[BL]Reborn as the Empire's Most Desired Omega
Chapter 153: Home

Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Home

The car rolled to a slow stop in front of the Fitzgeralt estate, its dark frame gleaming beneath the descending twilight. The wide, sloping drive was lined with lanterns that flickered gently to life, welcoming them with soft golden light. There was silence here, on ancestral ground carved out of old stones and bloodlines. Not the hollow kind he’d come to fear, but the uncommon, complete lack of demand. Of watching eyes. Of judgment awaiting in the corners.

Lucas stepped out first, inhaling the familiar air. Cooler, more refreshing. There were no cameras or hints of politics in the air. He looked at the mansion’s wide façade, pale walls stretching under ivy and soft archways, and felt the weight on his spine finally ease.

Trevor walked beside him, closed the distance, and placed his right hand on Lucas’s back. Their steps found rhythm easily on the stone path leading to the front doors.

Ahead, the carved double doors opened before they reached them. Windstone stood with the patience of someone who had flown the distance three hours before them to ensure that everything was in order. His gray hair caught the last slant of evening light, and he bowed slightly, not out of obligation, but as a habit worn like well-tailored cuffs. View the correct content at NovelFire

"Welcome home," Windstone said, and for the first time in his life, Lucas believed it. He smiled faintly, more instinct than intention, as if his body knew before his mind did.

Trevor didn’t say anything, just kept his hand on Lucas’ back as they stepped inside together. The scent of polished wood and blooming jasmine filled the entryway, leaving the air free of anything sharp or synthetic.

They didn’t linger in the hall. Windstone, with his usual quiet efficiency, oversaw their bags being taken upstairs, and they moved toward the sitting room, where the evening light filtered through tall windows onto velvet cushions and warm rugs.

Dinner arrived shortly after quiet, with just the two of them at the long end of the dining table, soft light illuminating the crystal and china.

Trevor waited until Lucas set down his fork before speaking. "Misty’s trial begins next week. Christian’s lawyers will attend instead of him; he is staying away. He swirled his glass of wine without looking at Lucas. "Serathine used your return as bait. She did not ask you to show up, but she made it easy for them to believe you would."

Lucas blinked once. "That’s cruel."

"She’s ensuring they take the bait," Trevor said simply. "But if you want to be there, I’ll make sure you’re safe."

Lucas didn’t answer immediately. He just leaned back, gaze distant, fingers smoothing the cloth napkin on his lap like it might anchor him.

"I don’t want to see them," he said finally, his voice steady. "There’s no need. I’ve already survived them once."

"That’s what I thought. Oh, and grandmother would most likely come to visit us. Again, she is bringing wedding venues and seating plans."

"Does Serathine know?" Lucas was amused by the idea of the two women still fighting socially over their brief marriage.

Trevor reached for his wine glass, not bothering to hide the amusement flickering in his eyes. "She knows. She threatened to move the ceremony to the coastal palace if my grandmother tries to use gold accents again."

Lucas blinked once. "That would start an actual civil war."

Trevor didn’t even flinch. "And she knows it. Which is why she said it in writing."

Lucas shook his head, dragging his napkin across his mouth before folding it neatly beside his plate. "You’re enjoying this."

"I’m surviving it. With style."

"Couldn’t you be a brooding alpha who doesn’t want me away in his manor?" Lucas asked, amused.

"Don’t tempt me. I’m not that honorable to refuse it." Trevor said, leaning back in his chair and playing with the stem of his wine glass. His purple eyes matched the color of the red wine in the glass. "You still smell like heat. I thought the marking would stop it, but it’s still happening. It will be wise not to leave the mansion until it arrives."

Lucas arched a brow, fingers still loosely laced with Trevor’s under the table. "It’s not like I’m planning a countryside sprint. I’m just sitting here. Existing."

"You existing is a hazard," Trevor said dryly, lifting the glass just enough to catch the low light. "To me. To anyone with a functioning scent receptor within fifty meters. Windstone had to reroute the florist."

"That explains the jasmine." Lucas tilted his head. "But shouldn’t the mark make my pheromones specifically for you? Like the other won’t feel the mating pheromones?"

Trevor lowered his glass slowly, eyes fixed on Lucas with the kind of patience that cracked at the edges.

"It does," he said, voice low. "The bond mark tells everyone you’re claimed. That you’re mine. But it doesn’t mute what you are."

Lucas blinked, not entirely satisfied with that answer. "You mean I still smell like—"

"You still smell like a dominant omega in pre-heat," Trevor interrupted, his tone dipping into warning. "To everyone. The bond protects you. It doesn’t turn off biology."

Lucas frowned faintly, his brows drawing together. "Then what’s the point?"

Trevor set the glass down, fingers splayed for a moment before he leaned back again. "It’s not about stopping reactions. It’s about making sure they know not to act on them. That’s the difference."

"Still seems dangerous."

Trevor’s eyes darkened with possessiveness, which he knew existed but had never displayed until now. "Everything about you is dangerous. The bond didn’t change that. If anything, it made matters worse. They know they can’t touch you now, but some of them will still try because that’s what people do when they want something they can’t have."

Lucas was quiet for a breath. Then another. "And what about you?"

"I’m the reason they’ll remember why they shouldn’t try." Trevor’s voice tightened with restraint. "So yes, stay inside. For a few days. Not because I doubt you. But because I don’t want to repaint the courtyard in blood."

"Charming."

Trevor gave a slow shrug, the corner of his mouth twitching as if he was about to smile but didn’t. "I’m trying to be civilized."

Lucas arched an ash-blonde brow. "That was civilized?"

"You should hear what I don’t say," Trevor replied, his voice low, almost lazy but his eyes were sharp, gleaming like something barely caged. "I’ve spent half my life learning how to draw a line between rage and justice."

"And now?" Lucas asked, his tone dry but not unkind.

"Now I have something worth burning kingdoms for." Trevor said it quietly, as if speaking it too loudly would shift the weight in the room. "So yes. Civilized, for your sake."

Lucas sighed and reached for the last bite of his dessert. "I can’t tell if I’m flattered or mildly terrified."

"Why not both?" Trevor said with a hint of satisfaction before standing and offering his hand. "Come on. If you’re going to be locked inside with me, you might as well enjoy the view."

Lucas took his hand, steady and grounding, and followed, knowing full well that the most dangerous thing in the mansion wasn’t outside but walking two steps ahead of him, already plotting how to make the world safer without ever asking permission.