Page 20 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

"Gentlemen," the Society moderator intoned. "May I present Miss Serenity Vale."

The first Alpha — a silver-haired man with cold blue eyes — assessed her like she was a balance sheet. The second, younger and with a scar bisecting his left eyebrow, smiled in a way that made her skin crawl. The third and fourth were clearly brothers, with matching predatory stares.

Then her eyes landed on the fifth, and her blood froze in her veins.

Darius Castellano.

The bastard.

The man who showed her the depths of his desire and made her think it was real before yanking the rug out. He was the Kingof the East Coast, and now he was staring at her like they weren’t in the middle of a twisted chess game.

Six-foot-four of ruthless Prime Alpha, every inch of him honed to lethal precision. Her heart did an uncontrollable flip, and she couldn't decide whether it was anger, fear, or something more disturbing. Damn it, she'd never quite gotten over him. Never quite figured out how he could turn so suddenly.

He stood there in his custom Tom Ford suit, the fabric stretching over a frame that was more lethal weapon than man, like armor made for seduction.

His gray eyes, sharp as steel and twice as cold, locked onto hers from across the room. She saw the hint of a warning glint pass through them, just long enough for anyone else to have missed it.

But she was Serenity Vale, and she missed nothing. Did he really think she was still some naive little Omega he could play with and discard?Fuck that.Her hands trembled with the urge to throw something at him—or better yet, to bolt and put as much distance between them as possible.

She couldn't look away from him, though, even as she tried to convince herself she was repulsed by his presence.

There was no hint of recognition on his face, his expression a mask of indifference, except for those damn eyes that spoke a novel in a single glance. He couldn't fool her.Not anymore.Not when she'd been so perfectly schooled in the art of deception and betrayal by the master himself. Serenity steeled herself, willing her expression to stay flat, unaffected.

Maybe he thought he could waltz in and snatch up her father's empire as easily as he thought he’d snatched her heart.

The man who betrayed my father. The man who got him killed.

Serenity's fingers curled into the leather of the couch, her nails leaving half-moon indentations. The rage that surgedthrough her was almost a relief—it burned away the fear, crystallizing her resolve.

"Mr. Castellano," she acknowledged with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "What a surprise to see you here. I thought you'd be busy running your “little” empire."

Darius's expression didn't change, but something dangerous flickered behind his eyes.

"Miss Vale. I wouldn't miss this opportunity."

Of course he wouldn’t…

"To claim what isn't yours?" she asked sweetly, venom dripping from every syllable.

The scarred Alpha chuckled.

"She's got fire. I like that."

"You've not seen fire yet," Serenity replied, not taking her eyes off Darius.Enemy. Predator. Threat.The labels cycled through her mind, stamping themselves onto his image.

The silver-haired Alpha cleared his throat.

"Perhaps we should begin the formalities."

Serenity leaned back, feigning relaxation while her mind raced with calculations and contingencies. She had twenty-four hours after this meeting—that's what her father's attorney had told her. Twenty-four hours before they could legally pursue her.

Twenty-four hours to disappear.

She smiled at the assembled Alphas, a shark's smile, all teeth and no warmth.

"By all means," she said. "Let's get this farce underway."

"Let us begin with formal introductions," announced the silver-haired Alpha who'd been presiding over the meeting. His voice carried the weight of authority that came with age and position. "I am Nikolai Volkov, Chief Elder of the Society of Alphas and moderator for today's proceedings."

---