Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 369: Owe Him A Dance

For a moment, Asher didn’t speak. He just watched her lose herself to the fear, her breath quick and shallow, and her voice tight with guilt she didn’t deserve. Violet was rarely the type to let her guard down, but right now, it was falling right in front of him.

Before he could say a word, she was already covering it up with a smile that didn’t touch her eyes. "Okay, maybe I’m thinking too much and this is stupid," Violet awkwardly cleared her throat. This was Asher, anyway, and he wasn’t used to dealing with all this big emotional stuff.

To her surprise, Asher said, "It’s not stupid."

"What?"

"Look at me."

Violet wouldn’t. She felt so vulnerable right now and didn’t want Asher to see her like that. Weak and emotional.

"Look at me, love." He turned her face gently.

Violet finally looked at him, and he stared back. He saw not just her beautiful golden eyes, but the girl who had turned his life upside down since the moment he saw her face on paper.

Without hesitation, Asher pulled her onto his lap like she weighed nothing and cradled her against his chest. Then he threaded his fingers through her hair, soothing her, and Violet’s eyes fluttered closed in appreciation.

Then Asher tilted her chin until their eyes met. "You didn’t mess anything up. Lunaris Academy was already broken before you got here, Violet. You didn’t cause the fire, you just stopped pretending the smoke wasn’t choking everyone. I didn’t even know what I was doing wrong until you called out my bullshit. Our bullshit," he emphasized not just his, but the other Cardinal Alphas’. "Thanks to you, people like us, and Elsie, who were untouchable before? Now we’re accountable."

Violet blinked in surprise, lips parting, but he kept going.

no one else had the courage to do—to stand up to it. Yeah, maybe it’s not perfect. Maybe you were impulsive in some areas. But guess what? No one ever changes a system by asking

corner of her

inside you. Lunaris Academy doesn’t need

worried about? Nothing is going to happen to them. Not because they’re protected. But because they’re useful. I’ve told you before, this is all politics. Lunaris is

president. The governors. The Alpha King. The council. Every last one of them benefits from keeping Lunaris afloat. It’s not an academy, it’s a machine. And the

tour and wrap it all in a redemption arc. With the right PR manipulation, they’ll bury this scandal with another one, swap out Principal Jameson for a fresh face, and boom! One month later, everything’s back to normal, and

a

was dumbfounded. "That is both assuring and scary," she said, disappointed. "So that means my efforts were for

"I’m not saying your efforts were for nothing. But there are more bad people than good people in the world now, and even big deals like this get buried fast. That’s why we act now, while things are being shaken up. You’ve made a mark, honey. So let the world spin and the cowards panic. But don’t you ever

was a beat

meaning, "If anyone ever tries to come

his hands, nor his beautiful, strange eyes, but at him. At the boy who made promises she knew he would keep. And just like that, her

love you," Violet

like he’d heard

her voice was

Nightingale Nightshade. I love every broken piece of you. Every twisted part that doesn’t make sense. And every part of you

was breathless by the time she finished, her heart pounding like she’d run a thousand miles in those few seconds. She

up Asher’s face as he said, "I love you too, my purple queen. I’ve loved you since the day I read those words

eyes. "Those