Semua Bab Detective Casie Blackwood and the Moonlit Secrets: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Casie knew Elias was right, but did she miss something when it came to Rick? It would explain why he had seemed so hurt about not being trusted enough to know the whole truth about her."If the rejection was caused by magical interference, then the ritual might actually restore what was taken from you," Dominick said quietly. "The bond that was meant to be.""Or it might enslave me to someone who's murdered four people," Casie countered, pacing the length of her apartment. "Fated mate or not, the Nathaniel I knew wouldn't butcher innocent humans to prove a point."Rick moved to block her path, forcing her to look at him. "You said werewolves can sense emotions, right? Can smell them?""Yes," she admitted. "Fear, anger, attraction... they all have distinct scents.""Then you know how I feel," Rick said, his voice low and urgent. "You've always known."The unspoken truth hung between them. Yes, she had known—had smelled his attraction, his care that went beyond partnership. She'd chosen

"Dormant bloodline," Nathaniel continued. "Probably diluted through generations of human breeding, but the potential is there. Your presence has been slowly awakening it. A few more months, maybe a year, and he would have started manifesting properly."From the direction of the cottage came the sharp crack of splintering wood, followed by Rick's voice calling out: "Got him! Reeves is alive!"Nathaniel's expression darkened. "How inconvenient."He raised his hand, and the two Thornwood wolves moved to intercept Rick's path back to the main cemetery. Casie shifted without thinking, her human form dissolving into Shadow's powerful frame. She launched herself at the nearest wolf before he could reach the cottage.The fight was brutal and swift. Claws raked across stone monuments as the two wolves rolled between headstones, snarling and snapping. Casie's opponent was larger but she was faster, using her knowledge of the terrain to her advantage.Elias appeared from the shadows, tackling the

Rick's hand found Casie's, his grip firm despite the tremors still running through him. "We can't just let him go.""We won't," she promised. "But we can't explain this to our colleagues either." She gestured at the ritual circle, the unconscious Thornwood wolf, and Rick's own glowing eyes.Elias stepped forward. "I'll take him to the pack territory," Elias said decisively. "Father needs to witness this himself—both Nathaniel's crimes and the fulfillment of the prophecy.""No," Casie countered. "We do this by human law first. Too many people have died."Rick was still trembling, sweat beading on his forehead as his dormant genes fought to express themselves. "The department can't handle this. No prison could hold him.""There are ways," Dominick interjected, surprising them all. "Special containment facilities for supernatural offenders. The Council maintains them."The sirens grew louder. They had minutes at most."Nathaniel," Casie addressed her fated mate directly. "Will you submit

"Pack law," Nathaniel supplied, his voice subdued. "And it's your kind now, too, Detective."The reminder hung in the air between them. Tonight's events had irrevocably altered Rick's life, fractured his human identity by awakening genes he'd never known he carried."The Council has protocols for supernatural crimes that spill into human awareness," Elias said, checking his phone. "Special containment, magical binding, reparations to victims' families through shell corporations.""That's not justice," Rick argued. "That's damage control.""It's both," Casie countered. "The supernatural world has existed alongside humanity for millennia because we have systems to prevent exposure. Perfect justice isn't possible when the truth would create mass panic."A tense silence fell over the cabin as each of them wrestled with the implications. The three of them hummed with a dual bond, new and uncertain but undeniably powerful."There's another option," Nathaniel said finally. "An ancient rite o

"The dark moon offers the strongest connection," Marcus confirmed, nodding to Liam in acknowledgment. "And with the Fenris coming, you'll need every advantage."Liam moved further into the cabin, his presence shifting the dynamics once again. "The others are coming too. Mother, Gabriel, and Sophia. They're about twenty minutes behind me.""The whole family," Casie whispered, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. "After ten years.""They never stopped hoping you'd return," Liam said, his usual gruffness softening slightly. "Every year on your birthday, Mother sets a place for you at the table."The revelation hit Casie like a physical blow. She'd spent a decade believing herself forgotten, replaced, her absence a relief rather than a wound. The thought of her mother maintaining that ritual of hope year after year made her throat tighten."This is too much," she managed, moving toward the door. "I need air."Outside, the night was cool and clear, stars gleaming above the pine forest surrounding