I only had a second to watch as Violet’s face crumbled like a toppled house of cards before Cassian ruthlessly slammed the door in her face. The bang was so loud that it resounded across the room, and I winced.

I tried to look up at the triplets, wondering if I had hallucinated the events that just took place mere seconds ago.

"You left your chosen mate outside," I couldn’t help but point out, shooting them a confused expression. I pointed a finger at the closed door, gawking at the ridiculousness of it all.

Any other time, that would be my one happy memory. But now that I was still on Rowan’s shoulder with his mark throbbing on my neck like a searing brand, I couldn’t enjoy this moment. Especially not when I had no clue what the triplets could have planned for me that involved humiliating Violet in such a fashion.

Did it bring about a tiny wave of satisfaction? Yes.

Did it make me fear for my fate even more so than ever before? Also yes.

"Put me down now!" I demanded hotly.

When Rowan didn’t react to my words, I jabbed his waist with my pointy elbow. He let out a hiss, but he got my message loud and clear, depositing me on the ground with no delay. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

To my surprise, Soren’s hands reached out to steady my body, ensuring that I didn’t fall. He was careful not to use too much strength, his fingers carefully wrapping around my waist just long enough for me to regain my balance. Once I was on my own two feet, he shrank away, more scared than disgusted.

I whirled around and shot all of them with suspicious glances. They had never picked me over Violet before. Were they truly so upset with Violet stalking them that they chose to lock her outside?

There came faint sounds of knocking from outside, most likely Violet demanding an answer. However, the Alphas didn’t even so much as bat an eyelid.

"What’s the meaning of this?" I demanded, crossing my arms as I tilted my head. "Don’t tell me you guys are so mad that she found this place that you’re punishing her by leaving her outside?"

I highly doubt the triplets were such responsible leaders that the notion of Violet neglecting pack duties to follow them turned into such an unforgivable crime, one that deserved banishment from their bedroom. As their Luna and chosen mate, wherever the Alphas slept was where the Luna slept as well. Violet had a claim to this bedroom as much as they did.

My blood chilled as I thought of a possible reason why they wanted me in the room with them, with Violet outside. I covered my chest protectively with my arms.

"You’re not sleeping with me to hurt her, are you?" I asked warningly, taking a few steps back to put more distance between us. "I refuse to take part in whatever weird scheme you three have planned when it comes to her."

No matter how badly the mark on my shoulder throbbed in their combined presence, I didn’t want to entangle myself with the three of them. Lucien was my true fated mate, and he was also the one I chose from the bottom of my heart. The moment I figured out how to get Rowan’s mark off of me without risking my own life, it would be gone.

"Just forget Violet for a minute!" Cassian barked out, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I know Violet got someone to follow us here, and you know who that someone is! Spit it out!"

"I don’t know anything about that," I said, blatantly lying through my teeth. "Have you considered investing in security cameras? Perhaps you need better warriors. They don’t seem too trustworthy if people are able to sneak in and out from right under their noses."

I ignored the way Cassian’s face darkened.

Instead, I continued to prattle on. "Or maybe you should work on improving your senses, instead of raising your temper at me all the time."

For now, I wasn’t sure if my suspicions were true. Jessie had been the only outsider other than the Alphas and me to step into this safehouse, along with some guards whom I had never seen before.

If Jessie had followed the Alphas without their knowledge, only to have Violet reappear a while later, she would have been the biggest suspect to function as Violet’s spy.

My heart churned painfully, feeling the sting of betrayal. However, I tried my hardest not to think of it. Until I was sure that Jessie was a spy for Violet and the reason why Violet found this place so easily and quickly, I didn’t want her to be hunted down by the Alphas. Knowing them, they would not show mercy to a mere omega, especially one whom they had no problems threatening before.

More importantly, I needed to know why.

Jessie had always been a friend and the only confidant I had in a place where everyone else hated me for breathing. More importantly, she hated Violet, even before Violet became the Luna. Violet came from a position of power, and out of sight of everyone else in the pack, she abused that privilege as much as she could. She was never kind to the omegas, and as a result, almost no one liked her.

Of course, it didn’t matter whether or not we liked Violet. We had to serve her anyway, and Jessie had endless complaints about it. We had even shared a few rare laughs over it at night when the whole pack house was sound asleep.

Maybe Violet had threatened her life. After all, if Violet could have the triplet Alphas wrapped around her finger, there were very few things she couldn’t do.

Whatever it was, I wasn’t going to think the worst of Jessie until I got the truth from her own lips.

Cassian snarled at my words, throwing his hands up in the air. Soren sighed and took a step closer, holding out his hands in a conciliatory expression.

"We’re not mad at you. We just need to know who it is," he said cajolingly, but there was a furrow between his eyes.

He was worried about something, I realized with surprise. All of them were.

"Why do you care so much that Violet knows about you keeping me in this place?" I asked curiously. "Did you honestly believe that you could have kept it from her forever?"