Free Web NovelChapter 34: You’re Going To Show Us Your Gratitude, With Your Mouth
She did. Locked it without being asked, the way she’d learned these things went.
He watched her do it. Like he was checking something off a mental list. Satisfying himself that she understood the basic rules of his domain.
"Sit," he said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk.
She sat. The leather was cool under her. Her hands found the armrests and gripped them without intention, looking for something solid to hold onto. freёwebnoѵel.com
The morning light caught the edge of his jawline, made him look older somehow. Or maybe it was just the particular weight in his expression that added years. Maybe it was the fact that he looked almost sad about whatever he was about to say.
"Your mother has been unconscious for fourteen days, Since the day they brought your father home."
The word hit her like a physical blow.
"The pack hospital is providing adequate care," Nicholas continued, and his eyes never left hers. "We have been covering all expenses as agreed. Every medical bill. Every treatment. Every moment of care your mother receives is funded by this estate."
Lilith’s hands tightened on the armrests. She didn’t trust her voice to work.
"Cassandra’s condition remains critical," he said. "She’s in a coma caused by the rupture of her mate bond. The doctors say she may never wake. The y was severe. The body doesn’t always recover from that kind of break."
The words were clinical. Precise. Devastating.
"However," Nicholas said, "we have been discussing allowing you to visit her."
Lilith’s head snapped up.
"You will be taken to Shadowmere in the morning," he continued, and now there was something almost like gentleness in his voice, which was somehow worse than cruelty. "You’ll have approximately four hours with her. You can hold her hand. Talk to her. Reassure yourself that the agreement is being honored. And you’ll be returned by sunset."
She stared at him, unable to process the words. A visit. To her er mother. She could see her mother. She could....
"Why?" The word came out before she could stop it. Before she could think. Desperation made her stupid.
Nicholas leaned back in his chair, his silver eyes glittering in the dawn light.
"Because we’re not monsters," he said simply. And when she looked at him, something in his expression made those words feel true. Made them feel like a confession. "Whatever else you believe about us, Lilith, we keep our agreements. Your mother is being cared for. We thought you should know that with certainty. That you should see it with your own eyes."
The use of her name....not "omega," not "payment," but her name...made something crack inside her chest.
"Your father’s debt is being honored," Nicholas continued quietly. "And in return, we honor our obligations to you."
He paused, let that settle between them.
"However," he said, and there was the catch she’d been waiting for, the thing that made this more than kindness, "nothing at this estate is free. You’ve learned that by now."
She had. Every touch, every meal, every moment of relative comfort had a cost.
"So you’ll need to earn this privilege," Nicholas said, and now his voice took on a different quality. Something heavier. Something that promised a transaction. "The visit, the time with your mother, the reassurance that she’s being cared for....all of it has a price."
The door opened without warning.
Sebastian and Lucian entered like they’d been standing just outside the entire time, waiting for their cue. Of course they had. This was planned. This was orchestrated. This was them knowing exactly how to break her down before they asked for anything.
Lilith’s stomach dropped.
But when she looked at their faces, they didn’t look cold or cruel. Sebastian looked almost conflicted, his massive frame tense like he was holding something back. Lucian’s golden eyes were sharp and focused....on her, burning with something she couldn’t quite name. Not just hunger. Something more complicated.
"Stand up," Nicholas commanded.
It took her a moment to find her balance. She stood on shaking legs.
"Come here," he said, gesturing to the open space in front of his desk.
She moved toward him slowly, and the air in the room shifted with every step she took. This was no longer a conversation. This was a transaction. This was her making a choice, visit her mother in exchange for her body....and they were all aware of it.
"On your knees," Nicholas said quietly.
The shift was immediate and complete. From negotiation to payment. From conversation to the fundamental understanding of what she was in this place.
She dropped to her knees on the carpet in front of his desk. Her heart was hammering so hard she could feel it in her throat, in her ears, in the pulse point at her wrist.
Sebastian crossed the room and stopped directly in front of her. His massive frame blocked out most of the light, casting her in his shadow. Up close, she could see the tension in his jaw, the way his hands were clenched at his sides like he was fighting to maintain control.
"You understand what this is?" he asked quietly. His voice was rough, almost pained. freewebnσvel.cѳm
"Yes," she whispered.
"Say it," Nicholas commanded from behind his desk. "I want to hear you say it."
"It’s the price," she said. "For seeing my mother."
"Exactly," Sebastian said. His hand moved to her face, tilting her chin up so she was forced to look at him. His fingers were warm against her skin, and the touch wasn’t harsh or cruel. It was almost tender. "So you’re going to thank us. Properly. For being kind. For deciding you were worth this consideration."
His thumb brushed her cheekbone, and she could see something flicker across his expression. Conflict. Want. Something that looked almost like guilt.
"You’re going to show us your gratitude," he continued, his voice rough but not cold. "With your mouth. Deep and sincere. Understood?"
