Chapter 251: Elephant In The Room

Griffin wasn’t the eldest of the cardinal alphas. In fact, as impossible as it might seem, all four of them had been born at the exact same time. A rare, mythic occurrence regarded as both an ominous omen by some, and a celestial blessing by others.

Either way, it was undeniable proof of the Moon Goddess’s mark on their lives. Goddess-touched heirs, they had been called the moment they took their first breath — celebrated, revered, feared and destined for greatness.

The point was that Griffin naturally slipped into the role of an elder brother, perhaps due to his easy going personality or that fierce, loyal heart of his. He was the one who held the line when everything else threatened to fall apart. So, it wasn’t surprising that he was the first to break the silence.

"I believe we’ve been at odds lately," Griffin said, meeting Asher’s gaze without wavering under the intensity.

"At odds is quite the understatement, don’t you think?" Asher replied coldly, his voice devoid of warmth. "I think the term ’at war’ fits better."

"We don’t want war," Griffin told him calmly, hoping reason could still prevail.

"It didn’t seem like it when you all ganged up on Jeremiah." He reminded them grimly.

Griffin opened his mouth to speak, but Asher was not in the mood for excuses.

He told him. "That wasn’t war. Trust me, if I intended a real war, you’d know. That little scuffle I pulled with your deltas? That was child’s child’s play compared to what I had in mind. Unfortunately, Violet wouldn’t like it if she heard." He leaned forward, "So don’t worry, you’ve already paid the price, otherwise, you wouldn’t be sitting at my table right now."

"Our table," Alaric corrected firmly.

Despite the recent turn of events, all four of them were considered kings of Lunaris Academy, each possessing a throne and wielding equal authority. They were meant to be a united front. No cardinal alpha was meant to be rule over the other.

Asher’s head turned slowly to Alaric, his stare like a dagger. "You really shouldn’t be speaking right now."

There was pure venom in his tone, and no forgiveness behind his eyes. It was clear Asher hadn’t let go of what Alaric had done to Violet and was only tolerating him because there were bigger matters at hand.

Alaric swallowed, guilt plastered across his face. "I didn’t hurt her intentionally, Elsie deceived me."

"Cry me a river." Asher’s scoff was sharp enough to cut glass. He wasn’t buying excuses.

Roman, unfortunately had to ruin his luck by opening his big mouth, saying, "It’s nice to know I’m not under your line of attack this morning."

At once, Asher’s gaze snapped to his once closest friend, eyes narrowing into a lethal glare. "Don’t even get me started with you, you conniving bastard. You think you’re so clever sneaking into her bed last night. You must’ve felt like a winner, right?"

"What?!" Griffin and Alaric shouted in unison, turning sharply to Roman.

The fox didn’t even flinch. Instead, he raised his arm, sniffed himself, and muttered, "Damn, you must be so obsessed with Violet to still scent her on me even after the thorough shower."

Asher didn’t waste time. His eyes glinted and suddenly, Roman’s head slammed onto the table with a dull thud thanks to the power of his compulsion, the sound echoing in the Silver Court.

"Ahhh—shit," Roman groaned, lifting his face as blood poured from his nose. He pinched it, voice nasally, "Wrong answer, I see. You’re not stalking her, you’re stalking me. You must still love me, bro. Love you too."

Asher gave him a look of pure disgust, but Roman simply dabbed his nose with a napkin, the injury already healing up. Even though Asher looked ready to kill him on the spot, there was still a trace of their old bond beneath all that hostility.

Alaric, however, wasn’t letting it slide. He shot to his feet, seething. "You snuck into Violet’s bed last night?!"

"Thanks to you," Roman said smugly, "She needed comfort and I provided it. Unlike you, I’m actually climbing up the rank on her forgiveness list. But you? You’ve been tossed in the doghouse, my guy."

The words hit home and Alaric let out a guttural roar, ready for blows. Roman jerked upright, letting out a threatening snarl of his own, rising to the challenge.

The air turned electric, thick with testosterone and power, ready to explode.

"Alright, enough!" Griffin barked, rising like a mountain between them. "No more fighting. The school’s already fractured from all the pack clashes. Jameson’s on her last nerve with us and I know none of us want Elijah to get involved."

At the sound of that name, the tension dissipated like a balloon popped with a needle. Elijah. The one name powerful enough to silence even the most savage of wolves. None of the cardinal alphas wanted him putting "things in order."

Alaric and Roman both glared at each other but slowly took their seats, leashing their tempers. For now.

Griffin looked them dead in the eyes, warning. "From now on, no more childish bickering. If you two want to play ’whose dick’s bigger,’ save it for after this meeting."

The animosity between Alaric and Roman hadn’t dissipated one bit. If anything, it lingered thick and sour but they understood. There was something more important at stake.

Once Griffin was sure peace had been restored, he focused on Asher.

"You’ve been gone for days, and you said there’s a lot to discuss. Why don’t we start there?"

Asher didn’t answer right away. Instead, he gave them a long, hard look. Then his lips curled slightly, not in amusement, but in challenge.

"Or rather," he said, "we address the elephant in the room that all of you have been dancing around."His voice dropped into a slow, deliberate cadence. "Violet Purple."

That name crackled in the air like thunder.

"I intend to chase after my purple queen," he declared. "How about you?"