Chapter 807 Discipline

Annequin had readily agreed to their deal.

Not that she had much choice.

Right now, her only usefulness lay in the fact that she was powerful. And if Violet had to choose between having Annequin as an enemy or an ally, she would reluctantly take the latter.

Still, Asher decided Annequin’s services would not be needed for the rest of the day.

They had only just reached an agreement. Trust did not come that quickly. For now, they would observe her carefully.

Which meant today’s training belonged to Asher.

Since Violet’s powers were sentient and reacted strongly to her emotions, Asher decided to focus on one thing.

Discipline.

The training field stretched wide beneath the pale Fae sky. The earlier damage from Violet’s uncontrolled outburst had already begun healing, the Fae magic slowly coaxing life back into the torn patches of earth and crushed vegetation.

“Stand here.”

Asher placed his hands on Violet’s shoulders and guided her to the center of the field.

“Annequin was right about one thing,” he said. “You are a ticking time bomb.”

Violet made a face.

“You, Violet Purple,” he continued bluntly, “are as unstable as water in a storm. And your temper is worse than a sailor’s.”

Violet quirked a brow.

“Thanks for the compliment, love.”

Asher’s expression didn’t falter.

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

Violet pressed her lips together. Right. Asher was in teacher mode.

He continued.

“Annequin’s idea about pushing you wasn’t entirely wrong. And I intend to do exactly that.”

He took a step back.

“Call out your power.”

Violet’s breath stuttered.

Behind them, the others immediately reacted.

“Asher,” Alaric said carefully.

Roman and Griffin shifted uncomfortably as well. Annequin wasn’t here to contain anything if things went wrong.

But Asher remained calm.

“We are her mates, she cannot harm us.”

He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. “Though that limits the effect somewhat.”

He looked back at Violet.

“Violet is not weak. And if her power is truly sentient, then it should understand that she does not want more destruction. The more afraid you are, Violet, the more likely you are to fail.”

Violet swallowed. Then she closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

Yesterday’s demonstration might have been a disaster, but it taught her something important. She could now recognize the feeling of each of her powers.

The moment she reached inward, she felt it.

The darkness.

It rose like wildfire through her veins, the sensation almost violent, as if someone had drenched her soul in gasoline and struck a match.

The air around her began to thrum. Black tendrils of energy rushed outward her body like living smoke.

“Control.”

Asher’s command landed like a blade.

Instantly the growing surge halted. The darkness froze mid-rise, hovering around Violet like a suspended storm.

“Good.” Asher nodded. “You’re not a lost cause after all.”

Inside Violet’s mind, Thalia preened.

See? the wolf purred smugly. He likes when we obey.

Her tail swished happily in Violet’s mental space.

Command me, daddy.

What the—

The sudden thought nearly made Violet lose control. Now was seriously not the time for Thalia to be lusting after Asher!

Asher began circling her slowly, studying the dark energy radiating from her body.

“I want you to hold this exact level of power,” he said. “No more. No less. I don’t care how long it takes. Or distractions you hear.”

He said finally, “Now, close your eyes.”

Violet’s hackles rose immediately. That tone meant trouble. Asher was up to something.

She could feel it.

Still, she had agreed to the training. And despite every instinct screaming at her to question him, Violet forced herself to obey.

Slowly, she shut her eyes. The world fell into darkness.

At first, there was nothing but the quiet calm of the training field. The faint breeze brushed against her skin, carrying the scent of fresh flowers from the garden and the lingering tang of magic in the air.

Violet focused on the darkness swirling around her body. It pulsed like a living thing, waiting for instruction.

Steady, she reminded herself. Steady.

Feeling more in control, she pushed her senses outward, tapping into her Fae hearing. She could hear her mates breathing and was able to pick them out individually.

Roman’s lazy inhale.

Griffin’s slow, steady breaths.

Alaric’s quieter rhythm.

And Asher. Always controlled.

They were all watching her.

Then suddenly—Crack.

Roman yelped.

“Aww! What was that for, man?”

Violet’s heart lurched. The darkness around her flared slightly in response.

What just happened? Her mind raced.

Why was Roman in pain?

She couldn’t see anything with her eyes closed. Instinct screamed at her to open them, to look, and make sure everything was fine.

But then Asher’s voice from earlier echoed in her mind. No more. No less. She was flustered as it was already. So she held her ground.

Breathe. Just breathe. She told herself.

Another sharp sound echoed through the field.

“Come on, man, stop it!” Roman groaned. “That hurt!”

Violet’s pulse quickened. The darkness thickened around her shoulders.Something was wrong.

Her chest tightened.

Was Asher hurting him?

Why?

Another voice broke in. Griffin this time.

“Hey! Asher! Cut it out, what the hell is wrong with you?”

A low growl followed.

Asher.

Then there was a thud. Another hit.

Violet’s control wavered. Her power flickered dangerously.

Hold it together. She must hold it.

Then Alaric shouted.

“Hold him down!”

The sounds exploded all at once. Grunting.

Struggling. Bodies shifting. Roman swearing with Alaric and Griffin shouting.

It became a chaotic storm of noise Violet couldn’t untangle. Her heart pounded so loudly she could barely hear herself think.

What was happening?

Were they fighting?

Was Asher seriously attacking them?

Her instincts screamed. Her mates were in danger.

Her power surged.

No.

No.

She had to hold it.

She tried.

Gods, she tried.

But the noise kept coming.

Roman groaned again.

“Seriously, what the hell—!”

Another thud and Violet’s control snapped.

“Stop it!” she screamed.

The moment the words left her mouth, the darkness exploded outward. It erupted from her body in a violent wave. Darkness surged across the field like a storm breaking free. But it didn’t destroy anything, thankfully.

The power rolled over her mates like wind, brushing past them before dissipating across the grass.

The field fell silent.

Violet’s breathing came in ragged bursts.

Her eyes flew open and the moment she saw them, her stomach dropped.

Roman looked completely unharmed. The earth around them had been kicked loose during the struggle, but he stood there perfectly fine.

Understanding crashed into her. This was all a test and she failed.

Fuck.

Asher walked toward her.

Violet lowered her head immediately, unable to bring herself to face him. Shame twisted inside her chest like a knot. She already knew what he was going to say.

Still, a single hand reached out and lifted her chin. Slowly, unwillingly, Violet found herself staring into those striking gray eyes.

His slitted pupil narrowed even further, and under any other circumstance, she might have found them hypnotic. But not now. Because right now there was a storm in them.

“Did I ask you to let go?”

Asher’s voice was way too calm, and somehow that made it worse.

“No,” Violet whispered, the word barely leaving her lips.

Asher’s gaze didn’t waver.

“Then why did you?”

Violet swallowed.

“I was worried,” she admitted. “I thought something had happened to them…” Her voice faltered before she could finish the sentence.

Asher’s features didn’t ease one bit.

“But I gave you an instruction.”

“Yes, you did, but—”

“What if you had harmed us?”

Violet shook her head. “No, you’re my mates. I can’t harm you guys —”

“I’m not mate-bonded to you yet.” Asher threw the hard truth in her face. “You could have killed me if you weren’t careful.”

Violet didn’t respond. What was she going to say?

Asher continued, his voice stern.

“That could have easily been anyone else. Your loved ones. Nancy. Ezra. The queen.”

Each name felt like a stone dropping in Violet’s chest.

“You would have harmed them.”

Asher went on, “In battle, you cannot afford to be emotional. Not when you carry power like this. The lives of people will be in your hands, Violet. One mistake…” He held her gaze. “And you end it all. Do you want to live with that kind of weight?”

Violet barely dared to breathe. She stood so still she might as well have been carved from stone.

Asher watched her for another moment before continuing.

“Discipline,” he said quietly, “is being in control even when the world around you is loud. It’s being the calm inside the storm. It’s knowing people can trust that their lives are safe in your hands. Do you understand, Violet?”

“Asher,” Griffin’s voice broke the tension, “I think that’s enough.”

He glanced toward Violet. “She gets the point.”

For a moment, the hardness remained in Asher’s eyes. Then slowly, it faded. He stepped forward and pulled Violet into his arms, the sudden warmth of the embrace shocking her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be here.” He murmured, hand resting against the back of her head.

“I won’t let anyone’s blood end up in your hands.”

Violet didn’t even realize she was trembling until she clung to him. Her fingers gripped the back of his shirt as if he were the only solid thing in the world.

The adrenaline from the training finally caught up with her. That had been terrifying.