Chapter 189

Violet’s POV

Slowly enough that Kincaid could keep up, I retreated back the way we had come. Kincaid looked at me with incredulity, not understanding why I was leaving. I glanced pointedly at my arms, allowing my worry to show on my face.

My arms began shaking violently. We were almost out of time.

Kincaid’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening, and he stayed close to me as I stepped backward. The conversation in front of us continued on.

“Are you blaming me for Lucas’ incompetence?” Owen’s face reddened as we approached the intersection from which we’d come. “Even the king can’t overrule evidence like a certified mate bond with you before he ever met Violet!”

I twitched at the sound of my name as we rounded the corner, eyes glued to the steward standing guard there, looking for any indication that he could see us. My arms were starting to cramp, but we had a whole other hallway to make it down before I could let go of my magic.

“Of course she’s not blaming you,” came Lucas’ voice even though we could no longer see them around the corner. “Neither of us do. You’ve given more to me than my own family, and I hope we can continue to help each other out.”

Lucas’ voice was faint as we inched along, and I hoped my microphone was still picking up this pretty damning conversation.

We made it to the original hallway, out of sight of the steward, where Bennett was standing guard. I very quickly glanced around before dropping my arms and magic with it. Bennett startled as we appeared in front of him but thankfully kept quiet.

My knees buckled, and Kincaid caught me, helping me to stand. My cousin opened his mouth as he reached for me, but Kincaid quickly lifted a finger to his lips, shaking his head at Bennett. Kincaid nodded in the direction we’d come from, indicating that we still needed to keep our presence unknown.

Lucas and Owen’s voices were still floating down the hallway, but they were too far away now to make out any further words.

I lost Eva.

Adrenaline shot through me as Theo’s warning echoed in my mind. A half-second later, I heard the approach of heels from the venue. If Eva – or most anyone – caught me with Bennett, known here as Theo’s guest, my cover with my mate would be compromised.

“Don’t move or speak unless I tell you to.” I barely rushed the words out to Bennett before Eva came around the corner, headed right for us.

“What are you two doing out here?” she accused, but I didn’t care.

You two, she’d said. Not three.

Kincaid caught it, too, subtly looking to find my arm tensed but straight at my side, fingers splayed vaguely in Bennett’s direction. His gaze drifted to where Bennett stood, or at least where he had been standing last we saw him.

I wasn’t sure how long I could keep my cousin invisible.

“Using the facilities,” Kincaid answered Eva’s question as turned his gaze to her. “I hope you’ll be so kind as to keep my Alpha company while I take my turn.”

Then he ambled slowly toward the bathroom a few steps away. I cocked my head in his direction, which probably looked like a twitch to Eva, though I hoped Bennett understood it to be an instruction to follow. I worried briefly about not being able to see him, about whether or not my magic would move with him once he stepped away from his original position.

But then I felt it: the pull of my magic drawing down the hallway in Kincaid’s direction.

My Beta opened the door to the bathroom, holding it wide open while he turned around to say to me, “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the Alpha of Green Valley was hoping to chat with you tonight.”

I nodded as my magic’s pull toward Kincaid picked up speed.

“I feel like I’m forgetting something…” Kincaid hesitated with the door wide open. I waited, too, until my magic receded around the corner of the bathroom wall.

“I’m sure you’ll remember it if it’s important,” I replied, indicating that Bennett was safely out of sight.

Kincaid nodded once, then made his way into the bathroom, letting the door close behind him. I released my magic, flexing my strained hand.

“Darling!”

It took me a moment to realize that Theo’s voice was coming from ahead of me instead of in my mind. I smiled at the greeting, only to realize it was meant for Eva.

“There you are,” he said, slipping his hands in his pockets as he stepped up to Eva’s side. “I was wondering where you ran off to,” he cooed with an adorable smile. Eva smiled back but, unlike the last formal event I’d seen them at, she didn’t touch him at all.

Apparently, we had Olivia Bronson to thank for that.

I’m so sorry I lost track of her. Where are Kincaid and Bennett?

He tried to keep his fake, loving gaze on Eva, but at the last second, he looked me over, canvassing me for injuries. He did it quickly before turning his whole body to face me as if he had just noticed me standing in front of them. “Oh – hello, Violet.”

I drank in the way he said my name. Then I let an awkward silence stretch between us like it might naturally do between exes.

They’re in the bathroom. Can you get Eva back to the venue, so she doesn’t catch me and Bennett together?

“Alright, then…” Theo leaned into the awkward silence before offering Eva his elbow. “Back to the party?”

Kincaid shouldn’t have left you alone, even for a moment. Theo clearly meant to convey his disapproval, but that sentiment was severely drowned out by his concern for my safety.

Extenuating and temporary circumstances, was the best I had in response.

“Yes, my dear.” Eva’s piercing voice interrupted our mind-to-mind conversation, even as she tried to sound sultry, looking Theo over hungrily for my benefit. She took his offered elbow, and as they turned back toward the party, she shot a glare at my forehead, at the shattered band I knew still glowed faintly there.

I tried to take comfort that the Goddess’ blessing hadn’t yet been erased and that on some level, Eva knew it, too.

As they walked away from me, I took the opportunity to admire the view.

Nice ass, I shared with my mate through our connection.

I have about a dozen half-baked ideas swimming in my head about how to get you naked in a closet without anyone noticing we’ve left the party.

The longing in his voice tugged at my own desire, and suddenly I was playing with a few ideas of my own.

But that fact of the matter was that if anyone found us, all our plans would be ruined. There was just too much at stake.

Which was why his ideas were only half-baked and why neither of us followed up on how to make that happen.

For now, our desire for each other would have to be enough. For now, our faith in our mate bond and in choosing each other, would have to see us through.