I can’t twitch.

At this rate, I’ll suffer multiple aneurisms a day and go mad within a year.

My eyes burn, and the suffocating need to straighten my tie has my body straining and straining and straining…

In this moment, I remember why I stopped hoping for anything better so long ago.

We still don’t stand a chance against her. Especially with Pandora running point.

Now Violet’s left to suffer a fate we dragged her into.

Chapter 33

EMIT

“Idun striking at Vance first makes more sense than her getting this riled over Arion’s inevitable proposal. The vampire is lost to her and by she now, she knows it. It’s hard to believe such a thing at first, but now that I’ve seen him with Violet, I agree his unquestionable loyalty is only to her,” Talbot prattles on, his voice ringing right in my ear over the sound of the heavily whirling blades.

“I only brought you because you can fly a helicopter. I don’t trust you, and I certainly don’t like how much you seem to know about all of us,” I state into the headset.

“Shera knows more about the four of you than I do,” he’s quick to say. “I don’t see your suspicion hefting onto her. I’ve been an underappreciated, yet extremely diligent rogue beta, who has certainly helped my people and paid my dues. Of course I know all about the four of you.”

“Why don’t you seem to forget Damien?” I finally ask, unable to help myself, as I cut my gaze toward him.

“I’ve developed a process of remembering him. However, there was a time I forgot Damien Morpheous even existed. I decided that was a bad survival instinct, considering the obvious.”

He’s too forthcoming with a rehearsed and perfect answer always at the ready, yet wonders why we all find him increasingly suspicious.

“Any other questions, Mr. Morrigan?” he asks with too much smugness. “Because I have a few. Such as, how does Violet’s ghost stalk Van Helsing, when no trained professional was able to do so. A ghost can’t even step foot on the dragon’s cemetery.”

“You know about the dragon?” I ask, suspicion mounting as I study him.

“Of course I do. I make it a point to know important things. I’ve lived a long time and had a lot of questions I couldn’t ask an alpha. The dragon is an irrelevant point, aside from the fact its grounds repel ghosts. A natural phenomenon such as that always rejects the dead.”

“Gypsies didn’t reject the dead, and our magic was indeed a natural phenomenon,” I argue.

“Look at where that got you,” he’s quick to retort.

“You’re rather mouthy for a beta. Regardless, the point remains the same,” I remind him.

He’s brazen for a beta. Shera’s been one of the most brazen betas among them all, in regards to casual confidence in our presence. Talbot’s got her beat by a landslide.

“A dragon isn’t a human. It rejected the dead because instinct told it to. As a man who is also part animal, surely you can understand that logic.”

He’s as fucking condescending as Vance. That quickly fills in some blanks for me.

“Damien already hates you and is only allowing you to beta for him because Violet wants it. Using Violet to help you climb the rungs on the high ladder to have a voice among us will only end your very long legacy, incubus,” I caution him.

“I deduced as much,” he says with a shrug. “I still have valid insight you lack, because I’ve been on the grind for the last one thousand years. I’ve paid my dues. I’m owed my voice among you, even without Ms. Carmine’s support. However, as I’ve stated multiple times, I’m here for her. She’s forcing me to beta for Damien Morpheous.”

“You enjoy having an alpha,” I fire back.

He starts to speak, but then doesn’t. Then he finally exhales harshly, as we grow closer to the very confusing address.

“Of course I enjoy having an alpha. I’m a beta. I’m a fucking legendary beta who enjoys being a beta. It’s instinct to wish to serve an alpha who can appreciate my offerings. Much as all of you appreciate Arion’s beta.”

“She really is a damn good beta. I don’t even care that she hates wolves,” I state in agreement, completely understanding him having an inferiority complex around a beta like Shera. “She’s paid her dues with us because she found it a priority to do so. You worked for your people without an alpha and built a title among your kind that simply doesn’t exist.”

“Because no alpha, aside from Dorian Gray, would request me. And I deserve a request,” he says, clearly exposing a nerve.

He’s less suspicious now that I realize he’s simply a beta overdue some severe appreciation. The Morpheous alphas have a different approach to leadership.

As in, there isn’t much of any.

Other than Dorian, sadly enough.

“Why wouldn’t you beta for Dorian?” I decide to ask.

“Because he’s the sort of alpha who wouldn’t care about my own personal morals. He’d expect blind loyalty and uncontested, soldier-like obedience—the same for most alphas. I don’t trust him well enough for that. I don’t trust Dorian at all, because he’s not damaged; he’s broken. I want an alpha I can rely on, and those don’t take betas, because they don’t want anyone relying on them. Damien takes no betas because he doesn’t want to give Idun a vessel to get close to him. Violet is the only reason I have the alpha I want, but I didn’t come for him.”

I mull that over in my head, as I sit back and idly think how brilliant it would be for Violet to create a loyal alliance with Talbot by forcing him to lead the House he’s always wanted to beta for.

My hand moves down my beard, as I really consider that. Is she that thoughtful in planning? No. Not possible. Not Violet.

“I don’t know if Violet is a brilliant mastermind, or if she’s conveniently unlucky enough to have stumbled her way into the royal court,” he confesses after a long beat of pause. “But I have noticed a shocking amount of times she gets her way, and in really big ways, such as erecting a House and making you apologize for not helping. And this being after she had a trusted and honorable Van Helsing knight craft a whole legal system to support her new House—all without contest. Please realize the severity of the compounding circumstances, Mr. Morrigan. You’ve been on top for too long if you’re overlooking it so easily. She either genuinely confuses the boundaries between political and domestic, or she’s cleverly whipped you all into obedience without threats or violence. You can tell you’re all mated, even without all the rituals.”

That garners a roll of my eyes.

“She’s young and has more heart than you or I. She’s not sensitive, but she’s compassionate to those who are. She’s headstrong and stubborn, and she’s been raised in a country where that’s particularly normal. She’s so young, sheltered, and gentle-hearted that she’s truly under the impression she can change things in spite of Idun. We’ve accepted the fact we can’t do anything about it, aside from keeping her safe.”

“Which is not normal behavior from an alpha,” he’s quick to argue.