Chapter 19
“Are you new here?”
Ehlian glanced up at the alpha behind the counter for a second before resuming his search for the prepared holowatch in the drawer. “Not quite. Been working here for nearly a year.”
“I haven’t seen you before.” The alpha—Dael, Ehlian recalled—spoke just as Ehlian found the right box, his name written on it.
“Maybe I should break my holowatch more often.” Dael added.
Ehlian’s hand stilled for a moment before he slid the box across the counter. He kept his tone light. “I wouldn’t advise it. My friend tends to overcharge.”
Dael met his eyes. “I think it’s worth the price.”
Ehlian pushed the terminal in front of him, his voice colder this time. “I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Dael put on his holowatch and tapped it against the terminal to pay, then gave Ehlian an uncertain smile before leaving.
“Whoa,” Willian’s voice came from the back room. “You’re really shit at flirting. That’s not great for business.”
“I get that nearly every day.” Ehlian stepped into the back room and dropped into his usual chair. “It’s tiring.”
“He’s been a returning customer. He’s nice.” Willian said, then added casually a moment later, “You could give him a chance.”
“Maybe,” Ehlian tipped his head back against wall. “But not now.”
“Have the memories returned?” Willian asked cautiously.
“No. They’re completely gone.”
Ehlian’s eyes wandered to the boxes stacked across the shelf, the curly lettering of Cartivair printed on them. Sometimes seeing the name bothered him. Sometimes it didn’t. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it today.
“They’re still the best supplier,” Willian said, but it almost sounded like an apology.
“Half the planet wears their holowatch. I need the spare parts.” When Ehlian didn’t react, Willian added, “I’ve heard from a few insiders that the business is in a bit of trouble.
Sandar might be mismanaging the funds—there are amounts they cannot account for, or no one knows exactly where they went. ”
The image of a torn photo flashed in Ehlian’s mind, Sandar completely removed.
Not that he really cared. It wasn’t his business anymore. If it ever had been.
“I shouldn’t have brought it up,” Willian said.
Ehlian hated that his friend felt like he had to tiptoe around him, careful with every word.
Rolling his chair closer, he pressed his shoulder against his friend’s. “I’m long over him, Will. Whatever’s going on with his family or his business, it doesn’t concern me.”
“Okay,” Willian agreed softly, then stood up, stretching his limps. “Are you hungry? I’m starving. I’m going to get us something.”
“Don’t forget my cake.” Ehlian sing-songed.
Willian scoffed. “How could I?”
Once Willian left, Ehlian enjoyed the blissful rest. It was the first time all day he’d been able to sit down, one customer after another coming and going.
He wasn’t truly tired. He could finally sleep through the nights, haunted by nothing more than the thought that soon he’d have to return to his own flat.
Willian’s hospitality had been limitless, and he’d reassured Ehlian countless times that he could stay as long as he wanted, but Ehlian felt he had already overstayed his welcome.
His friend couldn’t even bring home an omega, and Willian usually never shied away from one-night stands. So, let the alpha live a little too.
The sound of the shop’s door opening stirred his rest. He sighed.
“Just a moment,” he called out with practiced kindness. “I’m coming.”
He pulled back the thick curtain of the backroom door—and came to an abrupt halt.
His heart lurched as he tried to piece together the scattered image of the alpha standing behind the counter—an image that didn’t look quite right as the seconds ticked by.
The alpha measured him with assessing eyes, the air around him nearly still. “Do I remind you of someone?”
“No,” Ehlian gave a strained laugh, letting the heavy curtain fall behind him as he stepped up to the counter. “What can I help you with?”
The alpha placed a smaller box on the counter. “I thought I’d deliver this myself.”
Ehlian made an awkward attempt to reach for the box, but the alpha rested his arm on it, unwilling to let it go so easily. It almost felt like he was making a silent deal: something for something.
Ehlian pushed the ridiculous thought away, his gaze drifting to the curling letters peeking out from beneath the alpha’s arm: Cartivair.
Something uneasy began to spread through his chest.
In the silence Ehlian let settle between them, the alpha studied his face, inch by slow inch. It was unnerving.
“My brother always had an eye for the prettiest omegas,” the alpha finally said.
Ehlian blinked. “Pardon?”
“You shared a cell with him.” It wasn’t a question.
The unease solidified into certainty: the disturbing familiarity was no coincidence. But unlike Hayce, Sandar’s face carried a permanent shadow, erasing any trace of warmth.
“Not voluntarily,” Ehlian replied, unable to keep the coldness from his voice.
“I heard you didn’t part well,” Sandar said conversationally. “You weren’t the first, and won’t be the last he uses and discards. He tends to get bored quickly.”
The words were needlessly cruel, even if Ehlian already knew the truth about Hayce’s nature. “You came all this way just to tell me that? Bit of a waste of time.”
“Feisty.” Sandar seemed amused by Ehlian’s sharpness, but Ehlian didn’t miss the way his fingers tightened around the box. “I can see why he liked you.”
“He didn’t.”
Sandar didn’t argue. “That’s just who my brother is.
He always knows how to get what he wants and fool anyone along the way.
” His gaze lingered, assessing. “You shouldn’t blame yourself for falling for it.
But if you don’t mind me saying… it’s a little naive of you to think you’re ever out of his reach. ”
Ehlian frowned. “What does that mean?”
Sandar tilted his head slightly. “Did it never strike you as odd how cleverly he uses his power?”
“It did,” Ehlian admitted. “He said he was taught self-defence.”
“That too,” Sandar said dismissively. “Our father prepared us for the worst from a very young age. The daily training was relentless.” A faint shadow passed across Sandar’s face, there and gone. “He wanted us unbeatable.”
The Cartivairs had to be one of the most protected families, with countless guards ensuring their safety. Not that it had saved Hayce’s father, but Ehlian still asked, “Isn’t that a bit excessive?”
“Ransom demands aren’t unheard of in our circles, though they rarely succeed,” Sandar said lightly.
“But that didn’t stop our father. It didn’t make the training any easier or less frequent.
” His mouth twisted. “I suppose he brought that on himself. I doubt he ever imagined one of his sons would use those very skills in prison to survive… and end up there for no reason other than killing him with them.”
“Your father trained you so relentlessly for a potential attack,” Ehlian said sceptically, “but he didn’t prepare himself?”
“He did,” Sandar replied. “Far too well. Even at his age, he could fight us off without much trouble. That’s why Hayce chose… other connections. Other circles. To sharpen those skills and learn smarter, darker techniques.”
Ehlian didn’t understand why Sandar was so forthcoming about his family’s private life. It was a bit odd. He was treating Ehlian like an old friend, like someone who deserved that kind of trust.
“What… other circles?” Ehlian asked warily.
“The kind you call when you want something done fast and quiet.” Sandar’s lips twitched, his voice smoothing into something almost pleasant.
“That was the final straw for my father. Endangering our family and the empire with those connections was something he’d never tolerate.
” He paused. “Father wanted to disown him, so Hayce put those new skills to use and made sure he never got the chance.”
Distant memories of lying in the warmth of Hayce’s arms swamped him suddenly, like they should still mean something. A beacon. An anchor to Hayce’s nature. He tried to chase them away. “What does that have to do with me?”
“You think he wouldn’t hesitate to use those… questionable connections against you?”
“Why would he? He has no reason,” Ehlian said, genuinely puzzled. “I’m no threat to him.”
“You might not know, but I’m certain he’s quietly planning something.”
Ehlian said nothing.
“You do know.” Sandar took his silence as confirmation, something odd glinting in his eyes.
“I’d hate for you to get caught up in whatever he’s planning.
Because if he is planning something, he might decide to silence you.
” Then he smiled reassuringly. “If it comes to that, you would need my protection. I’m more than willing to offer it. ”
Ehlian finally found his voice. “He told me nothing.”
“You shared a cell with him for nearly a year. Forgive my scepticism.”
“He didn’t keep me as his therapist,” Ehlian said, refusing to show how much it still upset him that Hayce had never shared anything. “You’re mistaken. I still don’t think I’m any threat to him.”
“You might think what you know isn’t useful,” Sandar said softly, his tone understanding, “but even a single word, a small fragment of information could protect both of us.”
Ehlian felt more and more lost. For a brief moment, he even began to doubt himself. “And what would that be?”
The softness of Sandar’s expression hardened.
“Hayce refused to see any visitors since he was locked up—except one. He managed to keep that a secret from me until recently.” Sandar finally lifted his hand off the box and moved around the counter, stopping just in front of Ehlian.
“You were still sharing a cell with him at the time.”
Ehlian immediately saw where this was going. “I don’t know who it was.”
Sandar ignored him. “As I said, my brother still has those questionable ties, and he wouldn’t hesitate to use them against me. Or you. After what he did to our father, I know he’s just waiting for the perfect opportunity to deal with me too.”
Ehlian understood the words, but he could barely focus. The telepathic waves Sandar was projecting had turned dark, almost rotten.
Elian glanced towards the shop door, hoping to see Willian. Nothing. Just passers-by on the street.
“If you tell me who it was,” Sandar continued, clearly sensing the shift in Ehlian’s composure. “I can stay ahead of it and prevent an attempt on my life. All I need is a name.”
Even if Ehlian had one, he wouldn’t give it. “Why don’t you ask the prison guards? They should know more than I do.”
“They keep giving me a fake name.” A dark, nearly furious shadow crossed Sandar’s face, but he regained control quickly. “The inconvenience of my father dying before he had the chance to disown Hayce. He has limitless resources, just as I do, but I can’t seem to outpay him.”
“You’ll have to try harder, then,” Ehlian said. “I don’t know anything.”
Sandar stepped closer. “You don’t?”
Ehlian mirrored the step backwards, absurdly wishing Hayce were here to protect him.
He was out of his mind to even think that.
The way Sandar’s dark, almost soulless eyes looked at him—as though he was trying to tame, possess him. Every hair on Ehlian’s arm stood on end, his omega senses screaming caution.
Then came the pressure against Ehlian’s mental shield, growing steadily stronger.
And then he understood why Sandar had given that little lecture about his family.
Why he had offered protection over and over again.
It was a diversion— getting him comfortable, making him trust enough to lower his defences so Sandar could slip into his mind unnoticed.
The oldest trick in the book, but painfully outdated.
No one was that naive anymore. Not like centuries ago.
Ehlian fought back against the intrusion, trying to keep his mind from being split open, every secret laid bare for Sandar to see. The first crack almost hurt. Sandar was far stronger, and Ehlian knew he was fighting a losing battle—
“What’s taking so long?” a sharp female voice cut through the shop. “I’m starving.”
The pressure vanished as Sandar exhaled, visibly annoyed. “I’m coming, Calia. Just a moment.”
The woman eyed Ehlian coldly. Her black hair reached her hips, emphasising the pale, angular lines she shared with her brother.
A familiar face from a torn photo.
“You’re not seriously flirting with one of Hayce’s hand-me-downs, are you?” Calia sent a scornful grimace Ehlian’s way. “He’s not even that pretty.”
Wow. All the Cartivairs were assholes.
“I apologise for my sister’s behaviour,” Sandar said, flashing a forced smile. “She can be a bit blunt.”
As if nearly cracking his mental shield didn’t warrant an apology. Fuck that. Ehlian just wanted him gone. “I need to get back to work.”
Reluctantly, Sandar stepped back, annoyance rolling off him so sharply that black dots danced before Ehlian’s eyes. The pressure eased only when Sandar was at a safe distance and joined his sister.
“Information? What information?” Calia’s voice floated back from the street before the door closed behind them. “I can’t believe you thought Hayce would share anything with that omega. You really underestimate our brother sometimes.”
The rotten waves of Sandar’s power still lingered in the air—nothing like Hayce’s, warm and electric.
He reached for the glass of water on the counter with shaking hands, but he already knew it wouldn’t help. The headache would linger for hours, until the wound in his mental shield healed and he could build it back up.
He tried to gather his scattered thoughts, picking apart every word and every spilled secret.
Whatever the truth was, Sandar coming to Ehlian for the visitor’s real name reeked of desperation.