A Howl In The Night ✔ » l.s

22

"An Omega?" David questioned suspiciously, eyes twinkling.

"Yes. A son of mine. One I could arrange for you to meet." Benedict said nonchalantly.

Liam had to physically hold Louis down on his chair to keep the Alpha from lunging at his father. Anyone could see just how hard Louis' jaws were clenched, a vein throbbing on the side of his head. His eyes were a cold shade of blue, blazing in fury and rage.

"Lovely." David smiled, shaking Benedict's hand. "We could discuss the more technical parts of our situation with the beasts after I meet your son then, Mister Winter."

"Indeed."

Louis' head was swimming, hands trembling from how hard he was trying to contain himself. If Liam wasn't there to feverishly whisper rationality and reason into his ear, he might have already tackled Benedict to the ground and broke his nose.

Louis didn't even realize that the room was now empty other than him and Liam. He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head as though it would chance anything before he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders.

"Louis! Get yourself together you idiot!" Liam whisper-yelled, eyes frantic.

Louis just gritted his teeth and looked up with Liam with such venomous eyes that the Alpha took an involuntary step backwards. "I'm going to punch some sense into him, I swear to all the gods—"

"I'm afraid that won't be happening, Louis." Benedict's voice came from behind them.

It was like a bomb went off inside Louis and then he was grabbing the man he'd treated as his father by the collar of his shirt, fisting at it as he trembled feverishly. "I'm not letting you do this—"

"You don't have a say in this, Louis." Benedict said, unfazed. "Will you let me go or do you want me to show you your place?"

Louis was harshly tugged off of Benedict by Liam, who proceeded to hold him back as Louis tried to lunge at the man again.

"How could you do this?! Harry isn't some object for you to give away as a fucking gift, you don't own him—"

"Ah, but I do." Benedict said, voice stern. "I own each and every one of you. I'm the reason you are what you are now. Harry is mine to give away, and if you cared for this city at all, you'd make this sacrifice too."

Louis hostile eyes bore into Benedict's impossibly cold and dull ones, hands fisted at his sides as the older man simply stepped away and fixed his wrinkled collar. He walked to the door and stopped when Louis spoke again.

"Harry won't let you, he'll never agree with this. That's his whole life you're throwing away. And I'll do whatever it takes to help him escape you—"

There was a sudden, sharp pain on his cheek, the sound of the slap echoing through the empty room. Louis looked back up and spat blood out of his mouth, refusing to back down as Benedict towered over him with raging eyes.

"You will not disobey and disappoint me again, Louis. Try anything and Harry will face a true, cruel fate and you'll be begging me to push through with this one instead." Benedict said coldly, voice slightly wavering from anger. Louis maintained eye contact even as the older man walked towards the door, quietly adding, "I'm a man of my words, Tomlinson."

Only when Benedict was out of sight did Louis allow hot tears to escape his eyes—tears of such powerful anger and loathing that it burned his skin.

*

Harry knew Louis would freak out if he discovered that Harry had snuck out of the library and out into the garden instead, but he didn't have time to inform him. Harry clutched his journal against his chest, eyes wandering over the various plants and herbs he'd began planting just a few weeks ago.