Their Secret Obsession by Pippa Moon

Chapter 0263

Chase POV

The silence in the car was deafening as I drove, my mind reeling from the events that had just unfolded. Every few seconds, my eyes flicked to the rearview mirror where Knox lay in the backseat, unconscious and looking more battered than I'd ever seen him. Havoc

apparently wasn't willing to surface to heal his human. Not that I blamed him.

Although deep down I knew it was because the magic Astaroth had woven was potent, leaving Knox in a state where even Havoc seemed to have retreated into the shadows. I understood too well-Astaroth's presence was a chilling reminder of my own pain, the memories of agony that still echoed in my bones from when I, too, had been at the mercy of his cruel urges.

As the ride stretched on, and the silence grew, the weight of my failures pressed heavily on my chest. I hated that I had frozen at the sight of Havoc in full wrath. I hated that fear had crippled me, preventing me from protecting Lottie-the one person who had come to mean more to me than anyone else. The shame was overwhelming, casting a long shadow over my sense of worthiness as her protector, as her brother.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my other hand absently touching my lip, which quivered with pent-up emotion. I refused to let the tears fall, but the horrific images that haunted me-visions of Lottie lifeless, the twins never getting a chance to breathe this world's air, all because I had stood there, frozen-were too much. The imaginary sounds of chaos and destruction rang in my ears, and despite my resolve, tears began streaming down my cheeks, each one a silent testament to my profound regret and shame.

"That would have been the outcome had I not stepped in," Astaroth's voice suddenly shattered the haunting silence, pulling me from the depths of my despair. My hands clenched the steering wheel so tightly it was a wonder it didn't snap as my vision blurred momentarily, forcing me to swerve to avoid a tree.

"What the fuck, man, I am driving!" I gasped out, my heart pounding against my ribs like a frantic drum.

"Come on, I wouldn't have let you die. I made your sister a promise," Astaroth chuckled, dismissing my palpable fear as though it were nothing more than a child's nightmare.

by a raw, primal scream. The feeling of being toyed with by this

I am pissed off. And you remember what happens when I am pissed off, yes?"

spirit of any creature. His words weren't just a warning; they were a stark reminder of the power he wielded-not just over our

minute we drove in silence was filled with the echoes of my own doubts and the heavy weight of what could have been. Astaroth's presence, so close yet so far from human, was a constant reminder of the dark bargains

gloomy." Astaroth sighed like he was watching the latest season of

word with Astaroth felt like walking on eggshells, and each sentence was carefully measured to avoid provoking something worse than his

passenger seat, his feet casually resting on the dashboard as if he

dangerous, you know. It could kill you," I remarked dryly, glancing

on ripping out my heart, I'm all good. A little fender bender won't even scratch me." He laughed, a sound devoid of humour. His arrogance was palpable, but I wasn't in the mood to entertain his O boasting. Ignoring

on Knox, who was

cold in the backseat.

suddenly announced a smirk in his voice that made me wince, wondering exactly what inflammatory words he'd

like being let down by my staff," he continued, his tone casual yet

off his high horse. "Well, no, I didn't put it quite like that. But if you were my staff, I would have fired you and fed you to Havoc's twin brother," Astaroth mused. I raised

he mean Kane?

hired you idiots to keep her safe while she wasn't with her mates. And lord knows they would have died for her, protected her with their lives. I expected the same from you. And tonight, I find her throwing herself in front of a fucking hellhound?" Astaroth's voice grew louder, his irritation mounting into palpable