Chapter 35 Chapter 35
Elijah
I hadn’t planned to say that. Nor had I planned to let myself near her a second time.
The first time, it had been my wolf Beast’s curiosity. Or at least that was what I told myself.
I wasn’t sure what to do with her anytime she was around me.
And I was not sure why she had this effect on me either.
I hadn’t even known she existed until a few weeks ago. But ever since she stepped in my life, it has been a fucking whirlwind of emotions I hadn’t felt in a long, long time.
Violet was chaotic beauty and it had been almost laughable to see her seated beside that ungrateful bastard, yearning for scraps he threw at her back at Salt and Smoke.
She had those puppy eyes and a heart that was too easy to break, too soft for the prickly asshole to handle.
And I found myself staring at her, wondering what would happen if she ever directed that gaze at me? As if her world revolved around me.
I saw her hopes shatter the same way the glass around us shattered when the rogues attacked. And my body developed a mind of its own, lunging at her to save her.
Since that day, I had not been able to get her out of my mind. And she found a way to surprise me every fucking time.
She barged into my life when I had given up on the idea of love or mate, resigned to rule the pack all by myself.
Ok, stop thinking about her. I told myself as I washed my face and changed into a dry shirt. Violet had whimpered and moaned, every sound making me hungrier and the need to claim her growing with every second.
I had restrained myself when I saw her sitting in that bathtub but fuck I could not just walk away from her, not when she stood in front of me in just a towel, looking gorgeous and like a dove.
One taste of her had not been enough. It only made me crave her more. She was making me behave like a stupid teenager and I hated that.
So I decided to teach her a lesson by doing just what she asked but why the hell did it frustrate me so much?
Why did that slight hurt in her eyes bother me so much?
I shook my head and stepped out of the bathroom. Violet had run to Cassie’s bedroom as per the wet footprints leading from here to there.
A surge of annoyance radiated through me. Why did I have to push her away every damn time?
I reached for a shirt absentmindedly, put it on and went upstairs to see Tyler waiting for me.
His gaze narrowed on me the second I stepped in.
“What did you want to talk about?” I asked as I pulled open my laptop to start working. The files I had been reading earlier lay open on my desk, unread from the time Violet had knocked on the door to talk to me.
I hadn’t read a word.
“About Violet Hayes” Tyler said and I immediately blurted out.
“What about her?”
Tyler inched closer to the desk and lowered his voice.
“Do you think she is a bad influence on Cassie?”
That got my attention.
“What do you mean?”
Tyler rubbed the back of his neck.
“I mean, she took Cassie to a strip club and then Cassie suddenly disappeared for a day. All these events occurred only after Violet showed up.”
There was a knock on the door and Gavin stepped in. They both exchanged a look and apparently had this discussion before taking up the topic with me.
“Are you forgetting she literally showed up to look for Cassie when she had no business doing that?” I argued.
Gavin was quick to join Tyler.
“We think because she felt a bit guilty. After all, Cassie is easy to get distracted. Violet being the older one should have known better.”
“Which is why I think we should ask Violet to never meet Cassie again.”
“What?” I asked dumbfounded.
Gavin nodded. “Yep, we got in too much trouble already and I heard her ex left her too. She must be a pretty bad person if…”
I opened my mouth to ask him to shut up but then I noticed someone standing outside the door.
Gavin had left the door open and stupidly continued a brainless conversation.
When I leaned back, I noticed Violet standing outside the door, wearing Cassie’s clothes- the big hoodie and trousers that made her look like a chipmunk.
And Violet’s eyes were shining with unshed tears.
She caught me staring at her and turned around without a backward glance.
Shit.
“Violet!” I got up and glared at my warriors who looked surprised to see her standing there. But they were frozen to the spot as I rushed towards the door.
Violet didn’t react or answer but she simply climbed the stairs down and walked out of the main door without a backward glance.
The tears in her eyes told me she had heard every word these idiots had said. There was no point in running after her because she had hailed a cab and driven off by the time I got to the gate.
Fuck!
I was simmering in anger when I turned around to see the two idiots standing at the door, looking amused.
My feet thudded against the pavement and I stood in front of them, fuming in anger.
“Had you realized she was hearing and said those words anyway?”
Gavin shrugged while Tyler shook her head.
“Nope, but we are glad she did because it helped me prove that I am right.”
Tyler was going to die at my hands today. I climbed the last stair to stand in front of him and looked him in the eye.
“And what that might be?”
“That you are going soft”
“I beg your pardon?”
Tyler and Gavin exchanged an amused look as Tyler spoke like a monk who had achieved enlightenment.
“Gavin and I have been observing the girl or specifically you and we noticed how you grow all hot and bothered around her.”
“Did you hit your head, Tyler?” I barked but they were clearly enjoying this.
“I knew you had a soft corner for her but boy, the way you sprang up to her defence the moment I said slightly bad stuff about her…”
He gave me a cheeky smile that made me even more angry. She had just run out of the home crying.
What was worse that I had fucked her and just the memory of her skin beneath me made me hard all over again.
But to her, I was a demon who had just proved I was a heartless bastard. That I fucked her for the sake of it, and trash talked behind her back.
“You will shut your mouth if you want to live, Tyler”
“Why are you so touchy about her? What’s so special about her?” Tyler wouldn't shut up.
I fucking didn’t know the answers myself. And I hated that.