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Violet and Lila collapsed onto the damp ground, gasping for breath. Neither of them bothered to stand, at least not yet. Not after what they had just survived.

Adrenaline pumped violently through Violet’s veins, her heart pounding so fast it felt like it might leap from her chest. But most of all, her mind reeled from the sheer madness she had just survived.

She had made it! Against all odds, against Asher’s relentless pursuit, his traps, and

the wolves. She had won.

But the thrill of victory was not all satisfactory.

Violet swallowed hard as she turned her head slightly, her gaze landing on Lila. She was lying on her back, staring up at the night sky, her chest heaving as if whatever she had done back there had taken a toll on her.

There was no mistaking what she had seen. Lila had made them sort of invisible to the wolves, the flicker of purple in her eyes and the unnatural strength she possessed. Lila was not human, Violet was sure of it.

Sensing her stare, Lila turned her head to look at her and Violet immediately averted her gaze.

Violet bit her lip, unsure. She didn’t know what to think anymore. Who was Lila?

Had she always been like this? Had everything she knew about her been a lie?

Was this some kind of long-running deception?

God. Violet groaned inwardly, her head pounding. Everything was happening too fast.Too much.

Violet was still trying to process the complicated request from Alaric and Griffin, her own complicated feelings towards the cardinal alphas, the insanity of the hunt, Roman’s request and now this. She might as well go crazy at this point.

In conclusion, she wasn’t ready for that conversation.

"Violet!"

Daisy and Ivy came running toward her, relief painted across their faces. The moment they reached her, they pulled her into a double hug, their warmth grounding her.

But the moment their arms pressed against her back, Violet hissed as pain exploded through her body. It was a delayed response to the brutal tug-of-war she had endured minutes ago having been running on pure adrenaline. But now? she felt every ache.

Daisy’s eyes widened. "You’re hurt."

Violet nodded her head, running a hand down her arm, only now registering the scrapes, the bruises, the throbbing pain settling deep into her muscles. Great.

But something else caught her attention. Violet noticed the way Ivy and Daisy subtly shifted away from Lila and her eyes narrowed slightly.

It seems they knew too. Violet couldn’t help but wonder what had transpired between them for Lila’s secret to come to light.

The air was thick with unspoken questions, but this was not a place nor time for such talks because they were not alone.

Violet lifted her head to see Elsie approach, followed by the rest of the wolf packs and students who were still hanging around. It had been over an hour since the games began and the students were eager to see the result of the game.

Elsie made a dramatic entrance by being the only one in front, walking with regal confidence that made it clear that she was the queen and this was her domain.

When Elsie reached Violet, she didn’t waste time. The first words out of her mouth were, "You do know you’re a bitch, right? Keeping all of us waiting, are you that desperate for attention?"

But Violet didn’t even flinch, nor look affected by the comment because she always expected the worse from Elsie.

Violet was about to open her mouth and grace Elsie with the privilege of an answer when Lila did the unthinkable.

"Atleast, she won, unlike you, " Lila said unapologetically, heads snapping toward her.

"... No, wait, I’m wrong. Werewolves aren’t put through the Running game, right? Such a fair system, "Lila said sarcastically, "So if you haven’t gone through the process, don’t whine your mouth over something you haven’t experienced and come out victoriously."

The shift in atmosphere was instantaneous as silence dropped like a guillotine. The sheer audacity of Lila’s words left everyone dumbfounded.

No one spoke to Elsie like that. At least, not someone like her. Had it been Violet, they would have understood. The purple storm was number three on the ranking and Alaric’s girlfriend after all. She had the defiance to stand against Elsie without it being outright suicidal.

But Lila? She wasn’t even in the top fifty.

Neither was she a werewolf. In one word, Lila wasn’t even supposed to matter. And yet, she had just thrown a super punch.

Ivy sucked in a breath, whispering, "Holy shit."

This wasn’t Lila’s usual sass. No under-the-breath mutters. No cheeky jokes. No, this was meant to hurt.

And it did.

Elsie’s expression darkened at once, her wolf rising to the surface. A low snarl tore from her throat, and her pupils dilated, her body shifting slightly as if ready to lunge at Lila and teach her a lesson.

But Violet moved, stepping in front of Lila, and using her body to shield her friend, even though she was injured and Lila—who clearly wasn’t human—could probably protect herself better.

Violet couldn’t help it. It was almost as if it was ingrained in her DNA to protect her own people. Her own pack.

Elsie’s eyes sharply snapped to hers, furious but Violet held her ground.

"If you dish out insults, be woman enough to take them," she ground out.

The tension skyrocketed, both women facing off against each other. Another growl rumbled from Elsie’s throat, and for a moment, it seems she would really attack until Grace made the mistake of interfering.

She reached for Elsie, saying carefully. "Elsie, I think we should stop—"

A loud slap met her cheek and the students gasped. Grace stumbled back, holding her face, her lips trembling.

The students were quick to recover from the shock, already used to the sight. Everyone knew Elsie was a bitch but

no one ever did anything about it. No one ever stopped her.

Violet was not a reckless heroine either. She only saved those who mattered to her and who wanted to be saved. Grace could leave Elsie’s side, but she obviously stayed for the benefit and did her dirty biddings. So that was not her business. When Grace was ready, she knew what to do.

And so—like clockwork—Elsie turned her back on Violet, as if none of it had happened, and spoke to the students.

"To the school grounds. Let’s get this nonsense over with."

Then she walked away and the crowd moved with her. Loyal. Obedient. Like a kingdom following its queen.

But not everyone moved, some students stayed behind to congratulate the purple storm. It seemed the kingdom was divided after all.

Violet was stunned by the new attention the students showed her — admiration and respect. The Purple Storm had just walked through fire and come out victorious.

Natalie grinned, stepping up beside her. "You’re always full of surprises, aren’t you, Violet Purple?"

Violet huffed a tired breath. "Contrary to your thoughts, I didn’t have a choice but to win this time."

Natalie chuckled. "Good for you. The choice is yours now."

Violet asked. "Is that where everyone is going?"

"To decide the houses, yes." Natalie explained. "I assume you’re picking North, right? You and Alaric would be together. Oh, and Elsie too. Lucky you." The sarcasm in her voice was thick.

Violet forced a smile. "Indeed. Lucky me."

If only she knew.