Page 12 of Second Chance By Fate

“Oh, now you remember?” I ask sarcastically. “I was starting to think you had memory loss.”

“And it didn’t fucking work, Steele! We’re still not as strong as we were! Our powers are not as strong as they should be, and we still have to fend off outside attacks!” Jax hisses back with uncharacteristic fury.

“Okay, that’s enough!” Enzo steps between us, holding up his hands. “Both of you are right. She’s here now, so we need a new plan. Either we exile her again…”

He trails off, and I gape at him. “Or what? Of course we have to!”

“No,” Jax insists. “We could keep her here. She obviously came back for a reason, even if she won’t say why. I think she came to help us.”

I scoff loudly. “More likely she’s come to put the final nails in our coffins. She’s here to finish the job. She got tired of waiting!”

“Steele—”

“You two are both blind. You’re too smitten by her beauty to see what’s really going on here. I don’t want any part of this. If you keep her here, Enzo, keep me out of it.”

I push past them to head into my wing of the estate, both my brothers calling after me, but I ignore them. I hate that I want them to be right, but the fact is, I just don’t trust Violet. If she’s not responsible for our downfall, who else could it be?

Sleep doesn’t come,and pacing around makes me more anxious. Instead, I decide to head out for a hunt in my panther form. I run into Enzo in the hall, and I realize he’s having the same issue as me, now that Violet is under the same roof.

“Seriously,” I growl again. “Why did you let her back?”

He sighs heavily. “What are my options here? Let her go where we can’t keep an eye on her or keep her here?”

“Where she causes more destruction?” I finish for him. “Look at what’s happening already.”

Enzo’s steely-gray eyes harden. “I know you were hurt by her betrayal?—”

I bristle at the characterization and turn away. “I wasn’t hurt. I should have expected it from a witch. We should have known better than to let her into our bed in the first place.”

“But we did,” Enzo continues. “And the damage is done. We learned to care for her—whether you want to admit it or not.”

“Speak for yourself,” I huff. “And whatever I might have felt for her before doesn’t apply anymore. She needs to go.”

Enzo ponders the dilemma. “I mean… I guess we could let her go now and stick a team on her.”

Unexpectedly, a jab of worry slices through me at the idea, and my older brother catches it.

“That’s why I said we should table this until morning,” he reminds me. “Let’s talk about it tomorrow. We’re all too riled up right now to discuss this rationally.”

I nod curtly and head out the front doors. There’s no sense in rehashing this over and over. We’re getting nowhere.

“Where are you going?” he demands, watching me leave.

“On a hunt.”

“Want me to join you?”

I consider his offer for a minute. It’s been a while since we’ve gone out together, but I shake my head. “No. I want to be alone.”

Enzo stifles a sigh. “Suit yourself. But leave Violet alone, Steele, please. We’ll regroup tomorrow.”

I promise nothing and head into the night, shifting into my cat form.

There’s not much to hunt in Dusty Woods, and my mind isn’t on a kill, anyway. I’m more out for a late-night run than anything, to clear my head and figure out what to do with this newfound problem. I have to admit that things haven’t gotten any better in Violet’s absence, and while I would never say it to my brothers or anyone else, I have missed her.

No one has ever gotten me as excited as Violet in the bedroom or anywhere else. As much as I’ve tried to move on with other lovers, I always compare them to Violet, and they’re never invited back for a second night. But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s no good for us. Unlike Jax, who claims to use common sense, I really do use my head to make decisions.

My paws pound faster over the sidewalks, leading toward the obscure areas of town. The few shifters outside bow and duck out of my way, leaving a clear path for me toward my free run, and I begin to sprint as if escaping my own thoughts.

---