Violet’s P.O.V.I settled into the vintage diner booth, and painted a nonchalant smile on my face. The leather creaked under my bottom, and the metal rim of the table was cold to the touch.The mouthwatering scent of burgers, milkshakes, and other fried foods hung in the air, meshing with the light chatter that filled the place. An old jukebox sat at the very end of a curved bar, playing Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds by the Beatles.“So, what do you think?” Holden said, a tinge of nervousness filling the smooth baritone that was his voice. He pushed the golden strands of hair that had fallen onto his forehead out of his face.I blinked, flushing because I’d completely missed what he said prior to his question. My mind had been elsewhere, on a set of dark eyes that plagued most of my waking thoughts. Hael’s words were haunting me, swirling in my head on the whisper of a dark promise that had my blood singing.“It’s nice.” I beamed, assuming he was talking about the diner we’d just step

Hael’s P.O.V. We were heading back from the warehouse when Violet called. Son of a… I almost hadn’t answered considering the name that popped onto the screen was Olive’s, but intuition had me hitting the little green button instead of the red. It whispered in a knowing voice that Violet had likely gotten herself into trouble again. Sure enough, I’d been right. The two of them followed the ambulance carrying Erik Chen to the hospital, where we’d all meet up in just half an hour. I had a death grip on the steering wheel the entire drive, focusing on the road to divert my attention from how thoroughly pissed off I was. Violet, my disobedient little mate, couldn’t keep herself out of harms way. Part of me understood her inability to fully accept the situation, which was a feat in and of itself because I was not the understanding type. Without the memories of her past, she grew up in a nice little bubble nestled in the mountains. Bullying had been the worst of what she’d dealt with.

Hael’s P.O.V.Leaving Violet in my bedroom, I headed back to hers. Sliding into her bed, under her frilly pink comforter, without her, was a bit odd. It was necessary, though.I huddled under the covers, my ears peeled, and senses stretched as far as they could reach, for what could’ve easily been hours.When the window beside Violet’s closet opened, I was more than aware of it.A light breeze carried the scent of the intruder into the room. It was a familiar mixture of blood, sweat, and stale cigarettes. With my breathing slow and calculated, I continued to wait.Their footsteps were so quiet that I instantly knew whoever this was, was no stranger to breaking in unnoticed. Even their breathing was dampened, almost undetectable.This fucker was good, but I was better. The intruder’s presence loomed over the comforter, and I waited with calming breaths for the moment my gut told me to act. One second turned into two, and on the third, I was hit with a wave of fury that had me springin

Violet’s P.O.V.“….aaaaand done!” Delaney exclaimed, stepping back from the stool I sat on.Her hands were clasped behind her back and a grin with the intensity of a child opening presents on Christmas morning lit her face. I looked to Olive, who was reclining on the chaise lounge in her bedroom. She had her arms propped behind her head, the obsidian bikini top she wore on display.The spider web design was overlaid by a shimmery material that made her chest sparkle any time she moved. I didn’t at all miss the appreciative look Delaney had given her when she stepped out of the bathroom. When paired with her colored hair and dark eye make-up, it gave her an extra dose of intimidation that even her petite frame couldn’t ruin.Olive took one look at me, or rather, my chest, and sighed loudly.“I love women.”Delaney burst into a fit of musical laughter. “No, you love breasts.”Olive’s eyes slid from Delaney’s face to the pink bikini top that cradled her chest like it had been made for he

Violet’s P.O.V.That voice—that dark voice, promising pain and blood, melted the very ice that kept me prisoner, filling me with such visceral relief that my shoulders slumped.I gasped, not realizing I’d been holding my breath this entire time. My chest burned with each inhale, but my greedy lungs had been deprived long enough. Holden didn’t notice, though. He didn’t notice how I stumbled away from him, desperate to put some distance between us, or how my hands shook.He lowered his hand from my face, his eyes narrowed into small slits. “Perfect timing as always, Ashford, butting in on a private conversation. You sure know how to kill the fucking mood.”What the hell has gotten into him? I’ve never seen him act like this before.A blur of midnight hair and pale skin clouded my vision. I blinked, my eyes opening just in time to witness Hael’s fist colliding with Holden’s face. Holden staggered, and Hael swung out with his leg, bringing the football player to the ground.He began to ra