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"Can we talk?" Violet said to Lila, and suddenly, the spirited conversation Daisy and Ivy were having died off. Just like that. They were very aware of the tension between their two roommates lately, and Violet suddenly confronting Lila like this? Yeah, it wasn’t going to end well.

"Sure," Lila said without hesitation.

"My room," Violet replied, already walking away and Lila followed her immediately.

Once inside, Violet shut the door and locked it for privacy. Not that it would do much. Ivy and Daisy would probably eavesdrop anyway.

8

Violet turned to face her. "So what’s your problem?"

"What do you mean?" Lila asked with a blank look, like she had no clue what this was about.

"Don’t play cheeky with me, Lila. You know exactly what I’m talking about.

What’s your deal? At the beginning, you were all over the idea of me being with the cardinal alphas.

You literally encouraged me. And now, when I actually have something real with them, you’re suddenly acting hostile?

Telling me to break up with them? Does this look like a game to you?

What do you take me for, a fucking player? What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem is I never thought you’d actually take me seriously!" Lila snapped back.

"What?!"

"Yes, I encouraged you. But it was all an act. I was trying to blend in. To get close to you. And what better way for a Fae like me to blend in at this academy than to act like some average teenage girl who’s crazy about the cardinal alphas like every other human here?"

"You could’ve just been honest from the start. Instead of this back-and-forth whiplash you’re giving me now," Violet argued.

"Oh really?" Lila sneered. "I guess if I had walked up to you on our first day and said: ’Hi, I’m Lila Meadows. I’m secretly a Fae and the guardian your real mother sent to find and protect you because you’re a hybrid Fae princess whose powers were sealed away so your evil werewolf father wouldn’t use them’—you’d believe me, right? "

Oh shit. Violet froze. She did have a point.

Lila kept going. "You were so cold when you first arrived. But that was fine. I didn’t give up.

I kept playing the lovely human roommate role just to get close to you.

And at first, you hated the cardinal alphas.

I thought that was perfect. I didn’t expect you to flip the script.

Yes, I literally forgot hate and passion were just a breath apart.

And now look at you. You’re not just with one of them. You’re with all four."

She paused, her voice dropping. "And that is a disaster waiting to happen once they find out who you really are, and the fact you’re the biggest threat to their throne."

"And how am I the biggest threat to their throne?" Violet demanded, stepping closer. "Who am I, Lila? Who is my father? Is it Alpha King Elijah?"

That was the first legit thought that came to her mind, considering Elijah was the reigning king and had promised to make one of the cardinal alphas heir.

If she were to suddenly appear, it would mess everything up and the packs would certainly not like that.

But Elijah was sterile and that ruled him out completely.

"Is it the former Alpha King Angus? Dear God, is Micah my brother?"

But then it hit Violet again, Angus was dead. Long dead. So there was no way he fathered her. Unless, of course, he faked his death for reasons best known to him and secretly had her. What the actual hell?

"Fucking talk to me, Lila! Who is my father!" Violet yelled, her frustration boiling over at Lila’s maddeningly blank expression.

Instead, Lila gave the same annoying reply. "Everything will come to you in time, Violet."

"No. No, no, I want answers. Not vague promises with no dates attached!" Violet shook her head in sheer desperation.

"I’m sorry, Violet. But this is all I can give you right now." Lila said, looking at her with pity in her eyes.

But Violet suddenly snapped. "I want to see my mother. My real mother. Make the arrangement. I want to see her after all this night is over."

Lila frowned. "You can’t see her either, Violet. Not yet."

"Exactly. Fucking why?! I can’t know my father? I can’t see my mother? Why?!" Violet’s voice cracked. "I thought once I knew about them, things would finally get easier. But it’s worse now. Way worse."

"It’s for your safety," Lila said. "But since you want to know, here it is. You can’t see your mother because she’s married."

"What?" Violet croaked, stunned.

"Your mother’s name is Seraphira. Queen Seraphira. And I know what you’re thinking, If she’s all that powerful, why hasn’t she killed your werewolf father so you can live in peace here? But that’s because they’re mates."

"What?" Violet was stunned again.

"Such a bond between interspecies is rare, unheard of even, but not impossible. And yes, it happened. Our kind, the Fae, we honor the mate bond. We protect it like our lives depend on it. But that wasn’t the same for your father.

By the time Seraphira discovered what he really wanted, it was too late.

She couldn’t hurt him and couldn’t let him get hurt either. He’s her mate after all."

Violet swallowed hard as Lila continued.

"So she fled back to the Fae realm where he could never reach her after he stole you. But Seraphira’s still a queen. She has duties and eventually, she had to marry. Except that’s where the real problem began."

Lila’s voice dropped.

"Her husband, Consort Baron, comes from a powerful bloodline. He wants an heir to solidify his place. But Seraphira refuses. Everyone knows she intends to make you her heir when the time comes. And Baron knows that too and that’s why he’s searching for you."

Violet’s heart pounded in her chest. Her mother’s husband searching for her couldn’t be a good thing.

"That’s why Queen Seraphira can’t risk it. Not just because of Baron, but because your father knows she would never abandon you. He’s waiting too and probably planning to use you to lure her out. That’s why you’re in the middle of this cold war between both of them. So yes, it’s messed up, Violet."

Lila gave her a hard look now.

"So here’s a piece of advice, Violet. It’s better to fall into the hands of your mad werewolf father, at least he wants you and your mother alive. But Baron? Baron wants you dead."