Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Is the omega safe?
Then Sirius sobered. "Is the omega safe?"
Trevor’s expression didn’t shift, but his voice cooled, a quiet edge threading through the calm. "He’s under full lockdown. Dax isn’t subtle, and for once, it’s understandable. Christopher Malek, dominant omega, confirmed, he’s the second of his kind after Lucas, and the only one within range of age, strength, and temperament to even be considered viable."
Lucius sat up straighter. "Malek? As in those Maleks?"
Trevor gave a slow nod. "Old bloodline. Enough legitimacy to be useful, enough scandal to be inconvenient. Estranged from the main house just enough to be left alone until now. No official title. No protections. No one watching his chart closely enough to notice what he was until it was nearly too late."
Sirius let out a long breath, rubbing a thumb over his lower lip. "And now Dax knows."
Lucas, silent until now, finally spoke, his voice quieter but laced with weight. "That’s the real danger. Not that Dax has him, but that he knows what he has."
"Knows, and won’t let go," Trevor added. "From what we gathered, Christopher never presented publicly. Found out by accident. The first time he was registered, it was buried in a temp agency file. He kept it off the books."
Lucius gave a low whistle. "Clever."
"Desperate," Trevor corrected. "He replaced his sister at the ceremony and stepped into Jason’s path without knowing half of what was happening. Saw a poisoned glass and acted like it was instinct."
"And that," Lucas murmured, "is how you end up claimed by a king with poor impulse control and a taste for dramatics."
"Sound familiar?" Sirius muttered without looking at either of them.
Lucas reached for his glass with grace. "At least I have a Grand Duke without a love for unnecessary violence."
Trevor hummed, the barest hint of a smile touching his mouth. "Christopher looked like he hadn’t eaten in three days, but he still managed to insult a wine steward and dismantle a murder plot in under a minute. I’d say Dax found his match."
Sirius’s eyes narrowed, distant. "If this spreads, and it will, we need to prepare. Dax with a dominant omega isn’t just court gossip. It’s a declaration."
Trevor didn’t disagree. "Palatine has the stronger position if we move first. Christopher Malek, estranged or not, is still of Malek blood. That opens lines we don’t want other kingdoms tampering with. If Saha’s court tries to formally align with him, the South might see it as legitimacy."
Lucius scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Then they clearly don’t understand how Dax works. That man doesn’t care for pedigree. The last envoy who suggested a political marriage ended up dodging a serving knife and losing a tooth."
Lucas arched a brow. "Charming."
Trevor took a slow sip of his wine. "Truth is, Dax’s court won’t care who Christopher used to be if he’s the one person able to keep the king from setting buildings on fire. After seven failed engagements, three of which ended in blood, it’s a miracle he didn’t give up."
Lucius grimaced. "Those weren’t just failures. One fiancée tried to fake being a dominant omega and ended up needing spinal realignment. Another faked a heat with chemicals. Dax found out in front of the Sahan High Council."
"And the poisoned corsage?" Sirius asked dryly.
"Political sabotage," Trevor replied. "Meant to ’warn’ him off that engagement. Instead, he crushed the flowers in his bare hand and had the florist deported by morning."
Lucas, dry as ever, murmured, "And now, enter Christopher Malek. Walks into a palace once. Prevents regicide. Gets locked down by a king with rage issues and no chill. Should we help him run?"
Lucius didn’t laugh. He stared down at his plate, fork hovering, as if debating the weight of the question. The light from the tall windows caught on the curve of his jaw, but his expression remained unreadable, quiet in the way only dangerous men could be when they were thinking too fast.
"He hasn’t run yet," Lucius said finally, voice low. "Which means he’s either braver than we thought... or still calculating how far he’d get before Dax caught him."
"Or," Lucas murmured, expression unreadable, "Dax already put him under arrest."
That earned a blink from Sirius. "Arrest? He’s not exactly discreet, but..."
Trevor cut in, tone even. "He’s taking Christopher with him. Back to Saha. Day after tomorrow."
Lucius’s brow furrowed. "Voluntarily?"
Trevor shrugged, the movement too careful to be casual. "The staff reports say he already gave orders for the necessary changes to move him into the king’s quarters when they arrive in Saha. Christopher has no chance and I hope he is smart enough to not try at all."
Sirius let out a quiet exhale, almost a laugh, but not quite. "So that’s it, then. Dax’s version of subtle courtship: royal imprisonment with silk sheets and armed guards."
Lucas didn’t smile. "Now I understand why you," He looked at Trevor, "and Serathine told me Dax is a demon. I thought it was just because you wanted me as your mate."
Trevor didn’t deny it. His lips curved faintly, but the smile never reached his eyes. "I did want you," he said, voice low, "but I also wasn’t exaggerating."
Lucius raised a brow, more amused now. "So we all agree the King of Saha is certifiably insane, romantically speaking."
"I wouldn’t say insane," Sirius drawled, swirling the last of his wine. "Just deeply committed to emotional hostage-taking."
Trevor leaned back in his chair, gaze fixed on Lucas. "He’s not a demon, not really. But Dax has spent too long surrounded by people who fear him. It makes him forget that not everyone can be chained into staying. That some people... only stay if they choose to."
Lucas’s gaze dropped to his folded hands for a moment, the joke drained from his expression. "Then let’s hope Christopher gets the chance to choose."
A silence settled again, thicker this time, layered with too much history, too much understanding.
Lucius broke it, clearing his throat. "Do we know anything else about him? Christopher."
Trevor nodded slowly. "Orphaned young. Raised by a brother and has a younger sister in the service industry. Moved often. Worked under several names. Never stayed in one place too long. Classic ghost profile."
Lucas tilted his head. "Until he walked into the lion’s den and snatched the wine glass."
"He didn’t just snatch it," Trevor said. "He stopped a king mid-talk and managed not to die. That’s not just bravery. That’s instinct."
"Or madness," Sirius offered.
Trevor exhaled through his nose. "Both work for Dax."
Lucas looked toward the window, where the light had shifted to late-morning gold. "If Christopher stays," he said quietly, "he’s going to change Saha."
"Assuming he survives it," Lucius muttered.