Chapter 124

Violet’s POV

Theodore and I scrambled to separate from each other as Eva’s steps thundered closer. Being found in nothing but towels wouldn’t particularly help craft the illusion I was aiming for, but there was nothing to be done about it now.

By the time Eva flung open the bathroom door, I managed to be sitting on the closed toilet lid on the complete opposite side of the bathroom from where Theodore leaned against a linen closet. I gazed at him pleadingly, still waiting for his answer as to whether or not he would play along with me, even though it would be a painful path ahead. His returning look was full of despair.

I quickly assessed how best to school my expression in front of Eva, but one look at her told me I didn’t need to. She looked between us, her stony face softening in delight, and I realized how this looked to her.

She was interpreting my pleading look as the end note to my request for Theodore to stay with me. And his look of despair to be a regretful but resounding no.

A glint in Theo’s eye that only a mate would notice suggested he was making the same observation, and his look of despair contorted steadily into one of disgust. I hoped it was an act – and a sign that he was playing along.

Eva crossed her arms, looking for one of us to confirm her suspicion. “What’s going on here?”

My husband and I stared at each other in a silent goodbye before he straightened up off the linen closet door, turning to Eva. “I’m sure you can understand my instinct to aid the woman who has been my mate for so long when she becomes ill.”

Eva’s eyes lit up at the implication in Theo’s words that the woman who had been his mate no longer was. She mirrored his gentle tone as she responded with, “Of course, my dear. It’s only natural.”

She opened her mouth again, likely to suggest that, despite her understanding, it was time to move on. But Theodore cut her off.

“But I cannot ignore the undeniable truth of the Moonstone.” I was proud and impressed with the fabricated conviction in his voice. “And I have just informed Violet that it is time for her to return to Darkmoon – where she belongs.”

He turned toward me as he said the last three words. It could have been to drive home his pretended rejection of me, but as his tear-filled eyes landed on me, I wondered if it was to hide from Eva the pain he struggled to contain.

This was what I needed from him: his agreement to help me fool Eva, Owen, and everyone into believing that he was accepting his new mate – and with it, his faith in our fated love to see these dark times through.

“Thank you,” I paused long enough for Theodore to know I was thanking him for things I couldn’t say out loud, “for helping me clean up. I understand and accept what I must do next.”

Eva sighed in relief at my words. “I’m so glad you understand, Violet. I’m sure my mate and I,” she emphasized as she neared Theo, “could find you a healer to aid you further, out of the goodness of our hearts.”

She laid a territorial hand on Theo’s shoulder. He gritted his teeth but didn’t flinch. I could only imagine how thin his patience with this woman was running.

For my part, it took more self-control than I wanted to admit to hide my fury at the mere thought of Eva touching my mate further. I hadn’t considered that our scheme would put Theo in a situation where Eva would be coming onto him constantly and remorse churned my stomach at the realization.

I took comfort in the knowledge that he was clearly stronger than her, and I promised traumatic vengeance if his strength wasn’t enough.

“Alpha Donovan,” I corrected.

“I beg your pardon?” she asked, confused.

“You called me Violet. I am the Alpha of Darkmoon, and since you are only a Luna, it is customary and respectful to refer to me by my title. Which is Alpha Donovan.”

I might be handing over my husband temporarily, but I would happily put her in her place at every chance I got. “And as Alpha of my own territory,” I continued, “I have my own healers. Though your… thoughtfulness is acknowledged and appreciated.”

“Of course,” she murmured, clearly embarrassed as she blushed and rounded her shoulders in submission. Thankfully, she missed Theo’s smile that he quickly hid.

I delighted in both their reactions. And I let as much show in my expression.

With one more subtle, loving look my way, Theodore led Eva out of my room. I clenched my fists as she wound her arm around his waist, casting a nasty, smug smile over her shoulder directly at me. I repressed my own horror at Theo’s inability to hold her back, able only to stomach her touch without offering his own.

Fantasies of how painfully I would make Eva and Owen pay came to life in my mind as the pair left my room. The fantasies kept me company while I brushed my teeth and lulled me to sleep filled with delightfully violent dreams.

The next morning, I called for a steward. It took an hour for one to arrive at my room, which I assumed to be an intentional inconvenience requested by Owen.

When one finally arrived, I showed them a necklace with a token on the end. “Please see that this is returned to Alpha Nightshade. Inform him that since I am no longer his Luna, it is not appropriate for me to continue to possess it.”

The steward nodded, but I did not hand over the item yet, waiting until they looked to me for further instruction. “It is a priceless heirloom that belonged to his mother, and there will be a hefty price to pay if it does not make it back to him safely.” I added a glint of violence to my eyes to ensure the steward would not be motivated to steal and sell the jewelry or turn it over to Owen.

By the way they cowered in response, I was sure the message was received. I passed the necklace along and sent them on their way.

In reality, the token I sent was not the one Theo had given me that had belonged to his mother. It was my token, the one gifted to me by the High Priestess the night I married Theodore – which turned out to be an exact match to the token on Theo’s mother’s necklace. Or at least a near match.

Only Theo would know the difference. Only Theo would put together that I had switched out the tokens, keeping his mother’s in my pocket and sending mine to him. When Eva heard and saw what the steward was delivering, she would believe it was my final goodbye to Theo.

Only my mate would know it was a promise that I would be with him always.

Closing the door behind the departing steward, I fled to the bathroom to throw up again. It was the third time I had gotten sick, including dinner last night. The mate bond with Eva might be fake, but its impacts to my health were real.

I made a mental note to ask my aunt for a solution to help mitigate these symptoms before I was able to demolish whatever virus plagued my bond with Theodore. Then I gathered my belongings and headed back to the territory I would fight to the death to protect.