Page 30

30

Maceo

Kai Vizant’s estate is even more extravagant than I remember. Old money kind of wealth, the kind that doesn’t need to flaunt itself but does anyway, in the details, in the silence, in the way the air feels just a little heavier the second we step inside. It’s been a long time since I’ve dealt with the Vizant family, and honestly, I’d forgotten just how much power they hold in this city.

Luther moves through the entrance hall, his shoulders tense, his scent just a little darker than normal. I catch a glimpse of Leia, or Kaylee, or whatever the hell she’s calling herself now, laughing with one of the other Alphas, her smile small, almost timid. She seems broken but put back together in a way where that laugh is not burdened down by the pain she most definitely suffered.

The front door closes behind us,, Kai Vizant leveling us with a look that’s practiced, almost bored. “I assume there’s some urgency to this meeting.”. His gaze flicks to me, then back to Luther. “Especially since you brought your lawyer.”

Luther smiles, that easy, dangerous smile that usually means he’s about to say something that’ll piss someone off. “He’s more than just my lawyer now. He’s also my Beta.”

Kai barely reacts, just cocks his head slightly, studying Luther like he’s trying to figure out his angle. “This isn’t an official meeting, then.”

“No,” Luther confirms, stepping into the office just off to the side of the foyer before lowering himself onto one of the chairs. “This has nothing to do with the company.” He glances at me briefly before his focus locks back onto Kai. “This has everything to do with our Omega.”

Kai frowns, finally sitting, his calculated movements putting me on edge. He rests his elbows on his knees, steepling his fingers as he watches us. “Blake?” he asks. “I heard he had some health issues. Is that why you were taking time off?”

Luther shakes his head. “No, my other Omega. Luca. Luca Ellis.”

The Alpha’s expression flickers, barely noticeable. But I catch it. Luther catches it too. Kai Vizant knows something.

But just as fast, his face smooths over, into a controlled, blank expression. “I wasn’t even going to accept this meeting,” he says, shifting slightly, resting back against the lounge chair. “As much as I respect you in business, taking another man’s Omega—even if you win—is dirty work.”

I glance at Luther, waiting for him to react to Kai’s bullshit about dirty work, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t rise to it, doesn’t take the bait, just sits there, composed, letting the weight of silence settle between them.

Fine. I’ll be the one to press. I lean forward slightly, resting my elbows on my knees, keeping my voice even but pointed. “What would you do to protect Leia?”

Kai’s expression hardens instantly. His back straightens and his hands, which were resting lazily on the arms of the chair, curl just slightly. A growl rumbles through his chest as he speaks. “Are you threatening me? You come into my house and—”

Luther cuts him off, his tone sharp enough to make Kai’s mouth snap shut. “Kai, do you know a Kaylee?”

“We don’t use that name here.” Kai leans back slightly, adjusting his jacket, his lips pressing into a thin line. “It’s not a secret that Leia came from Hearthstone,” he continues. “It was a horrid situation. She was broken, bruised. It’s taken years to bring her back to the happy Omega she is now.” His gaze sharpens, a protective edge settling into his expression. “We have a family now. What the fuck is this about, Luther?”

Luther’s posture doesn’t change, but I feel the shift in him, the barely contained anger simmering beneath his skin. “Luca was taken there. Even after my bite was on his shoulder. Even after Grayson marked him. He was taken because of a domestic dispute and that place tried to erase our bonds. Tried to get him comfortable with the idea that we weren’t coming back when it was just supposed to be a temporary situation.”

Kai’s eyes narrow, his brows pulling together slightly, like he’s working through something in real time. “That’s not what happened with Leia,” he mutters. “She did have a court-ordered bite removal, but that was for her safety.”

I watch him closely, searching for cracks in his confidence, for the place where the lie starts and the truth ends.

“We didn’t fucking steal her from anyone,” Kai snaps, his posture shifting forward, protective, defensive, something more than just irritation.

I ignore the dig. “I know Leia wasn’t stolen.” I pull a photo from the file tucked beside me, flipping it onto the coffee table and sliding it across. It stops just in front of him, face-up, the edges slightly bent from the way I’ve been gripping it too tight. “I know they probably gave you some information about her previous Alpha,” I continue, watching every flicker of emotion in Kai’s face. “Maybe even enough for you to pull together your own story. To stay out of his way. To keep Leia protected.”

Kai doesn’t move for a second, his gaze flicking down to the photo. He stares at it longer than I expect, long enough that something inside me twists.

“Would that have been her previous Alpha?” I ask.

Kai’s brow furrows slightly, confusion flashing across his face before he schools it again, clearing his throat. “No.”. He lifts the photo slightly, examining it like he’s seeing something for the first time. “That’s not him. That’s their counselor. The one who helped them get to Hearthstone.” His fingers tighten around the edges of the picture. “Hudson Ellis.”

The entire fucking room feels like it drops ten degrees as we let that name settle, the weight of it sinking in, pressing against every question we came here with.

Kai leans forward, placing the picture back on the table, his fingers tapping once against the glossy surface before he looks back at us. “I’m not sure what you’re trying to accuse him of. Are you trying to make yourself feel better about what you did, Luther?” Kai exhales sharply, shaking his head as he stands, gesturing toward the door. “I think it’s time you leave.”

Luther rises slowly, his movements calm, measured. I follow, my muscles coiled tight, waiting for something to snap. And then Luther steps forward, right into Kai’s space, his voice dropping low, a rumble of power coating each word. “What if everything you knew was wrong?”

Kai’s eyes narrow, moving between me and Luther before he exhales, shaking his head like we’re wasting his time. “I’ll bite,” he mutters, arms crossing over his chest. His entire demeanor screams skepticism, but there’s something else too—curiosity, maybe. Or the kind of wariness that comes when someone suspects they’re about to hear something they don’t want to.

Luther doesn’t hesitate. “We found Luca with an infected bite, terrified and underweight,” he says, voice steady, too calm for the anger I know is simmering just beneath the surface. “Hudson had been abusing him for nearly as long as they’d been together. Luca was locked in a nightmare he couldn’t get out of.”

Kai’s expression darkens, a deep frown settling into his features as he shakes his head. “That’s not possible. Hudson is so soft with them. You should see him at the center.”

Luther lets out a sharp breath, a sound that isn’t quite a laugh, but close. “Sure,” he says, shaking his head, his lip curling slightly. “That’s what drags them in. That or the money. Luca’s parents fell for it. They handed him over, convinced that Hudson was the perfect Alpha, that he was safe. And yeah, we broke a few laws to make sure Luca was safe, but if we hadn’t? He would have been handed off to a new pack. Or worse.”

I take that moment of silence to press. “Did you pay for Leia,” I ask, watching his reaction carefully, “or did she pick your scent cards out of a pile?”

Kai falters for a second. It’s quick, but I catch it. A small hesitation, barely noticeable, but enough to set something inside me on edge. “We never paid. They gave us an opportunity to include our scent cards. We had certain criteria we were looking for and Leia checked all the boxes.” His eyes narrow slightly, suspicion creeping into his expression. “Why is that important? Nothing I’ve done is a crime.”

Luther tilts his head, considering him. “No, you’re right. You gave that woman a better life than she had. When did you put in your request?”

Kai exhales, frustration creeping into his voice. “I don’t know,” he mutters. “Just over three years ago? We were looking for a place to donate and came upon Hearthstone. It was perfect because we were wholly prepared to give one of those Omegas a better life.”

“And when did she show up at the center?” He asks.

Kai lets out a heavy sigh. “I don’t see how any of this is important.”

Luther just smiles, that slow, knowing smile that makes people nervous. “Just humor me.”

Kai exhales through his nose, glancing toward the closed door like he’s debating whether or not to end this conversation. Finally, he mutters, “She showed up not too long after we made our first payment.”

Luther raises a brow, pats Kai on the shoulder like they’ve just wrapped up a casual business deal, and walks right out of the office. “That’s all I needed to know.”

As soon as we’re outside, I finally let myself relax, glancing toward Luther as we move toward the car. “You think he knew?”

Luther shakes his head, sliding into the passenger’s seat as I sit behind the wheel. “Not at first,” he mutters. “But I think he’s starting to realize that everything he thought he knew? It’s a fucking lie.”

The road stretches out ahead, the low hum of the engine the only sound between us for a moment, but my mind is turning, piecing together the fragments of something ugly, twisted, bigger than we thought.

I glance at Luther, my grip firm on the wheel. “Are you thinking Hudson’s feeling out for packs who want specifics and then gathering them up?”

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking,” he mutters, his jaw pulled tight. “My problem is that I don’t understand why he treats them like that. Most families I know would want someone fresh and untouched.”

Luther shifts in his seat, already pulling out his phone, scrolling through something as I focus on the road. The tension in the car thickens, his silence dragging longer, heavier, before a low growl rumbles out of his chest.

“Fucking hell,” he mutters, thumb moving quickly over the screen. “We forgot a very specific place to check. All the donations. They’re public record. And they’re all campaigning for better lives for Omegas.” He lets out a rough laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “The packs part of this would happily accept a battered Omega for their image without contest.”

“We need to compare that list with the Omegas we know passed through Hudson,” I say, gripping the wheel tighter. “No wonder no one asked any questions if they thought he was a counselor or sponsor or anything else. How the fuck did we not know this?”

Luther exhales sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. “Because it wasn’t part of our circle,” he mutters. “We had Blake. He was focused on Luca. But none of us ever looked outside of that.”

It makes sense, but it still feels like a failure.

“So let me get this straight,” I say, tapping my fingers against the wheel. “Hudson gets off on this shit, using Omegas as ragdolls, drops them off at Hearthstone, and then gets paid to get them into rich families based on their donations?”

Luther huffs out another sharp laugh, shaking his head. “Sounds like bullshit, but yeah. That’s what it’s looking like.”

The pieces fit too well, the pattern too obvious now that we’re actually seeing it. But it also means something worse. I lick my lips, forcing down the bitter taste in my mouth before I say it out loud. “That also means Luca was probably promised to someone.”

“Now we just have to figure out who.”