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"W—what?" Violet’s jaw fell. No. She must have heard wrong. There was no way he had just said what she thought he did.

"You heard me right," Roman said firmly, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

Fuck. He was serious.

Violet’s mind scrambled for logic, for something that would make sense of this absurdity.

"Wait a minute," she started, "You want me to reject all of the houses, and then what? Live happily ever after with you in the forest?" She gestured around blindly, knowing he could see her through the dark. "In your treehouse?" The sarcasm dripped from every syllable.

"Isn’t that what you wanted from the start? To be free from the Cardinal Alphas? From Asher?" Roman reminded her, unfazed.

"Yes, that’s what I wanted at the beginning," Violet admitted, "but now, I’m dating a Cardinal Alpha, and Asher still won’t leave me alone."

"Because you belong to a house."

Violet frowned. "Excuse me?"

"We are werewolves, governed by magic, laws, and tradition. Do you think we take our roles lightly? This academy isn’t just a school, it’s a training ground for the future.

The power structure here is a reflection of the rule we will enforce once we graduate and take our rightful places in our packs. "

He continued, "If you reject the houses, you’d exist outside the system. Asher wouldn’t be able to touch you. The rules forbid him from dating someone who isn’t part of a pack. He’d have no claim over you."

Violet’s lips parted in realization. "So, in one word, I’d be an outcast?"

"Not exactly," Roman mused. "But close enough. You’d still have a place to stay, finish your education, and no one could force you into anything. Isn’t that the freedom you’ve been fighting for?"

Violet’s brows knit together in thought. This sounded too good to be true, and her instincts screamed that Roman wasn’t telling her everything. Right at that moment, it hit her.

"Wait a damn second." Violet’s mind raced as the pieces clicked into place. "If Asher can’t come after me, does that mean... I can’t date Alaric either?"

The look on Roman’s face was all the confirmation she needed.

Violet’s expression twisted into a glare, anger flaring hot in her chest. "That’s not happening."

Alaric was the only good thing in this godforsaken place. And now, Roman expected her to give him up? Just like that? Not a damn chance.

"It’s for your own good," Roman said sincerely.

"Still not happening." She hissed through clenched teeth. "And if you’re done trying to convince me to break up with my boyfriend, take me out of here."

She turned on her heel, heading straight for the entrance only for Roman’s next

words to stop her cold.

"Do you know that Elsie came to me because of you?"

Violet stilled, her body rigid with tension. Though she didn’t turn, the stiff set of her shoulders made it clear she was listening.

"She wanted me to capture you, claim you under my house. She wanted me to put you in your place, to punish you for daring to go after her prospective suitors." He scoffed. "But I couldn’t do that to a lady, could I?"

Violet swallowed hard, her stomach twisting. But beneath that emotion was also disgust and anger — anger of what she’d to Elsie once she got her hands on her.

"Then your boyfriends came to me for help, asking me to betray Asher."

Violet flinched at the plural—boyfriends. By chance, do they know what they did ....? No, this was probably Roman being his usual cheerful self.

He went on, "Asher thinks we’re on the same side. But I have to choose to betray him to help you. And believe me, he won’t forgive that kind of betrayal. Unfortunately, that’s the sacrifice I have to pay for the betterment of eveyone."

A slow tension crept into the air. Violet could hear nothing but her own heartbeat roaring in her ears as Roman stepped in front of her now, his presence suffocating. Lightning flashed again, illuminating his austere face.

"So tell me, Violet Purple,"he said her full name with an unsettling gravity. "What are you willing to sacrifice?"

Green eyes clashed with gold ones, and she answered in a single word.

"Nothing."

The air itself seemed to hold its breath. When —**BOOM.** Thunder cracked across the sky as if punctuating her defiance.

Roman’s jaw tightened, his expression darkening. The playful, smug Alpha from moments ago was gone and had become someone she couldn’t identify.

"Fine," he bit out, his voice eerily calm. "You made your choice."

For a fleeting moment, fear gripped Violet. But she held her ground. Roman wouldn’t hurt her. That wasn’t in his nature. The worst he could do was drag her across the finish line and claim her for his house. That much she could handle.

Then his next words sent ice through her veins.

"I’m calling in the favor you owe me."

Violet’s stomach plummeted .

"No." The word ripped from her throat. "You can’t—"

"I can’t demand anything that puts you in danger, nor can I ask for anything sexual. Those were the terms." Roman said with a controlled tone, "And I’m not putting you in trouble, I’m saving your ass instead."

"Save my ass." Violet glared at him.

Roman tilted his head slightly, watching her with that lazy, arrogant smirk curling his lips. Then, with feigned resignation, he shrugged.

"Fine. If you don’t want to do it, you can go back on your promise.

" His tone was mocking, amused. "But then we need to discuss compensation. You lied, manipulated, and used me, a Cardinal Alpha, for business, without offering me a share of the profits. Do you have any idea how much it costs to have me make an official appearance on radio, TV, cover shoots, and magazines? We’re talking millions of Cedes here.

Do you have that kind of money, Miss Purple? "

Roman Draven was relishing her helplessness.

A bitter look crossed Violet’s face, her fists clenching so tightly her knuckles turned white. She wanted to punch him, maybe knock some sense into his smug head, but that would make the situation worse. This version of Roman was not to be messed with.

"You’re doing this for Elsie," Violet spat. "Her little loyal servant, running around at her beck and call. What makes you think she’ll choose you in the end?"she intentionally provoked him.

Roman laughed. A deep, knowing laugh that sent shivers down her spine. "That’s where you’re wrong, darling. Elsie won’t be the one making the choice. The one who gets to be Alpha king would. I’m just making the process easy for her. After all, no one wants to marry an unwilling bride."

The message was loud and clear —Roman Draven had every intention of winning the throne.

"So tell me, little Purple," his voice dropped to a quiet, dangerous drawl. "Will it be the easy way... or the hard way?"

A long silence stretched between them. Then, with gritted teeth, she spat out her answer.

"I’ll do it."