In the midst of the pack’s howls, Violet was pulled from the floor by Sam and shoved forward to face Grae and August. Her face was riddled with pure hatred. There was no remorse. There was no guilt. She only regretted not having succeeded at killing the female Grae had by his side.
’Grae was in your bed?’ August snarled in Violet’s mind before the males could decide to take her away. This was a conversation she wanted to have between just the two of them before it was too late.
Violet had said those vile things and then tried to kill her, failing in her attempt and killing Zoe instead. And now August wanted the truth of it before she finished Violet once and for all.
A smug grin spread over the female’s face. "Yes," she confird it aloud.
’When?’ August asked, her top lip curling back over her teeth.
"The night of Samhain," Violet replied audibly before continuing on as August did, passing her voice into the Luna’s mind. ’I told him about what happened to in the other pack. I told him you were a threat to all of us just like the male who marked , and he believed it. He stayed with all night to make sure I was safe.’
’I would have felt his betrayal if it happened. Why do you insist on lying? Why do you hold onto sothing so tightly that is no longer yours? You could have been happy with soone else! This pack would not have had to suffer at your hands.’
Violet ignored the last comnts. ’I curled against him after having a nightmare, lying with him just as we always used to... with his warmth and his body protecting . He makes feel safe, and he knows it. Are his feelings for not a betrayal? He still cares for .’ Violet’s eyes slid to Grae’s, and August snarled a threat.
Violet snickered. ’It’s not a lie. If he truly didn’t care for , he would have killed by now. But he can’t bring himself to do it.’
A bright pain flad to life again in the midst of August’s anger as she imagined what Violet had said happened—Grae in Violet’s bed. Grae letting Violet snuggle up against him. Grae comforting her.
Where were his arms when this was happening? Where were his hands? Why had he looked so guilty when Violet accused him of it? There was no reason he should have been in her room at all much less alone—or all night for that matter.
Perhaps Violet was right. Grae still cared about her enough that he couldn’t bring himself to punish her... even after all of this.
In the midst of those troubling thoughts, August felt Grae pull her back against his chest, the protection of his arms wrapping around her with the belated desire to prevent everything that had just happened. He caressed the curve of her belly, throwing up a silent prayer of gratitude that they were both safe.
His mate and his child had almost been killed. Lucas’ cries would have been his own. He was so grateful for Neoma, and yet his soul mourned for hers to stay and be returned to them. It was too early for her to be taken from their pack when she had only just joined it.
"Goddess, forgive ," he breathed in August’s ear with such genuine sorrow for the sight before him that she released a heavy sigh, allowing herself to ease into him and release all of the ugly thoughts.
Despite everything Violet had revealed and insinuated, Grae’s touch and breath and love cald and reassured her. Her mate was her mate—there was no division in him. There was no part of him that belonged to anyone else. He was wholly hers. She felt the security of that truth like she felt his arms around her now.
"Take her to the dungeon," she heard the depth of her mate’s authoritative voice command his Beta.
"No," August said, pulling out of his arms and glaring at him. "We are ending this now."
"It is not sothing that you want to be responsible for, my love," he said, his eyebrows threading together to try reasoning with her. She should not oversee the death of anyone in this pack. "Trust . It will haunt you."
As soone who had previously tracked and hunted strays, Grae knew what it was like to be responsible for deaths. Even those who deserved it—even the deaths that brought justice—they stayed with you always. It was not as easy to live with as it would seem.
"What part of this will not haunt each one of us?" She asked, looking around at the chambers.
The sorrowful howls were slowly ceasing around them, but she continued to feel them resonate in her chest. That’s when she noticed Lucas struggling under the weight of his anguish with Zoe in his arms.
He turned to face August with pure grief and helplessness in his eyes, tears streaming down his face. This was a pain that he had felt before, and now he was feeling it again. Enduring it once was hard enough, but a second ti?
"I didn’t tell her," he croaked. "Luna, I didn’t tell her. I should have..."
The male began to sob, and August felt the prickle of welling tears begin around her eyes as well. Lucas was grieving for more than a friend. She saw it now.
Greta and Charlotte and every other pack mber who appeared roughed up by the chaos that had just ensued at Violet’s hands stood stunned, heads bowing low. They all knew what it was to lose soone, and Zoe or Neoma or whatever na she went by... she was one of theirs.
"She saved her Luna," Grae said in a gruff voice and patted Lucas’ shoulder. "She is a hero, and she will be rembered as such."
"What about Violet?" Lucas asked through gritted teeth.
"Violet pays today," August said.
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