Page 47 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

So he’s not lying…

Beneath the photo was a letter, handwritten in her father's distinctive script. Serenity's fingers trembled slightly as she unfolded it.

To my daughter Serenity,

If you're reading this, I've failed in my intention to introduce you myself to the men I've chosen to protect what I value most in this world—you. For years, I've kept you separate from my world, allowing you the freedom to become your own woman beyond the constraints The Society would have placed upon you as an Omega.

The three Alphas in this photograph have been selected after years of observation. Each brings strengths the others lack. Each has proven themselves worthy of my trust—a commodity I've rarely extended. Together, they form the pack that willensure your survival in the dangerous waters you must now navigate.

Your acceptance of them as your pack must be your choice, freely given. Under no circumstances is a forced bond to be considered valid. I've extracted this promise from each of them, bound by blood oath and contractual obligation.

Join the Vale Institute. It is the sanctuary I've built for you, where these Alphas can protect you while you determine your path forward.

With eternal love,

Your father

Serenity's throat tightened as she absorbed his words, written when he knew he was dying, planning for her protection even then. She touched the signature, almost expecting to feel some connection to him through the ink.

"He never told me he was ill," she said quietly. "Not once."

"Would you have stayed away if you'd known?" Lucian asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer.

"Of course not. I would have?—"

"Abandoned your career. Rushed to his side. Made yourself visible to his enemies." Lucian finished for her. "Exactly what he spent years preventing."

The logic was sound, but it did nothing to ease the ache of betrayal. Her own father, keeping such secrets. Planning her future without her knowledge or consent.

She flipped to the next page and found a formal document, embossed with the Vale family crest and bearing four signatures—her father's and the three Alphas.

"A pack contract," she murmured, scanning the terms. "I've heard of these, but they're archaic. Practically medieval."

"They're binding," Lucian corrected. "Under Society law and natural law. It formalizes our obligation to protect you while preserving your autonomy as specified by your father."

Her eyes narrowed as she reached a particular clause.

"This says the Vale Institute becomes my property upon my formal acceptance of the pack bond."

"Your father built the Institute as your inheritance. The research conducted there, the patents developed—all of it designed to provide you with financial independence regardless of your choices regarding us." Lucian's expression remained neutral, but she caught a flicker of something in his eyes—approval, perhaps. "He was quite insistent that you never feel trapped by economic necessity."

Serenity let her fingers trail across the document, her mind racing. This was her father's final gift—an empire of her own, protection from powerful Alphas, and yet, remarkably, the freedom to walk away if she chose.

"And if I refuse the pack bond?" she asked, looking up at Lucian.

His amber eyes darkened, pupils dilating slightly. The scent of his desire—subtle but unmistakable to her Omega senses—intensified.

"You would still have our protection. The contract specifies that. But you would be... vulnerable to claims from other quarters."

"You mean I'd be hunted by every unmated Alpha in The Society who wants the Vale fortune."

"Not just for the fortune," Lucian said, his voice dropping an octave, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. "A Vale Omega hasn't been born in three generations. Adding the Ryker trait from your mother and well…you’re an anomaly. Your bloodline carries power that transcends mere wealth."

The intensity of his gaze made her skin flush warm. She could feel her body's betraying response—the subtle release of Omega pheromones, the quickening of her pulse.

The primal recognition of an Alpha who wanted to claim her in more ways than one.

Forcing her attention back to the documents, she flipped through the remaining pages. Financial statements for the Vale Institute, property deeds, research summaries... and then, tucked at the back, something unexpected. Security logs from her father's estate, dated the day of his murder.

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