Chapter 8 Blessings

• Violet
• I waited for him to respond or protest, but he stared back at me without saying a word.
• “More fires to put out?” his tone was wry, but I nodded.
• “It shouldn’t take me long. Give me two days.”
• “One.”
• I glowered at Theodore, and he grinned. “You like rushing me?”
• “Maybe I don’t want to miss you too much.”
• I scoffed and waved him off. “I’ll be in Midnight in two days.”
• “Under promise and over deliver?” He asked, his voice lilting with an oddly boyish hope. Kincaid opened the door. “There’s a lot to be done in Midnight, you know?”
• “I’m sure.”
• “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
• I stopped, frowning at him. He tilted his head to the table where I’d left the ring. I eyed it and went back for it before I could slide it on my finger, he caught my hand. The warmth of him so close eased the pain shooting through me. He pulled me close and I caught sight of Dahlia’s surprised expression as he held the ring in his hand.
• “I may really think you don’t like it if you take it off again.”
• I looked up at him, meeting his gaze. There was something teasing in his gaze, but he was serious, too. I didn’t let myself think much more about it.
• At least, not until he leaned down, staring into my eyes.
• I felt him slowly start to slide the ring on as he murmured, “Don’t take it off again.”
• My heart was racing. My stomach flipped. Red light flickered in his eyes, and he lifted my hand to kiss it, smiling.
• “It really does look the way I imagined on your hand.”
• That sent a jolt of emotion through me. I pulled my hand back as if he’d burned me and turned back to the door.
• I scoffed. “No one but us is here. Let’s save the performance for the audience. Two days.”
• With that I left him chuckling softly to himself.
• I had two days to get ahead of Lucas and to get Lily out of Darkmoon before all hell broke loose.
• Lily had been my best friend since we were children. Now, she was my gamma and in a unique position to be used against me and all of Darkmoon.
• I saw Kincaid in my rearview mirror. With any luck, we'd get there before Lucas had a chance to even think about entering, but I was still nervous. I wasn't sure if Lucas knew about the key, but he knew about the vault.
• The key was to the Donovan family's vault in the Capital Bank where our legacy medal was stored. It was the ultimate pardon from the throne, no matter the crime, but it could only be used once. I kept it in a lockbox in my office at home. Now that Lucas was making moves to take Darkmoon, I had to cut off any chance that he could get to it.
• More pressing than that was the land I was bidding for. Lucas knew about it, and while he had real business with the land I was after, it wouldn't stop him from using Twining River's few resources to buy it to spite me. The land was crucial for Darkmoon's new business venture. Even if he took it over as acting alpha of Darkmoon, he wouldn't know how to execute the plan, and it would just be a waste.
• I pulled to a stop, popped the lid on the potion that Kincaid had given me, and drank it as I got out of the car. I started the timer on my watch and hurried inside. Maybe an hour. I had to move fast.
• I stepped through the front door as Kincaid pulled up behind me.
• "Lily?" I frowned, waiting for her, but she didn't seem to be there. Just as well. I pulled out my phone to call her and headed up the stairs.
• "You had better be calling me because we need to hide his body."
• I laughed. I could always trust Lily to be on my side, and she'd hated Lucas from the day she met him.
• I should have taken it as a sign then.
• "No, that's not what I'm calling for. Where are you?"
• "I'm headed back to the estate."
• "Don't. I need you to do something for me and it does not involve killing you think you can handle that?"
• " what is it that you need from me, Alpha."
• " you know what happened, or lease I think you have a good idea of what Lucas has done. I've been marked--"
• "What? That son of a --"
• "And he's made it clear that he plans to take Darkmoon from me."
• "Are you sure--"
• "Lily," I laughed, unable to help myself as I made it to our bedroom. I dragged out my luggage and started to pack everything. I opened my carrier bag for all of my important documentation from the office. "Please, just focus. I need you to take over the deal. You have access to the Gamma account. If there's not enough money to cover the purchase, let me know, and I'll transfer more. Get your family out of Darkmoon by tonight."
• "I should stay behind and keep an eye on things."
• "I appreciate the offer, but I need to know that you're safe. He's hidden himself for seven years. I don't know what he's capable of."
• "... Kincaid will be with you?"
• "Of course."
• "Then.... fine." She sighed. "Lost Heart Manor?"
• "If you think your mother will like it best," I said, laughing. "I know your father doesn't care much."
• "He'll gripe about it all the same. I'll get them packed up and moving. Just... promise me to be careful, okay?"
• "I will. Let me know when you arrive."
• I got off the phone with her, zipped my bags, and put my carrier bag over my shoulder, hurrying down the stairs. I got dizzy at the top of the stairs, but I couldn't afford to slow down.
• Then, the sharp sound of footsteps made me freeze.
• I looked up and found Lucas standing in the hallway, blocking my path, his eyes dark with an unsettling calm.
• “You’re not going anywhere.”
• I met his gaze. "You have never had the power to command me, and after that stunt--"
• “I’m your alpha, you do what--"
• I pushed past him, ignoring him, and heading to the stairwell. Lucas snarled, but before he could say anything, I saw Twining River wolves blocking my path at the base of the stairs, their snarls low and threatening.
• “Take her to the dungeon and keep her there."
• I dropped the handle of my suitcase as they came charging up the stairs at me and rocked back, taking a deep breath and holding on to the carrier bag before taking a running leap over their heads.
• I shifted in midair. My bones cracked and realigned. I slowed my fall, landing on one of their heads on all fours before leaping over
• the rest of them and taking off down the hallway.
• A loud bang echoed through the house, and I felt the bolt of bright hot pain cut through my shoulder, but I didn't slow down.
• My heart clenched with grief.
• He'd shot me. After seven years of marriage, cheating was one thing, but shooting me?
• If I had any doubts before, they were gone.
• "Stop her!"
• Adrenaline pumped through me. I dodged every wolf that tried to grab me, snarling, biting, and clawing my way through them before leaping and crashing through the garden windows and taking off through the forest I used to play in as a child.
• My eyes burned with unshed tears. The pain from the broken bond and the bullet mingled and grew like sharp claws cutting through me.
• The pain was almost unbearable, but if I stopped and he managed to kill me now, he'd inherit everything, and that was the only thing that was keeping me going.
• It was my fault for not forcing the issue at the Gathering, of being distracted by Theodore and my feelings.
• I had to live to correct my mistake.
• I had to escape to ensure that Darkmoon would never be his.
• Despite how desperate I was to do that, the pain was becoming unbearable. My vision blurred, and my legs weakened with each step. I couldn’t keep going like this for another mile, maybe not even a few feet.
• I heard the thundering sound of paws behind me as my body started to slow and I tumbled to a stop beneath a tree. Thunder crashed overhead.
• The rain began to fall, and grief and regret filled me.
• I hadn't been strong enough.
• I fought to keep my eyes open, but they were so heavy.
• Then, a distant howl pierced the night.
• My eyes flew open and I lifted my head weakly wondering if what they said about the Goddess was true that she sent blessings when you needed them most.
• She had sent me Theodore.