Dax didn’t even glance away from him. He set his wineglass down with deliberate care, fingers resting lightly on the stem. "Of course I knew," he said, his voice even, velvet-low. "We had already swept the hall twice. But you stepping in was... flattering. And interesting."
Mia blinked, glancing between them. "Wait. You’re telling me you let him..."
"I didn’t let him," Dax said, still calm. "He moved before my man could. And I saw something I wasn’t expecting."
Chris stared at him. "You were testing me."
"I was watching you," Dax corrected, a faint curl at the edge of his mouth. "And you showed me who you are."
Mia’s grin returned, slow and wicked. "You mean my brother stole your thunder and you liked it."
Dax’s eyes glinted with amusement, but he didn’t deny it. "Something like that."
Chris’s fork hovered above his plate, pulse ticking at his throat. "How is that even possible?"
Dax took a slow sip of wine before answering, his voice as unhurried as his movements. "I’m a dominant alpha without a mate. I can feel a dominant omega if they’re anywhere in my range. The only thing that kept you hidden was that no other dominant alpha had met you." He paused, swirling the wine so it caught the candlelight. "And suppressants only dull what’s already there. They don’t erase it."
Chris blinked at him, still processing. "So all this time..."
"You were hiding in plain sight," Dax said simply. Then, as if flicking a switch, he set his glass down and let a softer smile curve at his mouth. "But let’s get to more interesting subjects." He turned his violet gaze to Mia, warm but edged with mischief. "Like your sister telling me about your childhood."
Mia’s eyes lit up like a match. "Oh, you want stories?" she said, leaning her chin into her hand. "I’ve got a library and proof."
Chris groaned, already bracing himself. "Mia, don’t you dare."
Mia ignored him completely, her grin sharpening. "Let’s start with the time he tried to fix Dad’s car..."
Dax chuckled low in his throat, the sound rich and unhurried. "Yes," he said, chin propped on one hand, watching Chris squirm. "Start there."
Mia’s grin turned positively wicked. "You don’t want the car story? Fine. How about the night you tried to sneak out for that date?"
Chris’s head snapped up. "Mia!"
"Oh, come on," she said, eyes sparkling. "Andrew was out cold on the sofa, I was supposed to be doing my homework, and you thought you were so slick climbing out the back window in Dad’s old jacket. Except you forgot your wallet and had to climb back in again."
Chris dropped his face into his hands. "You were thirteen. You weren’t supposed to be watching."
"I was five years younger, not blind," Mia shot back. "You always thought you could fool me. Beta girl from the café on Fifth, right? I still remember her perfume."
Chris’s ears went scarlet. "She was just a friend."
"She was not just a friend," Mia laughed, leaning into the table. "You only dated beta women. I should’ve guessed what you were really hiding."
"Maybe I have a type?" Chris shot back, stabbing at a piece of bread just to have something to do with his hands.
Mia’s grin turned sly. "Sure, you tell yourself that. I think you were just playing safe."
Chris gave a short, humorless laugh. "Safe doesn’t sound so bad."
"Safe is boring," Mia shot back. "And you’re not boring, no matter how much you try."
Dax’s low chuckle slid in like velvet. "She’s right," he said, chin propped on one hand, violet eyes fixed on Chris. "Invisible, respectable, beta dates, contract jobs, it all fits. A very neat disguise."
Chris shot him a narrow look. "Do you two rehearse this?"
"No," Mia said sweetly. "I’m improvising."
Chris muttered under his breath, "I hate both of you."
Mia raised her glass. "You love me."
Dax’s mouth curved, but his voice stayed velvet-low. "And I don’t regret a thing," he said, eyes never leaving Chris.
Chris stabbed at a piece of grilled vegetable just to have something to do with his hands. Mia, catching the flicker of warmth in the king’s gaze, hid a smirk behind her glass. For a moment the table felt almost like family, teasing and familiar, the edges softened by good food and wine.
Then the door at the far end of the room opened a fraction. Tyler appeared in the gap, tablet in one hand, his expression the same even calm, but with a weight in it Chris hadn’t seen before.
"Your Majesty," he said quietly, inclining his head. "I’m sorry to disturb the dinner, but there is a matter requiring your immediate attention."
Dax didn’t immediately look away from Chris. He held his gaze a heartbeat longer, then turned toward the door, the warmth sliding from his face as easily as a coat. "Significant?" His voice was still velvet, but the steel under it had returned.
"Yes," Tyler said. "It concerns the Health Ministry audit you ordered. The findings are extensive."
Dax set his wineglass down with particular care, fingers resting lightly on the stem before letting it go. He rose from his chair with an ease that made the movement look almost lazy. "Understood."
He glanced back at Chris and Mia, the edge in his expression softening again for just a moment. "I’m needed in the office," he said, tone low but gentle. "Alfred will stay with you until I return. Eat. Enjoy the rest of the course."
As if on cue, an older man in a dark waistcoat appeared at the inner door, the villa’s butler, silver at his temples, posture straight. "Your Majesty," Alfred said with a small bow.
"They’re in your care," Dax said simply. "See that they have whatever they need."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Alfred replied, warm but professional.
Dax’s eyes flicked back to Chris. "I’ll be gone less than half an hour," he promised.
Then he turned and walked toward the door, the muted gold at his cuffs catching the candlelight as he left the room. The doors closed softly behind him, leaving the siblings with Alfred, the hush of the dining room, and the faint scent of wine and spiced bread lingering in the air.
Mia leaned back in her chair, exhaling through a grin. "Well," she murmured, "he even leaves like a king."
Chris rolled his eyes at her but didn’t answer, his fingers tightening once on his fork before loosening again.