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"Don’t. Make. A. Sound," Roman warned again, just in case she had any other bright ideas.

At first, defiance blazed in Violet’s eyes, but the seriousness in his voice told her he meant every syllable. So she grudgingly forced herself to relax.

That was when she felt it.

The full weight of Roman’s body pinning her down. His naked chest flattened against hers, the heat of his skin scorching through the thin fabric of her nightshirt. And worse, something else —very much not flaccid—nudged her thigh.

Her eyes widened in alarm, a new kind of awareness crashing over her.

Roman smirked, clearly enjoying the realization that dawned in her gaze.

"Get off me, asshole," she snarled into his palm.

Roman studied her for a moment, his keen senses reading her body language. Then, as if deciding she wasn’t a threat, he slowly lifted his hand from her mouth. Except that was his first mistake.

The second he showed that sliver of trust, Violet snapped her knee up, aiming for the most vulnerable part of him.

But Roman didn’t carry the nickname "the fox" for nothing. Anticipating the attack, he caught her leg with infuriating ease, his fingers curling around her calf before she could land the blow. He held her there, a dark, knowing look gleamed in his eyes, as if to say, Nice try.

That smug look sent heat rushing to Violet’s face, not out of embarrassment, but sheer frustration.

Bastard.

Fine. If she couldn’t fight him, she’d wake the whole damn dorm.

"Li—!"

Before she could finish, Roman’s hand was on her mouth again, muffling her again. But Violet wasn’t one to be silenced easily. This time, she bit him hard enough that she almost tasted blood.

Roman jerked his hand away with a low growl, giving her just enough space to wriggle out of his grasp. Violet rolled off the bed, landing hard on the floor, but she was up in an instant, scrambling toward the door.

"Lila! Lila!" she hollered.

"Shit!" Roman cursed under his breath. He knew he had seconds before the entire dorm was awake.

"Don’t drag anyone else into this," he said urgently. "I’m only here to talk to you, not to harm you."

Violet ignored him, gripping the doorknob, ready to run.

"It’s about Elsie."

She froze.

Her fingers hesitated on the cold metal handle, her mind warring with itself. Elsie? No. She couldn’t trust him. The last time she put faith in Roman, look where she was.

As if sensing her doubt, Roman added, "On the gods and the living, I swear it."

Violet shouldn’t trust him. She knew that.

But something in his expression spoke some measure of sincerity she couldn’t quite dismiss.

But then, a sharp knock rattled the door.

"Princess!" Lila’s frantic voice came from the outside.

Violet’s heart leapt in her throat.

"Hide," she whispered tersely, eyes darting around the dim room.

Violet turned, just as Roman began to make a move. When she opened the door, Lila rushed inside, wide-eyed and scanning the room as if expecting to find someone lurking in the shadows.

Seeing no one, she turned to Violet, panting, "What’s wrong, Princess? Did something happen?"

Violet swallowed hard, forcing her expression into a neutral one. "I had a nightmare," she lied smoothly despite her racing pulse. "I dreamt you were taken away from me or something."

Lila exhaled, relief softening her features. "That was just a nightmare, Princess. Nothing will happen to me. I won’t leave your side." She pulled Violet into a comforting hug.

Guilt prickled at Violet for deceiving her, but what choice did she have? She had to hear what that bastard had to say about Elsie

When Lila finally released her, she offered, "If you want, I could share the bed with you tonight."

"No!" Violet said, more forcefully than intended. Lila blinked, startled.

Violet coughed, feigning bashfulness as she scratched the back of her head. "I mean... I’m no longer ten. It would be quite shameful for a girl my age to be scared of nightmares."

Lila chuckled. "Then sleep well, Princess

"You too, Lila."

Shutting the door behind her, Violet took a moment to steady her nerves. Then she stepped into the middle of the room, scanning warily for a certain green-haired Alpha. "Roman?" she called softly. "Where the hell are...?"

A small, green-furred rat scuttled out from under the bed and scampered toward her feet. In one swift motion, the rat shifted into a very naked, and annoyingly handsome, Roman. He stood so close she could practically feel the heat rolling off his skin.

Violet swallowed hard, letting her gaze flick over his strong, chiseled shoulders, and washboard abs, each ripple defined in the candlelight. She made sure not to look any lower than his waist, but it was impossible to ignore how finely built Roman was.

Crossing her arms, Violet tried to maintain composure, despite the fact that this was probably the last sight she expected at such an hour.

Roman opened his mouth first. "From Rogue Queen to Princess. You certainly have a peculiar kink, my lady," he teased in that usual, mocking tone.

Violet, however, was in no mood for banter. "What do you want?" she demanded coldly. "You said something about Elsie, so better start talking, or I’ll start screaming murder."