The letter Demetria left is addressed to Violet, but considering Demetria is missing, and Jasper was left with Leiza, I can guess what it’s going to say.

Jasper starts fussing, no longer content by the swing’s embrace, so I go lift him from the contraption. With no warning, his mouth latches onto my thumb, and I glare at him, as he bites into me and starts sucking.

He’s tasted Violet’s blood. It’s not all that surprising that he’s able to handle my own alpha blood, since hers has to be even stronger than mine.

It’s going to take a moment to think about that without wanting to laugh, since it still seems ludicrous.

“No casualties,” Avery says as I keep my back to him, concealing the sight of Jasper’s secret. When I say nothing, Avery keeps speaking, “There was a lot of ghost interference, I presume, to make that a possibility. I say that, because one moment I’d see a one of my men almost stabbed, and in the next, the sword would break, the adversary would slip, or they’d be blown back. Honestly, there were a number of bizarrely fortunate anomalies I can’t explain that led to no casualties,” he carries on. “And I also seem to have forgotten certain pieces of the night. I have some suspicions, sir. Please don’t take offense, Sir Van Helsing.”

“I’ll try not to,” I state dryly, prompting him to hurry this along.

“After playing beta for Ms. Carmine for a while, I find her entirely too suspicious, and I also find it incredibly convenient the four of you could finally tear down Idun Neopry and lock her away so confidently, after so many prior centuries of failures. And that’s with all the other Neoprys still above ground.”

I internally groan, wondering why I thought it wise to try and fool Avery. Jasper finishes snacking on my thumb, and I cradle him to me, as I turn to face Avery.

“Trust me, you don’t want to remember,” I assure him, since I sincerely don’t think he’s ready to know the details. “As for the Neoprys, they can’t die. They’ll instead serve a burial sentence for their crimes of last night, and then we’ll have no choice but to accept them back. Shifters won’t accept Idun’s downing so easily. They could end up infecting the whole world with an outbreak if they feel their alpha is eternally bested.”

We both pause for a moment, digesting the weight of that concern.

“Tell me the truth, Sir. For all my years of servitude, please tell me if she’s truly strong enough to keep Idun in this box. Because it doesn’t look as strong as that gravesite you designed to be a tomb for all eternity. It was far more secure than this seems,” he says to me, questioning me for the first time ever, as his eyes move back to the screen to watch Idun.

I slowly nod, even though he can’t see it. “Violet’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” I say, deciding to be honest but vague.

Jasper makes a sigh of content, drawing my attention. Even as I stare down at the very intriguing lad, who has gotten entirely too comfortable in my arms, I continue speaking to Avery.

“But she’d rather no one know that, because she’d prefer to make shampoo and save all the misfits who need a safe place,” I add, battling my own smile, because it all sounds…utterly absurd.

It should be impossible to do everything she did to Idun right before our very eyes, not to mention all we still don’t know about during the times we lost sight of her, yet…she still managed to come across as ridiculous by the end.

All that power, and her biggest concern is turning into Idun, because she doesn’t like the feeling that accompanies being alpha—the satisfaction one derives from a good fight.

She’s literally scared of becoming Idun at this point.

It’s her worst fucking nightmare.

We’re really fortunate that monster landed in Violet.

“It’s not a fair fight, in her opinion, so she’s going to stick to a role she’s chosen for herself, and she can’t do that if people fear her,” I continue, watching as Avery struggles to hold back his own smile, even as his eyes mist like he’s gone and gotten sentimental. “She’s downright worried we’re all going to be afraid of her, and genuinely concerned about such.”

“Want the next plane named after her?” he asks, causing me to snort and release a huff of laughter.

“May as well name the next plane, train, and ship after her. If I have any submarines, name them after her as well,” I say, causing him to muffle his own small, accidental bout of laughter.

There’s a moment of silence that falls after that. There’s been a pressing weight lifting little by little, as I allow myself to believe it more and more.

“Idun’s been dethroned,” he says as though he’s warily coming to grips with the possibility.

“It’ll take a while to trust it, Avery. But from what I witnessed, I’m believing it more by the passing second. It’s just…taken some time to really sink in. I mean…I’m still not entirely sure exactly what I saw,” I confess.

He nods like he’s attempting to be understanding. “Then I’m glad I don’t remember,” he confesses.

The male ghost pops up in the corner. He’s faded in and out for the last several hours, as though he’s only mildly curious what I’m up to.

Avery runs a hand over his jaw, drawing my attention back to him, as he remains oblivious to the apparition he’s unable to see.

It occurs to me that we educated Violet a lot on ghosts…for no reason at all.

None.

It was completely irrelevant.

I feel a fool for that too. I never considered they could be anything else at all.

“I want to know all the things, because I was blindsided today,” I tell Avery, to which he nods as though he understands me completely.

“The world changed in a single night. I thought there was nothing left to see and that I’d lived long enough. Eternity seemed greedy,” he tells me.

“But now you’re considering turning wolf,” I state, deciding I may as well have this conversation now, since it sounds like that’s what he’s leading up to.

Arion’s bedding Violet and taking her as his bride, so it’s not as though I can speak with her right now, even though I’d love to.

I’ll wait until he’s had his moment. Besides, there’s a mess to clean up. Someone’s got to do it.

Violet handled the hardest part. Clean-up detail is the least I can do.

“I’m going to submit to Emit Morrigan, unless you recommend otherwise, or take offense, Sir Van Helsing,” Avery says, bowing at the waist.

“You’re submitting to Emit, instead of turning wolf and staying a knight, because of Leiza…correct?” I ask.

I need to know it has nothing at all to do with the wolf being a better eternal option than me. This is extremely important.

Avery’s lips curve, and he straightens, before standing at ease again—feet spread shoulder’s-width apart with his hands locked behind his back.

“Indeed, sir. She’s a woman I never thought I’d have much in common with, but over the years, I’ve grown fonder and fonder of her. If I turn wolf and join the pack for her, she’ll turn monogamous and be my mate. She wants to stay with her pack. I want a woman who’s only sleeping in my bed. Given our individual natures, our sacrifices are about equal. Now that peace feels like a true possibility, I’m willing to leave the knights.”