Chapter 80

Theo's POV The silence that followed my declaration stretched between us like a taut wire, vibrating with tension and unspoken consequences. I watched my mother's face transform as the full weight of my words settled in—the shock giving way to calculation, the calculation giving way to a fury so pure it made her beautiful features sharp as broken glass. But beneath it all, I saw something else. Something that satisfied the cold, protective rage that had been burning in my chest since Claire told me about yesterday's confrontation. Fear. Not of me, exactly—though my Alpha authority was certainly a factor. No, this was something far more practical, far more devastating to a woman who had spent her entire adult life wielding power like a perfectly balanced blade. Luna Roanna was realizing, perhaps for the first time in decades, that she was utterly, completely dependent on my goodwill. "You wouldn't dare," she whispered, but her voice lacked conviction. "Wouldn't I?" I asked, moving to ta