My heart ached with a deep pang of sympathy. I suddenly understood that Violet had never known cruelty. It never crossed his mind that a confrontation could end with subjugation and force instead of peace. This outcome was completely out of the realm of possibility for sweet Violet.
The world he’d come from... it must’ve been a truly wonderful place. So different than mine. A home I could only dream of.
Tears stung my eyes.Why didn’t I fly away with Violet when I had the chance...?
“I would never hurt Poppy,” Konrad promised. “There’s no safer place than my private quarters.”
“Fuck that!” Violet snapped, but I heard the fear creeping into his voice. “Enough of this shit. Get off of Poppy. Please.”
Emboldened by Violet’s weakening threats, Konrad chuffed a cold laugh. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? Poppy is safe with me.” In a sharper tone, he added, “So get lost and find your own omega.”
“What?” Violet cried. He sounded desperate now. “I don’t care about that! Poppy is my friend, asshole, and you’re hurting him!”
Violet’s frightened gaze locked onto mine. They gleamed with a terrible betrayal, an unimaginable sadness.
This is all my fault,I thought miserably.I never should’ve come back here. I never should’ve ruined Violet’s innocence like this...
I swallowed a gasp as the weight of Konrad’s heavy paw bore down on me, pushing my chin deeper into the snow. But the discomfort was nothing compared to the despair eating me up.
“It’s okay,” I said, trying to flash a reassuring smile at Violet that only made his troubled expression worse. “He won’t hurt me.”
Was that true? I didn’t know. But Sorrel’s safety was more important than my own. If I could bear the brunt of whatever Konrad had planned, that was enough.
Sheba and Knox lumbered in front of me, blocking Violet’s view. I could barely see his panicked expression over their muscular white bodies. But the alphas weren’t Konrad’s only backup. I saw Rorik edging closer to the scene, ready to join the fray on his clan alpha’s behalf. Other omega fighters lined up beside him. Polar bears and arctic wolves, all itching to be unleashed as soon as their clan alpha gave the word.
My heart ached.
Violet is strong, but he can’t fight off the entire clan... I don’t want him to get hurt because of my stupidity!
“Please, Violet, go home,” I called.
“What are you talking about, dumbass? I’m not leaving you here,” Violet screeched, anguish soaking his voice.
In a final burst of desperation, Violet shot towards me. He shouldered Sheba and Knox out of his path with a snarl. He was barely a tail-length away from me when Konrad lowered his head, opened his jaws, and wrapped them around my skull.
I didn’t even make a sound. I remained deathly still, afraid to even twitch. The tips of the bear’s thick fangs grazed my face fur, and the hot reek of his mouth flooded my nostrils. I heard my own pulse beating like a hammer in my ears.
Violet skidded to a halt. Through Konrad’s front teeth, I saw the horror etched across Violet’s sweet face.
It’s over now,I thought.There’s nothing he can do.
Regret burned me up. I should’ve run away with Violet. I shouldn’t have subjected him to this.
Sheba spoke on Konrad’s behalf, arrogant because she knew they’d won: “Try to harm our clan alpha and he’ll crush the omega’s head with a single bite. Now, get off our territory, youdemon.”
Violet’s eyes flashed with horror. Trembling, he backed up slowly, as if in physical pain. The only thing connecting us was his gaze locked onto mine.
I could bear any pain Konrad inflicted. But I couldn’t bear the way Violet looked at me. It tore me up inside.
Violet’s mouth opened as if he was going to speak, but then he snapped his fangs shut. With a gut-wrenching sound, he twisted around and ran off tundra clan territory. As I watched him go, relief clawed at my bruised heart.
Violet would be safe now. That was all I could ask for.
13
Viol
Furious tears streameddown my face as I raced away from Poppy.
