Page 280

Where was her fucking head?!

It always seemed to vanish whenever it came to these cardinal alphas.

Violet internally berated herself. She hadn’t intended to sleep here until morning.

The plan had been simple: catch a little shut-eye, then have Asher sneak her back to her place by five, quietly and without any witnesses. Hopefully.

Unfortunately, the Asher she had pinned her hopes on had failed her. Utterly. Instead of waking her, he had indulged her.

Now, Violet was pacing up and down the West Alpha’s room, mentally spiraling over what to do next. Sure, Asher had said he’d handle it, but she was beginning to worry about "how" he planned to handle it. After all, his methods were rarely what one would call conventional.

Not to mention, the bastard didn’t even seem half as concerned as she was. He was in the bathroom, casually taking a bath with the door wide open, no less. It was an invitation to join him if she dared. That absolute rascal.

So now Violet was alone with her thoughts, stewing in her paranoia, until she stopped herself.

Why the hell was she even scared?

She was Violet Purple. She’d slept at the West House. So what? What could they possibly do to her that would hurt more than what they’d already tried?

With that, Violet forced herself to calm down and wait. She could handle the consequences. And Alaric. Fuck her life!

Almost immediately, Asher strolled out.

"What’s your—" Violet’s words cut off the moment her eyes landed on him.

Holy creator of the world.

Her jaw nearly hit the damn floor.

Violet never thought a man could look that sexy fresh out of the shower, until now.

Asher stood there with nothing but a towel slung low around his hips, his body still dripping from the shower.

Moisture clung to his tousled dark hair, then trickled down the sharp angles of his face, neck, and along the planes of his chest. It slid over the ridges of his abs, and her eyes followed the tantalizing trail of the deep V etched into his hips—down, down, down—until it disappeared beneath that dangerously small scrap of cloth.

Violet swallowed hard, her brain wandering somewhere it absolutely shouldn’t have.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen him naked before. Not just during the Games, Asher often shifted during training, like most wolves, leaving nothing to the imagination. Nudity was normal to them.

But being alone in his room, with him looking at her like he knew exactly where her thoughts had gone, left her flushed, heat crawling up her neck.

"Ogle me all you want, little queen," Asher said shamelessly, gesturing to his body. Then he added with a teasing tone, "Should I take off the towel as well?"

Violet scowled, but he only laughed aloud, the twinkle in his eyes revealing how much fun he was having. Though she was thoroughly annoyed, Violet couldn’t help but feel a bit of relief. Asher had so many dark memories she wouldn’t mind adding even one joyful moment to his life.

Without warning, Asher leaned in and smooched her once. Again. And again. And again, until Violet realized he was doing it just to tease her.

With a chuckle, she pushed him away. "Go away! Get dressed!"

Asher laughed smugly. "Someone’s shy."

Violet arched a brow at that. And to prove a point—without thinking it through—she lifted a hand and smacked him across the ass.

"You!" Asher gasped dramatically, his eyes going wide. Then he smirked darkly. "I’m going to get back at you for that."

Violet rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips as Asher disappeared into his walk-in closet to get dressed. And Yes, he had a walk-in closet.

These damn cardinal alphas were living the posh life, with their large, lavish rooms, so unlike the shared dorms the rest of them had to live in. A room she and her roommates once had until they were expelled to the shack to live like some animal.

Ever since last night, something had shifted between them. A shift that both scared and excited Violet. Would things get better from here on out, or would it all spiral into tragedy?

Would being this vulnerable with him come back to bite her, especially considering she was still going ahead with her plan to expose them to the world?

Asher might have gone through hell, but all four of the cardinal alphas had done things that they needed to be held accountable for. This mission was no longer just about her. It was about the welfare of every human in this school.

Hopefully, they would understand her intention at the end. Maybe even forgive her and move on. Kind of. Violet sighed. Why was everything getting so complicated?

Thankfully, Asher didn’t waste time. He returned, impeccably dressed in his full uniform, every button fastened, and his tie perfectly knotted.

Out of all four cardinal alphas, Asher was the only one who actually respected the school’s dress code. Alaric came in second on good days while Roman was by far the worst offender. No, he was a lost cause.

Violet couldn’t recall a single time he’d worn a tie, and he always had his shirt unbuttoned just enough to show off that annoyingly perfect chest of his, letting the girls ogle him shamelessly. And yes, he relished the attention.

Asher, on the other hand, was a perfectionist. No doubt a trait hammered into him by his father. He had to be in control. Unruffled. Perfect. So rigid it was like the concept of fun had never entered his world. At least the "right" fun.

Violet’s lips twitched into a smile. One of these days—if things were good between them by then—she’d show him how to loosen up and actually enjoy himself.

"Let’s go," Asher said as he reached for her arm, his grip gentle yet guiding as he moved to steer her toward the door.

But Violet pulled back.

"What’s your plan?" she asked with concern.

Asher paused and studied her face, noticing the worry in her eyes.

He said to her, "Don’t worry, no one’s going to get hurt. Although... " he added, "I might have to be a little rough with you. Think you can handle that?"

"Asher—"

"Oh, right," he said over his shoulder before disappearing into the other room.

Violet blinked, confused, until he returned a few seconds later with an oversized shirt in hand.

He didn’t even wait for her to argue and slipped the shirt over her head, letting it fall over the nightgown she still wore.

It swallowed her frame, covering the skimpy fabric that clung too closely to her body.

"Better," he said, clearly satisfied. "Now trust me. Let’s go."

Violet sighed, but she followed him anyway, choosing for once to trust him. As soon as they stepped out into the hallway, she swallowed.

A group of werewolves were already gathered in the corridor, laughing, barking out jokes, a general camaraderie hanging in the air. But that was, until their eyes landed on her.

Silence fell like a guillotine.

Right. This was the male floor. Although there were a few girls hanging around with them, they didn’t look like her. Not in a nightgown hidden beneath Asher’s oversized shirt. Neither were they being led out by the Alpha like a caught criminal.

As if a switch had flipped, Asher transformed into someone else entirely.

His expression hardened, and his grip on her arm tightened, not enough to hurt, but enough to sell the scene.

"Move along, rogue," he snarled with disdain, dragging her forward.

If he hadn’t warned her beforehand, she might’ve believed him. He was so convincing with his act. Hell, she might’ve punched him for the manhandling.

Yet despite the harshness of his tone, Asher was still careful with her.

Subtly so. He steadied her whenever they reached a step, ensuring she didn’t stumble on the way down.

But none of that mattered to the onlookers, because all they saw was the Rogue Queen being dragged by the West Alpha like a mutt who’d broken the leash.

Floor by floor, their audience grew. By the time they reached the main floor, an entire sea of curious West House students had formed in the foyer.

Asher came to a halt at the center of the room. With every eye trained on him, he raised his voice and said, "This rogue broke the rule last night by sneaking into the West House."

Then with a cruel smirk, he added, "But don’t worry. I captured her and punished her accordingly."

The gasp that tore from Violet’s mouth was real when Asher smacked her ass unapologetically, and loud enough to echo.

She blinked, mortified while around them, mouths dropped open. The slap had stunned them. But what truly fried their circuits was the ambiguity in Asher’s words. Punished her? What kind of punishment? Did he mean...?

Yet no one dared ask. Not with the West Alpha standing tall, a glint in his eye daring them to voice what they were thinking.

"Jeremiah," Asher called.

The Beta appeared almost immediately, as if waiting for the cue.

"Escort the Rogue Queen back to her house," Asher ordered. "And hopefully, she’s learned her lesson. Unless, of course, she has a flair for punishment."

The double entendre hit the crowd like a bomb. Violet swore someone audibly choked. Others were just unsure on how to process the surreal moment.

Jeremiah, ever the professional, didn’t flinch. "As you wish, Alpha Asher."

Then he took Violet’s hand and led her away from the scene, leaving behind a house full of wide eyes, dropped jaws, and minds racing with dirty conclusions.

Just as Asher intended.