Chapter 207
Violet’s POV
For a moment, the entire palace courtyard went silent.
Everyone had seen it–Ava’s bare neck no longer bare. It now
held a mark, unmistakably fresh. A mating mark. The kind no
spell or lie could cover.
Jason’s face twisted.
“You did what?” His voice cracked with rage. “You let him mark
you?”
Ava didn’t flinch. She stood straight, head high. Xavier had
stepped forward too, standing beside her.
Jason’s entire body trembled, and then, without another word,
he shifted. His beast form–larger than most, cloaked in thick
muscle–burst through his clothes as he roared and lunged
toward Ava.
But before he could reach her, two figures stepped out from
behind the columns.
Philip and Simon. Both already shifted, both already prepared.
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They moved fast–Gamma and Beta level reflexes. Simon collided
with Jason’s side, pushing him back. Philip clamped onto his
shoulder, holding firm. The bear king bucked, snarling, but he
wasn’t going anywhere.
Asher had planned this already.
Jason kept thrashing, shouting through the snarl. “You betrayed
me! You betrayed your people!”
“Stop it!” Ava shouted. Her voice cracked but didn’t shake. “Stop
fighting. You’re only making it worse.”
The bear warriors standing around looked at one another,
hesitant. Some took a step forward–but stopped when Ava
raised both arms.
“Don’t do this. I’m your princess. I’ve never once gone against
our people. But this isn’t betrayal–this is protection.”
Jason finally stopped struggling. His form stilled, though he
didn’t shift back. His breathing was heavy.
Ava looked him dead in the eyes. “You wanted me to marry a
wolf king to build peace. To bring our people security. And I did.
I found my partner. A man who is both wolf and bear. There’s
no greater symbol of alliance than this.”
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Jason didn’t answer.
Ava stepped forward, ignoring Philip and Simon. “You say I’ve
betrayed you. But all my life, I’ve done what you told me. I
trained the way you said. I agreed to a marriage I didn’t want. I
played politics with strangers. And I did it all because I believed
in our people.”
“I never asked for your belief,” Jason snarled. “I asked for
obedience.”
Ava’s lips pressed together. “And that’s exactly the problem.”
For a long moment, no one said anything.
Then Jason turned his head toward Xavier. “And him? You
want me to accept him? A half–blood from a project we swore to
wipe out? You think I’ll just shake his hand and thank him?”
Xavier stepped forward, jaw set. “I didn’t ask for your thanks.
But I never once wanted harm for the bear clan. Not then. Not
now. I only fought when I was forced to. And now, I want peace.
Ava wants peace. That should matter.”
Jason couldn’t reply.
The tension held again.
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And then Asher stepped forward. Calm, composed. Not angry.
Not smug.
“I understand why you’re upset, Jason. You feel like you’ve lost
control over something you planned. But let me offer you
something better.”
He nodded to Philip, who pulled out a rolled parchment from
inside his coat. It was sealed with Asher’s personal crest.
“This is a treaty,” Asher said. “One that guarantees peace
between the wolf and bear tribes for the next five decades.
Trade benefits, open borders, medicinal sharing–including
research into the Silvermoon Grass. It’s signed by me. All it
needs is your signature.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t speak.
“This isn’t just about Ava anymore,” Asher continued. “You
saved my mate’s life. And I don’t forget a debt. We can go back
to fighting and killing. Or we can build something new.”
Jason’s beast form slowly began to shift back into human. His
body shrank, fur retracted, and the silence deepened as he stood
upright again, breathing hard.
He said nothing, just held out a hand.
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Philip placed the treaty in his grip.
“I’ll read it,” Jason said.
“That’s all I ask,” Asher replied.
Philip and Simon stepped back. Ava let out a breath. I didn’t
realize I’d been holding mine too.
Jason didn’t sign anything that day.
But the next morning, a messenger came to our door. The agreement had been signed.
There were conditions, of course–Xavier and Ava’s bond had to remain public and honored. The bear clan would hold one seat on the newly formed shared council. And the Silvermoon Grass could never be weaponized or monopolized.
We accepted all of it.
Peace had finally been earned.
The next few weeks were a blur of rebuilding, reorganizing, and reintroducing normalcy. The palace quieted. No more threats. No more secret missions or political games. Xavier and Ava left for a private retreat–something about wanting time away from
Chapter 207
the chaos.
A month later, Olivia found out she was pregnant.
The entire palace celebrated. Even the guards, who had grown
too used to quiet tension, joined in. Olivia, usually so doubtful
about her pregnancy, cried when she told me.
Four months later, on a cold night with no stars, I went into
labor.
It wasn’t easy. But Asher never left my side.
He held my hand through every contraction, whispered every
time I wanted to scream, and when the baby finally arrived, he
was the first to catch him.
Our son.
A small, healthy boy with dark hair and a strong pair of lungs.
When they placed him in my arms, something inside me broke
open. A different kind of pain. One I’d been afraid to feel for so
long.
Joy.
Real, uncomplicated joy.
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I couldn’t stop the tears, even when Asher kissed my forehead
and whispered that everything was okay now.
He sat beside me, still holding my hand, and I looked at him.
We had a future now. One we could actually see.
And no matter what came next–we’d face it together.
