Chapter 95

Theodore

The nobles erupted into a polite round of applause, though the undercurrent of excitement was anything but subtle. The Luna whispered something to her husband, her expression sharp, but he merely patted her hand and smiled, clearly unbothered.

I turned to Violet, who was watching the scene with barely restrained amusement.

“What's their plan?" I asked, though I suspected I already knew the answer.

She grinned. “They’ve been added to the roster. Owen and Lucas. It will be the first time the alpha king has participated in a melee match since…” She tilted her head. "An ancestor of yours so far back that his name escapes me."

I raised an eyebrow, a mixture of surprise and intrigue swirling in my chest. “They’re going to make them fight?”

“They’re going to make them prove themselves,” Violet corrected, her tone carrying a hint of satisfaction. “This isn’t just about sparring—it’s about respect, reputation, and reminding everyone where they stand. And trust me, the nobles are going to make it as humiliating as possible without outright breaking decorum.”

I glanced back at Owen, who was glaring at Dorian with barely concealed anger, and Lucas, who looked like he’d swallowed something sour. Nora and Owen’s wife seemed equally uneasy, their expressions betraying their growing realization of what they’d walked into. Around us, the nobles began rising from their seats, the mood shifting from subdued hostility to something more openly charged and vicious. They were… enjoying the prospect, practically salivating for the chance to beat the shit out of Owen and Lucas on a public platform.

I couldn’t help the grin tugging at my lips as I turned back to Violet. “This is what you meant by solidarity?”

She smiled, her expression almost gleeful. “Oh, you have no idea.”

The buzz of the crowd grew louder as people moved toward the garden’s edge, where a path led to what I assumed was the combat pitch. The excitement in the air was infectious.

"Never thought the nobles were so… bloodthirsty."

She grinned, a vicious light flashing in her eyes. “We're not exactly, but there are traditions a ruled of respect. Anytime alphas gather like this, it’s customary to test strength and skill in formalized matches. It’s a way to keep from having real territory disputes, test the power balance, and put people like Owen and Lucas in their place. It's been a long time since the nobles were all unified against a common enemy.”

Dorian stepped up onto the platform as people started to disperse to take their seats and change into their combat gear. His gaze landed squarely on Owen, who was standing stiffly with Lucas and their companions.

“As you know,” Dorian said, his tone carrying the weight of authority, “all alphas in attendance are required to participate. This tradition dates back centuries and honors the Goddess herself. It is not something we take lightly.”

Owen scowled, his lips pressing into a thin line. “I wasn’t invited to this gathering, nor was Lucas. Surely you don’t expect us to adhere to a tradition we weren’t even informed about.”

Dorian's smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Ah, but you chose to attend, uninvited as you were. That choice carries certain responsibilities, Alpha King. If you didn’t want to honor our customs, you should have remained at home—much like your father did whenever he couldn’t meet the expectations of this event. ”

The crowd murmured in approval, and Owen’s scowl deepened. Lucas looked ready to protest, but Dorian held up a hand to silence him.

“This is a gathering of nobles,” Dorian continued. “Not a court session where you can wield your title. Your title, bestowed upon your ancestor by our ancestors mean nothing." Owen flinched. "Here, tradition reigns supreme. So, if you and your companions wish to remain, you will participate, or we will indeed see you in court regarding the violation of hospitality you'd be committing.”

Seraphine joined Dorian with a thin smile.

"Darling, be king," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "At least tell him what we will be suing for. I thought we were striving to educate the newest Alpha King since he seemed so interested in our customs."

I frowned and looked at Violet, wondering what he would owe if he and Theodore decided to duck out. Violet waved me close, and I leaned down.

"Laws of Hospitality dictate that if you're a gatecrasher and the hosts graciously don't slaughter you, you must attend the event all the way through as if you were an invited guests. If not, in the case of alphas, and the alpha king, failure to do so would put a rift between him and the noble class forever, put Owen and Lucas on a formal combat pitch with Dorian and a proxy, and bankrupt Twining River and the treasury, probably."

My eyes widened. "What?"

She smiled. "The Vainthott Events are quite expensive, and it would be to every noble in attendance in accordance to their cost of attendance and any cost that could be proven."

I blinked and looked at her. "You'd probably annex Twining River with ease."

And I'd do everything in my power to be on the pitch with Dorian if I had the chance.

She beamed. "I think that is Seraphine's goal."

Seraphine looked like she would prefer them to leave and bankrupt them, but I knew Owen enough to know that he'd rather shoot himself in the foot than be at the mercy of the country's laws, and the Laws of Hospitality were much older than the existence of the Alpha King. His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the Dorian and Seraphine.

“Fine,” Owen bit out, his voice tight with suppressed anger.

The murmur of the crowd turned into a hum of delight. Owen was rattled, his irritation clear in every tense line of his body. Lucas wasn’t much better, his gaze darting nervously around the gathering as though he could find an escape route.

Dorian's grin turned radiant. Seraphine looked disappointed, almost pouting.

“I can understand your apprehension. To my understanding you've only had basic combat training. Don’t worry, I have no intention of pitting either of you against Alpha Nightshade, still untested, let alone Alpha Donovan, forever honored.” His gaze flicked to me briefly, and I saw the humor glinting in his eyes, but I glanced at Violet whose cheeks had flushed with a girlish sort of pride. “That would be far too easy.”

My lips twitched at the thought. I leaned toward her. "Forever honored?"

She reached up cupping my jaw and stroking it gently, absently, intimately. I shuddered, wrapping my arms around her and resting my head on top of her head.

"It wasn't just Darkmoon's border I defended." She blew out. "I can give you all the gory details of the wilderness of my youth."

I scoffed and kissed her temple. "You're too young to have that tone talking about your youth."

She laughed.

Dorian pulled out a tablet. “I've arranged it so that you both will face those most suited to the task. Neither of them use weaponry, so you don't have to worry about that."

A rush of whisper went around. Violet chuckled and she shook her head.

"By the Goddess…"

"Fill me in?"

"There are only two alphas who never use weapons, they were both very close friends of my father… and they both hate the current alpha king with a passion, and Lucas, of course. They've never liked him." She leaned back against me, relaxing against me. "I remember them offering to kill him whenever he upset me while we were dating."

The weight of the alpha’s decision settled on Owen and Lucas like a thunderclap. Owen, for all his bluster and arrogance, looked visibly shaken. He looked around, wary, but I doubted he knew exactly who he would be facing. Instead, he was probably noting the excited tone of everyone's whispering.

Dorian lifted his tablet. "We'll call in order in just a moment. I'd suggest you all get ready… It's going to be a hell of a day."

I looked over at Owen and chuckled. I had never seen him look so lost and on edge. His wife looked at him warily. Nora looked worried. They looked to be discussing something.

Part of me hope they were weighing the cons of leaving. Owen flushed. He hissed something I didn't catch before jabbing his finger in his wife's face. I set my jaw. A memory rushing over me until I saw red. My father and my mother.

It went fuzzy for a moment and red. I saw him raise his hand. Heard him screaming. The fear on her face--

"Hey." I yanked my attention back to Violet who looked up at me.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Where did you go?"

"What?"

She cupped my face. "When did you go?"

I blinked and cleared my throat, shaking my head before kissing her temple.

"It's nothing, love… How about you show me how best to get ready for this?"