Chapter 285: A calling mark

Damian’s POV

I wanted those hands on me. I wanted to feel her fingers against my skin.

But I swallowed every single one of those thoughts and forced myself to behave.

She wasn’t helping matters, either. Completely innocent, completely oblivious to the effect she was having on me, she simply followed her instincts. And mine were responding just as fiercely.

Amelie lowered her eyes to the photograph again, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink.

"You have the exact same expression as Dad when he looks at Mom and thinks nobody’s watching," Matthias whispered into my ear.

"Fuck off, brat," I whispered back, without taking my eyes off my mate. I couldn’t even spare a second to look at my brother.

"Well, look who’s completely smitten," he teased, throwing an arm over my shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"I’ll tell you the same thing when you finally meet your true mate."

"I’ll bring her along after I’ve had her in every possible position. Just to make sure the family doesn’t slip on my drool otherwise," Matthias retorted with a grin, giving me a playful slap on the shoulder.

I laughed, but my amusement vanished almost immediately.

"Come on. Father wants to talk."

With considerable reluctance, I tore my gaze away from Amelie and finished the whiskey I’d barely touched.

Mother gave us a knowing look. Then she picked up my younger sister, settled her among her toys on the carpet, and moved closer to my mate. Sitting beside her, she began telling her another ridiculous childhood story. Thanks to Matthias and Rose, there was certainly no shortage of those.

My family was feared. Despised. Hated.

Having so much power concentrated in Father’s hands naturally inspired envy, but what people resented most was his Alpha Breeder, the woman who had become his true partner and given him children with exceptionally strong genetics.

Every one of his children was of dominant alpha blood. And if that was something his brothers could tolerate, it was certainly not something Rose and little Kaya could get away with.

They were the family’s precious little troublemakers. Just like Amelie and me, they were always plotting some new mischief, perfectly willing to risk everything for a particularly tempting prize.

I’d been luckier than most children with biological parents. Not only had my family never made me feel like an unwanted burden, but they’d genuinely loved me.

That was an extraordinary privilege.

I understood its value even as a child, when the only person who had ever truly loved me was my mate. Everyone else had seen me as nothing more than a piece of meat.

The difference was as stark as night and day. You only truly appreciate something good after experiencing the worst of what life has to offer.

There was no point in feeling morally conflicted about leaving my Amelie alone for a while. I had to go. Father wouldn’t have called me into his office without a good reason.

As I entered his study, I forced myself not to look back and closed the door behind me.

"Sit down, both of you," Father ordered, gesturing toward the chairs opposite his desk before heading over to the minibar.

"So, did you manage to find anything?" Matthias asked, impatiently dropping into a chair. He rubbed his shoulder, then suddenly hissed through his teeth. "Fuck! What the hell...?"

I turned toward him and was greeted by quite a sight. He’d rolled up the sleeve of his T-shirt and was staring at his shoulder in disbelief, seemingly unable to process what he was seeing.

"Well, I’ll be damned..." he muttered, turning helplessly toward Father.

A vivid red mark had appeared on his shoulder.

A calling mark.

The same kind of mark that had recently appeared on another member of our family.

Matthias had already been through his fair share of tattoos, but none of them had ever become permanent marks. He’d gotten every single one of them verified, checking the databases and having them professionally examined. But this one was different.

Apparently, his breeder had finally come of age and called for him.

And judging by the size of it, this wasn’t some small, delicate little symbol. The design stretched from his shoulder all the way down to his elbow.

Bold. Very bold.

"Congratulations!" I grinned, slipping my hands into my pockets. Then I pulled out the packet of condoms that little bastard had sneakily slipped into my hand that morning. "How did you put it? You’re going to test the waters and introduce yourself to the parents?"

"Fuck you!" Matthias rolled his eyes, flashing me his middle finger before heading toward Father’s minibar. "Old man, share the booze."

"Congratulations, son."

Father gave Matthias a hearty pat on the back, briefly examining his new mark before turning his attention back to me.

"I found the buyer," I announced. "And it looks like, with his help, we’ll be able to track down the organization responsible for conducting these experiments."

"They’re still conducting them?" I asked, feeling my anger begin to boil.

"Yes. We managed to hack into his phone. That bastard was keeping records of everything. The entire time he supposedly had her under treatment, he was documenting her progress. It was all part of the same experiment. He wasn’t buying her for himself. They intended to take her back to the laboratory and continue their research."

By the time Father finished speaking, I was ready to tear the entire fucking world apart.

I could practically feel steam coming out of my ears.

That bastard belonged in a basement. A burning one. Preferably mine. I’d gladly break every bone in his body, but I’d make damn sure he stayed alive long enough to regret ever laying a hand on my Omega.

"I knew it was a setup," I muttered, turning toward Father.

"Yes, it was. We deliberately concealed the fact that we’d cleaned out their hideout. They’re convinced their merchandise is still there, waiting to be collected," Father replied grimly, taking another sip of whiskey. "And that doctor will be coming for her soon."

"But?"

The sensation of impending slaughter was becoming almost suffocating.

"But taking out one little pawn won’t get us anywhere," Father continued. "We need to reach the people running and financing this operation. We need bait. Someone who can accompany the doctor to the facility and help us locate the entire network."