Chapter 73
Elowen's POV
I followed Casper through the dense crowd, my heart pounding with anticipation as we approached the bar. The music's bass thrummed through my body, creating a soundtrack for the confrontation to come.
Sarah sat hunched over the counter, her red waves cascading messily down her back. She was clearly several drinks past her limit, makeup slightly smudged at the corners of her eyes.
"Listen," she slurred, grabbing the bartender's arm as he tried to move away. "I said top shelf. This tastes like piss water!"
The bartender—a tall, muscular werewolf with tired eyes—sighed. "Ms. Mitchell, I've served you our finest whiskey. Perhaps you've had enough for tonight?"
"Don't tell me when I've had enough!" Sarah retorted sharply, slamming her empty glass down. "Another! And don't water it down this time!"
She's a mess, Juno commented gleefully. This is even better than we hoped.
Focus, I reminded my wolf. We need information, not just satisfaction.
Can't I have both? Juno purred in my mind.
I adjusted my mask slightly, ensuring it concealed my identity as we approached. Casper squeezed my hand reassuringly before letting go to step slightly ahead of me.
Sarah looked up at the movement and her entire demeanor transformed when she spotted Casper. Her eyes lit up and a seductive smile spread across her face, shoulders straightening to push her chest forward.
"Casper!" she exclaimed, her voice slurred but excited. "You finally found me! I've been drinking alone and bored to death!"
Casper gave her one of his trademark charming smiles, though I could feel the tension radiating from him. "How could you possibly be bored in a place like this? Why not go find Drake?"
Sarah's smile faltered momentarily. "I... he's busy with something." She waved her hand dismissively, nearly knocking over her fresh drink.
I watched Casper begin his carefully planned approach, but seeing Sarah's pathetic display suddenly made me impatient. The original plan called for Casper to lead while I observed, but my patience shattered seeing her there—drunk, disheveled, yet still acting superior. Juno stirred restlessly within me.
Why are we playing nice? my wolf urged. She's vulnerable right now. A direct attack will yield faster results than Casper's subtle manipulations.
You're right, I decided, a new strategy forming instantly. Sometimes the direct approach is better.
I couldn't help myself. "Don't you mean he abandoned you to grovel at Irene's feet like a puppy?" I said, deliberately pitching my voice lower so she wouldn't recognize me.
Sarah's head whipped toward me, her green eyes narrowing with immediate hostility. "And who the fuck are you?" Her gaze raked over me, lingering on Casper's hand now resting on my lower back. "It's only been a few days and you've already replaced that Elowen bitch with this one? Not that I'm surprised—you always did cycle through women quickly, didn't you, Casper?"
I felt Casper's body go rigid beside me, his hand curling into a fist. I quickly grabbed it, squeezing gently. "Easy," I whispered, even as Juno snarled inside me.
Let me tear her throat out, my wolf growled. Just one bite to shut her up forever...
Not yet, I soothed internally. We need her talking, not bleeding.
"That's rich coming from you," Casper replied coldly. "Especially since Drake publicly declared you his mate at The Red Wolf just days ago, and now he can't even be bothered to look at you. To him, you're just another Elowen—a temporary plaything."
Across the club, Drake's head jerked in our direction, his eyes widening when he recognized Casper. A flash of fear crossed his face before he quickly masked it with a sneer. The last time they'd encountered each other, Casper had beaten him bloody.
Drake muttered to Irene, his voice a low hiss, "Shit. That asshole's here."
Irene's ice-blue eyes surveyed the scene with calculated interest. "Calm down," she purred, stroking Drake's arm possessively. "He can't touch you here. Too many witnesses."
Sarah's face contorted with rage. "Don't you dare compare me to her! I'm nothing like that slut!" She turned to Casper, alcohol making her tongue looser. "You don't even know, Casper—that whore snuck into Drake's apartment alone when I was still with him. She's always been desperate for any attention she could get. Good thing you dumped her!"
The blue lights swept over the bar, illuminating my face as anger surged through me. I'd been quiet mainly to disguise my voice, but now—to hell with the plan.
"Who said he dumped me?" I asked, letting my voice return to its normal pitch.
Sarah squinted at me, trying to place my voice through her alcohol-fogged brain.
"Wait a minute..." she began, leaning closer.
Before she could process what was happening, I reached up and removed my mask in one smooth motion.
The area around the bar fell momentarily silent. I watched Sarah's expression shift from confusion to shock to pure fury in a matter of seconds.
A ripple of stunned reactions spread through the crowd like wildfire. People nudged each other, pointing and whispering with expressions ranging from shock to admiration. "Holy shit, is that Elowen?" someone gasped loudly enough to be heard over the music. The whispers multiplied, growing in volume and intensity—comments about my transformation, my newfound confidence, and speculations about Drake's betrayal merged into a background hum of amazement.
Fragments of their reactions reached my ears: admiration for my "goddess-like" appearance, observations about my commanding presence that went beyond just the physical changes, and pointed remarks about how the scandal had clearly failed to break me. Several voices noted with approval that sharing intimate photos with a boyfriend was normal—Drake was clearly the villain in their eyes now.
Jake appeared behind the bar, casually leaning forward to watch the show.
"This is better than cable," he stage-whispered to a nearby customer, who nodded enthusiastically.
Drake pushed his way through the crowd, Irene following close behind with an amused expression.
"What the fuck is this?" Drake growled, stopping a safe distance from Casper. "You brought her here to cause trouble?"
Casper turned slightly to face him, his smile turning predatory. "What's wrong, Drake? Scared?"