VioletI refused to look his way, even if his stare was a mixture between a soft caress and a brutal shove. Hael kept his distance for the time being, opting to glower at me from across the room like I was the one who choked him out.There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d give him the satisfaction of acknowledging his existence.You’d think he’d be grateful I kept the charade between him and Mykelle a secret considering he’d been nothing but a nightmare since we first met. Not only did he shatter the fairytale every she-wolf envisioned when they finally felt the bond snap into place, but he couldn’t even do me the favor of rejecting me himself.‘Maybe we should reconsider spilling his secret.’ Lacey muttered, still enraged from the incident in the dressing room.Our last day of high school had been her worst nightmare. She hadn’t been able to protect me, no matter how hard she tried. Being choked by Hael in the dressing room of some snooty boutique, it hit far too close to home for Lacey.
VioletOne look at the vacant and shattered expression on her face and I knew something terrible had happened here and might’ve happened many times before this.“What—”“Don’t, Violet.” Olive barked, and just like that the broken expression vanished, replaced by her usual hostile mask.I stared at her, the tray of food in my hands forgotten. “Don’t what, Olive?” I bit back.She stood from the couch in a hurry, smoothing out her dress with shaky hands while using the cashmere scarf she’d been wearing to wipe away the eyeliner that drizzled down her cheeks. She looked younger and much more vulnerable without the heavy eye make-up surrounding them.“Don’t stand there and act like you have any idea what’s going on because you don’t. Okay?”I was going out on a limb here, speaking my mind in a way that could end in utter catastrophe, but I had to give it a shot.“He raped you, didn’t he? From the looks of it he’s done it before too.” I speculated, noticing the expert way she pulled herself
Hael‘Did she just attempt to blackmail us?’ Magnus asked.The amusement in his voice grated on my nerves. ‘Don’t get any ideas.’ I warned him, stiffening my spine as I climbed the stairs to rejoin Mykelle. ‘She sealed her own fate. Even the mate-bond won’t change that.’It was impossible not to harden my voice. In all our years together, not once has Magnus been interested in anything other than blood and carnage.There was nothing special about her, nothing at all.He conjured an image of Violet in her form fitting dress, making sure to include all of the old fucks who’d spend the night drooling into their whiskey’s as they stared at her curves.A flash of irritation made me grit my teeth. These married and mated men were more than willing to pay to fuck her, while their rail-thin wives crooned about the weight she carried. Half of the old crones had never seen a woman with curves before and prided themselves on their sickly looking wolves.I reached the top of the steps, smoothin
HaelThe man in question, Daniel Fletcher, happened to be an incredibly successful Lawyer that many of the celebrities and politicians in town used. Not a single one of them knew that many of his victories came from extortion and blackmail, not that it mattered anymore.The last anyone would see of Daniel Fletcher was him stumbling to his car, the curvy bartender attached at his hip. Her silence was easy enough to buy considering I knew just what it was she wanted.It was the same thing all humans wanted; a chance at becoming one of us.Daniel would turn up eventually. Whether or not he’d turn up alive was the question. Márcia, the bartender that had rejected his advances until they morphed from flattering to threatening, would provide an alibi.With Daniel in the trunk of my car, I took him to the one place no one would think to look. A property belonging to my father that even he forgot he owned.He’d acquired it back when there was some semblance of connection between he and my mot
VioletI couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move as my legs locked and kept me rooted in place.Heat encompassed my entire body, even though the only thing I had in terms of warmth was the towel wrapped around my torso.Lacey had begun to scold me for being naïve enough to yank open the door in nothing but a towel, knowing it was Hael’s mouthwatering scent that poured from every crevice within the door, but stopped when she saw the look on his face. It was proof that even the scarred Prince, as everyone liked to call him, wasn’t immune to the affects of the mate-bond.Pure murder stung Hael’s eyes, darkening his face and hardening it into a masterpiece future artists would weep over. If he decided to kill me right here, my last thoughts would be of the beauty that hid the monster within, all whilst desire and a kindling of arousal twisted my insides like a red-hot blade.I’d never felt desire for another before, never. Only the fictitious men in my novels caught my attention, especially after
Violet“This is a birthday party?” I sputtered, choking on my drink a second time.Olive shrugged, her lips downturned and expression utterly unimpressed. Thinking back to the photos of her on the Link, the ones of her perched in front of a mountain of presents, I could understand her lack of reaction. Her entire childhood had been wrought with parties like this one.Even so, I couldn’t hide my amazement at the raucous event taking place just fifty feet away.We stood at the entrance of Holden’s driveway, just beyond the iron gates with their razor-sharp points. Since the castle—house he lived in sat atop a large hill, it was easy to see the sheer number of people that had come for his birthday celebration.“Didn’t anyone in your old pack have birthday parties?” Olive said only half-jokingly, taking a two-second-long break from scanning the waves of people to meet my gaze.I snorted quietly and tugged the hem of the dress I wore back down my thighs. “None I was ever invited to.”“Righ
Violet“Is that you-know-who?” I lowered my voice to a whisper even though he most likely could hear our every word, down to the ragged breaths I let out.“Voldemort?” Olive replied instantly, but this time her sense of humor wasn’t a comfort, not when Hael had gone out of his way to threaten me against coming here. “No, much worse.”“Does he look angry?” I couldn’t help but ask, scolding both Lacey and me for the shiver of glee that tickled my spine from the thought.“He always looks angry. Turn around and lock eyes with him, that’ll get you a reaction. Shouldn’t be too hard since he’s staring right at you.”Questioning whether or not I had some latent desire to die young, I turned slowly and faced the guy I was unlucky enough to call my mate. He stood far below the raised patio we were on, past the crowds of dancing partygoers in their bikinis and skimpy dresses.Standing at his side was a dark-skinned man that looked a whole lot like the guy he’d been talking to in the kitchen that
Violet“What’s wrong? I didn’t mean to overstep, really. If it’s a bathing suit you’re worried about, I have a t-shirt and shorts you can use.”There was a split second that passed where I was sure I’d refuse, but Lacey’s voice in all of its strength, lifted my darkening thoughts.‘He won’t do anything to us, and if he tries we’ll tear his eyes out.’ She reassured me, a slight growl to her voice. ‘Plus swimming will scatter our scent and make it harder for Hael to find us, which is a bonus because I doubt we’ll ever get the chance to rip his eyes out.’“I—I’ll take that t-shirt and shorts, if you don’t mind.” I swallowed, embracing the happy and semi-threatening thoughts Lacey placed into my head, all of which were meant to take the edge off.Holden’s face lit up at my response, and much like an eager child, he nodded in rapid succession whilst tugging me out of the lounge and down the hall. “I have some clothes in a spare bedroom down here.” He said, pausing at the third white oak do
Violet’s P.O.V. Ten Years Later “I’ve got to say, I’m impressed. You’ve definitely improved.” I teased, slipping my arms around my husband’s waist as he stood over the stove. The brisket he tended to had been a twenty-four-hour project of his that he insisted on getting perfect. In fact, this entire dinner tonight had been cooked by him alone. It was his way of proving all my years of cooking lessons hadn’t gone unnoticed. He spun around with a piece of meat in his hand. I went to pluck it from his fingers only for him to move it just out of reach. He shook his head, his ebony hair falling over his brows. “Open up, princess.” I pulled him close, my stomach fluttering as I did as he asked. A groan slid past my lips at the rich, savory flavor. He really had improved in his cooking skills. Another year or two and he’d probably surpass me. One of his arms slid around my waist and remained there as he reached across the counter to grab one of the cupcakes he’d made. Rich chocolate and
Violet’s P.O.V.Two Months LaterDeep breaths, Violet. In and out just like Doctor Leanna said. There’s nothing to be afraid of, nothing at all.Hael squeezed my hand once, and I looked up to meet his knowing stare. The ring on my left hand twinkled in the sunlight as we walked. It was such a beautiful day, and I didn’t miss the irony of that fact as we headed into the maximum-security prison that loomed overhead.Today was the day of Dominic Harding’s execution.Trailing behind us was everyone Dominic, Alice, and Noah had ever hurt. My Mom and Dad were first, followed by Marcel in his wheelchair, then Sylvia, Olive, Cole, and Mykelle. Even Eric Chen was attending, though he was likely already waiting inside. The execution wouldn’t commence without us, leaving me with plenty of time to mull things over.I turned my head to the sky, drinking in the sunlight that warmed my cheeks. There wasn’t a single cloud in sight. It was as though the Goddess herself knew that today wasn’t a time fo
Hael’s P.O.V.One Week Later“Hael! You are in so much trouble.” Violet gasped, but I wasn’t hearing any of it.I paused in front of the doorway, the breath sucked from my lungs at the sight of my mate. You’d think it had been days since we last saw one another with how fast my heart was racing, yet it had only been a couple of hours. Her cheeks warmed beneath her pretty pink blush, and she toyed with the ends of her freshly cut hair nervously.The gown she wore was embedded with tiny gemstones that twinkled whenever she moved. I’d never seen fabric so shimmery before, almost like it had been sliced from the night sky. It was worth every penny to see it wrapped around her mouthwatering curves. Her pupils dilated as she took me in, and fuck if I didn’t love the way her breath hitched.I crossed the small dressing room in six strides and pulled her into my arms, her dress whooshing as it slid against my tux. There was so much raw emotion rushing through me that only her presence kept me
Violet’s P.O.V.The crowd’s chattering came to a halt as the sea of people parted. Voices faded into the distance until only one remained, louder than all the rest. Mykelle groaned from where she sat in the back of an ambulance and covered her face with her hands.“Coming through, coming through! Beta of Alpha Hael here and mate to the most beautiful she-wolf in this place. Come on, people, move it!”Cole shoved his way through the crowd, barreling through the caution tape so quickly that the warriors scattered to seal the breach. A handful ran after him, clearly not getting the memo that he had the authority to be here. Cole either didn’t notice their presence or didn’t care. His eyes were locked on one person in particular.A flutter of something warm and pleasant filled my chest as I watched the scene unfold.Mykelle scoffed at the sight of him, turning her nose up as though she could care less. The blush staining her cheeks and the way she combed her fingers through her hair said
Violet’s P.O.V.Hael stood from the injured wolf, radiating such pride that I wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms and let him tell me it was finally over. I stumbled over to him when a bloodcurdling cry pierced the air.It was the scream of someone being mauled.“Mykelle, stop!” I shouted in time to watch her fling Dominic’s severed arm across the room.Oh fuck. My stomach clenched as I gagged. The massive wolf stepped off of Dominic’s chest, kicking him in the head with its hind leg. She pulled her muzzle back and flashed her blood-stained teeth. Was she grinning at me?Hael snorted, so I must’ve been right.“I know he’s the one that tormented your family and all, but why couldn’t you just let me finish him? I would’ve made it worthwhile.” Mykelle huffed, now standing between Hael and I with her arms folded over her naked chest. She lifted her hand to inspect her nails, a smirk tilting at her lips as she found her manicure still intact.“Don’t be selfish. If anyone deserve
Violet’s P.O.V.“You killed my brother.” Alice seethed, her eyes a shock of white across a canvas of blistering red.Hael cocked his head, the grin on his face both dark and playful. With a gentle hand he pushed me to the side, partially concealing me behind his back. The thudding upstairs continued without missing a beat, as did the drip, drip, drip, of Noah’s blood on the carpet.“I honestly thought he’d put up more of a fight, but instead he hid behind his gun like a coward. It’s not at all surprising that his sister’s exactly the same.”I reached out to stop him from goading her when I spotted the knife behind his back. The hilt was clutched tightly in his hand, and from the way his muscles bunched I knew he was preparing to strike. Alice snarled, the sound cracking off the walls of the small living room.“You think you’re going to trick me into dropping my gun? Please, I’m no fool. You know what? I’m actually thankful my whore of a sister survived when Noah threw her into that fi
Hael’s P.O.V.You’re never going to see her again.The fuck I wouldn’t.I scrambled off of Holden’s body, kicking the bastard in the head for good measure. He had said his name was Noah—the Noah. Absolute fury rushed through me, all of it directed at myself. How many times had he been within sniffing distance of Violet? Too many to count.He tried to kiss her. His fucking half-sister. Man, the guy really was messed up. Should’ve trusted my gut about him, but it was much too late for that.Marcel groaned as I turned him over, his face slathered with his own blood. With my fingers pressed against his throat, I felt around until I registered a small flutter. Atticus’s Beta had taken half a dozen bullets for me. The feeling it left me with was uncomfortable as fuck.“You stupid, lucky asshole. I really hate owing people.” I muttered as I swiped his phone off the floor.The first call I made was for an ambulance, while the second was to Cole. Thank fuck I’d memorized his number considering
Violet’s P.O.V.Dominic stood from his crouch and offered me his hand. While I wanted to bite him and tear a few fingers off as revenge for Olive, I didn’t. I swallowed the disgust that rose from this never-ending pit in my stomach and accepted his help.He didn’t let go though, not for several seconds.“I know you likely have mixed feelings for Hael, but I promise you this is for the best. You trusted me once, and I know that trust will return in due time. Still I feel the need to apologize.” His shoulders fell as he sighed, those dark brows furrowing.“Apologize for what?” Such a stupid question, but what didn’t he have to apologize for? He ruined my family’s life. That didn’t just call for an apology. It called for fucking vengeance.There was such genuine guilt on his face that my heart cried out in response.Dominic ran his hand down his jaw, clenching it as he spoke. “If I hadn’t been so absent, I would’ve noticed the signs. Hael was manipulating you this entire time, just as At
Violet’s P.O.V.The eyes I stared into were Elijah’s, the same man who had raised me these past ten years, but his face was no longer his own. Now that I had seen the mask fall, I’d never be able to go back to who I’d once been.It tore my heart in two to know that the man who had written those terrible letters to my Mom was also the man who had bought me my first cookbook. Elijah—it had been Elijah all along. Behind those soft eyes and his kind smile was the darkest kind of monster.No matter what I felt for him, I would not let him take me. If that meant playing into his sick fantasy, then so be it.I inched my way across the carpet, as far away from my vomit as I could get. The stench alone would make it impossible to speak without gagging. Elijah hovered over me, still on his knees with his hands out in that placating gesture. The sight of it made me sick.“I don’t understand how this is happening. You—You had us both. You had me at the cabin and my mother…” There was no need to f