Chapter 206

Theodore’s POV

My first instinct was to warn Violet, but I hesitated. How did Riley know about our connection? He seemed to know earlier when I used the magical bond; was that luck?

I decided I had to risk it.

Riley knows about our magical bond and threatened to tell Owen if I don’t give him the answers he wants. Tell Kincaid to be on guard, and do not use this means of communication again until I tell you it is safe to do so.

Then just in case, I added, I love you, and I know you love me, too.

Riley chuckled, shaking his head lightly, as if he somehow knew I’d used the bond again. I hoped he at the least didn’t know what I’d said, because if so, I’d just implicated Kincaid, too.

We stared at each other as he waited for my answer. But then something occurred to me.

“If you suspect Alpha Donovan and I have a, what was it you called it, magical bond?” I sure as hell wasn’t going to admit he was spot on. “Then why haven’t you already told King Owen about it?”

Riley leaned against a nearby light pole, and I barely had a moment to realize that if there were already light poles up, we were ahead of schedule with building this city.

“Spies are only good as long as you can keep them sufficiently interested in your cause,” Riley stated calmly as if he hadn’t just admitted to being Owen’s spy after weeks of posing as Eva’s friend.

“Spies,” I repeated, annoyed that this conversation was still surprising me.

Riley shrugged, staring off at nothing in particular across the street. “It’s not like you didn’t already know what I am.”

I felt like I was finding my footing in whatever the hell was going on here. “So we’re finally putting all our cards on the table?” I wouldn’t, of course, but I sure was interested in him showing his hand.

“No,” he pushed off the light pole like a bored child who couldn’t keep still. “I just now have, let’s call it a change in interest, as well as enough leverage to get you to reveal your hand. Depending on what you have, I’ll decide whether or not I feel like generously sharing my hand in return – including how I know when you connect with Alpha Donovan like you did once we got here and as soon as I threatened to go to the king.”

This was not exactly looking good for me. I wasn’t used to not having the upper hand, except with Violet. I quickly decided that I wasn’t a fan – except for with Violet.

“So tell me, Alpha Nightshade. Where did you get the funds to build Mel Rimanea?”

I didn’t know what to do. If I revealed my connection to Violet by admitting she had purchased the land and funded a good portion of building this new city, I risked spoiling the rest of our plans, especially if Riley brought that information to Owen. But if I said nothing, and Riley made good on his threat to reveal my magical bond with Violet to Owen, we were equally as fucked.

Then again, maybe Riley was too late. Maybe we were close enough to taking Owen down that it wouldn’t matter if he found out now. And the only way to potentially learn more from Riley was to play his game.

“Alpha Donovan believed in the Shelter Project and was generous enough to fund a large portion of it.” Every word felt like a betrayal.

But Riley was quick to move forward. “And all this: the Shelter Project, the marriage of your Betas in the new city so all the nobles would see the good you’ve done,” I did not appreciate the way his voice dripped with sarcasm, “was all just a really expensive PR stunt to get you the crown. And once your power grab is complete, you’ll let this city fall to ruins just like the camp, leaving the residents to fend for themselves like the rogues they used to be, right?”

My brows furrowed at the cynical conclusion he’d drawn.

“You’ve spent too much time with my half-brother,” I replied. “Only power-hungry psychopaths would go to that much trouble. I don’t want the crown; I never have.”

“But you are trying to dethrone the king?” he pushed. When I hesitated, he added, “Honest and thorough.”

“Yes,” I gritted out.

When I didn’t offer more, he ventured a guess.

“So you don’t want the crown, but you don’t want your brother to have it either. Did you somehow engineer the new succession law, too? Do you honestly think Eva will be any better than Owen?”

We were getting into territory I really didn’t want to disclose to him, so I tried to redirect, playing up the real surprise I felt. “You don’t think Eva would make a good ruler either?”

I hoped my implication that I didn’t want her as queen would be enough of a “slip” of information for him.

Thankfully, he was distracted enough by not wanting to answer my question that he didn’t notice I hadn’t really answered his. At the very least, not thoroughly.

“Why are you building Mel Rimanea?” he asked point blank.

I had to give him something, or there was no way he would divulge anything to me.

“My mother died behind bars due to my father’s cruelty.” Riley stilled, locking eyes with me in surprise at my vulnerability. “I couldn’t save her, but I can save them.”

We stared at each other for a long moment, and I could see as he let his walls down. He leaned back against the light pole, but this time it seemed less like indifferent posturing and more like he needed the physical support.

“My aunt had magic,” he shared, his gaze on his own feet. “Knowing that she would probably be found out and exiled one day, she created a magical bond with her wife so they could always find each other.”

He turned his gaze to me.

“The day they came to kick her out across the border, I tried to help her escape. My parents were the ones who brought that information to the king, and he exiled me from my pack as punishment.”

He looked away as he said, “But it didn’t matter because they found my aunt anyway and executed her for trying to escape exile. Her wife, my Aunt Trish and the only family I care about anymore, she fled, and I haven’t seen her in the decade since.”

I waited a heavy beat, feeling a surge of empathy for a man I had been hating for weeks.

He returned his attention to me. “Your gaze becomes unfocused when you connect to Alpha Donovan, even when you’re looking right at someone. Just like Aunt Crystal and Aunt Trish did when they spoke into each other’s minds.”

Riley pushed off the light pole then, coming face to face with me. “For a decade, in order to survive without a pack, my allegiance has been to the highest bidder. But if you truly want to help these people, with no ulterior motive, then I will pledge my allegiance to you.”

Emotion clustered in my chest as I let out a breath. “We need all the help we can get,” I admitted. I extended my hand, still surprised with the turn this conversation had taken, and Riley clasped it heartily.

But we only had a moment to appreciate the new allegiance before we were both turning to look in the direction of the party, even though we couldn’t see beyond the buildings. We were too far away to hear specifics, but something about the noise in the distance had suddenly changed.

Violet? It’s safe to communicate this way again.

She didn’t miss a beat. Owen is throwing a tantrum looking for you. Get back here now if you can.