“Mr. Finnegan?”
The silence lingered as I tried to plan out how to deal with William Sterling. Willow’s only stipulation before anything happened to him was that her mom was safe.
“And what about her bond with her alpha?”
“Isabelle Sterling’s omega isn’t just dulled, but their bond is weakened. While not common, we have seen an increasing amount of alphas managing their omegas through suppressants to make them more malleable. The suppressants have stripped the bond down to its final frayed threads.”
“Could she survive if the bond was severed?”
I heard the man swallow, the intent clear behind my words. Only one method existed to destroy a mate bond between an alpha and an omega.
Death.
“Once she’s off the suppressants. Yes. In fact, it would be safer and allow an easier recovery for her. While the physical effects can be addressed, the mental ones may linger. I can recommend someone who could help with that as well.”
Relief washed through me. I released a shaky breath, only half hearing what he said.
“Thank you, Sweeney. That will be all.”
I ended the call, my mind racing. The situation was delicate. I had to coordinate a series of meticulously timed steps, or William Sterling would be on the evening news accusing me of kidnapping his wife.
And while I trusted my attorney to get me out of sticky situations, I wasn’t confident there was any way out of that one. I texted Liam and Aidan to meet me in my office, settling into the oversized leather chair by the fireplace, running through scenarios while I waited for them.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived, their scents sharp. Aidan’s eyes swept over the room, narrowing on me before sinking into the chair opposite me. Liam stayed standing, leaning against the wall. Between ourselves, I was confident that we could quietly intercept the deliveries of suppressants and swap them with placebos.
“Aidan. I need you to find out how William Sterling is receiving his omega suppressants,” I said.
My brother growled. His dark eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared, understanding the implications behind my words. Aidan was a strategist, calm under pressure and calculating. If something was hidden, he’d find it. The only other time I’d seen his alpha react was after the attack on Torin’s sister.
The man nearly ripped my head off when I ordered him to stay put while I took care of it. He was too emotional and would have done something stupid.
“When I find them, you want them replaced with fakes?” Aidan asked.
Nodding, I smirked as Aidan pulled out his phone, not wasting a second at getting to work. It only took twenty minutes with the senator for my brothers to hate him almost as much as I did. My eyes flicked to Liam.
He scratched his beard, unusually quiet. His gaze finally met mine, and an intensity blazed there, boding well for me and not so much so for Sterling.
For as playful and annoying as Liam was, he was bloody terrifying, taller than me and built like a stone house.
“Liam,” I said, my brother tipping his chin higher. “I want two men on him at all times. His house. His office. I want to know if he so much as sneezes. When he realizes Isabelle’s omega scent is returning, I suspect he’ll become erratic.”
Liam cracked his knuckles. “I’ll have me and Pat keep an eye on him.”
“Don’t let Sterling see either of you,” I said.
“You never let me have any fun.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, too tired to spit back.
What I wanted… was my omega. I checked my watch, contemplating texting Torin and telling him to get her cute arse back home. I wanted to worship every freckle on her skin with my tongue and drown away this day with her scent.
“And if the senator tries to get replacement medication when he pieces together it isn’t working anymore?” Aidan asked, not looking up from his phone.
“Intercept those too and notify Liam. If he attempts to harm Isabelle, I want you to intervene and notify me immediately. Secure Sterling until I arrive, and make sure Isabelle is safe.”
Aidan remained buried in his phone, pacing until there was a worn spot on the floor. Liam stood, watching the flames lick at the stone. Every piece had to move in sync with the others. If we pulled out Isabelle too soon, we risked not being able to sever her bond with Sterling.
If we waited too long, that piece of shite might do something rash, and my omega would be heartbroken.
