A dark grin tugs at his lips.

It feels like definitive proof that Hyde has independent thought processes. This monster is clearly not a sole reflection of Violet’s inner thoughts.

“I really don’t trust you,” I inform the apparition.

Hyde’s grin stays intact, as though that’s pleasing to hear.

“Do you trust the vampire when his eyes turn red?”

I hesitate to answer. “On some level. Arion’s got control over his monster for the most part.”

“Do you trust the wolf on a full moon?” Hyde continues.

Now I see where this is going.

Leaning back, I narrow my eyes at the ghost, who hasn’t moved from the corner.

Even though I don’t answer, he continues anyway.

“Do you trust the Morpheous when his eyes go white?” he carries on, only causing my eyes to narrow.

“Do you trust any of the alphas at all outside your own little circle?” he adds when I maintain my silence.

He grins and lazily shrugs one shoulder.

“It’s a paranoid world full of trust issues. Are you really going to hold that against Violet?” he muses.

“It wouldn’t matter if I did. Violet’s already claimed me,” I state, not revealing anything to the monster before I have a private conversation with the woman.

Fuck, this is going to take a lot of adjustment.

“So you’re punishing her for such a thing, though you claimed you wanted to marry her,” he says, confusing me. “I’m not sure what the issue is. And that’s secretly what Violet is wondering as well.”

My brow furrows, and I lean forward.

“What’re you talking about? I’m not punishing her.”

His grin spreads across his face, and suddenly he morphs into Anna, who is in the baby-doll dress with the pigtails again. She struts toward me, and hops up on the desk, landing atop it without sinking.

My eyebrow lifts, and I study her with far more interest, now that I realize this is Violet’s favorite of the bunch.

Violet’s head really is a scary place, I’ve decided. It’s certainly one thing I’ll never doubt again.

It says more about her than I’ve realized all this time, now that I know the truth about her ghostly entourage that’s assembled with an intriguing variety of personalities.

“Van Helsing, do you mean to tell me you don’t know what’s going on right now?” Anna asks, as though she’s excited by the prospect of me answering yes.

“I have no idea what punishment you’re referring to. She should be with Arion right now, since she’s taken him as her groom,” I state, smiling tightly, since I don’t know whether I’m pissed or okay with that.

She hasn’t put on the ring, but she’s already claimed me. However, she seemed to feel bloody terrible about it, and I was too gob-smacked to formulate a coherent thought, let alone carry on any sort of productive conversation.

Now her very devious, tricky monster is telling me Violet’s secretly wondering what my problem is, when I don’t remember stating there ever was a problem.

Bloody complicated woman.

I really do have selective tastes.

“I needed to clear my head, and Vampyre was making his move, so I did what I do best—I went to work. I’ve issued no punishments. What punishment are you referring to?”

She chokes back a laugh, her eyes lighting with some mischief.

“Right now, a vampire, a werewolf, and a deviant are punishing Violet for all her lies and secrets. And on your behalf. You know, since you’ve been so terribly wronged,” Anna purrs, waggling her eyebrows at me. “Three against one.”

She’s lying.

“They’d never harm a single hair on her head,” I calmly argue, wondering why she’s even playing this angle, when she surely knows better.

“No, but they’d undoubtedly leave her aching in all the dirtiest of ways, since Damien’s apparently in charge of all her future punishments. You know, since he’s the one who has power over her and all,” Anna carries on, eyes excitedly gauging mine.

That’s…certainly more believable.

That son of a bitch.

Fucking deviant.

Fucking vampire.

Motherfucking wolf.

They cannot seriously be toying with her right now. It’s too bloody soon.

“Where are they?” I ask Anna very seriously, since I’d rather not take any chances.

“In her bedroom. It’s been over two hours now,” Anna states in a goading tone.

A thought occurs to me in the very next instant.

They’re not playing games. They’re trying to fucking provoke her in the only way they can think to do it.

“They’re trying to bloody break her defenses down until the monster surges forth and claims the lot of them, as you did me,” I say aloud, feeling like a fool for not getting suspicious sooner than this.

I should have fucking known.

Those damn competitive, fucking ruthless bastards.

“Oh, now, this is going to be fun,” Anna states, even as I hurriedly sprint from the room.

She just tore Idun to shreds, and Damien’s on a power trip, because he has power over someone that fucking powerful. He’s been on the bottom peg of alpha power for a while.

I should have known this was inevitable from the moment that information was introduced.

Emit’s wolf’s been broken, finally got a mate, and healed. Yet I’m the one wearing her mark, which is definitely not going to make the wolf happy.

Arion’s a fucking obsessive vampire, who finally has his bride. Enough said.

Idun’s barely been put down a few hours, and they’re already fully back to themselves. They’re testing Violet’s limits far too soon.

“Forgetting something, Van Helsing?” Anna asks just as I sling open my front door.

As if cued, I hear Jasper make a crying noise, and my eyes widen with some horror. Spinning, I turn and leap, grabbing the edge of the balcony. Hoisting myself over the railing, that quakes and tries to give, I race back into the room.

Jasper fusses ever so slightly, as I lift him. Just that seems to soothe him, and I keep him stable and secure against me, as I rush back out all over again.

“Let’s not tell Violet about that,” I state to Anna, hating this spy-factor to Violet’s power.

Anna grins as I climb in behind the wheel, and cradle Jasper to my chest very perfectly. I’m better than any diabolical, impossible-to-use car-seat.

With quick movements, I put the car in gear and begin racing toward Sanctuary.

Anna blabbers the entire time about Violet’s inability to be a ruthless killer, all while complaining about how tight her leash is.

“Then there was the time Talbot’s sister was attacked. Though, now I believe my maker set that up to provoke me,” Anna goes on, saying something I actually find curious enough to show interest in.

“Violet’s going to trust him less for that, since she was forced to get her hands dirty,” she adds.

“What are you talking about? Violet was in the woo—”

“Vance, I’m over here!” Anna shouts very suddenly, sounding exactly like…Violet…as she grins. “Why does it sound like your voice is moving around?”

The second part sounds just like me, and similar to the question I asked, while I was bumbling around in the woods in search of her.