Chapter 9: The Human in My Arms
~Caspian’s POV~
Her body was limp in my arms, head resting lightly against my shoulder, but she clung to me like she belonged there. My fingers curled in the fabric of my shirt. Warm breath ghosted over my collarbone. My chest tightened. A hitch, like my heart, didn’t know what to do with the feeling that unfurled in me. It skipped just once and I almost stumbled.
I had never felt that before.
She was unconscious, unaware, and yet my wolf stirred like she had whispered his name. Nizen paced restlessly beneath the surface, humming in quiet agreement. Ours.
Behind me, Cayden’s voice kept grinding against my skull. "You know I didn’t mean to kill him, right?" he said. "He deserved it. Every single thing I did to him."
I didn’t stop walking. Couldn’t. If I did, I’d drop her or turn on him. Maybe both.
Then I lost it. I halted mid-step and turned halfway toward him with a snarl. My arms tightened protectively around her.
"But death?" I hissed, careful not to shake her. "Cayden—death? You killed our brother! We were triplets, for the Moon’s sake. You took one of us."
"He became a rogue," Cayden shot back, voice sharp, eyes dark. "He betrayed us. He betrayed everything we were meant to be."
I clenched my jaw, biting back what I really wanted to say. My fangs itched to break skin, but she was in my arms. I wouldn’t fight with her between us. Couldn’t.
"And you?" I ground out. "Aren’t you betraying the Moon Goddess too? By rejecting your mate?"
His eyes flared, but I didn’t care. "So this is about her, huh?" he spat. "Bringing back Cyrus’s dead memory because of a low-life human you met today? Are you even hearing yourself, brother?"
