I instinctively placed a hand on my stomach, a wave of unease
washing over me. “This is a disaster,” I murmured. “I don’t want
our child to be born into this kind of chaos.”
Asher’s gaze softened as he placed his hand over mine. “If I can’t
fix this, you and Mia are leaving. I won’t risk your lives.”
My head snapped up. “Excuse me? You can’t seriously expect
me to just abandon you while you fight for everything we’ve
built. I can’t leave you, especially not now that I have learned
that you are in danger.”
“I don’t expect it. I need it,” he corrected. “You have to
understand, this isn’t about you running. It’s about you staying
alive.”
I shook my head. “No way. I said I wanted to leave before, but
that was different. I won’t leave you to die here alone. That’s
not even an option.”
His lips curled into a small, tired smile. “Relax. I’m not dying
anytime soon. I’m going to fix this. But until then, I need to
know that you and Mia are safe.” He leaned forward, pressing a
Chapter145
kiss to my forehead. “Just promise me that.”
I exhaled heavily. “I promise you our safety. But you have to
promise me yours too. If I see a single sign that things are worse than you’re letting on, I’m stepping in.”
Asher chuckled. “That’s what I love about you. Always ready for a fight.”
I sat back, eyes narrowing. “So what’s the plan? Because I doubt the council just started this overnight. They’ve had time to prepare”
“I’ve already started reaching out to the alphas who might still be on our side,” he said. “We need to consolidate power before
the council has the chance to strike.”
I nodded. “Good. I’d help, but honestly, I feel like crap.” There’s someone that I believed was involved in this whole thing. I
wanted to meet that person first.
He studied me for a moment, then smirked. “I smell schemes.
Tell me what you up to.”
I gasped, clutching my chest dramatically. “I am the very
definition of innocence. You have no reason to doubt me.”
Chapter 45
He laughed, shaking his head. “You and innocent in the same sentence? That’s a first.”
“Don’t be a hater.” I nudged him, and he leaned down, kissing my cheek.
“I love you too much to hate anything you do,” he murmured. Then, after a pause, he stood. “I need to handle things.”
I watched him go, the weight on his shoulders more visible than ever. He was carrying too much, and I wished I could take even a fraction of it away. But some battles weren’t mine to fight.
After sitting there for a moment, I took a deep breath and stood. There was one more thing I needed to do.
I had to see Michael
The guards eyed me warily as I approached, but I ignored them. I wasn’t here for their judgment. I had bigger things to deal
with.
Michael was already watching me when I entered. He looked like hell–tired, worn down, but still managing to smirk. “You look better than the last time I saw you.”
I scoffed. “You look worse.”
Chapter 45
His smirk faltered. “You’re going to be an uncle.”
Tears welled up in his eyes, and before I could even stop myself,
they welled up in mine too.
Michael would always be my brother. The one who had been
with me through everything. But now, things were different. I had to choose between him and Asher, between loyalty and
love.
He seemed to sense my hesitation. “Your kid is better off never
knowing they had an uncle like me.”
I shook my head. “No. I won’t let my child grow up not knowing you. No matter what’s happened, you were my best friend before everything went to hell. And I won’t hold onto hate any longer.”
His breath hitched. “You forgive me?”
“I forgive you.”
Violet’s POV
He looked stunned when he heard my answer as though he
wasn’t expecting it.
Chapter145
“I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” he muttered, his voice heavy
with regret.
“Maybe not,” I admitted. “But I’m giving it to you anyway.”
He looked at me, disbelief flickering across his face. I pressed on, “People make mistakes, Michael. But Asher.I don’t know if he’ll ever forgive you for that. He was the one who suffered most from yours. You nearly took away the one person I love more than anything. The only reason I can find myself to forgive you is because you didn’t go through with your plan at the end.”
Michael lowered his head, eyes scanning the dimly lit room. It was a prison of his own making, and seeing him here, I felt an ache in my chest. “This. this isn’t what I wanted for you,” I whispered.
Chapter 146
Chapter146
