CHAPTER 525: ALL LOOSE ENDS

Violet folded her wings in and padded over to Roman. He barely had time to brace himself before she pressed her head against his chest, rubbing against him with stubborn insistence. She pushed her muzzle into him again and again, the way an animal would comfort its wounded packmate.

Roman swallowed hard, his hand coming up automatically to her neck as if he didn’t know what else to do with the flood of emotion in his throat. "This is all my fault," he muttered.

Griffin frowned. "What?"

With a long sigh, Roman broke away from her and dropped onto the edge of the bed. Violet followed him immediately, pressing her head into his lap this time, refusing to leave him. Roman’s fingers threaded into her fur, scratching along her neck and shoulders. Violet practically moaned at the contact, leaning harder into him, her tail swishing faintly with each stroke.

Griffin simply watched them without interrupting the moment.

Roman kept his gaze down, unable to look his mate-in-law in the eye. "Alexa... was well, being Alexa. And she said some pretty mean things." He swallowed hard, words catching in his throat. "She said she regrets ever giving birth to me."

"Shit." Griffin’s face went tight, the gravity of the words settling on him. He inhaled deeply. "That’s a fucked-up thing to say, man. If I was Violet, I’d have ripped out her throat on the spot."

Roman gave a weak chortle, as if pretending Griffin only said it to lighten the mood. But Griffin’s expression darkened, deadly serious.

"I mean it."

Roman blinked, realization dawning. "Oh."

Griffin scratched the side of his brow. "Listen, Roman, I don’t blame you for what happened. But we need to deal with your parents, and that means keeping our mate’s secret safe. How sure are you they’re not spilling everything even as we sit here?"

Roman didn’t hesitate. "My father might not be the best, but he won’t let me get dragged under, especially not with Elijah. It’s Alexa we need to watch. She’s a selfish bitch." He didn’t even flinch, speaking about his own mother like that.

"Still," Roman added, his tone cooling. "She has self-preservation, and she knows Elijah doesn’t spare anyone. If she leaks a word, it’ll be her own downfall too. She’s not that stupid."

Griffin nodded once. "So we threaten your mother. Good."

Then he gestured toward Violet. "Although she needs to shift back. We can’t risk her staying like this especially with Alaric missing—"

Griffin didn’t even finish. At the mention of Alaric, Violet’s wolf dissolved as bones cracked back into place. In an instant, she stood before them in her human skin, naked and breathless.

She stumbled once, still shaky from the shift, but Roman was already up, catching her in his arms.

Her hands gripped his shirt as she looked up at him, demanding, "Where is Alaric?"

Roman caught Griffin’s stare, and Violet followed the look, waiting for whatever explanation was about to drop.

Griffin exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alaric is not here."

Violet blinked. "What do you mean he’s not here?"

"I mean, the only one I met was Alpha Caspian. He told me Zara took Alaric back to the North pack, and..." Griffin’s expression hardened, "he won’t even be here for Alpha Henry’s burial."

A guttural growl rolled from Violet’s chest before she even realized it. "Alaric wouldn’t have left. He knows this is where we would’ve headed, inevitably. Zara’s keeping him away from me." Her nails dug into her palms as she hissed, "I can’t let that happen."

Roman’s brows furrowed. "When is he coming back?"

Griffin shook his head. "Caspian didn’t say and that’s what’s making me uncomfortable. Asher and Alaric might not be the best of friends, but even then, the least Alaric could’ve done is come to the West pack to pay his respect. No, this doesn’t feel like his choice. I can’t shake the feeling he was forced." His jaw clenched. "And why the hell did he even return to the North in the first place?"

Violet straightened, fire hardening her tone. "Then we have to get him back."

Roman arched a brow. "After Alpha Henry’s burial?"

She shook her head fiercely. "No. That’s too long. If Alaric didn’t have a say in going back, then he’s not safe right now. He might need us."

Roman’s eyes gleamed at the idea, almost excited. "Are you thinking what I’m thinking?"

Griffin said to her. "You want us to go to the North pack instead of the West?"

Violet shook her head. "Not all of us."

Roman bristled. "No. Absolutely not. We stay together."

"Roman." Violet pleaded with him. "Asher needs someone at his side and that has to be you, you’re his best friend. Griffin knows the North, and he’s Alaric’s closest friend. This way, no one is left alone."

Griffin’s gaze flicked between them, then he nodded slowly. "She’s right. Her plan makes sense."

Roman groaned, dragging a hand over his face. "Why do you get to be the one to go with our mate?" He was so jealous of Griffin right now.

Violet reached for his hand, squeezing it firmly. "Because I have to. I’ll come back to you, Roman, and then we’ll all be together again."

Roman’s protest died in his throat because she was right. If he abandoned Asher now, he would carry that guilt for the rest of his life knowing he left his brother to fend for himself in the snake pit of the West pack.

"You forget one thing though," Roman said, his voice cutting through the moment.

Violet looked at him. "What is it?"

"We head to the West pack tomorrow," he reminded her grimly. "Elijah will have his eyes on us the whole time. How exactly do you plan to slip away from under his nose? And when he finds out you’re gone, goddess help, that man would be furious as hell."

Griffin folded his arms, saying calmly. "Then we use tonight to figure it out. The details, the timing, all of it. At the moment, Roman, you need to go meet your father. Tie off loose ends and make sure nothing traces back to us."

Violet’s gaze shifted between them, her chest tightening with a flare of hope. "So, we have a plan?"