Chapter 218

Violet’s POV

Today was a historic day.

Never in our country’s history had there been a High Queen. We had had all sorts of regular queens: the wives of High Kings, the support for the true ruler. But never had a woman been named the primary leader of our country.

It was also the first time since the passing of the Unlawful Magic Charter that someone with magic wore the crown – possibly the first time ever. Not that the country knew that though.

I sat on the throne that stood a couple inches taller than the one next to it, the one where Theo sat. A vast audience lay before us in the grand throne room: every territory’s Alpha, their families, their Betas. Theo and I had donned the royal capes before entering the room, and they now lay fanned out beneath us as we sat on our new thrones.

The High Priest and Priestess approached from the crowd, up the three steps to the dais where Theo and I sat. I had wondered which one of them would crown me.

My entire life, I had witnessed and seen in archives how every king had been crowned by the High Priest, his wife by the High Priestess. I wondered if it was a question of matching the males and females or if only the High Priest was allowed to crown the High Monarch.

I was delighted when it was my aunt who approached me with my crown.

The High Priestess and Priest stopped before Theo and me, crowns raised above our heads as they began to chant in the magical language, as was customary for every crowning ceremony. I looked out onto the crowd one last time for any indication that someone would try to stop this.

The fight was not over, but I doubted anyone would dare revolt now when they knew that three quarters of the room would defend me. I doubted anyone would risk the lives of their families to start a fight here.

No, the fight would come later.

And, in the very small chance that I was wrong, I knew Kincaid and Dahlia were on guard in the wings, sparing only a small fraction of their attention to watch the ceremony with pride.

Finally, the crowns were lowered onto our heads. I heaved a breath as I locked eyes with Auntie, hers full of pride – but not an ounce of surprise.

All of a sudden, her words from weeks ago came back to me: your wit, along with your compassion, makes you the leader your land needs.

I remember thinking it was strange that she’d said “land” instead of “territory” in reference to Darkmoon. Now I wondered if she hadn’t been referring to Darkmoon at all. If she knew all along that I would become queen.

She seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. While she still faced me, her back to the rest of the room, Auntie winked.

She and the High Priest stepped aside. Theo and I stood, taking each other’s hands as we smiled at each other, then out to the people whose lives it was now our honor to protect, whose territories it was our responsibility to unite.

Gasps sounded in the audience.

I watched the nobles’ faces as they zeroed in on my forehead and on Theo’s. I turned to my husband, searching for what was causing such a reaction, just as he turned to me.

Hands still entwined, I watched as the shattered band around Theo’s forehead repaired itself, shining brightly beneath the royal crown sitting just above it. With Theo’s eyes on my forehead, I understood that the same had just happened to me, too.

We met each other’s eyes, the same understanding flowing between us, even without the magical connection: the moment we were married, the moment these bands first appeared on our foreheads, the Goddess herself blessed us as the next king and queen.

Even with the uncertainty that lay ahead, even through the fake mate bond that shattered our crowns but could not rid us of them, we had proof that we were on the right path, the path the Goddess intended for us.

We smiled as we turned to look out at our people, the first royalty in our country’s history to be blessed by the High Priestess, the High Priest, and the Goddess herself.

“All hail High Queen Violet Donovan and King Theodore Nightshade,” Auntie called out from beside me.

We watched as the entire room bowed down to us as one, like a wave in the ocean.

This was only the beginning.

I couldn’t sleep.

We were loath to sleep in the royal bed chambers knowing Owen had slept in that bed. In the name of redecorating, we were donating the furniture from his room to Mel Rimanea. Until we chose our own furniture, and a bed that Owen had never touched, we remained in the room we had been assigned for the vote.

I couldn’t sleep though. I lied next to my husband, staring up at the ceiling in the darkness.

“I should very much like,” Theo said, his back turned to me, “to see you in my dreams. You might as well say what you have to say so that you can fall asleep and join me there.”

I smiled despite myself. I had thought he was asleep. But of course he was awake, waiting for me.

“I was thinking about how we started,” I told him. “How I was once contracted to the Uncrowned King.”

Theo shifted to face me, but I remained on my back.

“How the Uncrowned King has finally been crowned,” I continued. “How, now, no contract could hold me to you as strongly as my choice to be by your side every day for the rest of my life.”

I turned to him then, and we reached for each other in the darkness, intertwining our fingers between us.

“Auntie told me that the Goddess wasn’t the only one who determines mates, that they can be chosen by the werewolves themselves, too – even against the Goddess’ wishes. But the strongest mates are those chosen by the Goddess and the werewolves.”

I kissed Theo’s fingers between mine.

“I choose you, Theo. I choose you then, I choose you now. I choose you here and there, everywhere and everywhen.”

I couldn’t see my mate very well, but I could hear the way his breath hitched at my words.

“Choosing you every day will sometimes mean that I make decisions in your best interest. You choosing me every day will include decisions you make in my best interest. Even if they aren’t the choices we would have made for ourselves.”

Theo sighed. “You’re referring to you taking the crown so I didn’t have to.”

“Yes. It is not the last time I will do something like that for you, just like you will do the same for me. It is part of our love, part of our choice, part of our life together.”

I stroked his cheek affectionately.

“If we let ourselves be devoured by the guilt of being loved so completely, it will sour our love. We must accept it. We must embrace it.”

Theo sighed, then reached out to pull me on top of him.

“You amaze me,” he whispered against my lips. “And you’re right.”

I smiled against his lips. “I know.”

He chuckled as he rested his arms comfortably on my lower back. “So what’s next my wife, my mate, my queen?”

My smile turned into a wicked grin. “We hunt those who wronged us.”