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.

didn’t get a manual on how to fix centuries of rot. You’re doing something 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

thumb brushed the corner of her

and that passion that burns so brightly inside you. Lunaris Academy doesn’t need a perfect reformer. It needs that

now, darker, "the scholarship students you’re 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 a toxic, elitist cesspool wrapped

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 their tracks

the press, spin it like change is coming. Elsie will probably pull off some tear-stained apology tour and wrap it all in a redemption

gave a

"That is both assuring and scary," she said, disappointed. "So that means

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.

was a

tries to come for you,

lips, nor 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 heart

you,"

like he’d heard

time, her voice was

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

her heart pounding like she’d run a thousand

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

rolled her eyes. "Those weren’t for