Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 890: The Good news

"Hello, baby."

Griffin frowned at the hazy image of Violet lying beside him with her arm propped up against the head.

Wait a minute— Violet?!

He shot upright so fast a violent wave of dizziness slammed into him immediately afterward, his vision swimming badly.

"Whoa, easy there." Violet grabbed his arm quickly, trying to steady him before he toppled right back onto the bed.

Griffin barely noticed. Not when he stared at Violet like she might disappear if he blinked too hard.

"I thought you were a dream," he muttered before reaching up and cupping her face with both hands, almost as if he needed physical proof she was actually here.

Violet chuckled. "You got beat pretty badly last night, so I’m not surprised."

"Last night, I—" Griffin suddenly stopped as the memories crashed back all at once.

Asher. The compulsion. Sleep.

He sensed Asher through the bond instantly. Griffin’s head snapped toward the corner of the room where the bastard lounged lazily on his single-seater couch, casually flipping through a book from the mini library like he owned the damn place.

"You!" Murder burned openly across Griffin’s face.

There was an unspoken rule between them where the harem was concerned. Asher was never meant to use his mental abilities on the others.

"No, no, Griffin." Violet was on her feet immediately, trying to stop a fight before it started. "He didn’t do it intentionally. You needed the rest!" she explained quickly.

"I should have been the one to decide that!" Griffin snapped back.

"You were seconds away from passing out on your feat and still being stubborn about it!" Violet fired right back.

Griffin let out a frustrated growl, unable to argue against that or deny that forcing him to rest had ultimately been the right call.

He felt significantly better than yesterday.

The exhaustion clouding his mind was gone and he could actually think properly now.

Still there was something deeply unsettling about Asher’s powers that instantly rubbed people the wrong way. The way he slipped into your head and stripped away your ability to choose for yourself.

It did not matter whether his intentions were good or bad. The moment Asher compelled you, your choice stopped mattering. That was something Griffin would never truly be comfortable with.

Violet looked up at Griffin with a pout. "Please don’t fight, Griffin-pooh."

"Griffin-pooh?" Griffin’s eyes lit up with surprise.

"Yes." Violet’s voice turned slightly childish now. "You’re my kindhearted scary-looking bear..." She carefully poked his stomach. "Just without the pot belly." She clarified, referring to the original fictional character.

A laugh escaped Griffin instantly.

"Come here," he said, pulling Violet into his arms and hugging her tightly.

He pressed a kiss against the top of her head, muttering, "I would never have hurt the bastard anyway."

Asher’s brows rose in silent disbelief.

Oh, he definitely saw the violent intent in Griffin’s eyes earlier.

But perhaps he judged too quickly because Griffin added without shame, "He would have healed eventually."

Asher rolled his eyes while Violet snorted out a laugh. She would never get used to their ridiculous brand of affection and violence somehow coexisting side by side.

Right at that moment, the bedroom door opened and Alaric walked in carrying a tray of food.

He paused briefly at the sight of Griffin and Violet wrapped around each other before continuing inside like this was the most normal thing in the world.

The scent of food immediately filled the room. Alaric placed the tray down on the small desk nearby before rubbing his hands together.

Then he looked directly at Violet. "I’m guessing you already told him the news."

Griffin paused instantly. Slowly, he eased away from Violet and frowned down at her.

"What news are we talking about exactly?"

Violet bit down on her lower lip suddenly feeling nervous for the second time since discovering the pregnancy.

Griffin immediately sensed the shift in her heartbeat through the bond and his expression changed at once. He assumed something bad had happened.

"Violet," he said more gently now, "you know you can tell me anything, right?" His thumb brushed against her arm reassuringly. "I would never blame you."

Violet could practically feel the intense attention from the others in the room as they silently waited for her to finally say the words that were about to completely change Griffin’s life.

So she took a deep breath. Then said it.

"I’m pregnant, Griffin."

"Huh?" Griffin blinked hard. That was definitely not the news he had prepared himself for.

For several seconds he simply stared at her like his brain had completely stopped functioning. Then realization finally settled in.

"Goddess above!" The excitement that exploded across Griffin’s face looked almost blinding.

He immediately grabbed Violet like he wanted to spin her around in excitement before abruptly remembering she was pregnant. So he stopped, instead turned and punched his fist high into the air with a loud shout of joy.

Violet could not stop staring at him. There was something about the way her mates reacted to this pregnancy that slowly convinced her this was not the disaster she once believed it would be.

Months ago, getting pregnant before finishing school would have ranked among her greatest nightmares. Now? Maybe it was not so terrible after all.

"Holy shit," Griffin breathed out, looking completely overwhelmed. "We’re going to be fathers! This is good news!"

Violet’s heart practically melted at the word "we". Griffin did not care whose child it biologically was. In his mind, the baby already belonged to all of them.

Perhaps growing up around two fathers shaped the way he viewed family, but Violet suddenly found herself feeling safer knowing her child would be loved equally by all her mates without division between them.

Then suddenly, Griffin’s expression dimmed.

"Roman is going to lose his mind when he hears this."

And just like that, the happiness inside the room took a painful hit. Reality returned. Roman was still missing.

Asher snapped the book shut before rising from the couch with controlled grace.

"That," he said firmly, "is why we’re getting him back."

His gaze settled meaningfully on Griffin before shifting toward the untouched food Alaric brought.

"And we start by you eating and getting enough strength back." His voice hardened with determination. "Because we have a battle to win."