Chapter 82: Beer

**~ Cayden’s POV ~**

I haven’t felt rage like this before. Not ever.

Lilith just said it—my babies are around.

The moment the word "twins" left her mouth, something cracked open inside me. It wasn’t just relief. It wasn’t just shock. It was something deeper, something primal—like the roar of a father who’s never even laid eyes on his children but already knows he’d tear the world apart for them.

A boy and a girl. Two tiny lives. Two souls I never got to meet, never got to hold. And yet, I could already see them in my mind—their tiny hands wrapped around my finger, their breaths soft against my chest. That image alone nearly brought me to my knees.

My pack. My territory. And my children had been here the entire time.

A growl tore from my throat before I could stop it, loud and guttural. The Elites flinched. I didn’t care. "Let’s find them," I snarled. "Now."

But no one moved.

Lilith turned slowly toward Caspian. "You have to be careful," she said. "There’s a ritual happening around them. A sacrifice. The witches are guarding the place—you can’t just barge in. Not with this kind of emotion. You’ll ruin everything."

I didn’t care. I was ready to tear through every witch in this damn city if it meant I could touch my babies.

But then Lilith looked at Caspian again. "You... you’ll go," she said quietly. "You’re calmer. You can think."

I wanted to argue, to scream, but even I knew she was right. I was shaking, unstable, ready to burn everything down. Caspian, on the other hand, was still. Focused. His eyes flicked to me and softened for a second.

"I’ll bring them back," he promised. "I swear it, Cayden. I’ll bring your son and daughter home."

Lilith turned toward me this time. Her voice dropped. "And you... you better be ready to be a father to them. A real one."

as Caspian handed her a folded map. She laid it out flat and

into his jacket. He gave me

then he was

house door shut behind them, and all I could do was

paranoid. Even though she was back—her emotions, her eyes, her voice—something about her felt fragile, like glass still hot

walked up to her

between us. And honestly? I didn’t think being "on good terms" was ever going to be enough. We need a

there somewhere. I didn’t know what they looked like yet... I didn’t even know if they’d be warm when I

slowly. Her eyes lifted to meet mine, tired and wary but locked in. A small silence stretched

I know it." She said nothing,

them. Not yet," I murmured, voice hoarse. "Join me at

made sense. Words were slipping out of me like air from a cracked balloon—hollow, breathless, directionless. I turned and

over the kingdom like a veil. I cracked open a beer, not because I needed it, but because it gave my fingers something

would throw a ceremony for the twins soon. Maybe a

ear catch... The softest inhale. A

body melted into mine,

doing it with Caspian... she’d satisfied

place," Hazel said softly as she stepped up beside me. Her voice was quieter than usual, more thoughtful, and

nursing. She gave me that skeptical look—the one she always gave when

with a light chuckle, trying to ease the

moment the bitter liquid touched her tongue, her face scrunched up and she

her gently on the back as she wiped her

nodded, still catching her breath, and then turned to me fully. "Cayden..." Her eyes found mine, wide and honest. "I’m

apology. "Oh—no, it’s okay. I

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