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.

and black jeans, his long legs stretched out as he idly twirled a cigarette between his

He smoked?

had never known

even more untouchable, even more dangerous, sharpening the lines of his jaw, the curve of

wasn’t the cigarette that unsettled

It was his eyes.

They were uncovered.

No glasses.

No filter.

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

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

was

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

was

a step forward, her body moving before she could

Asher’s gaze glowed brighter.

Yes. Come to me.

snapped out of it as if

hell was she doing? Had she forgotten

would ever come

could. He would

mind, the light in Asher’s eyes dimmed and his expression

shoving past groups of merry students who

ran straight

Roman Draven.

and they shall appear. Why was the universe

Asher—the lone wolf king—Roman was

his thighs, as if they were staking territory. But he wasn’t paying attention to them because his tongue was down someone

twisted as their

as if he was grateful she had fallen into his trap

Roman deepened the kiss.

she watching? Why couldn’t she look away? And

he was kissing her

tightened in the girl’s hair, pulling her

a pulse

Oh fuck no.

Not him too.

She refused to. Roman was not her type. And

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

No.

No, no, no.

before she could stop herself, Violet turned