Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 525: All Loose Ends

Violet folded her wings in and padded over to Roman. He barely had time to brace himself before she pressed her head against his chest, rubbing against him with stubborn insistence. She pushed her muzzle into him again and again, the way an animal would comfort its wounded packmate.

Roman swallowed hard, his hand coming up automatically to her neck as if he didn’t know what else to do with the flood of emotion in his throat. "This is all my fault," he muttered.

Griffin frowned. "What?"

With a long sigh, Roman broke away from her and dropped onto the edge of the bed. Violet followed him immediately, pressing her head into his lap this time, refusing to leave him. Roman’s fingers threaded into her fur, scratching along her neck and shoulders. Violet practically moaned at the contact, leaning harder into him, her tail swishing faintly with each stroke.

Griffin simply watched them without interrupting the moment.

Roman kept his gaze down, unable to look his mate-in-law in the eye. "Alexa... was well, being Alexa. And she said some pretty mean things." He swallowed hard, words catching in his throat. "She said she regrets ever giving birth to me."

"Shit." Griffin’s face went tight, the gravity of the words settling on him. He inhaled deeply. "That’s a fucked-up thing to say, man. If I was Violet, I’d have ripped out her throat on the spot."

Roman gave a weak chortle, as if pretending Griffin only said it to lighten the mood. But Griffin’s expression darkened, deadly serious.

"I mean it."

Roman blinked, realization dawning. "Oh."

Griffin scratched the side of his brow. "Listen, Roman, I don’t blame you for what happened. But we need to deal with your parents, and that means keeping our mate’s secret safe. How sure are you they’re not spilling everything even as we sit here?"

with Elijah. It’s Alexa we need to

knows Elijah doesn’t spare anyone. If she leaks a word, it’ll be her own downfall too.

"So we

to shift back.

as bones cracked back into place. In an instant, she stood before them in her human skin, naked and

shaky from the shift, but Roman was already

gripped his shirt as she looked up at him, demanding, "Where

stare, and Violet followed the look, waiting for whatever explanation

exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alaric is

you mean he’s

mean, the only one I met was Alpha Caspian. He told me Zara took Alaric back to the North pack, and..." Griffin’s expression hardened, "he won’t even

growl rolled from Violet’s chest before she even realized it. "Alaric wouldn’t have left. He knows this is where we would’ve headed, inevitably.

furrowed. "When

shook his head. "Caspian didn’t say and that’s what’s making me uncomfortable. Asher and Alaric might not be the best of friends, but even then, the least Alaric could’ve done is come to the West pack to pay his respect. No, this doesn’t feel like his choice. I can’t shake the feeling he was forced." His jaw clenched. "And why the hell did he even return to the North in the first

tone. "Then we have to

brow. "After Alpha Henry’s

"No. That’s too long. If Alaric didn’t have a say in going back, then he’s not safe right

at the idea, almost

said to her. "You want us to go