My Vampire Harem Will Dominate Everything

He glanced at the large windows, the city stretching out before him, a sprawling maze of lights and shadows. He could see it all, yet the room felt stifling.

His mind raced. Too many variables, too many risks. The coup was coming, and every single piece had to be in perfect order. He couldn\'t afford any slip-ups.

The door clicked softly, and Ivo didn\'t bother to turn immediately. He knew who it was.

Amara stepped inside, her heels making no sound on the carpet as she crossed the room. Unlike Ivo\'s tense, erratic pacing, she moved with calm, controlled grace. Her entrance seemed to cool the air in the room, but it did little to calm the storm brewing inside Ivo.

"You\'re going to wear a hole in the floor at this rate," she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

Ivo\'s lips pressed into a tight line. "What about the A X E girls?" He stopped pacing long enough to look at her, his gaze sharp, demanding answers.

"They\'re out on a scouting mission for Yuri." Amara replied, her voice steady. She crossed her arms, watching him with those calm eyes that never seemed to betray her thoughts.

Ivo\'s frown deepened. Of course, they were. It made things more complicated, having them out there, but at least their location was known. He ran a hand through his hair, the tension in his body showing in every movement. "Fine," he muttered, though the worry didn\'t leave his face.

Amara stepped closer, her presence a balm to his frayed nerves, but not enough to settle him completely. "They won\'t interfere," she added, trying to reassure him. "They\'re Yuri\'s pawns, nothing more."

Ivo nodded, barely acknowledging her words. His mind was already moving to the next concern. "What about Helena?"

"At Peacekeeper HQ," Amara answered easily. "Even if she gets wind of what\'s happening, she won\'t interfere. She has no reason to."

Ivo\'s jaw clenched even as he knew she was right. They all knew Helena was after a county of her own and wouldn\'t help Yuri but she\'d been unpredictable in the past. Nobody can tell what she\'d do.

Either way, Amara\'s confidence in her staying out of this eased him, if only slightly. "Good," he muttered, turning his back to her again, his eyes fixed on the cityscape outside.

"And the Odinsons?" His voice was tight as he continued to fire off his checklist.

"On standby," Amara confirmed. "They\'re ready when you give the word."

Ivo\'s shoulders loosened a fraction, but the pressure in his chest remained. One more thing. He turned back to face Amara, his fists still clenched at his sides. "What about the Matten coven? Have you heard anything from Ezra?"

Amara\'s expression faltered for the first time. "No. I haven\'t heard from them."

A curse escaped Ivo\'s lips as he turned away again, slamming his fist into the side of the desk. "Damn it," he hissed, his fingers shearing through the wood. "He\'s ditched us, hasn\'t he?"

He shook his hand out, letting the desk collapse on itself. He had hoped that Ezra would see the benefits of their side, but now it seemed like he and his wives were deliberately staying quiet, keeping themselves out of the coup.

He could feel Amara\'s eyes on him, watching his frustration boil over. He stopped pacing, taking a deep breath and forcing his hands to relax. "We\'ll have to move forward without them," he said, his voice a growl of frustration. "We don\'t need Ezra. We just need to make sure no one stands with Yuri, don\'t we?"

Amara stepped closer, her cool hand brushing against his forearm, grounding him for a moment. "You\'re right. We can do this. No one is on her side, and the pieces are falling into place. We\'re ready."

Ivo glanced down at her hand on his arm, her touch calming him for a moment. He gave her a small, tight smile, but the tension didn\'t leave his body. He could feel the weight of what they were about to do pressing heavily on him.

His mind kept going through the possibilities, the potential dangers. What if Yuri saw through their plan? What if something went wrong?

"Everything\'s going according to plan," Amara said, her voice soothing as she tried to ease his tension further. "We\'ve prepared for this. Don\'t stress yourself."

Ivo tried to take comfort in her words, but his mind refused to calm. He turned toward the window again, staring out into the distance, lost in thought. "Yuri is dangerous," he muttered, more to himself than to Amara. "Especially when she\'s in that damn throne room. We can\'t face her there. We\'ll be destroyed, won\'t we?"

Amara nodded in agreement. "Armand\'s at the Old Museum, right? He\'ll send the signal the moment she leaves the throne room."

Ivo sighed, his body finally stilling as the gravity of what they were about to do settled in. "Yeah. That throne\'s not just for show. It\'s linked to one of her tattoos. Makes her stronger when she\'s on it and much more. We wouldn\'t want to find out, would we?"

Amara gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "We won\'t face her in her element. Armand will let us know when it\'s safe."

Just as the tension in the room began to settle, Ivo\'s phone buzzed in his pocket. The sound cut through the quiet like a blade. His vitality rolled in his chest as he pulled it out, his hand tightening on the phone when he saw the message from Armand.

"It\'s time."

Ivo stared at the words for a long moment, feeling the weight of them settle in his chest. The plan was in motion. There was no turning back now.

He looked up at Amara, and she met his gaze with a calm, steady resolve. They both knew what this meant. The final push. The coup they had planned for so long was about to begin.

Ivo took a deep breath, his nerves steeling themselves. He had to be strong. There was no room for doubt, no room for hesitation. "Let\'s go," he said.

It was time to create their future.