Blue Violet - By Abigail Owen Page 0,76

the woods.

Ellie had only just registered the fact that Griffin still stood staring after the girl when Alex grabbed her, spun her to face him, and then roughly pulled her into his embrace. “Don’t you ever do anything so rash again. Do you hear me?” He buried his face in her hair and squeezed her waist tight.

Ellie smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a lingering kiss. She pulled back and grinned at him. “You don’t have to worry anymore. They’re gone. And we’re all safe and alive.”

“I thought you were going to kill us all, Ellie, and not just the wolves…” He pulled her back close, his expression pained. “What if I’d had to kill you? What if Griffin would’ve had to help me?”

Ellie shook her head. “We were all going to die unless I did something drastic,” she insisted. “And nothing bad happened to us. You and Griffin… you saved me from myself. And now I can control it.” Her excitement about this new ability was clear.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Alex looked deeply in her eyes for another heartbeat. And then, blowing out any remaining fear he’d held inside him in a long breath, he grinned.

“You were pretty bad ass,” he said. “I mean, how many guys can say their girlfriend turns into a frickin’ fire-breathing dragon?”

“Yeah?” Ellie asked. She’d been a little worried about what they would all think of her in that form. The dragon was slightly terrifying after all.

Alex’s eyes glowed with a desire that pulsed through her, letting her see exactly how much he was okay with this part of her. Speaking so only she could hear, he murmured, “It’s seriously sexy, if you really want to know. Jeez, baby, you are so damned incredible. You take my breath away.”

Ellie breathed a ragged sigh of relief, laughing a little. “Oh really?” she practically purred. “I think we might have to explore this a little further when we get home.”

She received a sweet kiss in response.

They turned their attention to the rest of the family, who gathered around hugging one another and laughing. Ellie looked for Griffin but didn’t see him. Looking over her shoulder, she finally found him still standing at the edge of the clearing, still staring off into the woods. Adelaide came to stand beside her, watching Griffin with a concerned expression.

“What did you see, Delia?”

She shook her head. “I don’t usually share the relationships I see unless they’re pretty well solidified. But this time…” She shook her head again and sighed. “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what I saw. Definitely something I’ve never seen before. There’s definitely a connection there. But it’s all mixed up. Multiple colors fighting for dominance. Lovers. Friends. Enemies.” She looked at Ellie with a helpless shrug. “It’s all jumbled up.”

“Thank you for telling me, Adelaide,” Ellie said quietly.

Ellie walked over to Griffin and silently took his hand.

“She can’t be evil, Ellie,” he murmured.

“I know,” she agreed quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his head turn.

“What did you see?” he asked, frustrated. “Something was blocking me. I couldn’t follow along.”

“I saw that she was the one removing our powers, not Gideon. His power was the ability to control anyone, make them do exactly what he wanted. Sort of like what I do, only he controlled their minds, forcing them to think they’d made the decision themselves. He was controlling all of the Vyusher…including her. But she was the one in the pack with the ability to turn off a power. As soon as someone uses theirs in her presence, she hones in and takes it away. But she never wanted to. Gideon was forcing her… forcing all of them, all along.”

Ellie felt Griffin’s despair building. “So now she’s left to clean up after her bastard of a brother?” he asked, a bitter edge tainting his words.

Ellie squeezed his hand and made a conscious effort to stay out of his head. Whatever her brother was thinking and feeling right now was private. She wouldn’t violate his trust that way.

“Come on…” She gave his arm a gentle tug. “Let’s go home.”

Griffin seemed to physically shake himself out of his thoughts. Turning to his sister, he was suddenly struck by happiness that they’d managed to survive this ordeal. Together.

Sensing his sentiment, Ellie laughed and flung her arms around his neck in a playful hug. “Me too…” Then more serious, “Thanks for saving me, Griffin.”

“Again,” he reminded her with a wink.

She stuck her tongue out at