Chapter 481: Hide Her

Music Recommendation : Wars Of Faith by Audiomachine

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It was impossible...

Asher, Alaric, Griffin and Roman all had dumbfounded expressions as they stared at the majestic creature lying on the charred earth. Her fur shimmered in iridescent shades of deep amethyst and twilight violet, thick and sleek like molten silk.

For a moment, the wolf was so still they feared the worst until a soft whimper escaped her lips, low and pained. Then she moved, and that’s when they saw it.

Wings.

You have got to be kidding.

Massive wings stretched from her back, folding out with a low hiss. They were feathered, the same shade of violet as her fur, with glowing lines running through them like veins of light.

All four of the cardinal alphas stared in stunned silence. Just when they thought they couldn’t be shocked anymore.

It hit Asher then why Violet’s powers had been bound. If Angus had access to a creature like her, there’s no telling what he would have done with power like this.

At that moment, Violet’s eyes snapped open, glowing like molten stars, and pulsing with raw power.

But something else happened.

"Mate," Roman growled.

What?

Before any of them could react, a loud crack split the air as Roman shifted into his wolf and leapt into the crater, before any of them could stop him.

Roman’s claws kicked up dust as he rushed straight to her. Violet’s wings twitched awkwardly behind her, purple and regal, still foreign to her body. She looked lost, if not burned out. The fire inside of her might have burned out, but it sure left the ruin behind.

Roman felt the pain and the lingering fear from Violet as if she was still trapped in that nightmare of pain and he wanted to ease it.

So he circled her slowly with his tail lowered in submission, his massive green wolf brushing against her without forcing contact. Then he licked her muzzle, a soft, desperate sound rumbling from his chest.

Mine.

His wolf echoed in his head.

He nudged her chin gently, then pressed his side against hers. She flinched just a little but didn’t pull away. Roman let her feel his warmth, presence and heartbeat.

Mine.

He licked her again, this time under her jaw as a sign of comfort and claim. She let out a small, wounded whine.

Roman growled low, possessively, then curled himself around her, shielding her with his entire body from the world. His head rested across her back, his tail swaying.

Mine.

Above them, Griffin felt the emotions through the bond.

"She’s not hurting anymore," He said, watching Roman hold her like she was the only thing that mattered.

"Did the mate bond just hit Roman?" Alaric asked, even though the scene was playing out right in front of him. It was just hard to believe.

Asher balled his hands into fists. He knew he should be happy. Roman being mate-bonded meant the prophecy was real and that all four of them were destined to be Violet’s mates.

But his heart still broke.

What even triggered the bond?

If anyone deserved to be mated to Violet right now, it should be him. He saw her first. He chose her first. He loved her first. So why him?

Why does the goddess test him like this?

Why dangle the one thing he wanted, only to hand it to someone else?

What did he do so wrong to deserve this?

"Holy shit," Micah muttered as he stumbled onto the scene. He was barely upright, and was using Adele’s shoulder as his crutch. His face was pale, drained, as if smoke-walking through hell had torn the life from his bones.

"How...?" He was dumbfounded for two very solid reasons.

One : his sister was a damn winged wolf. Fantastic. His stress levels just tripled.

And two : why the hell was Roman sniffing around her butt like a bloodhound on heat?

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh hell no.

It hit him like a brick.

Micah glanced at the boys for answers, but one look at their faces screamed, bad idea. Yep, certified dumb question. He didn’t know how their love square worked, but clearly, the goddess had just played favorites and the rest were left on read.

What in the name of confusion was he even talking about? How in the world was this possible?! No wonder Violet had been so hell-bent on trusting the boys, despite all his warnings. She knew this would happen.

What was he even supposed to do with this? He didn’t sign up for this chaos!

Damn you Alice!

Asher’s fists clenched. "We should be down there."

"Do you hear that?" Alaric cut in.

Asher tilted his head, and then he heard it too.

The sound of sirens in the distance. Shit. The authority was going to be here. It was not surprising though. a destruction of this magnitude was sure to attract attention.

Micah said to them. "You have to get Violet out of here."

"Already on it," Asher said, face set with grim determination.

Alaric added, "She has to shift back. There’s no way we can sneak a massive purple wolf without drawing attention. We need her in human form now."

They all moved to the center of the crater. But before they could take another step, a snarl cracked through the air.

Roman.

In his wolf form, he stood protectively in front of Violet. With fur bristled and teeth bared, his stance was clear: come closer and I will tear you apart.

"Look at his eyes," Alaric warned. "He needs to mate her." It was known that mated wolves—especially males—get aggressive if others get too close to their female before the bond is sealed. Even after.

Asher’s heart ached at the thought of Roman having an eternal connection with Violet. But he pushed it to the back of his mind. This was not the time for this.

Griffin took a step closer. "I think I can handle him."

Roman growled low, deep in his throat, hackles raised. But Griffin didn’t flinch and growled right back.

They were both her mates. Roman couldn’t deny that.

Recognition flickered in Roman’s eyes, and he backed down.

Griffin instructed Roman in his wolf form. "We need Violet back in her human form. We can’t get her to safety this way."

Roman turned to Violet at once. He brushed against her with his flank, whining softly. Then he licked her cheek, nuzzling her side with his snout. A soft whimper escaped her. Then, as if responding to him, her body began to shift.

The change was immediate. Her bones began to crack, her muscles tearing and reforming. Her limbs trembled violently, and she screamed in pains. Violet collapsed halfway through it, her nails digging into the dirt as her spine twisted with the force of change.

The boys winced. First shifts were always brutal, like being torn apart from the inside.

Then she was human again.

Violet lay naked in the crater, slick with sweat, and shaking like a leaf in winter. But that wasn’t what made everyone freeze.

Her ears were no longer rounded. They were longer now, slightly pointed and graceful. As if that wasn’t enough, her hair changed too. It was no longer short, now cascading down her back, thick and full. The black was reduced to the roots while the rest was violet.

Then talk about her skin. It was flawless like that of a new born babe. If one looked closely they would think it was nearly luminous. There was not a scar in sight.

"Fuck," Micah breathed, stunned. "This is going to be a problem."

Alaric nodded slowly. "Big problem. People don’t just shift, change, and glow up overnight."

"We’ll hide her," Asher said. "Until we figure out what’s happening."

"Roman?" he called.

At once, the massive wolf shifted. His human form emerged, breathing hard, almost vibrating with intensity. His eyes were glowing and locked only on Violet.

Roman didn’t even wait for instruction and moved to Violet, and gathered her gently in his arms. Her head fell against his chest, she was unconscious but alive.

Griffin nodded. "Take her. I’ll come with you."

Asher met his gaze. "Make sure she’s safe. He’ll only tolerate you."

Griffin was the only one Roman wouldn’t snap at.

Roman turned, already moving through the woods.

"Keep an eye on Asher," Griffin told Alaric, already knowing he was bound to make reckless decision. "He’s going to take all this personally."

"I’ll handle it," Alaric promised.

"Be safe," Griffin said, his voice heavy with meaning.

"We’ll keep in touch," Asher said with a nod.

And then he followed after Roman,

disappearing into the smoking woods. The goal right now was to protect Violet and God help anyone who tried to stop them.

Asher turned as the sirens got louder now. They must have arrived at the property and would found them in no time.

"What’s our story then?" Alaric asked.

"My father betrayed his people?"