Chapter 4

Theodore’s POV

In the privacy of my study, I scrolled through the social media posts from today and yesterday cataloguing my mate’s time with the people of Darkmoon. Her acts of generosity and willingness to not only interact with her people but seek out their opinion on her leadership was exceptionally well received. A few comments suggested it was all self-serving and not as altruistic as people were framing it.

They weren’t completely wrong, but they weren’t totally right either. There was absolutely a need for the people of Darkmoon to support Violet if we were going to be successful in dethroning Owen. Even if we killed him or imprisoned him, none of it would matter without the support of the people.

But I also knew for a fact that Violet would be serving her territory in this way with or without an ulterior motive. Those who remembered her doing this in the past, even before she was the ruling Alpha, back when her father was still alive, were the ones who commented on the posts accusing Violet of only performing to gain votes.

For my part, I was beaming with pride. Especially because I knew the outing hadn’t resulted in harm to her or our child, that she was safe at home now.

And you haven’t had any hallucinations since we left Henosis? I checked in, again, through our bond.

No, she responded, though I could feel her hesitance in that one word. Part of me was dying to push her for more information, but ever since our fight in the enchanted clearing in front of the High Priestess, Violet had been making a concerted effort to share more with me – not only vital information like when her life was threatened, but her feelings, too. So I waited, hoping that if I gave her the space she needed, she’d share of her own accord.

I was grateful when she did.

My magic feels more stable on this side of the magical border, but it does make me nervous. I know it’s still going to get worse, so the more time that passes without a hallucination, the higher the chance that the next one is right around the corner.

Yeah, I’d been thinking about that, too.

Thank you for telling Lily in addition to Kincaid so there are two people to help you with that. I took a heavy breath. I hate that I can’t be with you right now.

The lack of response from my wife felt off. It was possible that she had been interrupted by someone right in front of her, but we usually let each other know if we had to redirect our focus elsewhere. I waited with unease.

I know we were planning to be reunited after we took Owen down, but if we want to try everything on the list of possible solutions to undo this mate bond, that means we have to lead Eva to her end as well.

I didn’t like where this was going, but I sat there as Violet shared her plan with me of how to lead Eva into a trap. And that it meant staying apart from each other for an additional month.

Everyone will know you’re pregnant by then. That leaves you as a target for too long. I wasn’t convinced.

The biggest threat to our child’s life is Owen, and he will have been neutralized by then. This plan will work.

I hated it because she was right. She was a master strategizer. But I didn’t want to spend more time apart from her – and more time with Eva.

This plan relies on too many people who I don’t trust helping us, I shared. I wasn’t disagreeing, just complaining.

No, she argued, it relies on my ability to satisfy our allies’ priorities. I’m the only one we need to trust.

Damn, she was good. I trust you with my life.

Good, because that’s exactly what you’re doing.

We left it there, saying we loved each other before we ended our conversation to go about the rest of our days. I was still worried about her hallucinations, about the baby, and now I was disappointed to have to wait even longer before we were reunited.

Suffice it to say, I was in a foul mood by the time I trudged downstairs to find Eva’s “friends” sprawled in the living room again, eyes glued to the TV. They were watching the news as the anchor detailed the events of yet another rogue attack that I immediately assumed was as fake as the last one.

I glanced at each of the spies in my living room. They were not as relaxed as I had first thought.

In fact, each of them was tense. Most were sitting stock-straight, some with noses flared, others with clenched fists. Apparently, the continued blame on rogues was not sitting well with them.

I was wondering what the purpose of this continued propaganda was now that the Shelter Project had been voted against when Sophia just so happened to walk down the hallway. I pushed off the threshold to the living room I’d been leaning against to catch her attention.

“Sophia?”

From my peripheral vision, I noticed a few of the spies jump, and I realized they hadn’t been aware I’d been standing behind them.

“Yes, Alpha Nightshade.” Sophia turned around, stopping in front of me as Eva came down the stairs next to us. I quickly weighed the risk of having this conversation in front of five people who were presumably reporting back to my half-brother.

Fuck it.

“I’d like an update on the Shelter Project. I know progress will be slower than anticipated due to the lack of funding after we lost the vote, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a priority for me.”

I could have said so much less, could have spoken in code to get the information I wanted. Sophia even glanced around nervously at the spies that encircled us. I could practically see as what I had just said clicked in her mind though.

I was being intentional with the information I was revealing. I was doing it on purpose.

“Are you looking for details or a general progress report?” Sophia wasn’t sure how much I wanted divulged, which was fair. I could lead her in exactly the direction I wanted.

“Has the land purchase been secured?” I didn’t want anyone to know funds for the property had come from Darkmoon. That would expose my continued connection to Violet.

“Yes,” Sophia replied.

“Has building of the planned structures commenced?”

“Only yesterday,” she informed me. I thought through my mate’s brilliant plan. Timing would be tight, but it would work.

“Good. I want to be informed immediately, interrupted even, about any delays.”

“Yes, Alpha Nightshade. Anything else?”

With a shake of my head and a “thank you”, I dismissed Sophia. Eva came up to my side – or as close as she could stomach before the smell of onions became too overpowering. After only five days of the onion-only diet, the smell of them was seeping out of my pores.

Even I was disgusted by it.

I was surprised though by the fury in Eva’s eyes and the disdain in her tone as she said, “You’re still pursuing the Shelter Project?”