Chapter 4

VIOLET’S POV

My eyes flutter open, squinting as sunlight slips through the window and lands on my face. I push myself up on the bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I glance around.

The room is empty. Lucius is gone.

I release a slow sigh, dragging a hand through my hair. Of course, I never expected him to fall in love with me overnight. When I made that deal with him yesterday, I knew exactly how difficult it would be, especially after seeing just how cold he’s become.

I even resorted to that embarrassingly corny confession, telling him I loved him just to sway his decision. I need him on my side because if I’m going to protect myself from Adrian, I can’t do it alone.

And after that, whether he ever falls for me or not, I’ll step down and live a quiet life on my own. That future is still better than death, or being bound to a mate who despises me.

Still, I can’t stop thinking about the way he looked at me when I confessed my love. It was the only reason I could give for my request, yet his reaction unsettled me. It makes me wonder if this could work at all.

I would never hate Lucius, no matter what stands between us in this life. Loving him was never something I imagined for myself either but last night, I caught a glimpse of it. And it felt… good.

A knock comes at the door, and I lift my head as my maid steps inside. She bows.

“Good morning, Luna.”

I yawn. “Where is Lucius?”

“The Alpha left a while ago,” she replies.

“Before breakfast?” I frown. “Why?”

She presses her lips together. “He had a guest… and left with her.”

“Her?” I sit up, gripping my robe tighter as my pulse quickens. “Who is she?”

My maid fidgets with her fingers. “She seems like a close friend to the Alpha.”

Close friend. The words make my stomach clench, as if they mean more than they should.

If she can make him leave before breakfast, then he must value her. My eyes twitch at the thought that she might be more than just a friend.

I sigh. “I’ll eat alone if he’s not interested.” I push myself to my feet, biting my lip. “When do I have the meeting with the pack elders?”

“In two hours, Luna,” she replies.

I nod. “Then I’ll get ready for that.”

**********************

I’m heading to the meeting room when my steps falter, on seeing the figure in front of me.

Adrian.

What is he doing here?

He approaches, bowing slightly before lifting his head, eyes locked on me. “Can we talk?”

His voice sends a shiver down my spine, bringing back the memories of his cold words in that operating room. His eyes are unchanged, lacking any warmth.

I clench my fists at my sides. “I have a meeting,” I say, gesturing for him to step aside.

“I won’t take much of your time,” he says. “It’s about Lucius and it’s urgent.”

I hesitate. I should have had him arrested by now. I should have taken my revenge the moment I was crowned. But Adrian is still the Beta’s son, and an order like that requires justification the elders will accept. Until then, I have to be careful and strategic.

If he could poison my wolf slowly, then I will return the favor.

After a moment, I nod. “What is it?”

“Leave us,” he orders my maids.

They don’t move, their eyes flicking to me. I tell them to step back and give us space and when they finally retreat, I turn to face Adrian again.

He reaches for my wrist.

I step back immediately, my eyes narrowing.

“What has come over you?” he demands. “Why are you acting like this?”

“How am I acting?” I ask. “You can’t just grab my hands as you wish.”

“We talked about this yesterday, didn’t we?” he growls. “You said that once I became Alpha, we would banish Lucius from the pack. That was our agreement. So what happened? Why did you go back on your word?”

My breath catches.

Is that what we agreed on? To banish Lucius? When did I ever say that? The question unsettles me more than his accusation. There are gaps, too many and it’s becoming clear that there’s a lot between Adrian and me.

I straighten, forcing steadiness into my posture. “Lucius is my mate a…”

“But you hated him,” he cuts in. “His mother tried to kill you years ago but he insists she’s innocent. You wanted him gone, you wanted to get rid of him.”

“I… I changed my mind,” I stammer. “And I don’t have to explain it to you.”

He grabs my wrist, pulling me closer. “Do you know Lucius plans to make Olivia his official concubine?”

My heart slams against my ribs. “What?” Who the hell is Olivia?

Adrian shakes his head slowly. “You made the wrong choice yesterday. But luckily… we can still change it.”

My eyes narrow.

“I’ve already gotten approval from more than half of the pack elders,” he continues. “If you admit you made a mistake yesterday, Lucius will be stripped of his title, and we’ll be together just like we planned. I’m not angry with you, Violet. Let’s just follow through with what we agreed.”

My eyes dart across his face, searching for any hint of his true thoughts. I glance down at where his hand still rests on my wrist and without warning, I yank my hand free. His expression hardens as I step back.

“I can arrest you for treason,” I warn. “Conspiring against the Alpha is a serious offense and you’ll be executed.”

His lips curl in open distaste. “What has come over you?” he sneers. “You’re crossing the line, Violet. It’s not too late to undo all of this.”

“Are you threatening me?” My eyes flash.

He steps closer, invading my space. “I control half of the pack elders, the same elders who now resent you for placing a traitor’s son on the throne.” His eyes harden. “So tread carefully.” Then he straightens, changing his expression like nothing just happened. “Now, that was a threat.”

“I’m not going to change my mind,” I snap. “Lucius is Alpha now, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I’m the one who hated him, and I’ve chosen to let go. Leave me alone or you’ll regret it.”

He scoffs, a cold grin tugging at his lips. “Very well. You’ve made your choice, now it’s my turn.”

Before I can respond, he turns and walks away, leaving me standing there, my mouth slightly open, and anger coursing through me.

He controls half of the pack elders? Is he trying to manipulate them to make himself Alpha? Does he really think I’m that weak?

A sigh escapes me. This is exactly why I need Lucius on my side. I can’t take Adrian down alone especially with the pack backing him. Even before my father died, people were already treating Adrian like the next Alpha.

I take a deep breath and march toward the meeting room, anger and determination driving my steps. Those elders who support Adrian will be there, and I need to figure out exactly where they stand.

As I step inside, I pause and my eyes narrow at the sight of Lucius seated on the throne. When did he get here?

His gaze settles on me for a long moment and my wolf stirs violently in my chest, flushing me with heat I can barely control.

The hall is already packed with the pack’s elders as I make my way to the seat beside Lucius. I sit down, but he doesn’t spare me a word.

“Did you sleep well?” I ask.

He hesitates before answering. “Yes.”

“You didn’t have breakfast,” I whisper, leaning slightly toward him. “Is everything okay?”

His eyes stay fixed ahead. “Yes.”

Why is he acting like this? He promised last night he would treat me properly.

“This is me trying to treat you well,” he murmurs, as if reading my thoughts. “Now, let’s start this meeting so I can leave.”

My throat burns as I nod, and Lucius gestures for the meeting to begin.

The elders bow, and Mathias steps forward. “Congratulations on your coronation, Alpha Lucius and Luna Violet.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. There’s nothing to feel happy about, not when Adrian is already scheming, and the mate I chose seems to want nothing to do with me.

“I hope your night was… passionate,” Mathias says, and the room hums with whispers, most chuckling. I almost roll my eyes. My night was anything but passionate. After agreeing to my deal, Lucius drank for hours while I slept, alone on the bed. No mark. No kiss. Not even a single good night.

“Let’s get through the business of this meeting quickly,” Lucius’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and the room falls silent, all eyes on him. “I wish to take a concubine.”

My stomach drops, and I whip my gaze to him.

“I want it done quickly within seven days because she’s pregnant,” he adds.