Violet’s POV
We were in the hospital waiting room, the walls around us cold and sterile. Philip was still in surgery, and all we could do was wait.
Olivia and I sat close, her head on my shoulder, my arm
wrapped tightly around her. We clung to each other, trying to find some comfort. It felt like time had stopped. Every second
was a torture.
Asher paced in front of us, his face set in a grim frown.
I knew he was thinking.
About the ambush. About the deaths of the royal guards who
tried to protect us during the ambush. About Isaac.
This was bad. Philip getting hurt was just the beginning. This
also hit Asher more than it seemed.
We had only just stepped into our roles as royal leaders, and
already we had caused such harm. So many guards had lost
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their lives protecting us. This wasn’t just about our family
anymore. It was bigger, much bigger. The repercussions would
be severe, that the people might lose their faith in us.
Olivia was too exhausted that she fell into a light sleep. I gently
set her down on the bench chair and stood up to find Asher.
“You need to deal with Isaac,” I whispered, my voice trembling
with anger. “You can’t let him get away with this. This is getting out of control. And it has to stop.”
Asher’s face darkened, his jaw tightening. He didn’t say
anything.
“He crossed the line here, Asher. He nearly killed Philip. He cost
the lives of all those royal guards. Just think about what the
council will say about this! He won’t stop until he destroys
everything we have.”
He looked away, the struggle evident in his eyes.
N
I knew how hard this was for him. Isaac wasn’t just anyone–he was Asher’s brother, the only family that he had left in this
world. With Isaac gone too, Asher would be all alone in this
world.
Not to mention that his parents‘ dying wish had been for him to
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protect Isaac. He didn’t want to go against her parents‘ wish.
But as his mate and Queen, as hard as it may seem, I still needed
to convince him. It was my duty.
Isaac had made his choice. He’d chosen power over family, and
now we were all paying the price.
“Say something, baby.” I put a hand on his shoulder, my voice
soft and pleading.
His eyes finally met mine. I could see the pain there. The
hesitation. But also, the resolve.
“He won’t get away with this. I promise.” he said quietly.
I was a bit stunned. I didn’t expect Asher to come around so
quickly.
“He hurt my Beta. And most importantly…He almost hurt you. I
can not stand it.” Asher held my hand, his palm cold with sweat.
I could tell he was afraid of losing me. “He’s already a dead man
when he planned that attack.”
I squeezed his hand back as a mixed feeling of relief and sadness
surged up in me. There was a time when I had wanted Asher
and Isaac to get along. They were the only family left for one
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another. So this wasn’t the outcome I wanted, but it was the
only way left. Hatred and revenge had driven us to this here,
and we could only keep going.
Just then, the door to the operating room opened, and the
doctor stepped out. Olivia jerked awake and rushed to the
doctor. I immediately followed.
“How is he?” Olivia asked urgently.
The doctor gave us a reassuring smile. “He’s stable now. You
can see him soon.”
Tears filled my eyes, and I pulled Olivia into a tight hug, both of
us crying tears of relief.
Philip was going to be okay. He was alive.
The next day, I took Mia with me to visit Philip.
We walked into the hospital room, and I immediately felt my
heart lift at the sight of him. He was sitting up in bed, looking a
lot better than yesterday. He was still pale, but his eyes were
bright, and he reached out as soon as he saw us.
“Mia!” he cried out with a grin. “Come to Uncle Philip, kiddo.”
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Mia rushed over to him, “Why are you in hospital Uncle Philip?
Did you get sick? Is it flu? Or do you have a stomachache?”
Philip burst out laughing, “I just have a little headache. But the
doctor has fixed me already. You and your mom don’t need to
worry anymore.”
Mia looked up at him, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Mom?
Who’s my mom?”
Philip’s smile faltered, and he glanced at me, a sadness in his
eyes that mirrored my own. Mia would never see me as her
mother. She didn’t understand, and maybe she never would.
But it’s fine. I didn’t want her to forget Elena as well.
I walked over, sitting on the edge of Philip’s bed, and pulled him
into a hug.
“You need to promise me something, Philip,” I said, my voice
trembling. “No more risking your life like that. I can’t lose you.”
He hugged me back, his arms slightly shaking as well, “But I’m
your brother, Violet. I’m supposed to protect you. This is the
least I can do after…after how I neglected you in the past. I need
to do more to make things alright again or I don’t deserve your
forgiveness.”
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“You’ve done more than enough,” I said firmly. “You and the
others have already given me more love than I could ever ask
for. All I want is your safety. If you don’t promise me that, I will
take back my forgiveness.”
He sighed with a helpless smile, “Fine. I promise.”
We stayed there and talked for a while. I could tell Philip was
tired again. He still needed to rest.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s let Uncle Philip rest. We’ll visit him
tomorrow.”
We left the room, and as we walked down the hallway, I
received a mindlink. It was Asher.
“Hey, How’s Philip doing?” his voice warm was in my mind.
“He’s better,” I replied, going down the stairs to the front door.
“He’s awake now. I wish you were here too, but I know you’ve
got your hands full with meetings.”
“Yeah, just one boring meeting after another,” he said with a
chuckle. “I’d much rather be there with you. Hospitals aren’t
exactly my idea of fun, but it’s better than listening to a bunch
of old men argue about territory lines.”
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I smiled at his words, a warmth spreading through me. “Well,
when you’re done, we can head back together. I’d like that.”
We were almost at the front door now. There weren’t many
people around, just a few nurses and doctors.
Suddenly, I froze.
A tall man had appeared by the door, blocking our way. He
looked up and our eyes met. My smile vanished, replaced by a
cold wave of shock.
“Asher…” My teeth were clattering. “Oh my god it’s him…He’s…
he’s here.”
“WHO?! Violet?!”
The world around me seemed to blur, my focus zeroing in on
the man in front of me.
Isaac.
How had he gotten in?! How had he breached our territory-
the security had been doubled after the ambush!!
Before I could react, Isaac had lunged forward. I screamed
sharply trying to fight back. But he didn’t go after me. Instead,
he grabbed Mia’s arm.
“MIA!!!” I screamed as he took Mia away from me, a twisted
smile on his face.
“You really think you can protect everyone, Violet?” he
sneered. “I think it’s time Asher learns what it’s like to lose
someone important.”
