Their Wife

Thirty-Eight

Cassius Montgomery

My hand tightened on the pen. The paper was thick and off-white. Black lines marred the surface in elegant strokes. Her name stared back at me, standing out from the rest. Like her.

I frowned. Maybe that was the problem. She was too different.

If the council still insisted we wed after the divorce, I would pick the wife as I should have from the beginning. I would ensure to find one who would fit in with the rest of the nobles.

I sighed and rubbed my sore eyes with a thumb and forefinger. Axel's pheromones had worked through my system faster than the others. While my body, which had been trained since I was young to withstand potions, toxins, and poisons, had burned through the pheromones that he had been releasing from the moment he had fed, the others were still facing the irrational, heightened emotions that were affecting and leading their thoughts. I should have predicted that Axel would have gotten high on the feed. He was too far gone to control himself enough. Plus, he was different. They all were. It was what drew me to them. The power that ran through their veins. It was odd to find such pure and concentrated power in men of such low creed. I should have know that could have an impact on the effects and outcomes that were to be expected.

As for the others? This would serve as a lesson to them. Once the hormones wore off and they realized the sheer ridiculousness of the accusations that they fell for, they would learn the importance of being calm and observant. Not to act impulsively.

Hopefully, the effects would last until after I had already gotten a chance to file the paperwork for the divorce. If Ezra realized his mistake beforehand and stopped me, that would just increase the headache this girl had become for me.

She needed to go before the other three had a chance to grow attached. I could already see it slowly happening. As time went on and she continued to not behave as expected, the less threatened the others became. Their past traumas in this forsaken land were the reason why the other 3 were hostile and kept the distance between them, but now it was shortening. I could see the others heading in a similar direction as Ezra even if it was at the very early stages. It was in the small actions they thought no one noticed.

It was the reason Axel had considered stopping for even a moment after starving for days.

It was in the was Jaxon hide smiles at her annoyance and frustration when she wasn't looking.

It was the reason why Zev had informed the rest of the staff that the communal baths were closed after 10 pm.

Even if they were acts of minimal consideration or outcomes of cruelty, they were still out of the ordinary. They showed the changing effect she was having on them.

I could hear laughter sound somewhere off in the distance of the manor. The sounds of shuffling feet and clattering utensils still made it to my heightened senses through the soundproofed walls.

Her name kept staring back at me.

My eyes narrowed and my teeth ground together. I tugged at the small, metal, cuff that adorned my ear. The enchanted earring felt heavier than usual as it weighted down on my lobe.

To think, a small creature such as her was able to derail my plans, even if it was slightly. But it was better to nip the problem in the bud before it could grow. The other four knew the deal. We may have become family since then, but the deal still stood.

They helped me, I helped them.

The High Moon was almost upon us. Once it appeared, I would be able to weaken the enchantment embedded in the metal piercing through my ear with the help of the four and I would be able to summon a portal to get us out of Arradona.