Violet’s P.O.V.“Are you alright, Violet? You seem a bit distracted.” Elijah’s voice pulled me back to the present, but in a way, it was worse than the storm clouds that now made up my thoughts.After Olive’s badass confrontation with her mother, Monday rolled around with a quickness that left me reeling. She was still worried about what we’d done to Cortana and Lorenzo, but so was I. Hael and Cole had gone back to the scene of the crime, wiped the footage of all nearby cameras, and destroyed Olive’s car so that it couldn’t be traced back to us.There was one problem—one Hael reluctantly told me, but only because I’d threatened never to speak to him again if he didn’t.In the wreckage, there were three bodies found.That of Cortana Santino and her son, and the last, a body guard who’s head had been used as a wedge to prop open the back door.Killer, as I dubbed him, was not among the dead.That meant he was not only very much alive, but he was the only person who knew some semblance o
Hael’s P.O.V.All night, I fought sleep.It would creep up on me, tugging at my eyelids. Without moving, not wanting to wake up the pale-haired angel clinging to me, I’d chase it away.I didn’t want to miss out on this—on any of it.When Violet told me to get into bed with her, I thought she’d finally lost her mind. Insanity wouldn’t have changed things between us, not one bit. Even if she were as unhinged as Ariana, I’d still want her.It was the fact that she wanted me close—wanted me touching her—that rendered me speechless.Playing with her, edging her towards a mind-shattering orgasm, was much different than this. In a way, this felt more intimate. It was something my mind screamed at me to run away from, while the mate-bond and my wolf beckoned me in closer.For hours I listened to her soft snores, watching the way her eyes moved beneath her lids, peppered with lavender veins that ended at her long lashes. Every pass my fingers made down her spine was met with a breathy, content
Hael’s P.O.V.I had no choice but to face how thoroughly Violet flipped my world on it’s head when I began to leave campus with every intention on spying on this friendly lunch date of hers.The old me would’ve stormed in there, shoved a knife in Cartier’s chest, and hauled Violet out by her silky blonde hair, but I was trying this new thing where I cared about what she wanted and how my violent tendencies might make her feel.If there was one person capable of foiling my plans, it was my father. As I slid into my car, the engine purring like a feline woken from it’s slumber, his name flashed onto the screen.I cursed and jammed my finger into the answer button, biting back the mirth in my voice when I spoke.“Yes, father?”“My office, Hael. Now.” He said, then click. Well, shit. This wasn’t good, but when were things ever good with my father?Typing out a quick text to Cole, I put the car in reverse and sped out of the lot. His reply flashed onto the screen, only to be read by a rob
Violet’s P.O.V.I settled into the vintage diner booth, and painted a nonchalant smile on my face. The leather creaked under my bottom, and the metal rim of the table was cold to the touch.The mouthwatering scent of burgers, milkshakes, and other fried foods hung in the air, meshing with the light chatter that filled the place. An old jukebox sat at the very end of a curved bar, playing Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds by the Beatles.“So, what do you think?” Holden said, a tinge of nervousness filling the smooth baritone that was his voice. He pushed the golden strands of hair that had fallen onto his forehead out of his face.I blinked, flushing because I’d completely missed what he said prior to his question. My mind had been elsewhere, on a set of dark eyes that plagued most of my waking thoughts. Hael’s words were haunting me, swirling in my head on the whisper of a dark promise that had my blood singing.“It’s nice.” I beamed, assuming he was talking about the diner we’d just step
Violet’s P.O.V.My body had a visceral reaction to the possessive fire in his voice, and even through the phone, I could feel the flames lick their way up my spine.Why did I like that so much? Was I developing a praise kink or something?Feeling just a tad flustered, I decided I’d return the gesture with one thing I knew would snare Hael’s attention.“Yes, sir.” I purred, then quickly hung up the phone.Olive whistled low, rolling onto her stomach. “You two need to jump each other’s bones already. I swear, I’m getting second-hand horny from all the tension between you two, and before you call me a creep, I’m pretty sure Cole’s feeling the same way.”A burst of laughter exploded from my chest, and I hurled one of the throw pillows her way.“That makes you both creeps!”We waited until it got dark to head over to the Violet Lounge. By the time we arrived, the gravel lot was packed with vehicles.A wave of nausea hit me full force as the memories of this place came flooding back, height
Hael’s P.O.V. We were heading back from the warehouse when Violet called. Son of a… I almost hadn’t answered considering the name that popped onto the screen was Olive’s, but intuition had me hitting the little green button instead of the red. It whispered in a knowing voice that Violet had likely gotten herself into trouble again. Sure enough, I’d been right. The two of them followed the ambulance carrying Erik Chen to the hospital, where we’d all meet up in just half an hour. I had a death grip on the steering wheel the entire drive, focusing on the road to divert my attention from how thoroughly pissed off I was. Violet, my disobedient little mate, couldn’t keep herself out of harms way. Part of me understood her inability to fully accept the situation, which was a feat in and of itself because I was not the understanding type. Without the memories of her past, she grew up in a nice little bubble nestled in the mountains. Bullying had been the worst of what she’d dealt with.
Hael’s P.O.V.An ocean of dark promises churned in my eyes, acting as the perfect warning before I approached. She backed away; a frightened doe caught in the headlights of a predator. Only, it wasn’t her blood I wanted.“I’m going to punish you, Violet. Lets see if you can stop me.” I purred, my cock twitching from anticipation alone.I lunged just as her back hit the wall, snaring her wrists as she writhed and thrashed against me. She made an attempt to kick me, but all it did was allow me in between her legs and—fuck, it was like she wanted to be punished.Her barely covered pussy was flush against my cock, and all her squirming did was grind it against my length.Unable to take any more, I threw her over my shoulder. She plastered my back with punches, but they lacked the power necessary to garner a reaction. If anything, her little snarls and sounds of outrage only served to make me harder.I plopped down on the bed, forcing her over my lap. When she tried to crawl away, I grabbe
Hael’s P.O.V.Leaving Violet in my bedroom, I headed back to hers. Sliding into her bed, under her frilly pink comforter, without her, was a bit odd. It was necessary, though.I huddled under the covers, my ears peeled, and senses stretched as far as they could reach, for what could’ve easily been hours.When the window beside Violet’s closet opened, I was more than aware of it.A light breeze carried the scent of the intruder into the room. It was a familiar mixture of blood, sweat, and stale cigarettes. With my breathing slow and calculated, I continued to wait.Their footsteps were so quiet that I instantly knew whoever this was, was no stranger to breaking in unnoticed. Even their breathing was dampened, almost undetectable.This fucker was good, but I was better. The intruder’s presence loomed over the comforter, and I waited with calming breaths for the moment my gut told me to act. One second turned into two, and on the third, I was hit with a wave of fury that had me springin