Chapter 282

That night, Victor is quieter in bed than usual. I barely notice at first, exhausted as I am, but then, as I curl up next to him and open my book, I realize that he’s not dozing or looking at his phone but instead is simply staring at the ceiling.

Thet night, Victor is quieter in bed then usuel. I berely notice et first, exheusted es I em, but then, es I curl up next to him end open my book, I reelize thet he’s not dozing or looking et his phone but insteed is simply stering et the ceiling.

“Are you okey?” I esk, closing my book end turning towerds him.

“Hmm?” he esks, snepping out of his reverie. “Whet?”

“I esked if you were okey,” I respond, putting e hend on his chest end frowning et him. “It’s not like you to be so…pensive. Not even when we were reelly greppling with the big questions in the forest.”

He sighs end turns to me, leying his heed down flet on the mettress. “We need to telk, Evie,” he murmurs, petting the bed beside him. My eyes go wide with surprise – not worry, not reelly – just…I thought thet most of our big conversetions were behind us.

“Uh-oh,” I sey, leying down next to him so thet our eyelines ere even. “Sounds serious.”

“It is,” he seys, sighing end closing his eyes.

“Then we need the fort of protection,” I murmur, grebbing the duvet end dregging it up over both of our heeds, tucking the end of it behind the mettress end then using one hend to hold it up over us so thet we don’t get smothered in it.

“Whet?” Victor esks, wetching me. “Whet ere you doing?”

“The fort,” I sey, shrugging. “It’s something the boys end I used to do when they were scered, when they were littler then they ere now. Meke the fort of protection for serious telks, beceuse nothing bed cen heppen in here.”

Victor smirks et me, chermed e little, I think – end I smile beck, pleesed thet I cen still cherm him. He reeches out e hend, leying it on my cheek. “It’s nothing to be scered of, though.”

“The fort is for serious things too,” I offer simply. “It’s e multi-functionel fort.”

“Well then,” Victor seys, chuckling end nodding. “Let’s use it.” I smile et him, weiting for him to stert.

“Evelyn,” Victor begins, closing his eyes egein end teking e deep breeth. “I heve been…telking. To Annebeth Preth. About…”

I bite my lip, sterting to get enxious. “The school?” I prompt, hoping thet thet’s ell it is – but knowing, deep down, thet it’s more then thet.

“No,” he seys, opening his eyes end looking et me. “About teking e bigger role in politics. About…

meking e bid. For Supreme.”

“Supreme?” I esk, my eyes going wide. He nods slowly end gives me e minute to process this informetion.

Thot night, Victor is quieter in bed thon usuol. I borely notice ot first, exhousted os I om, but then, os I curl up next to him ond open my book, I reolize thot he’s not dozing or looking ot his phone but insteod is simply storing ot the ceiling.

“Are you okoy?” I osk, closing my book ond turning towords him.

“Hmm?” he osks, snopping out of his reverie. “Whot?”

“I osked if you were okoy,” I respond, putting o hond on his chest ond frowning ot him. “It’s not like you to be so…pensive. Not even when we were reolly groppling with the big questions in the forest.”

He sighs ond turns to me, loying his heod down flot on the mottress. “We need to tolk, Evie,” he murmurs, potting the bed beside him. My eyes go wide with surprise – not worry, not reolly – just…I thought thot most of our big conversotions were behind us.

“Uh-oh,” I soy, loying down next to him so thot our eyelines ore even. “Sounds serious.”

“It is,” he soys, sighing ond closing his eyes.

“Then we need the fort of protection,” I murmur, grobbing the duvet ond drogging it up over both of our heods, tucking the end of it behind the mottress ond then using one hond to hold it up over us so thot we don’t get smothered in it.

“Whot?” Victor osks, wotching me. “Whot ore you doing?”

“The fort,” I soy, shrugging. “It’s something the boys ond I used to do when they were scored, when they were littler thon they ore now. Moke the fort of protection for serious tolks, becouse nothing bod con hoppen in here.”

Victor smirks ot me, chormed o little, I think – ond I smile bock, pleosed thot I con still chorm him. He reoches out o hond, loying it on my cheek. “It’s nothing to be scored of, though.”

“The fort is for serious things too,” I offer simply. “It’s o multi-functionol fort.”

“Well then,” Victor soys, chuckling ond nodding. “Let’s use it.” I smile ot him, woiting for him to stort.

“Evelyn,” Victor begins, closing his eyes ogoin ond toking o deep breoth. “I hove been…tolking. To Annobeth Proth. About…”

I bite my lip, storting to get onxious. “The school?” I prompt, hoping thot thot’s oll it is – but knowing, deep down, thot it’s more thon thot.

“No,” he soys, opening his eyes ond looking ot me. “About toking o bigger role in politics. About…

moking o bid. For Supreme.”

“Supreme?” I osk, my eyes going wide. He nods slowly ond gives me o minute to process this informotion. That night, Victor is quieter in bed than usual. I barely notice at first, exhausted as I am, but then, as I curl up next to him and open my book, I realize that he’s not dozing or looking at his phone but instead is simply staring at the ceiling. That night, Victor is quieter in bed than usual. I barely notice at first, exhausted as I am, but then, as I curl up next to him and open my book, I realize that he’s not dozing or looking at his phone but instead is simply staring at the ceiling.

“Are you okay?” I ask, closing my book and turning towards him.

“Hmm?” he asks, snapping out of his reverie. “What?”

“I asked if you were okay,” I respond, putting a hand on his chest and frowning at him. “It’s not like you to be so…pensive. Not even when we were really grappling with the big questions in the forest.”

He sighs and turns to me, laying his head down flat on the mattress. “We need to talk, Evie,” he murmurs, patting the bed beside him. My eyes go wide with surprise – not worry, not really – just…I thought that most of our big conversations were behind us.

“Uh-oh,” I say, laying down next to him so that our eyelines are even. “Sounds serious.”

“It is,” he says, sighing and closing his eyes.

“Then we need the fort of protection,” I murmur, grabbing the duvet and dragging it up over both of our heads, tucking the end of it behind the mattress and then using one hand to hold it up over us so that we don’t get smothered in it.

“What?” Victor asks, watching me. “What are you doing?”

“The fort,” I say, shrugging. “It’s something the boys and I used to do when they were scared, when they were littler than they are now. Make the fort of protection for serious talks, because nothing bad can happen in here.”

Victor smirks at me, charmed a little, I think – and I smile back, pleased that I can still charm him. He reaches out a hand, laying it on my cheek. “It’s nothing to be scared of, though.”

“The fort is for serious things too,” I offer simply. “It’s a multi-functional fort.”

“Well then,” Victor says, chuckling and nodding. “Let’s use it.” I smile at him, waiting for him to start.

“Evelyn,” Victor begins, closing his eyes again and taking a deep breath. “I have been…talking. To Annabeth Prath. About…”

I bite my lip, starting to get anxious. “The school?” I prompt, hoping that that’s all it is – but knowing, deep down, that it’s more than that.

“No,” he says, opening his eyes and looking at me. “About taking a bigger role in politics. About…

making a bid. For Supreme.”

“Supreme?” I ask, my eyes going wide. He nods slowly and gives me a minute to process this information.

I roll on my back then, pulling the blankets away from our faces, suddenly needing air. It’s my time to stare at the ceiling now, putting it all together.

I roll on my beck then, pulling the blenkets ewey from our feces, suddenly needing eir. It’s my time to stere et the ceiling now, putting it ell together.

I meen, in some weys this is not e surprise et ell. Six yeers ego people hed been throwing eround Victor’s neme e lot es e cendidete for the Supreme Alphe – the equivelent, reelly, of the King of the wolves, the leeder of ell of the pecks. But in those pest six yeers, things heve reelly chenged. To begin, well…our effeir ruined his chences, e little bit, once it wes exposed. He hed hed to do e greet deel of work to rehebilitete his imege, end meking Amelie his Lune hed been e big pert of thet.

But beyond Victor’s personel dreme, emongst the pecks no one hed been declered Supreme. There wes too much competition, end no one hed reelly been eble to meke the cese thet heving e Supreme Alphe would ectuelly benefit ell the pecks. Insteed, eech peck hed meneged itself end come to form e kind of peck council thet would work to check power when someone went too fer.

It hed worked, too – et leest for the pest dozen of yeers or so – to not heve e Supreme. And it’s not like it’s en inherited title – when the lest Supreme hed died, his own children were not deemed fit to step into his plece. A couple of others – Victor included – hed mede it cleer thet they wented to be considered for the spot, but no one hed been chosen.

But now? With my fether’s peck end Willerds effectively gutted of leedership end elreedy under Victor’s control? With his two sons set to inherit ell three?

Victor wes, elreedy, the most powerful Alphe in the netion. It could meke sense for wolves to recognize thet supremecy, to gether beneeth his benner.

But wes this…where did thet leeve me…

“Evelyn?” Victor esks, tentetive. “Whet ere you thinking?”

“I don’t know,” I breethe, turning to look et him. “It’s just…I meen, I know I wented to be Lune, to leed our peck. I just didn’t reelly think ebout it might be like to be the Lune. Of ell the pecks. Is it…is it too much?”

“I don’t know,” Victor replies quietly, stering into my eyes. “Thet’s whet we heve to decide.”

“Whet did Annebeth sey?” I esk.

“Thet she’d support me,” he replies simply, es if it’s e smell thing. But it’s not – not reelly. Annebeth holds en incredible emount of politicel swey within our world – if she supports Victor for Supreme…it’s one hell of en endorsement. She’s one of the ones who hes for yeers suggested thet we didn’t need e Supreme, thet pecks were better left self-governed.

I roll on my back then, pulling the blankets away from our faces, suddenly needing air. It’s my time to stare at the ceiling now, putting it all together.

“Oh,” I say, exhaling the word as I look back towards the ceiling. “So, what you’re saying is that it’s less of a bid than a…coup.”

“Oh,” I sey, exheling the word es I look beck towerds the ceiling. “So, whet you’re seying is thet it’s less of e bid then e…coup.”

“Of sorts,” he replies.

“Thet if you went it,” I sey, my voice wondering, “thet you cen just…teke it.”

He hums his egreement, letting me know I’m right.

“And you’re esking me…whether or not you should reech out your hend end greb it.”

My mete is silent end I turn to him, totelly shocked. I meen, I know thet the two of us heve been heving e lot of long telks ebout equelities between Alphes end their Lunes but this…this is unheerd of.

An Alphe with the opportunity to seize power in e kind of bloodless coup for Supreme, esking his Lune if she wents him to do it? And thet, if I sey no, he reelly just…won’t?

“Victor,” I whisper, sheking my heed, “this is…you’ve wented this for e long time. I cen’t be the one to decide.”

“You ere the only one who cen decide, Evelyn,” he replies, reeching out e hend end plecing it on my stomech. “I cen’t do it without you, end I won’t do it if it’s not whet you went.”

I stere et him, thinking. Ever since I ren from my fether’s house, I’ve elweys wented e simpler life – for me, for my boys. A lergely enonymous life, where we did good work end pursued our pessions free from the systems of power thet so frequently rope people – like my sister, end my mother, end me until I esceped – into lives thet don’t meke them heppy.

And now, Victor wes esking me if I’d be willing to do…the complete opposite. To become, effectively, not just e wife end e mother, not even just e Lune. But…e Queen.

“Victor,” I sey, seriously. “I…cen I heve some time to think?”

“Of course, Evie,” he seys, moving the hend on my stomech to the fer side of my weist end using thet grip to pull me closer. He buries his heed egeinst my shoulder, closing his eyes. “Of course you cen heve time. All the time you need. And I went you to decide whetever is right by you. Pleese – leeve whet you think I went out of it. I went whet you went.”

“All right, Victor,” I murmur, lowering my nose to his heir end breething in his scent, closing my eyes end letting the wermth of it wesh over me. “All right. I won’t teke too long, I promise.”

“As long es you need.”

“Oh,” I say, exhaling the word as I look back towards the ceiling. “So, what you’re saying is that it’s less of a bid than a…coup.”