Chapter 214

Chapter 214

CASSIAN

The pain in my chest had already dulled. Shifters healed fast, but I still felt the soreness every time I breathed too deep. My brother lay in the hospital bed next to me, pale but alive, his own body knitting itself back together. Locke had taken a bullet that shouldn't have been his.

Our mother hovered like a shadow in the corner of the room, her hands folded tight against her chest. Her eyes softened when they landed on Locke, then sharpened when they cut to me.

She blamed me for putting him in this situation. And I didn't blame her. She was right with that at least. I was the one who put my own brother in harm's way.

The doctor came in briefly, checking Locke’s vitals. “The bullet’s out. He looks fine,” the man said, but his tone carried suspicion. “His vital are surprisingly very good!"

As the doctor left, my mother turned to me, "He's already healing, they'll notice that soon enough."

I nodded once. “We’ll take him out before anyone asks questions.”

Reed leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching everything with those sharp eyes of his. As soon as the doctor was out of the room and in the hallway, he pushed off the wall. “We don’t have much time. Cassian, we need to get him out of here before this whole hospital wonders why a man with a bullet wound is walking around like nothing happened.”

“I can walk,” Locke muttered, forcing himself to sit up. His jaw clenched with effort, but he made it.

Our mother stepped forward. “No, you need to rest. Lie still."

“I’ll rest when I’m back home,” Locke snapped, then winced, clutching his chest.

I moved to steady him. “Slow down. You’re not invincible.”

He looked at me then, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. “Neither are you.”

Reed cleared his throat, breaking the tension. “Let’s move. The longer we stay here, the worse it’ll get.”

We managed to slip Locke out of the hospital through the back, avoiding curious stares. He leaned heavily on me, but he walked, stubborn as ever. The car was waiting. As soon as we slid inside, Reed broke the silence.

“Lucky was armed, that was what made things a little bit difficult. He's probably already dead by now," he said flatly.

I turned to him. “What makes you say that?”

Reed’s expression was grim. “Alexander took him alive. That alone means he’s done for. I don't think shekk
keep someone as vile as him alive for too long."

Locke groaned softly from beside me. “That bastard…”

“Save your strength,” I told him, but my jaw clenched. Reed told me Alexander had arrived late. Too late, putting he and Locke in danger. That was when Lucky started firing at them.

My mother's eyes flicked to Locke then mine . “You realize your brother risked his life to save your beta Cassian? And he wouldn't have been there if you hadn't told him to go."

I glanced at Locke. He looked exhausted, but his gaze stayed steady on me. “I'm glad you're alive."

Locke smiled. "Me too."

"Do you finally forgive me?” Locke asked quietly.

I exhaled. “I already had. You didn’t have to take a bullet close for me to say it.”

A faint smirk tugged at Locke’s mouth, but his voice was raw. “Good. I was starting to think I’d have to die for you to mean it.”

“Don’t get any ideas,” I muttered, shaking my head.

The car went quiet until Reed spoke again. “It’ll be hard to get Derek back now. We've played all our cards too soon already. We shouldn't have."

I rubbed a hand across my face. “I know. But we’ll come back for him. Right now, we focus on Marius. One fight at a time.”

Reed nodded once. “Fair enough.”

.......................

By the time we reached the estate, Locke’s color had returned a little, and word had already spread. Wolves gathered near the entrance, eyes widening when they saw him step out of the car. Some stiffened, others looked cautiously relieved.

“Is that… Locke?” someone whispered.

Another voice answered, “He’s back here? After all this time?”

The whispers grew, rippling through the crowd. Some stepped forward, bowing their heads in respect. Others hung back, suspicion sharp in their eyes.

Locke held his head high, ignoring the doubt. He walked inside without hesitation.

I didn’t stop to listen. My feet carried me straight to Wren.

When I reached our wing, I didn’t bother knocking. I found her in the sitting room, a book in her hands. Her head snapped up the moment I entered, and before I could say a word, she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around me.

“Cassian,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

I held her tight, burying my face in her hair. “I’m here.”

She pulled back slightly, her eyes shining. “I'm sorry about your brother."

I shrugged. "It's okay. Everything went well. Did anything interesting happen here?" I asked.

"Derek called.”

My body stiffened. “What did he say?”

“He… he didn’t say much, just that he thinks I betrayed him” Her voice dropped. “Cassian, I think he knows something about what you’re doing. Because he told me you had a hand in Roland's death."

I cursed under my breath. “That bastard. Of course he does.”

She frowned. “You think he knows who we're working with?”

“Not yet,” I said. “But with Roland gone and with Lucky possibly gone too, it won't take long for him to figure it out."

Her brows knit together. “What are you going to do?”

I cupped her face gently. “For now? Nothing. We take a break from all of it. We’ve been running, fighting, bleeding… I don’t want that for us. Not for a while.”

Her lips parted. “You mean that?”

I nodded. “I want time with you. Away from all this.”

A small smile tugged at her lips. “That… actually sounds perfect.”

I smiled back, relief washing through me. “Sybil paid for a trip for us remember? Maldives. Sun, ocean, no one trying to kill us.”

Her eyes lit up faintly. “Maldives? That does sound tempting.”

“So it’s a yes?” I asked, my chest easing for the first time in days.

She leaned against me. “Yes. Fuck everything. Let’s go.”

I kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer. For once, I let myself breathe.