Violet’s POV
Seven days had passed in a blink, and just like that, our
vacation had come to an end. It felt bittersweet. I was sad, but
Mia? She was devastated. We’d been trying everything to cheer
her up, but she stubbornly clung to the idea of staying here
forever.
“Come on, sweetheart, don’t you miss your friends back home?”
I coaxed, brushing a stray curl from her face.
She shook her head firmly, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout.
“Nope.”
Asher and I exchanged glances. She wasn’t budging.
“Mia, I know you love it here, but vacations aren’t meant to last
forever, Asher reasoned, crouching to her level. “We have
responsibilities back home. We have to take care of the Pack,
and people are waiting for us.”
Mia’s arms crossed over her chest as she huffed. “You guys are
just gonna be busy all the time when we go back! You won’t
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play with me anymore!”
That hit hard. I swallowed and glanced at Asher, guilt creeping in. She wasn’t wrong. Back home, we were always caught up in something–meetings, emergencies, Pack matters. When we were too occupied, we’d send her off to her nannies or let her
play with her friends while we drowned in responsibilities.
I sighed, sitting beside her on the hotel bed. “You’re right,” I
admitted, reaching for her tiny hand.
Asher joined us, sitting on her other side. “Yeah, we have been
unfair to you, princess. We didn’t mean to make you feel
ignored. And we promise things will change when we go back.”
She peeked up at us suspiciously. “Promise?”
I hooked my pinky around hers. “Promise.”
Asher did the same. “A pinky promise is forever, you know.”
A tiny smile crept onto her face as she linked her fingers with
ours.
With that settled, we finally packed up and got ready to leave.
None of us were exactly thrilled about going back, but reality
was calling.
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***
The trip back went by quicker than expected. Before I even had
time to process it, we were landing at the airport, and Simon
was already waiting to drive us home.
Asher and I were curled up in the backseat as the car smoothly
made its way back to the Pack.
“What do you think is waiting for us back there?” I murmured,
resting my head against Asher’s shoulder.
He let out a heavy sigh, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’m
honestly scared to ask!”
I turned to Simon. “What’s the latest headache from the
Council?”
He barely hesitated before replying. “They’re furious about
your decision to destroy the Celestine flower.”
I felt my jaw clench at the mention of that cursed plant. Just the
thought of it made my blood boil.
“Isaac used that thing on my daughter,” I muttered darkly.
Asher, as usual, looked utterly unbothered. “Good thing I don’t
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need their permission to do anything”
I exhaled, trying to shake off my frustration. “I still feel like
there’s more we don’t know about that flower. Everyone’s
acting like it’s some holy relic, but all I see is something that
gave our enemy an advantage. There’s gotta be a bigger
picture.”
Asher shrugged. “Maybe. But we’ve got enough problems as it
- is. I’d rather eliminate potential threats than wait around for
them to bite me in the ass later.”
I studied him. There was something he wasn’t saying,
something more to his decision to destroy it.
“Are you hiding something from me?” I asked, my voice softer
this time.
He turned his head, his expression serious. “I would never keep
something from you that you need to know. But as King, there
are things I can’t share–not because I don’t trust you, but
because it’s my burden to carry. I need you to trust me on this.”
I nodded, though I wasn’t fully convinced. “I just want to be
treated as your equal, not as someone to be sheltered from the
truth.”
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His fingers brushed against mine. “You are my equal, Violet.
You’re my Queen, my mate, and my partner in everything that
matters. But there are things only I can handle. And that means
making decisions even when people won’t understand them.”
The conversation was cut short as we arrived at the Packhouse.
The moment we pulled in, my stomach sank.
The entire Pack was gathered outside, waiting for us.
Asher took a deep breath. “I was hoping to sneak in unnoticed,
but I guess that’s out of the question.”
“What about the council? Did my brother send them away?” I
asked Simon.
“Beta Philip allowed them to stay till you come back.”
“Great,” I muttered. “Nothing like stepping straight into another
mess after a vacation!”
Alex shot me a side glance. “Think of it as a grand welcome
party?”
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