CHAPTER FORTYCasey’s POVGoosebumps spread across my skin and I felt cold as my eyelids fluttered open. I couldn’t see anything through the dark. Glancing around I could tell I was in a cave. Not the cave I had slept in the night before. It was a different one.Then I tried to remember the past events before I got here. How the hell did I even got in here? All I remember was the last moments before I passed out…Wait. I passed out. I don’t remember anything that happened after that.“Hm, glad you’re finally awake,” A voice strips me from my thought process. My eyes flick to see a shadow, tall and foreboding, inches away from me.“Who are you?” The question blurts out of my mouth as a sick, unsettling feeling eased into my stomach,The man stepped forward, right under the moonlight that makes it clear to me who it was.“Theorem?” I felt my brows pinch at the sight of him.“What are you doing—” He didn’t let me finish. The next second, he was above me, hovering all over me with his bre
CHAPTER FORTY-ONECarlos’ POVMy wolf hadn’t stopped pacing since afternoon. Something was wrong. He kept telling me, but I would not believe him.But as soon as I heard that scream pierce the night air, I knew he was right.“What the fuck was that?” Danny curses when I passed him. I ignore him, swishing past him and following where my feet wanted me to go.“What are you doing? Why are you heading over to Casey’s cave?” Danny huffs angrily, I could hear him falling into step behind me.I don’t answer and instead continue trudging down the path. Danny huffs behind me.“What the fuck is that?” I hear Danny mutter, more to himself than me.My brows furrowed, and I squint.There’s a half-naked man whose body was shaking from head to toe near the entrance. His eyes widen like saucers before something jumps at him. A second later he drops on his knees. The life in his eyes fade out slowly while he was trying to stop the blood from flowing. But I bet the killer and himself knew it was too la
CHAPTER FORTY-TWOCarlos’ POVShe stops, it’s as if time has frozen for her as she met my gaze. Not long after, tears form beneath her eyes, and she swallows.“Carlos?” she breathes, at first her voice came off strong, fading back to her real voice. Softer, gentler, just like her.I nodded, watching as the fur slowly disappeared into her skin. Once she shifted back into her human form, she collapsed against me. I caught her tiny body in my arms, which went limp as she drifted off into deep sleep.I couldn’t help but stare at her pretty face. She looked exactly like the first time I saw her. We were at war, then, and there she was.In the middle of it all, amidst the war and chaos all around me, she stood and exuded pure innocence as she locked eyes with me.“Mate!” My wolf howled, and he jumped up and down. Right then and there, he wanted to stake his claim on her. Hold her close, kiss her, taste her, devour her until she’s ours completely, mark her mine. One thing was holding me back
CHAPTER FORTY-THREECasey’s POVMy heart pounds wildly in my chest, and I can’t move. The reason? Partly because my mind won’t allow me to, mostly because my body is pressed against the burning hot body of Carlos Bane Drago, who is also my mate.We were laying under an old oak tree, slightly raised and overlooking the other wolves resting around the camp fire.It had been exactly thirty minutes since Carlos listened to my request—to hold me close to him. And now, it’s exactly what he was doing.My head is pressed against his chest. I could hear the soft thumping of his heart as I listened closely. He’s shirtless. Then again, it was my fault he was. My dress was torn into shreds when I shifted, so he tossed his shirt and jacket over me to keep warm through the night.Opening my eyes, I watch as his chest rises and falls with the rhythm of his heartbeat. The feel of his arms around me as he held me close creates sparks everywhere his skin brushed against me.I let my eyes glide down the
CHAPTER FORTY-FOURCasey’s POV“What?” the question falls out of my lips before I could even stop it.Carlos’ eyes remain trained on me, neither of us willing to look away.He lets out a soft chuckle that makes my heart melt. “To be honest, I really don’t know either,”He leans back, shifting all his weight onto his hands as he plants them on the cold ground.Then he turns his head and looks at me in the eye with those damned, beautiful violet eyes. “There’s something about you, something I didn’t want to acknowledge.”My brow raised at him, “And what is that?”He smiled. That goddamn dazzling, devious smile that has me gawking at him in awe.“Sorry, but it’s my little secret, since, I gave you my only one,” he said, and winked at me.Heat immediately rushed to my face, and I feel my chest flush, making me want to cover myself tighter if only I didn’t feel so hot.“But hey, looks like I’m not the only one,” he said, his tone turning serious.I looked up at him and narrowed my eyes.Wh
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVECasey’s POVLast night was horrific. I didn’t sleep at all. I don’t know what has gotten into me last night, but I now know I have gone too far.When Carlos stepped back, shoving me away in the process, shame washed over me like a bucket of ice cold water.He looked at me as if I had grown two heads, all because I tried to kiss him, which I now know was a mistake. I thought he wanted to. It turns out I thought wrong.I went too far, and he was not having it. He didn’t want me. He made that crystal clear from the very beginning, but still, I insisted. I have never felt so embarrassed in my entire life.It’s the third time he rejected me. The third time.How could I have been so stupid?I should have accepted his rejection, if I only knew it would be this painful the third time.Tears rolled down my cheeks as I turned around and ran off. I could hear him calling after me, but I never looked back.Danny tried to get it out of me a thousand times this morning. Each time
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX Casey’s POVA strong roar ripped from my chest. It was Kaleesa. Pure rage surged through my veins, consuming every rational thought I had. The world blurred, the trees, the warehouse, everything fading as my vision tunneled in on the rogue.I launched forward, claws out, fangs bared. I could hear Carlos yelling my name behind me, but it was drowned out by the blood pounding in my ears. His warning had come too late. Rage had taken over, and I had no plans to stop.I barely felt the ground beneath me as I sprinted toward the rogue who’d kicked the child. He never even saw me coming. My claws tore through his back before he could react, a satisfying crunch of bone under my hands. He crumpled to the floor, and the child scrambled away, eyes wide with terror. The scent of blood filled my nostrils, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted more.Another rogue lunged at me from the side. I spun, grabbing him mid-air, slamming him into the ground with enough force to crack the concre
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVENCarlos’ POVIs it him? Is it really him? I can’t believe it. Even Vato became dead silent.Is it really our little brother?But that’s impossible. He died, years ago. I saw it happen with my own eyes.I stare gobsmacked at the man. His eyes were coral blue, something he’d gotten from our mother. His hair, jet black slicked back just like mine. He even has that same birthmark I remember him having as a child.I tried moving my lips, but they’re frozen as ice.“Lucas?”He smiled at Casey, but something about his expression felt different. Then he whips his gaze to me. Suddenly, he drops it. His eyes darkened, and I felt my blood run cold.TWENTY YEARS AGO…Blood.The air around me is filled with blood. Most belonging to my Dad, who had dropped dead on the ground before me.“Hmm,” I hear a rumbling sound.As I turn my head slowly, I realize I needed to look up to clash eyes with the figure I saw kill my Dad.My eyes raised, and my breath hitched in my throat as my wh