HaelThat little fucking brat.She ran from me; she seriously ran from me.I knew it had been her even before she turned around. Five minutes was all it took for me to memorize her every curve, the way her hips moved, and breasts bounced with every infuriating giggle she let out.The sound of her laughter was the exact opposite of Mykelle’s, who became a screeching hyena the moment she opened her mouth. Violets was light and airy, with a higher pitch that sounded natural and unforced. The way she threw her entire body into it, throwing back her head so that her mane of pale hair flowed down her back, was almost cute.‘She’s always been cute. Now she’s much more.’ Magnus made note of his growl vibrating my skull—though that could’ve been because of how hard I was grinding my teeth.‘None of it will save her.’ I insisted even though Magnus had stopped listening.She wanted to play chase, did she? Well, little Violet. Wait until you see how good of a hunter I am, just wait.Finding her f

HaelI blinked and the garage was back, the girl in front of me no longer a child but a woman. Her hair longer, lips fuller, and eyes just as round.There was a rapid thudding sensation beneath my fingers, like the ticking of a clock whose timer needed calibrating.“Hael.”She whispered my name and the thudding beneath my fingers skipped a beat.The world settled back into focus, the spots leaving my eyes until I could see clearly the situation I’d put us in.She was pushed against the side of the Ferrari, her throat nestled within the confines of my hand, her body pressed against mine so tightly that I could feel the impression of her nipples against my sternum. Her eyes were burning—burning with both hatred and fear.This was the second time I found myself with my hand around her throat, only this time around I wasn’t squeezing, wasn’t attempting to drain her of the very life I coveted. No, I was only holding her in place, pinning her against the car as I clenched my eyes shut and t

HaelAs I ruefully anticipated, forcing Violet from Holden’s party hadn’t gone unnoticed. Early that morning, just a few hours after catching her little ritual with the door locks, I received a mind-link from my father.‘Hael, my office. Now.’Short and to the point.I didn’t bother getting dressed, not when it would be fastest to run on four legs. First, I called Cole and let him know he’d be taking Violet to school today since I’d be unavailable. I’d have to suffer through taking her home at the end of the day, but with my mother returning this afternoon, Violet would have full use of her driver for the rest of the week.The run from my mother’s estate to my father’s never seemed to be long enough to quell the murderous urges that arose whenever his voice slithered into my head. With each morning, the humidity in the air thinned, vanishing faster as winter’s first frosty notes were sung into the air.There had never been feelings of fondness between my father and I, only a sense of

VioletWhen Cole pulled into the drop-off area, I practically threw myself from the car. Shouting a hasty ‘see ya’ over my shoulder, I charged down the floral lined path and towards the front doors which were propped open for this morning’s rush of students.I could hear Cole shout something, but his voice was swallowed by the thrum of chattering students, many of which were talking about me since they’d seen me exit his car. After thwarting Roselle’s line of questions and leaving her to conjure up whatever scenario she wanted, I met with Olive before our first class.We crept around the halls, undoubtedly avoiding Blaze, as we whispered about what went down last night. Olive had heard from many others that I was spotted being dragged out of the party by none other than Hael. As it happens with rumors, there were varying accounts of what people say they saw.“Did he really drag you out by your hair?” Olive hissed quietly, narrowing her eyes, and snarling at a group of girls who slowed

VioletIt was Hael that had grabbed me, snatching me mid-run as though I were the same weight as a football, but there was something off about him.There was pure murder glittering in his charcoal eyes. That I could spot from a mile away, but that wasn’t all I noticed. Like an ebony fire whose flames thrashed and danced to a thunderous beat, there was a dark glow deep within their furthest reaches. When paired with the heavy breaths that left his lips and the way his chest moved rapidly, I could’ve sworn—No, I had to be imaging things. Just like I imagined that moment at Holden’s party, when Hael threw me over his shoulder and carried me from the water. I had unintentionally kicked him in the balls, and in doing so thought I felt his groin stiffen and twitch. It couldn’t be, though. I had already convinced myself of that last night after lingering on the thought for far too long. With how much Hael hated me, there was no way he could actually want me in that way. It was my mind, fil