CHAPTER 210: _ TOLERATING THEM

~Morgan’s Point Of View~

Morgan leans back against the polished wood of the study’s banister, his hands loosely gripping the railing as his mind churns with the delicious chaos of the evening. He can feel the faint pulse of his wolf, Luke, rattling against his ribs like a caged beast, urging him to snap, bite, and crush.

Every glance at Amias, Darien, and Grayson is a fucking trigger: a small pinprick against his facade of nonchalance, lazy charm, and careless amusement. And yet, no matter how much they get on his nerves or how hard his hands demand blood, the mask is perfect.

His smirk is perfect. His eyes are half-lidded and his body is relaxed. He radiates that easy arrogance that makes people underestimate just how lethal he really is.

He’s happy. No, ecstatic. Amias is finally being dragged into Lira’s orbit, and that means he’s going to be frustrated, desperate, licking his claws for her while he is stuck pretending he’s in control. The irony makes a slow grin curl across Morgan’s lips. Lira, the fiery little viper, thinks she’s pulling strings for him, and maybe she is.

However, he would never claim such a woman. One who pretends to be in love with her, gives her body to another, but Morgan knows her heart — and it belongs entirely to him. Amias is a fool for wanting to marry her. And when Amias eventually realizes that she’s a blade, sharpened and ready and wielded against him, Morgan can only imagine the slow unraveling of his brother’s mind. A man like Amias, tethered to a woman like Lira without proper closure with his mate’s wolf... he’ll tear himself apart. Beautiful.

Morgan’s mind flickers to the other two. Grayson, soft and cute and blindingly loyal, blissfully unaware that the knife of his own brother’s hatred is hovering inches from his spine. He’ll deal with Grayson eventually. Hell, he’ll do it carefully. Make it look like an accident.

Perfect.

Rayne will feel that loss, the same black ache Morgan has carried about his mother, and it will feed the fires that burn inside him. Darien is a different game. Tobias’s perfect heir, raised in luxury and entitlement, is convinced he’s untouchable. Morgan will break him. Challenge him. Kill him. Take the throne that should have been his since birth. And when Heidi stands beside him as his queen, as his Luna, the pieces will finally fall into place.

He lets out a slow, lazy breath, tilting his head back to watch the ceiling’s dark beams. The smile never fades. Outwardly, he is still the unserious jerk, the smirk, the half-lidded lazy eyes, the teasing, joking, devil-may-care Morgan. But inwardly... he’s a storm. A predator, a schemer, a wolf calculating every moment, every weakness, every possible fissure in his brothers’ armor. Repressed instability coiled in every muscle. One wrong move and the mask could break. One wrong glance from Heidi and he’d be hunting them all.

He needs to harden his restraints and control. He IS in control.

"I’ll win completely," he had said, the words rolling off his tongue like a lazy dare, a whispered threat wrapped in humor.

Amias sighs at that, his patience fraying. "This isn’t a competition, Morgan."

His oldest brother’s voice is calm, but there’s an edge to it that betrays the struggle beneath. "We’re doing this because we HAVE to. Not because we’re tallying victories. Not because it’s about who gets what first. We need to do this... together... for her."

Morgan clears his throat, letting the comment roll over him, letting the wolf inside him curl its claws just a little tighter around his ribs.

Together. Hah!

Together is a joke. He’s barely tolerating the idea of coexistence. The thought of Amias owning Lira in any sense, even temporary, is enough to make his teeth ache with a slow, gnawing hunger even though he doesn’t give a damn about the girl. It’s just the thought of Tobias’s kids thinking they’re receiving anything good—even for a minute, that unravels him.

But he nods, affable, smug. "Of course, brother. Totally together. Just... you’re lucky I’m such a generous winner."

Darien leans forward, hands resting on the leather armrest of his chair. "Since that’s settled, we should think of the next step which is how we present her. We’ve all agreed, shared this... fated bond. Now it’s about formalizing it. Showing our families and establishing her place, officially. If we come out about our bond with her, it’ll give her some kind of immunity—even if it’s temporary."

Morgan lets a slow smile spread across his face. This is the part he enjoys most — the little dance, the human facades, the politeness and courtesy masking the blood and claws beneath. "Show her? Oh, that’s cute. You think they’ll accept that easily."

Darien flicks a glance at him unamusedly. "We’ll set a date to give the formal introduction. Since we already told our parents about the existence of our mate, what’s left is for her to arrive and we announce her as ours. Ours, all four of us."

Morgan’s wolf snarls in his chest. "Never settle."

The words hiss like acid. He can feel the muscle in his jaw tighten. "Settling?" he murmurs under his breath. "Do you even know me, brother?" He laughs softly and humorlessly, letting the sound rattle in the corners of his mind. "For now, we dance to the fool’s tune."

Amias shifts slightly in his seat, tension radiating off him. "I’ll pass on that," he says suddenly. "That might make Lira... uncomfortable."

WHAT?!

Morgan has never heard a more ridiculous, laughable statement.

He bursts out laughing, sharp and sudden, startling the others. "Uncomfortable? You think Lira is uncomfortable?" He leans forward, fingertips lightly drumming on the table like a predator circling. "Brother, what if she already knows. What if she just doesn’t give a damn? And the best part? What if she’s playing you anyway?"

Darien and Grayson exchange a glance. Darien’s lips twitch as though he’s enjoying Morgan grilling Amias about his terrible decision.

Grayson’s grin is slow, a little guilty, but full of that soft loyalty that Morgan wants to choke out with a smile. "Exactly," Darien says finally. "Even if she’s aware, our brother will marry her still. The great Lira! But then again, that doesn’t change our plan."

Tch. They really think he’s joking, don’t they? Morgan nearly rolls his eyes. Those fools, ignoring what’s before them until it comes back to bite them in the fucking ass.