Page 44

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"Now, do tell, my king, what do we talk about?" Violet said, the sarcasm in her voice unmistaken.

He stared at her, amused by her lack of self-preservation.

Asher couldn’t help but wonder if Violet realized she was the only one who spoke to him like this and got away with it unscathed.

But then again, that was precisely what he liked about her and expected, not some cowering, timid soul.

If she were such, she wouldn’t be his purple queen after all.

Above all, if there was one thing he loved about her, it was the way she looked at him. To be precise, at his eyes. There was no hint of disgust, no false admiration.

She didn’t pretend to be fascinated; she genuinely saw them for what they were. Those cursed eyes he had always loathed each time he stared at the mirror, Violet gazed at them as if they were beautiful and magical. That alone had won him over, and now, she was his beautiful, magical purple queen.

Violet was everything he had ever longed for. The one good thing the gods had granted him in a long time. He longed to run his fingers through that striking purple hair, to feel its silky softness. And her eyes, those stunning golden eyes that held an unexpected intensity.

It wasn’t usual for a human to possess purple hair and golden eyes. With hybrids on the rise these days as a result of the union between humans and wolves, Asher had his own theory.

Perhaps one of Violet’s ancestors had been entangled with a wolf, if you know what he meant. But since she was an orphan, there was no way to track her genealogy down.

Unfortunately, if his purple queen were part wolf, she showed none of the traits. He had been watching her since today, testing her on the training field to see if she exhibited anything special. Although she was completely unaware of his intentions.

No one ever knew the full extent of his games until they found themselves too deeply entangled to escape.

And as for his purple queen, she didn’t smell like a wolf, nor did she possess the energy. She was just an ordinary human. But "ordinary" didn’t seem to fit when it came to her. She was anything but that. Not to mention, her fiery temper rivaled that of any wolf he’d met.

"Earth to his majesty, what are you thinking?" Violet’s voice broke through his thoughts as she snapped her fingers in front of his face.

Asher turned to her, as she continued, her sarcasm ever-present. "Have you forgotten, your majesty, we are supposed to be having royal talks?"

So, she wasn’t going to let that go. Fine, then. They could have it both ways.

"What about some royal fun?" he responded, his hand slipping to her waist, gliding lower until he cupped her backside.

"Hands. Off. Now." Violet’s voice lost its playful edge and was replaced with such seriousness that he had no choice but to oblige.

"You’re no fun," he lied, though a grin tugged at his lips.

"Then find someone else to bother. I’d be so glad." She shot back, seemingly delighted at the mere thought.

"That’s the point," Asher said, his eyes darkening as they held hers. "You’d be too glad. And that’s exactly why I can’t let you go."

Violet’s mouth dropped open, her eyes wide. "You’re crazy, you do know that?"

He flashed her a grin, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Spot on."

Indeed, there was no denying it. He was utterly, beautifully mad. His purple queen didn’t know the extent yet. But she’d find out soon enough. Only then would he know if she was truly worthy to be by his side. To wear his crown.

"Very well, you seem to be in the mood, I see. If that’s the case, let us begin this discourse with a touch of questioning and answering, shall we?

Indeed, Your Majesty, pray tell me of your intentions regarding Elsie Lyka Lancaster?

" she asked without hesitation, her golden eyes fixed intently upon him.

Of course, he stiffened. If there were any question Asher Nightshade had expected from his little purple—who didn’t seem so little at this moment, not with her claws out—it certainly wouldn’t have been this.

Asher propped his head up on his arms, the air of arrogance slipping back onto his face. "Someone appears to be jealous, hmm?" he mused.

Violet hissed, her eyes narrowing. "Do not even try to change the subject, I can see right through your tricks, puppet master."

Ah, she had him there. His gaze held a flicker of acknowledgment. His purple queen was getting sharper, catching onto his tricks more quickly. He almost found it endearing.

"Very well then," he said, his tone taking a serious edge. Asher decided it was time to lay it all bare. There wasn’t much point hiding it, especially with that parrot-mouthed friend of hers always hovering about. It was only a matter of time till she found out. If she hadn’t already, with that question, and only wanted confirmation from him.

"The Alpha King is impotent and unable to bear an heir," He began with a cold voice, unable to hide his disdain towards the man. "Some say it is merely the king’s unfortunate fate, others believe it is the goddess’s own way of balancing the order, with four overpowered wolves already in place.

If the Alpha King were to have an heir, it would mean any one of us could challenge him for the throne and obviously take it. "

Asher paused, the bitterness in his tone thick. "But with no heir, the playing field is limited. Only one of the Cardinal Alphas is eligible for the throne, and to sweeten, or, in my view, sour, the deal, the Alpha King, in all his magnanimity, decided to grant us a gift."

There was nothing but pure venom in his voice, etched in the way his face twisted slightly in disgust.

"A pure-blooded she-wolf, for the taking," Asher spat. "For whoever emerges as his heir after graduation. A prize to be won, like a possession. And now Elsie seems to think that she owns me. Us. All of us." His words were filled with loathing.

However, his purple queen remained quiet, taking it all in with an unreadable expression. There was tension in the air with his words having ripped away the usual playful banter, exposing a raw undercurrent of resentment, reserved towards the Alpha King and the situation itself.

"Well," She finally spoke up, "I guess that makes you more of a prisoner than I thought."

"Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, little purple," he chuckled cruelly.

His hand clasped her cheek, fingers curving possessively around her face. Violet didn’t swat him away this time. Whether it was his words or the strange allure of the moment, she found herself frozen, unable to react.

Asher’s gaze bore into hers, intense and unyielding.

"I’m the puppet master. No one dictates my role for me.

I make the rules. I decide my path," he continued, his voice lowering to a near growl, something predatory lying beneath his words.

His thumb brushed her cheek gently, a juxtaposition to the dark energy she could sense radiating from him.

"And that’s where you come in, my little queen," he murmured, his breath warm against her face, the intensity of his proximity drawing every one of her senses to focus on him alone.

Asher leaned in closer, the air around them charged with tension, almost suffocating. His lips hovered so close to hers that anyone watching might have assumed they were about to kiss.

But that wasn’t the intention here, he stared her dead in the eyes instead.

"You, my purple queen, will take Elsie’s place."