Chapter 40: Desire
Defy The Alpha(s)
"You staring at Alaric wasnât baseless gossip," Dion said with a knowing smirk.
Violet, the way you looked at him was so captivating, I swear the sparks in your eyes could have rivaled Alaricâs own thunderbolts."
At once, a blush crept up Violetâs face, and she couldnât exactly deny it, not when there was picture evidence. Yes, the Oracle had somehow captured her staring at Alaric while he slept during class.
But she had only looked because he was undeniably handsome at that moment. Unfortunately, her innocent admiration had been twisted into something more by the gossip column.
And to make matters worse, how dare that coward, hiding behind her pen and paper, suggest she had any kind of interest in Griffin? She would sooner cut her own throat than have anything to do with that bastard.
"Moreover," Dion said, the amusement fading from his face, "no one knows who the Oracle is, and neither do we search for herâ"
"Why assume the Oracle is a âherâ? It could be a âheâ for all you know," Violet interrupted.
"From the tone of the articles, it sounds feminineâlike gossip between girlsâso we assume itâs a she," Dion replied.
"It could also be a disguise, a trick to throw people off his trail in case anyone tries to find him," Violet reasoned.
"Whether the Oracle is a he or a she, the point is that no one searches for the Oracle. If anything, the Oracle finds you instead. Sheâs a collector of information, which means she probably has secrets on everyone here, making her either a dangerous enemy or a powerful ally. It all depends on which side you want her to be," Dion explained.
But Violet snorted. "She doesnât scare me. I donât have secrets."
Dion frowned. "Donât push your luck. The Oracle has sources everywhere, making information retrieval look like a piece of cake. And look at what happened today, she doesnât need an ugly secret to turn your life upside down."
While Dionâs warning sank in, Violetâs gears began to turn. "So, she might be able to find my parents then?" she asked.
"What?" Dion said in confusion.
"Thatâs the only secret I have. That is, if it even qualifies as a secret," Violet replied. "Iâm sure the moment Asher pulled my records, he already found out I was adopted."
"About that, I donât know..." Dion said, uncertain.
"See?" Violet shrugged, making her point. "She canât find everything, after all. I donât have some incriminating secret like the rest of you. Itâs the ones who have the most to lose who have too many secrets to cover."
Dion groaned, rubbing his palm down his face. "You do know youâre too stubborn for your own good."
Violet smirked. "I like to think of myself as difficult to convince."
They both laughed, and Violet realized she was enjoying Dionâs company more than she had expected.
But then Dion said, almost out of nowhere, "The Cardinal Alphas all had females satisfying their needs before you arrived." The comment was so sudden that Violet, still caught up in the euphoria of their joke, felt the smile vanish from her face.
He went on, his tone ominous, "What do you think these women will do when some purple-haired girl comes out of nowhere and snatches away their prized Alphas? Alphas, some of them have already dreamed of having a future after graduation."
Violetâs throat suddenly felt dry, and she swallowed before saying, "I have no interest in their Alphas."
"Thatâs not what they see," Dion replied. He leaned in, his gaze boring into hers, as if he could see through the deepest parts of her soul. "And besides... desires can change."
For some inexplicable reason, Violetâs heart began to pound, and she felt vulnerable beneath Dionâs unnerving stare. No matter how much she tried to deny it, she knew he was right. Desires do change.
Asher was slowly breaking down her defenses. She still hated Griffin, but she was undeniably curious about his beast side. And then there was Alaric whom she might just have a crush on.
Fuck. This was getting bad.
Desperate for a distraction from the intensity of the moment, Violetâs eyes fell on Lila. It was strange for Lila, the usual chatterbox, to have remained so silent, and from the looks of it, she was furiously typing away on her phone.
Without warning, Violet snatched the phone from Lilaâs hands. At that action, Lilaâs eyes widened in shock.
"No, donât, Violet! Donât go to the comments section!" she shouted, panicked.
But that was exactly what Violet did.
And from the look of things, it seemed that Lila had been using a bot account to defend her under the Oracleâs post.
Instantly, Violetâs stomach churned with dread. If Lila had been using botted accountsâgods knew how manyâto write positive remarks about her, then the situation must be worse than she thought.
With a sinking feeling, Violet took a deep breath and clicked on the comment section, bracing herself for whatever lay ahead.
@LunarQueenð¾: Ugh, here we go again with another human trying to play in the big leagues. Stay in your lane, Violet. ð #AlphaDrama
@WolfieLilyðº: Did someone say Alaric and staring? ðð Okay, but honestly, who wouldnât? The Lightning Prince is a literal god. â¡ð #TeamAlaric
@MoonlitMavenâ¨: Top twenty on day one? Thatâs wild. ðºð¥ She must have some hidden tricks up her sleeve. #SuspiciousOrTalented
@AsherFan4Lifeð¥: Donât touch my man, Violet. ð¡ Heâs already spoken for... by ME! (jk... unless? ð) #TeamAsher
@FangirlCentralð: Not Violet stealing the spotlight AND the boys in one swoop. Whore behavior, tbh. ð #purplewhore
@StormyLoverâ¡: Violet staring at Alaric? SAME, GIRL. SAME. ð But letâs be real, Alaric probably doesnât even know how to flirt. ð #LightningLove
@PackLeader101ðº: Griffin and Violet? Thatâs a disaster waiting to happen. But Iâm lowkey here for it. ð«¢ð¥ #EnemiesToLovers?
@HowlItUpð¾: Is it just me, or is Violetâs rise too perfect? ð¤ What if sheâs some kind of plant? Like a spy or something? #ConspiracyMoon
@TeamElsieð: Letâs not forget the real queen of LunarisâElsie is still THAT girl. Violet could never. ð #LoyalToTheCrown
@LunarGossipð: Iâm living for this drama. The Oracle is serving tea piping hot as always. ðµ #MoonFeedAddict
@StarlightFuryð:Imagine a world where Violet ends up with Griffin, and Asherâs left in the dust. CHAOS. ð± #PlotTwist
@HowlAtMe: Yâall sleeping on how weird this is. Asher, Alaric and Griffin . ð¤®ð¤¢ #Disgusted
@LunaQueen: Elsie will always be our queen. This Violet storm will pass. ð #QueenBeeReigns
@AlphaLover22: Asherâs totally marking his territory. I mean, have you SEEN the way he looks at her like he intends to eat her whole? ð¥ð¥#EatMeToo
@PackPride47: What if Violetâs playing them ALL? ð #HumanWithAPlan
@WolfPackTea: If hateâs a thin line, Violet and Griffin are already crossing it. ðð¥ #TheHeatIsReal
@LunarLad59: Imagine being Elsie right now. The audacity of a HUMAN stealing her spotlight! ð¤ #DramaInTheDen