Chapter 78
Casper's POV
I stood at the glass railing of the second-floor observation deck, my arm wrapped possessively around Elowen's waist as I observed the tension building below. My mother's intervention was only temporary. Drake's malice hadn't dissipated, and he soon cornered my brother again at the edge of the crowd.
The main hall of Thornwood Pack House glittered with crystal chandeliers and was packed with Pack leaders and VIP guests. The air stank of overpriced champagne and rich-people perfume, but I only had eyes for my twin brother and that bastard Drake, who'd somehow managed to corner Cassian away from the main crowd.
From up here, I could see everything. Cassian's back muscles were rigid under his tailored suit. His knuckles had turned white from clenching his fists. Even from this distance, I caught flashes of ice-light in his eyes—the telltale sign he was about to shift. Fuck.
We couldn't afford a scene. Not tonight. Not with the Alpha from every allied Pack watching. Not on my sister's special day.
I pulled Elowen closer, feeling her warmth against my side. Her vanilla and honey scent calmed me slightly, but didn't erase the threat I was seeing. Drake stood there with that smug look on his face, talking to my brother as if he wasn't the same asshole who'd tried to trick her, whose lies had almost cost us everything.
"What's happening?" Elowen whispered, her amber eyes wide with concern.
"Nothing good," I muttered, closing my eyes to concentrate on the twin bond Cassian and I shared.
I pushed my thoughts through our connection: Calm down, Zero is taking over your rational mind.
Cassian's response came immediately, a blast of cold fury: Drake is showing me "memories" of him and Elowen—him marking her, her moaning underneath him. All fabricated bullshit but I can't block it.
The intensity of his rage hit me like a physical blow. I tightened my grip on Elowen.
Sixty seconds, Cassian's voice continued in my head. That's all this scumbag has left before I make him pay. No one gets to defile our girl like this.
Beside me, Elowen stiffened. Our three-way bond meant she could feel echoes of our connection. "I feel his anger," she said, grabbing my arm. "It's cutting through our bond like ice blades." Her eyes met mine, fierce and determined. "I don't care what that asshole Drake is saying. He's my past. I don't want either of you losing control because of that idiot."
"Don't move, baby. I'll be right back," I told her, pressing a quick kiss to her temple before striding toward the security team stationed nearby.
I pulled the head of security aside. "No one leaves that room or heads this way until I tell you otherwise! Got it?"
You don't really want to stop Zero from ripping that piece of trash apart, Leo, my wolf spirit, growled inside my head. He deserves it for insulting our mate.
I felt the violence rising in me too—the primal urge to join my brother in tearing Drake limb from limb. But I pushed it down.
Not here, not now, I answered Leo. This would ruin my sister's celebration. We need to be smarter.
When I returned to Elowen, her face was tight with worry. "Cassian's about to explode," she said. "Drake is whispering in his ear, and I can feel his control slipping away."
I took her hands in mine, feeling their delicate strength. "We need to give him something stronger than anger to anchor him. Do you trust me, baby?"
She glanced down at Cassian. His nails had lengthened slightly. She bit her lip, then nodded. "Yes, I trust you. But what are we going to do?"
I ran my thumb over the pulse point at the back of her neck, feeling it flutter under my touch. "Remember how special the connection between the three of us is? Now's the time to use it."
I guided her to a corner partially hidden by decorative plants—still visible to Cassian, but offering us some privacy from the other guests. I positioned myself with my back to the wall and placed my hand on the sensitive spot at the back of Elowen's neck, activating our unique bond. Warm energy flowed between us—our connection as mates.
Elowen gasped softly as she felt it too—the intertwining of our energies. My hot red flow, Cassian's icy blue current, and her own golden light, all merging together.
Through the connection, I reached out to my brother: Focus on us, brother. Not his lies. Feel her real presence, not Drake's fantasies.
Cassian's response came strained. I've tried. But his images are too strong. I need you both. I need something real. Now.
"Cassian needs more," I murmured to Elowen. A half-smile played on my lips despite the tension. "Know what's stronger than anger? Not revenge... it's love and desire. We'll cover his lies with truth."
Elowen's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing. "Here? Now? We're surrounded by Pack dignitaries and Cindy's guests!"
I brushed my thumb across her bottom lip. "We just need to create feelings strong enough to transmit through the bond. Something to remind his wolf that you're safe, that you're ours."
She glanced nervously around the room, but when she looked down and saw the pain on Cassian's face, her resolve hardened. "If it will help him, I'm willing to try anything."
I cradled her face in my hands and kissed her deeply, pouring every ounce of what I felt into our bond—warmth, protection, possession, all the complex emotions I had for this woman. I wanted Cassian to feel it all, to drown out Drake's poison with something real.
Elowen was stiff at first, conscious of our public setting, but soon melted against me. Through our connection, I felt Cassian's attention shift from Drake to us, felt the moment our real bond began to overpower the false memories Drake was sending.
More, came Cassian's command through the link, and I felt his anger transforming into something else—protectiveness, possessiveness.
I slid one hand to the small of Elowen's back, pressing her closer as I deepened the kiss. Between breaths, I sent thoughts through our bond: This is our strength—connected to each other, supporting each other. We fight for our future, not get controlled by the past.
Elowen's fingers tangled in my hair, and I groaned softly against her lips. Every touch, every sensation flowed through our three-way bond, giving Cassian something real to focus on, something powerful enough to fight back against Drake's manipulations.
I could feel it working. Through our connection, I sensed Cassian's wolf retreating, his control returning.
I pulled back slightly from the kiss, keeping my forehead pressed against Elowen's as we both caught our breath. Her pupils were dilated, her lips swollen, and the scent of her arousal mixed with her natural vanilla-honey fragrance made Leo howl with satisfaction inside me.
"It worked," she whispered, glancing down to where Cassian now stood steady, his posture relaxed but alert.
"Of course it did," I smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Our bond is stronger than any lies he could tell."