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.

darkness, a shadow amidst the flames, dressed in black hoodies and black jeans, his long legs stretched out as he idly twirled a

He smoked?

had never

of smoke made him look even more untouchable, even more dangerous, sharpening the lines of his jaw, the curve

it wasn’t the cigarette that

It was his eyes.

They were uncovered.

No glasses.

No filter.

intensity of those slitted, gray irises and her heart skipped a beat. Not from fear. But from the

demons she was trying to escape. As if he could take them for himself, make

was offering

I understand you. I won’t judge you." Those

swayed. The offer was too tempting

moving before

Asher’s gaze glowed brighter.

Yes. Come to me.

almost immediately, she snapped out of it as if she had

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

Dangerous. And nothing good would ever come out of

He would

second Violet made up her mind, the light in

and fled again, shoving past groups of

ran straight into

Roman Draven.

Why was the universe

wolf king—Roman was never

women clung to him, touching, fawning, claiming him as their prize. Their hands were everywhere, on his arms, his chest, his thighs, as if they were staking territory. But he

stomach twisted as

curve of his lips, as if he

Roman deepened the kiss.

into her palms. Because, why was she watching? Why couldn’t she look away? And why the hell

he was kissing her through someone

her closer, kissing her harder, his tongue

sound sending a pulse of heat straight

Oh fuck no.

Not him too.

want him. She refused to. Roman

Why did she want to tear those women off him? Why did she want his lips on

No.

No, no, no.

stop herself, Violet turned