Page 46 of In Their Arms

Grayson’s grin turns wicked, his eyes flicking toward Blake. “I’m going to make a mess out of you.”

Blake throws a pillow at his face without even looking. “I need relief,” he whines, shifting slightly, stretching out on the nest like he’s trying to find the perfect position to sink into sleep. “I can’t keep up with all of you.”

Luther chuckles from where he’s sitting on the edge of the nest, rolling his shoulders like he’s shaking off the weight of something heavier. “We might have found a few connections to follow,” he says, tone shifting, more serious now. “It would explain why Hudson backed off so easily.”

That snaps me out of my haze instantly. I push myself up onto my elbows, my pulse picking up slightly. “Has Hudson asked about anything?” I hesitate, my stomach twisting. “Does he know?”

Luther shakes his head. “There’ve been more threats, more calls, but no—it doesn’t seem like he knows.”

I exhale slowly, relief washing over me in a way I didn’t expect. My hand instinctively falls to my stomach, pressing lightly over the small curve that’s already forming. Hudson doesn’t know. That means we still have time.

“It’s not like I can go much of anywhere anyway,” I mutter, trying to keep my voice light, but it still wobbles with uncertainty. The restrictions on my new ID make it impossible for me to go anywhere alone. Even if I wanted to disappear, I couldn’t. Still, something about all of this feels wrong. I glance at the others, at the way the tension still lingers, just beneath the surface. I can feel it through the bond, can sense the way everyone is still waiting, still bracing themselves for something to happen. “I don’t like the silence,” I admit, shifting to sit up, my arms wrapping around my knees. “It’s weird. Hudson hasn’t even tried bothering anyone at the front desk, or at work, or anything. Why is he so fucking quiet?”

Blake, still sprawled out, lifts his head slightly, brows furrowed. “Is it weird that I feel like we still have another hurdle to jump?” He exhales sharply, dropping his head back down. “Like there’s something we’re not catching?”

No one answers right away, but I can feel it. The same unease sitting in all of us.

I close my eyes for a second, pushing away the creeping dread, pushing away the feeling that we’re all just waiting for the other shoe to drop. There’s nothing else I can do right now. Nothing else to fix, nothing else to fight, nothing to do but exist in this strange, heavy quiet.

So I let myself relax, even if it’s temporary, even if it won’t last. Because I know the second this silence breaks, everything is going to go to hell.

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.”

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