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“About Luca Fortuna’s estate?”

My throat tightens at the name of the sorcerer. “What are you talking about?” I say, searching his eyes. “Why would I care about that bastard’s estate?”

Again, that long, assessing stare. His nostrils flare.

“Are you scenting me?” I ask, raising my eyebrows. “What’s going on?”

“He named a business successor.”

“Okay…?” I say uncertainly.

Kane leans forward. “Luca Fortuna was the sole owner of Ensanguine Enterprises, the multimillion-dollar conglomerate. Besides his three now deceased children, he had a wife and two mistresses. And that is not even taking into consideration his extended family or the half-dozen close confidantes he was grooming for future roles in the company.”

Clearly Kane has done his homework on the family since we’ve been apart.

The shifter levels a look at me, one that desperately makes me want to look away. “Guess who Luca named to inherit his empire?”

Some sick emotion wells up in me. “You told me this was about Memnon.”

“It is.”

Kane reaches into the pocket of his running shorts and pulls out his phone. He taps on the screen, then slides the device over to me. I stare down at an image of a document titled “Ensanguine Enterprises Board of Directors Meeting Minutes.”

“Look right there,” Kane says, reaching across the table to point to a section of the page titledSuccession Plan. “Read what it says.”

My eyes scan the text.

In the case of Luca Fortuna’s death, the leadership of Ensanguine Enterprises passes to Leonard Fortuna, Sophia Fortuna, Juliana Fortuna, and Memnon Uvagukis.

I can’t breathe for a second.

“Luca Fortuna named your mate as the heir to his company,” Kane says. “Along with, of course, his three legal children, who are all now conveniently dead.”

Horror trickles down my spine.

Kane studies me, his nostrils flared. “You really didn’t know,” he finally says, like he only now believes it.

“Where did you get this?” I ask.

“Ensanguine Enterprises is a publicly traded company. The succession plan was made public a few hours ago, and one of my pack mates brought it to our alpha’s attention.”

I press a hand to the tightness in my chest and shake my head. “I don’t…understand.”

Only, I do. I understand the killing, theclaiming. That was all a part of the Sarmatian ethos two thousand years ago. A king didn’t just defeat an enemy; he moved in and acquired his land and wealth.

Kane sighs, his whole body relaxing. He runs his hands through his tousled hair.

“Memnon didn’t destroy the Fortunas’ empire last night.He took it over.”

The unbreakable oath’s magic cinches tighter around my windpipe. It now feels uncomfortably like a noose.

Est amage,Memnon calls down our bond, breaking through my thoughts,I hope you’re ready. It’s time to get married.