Chapter 14: 14: Broken Rules
My heart fell into the pits of my stomach when I saw Violet standing at my door. She wore a wicked smile when she realized I had a visitor.
More accurately, a visitor who had broken the Alphas’ rules.
Without anyone else present, she hadn’t even bothered to keep up with pretenses. Slowly, Violet walked in, and Jessie shot up to her feet. Her face paled in horror. I was sure mine matched as well.
"Well, well, well," Violet said, clicking her tongue as she shook her head. "Look what the cat dragged in. Briar, didn’t you know that you’re not supposed to have any visitors? I thought the Alphas made that very clear."
"She was just leaving," I said without even turning to look at Jessie. "Weren’t you, Jessie?"
"Y-Yes!" she squeaked. "Please excuse me, Luna Violet―"
"Not so fast," Violet said, stopping Jessie in her tracks. "The Alphas made sure everyone in the pack knew that Briar’s bedroom was out of bounds. You’re not leaving without punishment."
"Violet, she didn’t mean to―"
"Didn’t mean to what?" Violet asked. Her eyes were lethal and cold as she stared at me, one eyebrow raised. "Didn’t mean to defy the Alphas’ direct orders? Didn’t mean to bring you food when she has been specifically told not to? Come on, Briar," she laughed, "there are consequences to her actions. We’re all grown adults here."
She took a step forward, and I shakily climbed off the bed to shield Jessie behind me.
"Your wedding is tomorrow, as is your coronation," I said. "It wouldn’t be good to kill someone right before such a big day."
"Kill?" Violet echoed. She placed a hand to her chest, feigning hurt. "Briar, what sort of monster do you think I am? Why would I kill someone over something like this?"
She was a monster enough, in my books. Violet had no remorse, no shame, and no morality. I could not view the woman who had so happily stolen my fated mates as anything but that.
In seconds, she had crossed the room. One swift swipe of her hands, and I was pushed aside, falling onto the bed as Violet yanked Jessie forward. With barely any food in my system, I didn’t have any strength left in me to fight back. I toppled over like a house of cards, my knee knocking against the bedframe as I hissed in pain.
"Briar!" Jessie called out, trying to reach out for me, but was easily pulled back by Violet by her collar. "Ack―!"
"Not so fast," Violet said, clicking her tongue. "You’re not going anywhere."
"Violet, let her go!" I said.
My hands were shaking. The little bit of bread that Jessie had fed me was enough to prevent me from straight-up blacking out, but it definitely wasn’t a full and hearty meal that could get me up and running instantly. Even if it was, it would still take me some time to properly recover.
I could only watch from my bed as Violet smiled. She then raised her hand, slapping Jessie straight across the face so hard that the latter fell to the ground with a cry of pain.
"Jessie!"
I practically threw myself off the bed to get to my friend. She cradled her face, tears brimming in her eyes as her cheeks rapidly grew redder and redder. Upon closer inspection, I could even see a bit of blood dotting the corner of her lips. Violet had used so much force that the skin of her lips had split open.
"What is going on here?!" Cedar suddenly appeared at the door, his eyes wide with fury. Behind him were two other warriors.
Seeing him, Violet’s expression instantly changed. Gone was the gleeful expression. It was quickly replaced with a tearful frown.
"Beta Cedar, thank goodness you’re here!" Violet quickly ran over. She shook her head remorsefully, sighing as she gestured to Jessie and me. "I was just about to bring some food to Briar here, but it seems like she already has visitors."
"You’re lying!" I seethed through gritted teeth. Violet? Bringing food for me? She was just reprimanding Jessie for doing so!
"What is she doing on the floor?" Cedar asked with a frown. He raised an eyebrow at Jessie’s figure. But before Jessie and I could say anything, Violet cut in again.
"I thought that someone had broken in," Violet said woefully. "She came lunging for me, and I defended myself. I didn’t think that Briar already had someone sneak food in for her..."
My eyes widened at the implication. Of course, Cedar, ever dumb as he was, instantly picked up on Violet’s words. He didn’t raise any further questions and immediately believed what she wanted him to believe.
"The Alphas have made it very clear that no food was supposed to be brought for Briar Argyris," Cedar said, growling. "Arrest her!"
"Yes, Beta!" The warriors quickly came over and yanked Jessie up from the floor. They all but dragged her out of the room, ignoring her cries and pleas.
"If bringing me food is a crime, then shouldn’t Violet also be arrested?" I snapped. I clenched my hands into fists, my fingers digging into the cold floor below me.
"Violet is the future Luna of the pack," Cedar said, huffing. "Instead of appreciating her misplaced mercy, you’re trying to turn this on her?"
"It’s alright, Cedar," Violet said. She sniffled, as though she had just experienced a grave insult. "I understand that Briar doesn’t like me. After all, I am Willow’s best friend."
My eyelids twitched. My dislike of Violet stemmed from something much less petty than the fact that she was Willow’s best friend. I had long accepted the fact that my sister had terrible taste in who she associated herself with. Violet Sorrel was just a rotten person through and through.
But of course, Cedar couldn’t see that. In his eyes, Willow could do no wrong, and that included her judgment of people’s characters.
Cedar’s face grew redder and redder with anger. Without a word, he crossed the room.
A loud slap echoed through the air, and I collapsed, tasting blood in my mouth. My head spun as his palm made contact with my cheek, and I felt my vision black out for a second before slowly returning.
"You’re a disgrace," Cedar spat. "You will never compare to Willow and Violet. When will you stop embarrassing our family name?"
I took a deep, shaky breath. Dots were starting to fill my vision. Cedar hadn’t been light with his strength, but I knew that wasn’t his full force as well. Perhaps it was because my body was already breaking down from all the days of starvation, but my head was quickly growing light, and my eyelids were heavy.
He said something else in the background, but with how loudly my ears were ringing, I could barely hear a thing.
My body swayed, and the last thing I saw was a fuzzy image of Cedar’s face before I toppled to the ground and blacked out.
