Violet The door opened. A servant entered, offering me a small note sealed with Owen’s insignia. Theodore's eyes flickered to the door, his posture instantly wary. I straightened, too, expecting more fallout from the dinner. I raised a brow and broke the seal, scanning the words quickly. Theodore
I blinked at him, keeping my expression neutral. “I’m the king. The power to help you take back your pack, put an end to Lucas’ claim—it’s all in my hands. It would be in your best interest to befriend me and do as I want.” “You’re not exactly offering me a deal.” I tilted my head. “And based on
Violet For a moment, I let the silence hang between us. I watched him get more irritated. He must be used to intimidating a lot of people by throwing his title around. A bit of irritation prickled at the back of my mind. It wasn’t fair to be upset with Theodore for letting his brother take over th
Unless they weren’t. I made a note to look into the history of the palace again but turned back to look down at the glowing stone. “Do you think… you might want a garden in Midnight?” “What?” “A garden,” I said, gesturing. “Even… just a small one. The courtyard behind the house would be perfec
Violet Theodore’s question lingered in the air between us as I mulled over everything I’d learned about Owen for the past few hours. I didn’t doubt that Theodore had already come to a lot of the same conclusions that I had, but I was… touched– happy– that he wanted to hear my thoughts and input on
“Tell me, then—what kind of man would I have to be to make you fall in love with me?” My mouth went dry as our gazes met. Something in his gaze held me captive. His tone was tinged with something fragile and vulnerable. I’d never heard him sound like that before, and it pulled at my heart. “Am I
Violet I looked down at the document, Lucas’s words staring back at me in dark ink and pulling at every bit of my self-control. I felt the lawyers’ tension, felt the air heating around me with anger. I took a deep breath and kept reading. Lucas painting himself in the right wasn’t surprising. Th
I smiled. “I love ruthlessness… I’d like you to keep your investigation and your main arguments as quiet as possible. Knowing Lucas, he’s bound to start slipping up. He feels like he has the upper hand right now, he’ll act like it.” “How do you want to approach his claims about Nora and your suppo
The afternoon sun had begun to dip, casting a warm, golden hue over the gathering. By the time the matches concluded, a festive air had settled over the estate. The nobles gathered in clusters, laughing and chatting as the servants began setting up for the reception. Theodore was surrounded, drawing
Violet I turned back at the sound of a sharp clatter and caught sight of Nora dumping the plate of food into a small waste bin by the cot. Her expression was tight with anger as she muttered, “I don’t need your pity.” I didn’t flinch. The action—and her defiance—meant nothing to me. I wasn't going
I shook my head. My conscience would nag at me all night if I didn't, and I had better plans to enact tonight with my husband than worrying about my ex-husband's mistress. I licked my lips thinking about the look in Theodore's eye before he'd stolen that kiss. Yeah. A lot better things to think ab
Violet The combat matches drew to a close rather quickly. No one was dragging it out after Lucas and Owen had been tossed around like helpless chickens for nearly an hour. I won't say that it wasn't entertaining to watch Lucas land hard and fast at the feet of men several times his age. Owen was no
Finally, in one coordinated movement, we both struck—our blades flying from our hands and landing in the grass at the same time. The crowd erupted in applause as we stood there, breathless and staring at each other. “Well,” I said, panting. "What happens--" I yelped as she tossed me over her shoul
Theodore She came in fast and hard, cutting low and quick, faster than I expected. Faster than should have been possible with her still laboring under her bond with Violet. She aimed a solid kick to my shoulder, pushing me enough that my feet slipped and skidded across the ground. The sleeve of my
“You’ve already won most of them over,” she murmured, her voice calm and confident. “Consider this a chance to seal the deal. Having noble allies is always a good thing.” That didn’t stop the knot of unease forming in my stomach. Fighting Violet? In front of an audience this critical? It felt lik
Theodore As we crossed the area towards the seating, around the combat pitch, I struggled to keep a straight face. The scene unfolding was almost too good to be true. Owen’s wife and Nora trailed behind him and Lucas, looking thoroughly out of place and entirely ignored. The nobles, who had been so
My eyes widened. "What?" She smiled. "The Vainthott Events are quite expensive, and it would be to every noble in attendance in accordance to their cost of attendance and any cost that could be proven." I blinked and looked at her. "You'd probably annex Twining River with ease." And I'd do everyt