Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 160: It Was Time

~ Alaric and Griffin ~

The party carried on as if nothing had happened. Laughter rang through the bonfire clearing with students drinking freely, and the rhythmic pulse of the music keeping the energy alive.

Violet was back with her friends, enjoying the rest of the party — or so they he believed. Nonetheless, everyone was cool and It was almost as if the earlier tension had never existed.

Griffin and Alaric sat hunched over at one of the tables, slightly apart from the crowd, their drinks in hand as they brooded over their failed attempt at wooing the lady of their choice.

"Perhaps we came on too strong," Alaric muttered before downing his drink in one go.

"Perhaps," Griffin said dryly, tilting his head back and swallowing his own drink with unnecessary force.

The alcohol burned on the way down, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the sting of rejection. Not even close.

Their faster metabolism tore through human liquor like air, leaving them only with the memory of the burn, not the intoxication. And right now, Griffin wished more than anything that he could get drunk.

Unfortunately, tonight was the night of the initiation, so he couldn’t get drunk either way. He needed to be fast on his feet seeing this was a tradition, he especially as a cardinal alpha, couldn’t ignore. The fate of the new pack members—and apparently, Violet—would be decided tonight.

Her name alone made his chest tighten.

Griffin didn’t hate her for rejecting him. He respected her choice. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

For the second time in his life, a girl he had sincerely liked had turned him down. At least Violet had been polite. Not like Elsie, who had shredded his heart and stomped on the remains as if they were nothing.

me you’re giving up." His

a scoff. "You heard the lady. She doesn’t want

lady," Alaric countered smoothly, leaning forward. "She doesn’t know our way. She needs time. Time to be convinced. Time to be taught." His lips curled into something almost wicked. "Time to

unspoken emotion

Griffin. The Ironlady would be disappointed."

growled in warning,

about us, proves she’s not like Lucille. it confirms that Asher doesn’t have control over her

back in his seat, swirling his drink. "Think about it. Lucille didn’t give a damn about anyone as long as she got what she wanted. Asher could’ve slaughtered us in front of her, and she wouldn’t have

not Lucille. But just like she said, Asher Nightshade is still winning. He wants us all chasing after her. Maybe Violet

be," Alaric assured him. "We’ll deal with Asher

that. But

everything, Violet hadn’t fully shut him out. She was furious, sure, but she hadn’t given up on him. Just... not on them. She

in the end," Alaric said with

as

turned in time to see Violet’s roommates giggling as they dragged her toward

Alaric could tell Violet resisted at first with her stiff and reluctant posture,

slow, and sensual, the bassline thrumming through the air. It was a sultry and magnetic

first, Violet’s movements were hesitant, rigid, as if she was painfully self conscious of the eyes on her. But then something in her shifted

sway, slow and smooth, matching the rhythm effortlessly. She rolled her body in a fluid motion, her arms lifting as she spun, her hair

each other’s energy, with their

Violet stood out. She wasn’t

bolder, more enticing. She arched her back, tilting