+25 BONUS
Chapter 75
… I hear the Uncrowned King is all kind of adventurous,” she teased.
My face heated. Theodore glanced at me, he smirked. His eyes gleamed and I scowled at him.
“Not funny,” I said. She laughed in my ear and I sighed. “Keep looking. And find out who facilitated the purchases. I want names. There’s a chance I can organize a buyoff through someone else.”
“I’m on it. Anything else?”
“Yes. Don’t head back to Darkmoon until all of Twining River and the traitors are all gone. That’s at least two weeks from now, but keep your ears open.”
“Will do. Talk again soon!”
She hung up and I rested my head against the window. A dull thudding started between my eyebrows. I rubbed at the tension.
“Headache?”
I nodded. “Migraine. Stress probably.”
“What’s going on?”
I hesitated, not wanting to share the latest complication. But the look in his eyes told me he wouldn’t drop it, and who knew, maybe some of his allies could pull a few strings and figure out who bought the land I wanted.
“Lucas might have snatched up the land I wanted,” I said. “And the backups.”
Theodore bobbed his head. “You think so?”
“Not sure. I’m having Lily and Kincaid look into it. It’s possible, but not plausible financially speaking.”
“Loans?”
“Possible.”
He smirked. “Lily may be on to something regarding Owen and Lucas… I’m glad he put that little inkling in the minds of the public.”
I frowned, trying to figure out what he meant, and I thought back to my lead lawyer’s words. I snorted.
“You think that’s enough.”
“It’s enough to start a rumor. I’ll add a little fuel to the fire and it’ll at least urge Owen not to be so blatantly on his side for no good reason.”
I chuckled. “You’re going to start a rumor about your brother’s scandalous relationship with my ex–husband? Is that legal?”
He shrugged. “It’s not illegal. A rumor isn’t slander or libel with you put “alleged” on it.”
I shook my head. It sounded simple. The idea was definitely amusing in a vicious way, but my thoughts turned back to what could happen next.
“You don’t look happy,” Theodore said.
“Two more weeks,” I said. “He’s trying to stall the ceremony and complicate things.” I frowned and glanced at Theodore. “He could be just trying o buy more time to figure out how to get out of actually approving it, but it’s
1/2
+25 BONUS
Chapter 75
starting to feel more personal than that.”
He shrugged. “Owen’s issues run too deep and too broad for me to think too much about them…” He looked out the window. “I have my own battles to fight.”
He clenched his jaw for a moment. The words felt heavier than they should have. I wanted to ask, but I refrained. It wa shis private life, and I had no right to pry.
He turned back to me. “The order is forestalled for Lucas, but not the traitors. What forces are clearing out his sympathizers?”
“The Haywards of Dark Forest, for one. A few other packs have volunteered to assist.“.
Theodore raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think to ask me for help?”
“I didn’t need to. You helped in the way we agreed on. I never expected anything more.”
He worked his jaw and looked down. He rolled his shoulders. His hands rippled and gripped the bench beneath him. I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling the heat in the carriage go up noticeably.
“You should make it more of a habit to ask for help. You know, considering we’ll be married soon.”
I laughed at that. “In name, sure, Theodore. It’s a business arrangement, unless you’re trying to angle for a more formal alliance.” I shook my head. “Darkmoon may need some mercenary like help given how many of my warriors are about to be rogues themselves…”
His lips curved into a small, unreadable smile. “What would you do if I wanted more than that?”
“More than a business arrangement?”
“Yes.”
I cocked an eyebrow even as my stomach flipped. “Do you?”
Instead of answering, he countered smoothly. “Do you?”
The deflection irritated me.
“I want peace,” I said. “I want my pack restored to me. I want to live out the rest of my life without looking over my shoulder and waiting for the other shoe to drop.” He met my gaze. “I want to be happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Something flickered in his eyes, a storm of emotions I couldn’t quite place. He leaned slightly closer, his voice low and charged. His gaze dropped to my mouth and he licked his lips as if imagining the taste of my lipstick.
“You’re infuriating, you know that?”
