Page 137 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

Lucian's lip curled upward. "Most people can't detect the difference."

"I'm not most people."

"No," he agreed, turning down an unmarked access road. "You're definitely not."

Twenty minutes later, he pulled up to a nondescript warehouse, its concrete facade weathered by decades of neglect. No identifying markers, no cameras visible to the untrained eye. Just another forgotten building in a forgotten corner of the city. Perfect.

"We're here," he announced, killing the engine.

Serenity studied the building with the calculated assessment he'd come to expect from her. "Doesn't look like much."

"That's the point."

The sky had darkened further, making the warehouse loom ominously before them. Lucian led Serenity toward a side entrance, producing a key from his pocket. The lock clicked open, and the heavy metal door swung inward with a groan that echoed through the hollow space beyond.

"Watch your step," he warned, his voice lower now. More Alpha. More real.

The darkness inside enveloped them, broken only by thin shafts of light filtering through high, dirty windows. The air hung thick with dust and something metallic—blood, though faint enough that only another Alpha would recognize it immediately. Serenity would smell it soon enough.

"Your legitimate businesses are in gleaming skyscrapers," Lucian said, guiding her forward. "This is where the rest happens."

Their footsteps echoed against concrete, a hollow percussion accompanying their descent into his personal underworld. The space opened up around them—vast and empty except for a collection of shipping containers along the far wall and a single spotlight illuminating the center of the floor.

As they walked deeper into the warehouse, hand in hand, Serenity's steps faltered. Her head tilted, golden-red eyes narrowing.

"Do you hear that?" she whispered.

Muffled sounds drifted from ahead—grunts, shifting metal, the unmistakable noise of humans in restraints.

"Yes," Lucian answered simply, leading her forward. "I hear them."

They approached the circle of light, and Lucian felt Serenity's pulse quicken against his fingertips. He stopped at the edge of the spotlight's reach, turning to face her.

"The alphas who challenged Ronan in the ring three weeks ago," he said, his voice clinical, detached. "The Cooper brothers."

With a deliberate step, he guided her into the illuminated area. Two men knelt on the concrete floor, chained to metal chairs bolted to the ground. Their faces were bruised, jaws set in defiance despite their circumstances. Recognition flashedin their eyes when they saw Serenity—hungry, possessive recognition that made Lucian's inner Alpha snarl.

"They targeted you," Lucian continued, watching her expression carefully. "Thought they could challenge us and take what's ours."

One of the brothers spat on the ground, earning him a backhand from the guard standing in the shadows—a detail Serenity hadn't noticed until the man moved.

"Jesus Christ," she breathed, her voice barely audible. Her eyes darted between the captives, taking in every detail with that razor-sharp mind of hers. "You've kept them here since the fight?"

"Since they were foolish enough to follow you after it," Lucian corrected. "Ronan might enjoy the spectacle of the ring, but I prefer... preventative measures."

Lucian released her hand, walking calmly to a metal table positioned just outside the circle of light. He returned with a leather portfolio, which he handed to Serenity.

"Open it," he instructed.

Her fingers worked the clasp methodically, her MBA-trained mind clearly bracing for whatever business proposal might be contained within. Instead, she found photographs—dozens of them—of herself. Outside her apartment. At her favorite café. Walking to meetings. Some dated back nearly eight months.

"What the fuck is this?" Serenity's voice remained steady, but Lucian noted the slight tremor in her fingers as she flipped through surveillance notes, schedules, and detailed maps of her daily routines.

"The Cooper brothers didn't just happen to challenge us that night," Lucian explained, his tone measured but with an undercurrent of barely-contained rage. "They've been tracking you since before Marcus's death. Initially as leverage againstyour father, then as a... prize once they learned you were unmated."

The taller brother yanked against his restraints. "You think you're better than us, Blackthorn? She deserves a real?—"

"Quiet." Lucian didn't raise his voice, but the Alpha command in it was unmistakable. He turned back to Serenity, whose golden eyes with their distinctive red flecks were fixed on the documents, analytical despite her shock.

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