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

of her mouth, softening the

values, your instincts, and that passion that burns so brightly inside you. Lunaris Academy doesn’t need a perfect reformer. It needs that raw, flawed girl with fire in her chest and a desperate need to make

protected. But because they’re

one of them benefits from keeping Lunaris afloat. It’s not an academy, it’s a machine. And the Conscription is just glitter they throw over the rot. Makes them look generous to the public while covering

soon. They’ll toss a few comforting words to the press, spin it like change is coming. Elsie will probably pull off some tear-stained apology tour and wrap it all in a

gave a

she said, disappointed. "So that means my efforts were for

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

a

tries to come for you, they’ll have to go through me

settled between them. Violet stared at Asher. Not at his lips, nor his hands, nor his beautiful, strange eyes, but at him. At the boy who made promises she knew he would keep. And

you," Violet

like

time, her voice

make sense. And every part of you

finished, her heart pounding like she’d run a thousand miles in those few seconds. She swallowed, unsure what he’d do with

as he said, "I love you too, my purple queen. I’ve loved you since

rolled her eyes. "Those weren’t for