I type out a refusal, but before I can send it, another message arrives.
No excuses, Violet. This is important. Do not embarrass me.
Of course. Of course it’s about her. About appearances. About playing the perfect family even though we’re all drowning in secrets and lies.
I type back a single word: Fine.
The last thing I want is to see Zion. Being around him makes me uncomfortable. At least, it used to before I was sent away. I doubt he’ll have changed much in the time I was gone. I don’t want to sit through a family dinner and pretend everything is normal. To look Darius in the eye and act like last night never happened.
Sighing heavily, I head into the bathroom and turnon the shower. Steam fills the space as I strip off Darius’s sweatpants and step under the spray.
The hot water hits my skin, and I close my eyes, my back leaning against the tile wall. I stay like that for a long time, letting Darius’s scent wash off me.
My wolf. She’s really here. Inside me. Finally surfacing.
And it’s because of Darius. It has to be.
When I finally step out and wrap myself in a towel, Cinnamon is waiting for me in the bedroom. She wags her tail as I pick her up and collapse onto the bed. She immediately curls into my side.
I hold her close to me. I need to think.
Should I tell anyone about my wolf? Visit a healer? Anxiety floods me as I probe for that presence inside. Nothing. She’s gone again, as if she only woke up to stretch before going right back to sleep.
I stare at the ceiling. “Great.”
At the sound of my voice, Cinnamon clambers on top of me, licking my face.
I tell her, “You’re lucky you’re a dog. No one expects anything from you.” I stroke her fur, muttering, “Well, they don’t expect much from me, either, so I guess we’re kind of similar.”
I check the wall clock before closing my eyes. I’m not going to think for the next couple of hours. Not about Darius, not about my wolf, and certainly not about going to the main house tonight.
All I’m going to do is sleep.
I arrive just before seven,my stomach still churning with anxiety that has nothing to do with my medication. The sprawling estate looms before me, with all of its stone and glass and perfectly manicured grounds.
The massive front door opens before I can knock. James appears, his expression neutral, but there’s a flicker of recognition in his eyes when he sees me. And maybe a hint of that same respect I saw after the kitchen incident.
“Miss Violet.” He steps aside to let me in.
“Is everyone here?” I ask, though what I really mean is: Is Darius here?
“The Alpha and your mother are in the dining room. The eldest master is with them.”
My stomach twists. “And Darius?”
“Master Darius has not yet arrived.”
Relief and disappointment war in my chest. “Thank you.”
I move past James into the foyer, my footsteps echoing on the marble floors. The house smells like money and power and everything I’ve never been able to claim as mine. The dining room is at the end of the hall. As I arrive at the open doorway, I can see my mother seated at the long table, her posture perfect, her expression serene. Alpha Alaric sits at the head of the table, reading something on his tablet.
And there’s Zion.
He’s leaning back in his chair, legs stretched out, looking exactly like the arrogant playboy I remember. Tall, broad-shouldered, with the same dark hair and sharp features as Darius—but there’s a different quality to his eyes. A reckless and wild look that Darius keeps locked away beneath layers of control.
His gaze snaps to me the moment I enter. A slow grin spreads across his face.
“Violet.” He stands, arms spread wide like he expects me to run into them. “You’ve gotten even more beautiful.”
