Chapter161
He clenched his fists, looking down at the floor. “I know I’m an
ass, and I hate that I keep breaking your heart. I don’t want to
hurt you.”
“But you do.” My voice was small, but the weight of those
words hung between us. “Over and over again.”
Silence stretched between us before I finally said what had
been weighing on me for days. “I’m pregnant, Asher. I need my
mate to be there for me unconditionally. To love me and care
for me. We already have enough enemies out there trying to
destroy us. The last thing I need is for us to be fighting each
other.” My throat tightened. “I can’t do this alone.”
Asher exhaled, rubbing his temples. “I know. And I’ve come up
with a plan that will ensure you and the baby stay safe.”
A bad feeling settled in my stomach. “What are you talking
about?”
“It’s not easy for anyone to attack the Nightshade Pack,” he said
carefully. “I need you and Mia to go there while I handle things
here.”
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I sat up so fast the blanket fell off my lap. “You’re joking, right?”
He shook his head. “Violet, this is for our baby. And for you.
You’re under too much stress. On top of that, Xavier wants you.
I can’t let him get to you.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “This isn’t about protecting me, is
it?” My voice dropped to a whisper. “You just want me out of
the way so you can be alone with her.”
Asher’s brows furrowed. “Violet, this is not about Grace or
anyone else. I don’t see anyone but you.” He stood up, taking my
hands, but I yanked them back.
“I’m not leaving while she’s still here,” I said firmly. “Because all I
can think about is you and her together. And I can’t take it.”
“Violet,” he groaned, exasperated. “I trust you, but you don’t
trust me. Nothing I say will change your mind, will it?”
I glared at him. “It’s not you I don’t trust. It’s her.”
His expression darkened. “Now that we’re talking about Grace,
I’ll admit it. You were right about her.”
That caught me off guard. “What?”
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“She asked me something stupid, and it confirmed everything”
My stomach twisted. “What did she say?”
“She asked if I would ever leave my mate for someone else.“”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Unbelievable. She actually had
the nerve to ask you that?”
He nodded. “I don’t know what’s going through her head, but
yeah!”
I clenched my fists. “So, she loves you so much that she would
reject her own mate for you?”
Asher’s face turned grim. “That’s what it looks like.””
“She has a mate?” I asked in disbelief.
“I think she found him in our pack. Or maybe one of the warriors who came with Alpha Kade or Jayden.”
I started pacing, but Asher stopped me by wrapping his arms
around me from behind.
“I don’t care what she does or who her mate is,” he murmured
into my hair. “The only person I care about is you.”
Chapter 161
On another day, his words might have comforted me. But right
now? All I could think about was Grace. The audacity of her
approaching my mate.
“I’m not leaving you alone with her.” I said without hesitation.
“You’re not leaving me here with her, but you are still going,” he
corrected me, his tone final.
I stared at him, my heart pounding, and for the first time in a
long time, I realized something.
I might be carrying his child, but that didn’t mean he was going
to let me have the final say in anything.
And that terrified me.
Violet’s POV
Asher had made it abundantly clear that no matter what I said,
his decision wasn’t going to change. All I could do now was
accept it, whether I liked it or not.
“If I ever betrayed you, you’d know it. You’d feel it no matter
where you were.” His voice was steady, but his gaze flickered to
my stomach as I rubbed it, a sharp pang of discomfort making
me wince.
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His expression softened immediately. “Are you okay?” Concern
laced his tone as he reached out and guided me toward the bed.
“I’m fine,” I muttered, exhaling slowly. “I just… I feel like the
baby can sense everything. The tension, the stress–it’s like he
knows something isn’t right, and he doesn’t like it.”
་་
Asher sighed, brushing his fingers over my stomach in slow
circles. “That’s exactly why you need to go to Nightshade Pack.
You’re too wound up here. But there, you’ll be able to relax. It’s
peaceful. Safe. And our baby will grow without this constant
chaos.”
