"How is the research going?"
"We’ve created a chemical compound that is toxic to omegas with minimal effects on alphas. It affects the provisional womb of an omega male, causing an infection hard to find on medical scan."
"How long until death?"
"About a week."
"Too much."
"Anything more rash will show on the blood tests. It’s the safest option, aunt."
"Fine."
Lucrezia sat right on my desk, on top of the papers I had been working on for weeks.
Her heel grazed the edge of a chart I had spent hours formatting.
She tapped her foot, rapid and sharp, scattering my focus with each beat.
The brand label on her dress caught the light. It looked new, expensive.
Her hair was pulled into a loose updo, strands slipping out as if she didn’t care how it held.
She leaned slightly, adjusting her position without moving off the documents. I could see the smudge from her shoe on the margin of a critical page.
I tried to reach for a folder, but she shifted again, covering it entirely.
The tapping didn’t stop.
She crossed one ankle over the other, the small heel swinging just above my notes.
I stacked the rest of my papers to the side, but she let her foot drop back down, the motion brushing them toward the edge.
I wanted her to move. She didn’t. Every second she stayed there, the rhythm of her foot seemed louder, faster.
"How long until I have the compound put in the free secondary-gender birth control?"
"A day or two."
"Why are you so efficient, Killian? In all 20 years I’ve raised you, you were never this competent."
"Luther."
"Ah, young lust."
"Love."
"Sure, honey."
Her smile came slow, practiced, and drained of anything but the bare minimum it took to be called a smile.
"When are you going to bring me to Luther?"
"I am sure we will find him soon enough."
"I did my part. I expect to see Luther first."
"How very demanding."
"Say it."
"Very well. As soon as I get your boy toy, I’ll offer him to you. But you have to give him a few times to the blonde idiot as well."
"Claus?"
Lucrezia rubbed her temples, quick, sharp motions that made her earrings sway.
Her foot had stopped tapping, but the air felt tighter.
She exhaled through her nose, eyes narrowing at the mess between us. Papers slid under her palm as she leaned forward, irritation rolling off her in steady waves.
"It’s like taking care of a baby. He is not remarkably smart or intuitive. I got to push him from behind to avoid any mistakes. I’m exhausted."
"You had yourself a boy prize. Use him."
"Sadly, my boy toy is acting up at the moment."
"Acting up? And you still keep him? Who is this guy?"
Lucrezia chuckled, low and brief, the sound breaking the silence like it belonged there. Her eyes stayed on me, steady, measuring.
"Only if you knew. What can I say? I am such a sentimental woman."
I couldn’t help but chuckle myself, the sound slipping out before I could stop it. Lucrezia, my aunt, joined in without hesitation, her laugh lighter but somehow still in control.
For a moment, the tension thinned, though she stayed exactly where she was, planted on my desk as if she owned it.
Only for the atmosphere to get tense in an instant.
"You are neglecting Damian."
I couldn’t help but scoff, short and sharp, more reflex than choice.
"What did you expect?"
"You should clean up your act. You know he needs your pheromones to keep the baby alive and well."
"You don’t expect me to f-ck him, right?"
"So dramatic. Just rub one out. For the sake of the pregnancy."
"No."
"Killian."
"I can’t. I am getting nauseous at the idea of him being next to me. I sleep in my office. I only go home to give him food and check on him. You can’t ask me that!"
"Hah, well, at least you kept active enough to do your homework while you were sleeping in the office."
"I won’t do it, auntie."
"You have no choice. But if you do, I’ll reward you."
"What could you possibly offer me?"
"Emiliano."
"What?"
"Help Damian get to term with this pregnancy and I will let you kill Emiliano."
"Hah. Why do you think I would sell my body for that?"
"The man made you lick his shoes. I thought you wanted a bit of revenge."
"No."
"No?"
"No. I hate that evil gnome, but I don’t hate him enough to sell myself."
"Then what do you want?"
"Nothing. I will not touch Damian."
"Killian, I’ve been indulging you. Don’t forget your place. I don’t care if you do it with someone else and bring back the dirty towel, give that boy something."
"Why are you so fixated on this?"
"It’s necessary."
Lucrezia finally slid off the desk, smoothing her dress as if nothing had happened.
Her heels clicked toward the door. She didn’t hurry. She didn’t look back.
The latch clicked shut behind her, leaving the office quiet for the first time in what felt like hours.
I gathered my papers without looking too closely at the creases and smudges, then gave up halfway.
My shoulders ached. I crossed to the sofa and sat down, leaning back, letting the cushions take my weight. My breathing slowed, but my pulse stayed high. I pressed my palms to my knees, trying to focus on the steady rhythm of inhale, exhale.
The air still smelled faintly of her perfume.
A minute passed.
Maybe two.
My eyes had just closed when the door burst open again, slamming against the wall hard enough to rattle the frame. The noise jolted me upright, my hand tightening on the armrest.
Footsteps—fast, direct—crossed the threshold before I could even process who it was.
The papers on my desk rustled from the sudden draft.
I straightened, tension snapping back into place, the brief attempt at calm already gone. Whatever had just come in was not here for quiet.
When I raised my eyes, I saw the last person I thought I would ever see standing in the middle of my office.
"Long time no see."
"What the f-ck are you doing here?"
"I lost my puppy."