Page 45 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

"So he what—arranged some archaic pack marriage without my knowledge or consent?"

"Nothing so medieval," Lucian replied, though the hungry look in his eyes suggested he wouldn't have objected to such an arrangement. "Your father was quite specific that the choice must ultimately be yours. We were positioned to protect you, to offer you the security of a pack, but never to force a claim."

"How magnanimous," she said sarcastically, though something inside her eased slightly at this confirmation.

"Magnanimous, no. Calculated, yes." Lucian leaned forward, his scent intensifying. "But make no mistake, Serenity. While we won't force a claim, all three of us want you. Desperately."

The naked hunger in his voice made her thighs clench involuntarily. She covered her reaction by reaching for her champagne.

"And Darius?" she asked, deliberately changing track. "How does he fit into my father's murder?"

If anyone is gonna tell her the truth, she felt like Lucian was gonna be the best bet.

"He doesn't." Lucian's expression hardened. "Contrary to what you've been led to believe, Darius had nothing to do with your father's death. In fact, he was meeting with Europol officials the night of the murder—a fact easily verified."

Relief washed through her, followed immediately by confusion.

“But there’s a tape…”

“AI generated,” he revealed. “Can be proven easily with plenty of technology at our disposal, but I’d gladly share it with you to see yourself the differences as well as the raw footage, hidden from you.”

From how he explains it, she doesn’t feel as though he’s lying.

”Seeing as you were shown such proves whoever’s the mastermind on this intentionally wanted you to believe Darius is a traitor. My respective Alpha comrade may be a sinister bastard, but he wouldn’t go against Vale. Especially with his obvious addiction to a certain woman in question.”

She tried hard not to blush at the obvious.

"Then who?—"

"That's the question, isn't it?" Lucian interrupted. "Who would benefit most from Marcus Vale's death and the ensuing chaos? Who would want to turn his potential protectors against each other?"

"The Society's leadership," she murmured, connecting dots.

"Some elements of it, yes." Lucian's fingers drummed once on the table, the only sign of his agitation. "The Society operates on old world dynamics—Alphas at the top, Betas in the middle, Omegas as prizes to be claimed or bargaining chips to be traded. Your father was...progressive in his views."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning he believed an Omega could inherit his empire. Could lead." His eyes burned into hers. "Many within The Society find that notion threatening."

The implications settled over her like a weighted blanket.

"So my father's murderer is likely someone high in The Society's ranks who objected to an Omega heir."

"Precisely." Lucian nodded. "Someone who believed your father's assets should be distributed among 'worthy' Alphas rather than inherited by his Omega daughter."

"But why keep me secret all these years if he intended me to inherit?" The question had haunted her since learning of her true parentage.

"Protection." Lucian's voice softened fractionally. "Your designation became apparent early—rare for an Omega. The pheromone markers were unmistakable by your fifth birthday. An Omega child of Marcus Vale's bloodline would have been a target from the moment of discovery—kidnapped, bonded against her will to secure claim to the Vale fortune."

Serenity swallowed hard. "So he hid me with the premise of demising me."

"He created an entirely separate life for you. Education, opportunities, freedom—things rarely afforded to Omegas in our world." Lucian's expression was unreadable. "He wanted you to develop your mind, your strength, independent of pack politics."

"Until he decided to choose my pack for me." She couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice.

"Until he recognized the threat was growing too great to leave you unprotected," Lucian corrected. "Your father knew his time was limited. Cancer, stage four. He had perhaps two years to live when he approached us."

The news hit her unexpectedly because she didn’t know he was sick.

---