Chapter 19

Violet

"What the hell?" I almost yelled, backpedaling and slamming the door shut.

I stared at the door for a moment, trying to process what I had just seen. My pulse was pounding, and I could still hear the echoes of her cries in my head. The image of Theodore fucking some random woman wouldn't leave. The image of her blurred with an image of me in my mind, and my whole body felt warm.

Damn him.

It was stupid and really just proving that I was probably in over my head. Everyone knew Theodore was a notorious playboy, but I hadn't realized he would be so… brazen about it. Especially here, in the room right next to mine. The thought made my stomach turn. Jealousy? No, but it was unsettling.

I thought about the deal and everything that would come after, and my heart hardened like metal being clenched in water. I could hear the gossip and see the headlines already. Would it be too late to put out the truth that we're just entering a marriage of convenience? 20% was too much if I was going to have to put up with this for a whole year with people thinking I was his actual wife.

I couldn't. No-- I wouldn't put up with him carrying on like this. Theodore and I were business partners, and we'd be married if this fucking ring actually meant what he was saying it meant. I was still recovering from having my husband of seven years be intimate with another woman in public. The tabloids would have a field day.

I sighed, shaking my head. What had I gotten myself into, and was there a way forward?

I wasn't going to sleep with him as part of the arrangement. I was pretty sure I didn't even want to, but I wasn't going to let him think that he could just carry on the way he had been all this time.

If Kincaid was right in that he was being driven to this because his mating drive was working over time, then it wouldn't be fair to ask him to stop, but he was going to have to at least hide his escapades. I

I turned back to my room, gathering my thoughts for what I would say to him in the morning.

The next morning came faster than I had anticipated. The rain that had followed us from Darkmoon had cleared. Morning over Midnight's rocky terrain was beautiful.

I dressed quickly, opting for something simple and practical, and left my room. As I stepped out into the hall, I saw her—the woman from last night—storming out of Theodore's room. Her eyes were red, and she was visibly upset, muttering something under her breath as she rushed past me without even a glance.

I looked back at Theodore and found him leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest as he watched me with that same smile from the night before.

"What did you do to her?" I asked.

Theodore' shrugged. "She asked who you were, and I simply told her you would be my future Luna."

I blinked. His words hit me like ice water. "You what?"

"I told her the truth."

The detachment in his voice made my stomach churn. There wasn't an ounce of regret in his tone. He didn't even seem to care. It felt like he was more like Lucas than I had ever imagined.

In some ways, that was good. I, at least, knew how to deal with assholes.

I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I have no interest in interfering or even knowing about your private life, Theodore, but if we're going to be married if we're moving forward---"

"If?" His voice was quiet as he stared at me.

"Did you forget your own exit clause?" I asked.

"What are you saying."

"I told you I was going to hold you accountable, didn't I? Here's your first lesson: you will respect me. I don't care who you fuck but do so with discretion and not where I can hear it. Some of us like sleep."

He glanced at my shoulder, and something like guilt flickered over his face.

"Sorry." He looked away. "How are you feeling?"

"Better and irritated."

His lips twitched into a smile, and he pushed off the doorframe and came toward me.

"As you wish, my Luna. Though..."

He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close. He was so hot. His warmth sunk into me, pooling between my legs. I hated it and glared up at him.

"I wouldn't mind--"

I pushed him off. "I'm sure you wouldn't, but I do. Keep your distance, Theodore. I know what kind of man you are, and I'm not interested."

He laughed. "You think you have me all figured out already, Violet?"

I gestured toward the stairs. "You've made it pretty clear."

Something flashed in his eyes and vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

"I'll take it elsewhere."

"Do that."

I turned and headed back into my room.

A few hours later, Theodore had shown up at my bedroom door, freshly showered with keys in his hand.

"Don't you want to see your capital, future luna?"

I sighed and put on my shoes before following him. I wasn't really in the mood. The pain was making me feel sluggish, but I didn't complain. He took me all over the city. Before I knew it, I was standing at the entrance of the Midnight pack's central tower.

"What do you think?"

"It's exactly as they say," I said. "It's more a military outpost than a city."

Midnight had restaurants, bars, and training grounds, but it still felt more like a military city because of everyone walking around in armor and the look of the buildings. The roads weren't paved for cars, but they had carriages, which was interesting.

Theodore led me inside through the massive corridors of the tower. He walked me through all the departments. I took note of how oddly efficient it was, but that made sense, given his reputation as a great strategist.

"Hey, Alpha Theodore, is that your new fling?" I looked over to where a young man wearing armor was carrying a box of pages. He smiled over at me. "She seems nicer than the last one."

Without missing a beat, he turned and responded casually, "No, she's your future luna."

His eyes widened in disbelief, looking between us.

"Oh no, you're joking, right?"

I smiled at that, barely holding back a laugh. I looked up at Theodore, who looked a bit frustrated.

"I'm not joking," he said. "You'll see soon enough."

He looked skeptical and looked back at me. "Good luck, miss."

That made me laugh. It seemed that not even his own pack believed in this scheme he cooked up, but he didn't seem irritated by that.

"In his defense, where did you pick up that woman from last night?"

He scowled at me. "Come on."

I trailed behind him. "Must be hard to realize that even your own pack can't believe you, huh?"

He chuckled. "They believe me about all the important things."

I came to a stop. "Why go through all of this if it's not important?"

He stopped and turned back, frowning at me. "What do you mean?"

I gestured between us. "This."

He laughed. "Them believing isn't important. The facts are."

What an oddly simplistic and refreshing way to think about it, though it made sense. He had enough power, clout, and influence not to have to worry about the hearsay.

I was getting a headache just thinking about it.

After we left the tower, we headed further down the street before he led me to a newer-looking building.

"Is this a bridal shop?"

"Of course." he opened the door. "It's also one of the newest buildings in Midnight if you care about that."

"And what are we doing here?"

He laughed and headed inside, flagging one of the staff.

"Bring out every wedding dress you have."

My jaw dropped open, and the woman scurried away. I got to him, tugging his arm.

"What are you up to?"

"You asked for respect, so this is me respecting you."

"By being a pain in the ass to the staff?"

He leaned down. "Your reaction to this tells me a lot about you and Lucas' relationship... and you."

I set my jaw, and he gestured toward the scurrying staff.

"You have asked me for respect," he lowered his voice. "Which means you get the full experience of what it would look like if you were my wife for all the emotional reasons."

I blinked at that, and he smiled.

"You may think I'm an incorrigible bastard, but I'm not. I'm not the kind of man who would ever let my luna walk down the aisle, into a bar, or even out of the house unsure of whether she looked absolutely perfect and that I had given her the very best I could." He met my gaze. "My pack knows that, and soon, you will, too."