Chapter 14
Zoren
The scent of copper filled the air as I stared at the documents spread across my desk. A dead drop had delivered them an hour ago: surveillance photos, bank statements, encrypted communications. All proof that the rot in my organization went deeper than I'd suspected.
I had already been fighting enemies from the outside, and now I had to face enemies within.
My hands were stained with blood from a confrontation not too long ago. I hadn't bothered cleaning up yet. There were more important things to handle, after all.
"Romano wasn't working alone," Viktor reported, his voice tight with barely contained rage. I could feel the same rage he was. "We've identified at least seven high-ranking members involved in the conspiracy."
The photos showed meetings I shouldn't have missed, deals I should have caught. My focus on Lyrian had made me overlook the obvious, and that was unacceptable. It wasn't going to happen again. I wasn't going to allow it.
"Names," I demanded, though I already knew most of them. I'd trusted these people. That had been my first mistake.
"Elena's entire inner circle. Two district chiefs. And..." Viktor hesitated, which wasn't like him. "Marcus."
That hit harder than I expected. Marcus had been with us for years, handling our intelligence operations. His betrayal explained how they'd managed to hide their activities for so long.
"The attack on the security hub?"
"A distraction. While our forces were responding, they moved significant assets offshore. They've been planning this for weeks."
Of course they had. The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence. They'd waited until I was distracted with the Crimson Fangs' situation, until I was focused on protecting Lyrian.
"Their objective?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. I just needed to hear it out loud.
Viktor's expression darkened. "Based on the intercepted communications, they planned to use Mr. Larimar and the children as leverage. Force you to step down, maybe worse."
The wood of my desk cracked under my grip. My wolf howled for blood, but I couldn't let rage drive my actions. I let that happen before and it was a mistake. Lyrian had taught me better than that.
"Where are they now?"
"Romano's dead, obviously." Viktor gestured to the blood on my clothes. "The others scattered when they realized he failed. Elena's people are trying to reach their offshore accounts, but I've already frozen everything we could trace."
I stood, walking to the window. The compound was quiet, but I could sense the tension in the air. Word would spread fast about tonight's events. I needed to control the narrative.
"What about the evidence Romano mentioned? The leverage he claimed to have?"
"Found it." Viktor held up a USB drive. "It was in his safe. Everything he gathered about Lyrian's abilities, the twins' potential power. He was going to sell it to the highest bidder, the bastard."
My claws extended involuntarily. "Destroy it."
"Already done. But..."
"But?"
"Copies could exist. And there's something else. The Crimson Fangs' omega sister arrives tomorrow. This timing... it can't be a coincidence. Something's fishy about it."
He was right. Everything was converging at once, and I couldn't afford to miss any details.
A gentle pulse through my bond with Lyrian caught my attention. He was awake, worried. I sent back reassurance, though I knew he'd sense the underlying tension. And he was going to be more worried about me than he usually was.
"Sir," Viktor pressed, "what are your orders?"
I turned back to my desk, mind racing through scenarios. I needed to be smart about this. Calculated. Ruthless.
"First, I want every account traced, every connection mapped. Find out who they've been talking to, what they've promised, who they've paid. Then freeze everything—not just their accounts, but their families' too. I want them desperate."
Viktor nodded, making notes. "And the traitors themselves?"
"Let them run." I smiled, and it wasn't pleasant. "They'll lead us to everyone else involved. Meanwhile, leak word that Romano died trying to attack my mate. Make it messy."
"The other cartels might think, again, that you've become weak," Viktor warned. "That our internal problems are deeper than they thought."
"No." I pulled up the city map on my tablet. "They'll see it as strength. Romano was one of our strongest alphas, and I tore him apart with my bare hands. They are going to think about that and realize how wrong they've been about me."
A knock at the door interrupted us. Mae entered, her expression grave.
"The twins' power is growing faster than expected," she reported without preamble. "Their combined energy is starting to strain Lyrian's systems. He needs more protection, not less."
Perfect timing. This could work in our favor.
"How many know about this?" I demanded.
"Just me and my most trusted assistant. We've kept it out of the official records."
I nodded, a plan forming. "Good. Spread a different story. Tell anyone who asks that the pregnancy is progressing normally, that Lyrian's power is stable. I want them to work with inaccurate information about us."
Viktor caught on immediately. "Let them think we're vulnerable, when we're actually stronger."
"Exactly. The traitors will get overconfident and think they have time. Meanwhile..." I pulled up another file. "How many of our people are absolutely loyal?"
"About sixty percent are unquestionably yours. Another twenty percent will follow whoever's winning. The rest..."
"Clean house," I ordered. It was a drastic measure, but it was for the best. Everybody understood that. "Starting with Marcus's intelligence division. I want our core operations stripped down to only those we trust completely."
"And the Crimson Fangs' omega? Her arrival tomorrow could complicate things."
I thought of Lyrian, of how he'd suggested handling Reyes and his sister. My mate's political instincts were sharper than anyone suspected.
There was a reason I accepted his guidance and advice—he was actually good at it.
"No. She's an opportunity. When she arrives, make sure everyone sees how we protect our own. Show them the difference between our leadership and Romano's vision."
Mae cleared her throat. "There's something else. Lyrian's emotional state... he's picking up on more than usual. The pregnancy is enhancing his empathic abilities."
That could be both dangerous and useful. "Does he know about Romano?"
"He knows something happened. He felt your rage earlier."
I closed my eyes for a brief moment, centering myself. When I opened them, my decision was made.
"Viktor, implement Protocol Black. Mae, I want you moved into the secure wing with Lyrian. No one outside our inner circle goes near either of you."
"And the traitors still in the compound?" Viktor asked.
"Let them think they've escaped. For now." I stood, rage and strategy warring in my mind. "They'll try to contact their allies. When they do..."
"We'll be waiting," Viktor finished.
I nodded, then paused. "One more thing. The next person who even thinks about using my children as leverage won't get Romano's quick death. Spread that message. Make sure everyone understands."
I was willing to give them a long, torturous death.
After they left, I made my way to our bedroom. Lyrian was sitting up in bed, his hands resting on his swollen belly, eyes glowing softly in the darkness.
"You killed Romano," he said as I entered. It wasn't a question.
He would have discovered the truth no matter what I did.
"Yes." I wouldn't lie to him, not about this.
"Because he was going to hurt us."
"Because he was going to try." I sat beside him, placing my hand over his. Our children's magic pulsed strong and steady beneath. "No one will ever succeed."
He leaned into me, his presence calming my wolf's lingering rage. He was the only one capable of doing that.
"There will be consequences. The other cartels..."
"Let me worry about them." I pressed a kiss to his temple. "You focus on staying safe, on keeping our children strong."
"I'm not helpless," he reminded me, a hint of his old defiance showing through.
"No," I agreed, "you're not. That's why they fear you. Fear us."
His fingers intertwined with mine. "What happens now?"
Good question, but I already had the answer prepared.
"Now we remind everyone why the Nightshade Wolves are the most powerful cartel in the city. Why challenging us is a death sentence." I paused, choosing my next words carefully. "And why protecting you isn't a weakness and—it's our greatest strength."
He was quiet for a moment, processing. Then, "You're going to use me as bait, aren't you? Let them think I'm vulnerable while you hunt them down."
Sometimes I forgot how clever he was. How well he understood this world now.
One of the good things about being with him was that I didn't have to over-explain myself. He picked up on things with ease.
"Yes," I admitted. "But only if you agree. Everything stops if you say no."
He smiled, and there was something dangerous in it. Something that reminded me that my mate was far from powerless.
"Do it," he said. "Let them come. I've had enough of them. We need to put an end to them once and for all."
I pulled him closer, breathing in his scent.
But enough was enough about that. I wanted to make my omega happy. After the heavy conversation, he deserved some pleasure, some release from the stress weighing on us both. I deserved the same, too.
I pushed him gently back onto the pillows, hovering above him. His eyes met mine, curiosity and anticipation swirling in those captivating depths. Slowly, I trailed kisses along his jawline, down the column of his neck where his pulse fluttered wildly. And he welcomed them without hesitation.
My hands roamed his body, caressing the swell of his belly, the curve of his ass. I took my time worshipping every inch of exposed skin, pouring all my love and devotion into each action. He shuddered beneath me, breathy moans spilling from his lips.
When I reached his chest, I laved attention on his sensitive nipples until they pebbled under my tongue. Each flick drew a gasp, a writhe of his hips seeking friction. But I kept my touches teasing, maddeningly light, building his arousal slowly. He didn't like it when I made him come too soon.
Lyrian fisted his hands in my hair, trying to pull me harder against him. A low growl rumbled in my chest - he knew better than to rush me when I was focused on pleasuring him.
I kissed lower, over his abdomen stretching taut around our growing pups. I murmured endearments against his skin, telling him how beautiful he was carrying my offspring. Pride surged through me at the sight of him like this—round with child, flushed with desire, completely mine.
Finally, I settled between his thighs. The musky scent of his arousal filled my nostrils, making my mouth water. Without warning, I licked a broad stripe up his length, savoring the taste of his essence. I could never get enough of it.
"Ahh! Zoren!"Lyrian cried out, back arching off the bed. I smirked against his flesh before taking him into my mouth fully. My lips stretched around his girth as I swallowed him deep.
Setting a relentless pace, I bobbed my head, hollowing my cheeks to suck hard. One hand pumped what I couldn't fit, twisting slightly at the base. The other crept behind to tease his entrance, circling the furled rim.
Lyrian babbled above me, lost in sensation. His grip tightened almost painfully in my hair as he rocked his hips, fucking himself on my tongue. Drool leaked from the corners of my stretched mouth, dripping down my chin.
I could feel him tensing, his balls drawing up tight. Knowing he was close, I doubled my efforts, sucking harder, pushing a finger inside him to stroke that special spot guaranteed to make him see stars. His body responded just as I thought it was going to.
With a hoarse shout, Lyrian came undone. Thick ropes of cum erupted across my tongue, filling my mouth faster than I could swallow. I gulped greedily, determined to milk every last drop from him.
As he rode out his high, I gentled my actions, letting him float down from his peak. When he collapsed back against the mattress, boneless and sated, I crawled up his body and captured his lips in a searing kiss.
He moaned into my mouth, tasting himself on my tongue. Our mixed essences smeared between us, marking him as thoroughly claimed.
Breaking away after long moments, I gazed down at his blissed-out expression. Satisfaction curled through me—I'd done well by my mate tonight. This was just one more way I would always protect and provide for him…
"That was amazing," he said, his hand resting on my body, still wanting to feel more of me.
I brushed my lips against his. "Yeah, I know it was. I always make sure it's amazing for you."
His hand caressed my skin, kneading it. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
I pressed my lips against his. "You'd be fine, just like before meeting me, but you're better now."
He bucked his hips when I grabbed his shaft, focused solely on giving him the pleasure he needed.
"I know, and it gives me peace to know that."