Chapter 83
Drake's POV
I watched with mounting rage as Cassian walked away from me, rejoining his perfect little family while I stood alone at the edge of the ballroom. The champagne in my glass tasted like acid as I swallowed another bitter sip.
"You failed," Ragnar, my wolf, growled inside my head. "Again. He didn't fully take the bait this time either."
"Shut up," I snapped back mentally. I'd been so certain my plan would work perfectly—provoke Cassian until he completely lost control and attacked me in front of everyone, exposing the monster I knew lurked beneath his perfect facade. I'd gotten close, too. I'd seen the fury in his eyes, watched his partial shift begin as gasps rippled through the crowd.
But then something strange happened. Just as he reached that tipping point, just as victory was within my grasp, his rage seemed to... dissipate. Like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over a fire. His eyes had cleared, the golden glow fading as he gave me that infuriating icy smile before walking away.
"What the hell happened?" I fumed internally. "He was right there, right at the edge."
"Something interfered," Ragnar replied, unusually thoughtful. "Did you feel it? That... presence?"
I frowned, replaying the moment in my mind. There had been something—a strange energy shift, almost like a psychic ripple flowing around Cassian just before he calmed. I'd dismissed it in my anger, but Ragnar was right. Something—or someone—had intervened.
"You think you're so smart," I muttered under my breath, watching him join his brother and Elowen across the room, the three of them moving together with strange synchronicity. "Acting all high and mighty."
"Perhaps you're just not as clever as you believe," Ragnar suggested with a mental smirk.
I pushed him back, not in the mood for his criticism. This was supposed to be the perfect opportunity—Cindy and Ethan's post-wedding celebration, with the entire pack gathered to witness. The newly married couple were already circulating among guests, accepting congratulations while I stood here seething.
"Look at them," I scoffed mentally to Ragnar. "The pack's perfect princess and her handpicked husband. Makes me sick."
"Focus," Ragnar reminded me. "Your jealousy is distracting you from our purpose."
I drained my glass, grinding my teeth as I watched the perfect Thornwood celebration continue without a hitch. The crowd parted as Casper and Cassian led Elowen to the center of the dance floor, the three of them moving together like they'd rehearsed it.
"Would you like to dance?" a voice asked beside me. I turned to find a blonde wolf whose name I couldn't remember, looking at me with interest.
"No," I said flatly, turning back to watch the trio.
The sight of Elowen between them, laughing as Casper spun her under his arm while Cassian watched with possessive eyes, made my blood boil. She was radiant tonight, her skin glowing, her smile bright enough to light the room. For a moment, I remembered what it had been like when that smile was directed at me.
"Pathetic," I sneered internally, even as my heart clenched. "She's just a plaything to them. Notice they haven't even officially announced her as their mate."
"Yet you still want her," Ragnar observed, his tone mocking. "Your scent changes when you look at her."
"Get out of my head," I growled.
But I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. She looked... happy. Truly happy. The confidence radiating from her was new—she stood taller, moved with more certainty. And damn it, she was beautiful, more beautiful than I'd ever seen her.
"You're doing it again," Ragnar taunted. "Pining after what you can't have."
"Something's wrong with what Jessica told us," I deflected, focusing back on the twins as they surrounded Elowen like protective sentinels. The way they moved—almost in sync, communicating without words—it felt unnatural.
"About time you realized," Ragnar rumbled thoughtfully.
I narrowed my eyes, watching Cassian move with predatory grace. "What do you mean?"
"Jessica swore Cassian's wolf was compromised. That he could barely control his shift. Yet look at him—he was at the edge, yes, but something pulled him back. And it wasn't just his own control." Ragnar's voice grew suspicious. "There's more at play here. Did you feel that energy? That strange... connection?"
I studied the twins as they took turns dancing with Elowen, my mind racing. When Cassian had been on the verge of losing control, I'd sensed something—like multiple presences converging around him. I'd never felt anything like it before.
"She lied to us," I concluded, anger rising.
"Or," Ragnar countered, "we targeted the wrong twin."
I scoffed internally. "That's absurd. Cassian has always been the one with the control issues. Everyone knows—"
"Do they?" Ragnar interrupted. "Or is that just what Jessica wants everyone to believe? Think, Drake. When have you actually seen Casper's wolf? Really seen him?"
I paused, scanning my memories. Casper was always laughing, always charming, always distracting with his jokes and smiles. But his wolf... I realized with a jolt that I'd rarely seen Leo fully emerge. Even during pack runs, Casper always seemed more human than wolf.
"He's always the first to shift back to human form," I murmured internally. "Always making excuses about preferring to 'enjoy life in two legs rather than four'..."
"And when have you seen him truly angry?" Ragnar pressed. "Not just irritated, but furious enough to lose control?"
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. Never. I'd never seen Casper truly lose control. While everyone watched Cassian with wary eyes, expecting the cold, calculating twin to snap... had we all been misdirected?
"Of course," I breathed. The perfect cover. While everyone worried about Cassian, no one paid attention to Casper's careful control, his strategic avoidance of situations that might trigger a shift.
"I've rarely seen Casper's wolf emerge," I thought to Ragnar. "And there's something about how they move together—Cassian, Casper, and Elowen. Like they're linked somehow. What if the rumors about one twin having a compromised wolf were about Casper all along?"
"Finally, you use your brain," Ragnar mocked. "I was beginning to think you'd lost that ability."
A slow smile spread across my face as I watched them. This wasn't a total loss—just a change in strategy.
"He's laughing with her," I observed as Casper spun Elowen again, catching her in his arms. "He's always laughing, always the charming one. What if that's his cover? His distraction so no one notices his wolf's weakness?"
"Now you're thinking," Ragnar approved.
The music changed, and I watched as Cassian cut in, his hands possessive on Elowen's waist. She melted against him, her head tilting back to look up at him with such naked adoration that it made me want to vomit.
"Look at her," I sneered. "So desperate for their approval. They haven't even claimed her officially, and she's acting like she's already Luna."
But even as I tried to convince myself she was nothing, I couldn't deny the way my heart raced watching her move across the floor, her body swaying gracefully to the music. She was different now—stronger, more confident. The transformation was as irritating as it was captivating.
I felt a surge of energy from across the room—that same strange connection I'd sensed earlier, flowing between the three of them. It was almost visible, like heat distortion in the air. And it felt... powerful. Too powerful for me to challenge directly right now.
"I can't break through whatever that is," I admitted reluctantly to Ragnar. "Not right now. My first attempt failed, and another direct confrontation tonight would look too desperate."
"So we adapt," my wolf replied. "Find the weakness elsewhere."
I nodded slowly, my eyes fixing on Casper's laughing face as he twirled Elowen. "I need to regroup and plan something bigger. The night's still young, and I'm not done testing my theories about these twins."
"Better plan carefully," Ragnar warned. "That barrier around them is unlike anything I've felt before."
"I know," I muttered, straightening my tie and signaling a waiter for another drink. I'd need it for what I was planning next. "But every barrier has a weak point. And I think I'm starting to see where this one might crack."