Violet smirks, the last threads from her jeans and shirt unravelling to stitch her up, as Idun winds up.
“It sucks so hard to be her some days,” Anna says on a pitying sigh.
“I was born to stand in your way, just because I fucking can. And now everyone’s going to know that you’re not my problem. But I just became the only problem you’re allowed to have, because you, the big, scary, all-powerful alpha can’t even make me scream while I’m still just a pup.”
I feel the pulse of power as Idun slams the flogger down. It’s glowing red, breaking all the rules too fast to be stopped, as it crashes down on Violet’s back.
The pulse of power is so potent that a ring of it almost knocks me back.
“Fault! You forfeit all other licks; the punishment is concluded,” Zuela quickly says to Idun, as she just laughs under her breath, letting the flogger tumble from her hand, as she walks toward the gate door.
Idun grins as she glances over at Violet with far too much interest.
“This is going to be fun, January Violet Carmine. I look forward to our next encounter.”
Violet’s body is so deep into the concrete that I can barely see the flesh of her skin. Her body is stitched together in patches with all her clothing, and only her underwear remains.
It was just flesh wounds until that last hit, but I have no idea what damage has been done now.
The concrete stirs, and Idun’s smile falls just barely, as Violet’s head pops up just enough to see her hair. She starts slowly standing once again.
Her entire body is patterned with stitches, as she reaches into her bra, cracking a small glass ball, before letting the liquid drip to her face.
There’s some instant change, but she still looks bludgeoned to bloody death.
“Still neutral?” I ask Arion so quietly only he can hear, as Marta steps by Idun and into the cage to go to her daughter.
Violet struggles to stand on her own with one leg broken.
Arion stands and walks out without saying a word to me. Damien does the same thing. Emit goes last.
Zuela’s eyes meet mine, as they all three walk out different doors, and he turns and walks out as well. Everyone is damn silent and fast to leave.
“Oh, come on. That was just like the good ol’ days when arrogant omegas or betas would show how stupid they are,” Idun crows, high off the pain she’s caused, as Violet winces.
Idun struts outside to where everyone else has gone, wanting her attention. I notice the camera that stays on Violet, as she kisses the top of Marta’s head, while Marta feigns a stoic expression.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Marta assures her.
Damien sends me a text, and I stand, buttoning my coat as I read it.
DAMIEN: Cold Well Creek. We’re meeting there.
ME: I’m getting Violet home first.
He sends nothing back, as I walk through the mostly empty arena, ignoring Nadine as she looks on from the shadows. She wordlessly watches, as Marta helps Violet hobble her way toward the exit.
“Call Ighan,” Violet is saying, as I come up behind her. “I need him to meet us at the back door with something to juice my healing before everyone sees me.”
Marta turns her cold eyes toward mine, a lethal look in her gaze like she wants to do something that will certainly ignite a war. I know the feeling.
The yard is still littered with alphas and betas who were here to witness a humbling fight to put Violet in her place.
Violet makes a peace sign, as she smiles toward the camera, and the cameraman slowly backs away. My eyes come up just in time to see Demetria, the mind-reading gypsy freak, back into the shadows like she was ensuring no one tried anything against Idun.
She’s probably been inside Violet’s mind the entire time, prying for any and every secret to give Idun. She’s supposed to be fucking forbidden from all alpha gatherings.
Zuela’s eyes meet mine as he stops in front of his car, but he looks away just as quickly, as his beta/lover takes passenger side. My mother gets into another vehicle, eyes shaded by designer glasses, as her beta kisses her cheek.
It feels like all eyes are on me as I move through the thinning crowd, hearing Idun animatedly talking to the camera.
“It’s not as bad as that time I thought I could make a combustible engine and put it on the back of my bicycle to form a rocket,” Violet tells Marta, causing Marta just to glare at her harder, as Violet grins broadly over at her.
“Vance is going to give me a ride, since he’s stalking me to tell me what an idiot I am for this, and you’re going to go scream into the forest for a few hours before speaking, okay?” Violet says to her.
A tear leaks down Marta’s face, and she gives Violet one curt nod, before my arm goes around her waist. Marta doesn’t even object to the touch as she stalks off.
Avery comes over, eyes glassy, as he puts his jacket over her shoulders.
“Thanks, Sir Avery,” Violet says like she’s in some way grateful he’s a traitorous son of a bitch.
“You knew?” I ask him, narrowing my eyes.
His lethal, cold glare swings to me. “You passed these laws, Sir. I have no choice but to uphold them, and you requested not to be disturbed when I brought it up the past four times. Then you left before I could show you what is in the book you refused to read, and Ms. Carmine thought it’d be simpler to get this over with.”