Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 282: Villains And Second Chances

Violet expected a thousand questions from Jeremiah, but he didn’t utter a word. Not until he brought her safely back to the Rogue house. Then, like a soldier who had completed his mission perfectly, he simply turned and left with style.

However, Violet barely stepped into the shack before her roommates descended on her like hounds.

"Where have you been?! Do you know how worried I’ve been? I almost thought something had happened and I might have failed in protecting the princess!" Lila peppered her with questions, rapid-fire.

Then her gaze dragged down the length of Violet’s body and locked on the oversize shirt she wore. Without a seer to tell her, she knew instantly that it was Asher’s shirt. Violet might as well have walked in with a neon sign flashing "Slept with the enemy."

Ivy added sternly before Lila could explode, "You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady."

Violet didn’t flinch under their scrutiny. Instead, she calmly smoothed the hem of the shirt and asked, "I’ll explain later. Where’s Alaric?"

Lila’s mouth pressed into a thin line. "He left."

"Shit!" Violet cursed, dragging a hand through her tangled hair. She had hoped to catch him before he stormed off, to explain, or at least ease whatever chaotic assumptions were brewing in his head.

"That’s not all," Lila said.

Violet turned to her, brow arching. "What do you mean, that’s not all?"

And moments later, Violet got her answer.

She stood frozen outside her bedroom door, her jaw slightly unhinged, and her eyes sweeping across the wreckage before her.

she demanded, whirling toward Lila with a look that screamed

and the bed looked like it had survived a war and lost while dust still hung in

dryly, "the curse was stronger than

"Stronger than—Lila, that could’ve killed

in the doorway rolled her eyes. "Injure him, maybe. But kill a

seeing this ruin and knowing Alaric had been in the middle of it sent a fresh stab of guilt through her chest. She had wanted him to be punished a little, not

a way to reduce it? Cancel the

He absorbed the whole thing. It’s following him now like a shadow. He has

worry in Violet’s eyes, Lila added quickly, "But don’t worry. The curse wasn’t meant to kill him. Just torment him. It won’t go

one look at the state of her room and she could already tell Alaric Storm was in for hell today. And damn it, she was really, truly

drawled, "why

were this close to thinking something horrible happened. Like maybe Elsie finally snapped

a sigh, rubbing her temple. "Well, thankfully nothing like that happened but

living room with anticipation. Once they settled and the

she started slowly. "And ended up at the

creaked in protest. "I knew it! That manipulative bastard compelled you again, didn’t he?! I thought he

off sharply, her voice slicing through the

lips together, clearly fuming but respecting Violet enough to

Violet told them everything, leaving nothing out. She narrated the abuse Asher suffered in Henry’s hands. She painted the story just the same way she had seen in the memories. And finally finished

the time Violet finished, the silence was

voice raspy. "That’s messed up. I always knew something had to have happened to make Asher the way he is. But what you just

know," Violet concurred, her hands clenching into fist. "And he will. One day. I’ll