Contracted to the Uncrowned King

#Chapter 1 broken bond

Violet

I thought our marriage was perfect until I heard him say her name.

“Nora!”

Lucas darted away from me and across the room to a woman in a velvet blue dress. He swept her up into his arms. His face lit up with a joy that I’d never seen on his face before. He looked at her as if she were a gift from the moon, and I realized that there was this whole other side to Lucas I had never seen.

He loved her… more than he ever loved me.

The thought cut like a knife. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. He whirled her around with their cheeks pressed together, squeezing each other tight and whispering. It was written all over their body language that Nora held a place in his mind and heart that I never had, yet I was his fated mate.

I gripped the glass in my hand tightly, shattering it. A low, furious growl started to build in my chest. Who was she? How could he act like that with some other woman in front of me? Here? Now?

Like this?

The Alpha Gathering was just next door, and everyone I had invited was here. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration of our packs uniting under the Darkmoon banner, and the official merge of our packs, a symbol of how powerful our relationship was and the start of all the great heights we'd reach together.

And yet, my husband of seven years was in another woman's arms as if this night was the first night of the rest of their lives—not ours.

Lucas set Nora down, barely brushing his lips against her cheek and whispering something soft and intimate into her ear. She flushed and giggled. The sound of broken and fallen glass came from far away. My feet were moving, cutting through the crowd before I could stop myself.

I reached them quickly. They didn't even have the decency to pull away from each other. If anything, Nora drew closer. I looked at Lucas.

He lifted his chin arrogantly. "What is it?"

“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” I asked, meeting his gaze. He set his jaw. “Don’t you have something else to—”

I thrust my hand toward Nora.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Nora, was it? I’m Violet. His wife.”

Lucas shoved my hand down and stepped in between us. My chest grew tight at the obviously protective gesture. He was protecting her from me.

“How dare you?” he hissed. “Go manage the caterers or something. Leave me and Nora alone.”

“You expect me to just let you disrespect me?”

"You're the one who's disrespecting me," he hissed. "I'm your alpha. You don't question me. If you don't understand your place, leave."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. My anger turned cold and vicious. I clenched my fists at my side.

“Leave?” I asked. “You want to kick me out?”

"If you don't have the sense to behave the way you should."

"And how exactly should I behave?"

"You shouldn't even be showing your face for all the shame--"

"Shame? I have nothing to be--"

“What should a wife feel other than shame if she can't bear her husband's children?" He hissed. "A barren daughter of a breeder? Your father must have known you were defective. No wonder he was so happy to get you married off."

I let the words cut through me like a knife, but I didn't look away. I didn't flinch, but I didn't have to for him to know how deeply his words cut me. I had always wanted children desperately. He knew that. We both wanted children, but the Goddess had not blessed me with even a hope for a child.

Breeders were highly coveted in the werewolf world, known to be very fertile and bear the strongest werewolf children. I was proof of that in every way. My mother had been my father's fated mate, and he treated her like the stars were her eyes and she could do no wrong.

He had never taken another mate, wife, or even a lover after she died.

It was because of them I believed that was what it meant to be fated. But hearing the way he was speaking now, I felt just as naive, just as stupid, as my father had always wanted me to believe I was.

Then, I caught myself and halted that train of thought. Lucas owed me everything he was right now from his new shows to his status within his birth pack, and this was how he treated me?

Before we married, Lucas was the youngest, forgotten son of the alpha of Twining River, a territory barely the size of a town. He was never in line to inherit in his own pack, while Darkmooncontrolled nearly a third of the state and several business enterprises.

"Perhaps you're the defective one." I cocked an eyebrow at him, letting my gaze drag over him with contempt. “Your father certainly had reasons for his reservations, didn't he?”

He turned bright red. "You--"

"Oh, please don’t fight,” Nora cut in. “I'm sure he didn't mean it the way it seems. It’s just that Lucas and I haven’t seen each other in so long… We were together up until he met you and all…”

Someone called my name. I glanced over, forcing a smile as I acknowledged whichever alpha it was. I looked back at Lucas, letting my smile drop.

"We'll speak more about this later."

He sneered but said nothing more before I turned to greet the man alpha formally. When I looked back a few moments later, I didn't see him or Nora. I didn't think much of it as I was busy sending off the guests that were leaving.

I looked around at the members of the Twining River pack. They were all grinning at the sight and all wearing Darkmoon's colors, dressed in suits paid for by Darkmoon’s money— my money. The sight of them and Lucas, smug and complacent—their complete disregard of me— only made me think of my father.

I should have told him to go fuck himself when I had the chance.

My father had believed that only a man could lead a pack, so I had always been a disappointment to him. It had never mattered how strong of a werewolf how smart or cunning I was compared to men of my generation. I was never enough. My intelligence made me difficult, not strong or capable.

When I'd met Lucas and we confirmed we were fated mates, my father had handed over authority of the pack to Lucas as acting alpha as if his being male was enough to teach him anything about running a pack of any size.

I had just wanted my father to die in peace, so I had stepped back and played the part of luna, allowing Lucas to act as the alpha, but I was still the registered alpha, and I always would be.

Lucas had been upset about it, but he had seemed content when his influence within his own pack started to grow. His father had stepped aside and ceded control to him earlier this year rather than his elder brother because we were married.

A sharp, throbbing pain started in my chest. I tried to fight through it, but my vision started to blur from how much it hurt. I excused myself to the staging area and sank into a chair just as my vision started to go black.

Was it just stress catching up to me? Had I not eaten enough? Then, I heard a woman's voice.

"Lucas, please…"

I could see Nora's face in my mind's eye. I saw Lucas's hand, still wearing our wedding band and the signet ring of Twining River on the wall beside her head. The dull ache turned to a stabbing bolt of pain. I couldn't breathe. I heard his breathless voice.

"Nora," he groaned. "Goddess, I've missed you. You feel like heaven." I sucked in a breath and clenched my jaw. My eyes burned. My throat felt tight, but I wouldn't cry a single tear.

He didn't deserve that from me.

"There hasn't been a day I haven't thought of you," he panted. "I should have never left you."

Our bond stretched and frayed. I relaxed my hold on it.

"It's okay. We can be together now, can't we?"

I shut my eyes, bracing for the pain I knew was coming. Regret hit me hard and fast. If I had just taken over the pack, my father’s feelings about my gender bedamned, I wouldn't be sitting here bracing for my mate bond to break while my husband slept with another woman.

"Of course, Nora. Yes. Always. I'll give you all the children we talked about… A son, first. A daughter…"

The bond broke. The pain rippled through my whole body. I swallowed the cry of pain and looked down, watching the mark of the unwanted surface around my wrist in deep black.

#Chapter 2 Theo

Violet

“Another, please.”

I slid the empty glass forward, waiting for the bartender to refill it and sighed. I didn’t want to look at it, but my eyes kept drifting to the mark burning on my wrist. Unwanted. I was the Darkmoon heir, and not even my fated mate wanted me. My eyes pricked. Was I really that defective? Maybe Father had a reason not to want me to lead the pack. Perhaps he'd seen something I hadn't.

This is not the time for a pity party.

I scoffed, dragging the refilled glass back toward me. I drank it. Maybe I was defective in that I couldn't even make my fated mate love me, but my father didn't have the foresight to figure out what kind of person Lucas was before happily blessing the union.

He could have spared us both all of this trouble if he'd been focused on anything but his misogyny.

Lucas was a spendthrift, arrogant at the best of times, and childish. I had loved him, but I kept a close eye on everything because I knew he'd ruin my pack if I didn't. He might still if he managed to out me from it.

I pushed a hand through my hair, glaring at the ring on my hand. My own personal feelings aside, there was the pack to think about. The quietest way to do all of this would be let Lucas have Nora as his mistress and stay on as luna despite the betrayal. The social and political issues around splitting us up would be a headache, but I didn't want to still be tied to him.

I didn't want him tied to Darkmoon and benefitting from me just so I could be comfortable. He was probably banking on it.

I needed to kick him, his first love, and his small pack out of Darkmoon as soon as possible. The how of it was still too fuzzy for me to feel confident that it would happen. The only good thing about all of this was that we didn't have children. A custody battle would only complicate things further.

A warm body drifted behind me. A spicy, musky scent and something sharp like ozone reached my nose.

Then, he spoke. "A beautiful alpha like yourself shouldn't be nursing a cut with a bar towel."

I looked up, but before I could say anything, a large warm hand had taken mine. The man lifted my hand, unwrapping the towel. He tutted and pulled out a small vial, dropping a few drops into my hand. The wound started to close as he massaged the liquid into my palm, but I was distracted.

He was taller than me with eyes like the sun, a strong jaw, and the presence of the kind of alpha Lucas wished he could be. Broad- shouldered, heavily muscled, and dangerous-looking in his suit: he reminded me a bit of my father when he went to Gatherings.

It made me smile, a bittersweet and vicious thing. My father had never been so large, and Lucas had tried to put on muscle for years and failed no matter how much he trained with me. He'd always be pissed off that he couldn't keep up, rejected my advice and just generally made it clear that he didn't value my opinion.

I hated that I had been too blind, too complacent, to see the signs for what they were. He may have played a good husband, but it had been a shallow act relying on my willingness not to see to carry on. Stupid, Violet, I thought. I turned, prepared to ignore the man, then, I remembered the other amenities Midnight Park offered. They had sex workers on staff for the bar and club attached to the hotel. The place was more of a one-stop resort of revelry than a hotel. For that reason, the alpha king liked to host gatherings here.

"Better?"

I blinked down at my hand. "Yes… Thank you…"

"Call me Theo'." He licked his lips. "I had hoped you smelled as good as you looked before I came over here. It's better than I imagined." My face heated. "Uhm… well… I didn't think men really cared about perfume."

"You're not wearing any." I blinked. He smiled and winked. "Unless you're counting blood."

That much was true, but most people assumed I was… Most people also didn't know that my mother was a breeder, and that's why I smelled the way I did.

I cleared my throat. "How much for a night of your time?"

He smirked. "A beautiful woman never has to pay for sex, let alone with me."

He cocked an eyebrow and looked down at my hand. "How's your husband feel about it?"

I looked down at the ring, but my eyes were drawn to the mark on my wrist. I could hear him panting her name, and I yanked the ring off. His hand fell on mine.

"Leave it," he said, his eyes twinkling as he leaned closer. "Consider it a prop."

"A prop?"

"Jilted wife picks up a cock for hire to give her everything she's wanted." My heart sped up, and my body heated as he leaned closer, whispering in my ear. "And a lot more she didn't know she wanted." He placed his hand over mine. "The way his tongue feels on her skin, the hard thrust of his cock making her forget whatever her husband's done."

I looked up at him. "You think you can make me forget?"

"I think you already have."

I bit my lip. Embarrassed that he was talking to me like that, raking his eyes over me, hot and hungry. It was nothing like the way Lucas would look at me.

He gestured to the bartender and offered his hand. "Shall we?"

I bit my lip, considering it. In place of the pain, there was a throbbing, pleasurable ache pooling between my legs. I felt better than I had imagined, and I took his hand.

"Lead the way."

We got into the elevator, and the first thing he did was pull the pins out of my hair. My hair tumbled down over my shoulders. He gathered it into his hands and pushed me back against the wall with a low groan.

"By the moon," his voice strained.

I let out a startled squeak when he hauled me up. My feet left the floor. He pressed his hips against mine, pinning me to the wall, and rolled his hips suggestively, dragging the hard length of his cock against me and sending shocks of pleasure through me.

The pain melted and gave way. I wrapped my arms around his neck, drawing him into a kiss. He let out a low groan, licking into my mouth and thrusting harder against me like a promise. The kiss turned hot and devouring. It was nothing like the way Lucas kissed me.

He dropped his mouth to my bare shoulder, nipping, sucking, and dragging his calloused hands up my legs until he could get a firm hold of my ass. He pulled back just enough to fit a hand between us, his fingers fluttering and stroking me. I moaned as he added more pressure, teasing me through the thing scrap of lace between us.

"You're already so wet," he groaned, pushing her panties aside and making teasing little circles with his fingers. "I bet you taste…"

My stomach jolted. He pulled his hand away and set me down. My eyes widened as I realized his plan.

I couldn't even reply before he was on his knees, my knee on his shoulder, and his face between my legs. He thrust his tongue into me so fast, so deeply, I saw stars. I gripped his hair, and he groaned, thrusting his tongue deeper. I tried to push him away, but my knees were weak. My hips jerked forward on their own, grinding against his face and chasing the feeling of his tongue inside me.

Lucas had never done anything like this to me, and between the pain and pleasure, the embarrassment and desire, I didn't have the strength to fight it.

I didn’t want to.

"Theo, you--"

He reached up, groping my breasts, devouring me–ravaging me. He thrust his tongue in harder, pinning me against the wall, legs open and helpless to do anything but take it. The feeling of being utterly helpless only made it more exciting. My heart was pounding in my ears. I pulled at his hair.

“Theo---“

He grunted. It sounded encouraging. He picked up the speed.

The elevator dinged and came to a stop. The doors trembled, and Theo’s tongue sped up. I was frozen, fearful of who would be on the other side, but unable to stop the jolt of pleasure and unyielding pull of my orgasm growing closer.

"Theo, Theo, wait--"

He pulled back, his face shiny and wet.

"Imagine your husband standing on the other side of the door."

#Chapter 3 As you wish

Violet

The thought of seeing Lucas' horrified and jealous face with Nora at his side flashed through my mind. The tension tightening through me snapped. I cried out, damn sure that someone had heard it

The door slid open to an empty hall, and I slumped back in relief, trembling.

The doors finally started to close when he drew back with a low, pleased sound. I was dazed, trembling as the aftershocks rattled through me.

"You taste so much better than I'd imagined."

I laughed, unable to do much else and trying to get a hold of myself. I felt giddy. He grinned, standing up and lifting me back into his arms. The elevator dinged again.

"Here's our floor."

Theo practically carried me down the hall with his hand on my ass. As soon as the door opened and closed, I felt a shift in him.

He unzipped my dress, unhooked my bra, and had me stumbling back toward the bed in a matter of seconds. I reached for my shoes, but he stopped me.

"Leave them on.”

Then, he turned me around and bent me over the bed. My face heated at the position. I heard the rustle of clothing being stripped off and tossed behind me before he pressed up against me. The naked heat of his cock pressed between my thighs. I shuddered, clenching my thighs around him. The sound of his cock gliding against me was too much.

I was so sensitive, but I wanted more.

"W-Wait. Condom?"

"Don't insult me," he said, his voice amused. I heard the crinkle of wrapping paper. "I'm not nearly as much of an asshole as most think."

He pulled away for a moment, hissed, and then he was back, thrusting between my thighs. I saw the empty wrapper flutter to the bed. He pushed on my back until my face was on the bed, my ass in the air, completely exposed.

"Though the thought of sending you back to your husband full of my come is more than a little appealing."

"I--" I gasped. His grip tightened as he started to push into me at a slow, unrelenting pace.

My legs trembled. My mind went hazy with the sensation. When our hips met, he let out a soft sound of satisfaction. "You're perfect."

I shuddered, biting my lip and trying not to get swept up in the rush of emotion that swept through me at the words. He thrust into me hard, driving me over the edge over and over again. The pain I’d felt earlier seemed like a bad dream.

I couldn’t think. I couldn’t do anything but hold on and give in. He turned my head to kiss me, drinking in every pant and moan. My head was a mess. All I could taste was his him. All I could feel was the hot throb of his cock inside me.

The scent of our mingled sweat and sex filled my nose like a drug and I basked in it, wondering if there was enough cash in the Darkmoon accounts to pay a man of his skill.

When I woke up, I was alone. I could hear him in the shower and smiled at the pleasant ache still thrumming through me. My phone chimed on the bedside table. I answered it.

“Alpha Violet, are you still at Midnight Park?”

I blinked, recognizing Kincaid’s voice.

“I am. You sound upset.”

“After last night?” He growled. “I’m beyond upset. Where are you? I’ll–”

“No,” I said. “I’ll meet you in the lobby. I need you to work on getting my things out of my room and making separate arrangements from Lucas for me. I don’t care if it’s at Midnight Park or across the street.”

“As you wish.”

He hung up, and I looked down at the mark on my wrist. The ache was still distant. I felt lighter than I had the night before. Maybe all the mythos around what the mark would do wasn’t exactly true.

I sighed and climbed out of bed. He’d moved my clothes to a chair nearby, so I slipped back into them, tucking my underwear in my clutch rather than putting them on. I counted through the bills I had and figured I should leave it all. It wasn’t enough, but it was all the cash I had.

I gasped as he came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me back against him. He slipped his hand into the slit of my dress, aiming for my inner thighs.

“Leaving already?”

I gasped and pushed my hips pushed against his hand. His fingers were clever and too knowledgeable. If I wasn’t careful, he’d convince me to crawl back in bed with him, even if that meant I was going to be late.

“I…” I cleared my throat and pushed at his arm. “I really wish I could stay, but I have fires to put out.” I turned, nodding to the stack of cash and the wedding ring on the nightstand. “T-The money will certainly cover the hotel room and well, consider the ring a tip. It’s real. You’re really… a pro bar none.”

“How gracious of you.” He turned back, scooping the cash off the table, placing the stack of cash in my hand. “Tip the hotel staff. I’m not a cock for hire.”

I blinked. “But…”

“Nothing like a bit of fantasy to get anyone going,” I whispered. “I enjoyed you immensely.”

He dipped his head to graze our lips together.

“How about a kiss for the road?” He nipped me. “Something to think about while you’re putting out fires?”

I shuddered, but I didn’t resist when he licked into my mouth and pressed our lips together. I melted, pushing up against him, twining my arms around his neck and my hands in his hair. He groaned and backed me up against the door, grinding against me as we kissed. I felt his towel slip off and hooked my leg around his waist. The hard length of his cock pressed against me, teasing me.

It would take just the smallest adjustment to have him inside me again. I wanted it. He groaned, gripping my hips and starting to lift me.

Then, my phone rang. I jerked back.

“I really have to go.” Then, an idea began to grow in my mind. “If you’re not a man for hire, then you must be here for the Gathering, right?”

“Why? Need a date?”

“No, but I’d like one. You, if you’re not otherwise occupied.”

He grinned. “I’m not. You’ve got a number, hm?”

I nodded, pulled out a small pad of paper, and scribbled my number before handing it to him.

“We could… meet in the lobby?”

“Sure thing.” He swept his gaze over me. “I look forward to it.”

He opened the door for her, and with one last lingering look, I left.

I took the quickest path back to the hotel room I had been sharing with Lucas. I could hear Kincaid and Lucas arguing inside.

“By order of the–”

“I am the alpha. You listen to me! Where is she?”

I shook my head and opened the door. Lucas was half-dressed in just a towel. I could see the marks on his chest. The fact that he hadn’t even thought to put a robe on was telling. He whirled on me. I noted that he didn’t have the mark of the unwanted on him and couldn’t help but smile. The Goddess was oddly cruel, wasn’t she?

I should be angry. But the pleasant ache between my legs and the feeling of how slick I still was made it hard to be upset.

He’d spent his night rekindling his relationship with Nora, and I had gone to get fulfillment. Shouldn’t we both be happy?

“Where the hell have you been all night?” Lucas asked, glaring at me. “You’re wearing the same thing!”

I glanced over at him and then back toward the door of the bedroom. We’d gotten a suite so I could have some office space, but I could see that he was using it to hide Nora, but not very well. Her dress from the night before was on the ground. I didn’t smell Nora in the room. Either my senses were dulled from the rejection, or she was hiding in the bathroom.

I found I didn’t care either way. I glanced over at the two Twining River guards and the Twining River's beta, and then I turned to Kincaid, who looked about ready to smash Lucas’ face in.

“If you could finish up here, Kincaid? I’d like to relax before lunch. Do you have my new key?”

“Yes,” he said, offering me the card. I tucked it into my clutch. “I’ll have the rest of your things moved at once.”

“You’re not”

I turned to leave, and Lucas darted in front of me. He snarled and grabbed my arm, gripping it tightly. “You aren’t going anywhere!”

#Chapter 4 Theodore

Theodore

I closed the door behind her, glowering down at my erection and laughing at myself.

Violet Donovan of Darkmoon had always been a beautiful woman, but I’d had never imagined that she’d be a fucking tiger in the sheets. It was rare that I found a woman who could keep up with me. Even if she’d been shy at the beginning, uncertain, still mentally married, she hadn’t remained so. I could still smell the scent of her arousal in the air and taste her on my tongue.

She hadn’t behaved like a jilted wife seeking revenge on her cheating husband. She hadn’t even really behaved like a jilted wife either, which made me curious as to what the hell was going on in Darkmoon.

She’d been married for seven years, seemingly happy, yet tonight, the night she was supposed to be celebrating the merging of her and her husband’s pack, she’d tried to pick me up. I’d caught a glimpse of her at the beginning of the event, and she’d seemed happy.

What had Lucas done in the span of an hour to change her so much?

I grabbed my towel and tossed it in the bathroom before grabbing my phone to look through the coverage from the night before. The news,

which was mostly funded by people who wanted to undermine me as Midnight’s alpha, had taken plenty of pictures and had plenty of things to say about Lucas and his current status. They were saying that Darkmoon now had the strength to challenge Midnight, and thus, Lucas had the strength to challenge me.

I scoffed at the idea. Lucas was the third son of Twining Rivers’ alpha. He couldn’t challenge me in any arena, even if he and Violet were happily married. Violet was another story.

Despite the misogyny her father and my father’s generation breathed and passed on to us, Violet wasn’t a weak woman, and Darkmoon had always been big enough and wealthy enough to be considered a threat to anyone. The only reason no one viewed them that way was because Violet and her father never played politics. They made money hand over fist, but not enemies or allies. But most people were wrong.

Violet knew the score. She’d always known it. She was too intelligent not to, and I had figured out quickly that Lucas was just a mouthpiece of an alpha. Violet had taken the title of luna in Darkmoon, but there wasn’t a single deal of note, a single payment, invoice, trade, or otherwise, that didn’t have her signature on it. I didn’t know if that meant she kept Lucas as little more than a pet and everything was a front or not, but from the way she’d looked at the bar, I had a feeling that Lucas had done something. I scrolled through, searching for more of the rumors that had first piqued my interest about Violet and Darkmoon, but there was nothing more than a photo with Lucas and a woman at the event last night.

Maybe she was a jilted wife. I looked at the note with Violet’s number and scoffed.

What an idiot.

Only a fool would marry way above his station and fuck it up, but Lucas had never seemed smart.

Still, that meant that Violet was unexpectedly, practically single. Interest stirred in me. In the absence of my fated mate, if I had to choose an ideal partner for my plans, the cunning, intelligent woman who had just sauntered out of my hotel room was the only name on the list.

I glanced over at the ring she’d left behind and smiled. Lucas was going to make this easy for me.

Maybe I should prepare a present.

Violet

I looked down at his hand around my wrist, mere inches from the mark he’d caused, and took a deep breath. The instinct to snarl and claw his face off was so strong that I was almost shaking with it. The bolt of pain at his touch was like fuel to the fire, but I held back, keeping my expression neutral. Kincaid wasn’t the only other person in the room. His guards and his beta were all members of Twining River, and it would complicate the split if anyone stated that I had attacked him or had proof.

I lifted my gaze to meet his, not surprised that he seemed so surprised at how calm I seemed.

“Where is Nora?”

“I ask the questions here!” He barked and jerked my hand up, shaking it at me. “Where’s your fucking ring? Where have you been all night?”

“What does it matter considering what you’ve done?”

He frowned then looked at my wrist where the mark was. Kincaid let out a horrified gasp, but I watched Lucas’ face. The recognition, the understanding, and then the pure malicious joy in his eyes made me want to kill him.

When he started laughing, it took everything in me not to slam him to the ground and beat the shit out of him.

He would deserve it, but it would be a mercy.

He laughed louder, dropping my hand and stepping back.

“Looks like you finally know your place, eh?” His whole body shook with laughter. “I can’t believe it worked! I’m fucking free.”

He gestured vaguely. “Don’t bother to stop him. Let him grab her stuff.” He looked at Kincaid. “You can set it outside. She can carry it herself.”

“I will never, and have never, taken orders from you, Lucas,” Kincaid said and looked at me. “A—”

“Please grab my things, Kincaid.”

“I’m the true alpha of Darkmoon now,” Lucas said. “If you don’t want to be a rogue, you have to listen to me. Put her things outside. We—”

I laughed. I threw my head back. My laughter echoed through the room.

He glared at me. “What’s so funny? You’re not going to think it’s funny when I kick you out with nothing.”

I shook my head. “And I see more and more why your father never thought much of you.” He flinched and flushed. “You've been plotting against me for seven years to steal my pack, and you still know nothing. It’s fascinating to see someone so caught up in their fantasy and still be able to breathe."

He scoffed. “You’re laughing, but it seems you don’t know anything. The merger is complete, meaning I’m the alpha, and you’re only what I allow you to be.”

I smiled, cold and utterly detached. “We’ll see when the case starts.”

He snarled and snapped at his beta. “Take her back to the estate. I won’t have her on my arm at the Gathering.”

His beta was barely an inch taller than Lucas. Before he touched me, before Kincaid had crossed the room, I caught his wrist, twisted it, and flipped him so he landed hard on the ground. Lucas went pale, and his eyes widened. I let the man’s arm go and walked over him, enjoying the cry of pain he let out when my heel bit into his crotch.

I closed the door quietly behind me and walked back to the elevator. I kept my steps measured and even. I didn’t hurry despite the pain shooting through me at every step. His touch had brought it all back in a rush.

When I got to my new room, I collapsed onto the couch in the antechamber and clutched the pillow to my chest, curling up and trying to muffle the cries of pain that escaped me.

A few minutes later, Kincaid entered, huffing mad and calling for me.

“Alpha?” He called, closing the door behind him. He hurried to me, murmuring. “By the moon…”

Without even being told, he dashed away, barely making a whisper of sound. The blinds were drawn closed, and the lights were turned off. I heard the clink of ice in a glass, and then something cold was across my neck and forehead, soothing the pounding.

“That son of a bitch,” he growled softly. “I’ll challenge him paint red parlor with his blood.”

My lips twitched into a smile. I took the glass and the medicine he offered.

“No.”

“You’re right… It could be brought up in court. A happy accident?”

“No,” I said, almost laughing. “Merciful.”

He tutted. “You’re right… He doesn’t deserve the mercy of a quick death. I’ll run you a bath. Just try to relax.”

I smiled, thanking him again. Then, he was gone. I heard the bathtub filling and him moving around while I tried to figure out what to do about Lucas going to the Gathering with Nora. My phone rang, and I hurried to answer, wincing at the sound of it. I answered it. “Hello, Alpha Violet.”

I frowned. The voice seemed familiar, but I couldn’t say why. My head was pounding, but there were only a handful of people who would actually call me alpha.

This man sounded like none of them. “Who is this?”

He chuckled. “Theodore Nightshade.”

#Chapter 5 The Uncrowned King

Violet

The Uncrowned King?

I went still. There was only one Theodore Nightshade I knew of. He was the alpha of the Midnight pack. He was known to be a ruthless, cunning, and cold playboy. Some said he was a tyrant, but he was also the brother of the current alpha king. I wasn’t clear about all the reasons he had gotten the title of the uncrowned king, but I knew enough to know that it was dangerous for me to even consider what he might say. There were always whispers that he was plotting treason, but no proof. The Donovan family had always been loyal to the crown. Everyone knew that so it would be odd for him to be trying to reach out for that purpose.

So, what could he want?

A part of me held out hope that he was calling me about something that may benefit Darkmoon. Midnight was the largest pack and the most influential, politically speaking. In my current state, it was better to make more alliances than not.

“What an unexpected honor to hear from the Alpha of Midnight. What can I do for you?”

“It's more like what I can do for you, Alpha Violet.” He purred in a way that made me shiver. If I had ever had any doubt about the

rumors about his charisma, they were gone now. “I want to make a deal, and I hear you're a woman who never passes up a deal. Not a good one, anyway.”

That gave me pause. A deal? What could midnight possibly want from Darkmoon that it couldn’t get elsewhere? Nothing came to mind immediately, so it had to be that he knew what kind of situation Darkmoon was in right now. I could hope that maybe he didn't know all the details, but he definitely knew enough to make an offer. He wasn't stupid enough not to gather information about any pack that could potentially stand in his way or be a good ally later. And the Donovans were prominent. Maybe he had called me to try and make an ally against the throne of me, but I had my doubts about that.

“Typically, no, I wouldn’t turn down a deal… It’s interesting that you’re calling me, though.”

He laughed. “It's come to my attention that you're in a bit of trouble.”

“Trouble?”

“With that window dressing, not knowing his place.” He tutted. “While I'm sure you could eventually figure out a way out of it without my help, I do know how much easier things could go with my help.”

“I’m not going to pretend that I don’t agree, but no one offers something for nothing… especially not the alpha of Midnight.”

“I see my reputation proceeds me. Good. I had no intention of offering something or anything for nothing.”

“So, what is it that you plan to offer, and what is it that you want?”

“We'll speak more about it in detail after you prove that you're worth the help. I am a man of principle, after all. I'm not going to help someone who won't even bother to try and help themselves or who is unworthy of the help. I think you at least can agree with that principle.”

I set my jaw. “I can… but I doubt you want to interview me or give me a test.”

He chuckled. “Nothing so simple. I’ve already had a glance through Darkmoon’s portfolio while you’ve been in power, and you have me intrigued. You’ve done a lot more than your father ever has.”

I wanted to preen at the praise. It was like a warm balm on my mind.

“I wouldn’t insult you with something simple. I look forward to speaking further with you tonight. See you at the Gathering.”

Then, he hung up without another word. He seemed just as arrogant as I expected him to be not that he didn't have every right to be. If the alpha king died, he'd be the only one left to take the throne. I knew that many people were hoping for such an outcome as the current alpha king was problematic, even at the best of times.

I sighed, mulling it over. The thought was sending me into a darker mood by the moment.

I hated to admit it, but Alpha Theodore and the help of Midnight was the best chance I had to make this all go smoothly, I didn't want to simply agree or give in just because of his reputation. I needed to meet him. I needed to know what kind of person he was to know whether or not I wanted to do business with him or if I could trust him at all.

“Kincaid, what do you know about Alpha Theodore of Midnight?”

Kincaid paused then he let out a bark of laughter. “That man is a legend.”

“What do you mean by that?” It was odd for him to have that sort of mirthful response to talking about any alpha, considering how he had a general disdain for most of them.

“Where to start?” He smirked. “He’s a cunning son of a bitch. He plays the part of a lone wolf for the most part. He's got too much power to be bothered. He knows that. His brother knows that, and anyone who pretends otherwise is an idiot. People criticize him for not being willing to socialize, being a playboy, and all that, but I’d wager that it’s either for show or the man has the mating drive like crazy and hasn’t found his fated mate yet.”

That was interesting all by itself, and I wanted to hear more, but I could barely keep my eye open.

When I woke up, it was about half an hour before the Gathering. I got dressed and headed down with Kincaid. I had originally planned for this dress to be a surprise for Lucas. I hoped it would throw Lucas off and make him make a mistake. He always had a problem with what I wore, preferring that I look more conservative like a proper married woman and luna.

I rolled my eyes at the thought and checked my watch. With the potions Kincaid had given me, I had about two hours before the debilitating pain would come back. It was just enough time to be there show my face safe face and leave. Hopefully, I could talk to Alpha Theodore in that time as well.

The troubling thing was that I couldn't feel the usual depth of my power like I usually would. It was as if my wolf had completely withdrawn, which sucked since it had been there and vibrant and running through me every moment I had been with Theo.

All I could hope was that I wouldn’t need it tonight, or that Theo would be around to give me that feeling again.

When I reached the entrance of the Gathering, I saw plenty of familiar faces heading into the ballroom. If I listened hard enough, I bet I could even hear Lucas inside with Nora and the whispers that were no doubt starting about it all. Each person that glided past me was dressed as expensively as I was or less expensively, yet I felt out of place.

"You look absolutely delectable."

I turned around, relieved and pleased to see Theo striding towards me in a well-cut suit that screamed designer. He was as gorgeous as he had been the night before. My heart quickened as I caught the scent of his cologne, and I felt my power stirring again, building up like a slowly filling bucket. The ache I could feel just beyond the potions' effects lessened.

He smiled, drawing close to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. I almost sighed in relief.

“Any chance I can convince you to blow this stupid event and come back to my hotel room? I promise what I have planned is way more fun than some boring chatter with these idiots."

I laughed, though heat pooled in my stomach as I thought about the night before. I was tempted, but honestly, I really did need to meet with Alpha Theodore. Even if I didn't pass his test, it would at least give me a chance to probe his mind about what he thought his brother might do.

"Maybe after an hour or so."

He sighed. "A man could hope. Shall we?”

“Do you dance?”

“Of course,” he said, leading me toward the dance floor. “Well, too. Though I don't have much practice these days."

"Why?"

His lips twitched. "I hate formal events. Too many eyes and too much gossip."

"I'll do my best to be a charming, graceful dancer, but I'm only a man," he smirked. "You'll have to forgive me if things don't go to plan."

"Why wouldn't they?"

 "Because I'm going to be distracted as hell thinking of all the ways and how quickly I could peel you out of that dress.”

#Chapter 6 Here. Now.

Violet

Soon I noticed the gasps and all the eyes that seemed to be honing in on us as he led me across the dancefloor. He was an incredibly competent and confident partner. I couldn't remember the last person who had led this way other than my instructor. I glanced around the room, noting the way people murmured and stared at us. As I expected having an incredibly handsome date was proving to be a good idea, but I hadn't expected him to be such a great dancer. I loved to dance. I always had. I couldn't remember the last time I had actually danced on a dance floor. It had always been too busy to host balls in Darkmoon outside of the mating balls for the territory, and I never danced at those.

"I didn't think you could get more beautiful than you were last night. You've surprised me, and that's a rare thing…"

My cheeks heated, and I looked away from the heat in his eyes. “I don’t look any different.”

“You’re not the one looking.” He dipped me backward, his lips close enough that I could feel his breath on my neck. I shivered as he whispered in her ear, “Of course, I look forward to how you will change as our deal progresses.”

I froze at that. Snapping my head back to meet his gaze. There was a teasing glint in his eyes that set me on edge and poked at something defensive in me. Something pricking at the back of my mind from the tone of his voice. It was heavy with meaning. Too heavy for something as simple as an agreement to continue sleeping together. For a moment, I wondered if he was a beta of a rival pack, but I shook that thought off. He was definitely an alpha he had all the arrogance and exuded all the power of one. That meant he had to be an alpha of a pack with designs on Darkmoon.

Great. Another man who wanted to take advantage of me. Before I could ask which pack he was from, Lucas's voice cut me off.

“Get your hands off my wife!”

I turned my head toward the sound of his stomping footsteps, curios as to why he felt the need to start a scene at the Gathering after causing a scene the night before. Yet, there was something gratifying about the fact that I didn't see Nora with him. Maybe he'd figured out that it wasn't in his best interest to bring her, or simply left her somewhere else in the ballroom. I didn't care which it was, but I was amused by the irony of it.

He'd left me behind to run to her the night before, and now he was running to me because I was in another man's arms.

How fucking childish and pathetic. I would have never even looked Theo's way if he hadn't done what he'd done to me, but part of me knew he'd never see it that way. Theo pulled me closer, lifting me from the dip but not easing his hold on my waist.

He smiled casually at Lucas, almost mockingly. "Wife?" Lucas snarled. "Are you challenging me?"

"You would have to be worth the effort first," he said. "And don't be childish. Wives wear wedding rings, don't they? Fiancés, too, right? At the least, wives enter with their husbands, right?"

He flushed. "Get away from her, now!" "And if I don't?"

Lucas lunged forward, reaching for me. Theo turned, keeping me out of his reach before stepping in between us.

"Violet, get away from him now and come with me." He glared at me. "How dare you show up here and embarrass me like this? It seems like you'll never learn."

"You're the one embarrassing yourself," Theo said. "And if you try to put your hands on her again, we're going to have a problem."

He glared at me. "You are still my wife. I am your alpha, and you will do---"

"Nothing," I said, cutting him off. I glanced back as the people parted and Nora came stumbling through behind him. “You should take care of your new lover.”

“Don't make a scene," he said. "Have some grace and leave while I'm being nice, or you will regret it."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're the one making a scene, Lucas. I was peacefully dancing with my date. No one told you to come over here. Now, if you'd like to air your own dirty laundry right now, we can, but you're the only one who is going to be embarrassed."

Lucas flushed and looked around. It seemed that in all these years, he had learned something about decorum, even if it wasn't a thing that I wanted him to learn. I supposed seeing me level his beta so easily earlier had given him some things to think about in terms of what he could and couldn't get away with. Given what he'd already done, he was probably figuring out how best to play it safe. I hoped the anxiety about what I was planning ate him alive. He had to know that his empty threats and commands weren't going to stop me from doing what I had to. He had to know that I wouldn't be cowled by his betrayal. I may have loved him once, but I had never shown myself to be someone who would be taken advantage of and not get my revenge.

I was more of an alpha than he would ever be, and that made me strong, but being a scorned woman would make me vicious.

"Ah," Theo said, reaching into his pocket. "Speaking of."

Theo lifted my wrist and took my hand. I didn't pay him much attention until I felt something slipping onto my finger. I looked over and froze as he slid a ring onto my hand where my wedding ring had once been.

But it was a completely different ring. In place of the diamonds and gold, the band was white gold and paired with precious gems that sparkled like a rainbow on my finger. The main gem on the band was a soft rose-colored diamond. The name of the shade escaped me, but I could see the quality of the band clearly.

The stone had to be worth at least a few hundred million alone. I looked up at him, wondering what he was playing at.

He lifted my hand and kissed it with a mischievous smile.

"We should get it resized for you," he murmured. "Or I might start to think you don't like it, darling."

Lucas choked on a sound. Then, he yelled loud enough that the whole party seemed to shriek to a halt.

"You fucked him, didn't you?" Lucas yelled. "How could you sleep with my enemy? How could you betray me? Our pack?"

I whirled on him. Furious that he would even think to say something like that.

"You fucking--"

"Don't go projecting your sins onto me!" I shrieked. The force of my power, my voice, shook the air. He stumbled back. "You betrayed me." I glared at him, growling low in my chest. "You betrayed me. My love, my kindness-- my pack. You're my enemy and you only have yourself and your selfishness to thank for that." I turned from him. "You made your choice and soon, you'll have to live them. From that moment on, what I do, with whoever I do it with is no longer any of your concern."

He growled, his eyes flashed and the red light sparked in the air. "Come here," he said. The sound of his voice was distorted, high and low and wrong, rattling through my mind, ripping through my consciousness. "Apologize on your knees!"

My stomach lurched. The ballroom faded away. I was back home. Younger. Shorter. Weaker. My father stood over me, his eyes burning red. That same red light filled the air between us, wrapping around my throat, choking me. My heart was in my throat. The urge to run, to fight, to scream and rip and tear was overwhelming.

My stomach lurched. Pain shot through my whole body, and I couldn't move. The scent of alcohol burned my nose. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think, and I remembered.

Compulsion.

He was trying to use compulsion on me. Fury cam next, bubbling up the way it had then, screeching through me. I blinked away the memory.

The world swam in a red haze. Lucas was still glaring at me. I knew there was a chance that I would be sick for weeks the way I had been when my father tried to compel me, but unlike then, I was going to tear Lucas's throat out.

Here. Now.

The snarl grew in my chest. I felt my teeth growing sharper. I'd kill him. I could already taste his blood on my teeth. I lunged forward aiming for his throat.

I could already taste his blood on my teeth.

“You know, you don’t have to listen to him, Violet.”