He wasn’t sure what attracted his attention. A faint noise? A suggestion of a noise? It was unusual for the hour, since all the rooms were soundproof and everyone was supposed to be asleep.
Bewildered, Liam turned toward the noise. It was coming from a nondescript guest room no one usually used.
His curiosity piqued, Liam walked toward it. When he got close, it became obvious that the door wasn’t fully closed.
“—I’m trying! I am!”
It was a male voice. It was vaguely familiar, but Liam couldn’t quite place it. It seemed he was speaking on the phone, because Liam couldn’t hear the other person’s response.
“The head maid is too controlling and watches like a hawk when the meals are served. It’s hard to slip it into his food.”
Liam frowned, unease twisting his gut.
“Unless you want me to put that stuff into everyone’s food and kill the entire family, you’ll have to be patient, sir. I’m trying!”
A chill ran down Liam’s spine. He stood frozen, his eyes wide. Surely he wasn’t… surely that person wasn’t talking about poisoning someone?
“I nearly managed it a few days ago, but he lifted his eyes as I was about to slip it into his glass of whiskey. I was lucky he seemed distracted and didn’t notice it in my hand.”
Suppressing the urge to open the door and find out who the speaker was, Liam walked away as quietly as he could, his heart thundering somewhere in his throat and his hands trembling from the rush of adrenaline and fear.
Glass of whiskey.
Only Anthony drank whiskey in the family. That person, whoever he was, intended to poison Anthony. To kill him in cold blood. It seemed unthinkable. Ridiculous. And yet. Liam knew what he’d heard, no matter how outlandish the idea seemed.
Someone wanted to kill Anthony.
Trying to control the panic making the air clog in his lungs, Liam headed to Anthony’s room. He had to warn him. He needed to warn him, as soon as possible.
He rushed into Anthony’s bedroom without bothering to knock.
The dark form on the bed sprang into a seated position so fast Liam was startled.
“Who is here—Liam?” Anthony’s voice was a little hoarse from sleep, but he sounded remarkably alert for someone who’d been rudely woken up at two o’clock.
Liam shut the door carefully, his fingers still trembling.
“What are you doing here?” Anthony said. “You shouldn’t be in my room.”
Liam swallowed. In his panic he’d forgotten that coming to Anthony’s bedroom at night wasn’t exactly a wise thing to do. Since their “let’s be brothers” conversation weeks ago, they hadn’t been alone at all, much less alone in Anthony’s bedroom.
“It’s important,” he croaked out. I wouldn’t risk it if it weren’t important. “I’ve just overheard someone talking about killing you.”
There was a beat of silence before Anthony reached out and switched the bedside lamp on. Warm yellow light filled the room.
When Liam’s eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, Anthony was already by his side. “Come here, sit,” he said, his hand jerking toward Liam, as if he had intended to touch him but thought better of it. He gestured to the chair by his desk.
Liam did as he was told, carefully not looking at Anthony’s bare chest. But looking at his face was no better. His chiseled features were even more attractive than usual in the warm, intimate light, and the bed hair he sported made Liam’s fingers itch with the urge to run them through it. It was so hard not to touch him after weeks of not being allowed to. His fingers were literally twitching.
Fuck, maybe he should have waited until the morning. But how could he, after hearing that someone intended to kill Anthony? Another wave of panic rose at the thought, and Liam tried to push it away. Anthony was all right. He was fine. He was right here. He was—
He was kneeling in front of Liam and taking his trembling hands into his own. “Calm down,” Anthony said, his voice gentle but somehow comfortingly firm, too, his blue eyes holding Liam’s firmly. “Breathe with me, darling. In and out.”
Liam breathed. In and out. The familiar scent hit his lungs and Liam’s eyelids grew heavy. Alpha-safe-protected filled his senses, but it still wasn’t enough. He wanted him closer. He wanted to drop himself into Anthony’s lap, press his face against his throat, and be held. Just imagining it made his insides ache with yearning. It was normal for an omega to want comfort from his alpha brother, right? It didn’t have to mean anything inappropriate.
As if reading his thoughts, Anthony said, “No, Liam.”
“Just a hug?” Liam said, his voice smaller than he would have liked.
Anthony’s expression became rather tight, but at last he gave a clipped nod, his body language becoming more inviting.
Part of Liam was mortified by how quickly he dropped himself into Anthony’s lap, but as soon as his face buried in Anthony’s neck, he stopped giving a damn. A moan left his lips as he nuzzled against Anthony’s scent gland. It felt like heaven. Like everything wonderful in the world. Like breathing air after suffocating for weeks. He couldn’t get enough. He didn’t care how wrong it was to feel this. It felt so right, like this man had been created for him.