Chapter 24
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
Stephan
M y princess.
She’ll always be that to me, even when we’re mated. Even when she’s mine in every way that matters.
I know I promised Heath I’d tell her the truth tonight, but I can’t. Not yet. I’m not ready to tear open old wounds, not when things between us are finally falling into place.
Is that selfish of me? Probably. But I haven’t felt anything even close to this since CeeCee.
It just took seeing Dominic’s hands on Violet to make things clear. It’s been something I’ve been avoiding since first seeing her jog across the street in her dance outfit.
I care about her.
It’s why I stayed away from her before the regatta. Not because I didn’t want her, but because I couldn’t give her what she wanted—a pack, a future built on something whole—and if I went through with the battle-ax’s plan, I wouldn’t be able to give Violet those things.
But I also couldn’t go through with the alternative. Sleeping with someone else, making it public to create a scandal? It would break her heart. I thought I could do it. Thought it was the right thing.
But when it came down to it, I just couldn’t do it.
Would it be so bad to have a mate again?
As I look at her tonight and take in her smile, her beauty, I believe it’s time.
And now that I know she’s okay with us not having children, that makes the guilt a little less. I hate to make her give that dream up, but I’m not reliving?—
Not after last time.
As I said, old wounds.
Even outside, surrounded with all the floral scents of the garden, her smell’s intoxicating, more than usual. It’s like she isn’t wearing a blocker at all. If I were a betting man, I’d bet by tomorrow she’s going to be dragging all the Alphas in town down around her, and she’s going to be in agony.
It’s impossible not to touch her in any way I can. The urge to push her up against one of the trees or press her back in the garden’s dirt courses through me like a constant stream. I know we’re supposed to wait until after the mating ceremony to officially consummate the union, but god… With her on the verge of her heat, I’m about to throw all that out the window.
Fortunately—and unfortunately—Mrs. Gardener walks outside at that very moment, sees us together, and her grin instantly falters.
“I think we need to end tonight a little early,” she says, glancing at me.
Violet scrambles away from me. “What? Why, Mom? Nothing happened. We thought?—”
“It’s not that, dear,” she interrupts. “You’re going into heat.” Then she looks at me. “Isn’t that right, Mr. Ashford?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“But I feel fine. Just a little cramping, but that’s it,” Violet says, eyes widening.
“For now. It’ll be in full swing by tomorrow,” her mother explains. “It’s not safe for you to be out and about anymore. Too many unmated Alphas here.”
“But—”
“I’ll say your goodbyes and usher everyone out. Stay out here.”
“I’ll stay with her,” I say.
She nods. “Thank you.” And with that, she heads back inside.
When we’re alone again, Violet turns to me. “I don’t understand. You both are making it sound dangerous—me going into heat.”
Her na?veté is charming but a little startling. I reach out and run a finger under her arm. “Wow, they really don’t tell you anything about being an Omega, do they?”
“They do. We learn about knots and heat and all that.”
“But not the details of it all,” I say. “Did they teach you in school about how painful heats are? Or that any unmated Alphas will be unable to control themselves if they get too close to you during one?”
Her expression turns scared. “What do you mean by not control themselves?”
“Remember what happened in the maze?”
She shivers. “With Mr. Stockton?”
“Yes.” A growl rises from the pit of my chest. “And me.”
This time a tremor runs through her for a different reason. I breathe in and instantly regret it. Her scent increases with her arousal. She’s extra sweet, and my vision clouds.
Fuck.
I have to shake my head to clear it. “Try not to think naughty thoughts, Princess. It makes things worse.”
“I’m sorry,” she mutters. “Why isn’t it affecting you, though?”
“Oh, it is. It has been for a while. It’s why I’ve had such a hard time keeping my fucking hands to myself. Your scent is everywhere.”
“But I’m wearing blocker. I’ve always worn it.”
“As I told the Monarch, for some reason I can still smell you.”
“And I can smell you.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure why, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep myself from rutting if we were together tomorrow, when you’re in full heat.”
She presses her thighs together—I see her do it—and I know I’m in trouble. We both are.
Mrs. Gardener pokes her head out the door again and waves us inside. “Okay, everyone’s gone. We have to get you up to your bedroom, Violet. There’s a lot of work to be done.”
Through the door, I hear Violet moan, and it’s like a call to a deep part of me that has nothing above the base needs, no reasoning, nothing. Her moan slices deep, pulls me to her. I’m having issues controlling myself, but I hang on to whatever threads of decency I have.
I’ve been in the hallway of the Gardeners’ house since the dinner last night. I helped gather the fluffiest blankets the family owned and grabbed every pillow I could find to help build Violet a nest in the center of her childhood bedroom. Her sisters brought in some of her favorite books, three heating pads, an entire case of water, and candles. I even helped Rue hang fairy lights after the light-blocking curtains were pulled shut, and once the room was dark, warm, and up to Mrs. Gardener’s standards, I was ushered out, along with every sister besides Iris.
While Heath, Mari, Dahlia, and Rue eventually went to bed or found other things to occupy their time, I’ve remained rooted to the spot, unable to leave.
And then, around two in the morning, the moans began, her agony vibrating through every fiber of my being.
It is my job to protect her.
The instinct overwhelms to the point I want to wreck this place, barricade us in her room, do anything and everything I can to ease the pain for Violet. If she didn’t smell so damn divine, I’d be able to concentrate. As it is, I want— need —to protect her, and I want— need —to devour her.
All I can think about is if I’d bitten her earlier, then we could’ve had the mating ceremony already, and her first heat would be at my home with me.
But no matter what my instincts urge, I can’t rut her. Especially during her heat.
I don’t know how I’m going to survive this. We can’t go our entire life without having sex.
“Changing your mind isn’t that much of a crime if you do it now.”
I turn and look at my aunt Pen climbing up the stairs slowly and with shaky legs. In one hand is a bottle of bourbon and in the other is two glasses. Her cane is tucked under her arm.
My savior.
I go over and help her up the last few steps before taking the bottle and glasses so she can steady herself. “What are you doing here? And so early in the morning?”
“It seems your friend is worried about you,” she says and taps her cane on the floor twice. “He called me. Thinks I can talk some sense into you and make you go home.”
“Who? Heath?” I grunt. “Why didn’t he come up and tell me himself?”
“Because he knows you’re stubborn as hell and won’t listen to him.”
“The pot calling the kettle black there,” I say and begin to pour the bourbon into the glasses for us. “He probably doesn’t trust that I won’t break down this door and fuck his sister. ”
When Pen winces, I try to apologize but she waves her hand. “It’s not even the worst I’ve heard you say.”
“It is true, though.” I hand her one of the glasses.
“Mr. Gardener has reason to worry. You don’t want to ruin Violet before the mating ceremony,” she says.
“Yeah…” That’s the least of my concerns.
“Stephan,” she says, crossing her arms. “I wiped your butt when you were a baby. I know you. So when I ask you this, I want you to be honest with me.”
I take a huge swallow of my drink. I hope she’s not going to ask if I love Violet, because that’s complicated. Like her, sure. I like Violet very much, but love is different. That notion died with Cecilia.
Her stare hardens on me. “Why?”
I frown. “Why what?”
“Why did you bite her?”
“Because Sophine made me. She gave us an ultimatum.”
Her gaze searches my face, and I know she doesn’t believe me. “You’ve never been one to follow her rules or play her games,” she says.
“This time she threatened Violet.”
“Did Sophine make you beat up that Stockton fellow, too?”
Damn. She got me there. “Not exactly. But he deserved it. Actually, he got off easy if you ask me.”
“Right.”
“That also could’ve been because of her heat,” I explain. “But none of that matters now. I marked her, I claimed her. She’s mine now, my responsibility.”
“Not because you love her? ”
Truth is a twisty, complicated beast, and I think… Fuck, I’m looking forward to learning all the princess’s secrets.
“Well?” she presses.
“I don’t know what I feel.”
Before she can continue, Mrs. Gardener opens Violet’s door just enough for her to squeeze through, and my body jolts to attention. Even through the crack, the air beats with the desire and sexual explosion that’s coming from Violet. I can almost see her scent, and that need pouring off her wraps fingers around my cock.
She’s so fucking potent.
The need to get into that room beats through me, and my sights zero in on the small opening.
“It hurts…” Violet’s moan is loud, and I go for the door.
It’s quickly slammed in my face, making me drop my glass of bourbon. The glass shattering is like a gunshot to my senses, and I blink.
Shit.
I have to remember that no matter what, I can’t go into that room.
The lock clicks in place again.
This is going to be harder than I thought.
My own temperature’s high. I don’t know how long it’s been. My mind feels like it’s fracturing with panic and worry. And fuck everyone. How the fuck can I protect my princess if I’m not with her?
How can I rut and knot and ease her pain if I’m on this side of the door ?
She’s in full-on heat now. It permeates everywhere, and me stuck on this side is a fucking joke. I get up and start pacing.
What time it is, what day, I have no fucking idea, but the princess in heat has been calling to my darker, feral side, her pain and my need to protect.
Through the door I can hear her sister trying to soothe her. My job. Mine. My Omega’s in there.
I go for the handle.
It’s still locked.
“Go away, Stephan!” Iris yells.
Behind me I note footsteps, but I really don’t care. When a cry of pain breaks into my heart, I howl and step back, then throw myself at the door, the lock giving way. I rush in. My princess is curled and wrapped and the scent in the room is so fucking sweet. So fucking potent I almost fall to my knees.
But I rush to her, only to have a dark-haired warrior tackle me. Behind me, Pen’s voice rises, sharp.
“Stephan!”
I stop.
My hands are on Iris, who’s shoving at me, and I stumble back. The need to rut and knot my princess hasn’t gone, but that feral need beyond sense has lessened enough for cool thought to step in.
“Get out, idiot!” Iris shoves me again. “You won’t ruin this for her. Out!”
“ Stephan .”
My aunt’s using her fucking Alpha voice on me.
I leave, the door slamming shut in my face again, and I hear the sound of heavy furniture scraping the floor. They made a fucking barricade.
I almost laugh, or cry. I don’t know. The need for Violet is clawing at me.
Pen holds out a glass. “You’re losing it. Drink.”
I snatch it from her. “I don’t give a shit. I want to look after her.”
“Or do you just want to get off?”
“Shove it, Pen.”
I’m shaking.
She just motions to a seat in the hall. I don’t want to move from where I am, but I go. I can still see the door. The one with the broken lock.
“You could go in, I know,” she says. “Overwhelm the sister and have your fill. But it’ll ruin her.”
“Would it matter? She’s already mine. I’ve already claimed her like…like…”
“Cecilia? You’re at a crossroads, Stephan. But if you truly want things not to end up like that, don’t go in. There’s time enough later.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want her to die.”
“Oh Stephan, not that. I didn’t mean that. Sophine’s stupid game and Cecilia’s death aren’t the same. And for what it’s worth, do this the right way and it doesn’t have to be something that earns Council sanctions.”
“So that’s all that matters?”
“To the Gardeners with all those Omegas? Yes. But for you? It should matter. A good start to this, an honest one, is a great starting place.” She pauses. “As for the rest? It doesn’t have to have the same ending. You need to know that. What happened to Cecilia isn’t Violet’s fate. You deserve happiness, too.”
I don’t say a word, just take the bottle of bourbon and go and sit outside the door.
Pen’s wrong. But what’s done is done, and it’s up to me to protect Violet in all ways, even from me. Because…shit…because what I told Pen earlier is true. I don’t know what I feel for Violet.
But…whatever it is, it’s starting to consume me.
What has this Omega done to me?