Chapter 636

Violet was in paradise.
The air around her pulsed with layers of scent so exquisite they might as well have been music: deep notes of smoked cedar and dark spice, threaded with the sharp sweetness of rain-kissed earth and amber’s warmth. Vanilla lingered softly beneath it all, tender as a lover’s whisper. Then came the brighter tones: citrus and pine, sunlight caught in wood and wind, and finally a faint sweetness of pineapple and cream, a fragrance so delicate it felt like laughter suspended in the air.
She breathed it in until her lungs ached, until the beauty of it pressed against her chest. Every note was familiar, woven with memories of the scent of her mates, her home, and her peace.
It was incredibly soothing, and she wanted to lose herself in it forever.
With a soft sigh of contentment, Violet reached for the nearest body and leaned into him. He was warm, safe, and steady.
Then she felt fingers gently raking through her hair, massaging her scalp with such a tender rhythm that a purr escaped her lips before she could stop it.
Her eyes fluttered open instinctively and met those familiar, slitted gray eyes staring back at her.
Her breath caught.
Asher’s eyes were the kind that could make the moon hide out of jealousy. They shone with a strange depth, as if layers of silver and smoke lived beneath the surface, constantly shifting with every flicker of light. And then there were his slitted pupils, cutting through that gray like dark silk drawn through liquid metal.
Up close, they were unreal. Dangerous in a way that didn’t seem meant for the mortal world. But it wasn’t just danger that lived in those eyes. There was beauty there too — cold, haunting beauty that seemed to see right through her skin and straight into her soul.
Violet’s chest rose and fell, breathless, caught in the gravity of him and unable to look away even if she wanted to. There was something intimate in the way those eyes looked back at her — sharp and soft at once, dangerous yet tender. It was unfair, the way a single look could undo her so easily.
She couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. All she could do was drown in the beauty of those eyes until the rest of the world simply ceased to exist.
Asher continued massaging her hair, his fingers slow and careful, the movement soothing in its tenderness. Violet’s eyes instinctively fluttered closed, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she melted into the touch, relishing the heavenly sensation. The source of thɪs content is ~net
Neither of them spoke a word. The silence wasn’t awkward, rather it was peaceful, and the kind of quiet that said more than words ever could.
They simply stayed like that, lost in the comfort of each other, until sleep came softly, wrapping her like a warm blanket. Her breathing steadied, and with one final exhale, Violet slipped under, lulled back into its embrace once more.
Asher watched her for a long time after that, his hand still gently massaging her scalp. He could go on forever if she wanted him to. The ache in his fingers was nothing compared to the pain of ever losing her.
He wasn’t even sure Violet knew just how much she meant to him at this point. She was his life, the one thing keeping him sane.
If there ever came a day she disappeared from his world, then he would stop existing.
How long would she live? Fae lived hundreds of years. Surely, as half-Fae, she would have a long life span.
And how long would he? The strongest of his kind had lived up to three hundred years. But he would rather spend that entire lifetime with her than live a thousand without her.
Asher had never told anyone, but the day Violet died would be the day he died too.
They said mates gave up on life when their other half perished. But he didn’t need a matebond to lose his mind — he already knew what it would do to him.
Violet was the reason he breathed, the reason he endured. Hence, he would protect her even if it meant losing everything, even his life.
“Sleep well, my purple queen,” Asher whispered, his voice so quiet it almost wasn’t there.
His thumb brushed over her cheek in a fleeting, reverent touch. Then he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, lingering for a heartbeat before pulling away.
When Asher pulled back, his heart almost leaped out of his chest because Griffin was awake, staring straight at him.
The look in Griffin’s eyes wasn’t judgmental, just knowing, and that made it worse. The intensity in his gaze felt like it stripped Asher bare, exposing every part of him he tried to keep locked away.
Vulnerability had never sat well with him.
Griffin finally broke the silence.
“Your matebond will snap into place soon,” he said confidently.
“When?” Asher shot back, his voice edged with impatience. “Years later?”
“You’re scared,” Griffin observed.
Asher gave a bitter chuckle. “The Goddess has never been fair to me.”
“There’s a reason for everything,” Griffin replied calmly. “And a season too.”
“Or maybe she just enjoys torturing me,” Asher muttered. “My life’s been a special brand of misery she surely gets drunk on.”
Griffin’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not giving up on Violet, are you?”
“Of course not!” Asher’s reply came fiercely, his eyes blazing. “Matebond or not, Violet’s mine. Always been mine.”
“I know,” Griffin said. “The boys know too.”
“Good,” Asher growled, his tone darkening. “Because if the bond never comes, and one day any of you get ideas, then be rest assured, I’ll fight you all to the death.”
Their gazes locked, unflinching. Tension in the atmosphere.
Then Griffin relaxed, “The prophecy says four of us. You might not believe in fate, but I’ll hold the faith for you. Asher Nightshade, your matebond is coming sooner than you know.”
Asher said nothing. But deep inside, he prayed so.