Violet’s P.O.V.The two slithered away, the crowd parting for them as though they too sensed the serpents hiding beneath the shimmery, golden dresses.Olive picked her jaw off the floor and snarled, “…that shallow, two-faced bitch! Just when I thought she had something redeemable inside of her, she goes and does that. She might be pretty, but she’s got a withered husk for a soul, and don’t even get me started on her mother. That woman…”“Yeah, I know.”“Hey, you’re not trash. You know that, right? Don’t tell me she got into your head, because I’ll spend the rest of the night charming your pants off to prove to you how wrong she is.”I fought a smile and felt my lips twitch. “There’s one problem with that plan of yours. I’m not wearing any pants.”“Well, that just makes it easier then.” She said, waggling her eyebrows.“Let’s get back to Delaney, you flirt.” I teased, poking her with my elbow. “I don’t care what they think. I won’t let those two ruin my night.”“That’s the spirit Ice P
Hael’s P.O.V.The flash of my phone pulled me from sleep about an hour before the sun was due to rise.A missed call from Cole sat at the top, with one from my father directly below. I rolled out of Violet’s bed, blinking the cobwebs from my eyes. Within seconds I was fully awake, slipping on a t-shirt I’d tossed haphazardly over the back of her armchair.I paused, watching the girl with hair of frost and starlight I’d spent the night holding. She parted her lips, a small sound of discomfort slipping past that had me stifling the urge to crawl back into bed.As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t.An idea struck me late in the night as I watched her sleep. My father wanted the culprit who dared set fire to his warehouse, and I just so happened to have his dead body in my possession.“You seriously didn’t read any of my texts? Why do you even have a phone?” Cole had been griping since the second I arrived at his place.Rather than give him shit for it, I took in the dark circles surroundin
Hael’s P.O.V.We now stood in the foyer, too far from the front door to bolt, yet close enough to feel it’s pull. The last thing I wanted to do was play overprotective brother with Elijah of all people considering Violet definitely didn’t see me as a sibling.“I appreciate that more than you know. It was good talking to you boys. I’ll try to catch up again soon. Hopefully after the chaos settles.” Elijah winked, straightened his bowtie, and headed into the dining room, towards the sound of my mother’s voice.Up until I spotted Violet in the crowd, the rest of my day had been one big blur. Even the obnoxious flashing of cameras couldn’t block her from view. The mark she’d left on my neck, a delicate sliver of a moon entangled in a sea of stars, throbbed whenever she was nearby.I couldn’t stand to look at her for too long, not with how she ripped the breath from my lungs. There was nothing gentle about her effect on me, and I couldn’t risk letting my father see the truth ahead of sched
Hael’s P.O.V.I turned away from her just as she sobbed. Mykelle always did have a flair for the dramatics, but this time her cries actually sounded real. None of it mattered, though. Mated to my Beta or not, she’d be punished.But first, I needed to find Violet.I hadn’t made it so much as a step when a set of hands gripped my shoulders. From scent alone I knew it was my father. Shock jumped into the battle waging in my heart, but I refused to let it render me defenseless.Rather than give into him and allow him to push me against the wall, out of sight from the crowd below, I twisted. Ducking under his arm, I clenched my fist and hit him in the gut. I then flattened my hand against his chest and pushed, only stopping when his head smacked the very brick he planned on pinning me against.For a moment, I couldn’t believe I put my hands on him. The last time he used his own fists to discipline me was when I was a child. Much had changed since then. I was bigger now, wider and stacke
Violet’s P.O.V.A slew of images and sounds flashed through my head. They were tethered to a golden thread that my soul recognized and reached out to touch. It slipped from my body, following the brilliant light until it swallowed us whole.Each image was tainted in a misty film that reminded me of the poison rushing through my veins.Perhaps they were nothing more than drug induced hallucinations. I didn’t particularly care, not when Hael’s face filled the darkened corners of my mind. His murderous expression somehow eased my fear, filling me with an odd peace I prayed I could hold onto.‘I’ll storm every home, every business. I’ll burn this entire pack down to get her back.’Even if it weren’t real, I held onto his promise.‘I’ll find you, Violet. I’ll find you and set you free.’Slowly, my soul descended back into my body. The sounds I heard next didn’t come from the depths of my mind, or from some ethereal chord of light. They trickled into my ears, astoundingly real and terrifyin
Violet’s P.O.V.“What do my secrets have to do with Hael being busy?” I demanded.Lorenzo tsked, “Normally, I’d knock a person’s teeth down their throat if they caught that tone with me, but I want you to know why Hael isn’t coming to your rescue. Nic caught you doing something very, very naughty. A situation your little boyfriend had to swoop in and help you clean up.” No, I wouldn’t believe it. Hael would’ve known if someone had been watching that night. “Does the name Blaze Madden ring any bells to you? It should considering you murdered him.”The memory of Hael’s voice filled my head, but rather than provide any comfort or warmth, it filled my insides with ice.“Blaze’s body is missing.”It wasn’t missing. No, it had been stolen.A sudden surge of rage took over, coating my vision in a layer of crimson red. This piece of shit stalker had been watching me likely since I’d first stepped foot in Hael’s pack. Either he’d been here the entire time, or he’d managed to follow Elijah and
Hael’s P.O.V.It was pure pandemonium once word about the decaying corpse spread. People surged left and right. Women squealed, clinging to their mates. Warriors were on high alert even though the body had been dead long before the party began. They had no clue the murderer wasn’t in their presence, rather she’d been kidnapped by another.Sometime during the chaos, someone must’ve recognized Blaze behind the mess of blackened flesh. Things only got worse from there. Panic blanketed the crowd, following them as they were escorted back into the ballroom by security. In the past I would’ve waited for my father to arrive to survey the scene. I would’ve stuck by his side, offering my knowledge when prompted. Not this time, though. Not only did I not give a shit about Blaze’s corpse, but I had way more important things to do than cater to my father yet again. A bleating chime sliced through my thoughts. I thought my heart might stop at the sound, but the name on the screen wasn’t Viole
Hael’s P.O.V.“So we thought.” Cole chimed in. “She slit his throat and set the place on fire. Fuckers like a cockroach, I guess.”“Either that or someone pulled him out.” Marcel mused.I shook my head. “That’s not possible. There was a body and everything. His father practically demanded a meeting with my father to interrogate me.” I paused, a whisper in the back of my head nudging my thoughts forward. “Unless his father is in on it.”“His father held a private funeral. No guests were permitted on the property. I wonder how many have actually seen the body.” Cole frowned, turning his attention back to his laptop. “I need to look into this.”There had been no other vehicles in the lot or on the camera, which meant any guards Lorenzo brought along had to fit in the three sedans. I was more than confident that Lorenzo and I could handle things ourselves. I’d taken down more men than that by myself.“We can handle getting Violet back. Look into Lorenzo’s death, see if you can find an aut