Page 45

A cold like never before burrowed deeply into Violet’s skin, chilling her to the bone. The steps she took down the empty hallway felt heavy, almost robotically, as if she had been disconnected from her own body.

Nothing made sense anymore. Not when her head swirled with a thousand thoughts, all crashing into each other like waves in a violent storm. It was as if the world had tilted off its axis, and she was left grasping at straws to regain her footing.

Her instincts had always whispered to her to be wary of Asher, and now she knew they had been right all along.

"You, my purple queen, will take Elsie’s place." Those words kept echoing in Violet’s head, haunting her as she replayed them over and over. They looped through her mind, like a broken record that refused to stop.

It was chilling.

At first after he had said that, Violet had assumed Asher was joking.

She thought it was another one of his games, you know, his own twisted way of riling her up.

But there had been nothing playful about that dark, intent look in his eyes.

And that was all the confirmation she needed to know he was deadly serious.

"You mad man!" she had shouted, pushing him away before taking to her heels, her breath catching in her chest as she fled. She hadn’t looked back. No, she didn’t dare to.

What the fuck was wrong with Asher? What did he mean by her "taking Elsie’s place"?!

Elsie was the one chosen by the Alpha King for one of them. Taking Elsie’s place would mean challenging the Alpha King himself, and only someone with a death wish would even consider that. It was madness. Suicidal.

And Violet, as reckless as she was, still wanted to live. So she clung to that desire fiercely, which meant there was no way she could go along with Asher’s ridiculous idea.

The first thought that rushed into Violet’s mind was running away. To leave Lunaris and escape Asher and his insanity as planned. But she couldn’t do it now. Not in broad daylight when his eyes and ears were possibly everywhere.

After all, Asher had made it crystal clear that he doesn’t plan on letting her go anytime soon. Violet shuddered at the thought of what he would do if he caught her trying to "leave him." so running wasn’t an option. Not while the sun was up.

She had to be smart. Strategic. Violet couldn’t afford any mistakes at this point in time. She had to figure out a plan and keep herself safe until she could escape properly, without leaving a trace.

Before Violet knew it, she had wandered aimlessly for what felt like hours, lost in her thoughts. By the time she realized herself, the hallway was deserted, and she had completely missed half of the lesson. But then, she couldn’t avoid class forever, no matter how shattered she felt.

Taking one last deep breath, Violet steeled herself and began to walk in the direction of the classroom. The teacher would likely deduct points, maybe, even punish her. But that was nothing compared to the fear of what Asher had in store of her.

But Violet suddenly came to a complete stop when someone stepped out from the corner of the hallway, intentionally blocking her path forward.

Her eyes met Griffin Hale’s, and a chill ran down her spine. The blood drained from her face, leaving her feeling cold and hollow. Of all people, it had to be him. Just her luck.

But when Griffin didn’t move and kept his gaze fixed on her, an unsettling reality dawned on her that this was no coincidence.

Griffin Hale had been waiting for her.

Oh God.

Without a word, Violet spun around, intending to run in the opposite direction, but she slammed right into someone else. She stumbled back, lifting her gaze to see who it was, and her heart leaped as she met the eyes of Alaric Storm.

For a brief moment, Violet almost felt a sense of relief.

Alaric had always seemed the most harmless among the cardinal alphas.

Maybe, just maybe, he’d help her. But that was until she remembered that Alaric and Griffin were best friends, just like Asher and Roman.

It made sense then. Alaric wasn’t here to save her; he was here to ensure she didn’t escape.

Fuck her life.

Their eyes locked for a split second, and he knew at that moment what she was thinking. Violet’s fight-or-flight instincts took over. She tried to dash to the side, but Alaric moved fast, wrapping an arm tightly around her waist.

"No! Let me go!" Violet screamed, struggling against him with all her might, twisting and squirming. But Alaric was strong—unbearably strong—and he pulled her back, holding her tightly against his chest. She could feel the tension in his body, and his grip was ironclad.

Without thinking twice, Violet threw her head back, hard.

It connected with Alaric’s face, hitting his nose with a satisfying crack.

He yelped, and his grip loosened, giving her a split second to escape.

Violet didn’t waste any time as she pulled free, turning and driving her elbow into his stomach for good measure, feeling him double over in pain.

She was free then, but it only lasted for a few seconds.

Violet managed just two desperate steps before she felt hands wrap around her shoulders, and then she was being lifted, her feet leaving the ground.

A cry of shock left her lips as Griffin Hale threw her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. The world tipped upside down, her stomach lurching as she landed hard against his broad back. The jarring force knocked the air from her lungs, and she groaned, wincing in pain.

"Put me down! Let me go!" her scream reverberated through the hallway.

She kicked and struggled, beating her fists against Griffin’s back, but he didn’t even flinch. Instead, his arm clamped around her legs, securing her tightly as he strode on.

Panic clawed at Violet’s insides as she realized how powerless she was against him. Griffin was a mountain of muscle, his sheer strength making her feel utterly helpless.

Her screams for help fell on deaf ears as the hallway was deserted, and any hope of someone coming to her rescue was dwindling by the second.

Griffin pushed through a door, dragging Violet into an empty classroom. She heard the heavy door slam shut behind them, the sound echoing off the walls like a final seal of her fate. Alaric followed them, his nose bleeding slightly and his expression torn between anger and annoyance.

Before Violet could gather her bearings, Griffin sat her down onto one of the desks, his shadow casting her in darkness as he loomed over her like a towering mountain.

Violet’s body tensed in panic, her heart thudding wildly in her chest. The heat radiating off Griffin was suffocating as he stood between her legs, their proximity unnervingly close. She barely had space to breathe.

A wicked smile crossed his lips, "Finally, I’ve got you, Purple head. You don’t know how hard it’s been to catch you without Asher getting in my way."

Violet’s eyes widened, fear constricting her throat. Wait, what? Why? She had not done anything to provoke him since yesterday, not deliberately at least. Except for the fact that Asher had punched his pack member because of her..... oh shit. She was in serious trouble.

Her breath hitched as Griffin grabbed her hair, yanking it painfully and making her gasp. Tears pricked her eyes at the sharp sting in her scalp, and she let out a cry.

"Who the hell are you, and what does Asher want with you?!" He growled, his voice vibrating in her ears like the snarl of an animal.

"I don’t know!" Violet’s voice cracked as the searing pain made her eyes sting.

Griffin didn’t seem satisfied. His expression darkened, and his grip became impossibly tighter, tugging her head back, exposing her neck.

"Don’t give me that bullshit answer!" he spat, his breath hot against her ear. "I know that bastard, Asher. And the fact that his eyes are on you can’t be anything good for the rest of us. So, tell me now, what is he planning to do with you?!"

Violet swallowed hard, her thoughts scrambling in fear.

She knew she couldn’t tell him the truth.

The very thought of it sent a chill through her.

The last thing she wanted was for Griffin to know Asher’s plans.

That the bastard intended to use her to challenge the Alpha King.

Griffin would kill her on the spot, and nobody would care.

Nobody would mourn her, except Nancy who would shed a few tears for all the money spent on her she didn’t gain back. She was an orphan after all. Justice for orphans was close to zero.

She had to be smart.

Griffin shook her roughly, yanking her head back, his voice a furious shout. "I said talk to me!"

"I swear, I don’t know! He just... he just hangs around me, calls me his ’purple queen,’ that’s it!" She lied, trying to sound convincing, her heart thundering in her chest as she stared up at him defiantly.