Blair looked up at him through her lashes. He was still frowning, his arms crossed tightly and his white ears turned away in rigid embarrassment, but the memory of his warm, ultra-soft fur on his head pressed against her forehead felt very real.
Maybe that was why he had offered his ears to soothe her tears, even while grumbling that she was annoying.
It was a small, fragile start, but in a world where she had expected only cold disdain, that fifteen percent felt like a lifeline.
Before Blair could process the notification any further, the double doors of Lukas’s suite pushed open.
The low, mechanical hum of a high-tech motorized wheelchair cut through the quiet room, accompanied by the crisp, rhythmic tap of polished dress shoes against marble.
The overwhelming pressure of two pureblood alphas flooded the space. Philippe rolled in first in his wheelchair, while Sebastian walked alongside him, casually adjusting his cufflinks.
"What was so urgent that you made us come back early?" Philippe asked, his cold voice slicing through the lingering tension. "Lukas,"
Before Lukas could reply, both brothers paused as their eyes fell on Blair sitting up in Lukas’s bed.
Philippe and Sebastian took in the scene at once—her heavily bandaged, blood-stained hand, the lingering trace of blood on her lip, her pale, tear-streaked face, and the glowing biometric monitor beside her bed tracking her fragile vitals.
Though Sebastian’s face remained impassive, his golden eyes flicked over her bruised cheek as he stepped closer. "What happened?"
"Maya brought her friends over, and they bullied her," Lukas grumbled, turning his back to the bed and crossing his arms as his white fox ears twitched in irritation.
"Hm... you’re the new mistress of the Deruno household, and yet you couldn’t handle them?" Sebastian asked. His tone was light, almost conversational, but the underlying mockery and contempt were crystal clear. "Did I cancel my meeting just to come play house?"
Blair’s grip on the duvet tightened, her knuckles turning bone-white. A sharp, hollow ache blossomed deep in her chest. She lowered her head, hiding her eyes behind her fringe, trying desperately not to let another tear fall.
She didn’t want them to see her as a burden. She really, truly didn’t. But what could she say? How could she defend herself?
"That’s not it," Lukas cut in, his voice rising defensively. "Thomas clearly told them who she was but they doubted her status, and that gave them grounds to accuse her of falsifying her identity."
"Then what’s the problem?" Sebastian replied smoothly, brushing a non-existent speck of dust off his sleeve. "If it’s about revealing her to the public, then we can simply release a public statement and—"
"That won’t do," Philippe interrupted firmly, his deep voice carrying the heavy authority of the eldest brother. "Sebastian, not many people pay attention to news releases. And from now on, Blair will be exposed to more socialites and high-society events."
Philippe looked around at his brothers, and then his sharp, dark gaze landed directly on her frail, shrinking frame. "So I propose we hold a banquet to formally introduce her to the world. To state clearly that she is our wife. That is, if we want to reduce incidents like this from happening in the future."
"I think it’s a waste of time," Sebastian said without a single moment’s hesitation.
All eyes instantly fell on him. Sebastian’s face remained calm, devoid of any warmth as he looked toward Blair.
"Don’t get me wrong—it’s not that I don’t want to publicly acknowledge her as our wife," Sebastian continued, his voice dropping into a cold, logical truth that cut through Blair like broken glass. "But even if we do, a human who has no spine to stand up for herself will always be prey to beasts."
He’s right, Blair thought bitterly, her chest tightening until it was hard to breathe. He’s completely right... How could I possibly stand among purebloods without causing more embarrassment?
"Don’t make it complicated," Lukas snapped, stepping between Sebastian and the bed. "Sure, I hate events like this, but like Philippe said, it’s to reduce incidents like this from happening. He never said it wouldn’t happen at all. Are you truly comfortable with the thought of her getting called a liar just because she calls herself our wife when she goes out in public?"
Sebastian looked at Lukas, his golden eyes completely flat, his hollow, picture-perfect smile nowhere to be found.
"No," Sebastian replied softly, his voice utterly devoid of emotion. "But I am not uncomfortable either."
"You..." Lukas snarled, his white fox ears pinning flat against his head.
"Why are you overreacting?" Sebastian asked softly, adjusting his cuff with maddening calm. "It is clear that Miss Blair is our wife on paper, but surely this isn’t because you’re interested in playing the loving husband now, is it?"
"No! That’s not it!" Lukas was quick to deny it, his golden eyes flashing as a sudden flush crept up his neck.
How could he possibly admit that he had been moved by her tears? That her shivering frame and terrified flinch had stabbed him straight in the chest?
"Remember what we promised when we signed the contract," Lukas growled, forcing his voice into a stiff, defensive tone. "We said we would give her safety, medical care, and a home. But right now, she isn’t safe like this—not even in our own estate. I just want us to fulfill our part of the deal. She is our wife in name, and a banquet is a good opportunity to spread the word about who Mrs. Deruno is."
Sebastian looked at him for a few lingering seconds, his golden lion eyes narrowing into sharp, analytical slits.
He wanted to believe it was that simple. But Lukas was notoriously the least interested in other people’s affairs out of all three of them.
Lukas found everything annoying and everyone a headache, yet here he was, standing between a weak little human and his own brothers, snarling like a territorial guard dog.
Sebastian’s cold gaze shifted toward Blair, scrutinizing her pale, bandaged form under the duvet. What kind of charm did she use on him? Humans did not possess charms and pheromones like that of beastmen. So it couldn’t be that. Then what? She had only been in their lives for a day, and he was already defending her.
What more would change after a week?
Still, Lukas did make a practical point.
Sebastian closed his eyes, letting out a soft, resigned breath.
"Fine. A banquet, then. We will hold one here at the estate soon." He opened his eyes, his golden gaze pinning Blair with a flat, warning stare. "For now... try not to humiliate yourself—or us—further."
It was harsh, cold, and unyielding—a brutal warning wrapped in polite diction.