3

Jules was angry and embarrassed enough to push the Xeus to the back of his mind for a few days.

But on the third day his curiosity—and his conscience—finally outweighed his other feelings and he decided to check out the files he’d copied to the flash drive.

Two hours later, Jules closed the files, feeling a little sick to his stomach. And a little scared, if he were honest.

The files were a log apparently maintained by a Dr. Umberto Navarra: his observations of the experiments done on the Xeus. The log was absolutely disgusting in its lack of compassion. Dr. Navarra treated the Xeus like a thing, dispassionately describing the drugs and toxic chemicals used on him and the effect they had on the “subject.”

If Jules understood the log correctly, the doctor’s main goal was to reverse the kerosvarin’s work and give the feral Xeus his rationality back. Judging by the Xeus’s newfound ability to speak, the experiments were clearly successful, at least partly. What Jules didn’t understand was why they were doing it—why his uncle was conducting these illegal experiments. It made no sense.

Although the logs were dry and matter-of-fact, Navarra’s growing frustration was obvious. It seemed he wasn’t happy with their progress, frustrated by their inability to reverse the Xeus’s beastly appearance and instincts.

And then there was the other part of the “research”: their physical experiments to test the Xeus’s healing ability. It seemed every time they tried a new drug on the alpha, they had to make sure that the Xeus’s superior healing factor wasn’t affected—it seemed to be their priority. There was a log stating that they had tried a new drug that showed great potential for reversing the alpha’s beastly appearance, but apparently it affected his healing factor negatively, so they had to stop administering it.

It was bizarre. On one hand, trying to reverse the effects of kerosvarin seemed like a good deed. Except it seemed the research was being done for some other, less than altruistic reason. Not to mention that the Xeus clearly hadn’t given his consent for these experiments, and he sure as hell hadn’t given his permission to be physically tortured for the sake of science.

Jules needed to get him out of there. He didn’t have a choice. His conscience wouldn’t let him ignore the problem, no matter how ashamed and unsettled he was by his reaction to the Xeus. Sometimes one had to suck it up and put aside one’s personal feelings, and this was one of those times.

Jules considered his options.

It seemed the Xeus’s rational thinking had been restored enough—in his current state, he was unlikely to be a danger to others if Jules set him free. But how was he supposed to do that?

He needed the key to the manacles.

Later that evening, Jules sneaked down to his uncle’s office. The house was quiet. The hour was late enough for everyone to be in bed. Or so he had thought.

He could hear faint voices coming from his uncle’s office.

Jules froze, looking at the door. Then he took off his shoes and padded over before pressing his ear against the door.

“—it’s been over a month!”

“That’s not enough, Mr. Blake,” an unfamiliar male voice said. “We’re doing all we can, and the progress we’ve made is frankly incredible! If I were allowed to publish the results of our research, it would be the greatest discovery of—”

“I don’t care,” Uncle Wayne growled. “I’m running out of time.”

“Sir, frankly speaking, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t allow us to administer kerosvarin now. You will not become a feral creature such as the one in the basement. You will simply be a normal Xeus alpha—”

“There’s nothing normal about those disgusting beasts,” Uncle Wayne bit out, his tone full of disdain. “I won’t agree to be turned into one unless I’m on my deathbed!”

A sigh. “We’re doing our best, Mr. Blake,” the man said, his voice almost pleading. “But you must understand that you’re asking us to do the impossible in a matter of weeks. Kerosvarin’s effects are normally irreversible! You can’t expect us—”

“I’m paying you a fortune to do the impossible, Navarra,” Uncle Wayne snapped. “Work faster. I refuse to become a filthy Xeus that turns into a mindless beast every full moon.”

“Very well,” Navarra said with a sigh. “We will keep trying. Our progress has been incredible. He can already speak and think somewhat rationally, but so far we’ve been unsuccessful at fixing his physical appearance and beastly instincts.”

“Try harder,” Uncle Wayne said bitingly. After a pause, he added, “Does he remember yet who he is?”

“No, sir.”

“Hmm, let me know if he does. I’m somewhat curious about it. If the Kadarian government bothered to use the NDA-tech for him, he could be someone important. Perhaps a Kadarian senator, even.”

“Sir, isn’t it… Isn’t it dangerous? If he’s really someone important?”

“It doesn’t signify.” Uncle Wayne’s voice was flat. “You know it doesn’t.”

The resulting silence made Jules’s stomach clench.

What…? Did his uncle mean that he intended to kill the Xeus?

“Besides,” Uncle Wayne said. “It could well be a different Xeus, not the one that caused a ruckus at the Opal House last month. We have no way of knowing.”

“Kerosvarin is a very obscure, forbidden drug,” Navarra said, sounding skeptical. “Even I was barely able to secure it on the black market after months of trying. The odds of another Xeus poisoned with that drug seem rather slim. It must be the same one.”

“It doesn’t signify,” Uncle Wayne repeated, his voice harder. “The important thing is, we’ve found a subject for your experiments. Now you must do your part.”

“I will! Of course I will.”

The voices sounded closer, and after grabbing his shoes, Jules hurriedly walked away, trying not to make any noise. His heart was still pounding when he got back to his room, his mind reeling from what he had overheard.

All right. Think. He might not be Eric, but he wasn’t stupid.

What had he learned?

Dr. Navarra wanted to use kerosvarin on Uncle Wayne. Kerosvarin was an illegal drug that amplified the person’s dormant designation genes, and it would turn Uncle Wayne into a Xeus alpha. It meant…

It seemed his uncle was sick. Seriously sick. With Uncle Wayne’s disgust toward Xeus alphas well documented, there was no way he would ever consider being turned into one unless he was on his deathbed. It wasn’t difficult to guess why Dr. Navarra would suggest it as a solution: Xeus alphas had heightened metabolisms and regeneration. Their bodies destroyed bad cells, which was why they never had cancer.

Could his uncle have cancer? There were several types of cancer that were incurable even with modern medicine. Theoretically, turning a sick non-shifter alpha into a Xeus alpha with heightened regeneration should probably help. Except Uncle Wayne clearly wasn’t happy with the solution and had no desire to remain a Xeus. Hence the experiments on the Xeus in the basement. They were trying to reverse kerosvarin’s effects.

And when they managed to do it, they were going to kill the Xeus. They would never let him go.

Jules paced his room, his anxiety rising.

What if he tried to contact the Kadarian government? If the Xeus was a Kadarian, if he was someone important enough to warrant NDA-tech, it was likely that the Kadarian government would help him. Except Pelugia-Kadar relations were strained again. There was no way anyone at the Opal House would be willing to listen to some kid from another country. Jules was unlikely to get past a low-level secretary. It just didn’t seem realistic. Not to mention Jules didn’t want his family mired in a scandal. Liam would absolutely hate him if he ruined his upcoming debut in society. Well, strictly speaking, it was their debut, but Jules wasn’t the one who was going to get all the suitors. Liam had been dreaming about his social season for ages—it had been postponed twice already because of their grandmother’s and mother’s deaths. His debut was important to him. Jules might mock his brother’s vanity, but he still loved him. He couldn’t ruin Liam’s dreams.

So what could he do?

He could help the Xeus escape. In other words, his plan hadn’t changed.

He still needed to find the key to those manacles.

***

He got lucky two days later.

His uncle had left the estate on some business. At least that was what he said. After everything he’d overheard, Jules was skeptical of anything his uncle said, but he certainly wasn’t complaining. With his uncle gone, he could search his rooms and office without fear of being caught. He only hoped his uncle didn’t take the key with him.

His luck lasted. Jules found the keys in his uncle’s bedroom. At least he hoped one of those keys was the right one: some of them definitely looked like the type that would unlock the electronic lock on the manacles. Smiling in relief, Jules put the keys into his pocket and all but ran to Liam’s room. “I need your help!”

Liam looked up from his book and rolled his eyes. “I’m not flirting with the guards again.”

Jules plopped down next to him on the bed. “Pretty please, brother mine?”

Snorting, Liam returned his gaze to his book. “No.”

“Come on, Li!” Jules moved closer. “What are you reading? I didn’t know you read.”

He earned an elbow to his side for his teasing.

Was Liam blushing?

“Are you blushing? What is this book?” Jules grabbed the book and looked at the cover before Liam could stop him. He laughed when he saw the title. “The Peerage of the Pelugian High Society?”

“Shut up,” Liam said defensively. “You should read it, too! All proper young omegas do.”

“It’s boring,” Jules said, scrunching up his nose. “Why would I read it?”

“To make a good match,” Liam said, as if Jules was the stupid one. His pretty golden-brown eyes fixed on Jules with something like bewilderment. “Don’t you want to marry well?”

Jules chuckled. “Marry well? What does it even mean? If you mean marrying into a title, it’s very unlikely. High-ranking alphas marry beneath their station only if the omega is a beauty. So… it isn’t relevant to me.”

Liam frowned. “I wish you wouldn’t talk about yourself like that. You’re very pretty.”

Feeling a rush of affection, Jules raked a hand through Liam’s hair. “You’re biased,” he said with a small laugh. “I’m nothing special. I’m not ugly or anything, but I look like a somewhat nice-looking beta, not an omega. There’s nothing remarkable about me. Highborn alphas don’t look at omegas like me.”

Liam was still frowning. “You could marry a viscount.”

Jules chuckled again.

“You could!” Liam said stubbornly. “There are thirty-six unmarried alpha viscounts—”

“Your knowledge kind of terrifies me,” Jules said, with a crooked smile. “Leave it, Li. I’m not making a great society match—I don’t want to, anyway. We all know you’re the one who will be doing that. Who do you want to marry?”

Liam blushed a little. “I didn’t choose anyone. That would be highly improper to choose an alpha before meeting them. And it would be very conceited of me to—”

“Oh, come on,” Jules said. “I don’t believe you. I’m sure you have narrowed down the candidates to two or three.”

“Fine. But don’t tell anyone.”

“My lips are sealed,” Jules promised, suppressing a laugh and putting on his most serious face.

“There’s the Earl of Sherbrooke,” Liam said thoughtfully. “He would be a fantastic catch for any omega: rich, relatively young, and handsome. There’s the Marchioness of Ferhum—she’s one of the most beautiful alphas out there for sure—”

“I thought you preferred a male alpha,” Jules said, yawning. All this talk about prospective suitors bored him.

Liam shrugged. “I do, but you have to keep your options open. A knot is a knot, isn’t it?”

“Liam!” Jules said, choking on his laughter.

Liam grinned. “Come on! As if you’ve never thought about it! There are obviously differences between male and female alphas, but both have their own perks.”

The image of the naked Xeus in their basement flashed in Jules’s mind. His cheeks warm, Jules averted his gaze.

“Are there… Are there any Xeus alphas among your eligible candidates?” Jules said after a moment. He actually had no idea if Liam shared their uncle’s prejudice.

Liam’s face did something strange.

“What?” Jules said, his curiosity spiking.

“You know Uncle Wayne would be against any of us marrying a Xeus,” Liam said carefully, studying his fingernails. “But technically, he isn’t the alpha of our family until Anthony is declared dead. Also, if a rich, titled Xeus offers me a marriage, I don’t think Uncle would care all that much—”

Jules grinned. “Who are they? Who did you choose?”

“I didn’t,” Liam said, his fingers fiddling with the bed covers. “But the Duke of Westcliff is the most handsome alpha on the planet. It would be ridiculous to dismiss him just because he’s a Xeus. He’s rich, gorgeous, titled and—”

“He’s the king’s nephew, Li,” Jules said when he managed to pick up his jaw. He had no idea Liam’s ambitions were that high. “He’s not just a duke; he’s a royal duke! Our alpha was just a viscountess.”

Liam didn’t look fazed. “So what? You think he’ll care about it if he falls in love?” He smiled dreamily. “He’s so handsome, Jules.”

That Jules couldn’t argue with. Even he sometimes stopped and stared when they showed the royal family on the news. King Stefan and Prince Haydn both were handsome alphas, but they completely paled next to the Duke of Westcliff. The tall, black-haired alpha made all other alphas pale by comparison. He was pretty much Liam’s alpha equivalent: so stunningly handsome he didn’t seem real. Maybe they were well matched, after all.

“Still,” Jules said. “Please manage your expectations, Li. Because if you aim for Westcliff, anyone else will seem like a consolation prize in comparison.”

“I know,” Liam said, but judging by his expression, he wasn’t taking Jules’s words seriously.

Jules shook his head with a small smile. His brother was used to having everyone wrapped around his little finger. His angelic looks usually let Liam get away with murder, so Liam probably couldn’t imagine someone not falling in love with him. It wasn’t really vanity when it was true, was it? For all Jules knew, the Duke of Westcliff would take one look at Liam and fall in love. Everyone else did, after all.

“I really need your help, Li,” Jules said, changing the subject. “It’s important. One last time?”

Liam sighed. “I’m not doing anything until you tell me why you’re sneaking into the basement. I think it’s a fair request, considering that if you get caught, I’ll get in trouble too.”

Jules had to admit his brother had a point.

“All right,” he said with a sigh and started talking.

He didn’t tell Liam everything—he definitely didn’t mention his body’s embarrassing reaction to the Xeus—but he told him the important parts.

Liam looked gratifyingly disturbed by the time he finished. “You want to help him escape?” he said, frowning. “But Uncle Wayne will likely suspect one of us if someone frees the Xeus.”

“He can suspect us all he wants, but as long as we don’t get caught, he can’t prove anything. And it’s not like he’s going to ask us about it. What he’s doing to the Xeus is illegal, Li! If it gets out, Uncle will be arrested.”

“But if you help the Xeus, won’t Uncle be arrested anyway?” Liam said, looking at his hands. He chewed on his lip. “We can’t afford a scandal. Our debut in society is just two months away, Jules.”

Of course that was what Liam was worried about.

“Is your precious society debut more important than someone being experimented on and possibly killed?” Jules said sharply.

Liam glared at him. “Sorry if I’m actually thinking about our future,” he said, as sharply. “If Anthony doesn’t come back within three months, he’ll be officially declared dead and our home will belong to Uncle Wayne. Do you want to depend on his charity for the rest of your life? We’ll have no rights here, no money! When he’s our alpha, Uncle Wayne will be able to do anything he wants to us: marry us off to disgusting old perverts or kick us out of the house. I have to marry well and fast, to make sure our future is secured!”

Oh.

Jules stared at his brother, at a loss for words. He hadn’t actually thought about it this way. He hadn’t thought that Liam might feel like he was under pressure to marry well. Eric was just seventeen, and Jules was… Jules, so of course the responsibility to marry well fell on Liam’s shoulders—he was the beautiful one, after all.

It cast a new light on Liam’s obsession with their society debut and high-ranking alphas. His brother felt responsible for them. He wanted to protect them.

His throat a little tight, Jules hugged Liam, pressing their cheeks together. “Sorry,” he murmured, inhaling his brother’s familiar scent. Liam was a Vos omega, so unlike Jules, his scent wasn’t suppressed. He smelled nice, even to Jules’s suppressed senses. “I didn’t know you were worried about it.”

Liam sighed and pulled back. “Of course I worry. Someone has to.” He rubbed his forehead with the tips of his fingers. “Now you understand why our family can’t afford a scandal right now, right? I have to get married first.”

Jules considered it. “What if… What if we free the Xeus and take him far away from here so he can’t lead the authorities to our house? I don’t think he knows Uncle Wayne’s name. He isn’t exactly rational right now. I doubt things like names even register to him.”

“That could work, maybe.” Liam sounded skeptical. “But how will you take him far away if he doesn’t want to go? Xeus alphas are much stronger than normal alphas, much less omegas.”

Jules wrinkled his forehead. “I guess I’ll have to convince him that it’s for the best?” he said, wincing. He knew there were many holes in his plan, but they couldn’t just do nothing.

Noticing that Liam was giving him a weird look, Jules said, “What?”

“Are you…” Liam smiled crookedly. “Are you sure you aren’t being influenced by the Xeus?”

Jules blinked. “In what way?”

Liam looked around the room before finally looking back at him. A faint flush appeared on his cheekbones. “They say Xeus alphas affect Dainiri omegas the strongest. Like, matching animal pheromones and all that.”

Jules spluttered. “Don’t be silly. Besides, I’m on suppressants.” He carefully didn’t think about his reaction to the Xeus.

“Right,” Liam said. “Sorry, it was stupid of me. He’s probably really ugly and gross in his shifted form right now, right?”

Jules nodded quickly, but his mind was reeling. Could Liam be right? Could his compassion toward the Xeus be caused by the fact that he was a Dainiri? Just like Xeus alphas, Dainiri omegas retained many of the traits of their primitive ancestors. They were more fertile, more nurturing, more driven by their instincts than Vos omegas—and more passionate, supposedly.

Feeling uncomfortable, Jules decided to change the subject. “Anyway, I’ve already found the key to his manacles. All I need from you is to distract the guards in a way that won’t make Uncle Wayne suspect you.”

“Hmm…” Liam suddenly grinned. “I could ‘accidentally’ set the smaller living room on fire. It’s close enough to the basement that the guards should come running when I shout for help.”

“Brains and beauty,” Jules said, pecking Liam on the cheek. “If the Duke of Westcliff doesn’t fall in love with you at first sight, he’s an idiot.”

Liam just laughed and shoved him away.