CHAPTER 399: CHAPTER 399: PREPARATIONS

Lucas’s tone didn’t shift in the slightest. "I’m married to you. I’ve learned to account for possibilities."

Windstone coughed into his hand, very softly, the way only a man who’d seen far too much could. "To be fair, my lord, history does suggest a certain pattern."

Trevor shot him a glare that could have peeled paint. "You’re both insufferable."

"Efficient," Lucas corrected, voice silk over steel. "If I had to choose between denial and analysis, I’d take the one that gets me answers."

Trevor leaned back in his chair, the candlelight catching faintly on his ring. "All right, clever one. Humor me... why are both of your theories about me killing my ex?"

Lucas tilted his head, that calm, unsettling logic gleaming in his eyes. "Because the only people you can’t control are the ones who get too close. And Vivienne was both brilliant and reckless. Either she betrayed you, or she scared you."

Trevor’s lips twitched, somewhere between irritation and reluctant admiration. "You make me sound like a villain in one of your old stories."

"You’ve read my old stories," Lucas said mildly. "If the shoe fits."

Windstone, clearing the dishes with infuriating calm, murmured, "More like if the glove leaves fingerprints."

Trevor gave him a long, deliberate look. "You’re one comment away from being reassigned to Cressida’s estate."

"That would be a fate worse than death, my lord," Windstone said smoothly. "Which is precisely why I’ll continue speaking."

Lucas almost smiled. "Go on, then."

Windstone set down the last plate, folded his hands neatly, and said in a tone of grave sincerity, "I believe His Grace’s second theory is the likelier one. Miss Vivienne was ambitious, delusional perhaps, but not a fool. If she claimed to have reached a state of dominance, she likely succeeded, for a moment. Her body simply couldn’t sustain it."

Trevor’s jaw tightened. "Well, for the moment we don’t know. What we know is that Benedict’s control is reaching Velloran even with the faintest trace." He sighed and looked at Lucas. "And that means we have to be more careful about your safety."

Trevor’s jaw tightened, his gaze flicking toward Lucas, then to Windstone, who still sat with perfect posture, hands folded on the table like an immovable constant.

"My safety?" Lucas’s tone was firm yet not accusatory. "Trevor, you’ll be susceptible too."

Windstone gave a quiet hum of agreement, which usually preceded a verbal scalpel. "His Grace has a point, my lord. Benedict’s methods do not discriminate. Alphas are not immune to chemical coercion, especially if the compound still contains Vivienne’s stabilizer strand."

Trevor arched an eyebrow, half in challenge, half in weary amusement. "You’re both ganging up on me now."

Lucas leaned back in his chair, expression calm but resolute. "We’re being realistic. You said yourself that Velloran still reacts to residual scent patterns. If Benedict’s reach extends through the bloodstream, through the compounds, then any exposure could trigger it. You, me, anyone in this house."

Windstone nodded once, his expression as smooth as glass. "Including the staff. Which is why I already ordered the manor’s filtration system to cycle at triple rate and replaced every scent diffuser in the west wing."

Trevor blinked. "You did that without asking me?"

"I assumed your continued breathing implied consent," Windstone replied evenly, his tone polite but unrepentant. "Additionally, I’ve recalled the external patrol units to switch to full-spectrum bio scans. If Benedict is in Palatine and Fitzgeralt, as we know, he will not pass through our airspace again without his pheromones lighting up half the city grid."

Lucas’s lips twitched faintly. "You see? Someone in this household actually listens when I talk about prevention."

"I listen," Trevor said, his tone deliberately mild. "I just prefer not to panic before dessert."

"We are not panicking," Lucas countered. "But merely preparing."

Windstone gestured toward him with the faintest tilt of his hand. "Which, in this household, has saved more lives than optimism."

Trevor sighed, resigned. "You two are starting to sound like a committee."

Lucas arched a brow. "And you’re lucky for it. You have terrible instincts when you’re stressed."

"That’s slander," Trevor muttered, reaching for his glass.

"Is it?" Lucas asked, eyes narrowing with amused challenge. "Who decided to chase a man who rewrites minds without backup?"

Windstone coughed discreetly, failing to hide his smirk. "Technically, my lord, that was reckless even by your standards."

Trevor pointed his fork at him. "I can still demote you."

Windstone’s reply was instant and unbothered. "You’ve been saying that for fifteen years. It’s lost its potency."

Lucas couldn’t hold back a quiet laugh this time; the sound was light and genuine, dissolving some of the heaviness that had lingered since Trevor mentioned Benedict. "You should know better than to argue with him, Trevor. He wins every time."

Trevor gave his butler a long look before conceding. "Fine. I’ll increase my stabilizer dose until we isolate the compound’s carrier structure. If Benedict weaponized Vivienne’s serum, I won’t risk secondary exposure."

Windstone inclined his head approvingly. "Sensible, my lord. I’ll prepare two doses. You and His Grace will take them together. Shared routines help maintain compliance."

Lucas made a small sound of amusement. "Compliance. That’s one word for marriage."

Windstone’s mouth curved, just slightly. "I prefer efficiency."

Trevor shook his head, though there was warmth in his eyes when he looked at Lucas again. "You see what you’ve done? You’ve turned him into your accomplice."

"He was always mine," Lucas said simply, his smile softening. "You just didn’t notice until now."

Windstone rose with quiet dignity, smoothing his gloves. "If my lords are done trading territorial metaphors, shall I bring dessert and the Duchess’s report? She seems eager for you both to read it, preferably before the end of the world."

Trevor’s lips curved faintly. "Bring both. And coffee."

"Of course," Windstone said, bowing slightly. "And perhaps a stronger lock for your laboratory, my lord. Just in case Benedict decides to rewrite the menu next."

Lucas watched him leave, amusement still flickering behind his eyes. "You know, I think he’s the only one who could insult you and call it a security briefing."

Trevor exhaled, a quiet chuckle escaping him. "That’s why he’s still alive."

"Good," Lucas murmured. "I’d like to keep him that way."

Outside, the winter was making its presence known. Inside, the tension between them settled, tempered by understanding and the critical news they had. Whatever was coming, they would meet it together, with Windstone’s dry commentary and all.