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“Well, having his mate fucked by someone else will make him grow up real fast.” Ivar runs a hand through his hair. “For your sake, I hope she’s decent-looking under that thing.”
“Why?”
“She’s a cold Omega. Not your usual type, right? I figured you’re going to need some incentive to bring yourself to fuck her. Aside from revenge.”
I halt my steps, and so does Ivar. Before he can see it coming, I press a hand on his chest and slam him hard against the stone wall.
“Oh, come on, Gabe. What did I say now?—”
“Listen, in a few minutes, I’m going to walk into my room, and I’m going to do things to that girl that would send me to Hel. If it existed.” I hold his gaze. “The least we can do is be polite about it.”
Ivar laughs, of course. Anyone else would be pissing themselves, but my brother has always been remarkably unintimidated by my strength.
I roll my eyes. “I’m serious.”
“Right, sure. I mean—we can be polite about the dry virgin girl you’re going to tear to shreds in the same bed where you normally fuck the most beautiful Omegas in the stronghold, but?—”
“She’s caught in the crossfire,” I counter. “Make no mistake, she’s the one tool we have against House Larsen, and I’m not going to spare her just because she’s innocent. But she’s not going to be the butt of the joke.”
“What about the fact that she kicked you out of Kuznetsov’s funeral?”
I swallow, wondering how the fuck I could have possibly forgotten about that. The girl deservesnothingfrom me.
“Well?”
“You’re right,” I concede. “Fuck her. Even harder.”
My brother laughs, and I squeeze my hand on his shoulder, helping him off the wall.
“The Larsens may not have reacted as defensively as we wanted,” he says as we resume walking. “But this is a slight they won’t forgive. I’ll speak to Martia. Double, maybe triple security. Everything else is already in place. All we need is a?—”
“General.” A voice calls from behind us. When I turn around, Lady Larsen is quickly stepping off the elevator. Alone. “A moment, please.”
As far as requests go, it sounds remarkably like a demand.
“You gonna tell her to fuck off?” Ivar asks under his breath.
“I should, shouldn’t I?” But I let out a deep sigh, then say, “You go ahead, Ivar. I’ll catch up.”
“I don’t trust her.”
“Neither do I, but she can do nothing to me.”
By the time Lady Larsen is in front of me, Ivar’s footsteps are fading in the distance. I take off my mask, making no secret of the way I’m assessing her. She is an older Omega, fragile-looking, with delicate features, an expressive face, and a spine made of steel. She reminds me just enough of my own mother for me to nearly experience sympathy—until she says, “You cannot do this, General.”
Here we fucking go. “Lady Larsen, you must know that Ican, in fact, do this. The Right of the First Night falls within the law. General Niemi, who I believe was deep in your family’s pockets, regularly took advantage of it.” I ignore the way she recoils. “You certainly never complained whenhetook newly mated Omegas for his amusement.”
“I was achild. And, sir, with all due respect”—she speaks through gritted teeth, sounding anything but respectful—“Sofia and Lennart love each other.”
Sofia. Right. That’s the girl’s name. “In that case, I shall return her untouched.”
Her eyes shine with hope. “Really?”
“No.” I lean closer. “I will fuck her to within an inch of her life, and tomorrow she’ll barely be able to walk.”
What a pleasure, watching her face fall. “What do you have against my sons?”
“Your sons are hardly the victims here. Not when dozens of members of my army have fallen to an untimely demise because of your House’s strikes. Not when a young man was brutally assaulted to satisfy a noble-born man’s sadistic urges—and you knowpreciselywhat I am referring to. Not when it is not your son but the Omega who will lie under me tonight.” I hold her eyes. “Over and over again.”
