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Violet had closed her eyes for several minutes, but even though Asher didn’t hurt her, the tension in the room had become unbearable.

Her senses were on edge, her awareness of his every movement amplified by her inability to see. The air felt electric, charged with the weight of his presence.

"You don’t have to do this, Violet," Asher murmured, his hands finding her hair once again, tenderly massaging her scalp. The gods knew it felt so good, a deliberate move to disarm her.

She almost fell for it.

"I would never harm you," he whispered, his arm slipping around her waist and pulling her against the warmth of his body.

"Really?" Violet retorted coldly. "You would never harm me? You mean the same way you let me get bullied earlier today?" Her voice dripped with venom as she referred to the humiliating scenting ceremony.

She would never forget that incident. Not in the nearest future.

"Oh, that?" Asher replied, his tone devoid of any remorse. He leaned in closer, the proximity making her body shiver in ways she hated. "That was just a little ritual, so every wolf could take in your scent and recognize you as non-threatening in the future. Do not take it to heart."

He buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. "God, you smell so good."

"Really? What a great ritual," Violet snapped, her voice rising with her fury. "An applause for you guys, considering I’m the only one in the history of scenting ceremonies to be urinated on!" She spun around to shove him, but her hands met only air.

The momentum of her actions caused her to stumble, and she nearly fell, only for Asher to catch her at the last second. His laughter spilled out, rich and mocking.

"You’re going to hurt yourself at this rate, little purple. Why don’t you open your eyes now?" he said, his voice calm, even kind.

"Never! Not until you leave this room right now!" Violet shot back with defiance.

"Nice one, Violet," he replied smoothly, his tone shifting dangerously. "But unfortunately, you still need to be punished. So open your eyes, sweetheart, while I’m still being kind."

"Never!"

"Violet!"

"No! You can’t make me, bastard!"

"But I can, can’t I?" His dark chuckle sent a chill down her spine. "Fine, let me make you a deal."

A shiver ran down Violet’s back as her instincts screamed she wouldn’t like this deal.

"Out of your three roommates, which one do you like the most?" His question landed like a blow.

A chill settled in her stomach. No, he wouldn’t hurt them. He couldn’t. But then again, none of them were his so-called "purple queen."

Damn it.

"What if I walked over to one of their beds right now and woke one of them up? Which one is it? The talkative one? Is she the one you like the most?" he teased.

Violet’s brows furrowed as she battled internally, trying to weigh her decision. Open her eyes and save her roommate or stubbornly close her eyes and let Asher do God knows what he intended to do with Lila.

"You like sneaking out, don’t you?" he continued with a sinister edge. "What if, like you, she tried it too? Except in her case, she’d jump from the second-floor window instead of the ground floor. She probably wouldn’t die, but who knows? She might break a leg."

Violet’s blood ran cold. The thought of Lila breaking her leg because of her made her stomach churn violently. At that moment, she made her decision.

Violet opened her eyes.

Her gaze collided with Asher’s, who was now seated back on her bed, a smug smile lighting his face. "You made the right choice, my purple queen."

Rage burned within her, her hands clenching at her sides. "One day, you’ll know what it’s like to love someone, only to have them snatched away from you," she spat, her voice trembling with fury.

For a brief moment, Asher seemed taken aback by her words. Then his devilish smile returned. "It’s quite unfortunate that I live in the present," he replied smugly.

Violet stared at him in disbelief. How had she ever thought this man had an ounce of decency in him?

His expression darkened, and his tone turned commanding. "Now come here, Violet."

There were no pet names or teasing words this time, which could only mean Asher Nightshade was utterly serious.

Though there was no compulsion in his voice, Violet found herself obeying, walking toward him despite every instinct screaming at her to resist. But it wasn’t just about her anymore, her roommates’ safety was involved this time.

As she approached, Violet glared at him defiantly. She could guess where this was heading, especially since she was only in her underwear. He would likely humiliate her further, perhaps force her into something sexual like having her suck his dick or something.

Good. Her teeth were aching and if it came to that, she would bite him and make him regret it.

Hence, Violet had already mentally prepared herself for the torment she would put Asher through only to hear. "Bend over."

"What?" she asked, startled. Surely she hadn’t heard him correctly.

"Bend over, Violet," he repeated impatiently, this time compelling her.

The power behind his words overwhelmed her, and before she knew it, she had bent over his knees. Realization hit her a second later, and her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.

The reality of the position struck her like a thunderbolt. No. This couldn’t be happening.

Violet tried to push herself up, but Asher was strong and he pressed her down, keeping her in place.

"Get off me, you psycho!" she growled, her fists clenching against the bedspread.

"I wish I could, but I did tell you, dear purple queen, you need to be punished. You tried to run, and there are consequences for disobeying your king. Consider this your lesson."

Violet’s heart dropped. This had to be a fucking nightmare.