The moment Alpha Henry's footsteps faded down the hall, that was when Elsie snapped out of her daze.
"You little bitch! You did that on purpose, didn't you?!" she shrieked, lunging at Violet with all the grace of a feral cat.
But she didn't get far because Asher was in front of Violet in a blink. "Touch her," he snarled, his voice cutting through the hallway, "and I'll rip your face off."
The Alpha power in his voice hit Elsie so hard that she froze mid-step, causing her eyes to widen and her breath hitched. Even Caroline staggered in place, her lips parting in stunned disbelief.
"Asher?" Caroline breathed out, as if trying to process what she was seeing, as if the boy standing before her wasn't the same graceful heir she once praised.
But Asher didn't even spare her a glance. His slitted gray eyes, sharp as glass, flicked to her with the cold disdain of a predator sizing up an insect.
