Chapter 25

I t takes what feels like forever to wrangle Thorin back. I gave him time and tried to pop in and out of his conscience to see what was going on.

All I see is the repressed wolf finally finding his mate, and I can’t take that away from him.

Especially if this is a part of Violet she wants to keep tucked away in another box. I don’t know how much time Thorin will have with her, so I wait and wait. When Thorin is wrapped around the wolf, I now know is named Azure, both of them panting heavily from their run, I know I can push the shift.

“Don’t take her from me,” Thorin asks.

“I need to make sure Violet is alright. You know how hard the first shift is.”

“What if she doesn’t want to shift back?” I don’t have an answer for him and he whines. “You need to tell Violet what she is to us. You need to stop these lies you tell yourself. They are ours. Be the man you need to be or I will take over for both of us,” he says sternly.

But after he lashes me with his tongue, he gives up control. My naked body lies next to the small wolf who sleeps, and I groan.

I lie there for a moment, wondering what the fuck just happened. How Violet being able to shift changes everything. She’s not just a witch, she’s the only hybrid I’ve ever met and I’m not sure if it’s possible.

Can she only shift with the necklace on? Was her wolf suppressed, and the necklace unlocked it?

I look down at her white head and realize her hair was an indicator of who she was this whole time. The white blonde from her witch family and just like Jonas, the black inky portion is from her shifter family.

This whole fucking time she was like me and neither of us knew it. It’s why she’s my mate, it’s undeniable for me at this moment.

I could never pull Thorin away from Azure, not only because he would likely shift and never let me out, and because this has been his dream.

I never let myself actually dream of a mate, but now… now I wonder if it was more than just the hex Violet cast unknowingly on her sixteenth birthday. It all feels like so much more.

Azure is completely out, exhausted from her first run with Thorin. But I keep an eye on the wolf when I run into the dining room and grab a pair of sweatpants and an extra blanket.

I toss the blanket on top of the wolf and stroke her soft fur once before waking her up.

She doesn’t look as afraid as when she first shifted, but still leery of me.

“Azure, I need you to shift back to Violet,” I tell her.

She plops her head back down on the patio, ignoring me. Great, two disobedient fucking wolves to contend with.

“Azure, I’m your Alpha. You must shift back.” She fucking huffs at me, no care in the world, and I sigh. “I promise I’ll talk to Violet and make sure she lets you out to see Thorin.”

Her eyebrow shifts, her bright blue gaze not knowing if she should trust me or not.

I reach for the necklace, and she nips at me.

“I can see why Thorin is so besotted,” I tell her with a smile, stoking her fur. “If you won’t shift back, you at least need to come inside.”

The she-wolf glances at the house and groans before the shift happens. Violet’s hair splaying on the cold hard ground of the porch while the blanket hides her modesty.

I wrap her up in the blanket, not touching her skin as I bring her to her bed. As soon as her head hits the pillow, she wraps a hand around my wrist.

“Stay,” she whispers.

So I do. Hoping that maybe she means forever and not just the night.