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Thoroughly drenched and covered in dirt, Violet had no clue where the hell she was. Her initial plan had been to circle back toward the edge of the Silver Glade, but the wolves had driven her deeper into the blackened woods, forcing her into this unfamiliar terrain. And now, she was lost.

It was by sheer luck, she had managed to shake the wolves off her trail while they fought amongst themselves.

But Violet knew better than to slow down, not when they were still out there hunting her.

At this point, her heart pounded like a war drum, the frantic beat pulsing in her ears as her lungs burned with every breath.

She was exhausted, every muscle in her body screaming for rest, but there was nowhere to stop.

Nowhere was safe. The Silver Glade was riddled with unseen dangers, and the moment she let her guard down, she’d be as good as caught.

So Violet pressed on, boots splashing through puddles as she trudged deeper into the unknown.

The downpour had lessened from its earlier downpour to a chilling drizzle, a deceptive calm settling over the forest. The idea of hiding out until morning was tempting.

If she could just hold out that long, the game would end, and she would avoid capture.

But the cold had burrowed into her bones, leaving her shivering violently.

Violet had to clench her teeth to keep them from chattering.

She bet her ass this had been Asher’s true intention when he had Alaric summon the storm. No one, especially not a human, could endure this bitter cold for long. It would only be a matter of time before her body gave out.

It didn’t help that she had sacrificed her crop top in a desperate bid to confuse the wolves.

Tearing it into shreds, she had scattered the pieces around to lead her pursuers away, hoping to mask her real path.

Now, she was exposed to the elements and had nothing but drenched skin and mere determination to keep her warm.

A sudden flash of lightning lit up the forest like a camera’s blinding flash, allowing Violet a brief glimpse of her surroundings.

Gnarled trees stretched high, their skeletal branches stretching like clawed hands reaching for her.

For a moment, she spotted no movement, no glowing eyes peering from the dark and thought, maybe she had lost them.

Or maybe they wanted her to believe that.

The thought sent a violent shudder through Violet. It was dangerous to let down her guard but her legs could take no more.

Violet made out a thick tree and stumbled toward it, sagging against its rough bark, gasping for air. Just a minute. She just needed a minute to —

A sharp hiss sliced through the silence and a weight coiled atop her head.

Oh. God. No.

Every nerve in Violet’s body went rigid.

The slow, slithering movement of scales against her damp skin made her stomach drop. She bit her tongue, every instinct demanding she fling the snake off her, but fear kept her rooted in place.

Violet barely breathed. For a moment there, she was tempted to believe that was Roman, then she could shove him off and curse his ass. But then, she was in the middle of the woods and there were plenty of snakes here. Real ones.

Unfortunately, if it wasn’t Roman in snake form, then she risked the chance of provoking it and getting bitten. If it turned out to be a venomous snake, then she was as good as dead.

Violet swallowed hard as the creature moved down, its smooth, coiling body slinking over her forehead, down her cheek, and further still. The moment its tail slid past her chin, it dropped to the ground with a soft rustle of leaves.

She barely had time to register the relief before Roman Draven stood before her in all his naked glory.

Violet’s breath hitched in her throat, shock — and relief — freezing her before her instincts could kick in. She tried to scream but his hand clamped over her mouth.

"Don’t scream," Roman whispered immediately, his voice edged with warning.

Fuck.

Violet’s strength drained in an instant. After all her efforts, she had still been caught. But that didn’t mean she’d go down without a fight.

She twisted, ready to shove him away, but Roman’s next words stopped her cold.

"Alaric and Griffin sent me."

Violet stiffened. Then her eyes narrowed. "You lie," she hissed.

Alaric hated Roman’s guts. There was no way in hell he would go to him for help. This had to be some sort of trap.

But Roman didn’t waver. "Alaric told me you might not be human."

Violet’s breath hitched. Only Alaric knew that. Maybe Griffin, too—since he was his best friend—but neither of them were snitches.

Roman continued, "They think Asher might have figured it out as well and were worried about what he’d do to you once he gets his hands on you."

It might be a lie but his next words struck something deep in her chest. "So they came to me for help, to help you escape this hunt successfully and be able to make your choice."

Something inside Violet’s chest twisted painfully. Alaric and Griffin had gone to this extent for her?

They had put aside their pride, their hatred of Roman, putting themselves at risk to protect her. And how had she repaid them? By rejecting them earlier without even thinking about the idea.

Violet swallowed, feeling guilty.

She didn’t trust Roman and he could be lying, twisting the truth for his own amusement for when he will betray her at the end.

But she knew Alaric and Griffin. She knew their loyalty and they wouldn’t give up on her. Right now, she bet Alaric and Griffin must be searching for her.

Same as Asher.

Perhaps it was the ominous thought, or the cold, or both, but a violent shudder wracked her body and Roman noticed.

"God, you’re freezing," he muttered, exasperated. "How stupid are you to wander this deep into the silver glade on your own?"

Violet’s temper flared. "I didn’t wander on my own, you goddamn snake, your brethren chased me this far!"

Roman’s jaw tensed. He said nothing, but she could feel his irritation simmering beneath the surface.

"Come on," he finally said. "I’ll take you somewhere to dry off before we finish this. I’m not about to have you passing out on me. I can’t carry you and fight off Asher at the same time."

Before she could ask what he meant by that, Roman’s tongue flicked out and licked her cheek.

Violet nearly jumped out of her skin. "What the fuck are you doing?!" she hissed, barely restraining the volume of her voice.

"Relax," Roman murmured. "I’m masking your scent."

Violet gaped at him.

He continued,"It’s not foolproof since I can’t cover every inch of you. But it’s better than nothing. If someone gets too close, all they’ll smell is me, not you."

Lick every inch of her body? Yep. This had to be a blast.

His tongue moved again, dragging slowly down the line of her jaw, her throat, her collarbone. The heat of it burned against her chilled skin.

Then he went lower.

His tongue traced a wicked path to the top of her chest before sliding lower, laving over the curve of her exposed stomach. Her breath hitched, her fingers clenching into fists as heat curled in her gut.

By the time Roman was done, Violet’s panties were drenched, and it was not from the rain.