Free Web NovelChapter 224: Chapter 224
Caden’s POV
The moment Cane’s voice hit the room, sharp and demanding, I moved.
I stepped forward quickly, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the side before he could take another step toward the bed.
"Stay still," I whispered close to his ear, my grip firm. "Just watch."
He resisted for a second, his body tense, his eyes still locked on what was happening, but I tightened my hold and gave him a look that told him not to interfere.
"Trust me," I added under my breath.
He didn’t answer, but he stopped moving although he hadn’t recognized whom it was since it was dark.
We both turned our attention back to Carian.
She hadn’t reacted to Cane’s entrance at all. Her eyes were still closed, her hands still pressed tightly against Gunnar’s chest, her voice continuing that same chant without breaking.
The storm outside hadn’t eased yet. Thunder kept hitting, loud and close, and the rain slammed hard against the windows. The whole room felt unstable, like something was building up to a breaking point.
Cane’s breathing was heavy beside me, but he stayed where I had pulled him.
We watched.
Minutes passed.
Then slowly, it started to stop.
Carian’s voice became quieter, the words slowing down until she spoke the last one and went silent.
Her hands stayed on Gunnar’s chest for a few more seconds, then she lifted them.
At the same time, the storm outside faded.
The thunder stopped first. Then the wind dropped. The rain slowed down until it turned into a light patter, and then it stopped completely.
The room grew still. The air shifted back to normal.
It was like everything that just happened had been cut off all at once.
Light returned through the windows, bright like nothing had ever changed.
Carian opened her eyes. For a moment, no one spoke.
I looked at Gunnar immediately. His chest moved. Slow, but steady.
His breathing had changed. It wasn’t weak anymore. It wasn’t uneven. It was there and alive, I could feel it. freeweɓnovel.cøm
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.
Beside me, Cane went completely still.
Then his body stiffened.
I followed his gaze and realized he wasn’t looking at Gunnar anymore.
He was looking at her. frёeωebɳovel.com
His expression instantly. The color drained from his face and his jaw tightened hard.
"You bitch, it’s you," he said under his breath, and before I could react, he moved forward towards her.
I grabbed him again, stopping him before he could reach her.
"Cane-"
He jerked against my grip. "Let go of me."
"Not yet," I said firmly.
His eyes snapped to mine. "Do you even know who that is?"
"I do," I replied.
"No, you don’t," he shot back. "She’s dead, Caden. She’s fucking dead. Why the hell did you let her near him?"
I didn’t answer that immediately.
Before I could, she spoke.
"He’ll be fine," Carian said calmly, her voice steady like nothing had just happened. "Give him three days. Make sure he gets enough blood to heal. He’s not a pure wolf. Don’t forget that."
The room went quiet again.
She stepped away from the bed like she was done, completely ignoring or should I say avoiding Cane which seemed weird.
"I’ll be leaving now," she added.
She started walking toward the door but Cane didn’t let her pass.
He moved fast, breaking free from my grip this time and grabbing her wrist hard. He shoved her back with force, and she stumbled, losing her balance and falling to the floor.
"Cane!" I snapped, stepping forward.
But he didn’t listen.
He stepped over her, standing above her, looking down with a cold expression that I had only seen a few times before.
"What did you do to him?" he asked.
His voice was controlled, but there was anger in it.
Carian looked up at him, her expression calm despite the position she was in.
"I healed him," she said.
Cane shook his head slowly. "No. That’s a lie."
"It’s not."
"You can’t just heal him," he said, his tone sharpening. "I know you’ve made it worse. I know you. I know exactly how you work."
She didn’t respond to that.
"Should I wait for the three days to confirm it?" she asked instead.
Cane let out a short laugh, but there was nothing funny in it.
"No," he said. "Because even if you did heal him, you would have taken something in return. You always do."
Her expression didn’t change, but I noticed her hands tighten slightly where she sat.
"Tell me," Cane continued, his voice dropping. "What did you do to him?"
She stayed quiet.
That was when Cane reached into his side and pulled something out.
My eyes dropped to his hand.
The dagger.
The same one.
The one that had been used on Gunnar.
Carian’s reaction was instant.
Her calm broke. Her eyes widened, and she quickly pushed herself back, putting distance between herself and the blade.
"Don’t bring that thing closer to me," she said, her voice no longer steady.
Cane tilted his head slightly, watching her carefully.
"Why?" he asked. "You recognize it, don’t you?"
She didn’t answer.
"According to my mother," he continued, lifting the blade slightly, "this Blackbane core doesn’t just kill the living. It can kill the dead all over again."
Her breathing changed faster now.
"Start talking," Cane said. "What did you do to him in exchange for saving his life?"
I stood there, watching both of them, and something about this didn’t sit right with me.
There was something Cane knew about her.
Something I didn’t.
And whatever it was, it had Carian scared.
She looked at the blade again, then back at Cane, her lips parting slightly.
"I..." she started, but the words didn’t come out properly.
Cane didn’t move."I’m waiting," he said.
She swallowed hard.
"I used..." she said slowly, her voice shaking now. "I used the love bind spell on him."
The words landed heavy in the room.
"What?" I said immediately, my voice rising without control. "You- you- did what?"
Cane didn’t react the way I expected.
He stood up straight, then suddenly laughed. Loud. Sharp.
The laugh wasn’t normal at all.
"I knew it," he said, shaking his head as he turned slightly toward me. "I knew she wouldn’t just help for nothing. I’ve known her long enough."
He looked back at her, his expression turning cold again.
"You used the love bind spell on someone who is still alive?" he said. "How can you be this insensitive, Carian?"
She pushed herself up to her knees, her hands clenched into fists.
"I am not insensitive," she snapped back.
"You are," Cane replied immediately. "You want him to wake up and crave you, don’t you? Just like before. Just like the last time you used that same spell and trapped him into something he didn’t even choose. The same spell you used on him to get you pregnant"
Her face tightened.
"That spell, you got pregnant because of that spell," he continued, his voice harsher now. "And now you’ve done it again."
She stood up fully this time, anger clear on her face.
"I am not doing this for nothing!" she shouted. "I used half of my power to bring him back. Half! Do you think I’m going to walk away with nothing in return?"
"You don’t get to decide that," Cane shot back.
"I do," she snapped. "Because I am not my sister Riley. I am not that kind of person. I don’t give without taking."
The moment she said Riley’s name, something changed in Cane.
He didn’t hesitate.
His hand came up fast, SLAP! The slap landed hard across her face.
The sound echoed in the room.
She stumbled and fell to the floor again from the force of it.
"Cane!" I said, stepping forward again.
He ignored me completely.
"You’re insane," he said, his voice cold and sharp as he looked down at her. "Undo it. Now."
She lifted her head slowly, her cheek already showing the mark from the slap.
Then she laughed. A low, broken laugh that didn’t sound right.
"If you want me to undo it," she said, looking straight at him, "then you better be ready to lose your brother."
Cane’s grip tightened around the dagger.
"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice tense.
She didn’t look at me.
Her eyes stayed on Cane.
"If I break the spell then get ready for your brother to follow me to the afterlife" she said slowly, "Because his life goes with it."
