Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 71 - Chapitre 80

Violet“You are so funny, Nicole,” Nate said lightly, already stepping away from the table. “That is my line.”A ripple of soft laughter followed, and everybody but me had an amused look on their faces. Well, everybody but me and Elijah.But I wasn’t going there.My mind began to wonder what new drama these two were about to unfold. My eyes darted to the door, and I looked at it longingly, as if a caged animal wanting to spring free.Meanwhile, Nicole turned toward Nate, brows knitting together in what looked like genuine confusion. If I hadn’t known her better, if I hadn’t lived through the way she smiled while taking things from me, I might have believed it too.“Oh?” she said, her voice lilting with curiosity. “Then what are you doing?”Nate didn’t answer immediately.Instead, he clapped his hands once, sharply.The sound echoed through the dining hall.Almost instantly, the atmosphere shifted.Servants who had been quietly refilling cups or clearing plates froze, then moved with s

VioletThe room exploded in cries of surprise and excited squeals, none of which came from my mouth. Nicole’s mouth formed a big O, and she was jumping up and down like her long lost wish was finally coming true.“Are we getting married next month? Nate!!!”She pulled him into a hug while the servants all clapped and rejoiced. Lady Aurelia’s eyes grew moist and alpha Alaric pulled her closer.“Look at that. We are going to have a wedding in this manor after ages.”The two held each other close meanwhile I wondered if I could slip outside undetected. They could celebrate and rejoice all they wanted.I didn’t even bother saying a word, just quietly grabbed my suitcase, trying not to roll my eyes as Nate and Nicole planned the event.Elijah straightened his back as well and was about to step forward when Nicole’s voice rang again.“Oh, Violet. Where are you going?”“Home.” I answered flatly. “My parents must be waiting for me. Plus, I have a job.”Nicole frowned, playing with the buttons

VioletA month ago, I would not even have imagined being a bridesmaid in Nate’s wedding instead of the bride. Or to start looking forward to seeing a cute dimple on the face of a man I had not known until that day back at Salt and Smoke.Fate was weird that way.But I felt glad to have Elijah by my side. I was still not sure what name to give our relationship, but he was a far better person to me than Nate ever was.Elijah stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged.“Then who is going to run my pack if I stay here for a whole month?”I bit my lip at that. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.“Well, I saw your pack when I visited it during Cassie’s treatment and I know that you dont have a traditional pack. There were no high borders, no guards running around with high tech security gear. Everybody looked happy and was doing their own thing. That tells me it would function well without its alpha well enough.”Elijah bowed his head.“I will take that compliment. But the truth is, I dont do

VioletThe sitting room smelled faintly of a rich heady perfume and old stone.The sweet scent curled around me, not overly unpleasant but not too comforting either.The windows were tall and narrow, letting in pale morning light that never quite reached the corners of the room. Everything here felt deliberately designed to dwarf a person—high ceilings, dark wood paneling, furniture spaced just far enough apart that silence pooled between each piece like stagnant water.I sat on the edge of a velvet-backed chair that felt far too expensive for someone like me, my spine stiff, my hands folded in my lap to keep them from betraying how badly they wanted to fidget.Lady Aurelia sat across from me, utterly still.Her silver hair was pinned neatly at the nape of her neck, her morning gown simple but unmistakably regal. She looked composed, relaxed even, as if this were a casual tea with an old friend instead of whatever quiet execution she was preparing.The teacup on the table between us h

Violet“You’re holding yourself together better than most girls your age. Most would have cracked under the pressure long ago,” she observed.My jaw tightened.“I didn’t know there was a performance review,” I said, growing bolder with every passing minute. It was clear by now that she was trying to intimidate me.But to do that when there was nobody watching was weird. Maybe she wanted something from me. What though?A corner of her mouth curved.“Everything in this house is a performance review.”Silence settled again, a bit heavier this time.“I came here first,” she said abruptly.The words felt out of place, as if she’d pulled them from a different conversation.I frowned. “I’m sorry?”“I built Ironcrest’s influence while my husband was busy fighting wars and chasing legacy,” she continued, unfazed. “I raised Elijah. I stood by Alaric’s side despite his numerous ‘alliances’ and kept this family intact when it wanted to tear itself apart.”The way she stressed on the word ‘allianc