ViolettaBehind me, Ferrara grunted. My eyes flew open, and I whipped my head around. “What? What is it?”“Nothing. I’m fine. Just got a strange feeling. Continue.”With a shrug, I turned back around, closed my eyes, and conjured the dream again.“I have you,” Ferrara whispered. “I will protect you and cherish you. Side-by-side, Violetta.Together.”It was a shitty dream. One that was never going to happen, and usually, I tried to ignore it, but this time, I immersed myself in it completely.And then I began to fall.“Join us. Join us, witch, or everything you love will burn.”“No,” Irene said sharply and broke contact. I jumped and opened my eyes. She was pale and trembling. “My apologies. That was a vision from my past, and it has nothing to do with you. Please, try again. For me.”She took my hands, and I blew out my breath and closed my eyes. It took a little bit longer to relax, but when it did, I surfaced somewhere else.“You have to be quiet,” I whispered. “I know you’re in pai
Ferrara“You haven’t said a word since we left Irene’s,” Violetta said finally as we pulled up to the house. When I didn’t turn to look at her, she let out a frustrated sigh. “Look, I don’t know what you saw. Was it through your eyes? Did you feel yourself kill that woman? I can’t change what happened, but at least tell me what’s going through your head.”Climbing out of the vehicle, I closed the door and finally made eye contact as she did the same. “I already knew that you were a killer.”“Knowing what I did and feeling what I did are two different things.”Taking out my keys, I headed to unlock the door. When I stepped through and Violetta didn’t immediately follow me, I turned around to glare at her. She wasn’t even looking at me though. She was staring at her hands, and I saw the mistake that I was making.At her most vulnerable, Violetta lashed out. She built walls and isolated herself. Now, here she was trying to reach out, and I was shutting her down.But what the hell was I su
FerraraWhen she emerged from the bathroom, she was fully dressed.“Sorry,” she murmured. “I didn’t expect to see you in the bed.”“Where else would I be?”She prowled around the edge of the room and glanced at me warily. “You’re hard to read,” she said finally as she stopped at the bed.“All you need to know, going forward, is that everything I do is to protect you.” Pulling the sheet back, I gestured for her to climb in. “I need you.”She hesitated. “And when you don’t need me anymore?”“Our original deal still stands. You can leave.” She acted like she had a choice. Our one ace up the sleeve was that whoever was attacking the witches didn’t know that she was a null.Form her vision, she had to know that was probably no longer true. She was safest with me.“You haven’t been the most trustworthy. I don’t know anything about you. I don’t even know how you became an alpha.” Slipping in the sheets, she turned her back to me.The silence grew between us. “Parker didn’t tell you?” I said
ViolettaWith the other alphas arriving tomorrow, The Confections bar was the last thing I needed to focus on, but it was the only thing I could think about without panic rising.Not to mention, it provided me with an interesting mystery first thing in the morning. I’d set up an application online through The Confections bar website that I’d created years ago. It wasn’t anything fancy, mostly because I didn’t have all that much experience with computers, but it had been easy to learn.I figured no one would apply. To my surprise, there were over a hundred applicants.“If you keep frowning like that, you’re going to get frown lines,” Finn said casually from the doorway. He threw me an easy smile, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. He’d been on edge all day. Probably because of the other packs arriving, but it was making me on edge. I was getting used to Finn’s calming presence.He was not giving off calming vibes at the moment.“Half of these applicants are still in school,” I muttered
ViolettaDean Hewitt had his father’s eyes.Not just that comforting deep brown, but also the kindness that was there. Even Finn relaxed a little more once Kenzi had been ushered away. Dean had watched her go with an arched eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything until she was gone.We appraised each other carefully. He was still in the middle of the dining room, and I was hovering in the doorway to the kitchen.There were some other similarities. Same jaw line and widow’s peak. Dean was definitely his father’s son, but he still had a youthful look about him. He didn’t have that hardness in his father that Parker did.“You’re not responsible for my father’s death,” he said quietly. “I came here to say goodbye and to talk to the people who were closest to him. It didn’t take long for your name to come out and the rumors to start swirling around. I thought I needed to come and tell you in person in case you have any doubts. My father was a troubled man. Based on the last few phone calls we
FerraraSo, Dean Hewitt wanted to be Violetta’s savior. Wanted to save her.From me.Fuck that.Knowing damn well the offer that Dean had just made to Violetta, I waited for the asshole to have the guts to say it again to my face. He had paled several shades, but he stood and nodded his head. “You have to know that I don’t mean any disrespect,” he said evenly. “My father was concerned that your pack would never accept her. On some level, you must feel that too. If she can’t stay here, she should have some place to go. I can protect her.”“Your father has been dead for months. What took you so damn long to get here?” I demanded as I walked up behind Violetta and put a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t jump, and for that, I was grateful. My wolf, furious that someone else was thinking of taking her away from me, was lashing out. My power reached to every wolf within the vicinity, but she wasn’t shying away.Progress.“I only just learned about it right before I left for here,” Dean admit
ViolettaI could barely focus on what Ferrara was saying as we walked home. An alpha was already here.Emerson, no doubt. Trying to throw Ferrara off guard. Trying to throw me off guard.I wasn’t going to let him. I was not the same scared little girl that he used to torment, and I was not now nor ever going to be his.“Why did you walk?” I asked suddenly. Too late, I realized that Ferrara was saying something to me, and I’d interrupted. “Sorry.”The muscle in his jaw ticked while he stared straight ahead. “I walked because I do not need to scramble to rearrange my day simply because someone decided to show up early. We’re still prepping, and that comes first.”“Right. It’s all about appearances,” I echoed hollowly. I was still a little surprised that he wasn’t going to lock me away if appearances mattered so much. “I interrupted you earlier. What were you saying?”“I was asking about Kenzi’s visit. Did it upset you?”“You mean when your little blonde bombshell walked in boasting about
Violetta“Release me,” I said in a cold tone as I stared at the witch. “Now.”It was a gamble. I had no idea what the spell was supposed to do. If I’d more time to study the magic wrapping around, I could hazard a guess. I doubted it was meant to do anything too drastic, or Maeve and her witch would be immediately accused.No, it had to be curiosity.Ferrara snarled, and the magic was gone. Maeve frowned at the witch, but Cam’s face was still calm as she bowed her head. “My apologies,” she murmured. “I feared my magic would be erratic here. Sometimes it acts without me.”Maeve turned to Ferrara. “I apologize. She did mention her magic was seeping out, but I didn’t think it would attack anyone.”“Not attack,” Cam said quickly. “My magic was just drawn to her.”“Apologize to her,” Ferrara said, his eyes still glowing gold. “Not me, and do not allow it to happen again.”Turning, Cam bowed again. “I apologize. I did not mean to alarm you. I am anxious.”I could definitely understand her a
ViolettaIt was nightfall by the time I awakened from within my wolf. Tentatively, I surfaced and took stock. My wolf was curled up next to a warm body and was sleeping soundly. I’d declined any drugs from Saul, so the pain must have ebbed if she was so relaxed.Or maybe it was the heat radiating next to me.Ferrara had returned after Emerson knocked on the door and hadn’t left my side. I’d listened to his soft voice as he caught me up on everything that had happened, but then I’d retreated deeply.Once I was human, he’d have questions, and I wasn’t sure how he’d feel when I answered them.But unfortunately, I had to pee, and I couldn’t just waltz out of the motel room as a wolf and squat. With a sigh, I started to shift.“Violetta? Baby?” Ferrara held perfectly still while I uncurled myself from the bed. “How do you feel?”“Pee,” I mumbled and tried to stand. “I have to pee.”“Okay. I got you.” He tried to take my hand, and I pulled away. For a moment, we stared at each other. “Sorry
FerraraThe small little honeyed wolf was curled up tightly in the bed. She gave me a half-hearted wag as I sat on the edge and gently stroked my hand over the top of her head. “Is it all right if I join you?”Another thump of the tail. I settled back against the wall and resisted the urge to pull the small wolf in my lap. My own wolf rose inside me, but he didn’t try to take control. Instead, he just came close enough so Violetta’s wolf could feel me.She sighed and leaned against me.“I guess I should catch you up on what happened,” I began. “The crone called. She was furious that her maiden had been hiding out on our land, so after she finished blistering my ears, she provided some information on Amaya and her twin, Yelena. Apparently, they were close. So close that when Amaya came for the maiden position, the crone was certain both of them were there. She admitted that she’d performed a spell to separate two souls when Amaya disappeared.She assumed the spell worked, and the twins
Ferrara“Saul.” The lump in my throat was so large that I could barely get the words out. “She’s so damn cold.”“Then let’s get her warm.” Ever the steady wolf, Saul opened the door to my room, and I carried her inside. Now that she was in my arms again, the last thing I wanted to do was let her go, but even Kenzi was looking at her anxiously. I needed the healer to look at her. “She may be your mate, but she still requires privacy. You may wait in my room while you get your report.”I sure as shit wanted a report. Like why my mate was near death, and why there was an extra person in the group. Janelle. The witch. Her eyes were practically glued to the floor.“I will be right next door, and I’ll return as soon as Saul is done. Whatever Emerson did to you…” I couldn’t finish it. “We’ll find a way to make it better. I swear it.”She gave me a tight smile and nodded. Slowly, the group herded out of the room next door.This plan had been five weeks in the planning, and it was the flimsies
ViolettaEight wolves descended on Kenzi. I recognized Emerson as he pulled her off me and threw her across the clearing. When he stared down at me, there was nothing but disgust in his eyes. No worry. No compassion.When he growled, I whimpered and tried to drag myself away. Finally, he shifted back to human. “Leave her,” he commanded his other wolves. “Kill her, and we’ll start a war that we’re not prepared for yet.”Turning my head, I watched numbly as Kenzi fought off her attackers. Her eyes on me, she snarled. “Leave my territory,” he said dismissively. “I can’t have you killing my mate, now can I?”She shot one more look at me and then bounded away. Nobody followed her. Their eyes were on Emerson, waiting for instructions, but his attention was fully on me. “Shift before you die,” he said mildly.Painfully, I tried to sit up but pain exploded in my hip. Kenzi had, no doubt, broken several bones. “Can’t,” I whimpered. “She’s too scared.”Emerson cursed loudly and turned to his wo
ViolettaIt was a full thirty minutes after I’d returned to the apartment that there was a shimmer in the air. “It’s clear,” I said in a low voice and moved to the television. I picked a music channel with angry chick rock to play just in case the guards could hear through the door, which I doubted.“If you’re here to trick me, I won’t think twice about shoving a knife through your heart,” I told her.“I expect nothing less. I assume from your get-up that Kenzi is here?”“My outfit is none of your business. Tell me what the hell is going on.”“Very well. The short version is that unlike the other pack witches, I did not ask for sanctuary and protection. I was taken nearly three years ago. I’ve never been to this godforsaken mountain in my life. I was taken by another witch with a spell much like what happened with Amaya, only I wasn’t killed. I’ve been used ever since, and when Emerson learned that my magic isn’t all that strong, abused.”“Why didn’t you say anything to the other witc
ViolettaIt took every ounce of energy not to scream. At her smug expression, I forced a slow smile and ignored the lump forming in my throat. "Congratulations," I managed.Did this explain why there was darkness in my mating bond? Ferrara had found a way to dampen it magically so he could be with Kenzi?This was what I wanted. This was what was best for the pack. Best for him. This was why I left.But damn it, I thought it might take a little more time to happen.Kenzi's eyes dropped to my necklace and she gasped. "Oh, how pretty! I'm going to have to tell Ferrara to get me one. I would look amazing in black diamonds."She would.Popping on the barstool, she waved Emerson away. "Give me a few minutes to catch up with my old friend, will you?"Emerson hesitated. "A few minutes. Violetta doesn't like to be distracted from work.""No. She wouldn't. That bar was the only thing she cared about." Turning her head, she watched Emerson walk away, and then she snapped her head and sneered. "D
ViolettaA dark bruise formed on my cheek the next day. I dressed for work and opened the door only to find a female guard waiting for me. She bustled her way into my suite, covered my bruise with makeup and pinned the necklace back around my neck. "It's so pretty. You should show it off," she said mildly.Right. So pretty.The first hour of opening the bar was usually a quiet one for me. Everyone else was busy at their stations, the manager was counting the money, and it was just me, flipping on the automatic switch, and planning while I worked. Only today, I was constantly interrupted by a parade of my co-workers who wanted to admire the necklace. Their simpering made me sick to my stomach."Oh, how beautiful. Our alpha has amazing taste.""The two of you are like a fairy tale. I can't wait to find a mate of my own who treats me like this.""He loves you so much."Don't vomit. Just smile and nod. You can survive if you just smile and nod.Hiding the necklace down my shirt, I opened
ViolettaThe regiment was always the same. After my shift ended, I had three hours to relax, shower, and prepare for dinner. As always, there was a dress laid out on the chair. Not the bed, as if that was somehow supposed to make me feel better.I wasn't an idiot. I knew the suite was searched every day while I was gone. There were little things I would note before I left and saw that they'd been moved. Sometimes it was a lampshade turned just a little. Once, I'd tucked the edge of some thread under the rug and found it in the corner when I got home. My bedsheet was tucked differently. Emerson told me that he would have the maid come in every day, but I'd asked to keep my own suite clean. He'd relented, but it hadn't stopped him from searching the rooms.Tonight's dress was red. Most of the dresses were red. That seemed to be Emerson's favorite color. The dresses were never the same. Either the pack's seamstress was very busy or Emerson was spending an enormous amount of money clothin
ViolettaThe tap had run dry.As the liquid started to spurt and grow foamy, I put the glass down and smiled apologetically at the wolf waiting on the other side of the bar. "Sorry, it's going to be a few more minutes for that beer. I need to change the tap.""No worries." The woman flashed me an easy smile. "It'll give me a few more minutes to look over the menus. I'm loving all these new choices. Is that your doing?"I gave her a quick nod. "Just let me know if you have any questions. I'll be right back.""I'll do it, Violetta," Josh volunteered as he sat down the crate of clean glasses he'd just brought up from the back. "I know you're busy.""Great. Thanks, Josh. I appreciate it.""Anything for you."Hiding behind what I hoped was a friendly smile, I turned to address the newest customer who'd walked up. "Welcome to Hair of the Dog. What can I get you?"Hair of the Dog. Not the most original name for a bar in the middle of werewolf territory, but it was well-run. Emerson had insta