Page 51 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

"And how do I know you're not the very threat I should be running from?"

The corner of his mouth curled upward, though the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have wasted expensive champagne on you first."

"Charming."

"Pragmatic," he countered, placing a possessive hand at the small of her back as they moved toward the exit. The heat of his palm burned through the thin material of her dress, sending unwanted sparks of awareness through her body.

Even with her life potentially in danger, her traitorous body responded to his Alpha pheromones.

The sheer audacity of being an Omega.

The cold December air hit them as they stepped outside, the scent of roasting chestnuts from a nearby vendor momentarily overwhelming the subtle cloud of Lucian's cedar and whiskey scent. Paris glittered around them, oblivious to their drama, tourists and locals alike enjoying the Christmas spectacle.

"My car is waiting," Lucian murmured, guiding her around the corner to where a sleek black Bentley idled. "The driver is one of mine, completely loyal."

Serenity hesitated, weighing her options.

"What happened to building trust?"

"We're beyond the luxury of gradual trust-building," he said sharply, then seemed to catch himself. His voice softened slightly. "Serenity, whatever game The Society is playing, it's accelerating. Anton's death means they're eliminating loose ends and information sources."

"Which makes me...what? A target? A liability?" She raised her chin. "Or just an asset to be secured before someone else gets to me with this hunt?"

Lucian's eyes flashed with something dangerous.

"You are not an asset." The vehemence in his voice surprised her. "You're Marcus Vale's daughter, the most dangerous Omega in Europe right now, and yes—" his hand tightened at her waist, "—someone I intend to protect whether you like it or not."

A sleek black sedan with tinted windows drove slowly past them, and Lucian's posture shifted subtly, his body angling to shield hers as his gaze tracked the vehicle.

"This hunt we've embarked on," he said once the car had passed, his voice so low she had to strain to hear him, "it's not just about finding your father's killers anymore."

"Then what is it about?" she demanded.

"Forces beyond The Society are at play. Interests that make even our collective billions seem insignificant." He opened the Bentley's door. "The men who compromised Anton aren't just Society enforcers. They're connected to something older, something that predates modern pack hierarchies altogether."

"Stop speaking in riddles," Serenity snapped, her patience wearing thin as the cold breeze ruffled her dress. "What are you talking about?"

Lucian's expression turned grim. "There's an underground council that governs even The Society's elders. They call themselves the Primal Circle—old blood, old money, old power. And they don't recognize the legitimacy of evolved pack dynamics where Omegas hold economic power."

Serenity felt cold which had nothing to do with the December chill.

"What? They want to return to traditional hierarchies."

"With Omegas as breeding stock, not business leaders," Lucian confirmed, his disgust evident. "Your father was working to dismantle their influence from within. I believe that's what got him killed."

A group of tourists passed by, laughing and taking pictures of the Christmas lights. The juxtaposition of their carefree holiday joy against the darkness of Lucian's revelations made Serenity's head spin.

"Get in the car, Serenity," Lucian urged. "I can explain more once we're secure."

She stepped back, needing space to think despite the danger. "How do I know the Primal Circle isn't a fiction you've created to manipulate me into accepting your protection?"

For a moment, real hurt flashed across Lucian's face before his features hardened.

"Because I've spent ten years dismantling their operations piece by piece. Because they murdered my sister—an Omega who dared to build her own empire without Alpha backing."

Oh shit…

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