Chapter 97
Casper's POV
I emerged from the blood-red haze slowly, like swimming up through thick, crimson water. My head pounded. The ballroom spun around me in blurry fragments—shattered glass reflecting chandelier light, dark stains spreading across polished floors, panicked faces staring from the edges of my vision.
Well done. We showed them all who's in charge. Leo's voice echoed through my mind, smug and satisfied.
"What happened?" I whispered, my voice hoarse. My throat felt raw, as if I'd been screaming—or howling.
We protected what's ours. That piece of shit Drake dared to insult our Freckles. I handled it.
Memories flashed through my mind—jagged, violent images of my hand crushing a champagne glass, blood spurting from Drake's shoulder, his face pale with shock. The coppery scent of blood still hung in the air, making bile rise in my throat.
"What did you do, Leo? This wasn't the time! I wanted to kill Drake, but not like this. Not at the formal announcement!"
Leo growled defensively in my head. Maybe it was exactly the right time! He humiliated our Freckles in front of everyone!
I struggled to my feet, noticing my suit was torn and splattered with blood. Pack members were scattered around the ballroom, whispering and staring. Through the crowd, I glimpsed my mother Luna Ella kneeling on the floor nearby, hunched over something—no, someone—I couldn't see clearly. Her lavender dress was drenched in crimson.
"Leo, what else did you do?" My heart hammered against my ribs. "Did you hurt Mom?"
Of course not! I would never harm our family.
The memory hit me like a physical blow—Cassian transforming, standing between me and the crowd. His wolf, sleek and dark, baring teeth at me. The rage that coursed through me, unstoppable and primal.
"We attacked Cassian." It wasn't a question. The memory of my teeth tearing into my brother's flesh made me gag. "Our own brother, Leo! Our twin!"
Leo's presence retreated slightly, shrinking back into the darker corners of my mind. He was trying to stop us from protecting Elowen.
"You showed the entire Thornwood Pack what animals we are inside!" I snarled, loud enough that several nearby pack members flinched away from me.
I showed them that the Alpha's heir protects what's his, Leo shot back, but his usual confidence wavered. What's wrong with that?
"You made Drake look like the victim! You let him manipulate us!" I raked my hands through my hair, pulling until it hurt. "And worse—you hurt Cassian. Our brother, Leo. Our blood."
Leo went silent, the connection between us dimming. I felt his shame like a physical weight in my chest.
He was trying to stop us, Leo finally whispered. I didn't mean to...
I spotted Cassian then, leaning against the wall. His white shirt was soaked through with blood, but he was standing, alive. Relief flooded through me, so intense I nearly collapsed.
"Casper?"
Elowen's voice cut through my thoughts. She knelt beside me, her dress stained and torn, eyes red from crying. Her makeup had left dark streaks down her cheeks. She looked beautiful and broken all at once.
"Are you back?" she asked cautiously, reaching for my hand. "Is it you?"
"It's me," I rasped, squeezing her fingers. "Leo's retreated."
"Thank god," she whispered, relief evident in her voice. "We need you right now, Casper."
Let me handle this, I told Leo firmly. I need to protect them. Now.
Cassian limped over, his face pale but composed. Through the torn shirt I could see the jagged wound across his chest had mostly healed, leaving only a faint pink line. The memory of causing that wound filled me with shame that coiled in my gut like a cold snake.
"Cass," I started, my voice breaking. "I'm so—"
"It's already healed," he interrupted, his ice-blue eyes meeting mine with surprising warmth. "Leo and I have... made our peace."
I blinked in confusion, fragments of memory slowly returning—Leo in wolf form, licking Cassian's wounds. My brother's hand on Leo's muzzle, a moment of understanding passing between them.
"You... you're not angry?" I asked, struggling to piece together the scattered memories.
"We've got bigger problems than a brotherly squabble," Cassian said grimly, his hand briefly squeezing my shoulder. "And Leo was protecting Elowen. I understand that now."
Elowen moved closer to me, her body warm against mine. "We're a team, Casper. The three of us. We need to stay united."
I looked around the ballroom, really seeing it for the first time. Tables overturned, decorations trampled, blood spattered across the dance floor. Pack members huddled in small groups, faces shocked and frightened.
"What else happened?" I asked, dread settling like a stone in my chest. "Mom is—"
I stood shakily, staring toward the crowd gathering near the stage. Through the gaps between people, I could see my mother's purple dress, her silver hair falling forward as she bent over a still form. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. She was rocking back and forth, cradling someone's head in her lap, her shoulders shaking.
"She needs help," I murmured, taking a step forward.
Elowen caught up to me, grabbing my arm with unusual force. "Casper, wait." Her eyes held something—knowledge, fear—that she was trying to hide. "Let me help. She's in shock."
"Who is she holding?" I asked, turning to Cassian who had followed us.
His face was ashen, a muscle twitching in his jaw. His eyes flickered away from mine for a split second. "You've been through a lot tonight. Let's focus on helping Mom first." The strain in his voice was subtle, but clear to me after a lifetime of knowing him.
Leo stirred in my mind again. Something's wrong. They're keeping something from us.
"Cass," I said quietly. "What happened while Leo was in control? What aren't you telling me?"
Cassian's jaw tightened. "A lot happened, Casper. But right now, we need to handle this situation one step at a time."
"This isn't about Leo attacking you, is it?" I pressed, anxiety building in my chest.
"No," Cassian admitted, exchanging a look with Elowen. "That's... resolved."
"Stop pushing," Elowen whispered, her eyes pleading. "We'll explain everything, but right now, your mother needs you."
She was right. I swallowed hard, pushing down my questions and fear.
"Mom needs us," I said, turning toward where my mother still knelt beside the motionless figure.
As we approached, the crowd parted. I still couldn't see clearly who my mother was holding, but I could smell blood—so much blood. The coppery scent filled my nostrils, making my head spin with nausea.
"So much blood," my mother murmured, rocking back and forth. "He shouldn't be left like this. Not like this."
I knelt beside her, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Mom—"
Before I could finish, she looked up at me with vacant eyes, not really seeing me. The front of her lavender dress was soaked with blood, her trembling hands covered in it.
Cassian immediately took charge, barking orders for the pack to secure the building with an authority that seemed to have shifted to him by necessity rather than choice. I watched him, pride mingling with my confusion and fear. He had always been the strategic one, the planner. I was the hothead, the fighter.
Leo stirred restlessly. We need to find out what happened. Now.
"Not yet," I murmured. "First we need to help Mom."
Elowen squeezed my hand, her amber eyes meeting mine. "I'm here," she said simply. "Whatever you need."
I looked at my mother's grief-stricken face, then at my brother organizing our pack's response. The weight of uncertainty pressed down on me.
"Leo," I whispered internally, fear gripping my heart. "Did we... did you kill someone? Besides hurting Cassian and Drake?"
Leo's presence flared with indignation. No! I would never! I protected Freckles, I fought with your brother, I clawed Drake—that's all.
I stared at the still form cradled in my mother's arms, hidden from my view by the crowd and her hunched posture.
"Then who is she holding?" I whispered, more to myself than to Leo. "What happened here?"