LOGINVioletSometime later in the night, I woke up and mindlessly reached for Elijah. But he wasn’t there. I forced my sleepy eyes to open and looked around to realize that he had left sometime ago, probably when I was fast asleep.I couldn't sleep after waking up because my brain started playing the conversation with Elijah on an endless loop, his words echoing in the darkness of my room. Whatever this is between us, it's worth fighting for. The memory of his kiss, tender and desperate all at once, lingered on my lips like a brand.But underneath the warmth of those memories, guilt coiled tight in my chest like a serpent. The clock on the nightstand read 3:47 AM, its red digits glowing in the darkness like accusing eyes. I threw off the covers and sat up, my heart pounding from anxiety rather than any real threat. The room felt too small suddenly, the walls closing in. I needed air and something to clear my head before I went completely insane.I slipped out of bed, my bare feet silent
VioletI nodded eagerly but he pinched my lips between his thumb and forefinger.“Say it”“I…I will come only for you”“That’s my good girl”He said with that same satisfied expression and then pulled out just to deliver a final thrust that rocked me.When I shattered a second time, it was with a cry muffled against his shoulder, my body trembling in waves that pulled him over the edge with me. He buried himself deep, groaning my name like a vow, his release filling me as his arms wrapped around us both, shielding me from the world.We lay tangled afterward, breaths syncing in the quiet. Elijah's fingers resumed their lazy trails along my spine, but now there was a satisfied glint in his eyes, the fire banked once more. "No one takes you from me," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my temple. "Not Nate, not the Moon Goddess, not anyone."I smiled, tracing the line of his collarbone. "I know. And I'm not going anywhere."As he wrapped me in his arms, the nightmares of the outside w
VioletHe settled between my legs, his hardness pressing gently against me, as I stared at his tattoos."Tell me if you want to stop," he said softly, his forehead resting against mine, our breaths mingling."I don't," I whispered, pulling him closer. "I need this. I need you."His eyes searched mine one last time, then he kissed me again, slow and deep, as he shifted his hips. The tip of him nudged at my entrance, and I gasped at the intimate contact, my body already slick with anticipation. He entered me inch by inch, so carefully, giving me time to adjust to the fullness of him. It was a connection, a slow burn that built from my toes to the tips of my fingers.Elijah's arms braced on either side of me, let me breathe in for a moment and began to move with gentle thrusts that rocked us together in a steady rhythm, each one drawing a soft sigh from my lips. My hands roamed his back, nails grazing lightly, urging him on without words.Pleasure coiled low in my belly, as he kissed my
VioletI should have lied, should have pushed him away. Or should have started the process of breaking his heart like Aurelia had commanded to turn myself into the villain she wanted me to be.But I couldn't.Because the truth was, I did feel it. Whatever this was between us, it wasn't one-sided. It wasn't just me manipulating him or him protecting me out of some misplaced sense of duty.It was real.And that terrified me more than anything else in this entire nightmare situation."I feel it," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared of it, but I feel it.""Scared of what?""Scared that I'll be the reason for your doom." The words came out in a rush, raw and honest. "You've already risked so much for me. Your relationship with your father, your own pack. And it's only going to get worse. Being with me, protecting me, choosing me…it's going to destroy you.""That's not..""It is." I pulled back from his touch, wrapping my arms around myself. "Your father was ready to st
VioletIt was possible. But I couldn't prove it."This is ridiculous," Elijah said, his voice tight with barely controlled rage. "He's lying. He's manufacturing evidence. He assaulted her, drugged her…""All we have is your word on that," Alaric interrupted. "And your word is biased. You've made your feelings for this girl abundantly clear."Elijah took another step toward Nate, and I saw his hands clench into fists. The same hands that had beaten Nate unconscious and were still scarred from that violence."Elijah, don't," I said quickly, grabbing his arm. "Please don't."But he was already wound too tight, too angry. I could feel the tension in his muscles, could see the wolf rising in his eyes."Enough!" Aurelia's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding. She'd appeared from somewhere, gliding into the entrance hall like a ghost. "This has gone on long enough. Nate, we're glad you've recovered. Elijah, stand down. Violet, perhaps it's best if you return to your room."Her t
VioletI actually took a step backward, my mouth falling open in shock."What?" I managed to get out. "That's not... I never...""Come on, Violet," Nate said, his tone almost pitying now. "There's no point in lying about it anymore. Everyone's going to find out eventually.""Find out what?" My voice was shaking now, anger and disbelief warring for dominance. "I haven't been trying to get back with you. I wanted nothing to do with you. I still want nothing to do with you.""Is that why you've been calling me?" Nate pulled out his phone, holding it up like evidence. "Why you tracked down my new number after I changed it? Or why you've been texting me?"My mind was reeling. "You threatened me outside Dane's office. You said if I didn't help you with some work project, you'd make my life hell. That's the only reason I contacted you.""That's not how I remember it." Nate's voice was calm, reasonable, the tone of someone telling an unfortunate truth. "The way I remember it, you couldn't han
VioletI had this sudden urge to ask her to elaborate. After all, that had been my plan to fish out information from her that would prove vital for me later.But I also had a feeling, she would blurt it out in front of him the second she returned home if I immediately reacted.So I decided to be ta
VioletThe car roared to life, the sound of my raging heart dying down over the powerful hum of the engine, and then Elijah drove off.I stood staring like an idiot at the black beast that disappeared from my view, still trying to process what Elijah had said.Maybe I should follow him, but it was
VioletI stood rooted to the spot for a second as the girl continued to blabber something.And my eyes widened in surprise.I was not sure what I had expected when I entered his office, maybe him scowling at his employees but definitely not a girl leaning in for a kiss.My mind told me I should loo
VioletI had felt victorious for a total of five seconds before the slight feeling of guilt even popped up.I wasn’t a mean or nasty person, I was just flustered and sleep-deprived. I barely knew him, and needed his help.And this was not the way I would get it.However, Elijah tilted his head to t







