Defy The Alpha(s) novel Chapter 173

Chapter 173: What Would You Sacrifice?

"W—what?" Violet’s jaw fell. No. She must have heard wrong. There was no way he had just said what she thought he did.

"You heard me right," Roman said firmly, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

Fuck. He was serious.

Violet’s mind scrambled for logic, for something that would make sense of this absurdity.

"Wait a minute," she started, "You want me to reject all of the houses, and then what? Live happily ever after with you in the forest?" She gestured around blindly, knowing he could see her through the dark. "In your treehouse?" The sarcasm dripped from every syllable.

"Isn’t that what you wanted from the start? To be free from the Cardinal Alphas? From Asher?" Roman reminded her, unfazed.

"Yes, that’s what I wanted at the beginning," Violet admitted, "but now, I’m dating a Cardinal Alpha, and Asher still won’t leave me alone."

"Because you belong to a house."

Violet frowned. "Excuse me?"

"We are werewolves, governed by magic, laws, and tradition. Do you think we take our roles lightly? This academy isn’t just a school, it’s a training ground for the future. The power structure here is a reflection of the rule we will enforce once we graduate and take our rightful places in our packs."

He continued, "If you reject the houses, you’d exist outside the system. Asher wouldn’t be able to touch you. The rules forbid him from dating someone who isn’t part of a pack. He’d have no claim over you."

Violet’s lips parted in realization. "So, in one word, I’d be an outcast?"

"Not exactly," Roman mused. "But close enough. You’d still have a place to stay, finish your education, and no one could force you into anything. Isn’t that the freedom you’ve been fighting for?"

Violet’s brows knit together in thought. This sounded too good to be true, and her instincts screamed that Roman wasn’t telling her everything. Right at that moment, it hit her.

"Wait a damn second." Violet’s mind raced as the pieces clicked into place. "If Asher can’t come after me, does that mean... I can’t date Alaric either?"

The look on Roman’s face was all the confirmation she needed.

Violet’s expression twisted into a glare, anger flaring hot in her chest. "That’s not happening."

Alaric was the only good thing in this godforsaken place. And now, Roman expected her to give him up? Just like that? Not a damn chance.

"It’s for your own good," Roman said sincerely.

"Still not happening." She hissed through clenched teeth. "And if you’re done trying to convince me to break up with my boyfriend, take me out of here."

She turned on her heel, heading straight for the entrance only for Roman’s next

words to stop her cold.

"Do you know that Elsie came to me because of you?"

Violet stilled, her body rigid with tension. Though she didn’t turn, the stiff set of her shoulders made it clear she was listening.

"She wanted me to capture you, claim you under my house. She wanted me to put you in your place, to punish you for daring to go after her prospective suitors." He scoffed. "But I couldn’t do that to a lady, could I?"

Violet swallowed hard, her stomach twisting. But beneath that emotion was also disgust and anger — anger of what she’d to Elsie once she got her hands on her.