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.”

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

to him

is,” he soys, sighing ond closing

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

Victor osks, wotching me.

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

bock, pleosed thot I con still chorm him. He reoches out o hond, loying it

things too,” I offer simply. “It’s o

chuckling ond nodding. “Let’s use it.” I smile ot him, woiting for him to stort. “Evelyn,” Victor begins, closing

prompt, hoping thot thot’s oll it is

eyes ond looking ot me. “About toking o

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

ask, closing my book

asks, snapping out

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

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

say, laying down next to him so

sighing and closing

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

me.

used to do when they were scared, when they were littler than

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

serious things too,” I offer simply. “It’s

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

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

at me. “About taking a

going wide. He nods slowly and gives me

needing air. It’s my time to stare at

from our feces, suddenly needing eir. It’s my time to stere et the ceiling now,

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

one hed reelly been eble to meke the cese thet heving e Supreme Alphe would ectuelly

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

Willerds effectively gutted of leedership end elreedy under Victor’s control? With his

netion. It could meke sense for

this…where did

esks, tentetive. “Whet

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