Page 101 of Violet

Violet’s panic spikes. It rolls off her in waves.

“Calm,” I say, using my Alpha voice. I touch her hand, and the Monarch’s eyes lock on the subtle connection. “Don’t you think that’s going to set tongues wagging?” I ask her.

“It’s more to pin you down now, Stephan,” she says, lifting her nose in the air. “You have seven days.”

Shit.

“It was a nice party, don’t you think?”

She looks at me, then leans on the balcony railing of the second floor. The door’s open and the balcony’s a good size. Little lights twinkle and the chatter and music from below drift up. There’s even a gentlemen’s room across the hall from this modern event hall Sophine chose for this evening’s event.

So fucking old-fashioned…

“We have seven days.” The princess pauses, looking out. Not at me.

I can still taste her. I’m thinking of asking her to move in with me, but when I’m about to say those words, she turns, looks up at me.

“Are you okay with that, Stephan? Do you need to do anything, see anyone? If you do, this week’s a good time.”

“Do what, exactly? I dated. I won’t deny I have a past, but I wasn’t seeing anyone when I came here.”

She nods. “Your co-star… Rue told me about her.”

“That’s…complicated.” Violet’s too honest, so in case someone here asks her, I’ll keep it like that til I can explain. “But there’s nothing to worry about, nothing unfinished.”

“Okay. Well, this is your week.”

Someone comes in. I look over, mentally measuring the space between us.

Heath, and he glowers, gruff at his edges. “You two shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither should you, Gardener.”

Violet moves away. “There’s too much Alpha energy here. I’m going to find Mom and see about going home. Don’t kill each other.”

When she goes, I think about what she said. There’s Cecilia’s parents, if they’re still here on Sabine. Last time I saw them, they made it clear what was already in my head. My fault.

Which is why Violet’s never?—

“You told her?” Heath asks, leaning his hip on the balcony railing next to me. “About Cecilia?”

I sigh. “Yes and no.”

“And that means…?”

“I told her we were together, and that I lost her, but I didn’t say how.”

“She mentioned to me about you not being able to have kids.”

“I never said I wasn’t able,” I say. “I told her I couldn’t.”

“Ashford,” he growls. “They sound pretty damn similar to me.”

“What the fuck do you want me to do? I’m not ready to remember that part of my life yet.”

“It’s not fair to Violet,” he says. “She wants kids. You know this. It’s not that you can’t have kids. It’s that you choose not to because of what happened years ago. It was tragic, yeah. But that doesn’t mean it’ll happen again.”

I cross my arms and peer out onto the street below where cars pass and couples stroll along the sidewalks. “It’s better not to risk it.”

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