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Violet wasn’t even sure she was breathing. The crack of Asher’s arm breaking echoed loud in her head, over and over.

"No!" she screamed, the sound ripping raw and desperate from her throat as Asher crumpled to his knees, clutching his shattered arm.

Her heart pounded so violently she could feel it hammering in her ears. She stood frozen, rooted to the spot, her soul splitting apart with helplessness.

She wasn’t the only one shaken. Human parents were now hurrying out of the arena with their children, unable to bear the brutality any longer.

The ones who remained began shouting their outrage.

Henry had crossed a line, breaking every rule of the match.

Even the Alphas were rising to their feet, tension crackling through the stands as they watched the situation get out of control.

But Alpha Henry didn’t care. Not one bit.

Unfortunately, even with his arm broken and hanging limp at his side, Asher refused to back down. He kept fighting, but it was wild and uncoordinated now, and Henry toyed with him easily, laughing like the twisted psychopath he was.

"Alpha Henry, that’s enough! Let the boy go, now!" Irene’s voice boomed from her seat, her eyes blazing with fury.

Henry barely spared her a glance, dismissing her completely, as if she were air. Instead, he yanked Asher around until he was facing Violet.

Violet’s pulse skittered, her chest tightening as she saw Henry gripping Asher’s good arm. Her eyes locked onto his, and Henry smirked, cold and cruel.

"Oh God," Violet choked out, her stomach plummeting as realization hit. He was going to do it. He would snap Asher’s other arm, right there, and right in front of her. It was a classic villain’s move.

Henry wanted Asher broken, humiliated, powerless and for Violet to watch him fail. His intention was to scar them both.

"V-Violet?" Nancy’s voice shook with dread as she saw Violet tearing off her jacket and unfastening anything that would weigh her down. "What are you doing?"

But Violet ignored her. Alpha Irene, Caspian, Henry, none of them were moving fast enough while that monster kept hurting her Asher.

She was not waiting anymore.

Before Nancy could even react again, Violet vaulted over the barrier and sprinted into the arena, her heart thundering in her chest.

To be honest, Violet had no idea what she was doing. Her feet just kept moving, propelling her forward on instinct. Henry’s wicked smile only widened when he spotted her charging toward him. Asher saw her too, and his voice rang out, raw with panic.

"No!"

God, he should have known. This had been his father’s plan all along.

No one interfered in a fight between two alphas because it was too dangerous.

If Violet got hurt, Henry could easily claim he had lost control, that it was his wolf acting on instinct and no one would be able to hold him accountable.

"Get out of here!" Asher screamed at that stubborn bull of a woman while struggling desperately against Henry’s grip.

If he could just get free and just one second, look Henry in the eye, he’d drag him straight to hell. But Henry knew that too, and he wasn’t letting go. And Violet wasn’t stopping either.

"Violet!" all three of the remaining cardinal alphas bellowed at once, leaping into the arena in perfect unison.

Unfortunately, they weren’t going to reach her in time, not with the speed she was moving.

Violet knew that too, which was exactly why she didn’t aim to take Henry head-on. She wasn’t reckless enough to go toe-to-toe with the "Supreme" Alpha. No, she had a different plan.

Just a few meters away from him, using the slickness of the polished floor, she shifted her weight and dropped, sliding at full force between Henry’s legs like a blur. His eyes widened in shock, caught completely off guard.

But before she slid all the way through, Violet’s fist rocketed up, striking him hard right in the balls.

Henry let out a guttural cry of pure agony, his entire body jerking as pain took him hostage. His grip on Asher loosened a bit and that was all Asher needed.

With a feral snarl, Asher swung his good fist and landed a brutal punch to Henry’s face, knocking him sideways.

Henry stumbled, staggering back in pain right into Griffin. The look on Griffin’s face said it all. Fury. Pure, caged fury. Without hesitation, Griffin’s fist lashed out, slamming into Henry’s chest with such force that the man was lifted off his feet, flying backward through the air.

But it didn’t stop there.

Roman, quick on his feet, shifted mid-motion into a gleaming green horse, so as Henry soared past him, Roman twisted, using his hind legs to deliver a crushing kick mid-air, sending Henry’s body spinning and veering wildly off course.

And as if the entire thing had been choreographed down to the last detail, Henry hurtled straight toward Alaric.

Alaric’s eyes glinted coldly. He calmly raised one hand, palm open, and released a savage blast of electricity that crackled through the air and slammed into Henry’s chest, jerking his entire body as volts coursed through him.

Still, it wasn’t over.

Henry’s body, limp and twitching from the electric shock, crashed down toward Violet’s direction. Without missing a beat, Violet twisted around and delivered one final punch square to his face, packed with all her adrenaline and rage.

Alpha Henry fell to the ground, defeated.

For a beat, there was nothing but stunned silence. The entire arena was frozen, their eyes wide, and jaws slack. No one dared move or speak, caught in the aftershock of what they had just witnessed.

If anyone was more stunned than the crowd, it had to be the cardinal alphas’ parents. Other than that year when Elijah had taken the boys away, they had never seen such powerful coordination from them. Not until now.

Irene stared for a long moment, speechless. But then her lips curled, her eyes lighting up, and she slowly began to clap, each smack of her hands echoing in the quiet. Arion was next, his claps louder and much more enthusiastic, pride burning bright on his face.

Suddenly, the crowd erupted, as if a fuse had been lit. Applause and cheers crashed through the arena, loud and chaotic, the walls reverberating with the force of it. The energy was electric, like the climax of a superhero movie when the villain finally falls.

And Henry Nightshade had just been exposed as the villain of them all.

Violet, still buzzing on adrenaline, finally let out a wail, clutching her hand. "Aww! Come on!" she cried, the pain from that last punch catching up with her in full force now.

But her pain didn’t matter. Not when her eyes found Asher, still on the ground, his face twisted in pain.

"Asher!" she screamed, bolting toward him.

Alaric was already there, crouched beside him, checking his arm carefully.

"What’s happening?" Violet demanded, fear lacing her voice.

"Henry shattered his bones," Alaric said grimly, his eyes scanning Asher’s arm. "And it’s starting to heal wrong."

"Oh God," Violet’s stomach dropped, a sick wave rolling through her.

"We need Adele. Now," Alaric said sharply.

"I’ll get her," Roman offered, already shifted back into his human form, naked but unfazed.

"Bring her to my place," Griffin cut in, already lifting Asher like he weighed nothing at all.

Roman gave a tight nod and vanished in a blink.

With the match over, and after such an unexpected display, some of the pack members had crossed over the barrier, heading toward them with a mix of excitement and curiosity. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the time for that.

"We need to move now," Griffin said, his eyes scanning for the quickest escape route. There were only two paths open, and both were packed with people.

As if on cue, Irene appeared at their side. "I’ll handle it," she said firmly.

She disappeared into the crowd, and within minutes, a thunderous Alpha roar shook the arena. Instantly, a clear path opened as people scrambled aside.

Griffin didn’t wait for instructions. He moved fast, and the others fell in step with him.

As they went, Violet brushed past Irene, who grabbed her arm and leaned in. "Take care of Asher," Irene said, her voice low but full of intent.

Before Violet could reply, Irene pressed her forehead to hers in an unfamiliar, almost doting gesture. And as if that wasn’t surprising enough, Irene whispered, "Take care of them all, destined one."

What the—?

Violet didn’t have time to process the words because Alaric’s voice called her back sharply.

"Violet, come on!"

She sprinted after him without hesitation. Alaric reached out, gripping her hand and intertwining their fingers. Up ahead, Griffin was already moving fast with Asher cradled in his arms like a child.

Griffin didn’t slow, didn’t falter, his eyes locked on the East House where help was waiting.

Violet’s eyes stayed fixed on Asher, her lips moving in silent prayer.

Please let him be okay.