Caspian’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at her with a mixture of pity and affection. “Ophelia, you’re too soft-hearted. You treat her like a sister, but she’s never seen you that way.”
Then, turning his attention back to me, his eyes turned steely and harsh. “Anyone who hurts Ophelia will pay double.”
A memory flashed before my eyes—of being cornered by young wolves from a rival pack when I was just a child. Caspian had appeared like a guardian angel, fiercely defending me against my attackers. The person who had once stood as my protector was now standing by someone else, his loyalty and affection given away to another.
The realization hit me like a blow to the chest. The very man who had fought for me, who had once meant the world to me, was now determined to teach me a lesson in humiliation. His gaze was filled with anger, and his resolve was unwavering.
He signaled to the guards, who roughly forced me to kneel before him and Ophelia. As I bowed my head, my wolf howled in my mind, her pain and fury echoing my own. I could feel her struggling to break free, but I kept her restrained.