Chapter 60

Theodore

I was across the room before I realized it. She blinked slowly, confusion clouding her gaze at first. But then she looked at me, and I could see the recognition in her eyes. I wrapped my hand around her. Her lips twitched with discomfort.

She tried to speak, but her throat was dry. She cleared it, then barely whispered, “Theo…”

I grabbed a cup and poured her a glass of water.

“I’m here,” I assured her, my voice breaking. “You’re safe. You’re going to be okay.”

Her eyes searched mine, but there was a cloud of confusion, of fear. The events of the night hadn’t fully registered in her mind yet. She was still in shock, still reeling from everything.

She swallowed hard, trying to focus. “What… happened? After—”

"Take your time, Violet." I offered her the cup. "How about a bit?"

She nodded. I lifted the bed up and helped her drink. She grunted and coughed, reaching for her throat.

"I'll call the doct--"

She reached out, putting her hand around my wrist. Her face was paled. Her eyes vacant.

"He's in the hospital."

She shuddered. I could see the question she wanted to ask.

My jaw tightened, his eyes darkening. “He won’t come near you again."

She blinked at me, her eyes didn't show any sense that she understood or was reassured by it.

“I didn’t kill him,” he clarified, his voice low. “Yet."

I adjusted my jacket around her shoulders.

"…what happened?"

"I almost killed him."

Violet tightened her grip. "What… happened to me?"

I felt like a fucking idiot. "Nothing."

Her jaw trembled, she stared at me. I cupped her face. "Nothing happened. Give yourself a moment to remember."

She shook her head. "It's… just darkness… I…" She frowned "You… he was…"

The relief started to flood her expression, she fell back closing her eyes. Her breathing hitched.

"It was enough."

"What?"

"I… I fought long enough that you could find me."

I smiled at that. "Yeah… Gave him hell, too."

I reached over to stroke her head, smiling as I brushed my thumb across the band of silver light still on her forehead.

“What happened before that, Violet?”

"He was eavesdropping, I think. When I was talking to the High Priestess. Waiting for me. He said he had evidence to overturn the case. He's going to take it to Capital Court." She shook her head. "I didn’t believe him, and I really didn't want to be alone with him. He cut me off. I don't know if he was… hyped up on something or if I just underestimated him." She shook her head. "He sprayed me with something. I tried not to breathe it in, but I don't think it mattered."

"It helped," I said. "You would have had a lot less time… Do you know what Black Haze is?"

She shook her head. Though it made sense as Darkmoon wasn't on the direct trafficking routes that had been exposed. Lucas must have gotten it from someone else.

"It doesn't matter. The officers will probably be back for a formal statement soon. Rest until then, hm?"

She nodded.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice trembling. “For finding me. For stopping him.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that."

She sighed, shifting beneath the blankets. "You should go."

I frowned. "What?"

"Go enjoy your night, Theo. You don’t need to—”

I set my jaw. A rush of irritation went through me.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

She blinked. "That… you probably would like to go celebrate the first step in a victory?"

I set my jaw. “…don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Act like there’s somewhere else I’d rather be,” he said sharply. “Like you’re an afterthought.”

I cupped her face, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, and nowhere else I should be than right here.”

Her eyes glossed over. She blinked quickly, and she looked away.

"I don't agree."

I snarled, getting up. I felt someone coming down the hallway and heard them talking about Violet. I went to the door and extended my magic. A shimmering barrier, soft and silver, wove itself into the walls and sealed us inside the room. We didn't need the interruption until we got this straightened out between the two of us.

I turned back to Violet, still sitting up in the hospital bed.

“Violet, I'm getting really sick of this. What’s it going to take for you to acknowledge it?”

Her brows furrowed. “Acknowledge what?”

“That we’re mates,” I snarled. “You know it. I know it." I gestured to my forehead where I was sure the band still was. "The Goddess has said it. What more do you need?”

She flinched. Her lips parted, but no sound came out at first. Then, like a dam breaking, the words poured out.

“Mates don't amount to much in the scheme of things." I flinched at the finality in her tone. The hopelessness and pain made my blood go cold. I thought of Tyron's warning to me.

“Lucas was my mate, and look what he did." She closed her eyes. "Even before tonight, being mates, the bond, hell, the seven years of our marriage did nothing to stop him."

She shook her head. "And we weren't even brought together under the guise of being mates. We have a contract--"

"Violet--"

"And part of that contract is that I won't interfere in your personal life, and I haven't, but it should go both ways."

I set my jaw. "What are you saying, Violet?"

“I'm saying that you've paid me the respect I've asked for. And I appreciate it. In the future, you don't have to avoid me after you've been out all night with whoever--"

The floor seemed to shift under me. “What are you talking about?”

It had been weeks since… whatever her name was.

Her gaze flicked to mine, patient and wary. “I felt it, Theo. A few nights ago, you were with someone. I’m not angry or anything. It's just ---”

I held up a hand, and she stopped mid-sentence. For a long moment, I stared at her, my mind racing to catch up.

“You felt it?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

She frowned, her confusion deepening. “Yes.”

"What… exactly did you feel?"

She flushed. "You had a good time."

I laughed. I couldn’t stop it. It was a raw, incredulous sound that burst out of me.

"You'll have to be more specific."

She scowled. "I don't think I do. And what's so funny?"

“You’re wrong,” I said, still grinning like a fool. “Completely wrong.”

"How so?"

I crossed the room. Part of me was furious that Lucas had done so much damage to her that she wasn't catching on, that the connection we had wasn't a reason to jump for joy, but so much more of me was elated because it was truer than I'd ever known that she was mine.

She'd felt me before we had even gone through the ceremony. That wasn't something that the spell could have done unless we were already fated.

"Violet, I haven't been with anyone since that night in Midnight."

Her mouth opened, then closed, her expression faltering. “But—”

"I couldn't." She searched my face, her skepticism warring with something deeper. Hope, maybe.

I sat on the edge of the bed, leaning in slightly. “I know what you’ve been through, Violet. I know Lucas made you think this bond doesn’t mean anything. But that's not true. It means… everything. At least, to me."

I took her hand. “You felt something because we’re connected. Even if you won’t admit it, your soul knows.”

Her lips parted again, but she didn’t speak for a long moment.

"Then… if you weren't… Enjoying yourself. Then, how do you explain it?"

"I was out hunting.”

Her brow arched, the doubt in her gaze growing sharper. “Hunting?”

I nodded. “Yes. Elk, mostly. It’s why you had venison at the table the next few days.” I allowed a small, almost sheepish smile to tug at the corner of my mouth. “It made me… incredibly happy to do so, and it's as close as stress relief as I can get outside of the bedroom."

The disbelief in her eyes wavered, replaced by uncertainty. She searched my face, her lips pressed tightly together, as though trying to decide whether or not to trust me.

Her gaze locked with mine, and for a long moment, we stayed that way. I didn’t move, didn’t press her, just let her see the sincerity in my eyes. Slowly, her expression softened, the doubt melting away piece by piece. Her eyes searched mine again, and this time, something shifted. It was subtle but undeniable, a crack in the armor she wore so tightly.

Before I could stop myself, I closed the distance between us.

My lips brushed against hers—tentative at first, testing, waiting for her to pull away.

She didn’t.