Violet’s P.O.V.“This is called a Fireball Orange sweet tea.” I told her, laughing when she gasped. Nervousness prickled my stomach, but Lacey didn’t sense anything amiss. I reminded myself that one drink wouldn’t hurt, and that it wasn’t nearly enough to get me drunk. “It’s a bit strong, so I’m definitely only having one, but I’ll make you as many as you’d like.”“I’m so excited. Lets do this!” She beamed, “I’ve never had a ‘girls night’ before. That’s what this is, right? We’re both girls, it’s night time outside, and we’re here together having fun!”Whoever she was, she kept up this enthusiasm the entire time I made our drinks. When she had her first sip, she sucked down nearly half the glass before coming up for breath. There was a sheen of liquid on her upper lip, sparkling above her cupids bow before she swiped it away with the back of her hand. Seeing that I’d only taken a couple of sips, she frowned.“Oh, no. Is it too strong? Should we get something else?”I shook my head, fe
Violet’s P.O.V.“What do you mean there was a girl there?” Olive asked, her knuckles white from holding the steering wheel in a death grip. “When I came out I didn’t see any girl.”“I swear, there was a girl! She was pretty and funny—a little strange, but she got me to have a drink with her, which turned into ten or so, but I actually didn’t mind most of them. Can you believe I’d never had alcohol ‘till now? How crazy is that! I make all types of drinks but never thought to try one. From now on—“ I paused, hearing Olive snort. “What?”She lifted one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows and side-eyed me. “I would’ve never pegged you as a chatty drunk.”“I am not chatty.” I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest. “I was just trying to tell you that there was a girl, but I have no clue where she went or how she vanished that fast.”“As weird as that is, we’ve got bigger fish to fry.” She grumbled. “Luna Sylvia’s assistant and driver are coming to my house to pick you up, and you’re shitfac
Hael’s P.O.V.I turned and left Violet standing in the hallway, her face flushed with embarrassment and her chest heaving. The pleasure I’d derived from seeing pain flash across her face, it was tainted by the scent of her fucking arousal.There wasn’t an inch of my skin that wasn’t crawling with need—with desire. If I wasn’t a monster who’d done horrible things, I might’ve screamed myself hoarse shouting at the Moon Goddess for pairing me with her, for tying my soul to hers.No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to stop myself.With clawed hands, I pulled at my hair. The pain radiating across my scalp sharpened things, brought some perspective to the situation. At the very least, it stopped the unsettling sensation drenching my skin, like insects were burrowing beneath my flesh and scratching the insides of my veins.The mate-bond was at play, and I’d underestimated it’s pull, but I still wasn’t yet willing to reject her. I wasn’t used to this—this lack of control. It was grati
Hael’s P.O.V.“Fuck, dude. That’s got to hurt.” Cole winced, biting into his clenched fist as he watched me carve a slice of skin off of Ethan’s back.I rolled my eyes, watching as he shifted his weight from his left foot to his right. His eyes were glued on what I was doing, tracking my every move. He had the world fooled, but Cole thrived on violence. Most with the rogue gene did.I’d come here directly after speaking with my father, needing to blow off steam. Since the cabin’s location and true purpose were compromised, I had no choice but to have him relocated. The best option was at Cole’s, deep in his basement where even the house staff refused to go.Since his father wasn’t here, Ethan had the freedom to scream and wail as loudly as he needed. Which is exactly what he did.“What were you going to do to her, Ethan?” I purred, kneeling so that my eyes could be level with his. The cement floor bit into my knees, but I welcomed the brief sting of pain.Ethan mumbled incoherently, w
Hael’s P.O.V.The entire ride back to the clinic, I could hear Arianna’s voice in my head.I met a ghost.A ghost. Ghost. I’d killed more people than I cared to remember. Some I had to search for, traveling across this wasteland of an earth, while others were brought to me. So many left this world at my hands, had their last breath in my vicinity, uttered their pathetic goodbyes for my ears alone, but I had only ever met one ghost.Violet.My Violet.I dropped Cole off at the clinic with Arianna and immediately headed for the estate.There was no such thing as coincidences, and anyone who tried to convince themselves of that was a damned fool. And fools, they didn’t last long in this world. I was no fool.With how much wolfsbane it took to keep Arianna docile, it was a wonder she remembered anything pertaining to reality. She’d only seen Violet a handful of times back then. It was the other girl she became friends with, the one Violet’s mother had brought here with her.Even with m
Hael’s P.O.V.With hands outstretched and determination burning in my eyes, I lunged for her.My first mistake was not paying more attention to the egg in her hand, because she didn’t hesitate to launch it at my face. She had a strong arm on her, sending it soaring through the air faster than most she-wolves her age. Unfortunately for her, I was faster.I moved my head just a few inches to the left, and smirked when the egg exploded on the wall behind me.Second mistake, I assumed she’d stop with the egg.The last thing I thought she’d do was launch an entire bag of fucking flour at me like it were some kind of grenade. Which it might as well have been considering it exploded the second it hit my chest.A plume of white powder filled the air and coated nearly every surface in the entire kitchen.I didn’t move—didn’t fucking breathe with how much anger was coursing through me. If I had, I might’ve thrown her to the ground. Restraint wasn’t something I often had to exercise, but it was
Hael’s P.O.V.The walk from the foyer to Violet’s suite took a few minutes, giving me time to control myself and my stubborn cock.It had never reacted this way before, like it didn’t care who she was or what she’d done. All it knew was untethered desire, the growing need to see her naked and squirming beneath me, completely at my mercy.Violet shifted her weight forward, still slung over my shoulder. I failed to bite back a snarl when her breasts grazed the upper part of my back.“Sorry.” She muttered listlessly.It took her long enough to quit thrashing and finally accept that escape was impossible.“Already apologizing for putting up a fight?” I feigned surprise. “Incredible. I didn’t even have to force it out of you.”Her snort was soft and unamused.“That’s not what I’m apologizing for.” She said.We were just down the hall from her suite, close enough to where I could see the door. For those few seconds it took to close in, I wondered why she was apologizing. It couldn’t be for
Hael's P.O.V.Weak.I was weak, and I couldn’t afford to be.The sparkle in her eyes dimmed, like she too could sense that this moment—this thing between us was done. I stepped back, letting her untangle her legs from my waist.“Finish cleaning yourself off.” I grunted, leaving the bathroom without once looking back.It didn’t take her long to emerge from the bathroom. In that time I’d already looked through the contents of her bedroom, not that there was much to go through to begin with.Violet had little personal belongings. Her entire life was summed up by a couple of cookbooks, romance novels with cheesy covers, and some t-shirts that were several sizes too big.I’d expected her to come out wrapped in a towel, having actually taken a shower, but she didn’t. The corset and skirt she wore was still on her body, albeit soaked completely through. From her pout and the defiant light dancing in her eyes, I’d guess she thought she was doing something by not showering.“Why are you still