"What do you mean by that?" Alaric tightened his grip on Violet's wrist, a deep, gnawing fear settling in his gut.
He didn't want to let go, not when Violet looked like she might slip away forever. Alaric didn't know what this encounter would mean for them—for their relationship—and he was scared to find out.
Violet squeezed her eyes shut, her breathing shaky as she tried to calm herself. The panic was clawing at her throat again, and she was holding on by a thread.
And then she looked him dead in the eyes, she said, "Days ago, when Asher and I hung out, he told me straight to the face, 'You, my purple queen, will take Elsie's place.'"
Her lips parted with a humorless laugh. "What do you think he meant by that, Alaric? I'm his rebellion against the Alpha King. And he wants all of you in it. What better way to make that happen than through me?"
