Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 422: Alone

"You’re finally awake."

Those were the first words Asher Nightshade heard when his eyes fluttered open. He turned to the side and saw his father seated beside the bed, a deeply amused expression tugging at his face.

"I was beginning to think you’d sleep for eternity," Henry said. "Would’ve solved most of my problems considering you’ve been a real pain in my ass lately. But alas, I still need an heir, and I’m not exactly in the mood to start over with another one who’ll just betray me in the end."

Asher didn’t respond. He shifted his gaze around the room instead. He was in the hospital again. The steady beep of a heart monitor echoed annoyingly in his ears and his body ached like hell. If this was what living felt like, then maybe being dead wouldn’t have been so bad.

No. He couldn’t think like that. He’d promised his purple queen a lifetime.

With a grunt, Asher pushed himself up into a sitting position. His eyes landed on a bouquet on the nightstand, and hope surged in his chest.

"Don’t get excited," Henry said, following his gaze. "It’s not from the girl. Alaric brought those. Since when did you two become so close?"

Asher stayed silent.

Henry narrowed his eyes. "Well, you boys were once united at one point."

Yeah, they had once been united against Patrick after Elijah had handed them over to be experimented upon, so he could figure out what made them "tick".

If Alaric had come, what about Violet? Was she safe? Had they found her?And how long had he even been asleep?

Henry let out another mirthless laugh when Asher still wouldn’t speak to him. "It’s almost funny," he said, "how you’re treating me like this when I’ve been here the whole time, and not even the bitch you nearly died for bothered to visit you."

"Don’t call her a bitch again," Asher warned, his voice cold. "And if Violet didn’t come to visit me, then she’s smarter than I give her credit for. I wouldn’t trust what you’d do to her, not with your track record."

locked eyes in a tense staredown until Henry burst into laughter. It was long, hollow, and dripping with mockery. "Really? Is

nightstand and turned on the television mounted

broadcast was playing already. The camera panned over a crowd of cheering students, then cut to the two smiling anchors behind a sleek news

smile. "Finally, we have some good news to share and what a story it is. Amidst what’s been a particularly dark season for

hair, nodded. "That’s right, Tessa. The news of a confirmed fated mate bond has spread like wildfire. And not just any mate bond, we’re talking about Griffin Hale, one of the Cardinal Alphas, and a human

and it was of Griffin and Violet sharing a kiss

while pack members cheered around them. Then another cut was of the two of them stepping into Lunaris Academy’s campus hand

to the studio. "Fated mates have always been celebrated in werekind history as signs of divine

the academy, this changes the narrative. If the Moon Goddess herself paired a human with

Asher wasn’t

broadcasters continued to gush over the union and speculate on its impact, but to Asher, the

was locked, and

necks. Violet’s face was radiant, her lips curved in a smile that was real while Griffin had his arms around her, sheer contentment in their eyes. They looked so

tightened, his vision tunneling. Violet was mated. Not just that, she was fate mated to Griffin? The cold reality settled over him like a fog, numbing every nerve. She had

sliding down his face until Henry leaned in and grabbed his jaw, tilting it in his

Henry said coldly, inspecting him like a failed experiment.

felt small again. He was back to being that boy from long

Henry grabbed him again, it was harder and painful. And his voice was like

should be grateful this happened. I was planning to get rid of the bitch anyway, but it looks like

eyes and Henry saw it and kept

focused on. No more bitches, do you