Chapter 0049
He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Rocky start, hm?”
“That’s putting it mildly…”
“Time.”
I frowned and looked at him. “What?”
“Time,” he said. “Consistency. Love… And not just the words… You have to remember that…” He huffed and sat up. “The kind of bond that you’re just now experiencing with her, she’s already had. Longer and deeper than what you feel right now… And it hurt her in ways you can’t begin to understand.”
I swallowed, barely breathing at the words. I remembered Violet on the ground in agony, but it wasn’t just that, was it?
“You can’t rely on the romanticism of the idea to help you into her heart, so you have to make your own way.”
He smiled, his eyes misty. “It’s more real and earth–shattering than you can imagine.”
“But… worth it?”
He grinned. His eyes lit up with wolf light and glee.
“Better than breathing.”
His men and mine repaired the carriage on the spot, and we drove it back to the city. By the time we arrived, the main hall was filled with music, playing from somewhere and projected across the hall. I guessed it was coming from Violet’s phone. The center of the hall had been cleared, and I recognized the song as one from Green Valley.
We stepped into the main hall together as Violet and Helene whirled past, dancing some looping, winding, swinging dance. Helena was flushed and glowing with joy. A man had Tyron’s daughter on his shoulders, and she clapped along.
I looked at Tyron who stared, watching silent and awed. His eyes were glossy. Helena spun Violet around, laughing high and loud like a bell. She looked magical, and when she spun around, and her eyes landed on Tyron, she beamed at him and opened her arms, beckoning him to the dancefloor.
He went with no hesitation, and Violet slipped from the dancefloor, ceding her dance partner. Watching them was like watching a moth drawn to a flame. I went to Violet as she clapped along. I offered her my hand.
“Dance with me?”
She hesitated, looking between my hand and my face before shaking her head. It hurt, but I sank onto the seat beside her, content to sit with her and watch the party, watching Tyron and
1/2
Chapter 0049
Helena whirling around together and wondering if Violet and I would ever be like that.
$25 BONUS
At Helena’s insistence, we stayed at the alpha’s house in the guest rooms. The next morning, Hayward pulled me aside and sent Helena and their daughter, to the main hall with Violet. We walked down a small garden path away from prying eyes, the crisp morning air biting. We walked to where the carriage was, fully repaired.
“We took some liberties and replaced some things. Your suspension isn’t made for the terrain on the west road.” He waved toward the east. “If you take the east, you’ll get to the border’s checkpoint faster and be able to switch to a car there.
“Thank you,” I said. “I… I’m not sure what would be fair.”
His lips quirked. “I’m sure we can come to terms. It would be nice if we could have a consistent import of blackstone, and I hear that Midnight needs iron ore for some road improvements…
N
I blinked at him, stunned. How did he know that, and since when was he agreeable to a trade deal?
Inodded. “I’m sure we can work it out.‘
We ate breakfast with his pack and family in the main hall as if we had been invited. Tyron’s grizzled appearance was replaced with this warm, loving look, watching Helena talk with Violet, animated.
By the time they were ready to send us off, a messenger had come back from the capital,, letting us know that Owen had been informed about the attack and was still expecting us. Violet and Helena hugged. She squeezed their daughter tight and thanked her for the wreath of flowers now in her hair. Tyron and I shook hands, and we climbed in, taking the smoothest road in Dark Forest toward the border.
There was no way in all of creation that Tyron would have given me safe passage through Dark Forest without leveraging it, yet here we were, a mere hour away from the border where we could switch to a car, having lost practically no time on the trip despite the night’s stay.
What the hell had just happened?
