Arion hisses out a breath when she slams into the ground, groaning, and we all fight the urge to rush to her side.
“Too much?” Ighan calls out in a panic, as he comes jogging down the steps, stumbling over his own feet with a wide-eyed Bobo right on his heels.
“Nope,” Violet says, smoke rising from her body, as she peels herself up from the snow.
Avery’s jacket slips off, as she stands in just her underwear, and holds up an okay sign with her fingers.
Her body starts healing right in front of us, as she leans down and picks the jacket up.
“Hit me again,” she shouts, while the bruises continue to fade, the swelling starts to subside, and her stitches begin falling out.
Tiara’s eyes lift to Emit, disappointment shining for a moment, before she turns and walks back inside.
Music starts blaring from inside the house, and I watch as Violet walks through, already dancing and wearing a small sundress someone has apparently given her.
Simpletons pile in, right in front of the massive windows, and dance alongside her, as she pretends taking that beating was cake.
Violet dances her way over to a silent, unmoving shifter, who is holding a tiny baby. Violet just winks at the shifter she took that beating for, and kisses the baby, before dancing over to Bobo. He lifts her up to sit on one of his massive shoulders.
“You’re not my beta,” Damien says without looking away from Violet.
“I’m afraid I am, sir,” Talbot says as he gets out and hands Damien back his keys, eyes not even glancing toward us, as he watches the house as well. “You see, you’re the only thing standing between me and the legend she’s attempting to build. I’ve spent too long knowing what comes next to pass up the opportunity to see something real and different.”
With that, the fucking incubus we’d normally kill for showing too much interest in Violet, just walks away with his hands in his pockets, smirking over at the madhouse full of partiers like today was something to celebrate.
“For five months, Violet sat around planning this right under our noses,” Emit says very quietly.
“While we watched Idun to see what she was up to,” I point out dryly, laughing bitterly and slightly maniacally.
“I have a meeting with Idun I probably shouldn’t be late for,” Arion says before he turns and walks off.
He’s been eerily quiet and calm.
I back away, as Anna waves her hand in front of Idun TV, turning it off with a smirk on her face. Then she gives Violet a mock fist-bump. They both turn and look through the windows at us, before looking away like we’re no longer of any consequence.
“Let’s get to work,” Damien chirps as he claps his hands together.
CHAPTER 11
ARION
“I’ll keep this short and sweet. Here’s a list of my rules. Violet needs to learn what she can and cannot push for, but you know not to push me, Idun. Be gentle. She’s mine.”
That was my warning.
“For you, dear, I’ll make such a concession. Only because I owe you that much.”
She agreed to heed my warning, no matter what.
I certainly never expected the docile little monster to taunt the sadistic monster we warned her has no heart.
Images of Violet’s bloodstained face and broken sobs repeatedly assault my mind. My sanity has never been more in question than it is in this moment.
Someone is going to pay for this, and it certainly won’t be Violet.
Idun struts in, hips swinging very deliberately in the scrap of a leather dress she’s wearing, as she walks toward me in her elaborate high heels.
“I’m sure you’re here to deny me my seat at the table after your girl toy pushed me, but I did try to take it easy on her, Arion,” she says like she’s going on the immediate defense.
I nod, smiling tightly at her. “Oh, I heard her goading you, Idun. No worries. I likely couldn’t have withstood a beta’s goading, let alone some silly omega’s.”
She pauses, her eyes narrowing in clear suspicion.
“Why do I feel like you’re attempting something foolish right now, Arion?” she asks, arching an eyebrow and giving me a devilish little grin.
My own smile grows, while my hands steeple in front of my face, and I rest my right ankle on my left knee, getting more comfortable in my chair, even as she remains unfazed.
“I told Violet I was her monster, and today she very brutally revealed to me just how poorly I’ve delivered on that vow,” I say very calmly.
Idun’s lips work to resist another smile. “What’s that sweet little girl going to do with a monster like you, Arion? She willingly took a beating for an irrelevant shifter she hardly knows.”
My fingers come down, and I smile again. “We spent so long worrying you’d take Violet’s form, focused on the fact you can mimic Portocale blood.”
Her smile starts to slip. “You told them that?” she grinds out. “You’re to remain neutral, Arion. Remember what you said to me.”
“I’ve told them quite a great deal since my one request was that you leave Violet alone, in exchange for all your secrets stowed. You couldn’t make it even a year before you pushed me, and I didn’t even realize you were pushing. Neutrality is no longer an option, I’m afraid. You had your chance. Everyone knows it.”