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For a moment, Asher didn’t speak. He just watched her lose herself to the fear, her breath quick and shallow, and her voice tight with guilt she didn’t deserve. Violet was rarely the type to let her guard down, but right now, it was falling right in front of him.

Before he could say a word, she was already covering it up with a smile that didn’t touch her eyes. "Okay, maybe I’m thinking too much and this is stupid," Violet awkwardly cleared her throat. This was Asher, anyway, and he wasn’t used to dealing with all this big emotional stuff.

To her surprise, Asher said, "It’s not stupid."

"What?"

"Look at me."

Violet wouldn’t. She felt so vulnerable right now and didn’t want Asher to see her like that. Weak and emotional.

"Look at me, love." He turned her face gently.

Violet finally looked at him, and he stared back. He saw not just her beautiful golden eyes, but the girl who had turned his life upside down since the moment he saw her face on paper.

Without hesitation, Asher pulled her onto his lap like she weighed nothing and cradled her against his chest. Then he threaded his fingers through her hair, soothing her, and Violet’s eyes fluttered closed in appreciation.

Then Asher tilted her chin until their eyes met.

"You didn’t mess anything up. Lunaris Academy was already broken before you got here, Violet.

You didn’t cause the fire, you just stopped pretending the smoke wasn’t choking everyone.

I didn’t even know what I was doing wrong until you called out my bullshit.

Our bullshit," he emphasized not just his, but the other Cardinal Alphas’.

"Thanks to you, people like us, and Elsie, who were untouchable before? Now we’re accountable. "

Violet blinked in surprise, lips parting, but he kept going.

"You’re not the villain. You, Violet Purple, didn’t get a manual on how to fix centuries of rot.

You’re doing something no one else had the courage to do—to stand up to it.

Yeah, maybe it’s not perfect. Maybe you were impulsive in some areas.

But guess what? No one ever changes a system by asking nicely. "

His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth, softening the intensity.

"You need to trust yourself more, Violet. Your values, your instincts, and that passion that burns so brightly inside you. Lunaris Academy doesn’t need a perfect reformer. It needs that raw, flawed girl with fire in her chest and a desperate need to make things better."

"Moreover," Asher said, his voice lower now, darker, "the scholarship students you’re worried about? Nothing is going to happen to them. Not because they’re protected. But because they’re useful.

I’ve told you before, this is all politics.

Lunaris is a toxic, elitist cesspool wrapped in tradition and hidden behind the mask of conscription. "

"The president. The governors. The Alpha King. The council. Every last one of them benefits from keeping Lunaris afloat. It’s not an academy, it’s a machine.

And the Conscription is just glitter they throw over the rot.

Makes them look generous to the public while covering their tracks and feeding on bloodlines. "

"I’ve been in Lunaris longer than you, Violet, and trust me when I say that school isn’t going down anytime soon.

They’ll toss a few comforting words to the press, spin it like change is coming.

Elsie will probably pull off some tear-stained apology tour and wrap it all in a redemption arc.

With the right PR manipulation, they’ll bury this scandal with another one, swap out Principal Jameson for a fresh face, and boom!

One month later, everything’s back to normal, and the monsters keep eating. Just quieter this time."

He gave a dry smile. "Viola."

Violet was dumbfounded. "That is both assuring and scary," she said, disappointed. "So that means my efforts were for nothing?"

Asher kissed her forehead slowly and reverently.

"I’m not saying your efforts were for nothing.

But there are more bad people than good people in the world now, and even big deals like this get buried fast. That’s why we act now, while things are being shaken up.

You’ve made a mark, honey. So let the world spin and the cowards panic.

But don’t you ever carry the blame for exposing the truth. "

There was a beat of silence.

"And Violet?" Asher added, eyes dark with meaning, "If anyone ever tries to come for you, they’ll have to go through me first."

A thick silence settled between them. Violet stared at Asher. Not at his lips, nor his hands, nor his beautiful, strange eyes, but at him. At the boy who made promises she knew he would keep. And just like that, her heart cracked wide open.

"I love you," Violet whispered.

"What?" Asher felt like he’d heard wrong.

This time, her voice was louder. Bolder.

"I love you, Asher Nightingale Nightshade. I love every broken piece of you. Every twisted part that doesn’t make sense. And every part of you that’s so sweet it makes my heart ache. I love it all."

Violet was breathless by the time she finished, her heart pounding like she’d run a thousand miles in those few seconds. She swallowed, unsure what he’d do with that truth.

But a slow smile lit up Asher’s face as he said, "I love you too, my purple queen. I’ve loved you since the day I read those words you wrote for me on that application."

Violet rolled her eyes. "Those weren’t for you, Asher."

"They’re mine. And you still owe me a mean lap dance."

Violet couldn’t stop the laughter that escaped her lips. Then she leaned in and whispered, "Maybe we can go somewhere tonight? Say... a club? We can’t be cooped up here for two days and not have fun."

Asher understood exactly what she meant. "I’m game," he said, that familiar glint of glee lighting up his eyes.

Then Violet closed the space between them and kissed him hard*l.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t shy. It was everything—gratitude, fear, relief, longing. A desperate, tear-soaked thank-you, wrapped in lips and tongue and trembling fingers.

Asher didn’t hesitate. He kissed her back just as fiercely, pulling her closer like he wanted to fuse their souls. One hand tangled in her hair while the other gripped her waist, anchoring her to him.

Violet pulled back slightly, forehead resting against his, breath mingling with his.

"We should stop now," she whispered breathily.

"Yes, we should," Asher agreed without hesitation. Just one more push, and he wasn’t sure they’d find their way back from it.

"Breakfast?" he offered.

"Yes. Breakfast."