Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 209: Only Roman Was Left

For a moment, raw hurt flashed in Roman’s eyes as he asked her, "Are you that ashamed of me?"

Elsie stiffened. The question caught her off guard, as if she hadn’t realized the full extent of her words until now. Perhaps she had pushed too far. And that was warning enough for her to be careful.

Roman was the only one left. Out of all the Cardinal Alphas, he was the one who had never truly turned against her. The one who still followed her lead, respected her, and defended her. If she lost him too, she’d have nothing.

So, with perfectly measured grace, she softened.

"Of course not, Roman," Elsie said, her voice dipping into something gentler. "I’m only concerned about you making a fool of yourself in front of my parents. My people."

She touched his face, her fingers light, coaxing him. But the doubt in Roman’s eyes didn’t fade.

So she tried again.

"You’ve known me for years."Her voice dropped into something more intimate, weaving through the space between them. "I was the one who took care of you during your..." She hesitated, choosing her words carefully, "unexpected shifts."

Her grip on his face tightened slightly as she pushed on. "All those times your father would—"

But she didn’t get to finish because Roman’s sharp glare cut her off immediately, his eyes flashing a silent but absolute warning.

Elsie swallowed hard. Fine. She wouldn’t mention it.

Instead, she exhaled slowly, lowering her gaze as she murmured, "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things."

forehead pressing lightly against his, her breath warm

I have left." Her voice wavered, tinged

eyes for a brief second. The vulnerability in her words wrapped around him like a chain, pulling him in despite himself. She needed him. And just like that, he made up

promised, his voice filled with quiet devotion. "I’m not like the others. I’m not

matter how tempting Violet Purple might be. Roman didn’t say the last part out loud, but he

piercing blue eyes, and something

jaw with an almost reverent touch, his breath mingling with hers. He was close, so close to kissing her only

His jaw locked.

and detached, as if he hadn’t just been a breath away from kissing

slowly, his face

"Yes. The fucking rules."

Elijah had made his decree clear. The Cardinal Alphas could fight for Elsie. They could court her, compete for her, claim her. But there would be no kissing. No sex. No physical intimacy of any kind until one of them won the Alpha King title and made her

was to remain untouched. A temptation, a prize. A

And she had been.

Violet Purple showed

the one with no rank, no standing, no rightful place among them, had stolen what should have belonged to Elsie. She had captured the attention of the alphas. Attention that wasn’t

back, the vulnerability in her eyes vanishing as though it

need to find a way to break Violet once and for all," she declared, voice cool with determination. "The girl is too stubborn for her own good, and we can’t have her stirring up a revolt. Imagine how

too stubborn for her own good." He said it with

continued, "condemned, ours to do with as

only for Elsie to

far. They’re human, after all, and if something unfortunate happened, it’d be terrible publicity for Lunaris