Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 155: Looking For Redemption

"I would never be like you!"

How many nights had she spent, staring at the ceiling of the trailer, sometimes the open sky, and whispering it to herself like a prayer?

How many times had she spat those words right into Nancy’s face, burning with determination, with fury, with desperation?

And yet, despite all of it, here she was.

Just like Nancy.

The past clawed its way back into her mind, an ugly, relentless thing, reminding her of who she might truly be.

"Is that a Lunaris Academy form? Good for you. Just try hard to get in, and your life will get better. If it gets harder to land a guy, remember what I taught you. Just give his dick a good suck, and he’ll be putty in your hands. You two could end up together, giving birth to beautiful werewolf babies. What a lucky bitch you are, Violet."

The woman must have cursed her that day.

That was the only explanation for why this was happening.

Why Alaric—who was sweet, who was safe, who was everything she should have wanted—wasn’t enough.

Why she was lusting after Griffin?

And worse—why it wasn’t just him.

It burned on her tongue, forbidden, unspoken yet Violet couldn’t even bring herself to think of the other name. As if the very act of saying it in her head would conjure him into existence.

Something was wrong with her.

Maybe Nancy had lied. Maybe she really was her daughter, after all. It was not beyond Nancy to lie after all, often as a way to avoid responsibility. Maybe whoring ran through their blood, and no matter how hard she tried to escape it, it had finally caught up to her.

But then... the purple hair. She looked nothing like Nancy.

Could she have taken after her father? The father she had never known? The father with purple hair? It was hilarious even as her thoughts spiraled, wild and frantic, searching for something, anything, to hold onto before the guilt swallowed her whole.

Violet came to a stop, sucking in deep, shuddering breaths.

Where was she?

The crowd had swallowed her roommates whole the moment she had bolted. Now, the music pounded in her skull, a relentless, pulsing beat that only made her breathing worse.

Then she saw him.

Asher Nightshade.

Unlike the others, who were lost in the merriment, Asher sat apart.

His pack members were in a corner, drinking, laughing, but Asher lounged alone, a king in his own right.

A lonely king.

flames, dressed in black hoodies and black jeans, his long legs stretched out

He smoked?

never

tendrils of smoke made him look even more untouchable, even more dangerous, sharpening

it wasn’t the cigarette

It was his eyes.

They were uncovered.

No glasses.

No filter.

shielding her from the raw intensity of those slitted, gray irises and her heart skipped a beat. Not from fear. But from the way he looked at her. Because Asher Nightshade not just

the depths of her and drag out the very demons she was trying to escape. As if he could take them for himself, make them his

was offering her

purple queen. I see you. I understand you. I won’t judge you." Those

The offer was too tempting

took a step forward, her body moving before she could think. Before she

Asher’s gaze glowed brighter.

Yes. Come to me.

she snapped out of it as if she had been

Had she forgotten one thousand reasons why she couldn’t go to Asher

was damaged. Dangerous. And nothing good would ever come out of them being

He would ruin

Violet made up her mind, the light in Asher’s

again, shoving past groups of merry students who

straight into

Roman Draven.

of them and they shall appear. Why was the

lone wolf king—Roman was

hands were everywhere, on his arms, his chest, his thighs, as if they were staking territory. But he wasn’t paying attention to them because his

as their eyes

curve of his lips, as if

Roman deepened the kiss.

palms. Because, why was she watching? Why couldn’t she

was kissing her through

in the girl’s hair, pulling her closer, kissing her harder, his tongue devouring

sound sending a pulse of heat straight to Violet’s

Oh fuck no.

Not him too.

She refused to. Roman was not her type. And

it was her? Why did she want to tear those women

No.

No, no, no.

stop herself, Violet turned and