Chapter 0025
His lips twitched. “Who would you trust to take Ben in and care for him? Or these children in and not abuse them?”
“Darkmoon… Silvertree, and… Hollowmoon.”
He grinned. “Ah, the Noble Triumvirate, makes sense, but does it?”
I nodded. “I see your point.”
Silvertree and Hollowmoon had a standing allegiance with Darkmoon. After my mother had been killed, they took hard stances against rogues. Someone like Ben, even though he was justified, would have caused an issue for them.
I took a deep breath. “I’m impressed. The way you handled Ben makes me think I may have misjudged you.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t.”
‘Don’t?”
“I’m much stronger than Ben. I could have restrained him easily, but that’s not going to help him, and it would be the exact opposite of what I want Shelter to be.”
He turned and I fell into step with him.
“Why’d you start this project?”
He looked up. “My mother was once a rogue. If she’d had anywhere else to go, if my father had been an honorable man, if a place like this had existed then, she’d still be alive. Her and thousands of others… perhaps even your mother.”
My stomach turned at the thought. It was hard trying to think that the rogues who had killed her might have been just like Ben and just trying to survive on the edges of society.
I couldn’t empathize with them, but I understood the point he was trying to make.
Worse than that, I couldn’t disagree.
I sighed, shaking my head. “You weren’t lying
“About?”
“Not being as much of an asshole as people think.” He laughed. “And it’s a pity that you harbor… such resentment towards your father. If you had inherited the crown, this country would’ve been different.”
Theodore’s lips curled into a wry smile. “What did you say about me? It would be convenient to have my help, but you had other options to reach your goal? The crown would make things easier, but I don’t need it to lead by example.”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0025
“People say you’re a tyrant in the making,” 1 said, “but now I think you truly deserve the title.”
“What title?”
“The Uncrowned King
Theodore burst into laughter. “Please don’t call me that. It’s campy!”
We headed back. We didn’t speak much, but we didn’t need to. I was busy marking up the notes he’d given me to make it more appealing Theodore had surprised me today, revealing more of what was beneath the playboy image. It made me oddly hopeful that maybe this would all work out, and I’d get a good ally out of it for the future.
We headed back to his house rather than the Tower since it was already pretty late in the evening.
After a long, hot shower, I wrapped myself in a towel, ready to collapse into bed. I made it all of a step out of the shower before a sharp, blinding wave of pain cut through me. I couldn’t keep my legs under me. All I could do was try to soften the fall to not injure myself. My vision swam as I grabbed onto the railing trying to keep from falling. It ripped out of the wall, sending me crashing to the ground.
I couldn’t scream. It was as if every nerve in my body was on fire, burning hotter with every passing second. My heart raced. Fear settled into me as I struggled to breathe..
I choked. My eyes
Someone help me.
burned.
The door to my room burst open, and Theodore rushed in, lifting me off the floor with ease.
“I’ve got you. I can–”
I pushed at his chest.
“No,” I bit out. “Don’t want–”
“I know,” he said, his tone bitter. “I know, but you’ll–”
“No,” I choked out. “No.”
He grit his teeth. “I promised to heed your wishes, okay? But you have to trust me.”
I tried to speak, but the pain spread. I felt myself start to shake. I saw the fear in his face. Was it that bad?
+
The agony was unbearable, but was it deadly?
I could hold on, couldn’t I?
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0025
“Please,” Theodore pleaded. “Please. I promise”
My vision started to go dark. I couldn’t hear or see. A bright white light started to grow, and I thought of Darkmoon. I thought of Lily and Kincald, and every member of my pack suddenly at Lucas‘ mercy. Tears streamed down my face.
“Help me… please.”
Today’s Bonus Offer
GET IT NOW
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0026
