The Alpha's Bride Chapter 1069: Alpha Violet and Alpha Ashton (10)

Despite being in his late forties, Damon possessed a physique that remained as powerful as ever, without a single strand of silver in his hair. In a heartbeat, his piercing icy-blue eyes locked onto hers; he always had a sixth sense for when her attention was fixed on him.

'Yes, kitten?' Damon’s resonant, deep voice echoed within Talia’s mind, causing her grin to grow even wider.

'I was simply reflecting on how fortunate I am to have you,' she replied.

Damon squared his shoulders with pride. Although the sudden compliment surprised him, he didn't care for the reason. He would never tire of receiving praise from Talia. 'I am the one who is truly blessed. None of this would exist without you.'

Every word was sincere. It was because of Talia that their lives were filled with family, loyal friends, and strong allies. He vividly recalled the moment he first brought the frail she-wolf—who lacked her wolf at the time—into his packhouse. While he knew she was his fated mate even then, he never could have predicted how profoundly she would transform his world for the better. Their journey was a living testament that a Cultivation of a pack’s prosperity begins when an Alpha is completely devoted to his Luna.

"Quit staring at your mate and actually welcome your guests," Maddox muttered from the side, prompting a sneer from Damon.

"Are you seriously bitter because I’d rather look at my beautiful mate than at your face?" Damon retorted.

Maddox rolled his eyes in response. The two then shared a brotherhood hug, clapping each other's backs with a level of force that bordered on aggression. Between Damon and Maddox, everything—even a simple embrace—was a competition.

Talia could only shake her head at their typical male posturing. She felt a wave of relief that Maddox hadn't mentioned the ruined cottage. Such a topic would only remind Damon of who was responsible for the destruction and the reasons why, likely sparking further tension between him and Ashton.

Glancing over, Talia noticed Luna Michelle engaged in conversation with Mindy and Tatiana.

After greeting Tatiana, Talia scanned the garden as the River siblings began to arrive, though she noticed a conspicuous absence. "Is Ethan not joining you today?"

"He's here," Tatiana answered, but before she could elaborate, sudden shouting erupted from inside the house.

A sense of unrest washed over Talia. She immediately checked the garden for her own children, spotting Jacob, Logan, Zeke, and Gabriel playing with their peers. Aside from her own mischievous offspring, who would have the audacity to cause such a scene within the Dark Howlers' packhouse?

She hurried inside to investigate the source of the noise.

Talia skidded to a halt at the sight of Ethan collapsed on the floor, his face covered in blood. Ashton stood over him, his crimson-stained fist serving as a silent confession of what had transpired. But what could have caused this? Talia’s eyes moved to Violet, who stood behind Ashton, her expression a mix of profound worry and confusion.

"Travis!" Damon barked. The pack doctor appeared at his Alpha’s side in an instant.

Olivia, Travis’s mate, followed closely behind as a crowd began to form around the spectacle.

"You called, Alpha?" Travis asked.

"You have a patient to attend to," Damon commanded.

Travis moved in quickly. Ethan hissed in pain but didn't resist the doctor’s help.

After a brief examination, Travis reported to Damon, "Young Alpha Ethan appears to have a broken nose. We need to set the bone properly before the healing process takes hold."

"Jacob," Damon called out. "Assist Doctor Travis in transporting young Alpha Ethan to the pack hospital."

"I'm perfectly fine," Ethan ground out through clenched teeth, his eyes burning with a glare directed at Ashton.

"I'm sure you feel that way," Damon replied coolly. "However, the doctor says your nose is snapped, and I doubt you want it to heal crookedly. This isn't up for debate."

Maddox and Tatiana watched from the sidelines. Though they felt the urge to rush to their son, Ethan was a man now; coddling him in public would only make him look weak.

Maddox turned his attention to Ashton. "I expect a valid reason for this."

"He was putting his hands on my mate," Ashton stated with an icy edge, causing Damon’s gaze to snap toward Ethan with renewed hostility.

As Ethan was led away by Jacob, Travis, and Olivia, Damon turned his focus to Violet. "Was he touching you?"

"It wasn't like that..." Violet huffed, her cheeks puffing out. "It was just a misunderstanding."

When Ethan had spotted Violet and Ashton descending the stairs, he had instinctively rushed forward to hug her, as he always did. Because Ethan was away at a human college, they hadn't seen each other in over six months.

Ethan had intended to greet her in their usual friendly manner, but instead of a hug from Violet, he was met with Ashton’s pure fury.

Violet had never witnessed this side of Ashton before. His Qi felt jagged and aggressive, making the very air feel heavy. She was stunned by how effortlessly Ashton had overpowered Ethan, who had frozen in shock as Ashton landed three heavy blows.

"That's enough!" Damon didn't need to yell for the room to flinch. "It was a youthful squabble. We are all aware that newly mated pairs are incredibly territorial. This isn't something for the adults to get involved in."

The onlookers quickly moved away, leaving only the two youngsters and the three sets of parents.

"Are you okay?" Talia asked, her eyes darting between Violet and Ashton.

Ashton looked at Violet, his nerves still on edge. He was vibrating with residual adrenaline and worried about her reaction. He feared she would reprimand him or take Ethan's side.

Violet directed a frown at Ashton. "You shouldn't go around punching my friends."

"He isn't just a friend," Ashton growled with more intensity than he meant, his wolf clearly influencing his tone. "He is a male who harbors feelings for you. You letting him get that close is—"

"Not going to happen," Damon cut in, looking at his daughter. "Vi, what is your wolf telling you right now?"

"My wolf?"

"Honey," Talia said gently. "We raised you to be logical and follow your heart, but regarding your mate, you must listen to your wolf. They do not believe in sharing."

'You tell her!' Liseli hissed inside Talia’s mind.

"Ethan is my friend. Are you telling me I'm forbidden from having friends just because I have a mate?"

Talia nodded, acknowledging her daughter's frustration. "I understand, but if you want to keep friendships with unmated males, you have to establish clear boundaries. Without them, you will cause your mate pain. Do you recall the golden rule for resolving conflict?"

"Put myself in their shoes," Violet whispered, taking a sharp breath. If a female had approached Ashton that way, Violet knew she would have lost her mind.

She suddenly lunged at Ashton, wrapping him in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry, Ash. It won't happen again. I'll make sure Ethan keeps his distance."

Ashton let out a long, shaky breath, relieved that she wasn't furious with him. He returned the hug, though his movements were stiff and awkward.

Violet peered up at him. "Are you still mad at me? How can I fix this?"

"What makes you think I'm blaming you?"

"Then why aren't you hugging me back properly?"

"Because my hands are covered in blood, and I know this is your favorite dress."

Understanding dawned in Violet's eyes. "Fine. Let's go wash your hands so you can hold me the right way."

Talia leaned into Damon’s side, a small smile playing on her lips. Damon had never been a fan of Ashton, a sentiment that only intensified when they discovered the boy was Violet’s mate. Yet, Talia could now sense a flicker of respect from Damon toward the young Alpha. Perhaps Ashton’s fierce defense of his mate had finally earned him some points.