Shifters had an uncanny ability to recognize threats, and right now, they didn’t want this unmated bird anywhere near their mate.
The male had long, dark hair that flowed down his shoulders — an attribute Griffin was exactly jealous of. It framed his sculpted face, his jawline so sharp it could cut.
He was built too, every line defined with predatory grace. The antlers that curled proudly from his head didn’t diminish his looks one bit; if anything, they made him appear even darker, more mysterious, the kind of dangerous that drew your gaze before you could stop yourself.
Then there were the wings. Feathers as dark as midnight stretching wide behind him, layered thick and sharp, like obsidian blades meant to both mesmerize and maim.
They looked impossibly strong, capable of wrapping around someone and shutting out the world entirely. And the way they framed his muscled form made him look less like a creature and more like a fallen god sculpted in the likeness of sin itself.
It was safe to say that, until this moment, the cardinal alphas had never felt lacking.
And it didn’t help that Lucen’s aura reeked of dominance. Power rolled off him in waves, and that could only mean one thing.
He was an Alpha.
It was something primal that every shifter in the room could smell, a quiet challenge that scraped against their instincts and made their wolves stir restlessly beneath their skin.
It didn’t help either that Violet was staring at him with wide fascination, like a child discovering her first shiny toy.
Ugly, wild jealousy rippled through Asher’s chest, dark and consuming. A dangerous growl erupted from his throat, low and primal, before it was echoed by Alaric and Griffin, their voices merging into a collective rumble that made the air itself vibrate.
"Eyes away from my mate," Griffin snarled, his growl the loudest, practically a machine grinding in his chest.
But the male didn’t flinch. Instead, he grinned, confident and unbothered. "It’s your mate ogling me, beast."
That earned him a sharp glare from the men while Violet, mortified, turned bright red. She hadn’t exactly been checking out the guy, but it wasn’t his body that caught her interest. It was his wings.
Large, graceful, breathtaking wings just like her own.
For the first time, Violet saw another being like her. She had gone from believing she was one of a kind to realizing there was someone out there who might actually understand what she was.
A strange warmth bloomed in her chest, not attraction but kinship.
"Lucen," Lila’s sharp voice broke through the tension, calling him to order.
The winged Fae’s smile didn’t fade, though his gaze lingered on Violet with quiet curiosity, just long enough to make the cardinal alphas bare their teeth again.
Rhara’s sharp eyes caught on to what was happening between them.
Interesting, she thought.
Then Lucen lowered his eyes with deceptive politeness. "If you’re looking for the little green snake, he passed through here."
At the mention of a green snake, Violet’s attention snapped to him at once. "You saw Roman?"
Lucen inclined his head, his voice smooth as honey. "The little thing was creeping about late last night, so we kept a watchful eye on him, Princess." He said her title like a caress, his tone low and teasing.
At the mention of ’we’, Violet’s gaze swept around the hall and it hit her like a bolt. The statues. All of them. They weren’t lifeless. Every single one of them were like him. No wonder she’d felt off about them yesterday.
She’d thought the palace was strangely unguarded but now she understood. There were guards everywhere. They were just hidden in plain sight.
Griffin, Alaric, and Asher exchanged a dark look, the same unspoken thought crossing their minds. They didn’t like this winged bastard one bit. And the sooner he told them where Roman was, the sooner they could get rid of him.
"So where did he go?" Alaric demanded, irritation slipping into his voice.
Lucen’s gaze slid to him, assessing, almost amused. "Why should I answer to you, beast? I answer to the Princess — and the Princess alone."
Violet stepped forward before her men could snap. "Then answer me," she commanded, her voice imbued with authority. "And you’ll do well to address my mates with respect. Any disrespect to them is disrespect to me."
Lucen’s lips curved slowly, dangerously. "You mean two of your mates."
Violet’s eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
He lifted a finger toward Asher. "He’s not mated to you yet. Hence, I’m not obligated to extend him the same courtesy."
"He will be soon," Violet said, her voice firm, and unwavering. "But until then, he’s mine. And you will respect him. I demand it."
A beat passed, and instead of pushing further, Lucen lifted both hands in mock surrender. "Anything the Princess desires," he murmured, voice lilting and heavy with suggestion.
Asher’s jaw clenched. He had always prided himself on control — that cold, unbreakable restraint that kept him from killing this bastard first and thinking later. But right now, it was slipping. His fingers curled into fists as he forced himself to breathe, slow and steady.
This male wanted to test him, and for Violet’s sake, he wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
Not yet.
But the bastard was marked. He better watch his back.
Lucen said. "Your little green snake was captured by the pixies."
"Pixies?" Violet echoed, confusion flashing across her face.
Lila explained. "We call them the smaller Fae. They’re mostly benign—childish even—but they can be quite mischievous toward outsiders and downright malevolent when not treated well."
Violet’s jaw tightened. "I don’t care what they are. I am more concerned why they have my Roman?"
That teasing undertone never left Lucen’s voice. "Your mate Roman went wandering where he shouldn’t have, Princess. He fell under their charm. Pixies have a way of luring those who don’t belong."
Griffin stepped in, impatience written all over his face. "So how do we get him back?"
Lucen tilted his head, considering. "Well, about that....."