Wolf, which was eerily quiet for what should have been a busy weekend. Only three tables were occupied, the patrons hunched over their drinks like they were hiding. The photo scandal had clearly kept customers away. What shocked me most was seeing Sarah still behind the bar, her uniform strategically altered—hemline raised, buttons undone—every movement a calculated performance as she polished glasses with exaggerated care.
When she spotted us, her eyes narrowed to venomous slits, her fake smile failing to hide her hatred. She deliberately turned her back, making a show of bending over to reach something on a low shelf, her skirt riding up.
"That bitch still has the nerve to show up," I muttered, feeling Juno growl inside me. "Why is she even here after what she did? Does she honestly think helping Drake somehow elevated her status?"
"I wanted to fire her properly," Casper said, his voice low and dangerous. "In person."
The front door swung open with enough force to rattle the hinges. My mother stormed in, her ivory-colored buttoned gothic collar shirt and ankle-length wool skirt making her look completely out of place in the dim, modern bar. But what caught me off guard was her face—the dark circles under her eyes looked carved into her skin, and new wrinkles creased her forehead. Being a Beta had aged her hard.
Her sharp gaze flicked from me to Casper to Cassian, then landed on my neck, where the twins' marks sat proudly visible. Her lips tightened into a bloodless line, and her knuckles whitened as she clutched her handbag.
"Elowen," she said, each syllable sharp as glass. "Get in the car. Now."
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "No."
Sarah sashayed over, her hips swinging dramatically. Her red lipstick was a shade too bright, her perfume overpowering as she approached my mother with false sweetness.
"Beta Jessica, you've finally come to control your daughter." Her voice dripped with venom disguised as honey. "It's about time. She's been throwing herself at the Alpha's sons like a desperate slut and spreading nude photos all over town. Such an embarrassment to you."
Heat rushed to my face. "That's not—"
I watched my mother's reaction carefully. For a fleeting moment, her expression showed something close to agreement—the same disapproval I'd seen all my life. But then something shifted. Her nostrils flared slightly, her eyes narrowed, and the disapproval transformed into something more primal. Her jaw clenched, and I recognized the territorial look of a wolf whose authority had been challenged.
The crack of flesh against flesh cut me off. Everyone in the bar froze. My mother had slapped Sarah so hard that the sound echoed through the quiet space. Sarah stumbled backward, her stiletto catching on the floor. She clutched her reddening cheek, eyes wide with shock.
I blinked rapidly, certain I was hallucinating. My mother—the woman who had criticized every decision I'd ever made—had just slapped someone for insulting me?
"My daughter doesn't need commentary from you," my mother said, her voice glacier-cold. "You think you have the right to judge a Beta's daughter? Only I decide how to handle my child. You are nothing in this hierarchy—certainly not someone with standing to speak about my family." She turned to Sarah with a look that could freeze hell. "And speaking of embarrassments, Miss Mitchell, I saw that video of you circulating last week. Wetting yourself at your age? Now that's truly shameful."
My jaw dropped. Was this really happening? Cassian's hand tightened around mine while Casper's lips curved into a surprised smirk.
Sarah's face contorted with fury, a red handprint blooming on her cheek. "You fucking bitch! How dare you touch me!"
"You're fired," Casper cut in, his voice dropping an octave. The sound sent a shiver down my spine. His eyes flashed gold, the wolf pushing forward. "Get out, Sarah. Now."
"Casper?" Sarah's voice cracked with disbelief. "You can't be serious. I've worked here for years!"
"You're. Fired." Each word fell like a stone. "After your stunt yesterday with Drake, you think I'd keep you?"
"Stunt? I helped you expose this slut!" She jabbed a finger in my direction. "And you're firing me? After everything I've done for this bar? After all the nights I spent on my knees in your office?"
I felt a stab of jealousy so sharp it took my breath away. Juno snarled in agreement, pushing against my control. I pictured Sarah with Casper, her red lips around his—
Stop it, I commanded myself. He's mine now.
Casper's face hardened to granite. "Last warning, Sarah. Get your things and leave."
Sarah's gaze dropped to my neck, and her expression morphed from outrage to horror as she noticed the marks.
"You! You fucking marked her?" She whirled on Casper, then Cassian. "You saw the photos! She was screwing Drake! She'll spread her legs for anyone who—"
Cassian moved with lightning speed, pinning Sarah against the wall. His body pressed against hers in a way that was all threat and zero desire. His hand wrapped around her throat—not squeezing, but a clear warning.
"Watch your fucking mouth when you speak about our mate," he said, his voice dangerously low. He whispered something in her ear that I couldn't hear.
Whatever he said drained the color from Sarah's face. Her eyes widened, real fear replacing her anger.
"You can't be serious," she whispered. "She's a nobody. A Beta's daughter."
"Elowen is our fated mate," Casper announced loudly enough for every patron to hear. He signaled to two security guards who had been watching nervously from the corners. "Get her out of here."
The guards hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.
Casper's eyes narrowed. "Is there a problem?"
One of them—a burly man with tattoos running up his arms—stepped forward. "Sir, we just—"
"You just what?" Casper stalked toward him, power radiating from every movement. He stopped inches from the guard's face. "You're the same ones who let Drake and his friends in yesterday, aren't you?"
The guard swallowed visibly. "Sir, we didn't know—"
"Sarah," Casper called, not taking his eyes off the guard. "Who let Drake in yesterday?"
Sarah's lips curled into a vindictive smile, seeing a chance for revenge. "These two." She pointed at the guards. "I slipped them each five hundred to look the other way. Drake promised I'd get special treatment once he finished with her." Her eyes flickered to me with undisguised hatred. "I thought after the photos, you'd finally see her for what she is."
"So you admit to bribing my security staff," Casper said, his voice deadly calm.
I'd never seen this side of him before—this cold, calculated rage. It was terrifying and, God help me, incredibly hot.