A slow fluttering signalled Will's uneasy return to consciousness, his neck hurt like a bee sting while his head throbbed unrelentingly – had he gone to university and experienced the hangover after his first kegger, Will would have had something to liken the ache to. For a moment blue eyes refused to focus on anything but eventually he realized he'd been placed gently on his and Hannibal's bed; a safe space. Awkwardly he'd pushed himself up onto his elbows then fished around on the nightstand until he found his glasses to return himself to the world of defined lines. As he took slow breaths and tried to recall what had happened, he rubbed at his baby bump as a way to comfort both himself and the twins.
A squeak had his head snap to the door as Winston nudged it open with his nose and hurried in wanting attention and to know his master was well. 'Bandage?' Will's mind questioned when he saw the white wrapped around Winston's middle, then it all flooded back to him; that woman had kicked and thrown things at Winston, she'd stuck something in Will's neck!
"That bitch!"
Will forced himself up onto shaky legs once he'd confirmed to himself that Winston wasn't too seriously injured, then spent the next fifteen or so seconds wobbling back and forth to clear the foggy dizziness inside his mind. When he made for the stairs it was with Winston trailing slowly behind him on his own shaky legs.
Silence greeted Will, a heavy silence which unnerved him and made him cradle his baby bump instinctively. With quiet steps he made his way down the stairs and back into the living room all the time looking for the woman who'd called herself Margot. Empty, the living room was empty, in fact the only indication anyone had entered the room all day was the handbag Margot had arrived with and figurine she'd thrown at Winston which now lay on the floor by the fireplace. Will hadn't ever thought much of that bronze figurine before, but he'd known it was old and ridiculously expensive.
Where was Margot? Was that even her real name? Will hated himself for being so stupid, he never should have believed her when Hannibal hadn't said a word about a home visit. He'd been an idiot. He'd thought there was something familiar about her from the moment he'd opened the door.
"You should have listened to your instincts, moron."
None of this made any sense though, whatever she'd planned had to have been cruel, violent and bloody but he'd been left comfortably on his bed while Winston's wound had been treated. People didn't suddenly change their minds once they were so far into their plans, Will wouldn't find a note tacked to the fridge with something along the lines of: Changed my mind. Sorry about your dog. Toodles.
Unsure of what else to do, and knowing the cell Hannibal had bought him was in the kitchen, Will walked toward said kitchen to call his mate for help. Yet, before he even reached the dining room, Will spotted the basement door had been left ajar – that door was never top for it was where Hannibal did his darker work. While he wasn't exactly forbidden from the basement since he'd told Hannibal he was fully aware of his murderous nature, it wasn't part of the house Will had much cause to enter. Still, Will couldn't just ignore it and found himself descending the cold stairs instead of doing the more sensible thing of locating his phone.
It was much colder down there than upstairs, far more sterile in both appearance and scent. Will felt his heart rate spike when a clank of metal on metal echoed to him, but he pushed on.
"I didn't think you'd be awake so soon, Will."
The alpha startled Will as he emerged from behind a plastic curtain to find his mate with sleeves rolled to his elbows and latex gloves on his hands. Hannibal? Hannibal was there. Suddenly the twins were kicking having sensed their father and safety.
"You're here? What em – what happened?"
"You were drugged," the alpha began as he snared Will in his arms too comfort his beloved omega. "Don't worry about Winston, the wound wasn't too deep and I've cleaned and bandaged it already."
Will nodded, he'd been confused about the bandages when he'd first woken up but only Hannibal would have bothered treating Winston.
"Are the twins okay?"
"Yes, perfectly fine. I examined you while you were unconscious, their heartbeats are strong and there were no signs of distress. You can feel them moving?"
"Yeah."
"Then all is well," he kissed Will's temple. "Worry not.
"How are you here, Hannibal? You'd gone to work."
Hannibal nodded. "I had, but realized I'd left my cellphone. I returned to retrieve it only to find that woman looming over you."
So it was sheer dumb luck he and the twins were safe. A forgotten cellphone had saved his pups' lives.
"Where is she? Did you kill her?"
Hannibal released Will from the embrace then and pulled the plastic curtain to reveal a metal table to which Margot had been strapped. Not dead then.
"Our friend here is currently still alive. I sedated her – somewhat ironically – and left her here while you slept so I could see a patient. She'll come round soon and then we'll get some answers." Will was pulled back into Hannibal's arms and kissed deeply. "I'm so sorry, mylimasis, so very sorry. I should have protected you and our pups. What must you think of me as a mate and as an alpha? I love you."
Will's brow furrowed as they clung to one another. "How could I ever think less of you? I was the one who fell for her story and let her in, I was the one who put our pups in danger, I was the one who should have known better. You saved us, Hannibal. You're a fantastic alpha and a wonderful mate. I love you too, Hannibal." He snuggled in closer to Hannibal's strong chest. "My alpha."
Sweet Will. Sweet, perfect and understanding Will. When he'd returned home to hear Winston whimpering and smelt a heavy floral perfume that was both revolting and totally out of place, he'd surged into action driven only by the urge to defend his mate and unborn pups. Before Margot had even realized she'd got company Hannibal had managed to pin her to the ground and begun choking her out; even a beta on their worst day was no match for an angry thoroughbred alpha. That had led him to sedating her quickly so he could tend to Will and later Winston before hurrying to his office to see a patient – cancelling at such short notice would have been both rude and suspicious. None of that mattered though, Will was safe and the patient hadn't been any the wiser.
"Are you going to kill her now?" Will queried as blue eyes glanced to Margot.
"Not yet, I'd like to speak with her before that to find out what provoked this. I'll not stand for my omega being threatened nor will I let her leave this earth without her providing a reason."
Outwardly, Hannibal might have appeared calm, but Wil knew the truth, he could feel the tension in Hannibal's broad shoulders and see that little vein on the side of his head pulse. Furious was the alpha – not that Will could blame him. For most of his life Will had thought all alphas were nothing but savage beasts driven only by their own desires and the need to feel superior, but the more life he experienced with Hannibal, the more he realized he'd only interacted with a single kind of alpha; the sort Hannibal would have called lesser alphas. He was capable of intense violence and calculated death when he wanted to be, but he also possessed charisma, a suave level of decorum and genuine love for those he deemed worthy. A devil in a suit was Hannibal Lecter, but he was Will's devil in a suit.
Knowing it would be a while longer before Margot woke up, Hannibal took Will upstairs to get him fed and make doubly sure he nor the twins were in any medical danger. As soon as they'd entered the kitchen Will had lowered himself into the armchair in the corner while Hannibal had set about preparing arancini from the extra risotto he'd prepared the previous day. While he normally preferred to prepare things from scratch rather than leaving parts of a meal loitering in his fridge, Will had rather taken to arancini and was something warming he could make fairly quickly since the rice had already been cooked.
"What did that woman say to you?" He asked from the island. "She has no identification in her bag, just a gun, drugs and photographs of us. I assume she pretended to be a nurse of some kind given her outfit."
Will nodded. "A midwife who called herself Margot. She said she was here for a home visit. You'd not said anything so I wasn't sure but she knew our names and that you're a doctor."
"Did she now?" Hannibal hummed to himself as he retrieved a bowl and arancini sizzled in the fryer. "I organized no such thing, which means this woman has done some research on us."
"I'm sorry, I should have never let her in."
That had the older man's eyes snap up to his mate and hands still. "You are not responsible for this, Will. You weren't to know."
Hannibal could say that as many times as he liked but Will wasn't sure he'd ever be convinced. If not for that sheer dumb luck he, the twins and even Winston – who'd settled upstairs – would have all been left cold for Hannibal discover long after it was too late. The rest of the conversation passed quietly with Will acting a little absent until Hannibal set a bowl of arancini in his lap with a small pot of homemade Marinara sauce. He ate mostly because he knew Hannibal wanted him to and listened to Hannibal's comforting words.
When the food had long since been eaten and Hannibal had assured the both of them that the pups were fine, they'd returned to the basement where Margot was still strapped to the table. Alpha had insisted omega hadn't had to follow, but there hadn't been any deterring him. Hannibal might have been the serial killer amongst them, but Will had his own darkness and wanted to see the reason for this attack cut out of Margot if needs be.
She lay there with wide eyes and heart racing, the sight of Hannibal apparently enough to almost trigger a panic attack. Wrists fought her bonds uselessly while Hannibal removed his mask to show the beast that lurked beneath.
"You're finally awake, Margot. Is that your real name or just one you made up? I mean, it is rather rude to hold myself and my mate at such a disadvantage, you knowing our names while we don't know yours."
"Don't kill me!" All of Margot's anger and hatred had drained away at the sight of Hannibal. She'd wanted to prove herself better and stronger than a lowly omega, but even she knew her place when compared to a thoroughbred alpha hiding a demon inside himself. "Please, don't kill me!"
"That is not the correct answer. I apologize for my abrupt jump to this, but I require you to answers my questions promptly and, you see, I am really rather angry."
Before even Will could think to question, Hannibal had retrieved one of his trusty scalpels and slashed the webbing between her little and ring fingers. Margot's scream echoed around the basement of metal and plastic. Some distant part of Will hated the scream and wanted to stop what would undoubtedly turn into torture, but this beta had conned her way into his home then tried to kill him, his unborn children and his dog; these were unforgivably acts and seeing his alpha intact retribution satisfied some omega trait that wanted to see their alpha prove they could protect. Had it just been Will she'd hurt then maybe things would be different, but he'd not forgive the harm she'd caused Winston and he'd certainly not forgive the danger she'd put his pups in. No, he'd stand there and watch while Hannibal got the answers he wanted then wait for her to appear as some beautiful meal on his plate.
"Kindly tell us your name, please? Is it actually Margot?"
The beta nodded as much as she could with her neck restrained. "Yes. Margot Verger."
Will paled and stumbled back so suddenly that Hannibal had to catch him. Maroon eyes full of concern stared intently at the younger man.
"What is wrong, my sweet Will? Are you in pain?"
"Verger." He muttered. "Verger took me to the House."
Hannibal might have already removed his mask, but even Will hadn't realized there was yet more darkness lurking inside. The alpha grew rigid, his eyes turned almost black and a single eye twitched. After Chilton had died Hannibal had thought his chance to find the House and take revenge on Will's behalf had been dashed, yet another connection had wandered into his home.
With an abrupt speed, Hannibal retrieved a chair from the corner and eased Will into it only to kiss him softly then return to Margot.
"You are going to tell me absolutely everything you know about the House. That includes it's management, it's layout and the best points of entry. You're also going to tell me why you came here. Was it to take Will back?"
"I don't know anything." She insisted but Hannibal could see the lie clear as day.
His head tilted to one side. "Miss Verger, if you're going to lie to me, at least have the decency to be good at it." He slashed her flesh again, this time between her ring and middle fingers. "Truthfully, I abhor torture, I shall admit it is a very useful tool in some instances, but will always be distasteful. It can even have an effect on the meat. However, this is one of those instances where it is a valuable tool. It is in your best interests to answer my questions coherently and without attempts at deception."
It took a few moments of Margot flicking her eyes between Will and Hannibal while screaming pain surged through her right hand. Two cuts, that was all he'd done but she knew it simply the tip of the iceberg. He could rip her lungs out while she still breathed if he felt that way inclined. How had she been so stupid? Mason had always told her she was stupid, maybe he'd been right all along. She'd been so blinded by jealousy and a need to feel strong and have control in her own chaotic life, that she'd ignored the looming death threat that was Hannibal Lecter. Mason was a hammer, a blunt object intent on beating things into submission. Meanwhile, Hannibal was a scalpel, something sharp that could cut away at any obstruction with precision and dexterity. Alphas were terrifying, but this one was something else entirely.
"If I answer your questions, you won't kill me?"
Hannibal flashed her a smile, one of those charming and disarming ones he used on people daily.
"I won't kill you." He agreed which seemed to calm her nerves but confused the omega. "Will, you needn't watch this if you don't want to. You can go rest upstairs with Winston."
Will shook his head and spoke with determination. "No, I want to see this. I want to know why she and Mason happily go around buying and stealing people from their lives."
"That may be so, brangusis. However, as much as I'd like to see you naked and smothered in blood, you will never look at me the same once you see this."
"Do you really think that? Do you honestly think I've not fantasized about seeing this?"
"Reality is always far worse than a fantasy."
Will shook his head. "I could never think different about you, Hannibal. I love you. I want to see my powerful alpha protecting his pups. When I was little I didn't think anybody deserved to suffer but the House taught me otherwise."
This was the moment the darkness in Will began to bloom, down there in the basement petals started to struggle away from one another. Hannibal couldn't wait to see it blossom. Oh how he loved his perfect omega.
"Very well." Wasn't like Hannibal could have refused Will even if he'd wanted to. His attention turned back to Margot. "Please begin, Miss Verger. Did you come to my home intending to kidnap my pregnant mate?"
"… No," she eventually managed to say. "They think he's dead so there wasn't any point."
The House wasn't searching for Will, that was good to know. It had been a brutally cold night back when Hannibal had struck him with the Bentley, so expecting a malnourished, half-dressed omega to have succumbed to exposure somewhere in the woods wasn't much of a stretch. All of that meant that this beta had a personal vendetta.
"Then why attack my mate?"
"He's just an omega! A pathetic, week fucktoy! Why should he get to live happily with a strong alpha and children? Why should he get love and kindness while I get nothing?! I'm a beta, I'm better and stronger than him."
"Yet you're the one strapped to a table and bleeding." Hannibal pointed out.
For centuries the debate over the worth of the three dynamics had argued over. Originally it had only been alphas and betas – the beginning and the end as it were – with the alphas acting as the protectors and providers while omegas were the life-givers. It had been an efficient set-up in the days of cavemen, everybody had their role to play in keeping each other alive and healthy. Betas had appeared later when humanity had begun leaving the caves behind – when bashing someone on the head with a rock hadn't been quite so needed. Yet, even in modern day alphas were considered top of the proverbial food chain despite betas vastly outnumbering them. The air of authority they'd always carried had remained effective. Some alphas had let that blind them into thinking them superior to the other dynamics, but Hannibal knew better; he wasn't better than other dynamics because he'd got alpha blood, he knew all dynamics had a role to play and he'd remembered his role was to protect and provide for the omega who chose to spend their life with him. He might have been superior to other people, but that was due to his intelligence, talents and reputation, not because he'd presented as an alpha. Apparently that wasn't a lesson Margot had ever been taught. No, she'd been educated to believe the dynamic operated under a strict hierarchy where alphas sat at the top while omegas were at the bottom. She'd funnelled that into her own chaotic but comforting belief that, while she may not have been as good as an alpha, at least she wasn't as bad as an omega. Margot likely had very little in her life she could control, very little to make her feel worth something or valued, so seeing Will excel in his new left despite all the horror he'd suffered had infuriated her. She'd wanted to make Will stop existing to remove the reminder that being a beta didn't put her higher up the imaginary ranking. Ultimately, it all boiled down to something very mundane: she'd wanted to kill Will to make herself feel better. 'Pathetic' thought Hannibal, that one act of pettiness had made her worth less than dirt in his eyes. Only by embracing what we are can we overcome our horrors was something she'd never comprehend.
"Where is the House located?"
"I don't know." Hannibal gripped his scalpel tighter which had Margot panic. "I don't! I really don't! I helped my brother get the omegas, but I've only been to the House a few times – just a few – and – and Mason always blindfolded me because he didn't trust me. It's deep in the woods in Wolf Trap, that's all I know. Even when we went to buy him-" She inclined her head to gesture at Will. "- he did that."
Maybe his new chance to locate the House after Chilton's death hadn't been the miracle he'd first assumed. The woodland around Wolf Trap was vast, dense and difficult to navigate, Hannibal had spent an excessive amount of time searching to no avail and even consulted Google Maps to search for abandoned buildings. Either it had been hidden under thick trees or had somehow been removed.
"If you call your brother, will he meet you?"
Margot shook her head. "No. He only – He only finds me when he needs me. I don't know where he is. You could even tell him you'll kill me and he wouldn't come."
Well, that was one plan dashed on the rocks. If this Mason Verger honestly cared so little for his sister that her life being in danger couldn't rouse him into action, then there wouldn't be any using him to gain entry to the House. Margot was turning out to be a wild kind of useless.
"Who runs the House? Will mentioned some kind of master, Jack I believe was his name."
Margot swallowed. "Jack Crawford. He's an alpha. Fairly tall, African American, late forties."
That pain in her hand had really gotten her talking it would seem. 'Good' thought Hannibal, it expedited things if nothing else. Her description hadn't really helped him, Will had already told him what Jack looked like; a last name was useful though.
"How do you acquire new omegas? I assume there is some kind of network for such things. Also, how is the House managed?"
When Margot remained silent just a little too long, Hannibal slashed at the webbing again. Compared to the level of torture he was capable of, three cuts was nothing, but Margot wasn't all that strong physically or mentally.
"Mason knows shady people, always has. Omegas are cattle, if there's money to be made off of them then he'll use them. Jack pays well for pretty ones – more for male ones." Yes, male omegas were somewhat uncommon. "And if Mason keeps the rooms filled then he looks the other way when Mason … does things."
Hannibal didn't need 'does things' explaining. He'd seen the multitude of bruises and old burn scars from cigarettes on Margot's skin. Mason Verger the sadist and savage beast – a man with no decorum and likely little self-control.
"And the management? Surely it's more than just Jack and Mason."
"You really won't kill me?"
"I gave you my word," the alpha affirmed with hardly a pause, all while Will watch on from his chair with his arms wrapped around his growing belly. "And my word is worth far more than those you're used to dealing with."
"… Okay." Margot might have had her doubts, but she'd been backed into a corner and had little other option than to trust Hannibal. "There - There are a few alpha guards outside. Jack doesn't want too many in case they try to take over. They're not allowed inside so they're not tempted by the stock." Stock? Like his darling Will was little more than groceries. "I don't know how many, but the guards inside are all betas and security gates are everywhere. I – I think there are three floors." Crimson blood slowly began to drip down off the table and toward the drain fitted in the floor; a gentle pattering of impending death. "There's a doctor, too. Something with a G."
"Gideon." Will supplied. "I'm not sure he's an actual doctor but he patched us up well enough and gave us the pills."
Apart from providing a surname for the House's master, Margot had yielded little useful information and had proven herself an underachieving little cog; alive but not living. Then again, life was just pending death.
"Thank you, Miss Verger. Although, you've regretfully provided little support in my plans to locate the House. If your brother will not assist me to save your life and you yourself cannot provide an accurate description of the building or its whereabouts, then you have reached the end of your ability to bestow assistance."
Margot's eyes went wide as panic overtook her. "You promised you wouldn't kill me!"
"I am a man of my word, I assure you." He turned to face Will and proffered his scalpel. "This woman helped steal you away from your home and delivered you into the hands of those who would abuse you for their own sexual gratification, Will. She came here to destroy the family we have built together out of petty inferiority and jealousy. I have given my word not to kill her, but that does not mean I will let her live. Perhaps it is time to strike back, Will. Perhaps it is time to let a little of your own darkness out."
Will swallowed as Margot thrashed and fought her bonds having realized the loophole Hannibal had found.
"I don't know."
In an instant Hannibal was crouched at his side with love in his eyes and the scalpel-less hand rested on Will's knee.
"I shan't force you, mylimasis. Self-doubt is a sign of sanity. If you truly do not wish to kill her then I'll leave her down here to starve slowly. I will not have broken my word and she will have been forced to suffer for what she's done. That said, you have a lot of anger built up inside you – understandable anger – and it would be better for you to release it instead of burying it deep down. Buried trauma still hurts and if you show sympathy or mercy you're just being rude to your foe. Anything that numbs the pain becomes addictive, don't let numbing yourself become your addiction."
Blue eyes flicked from baby bump to scalpel then, finally, to Hannibal's eyes. "Is killing your addiction?"
"I wouldn't say it is a compulsion exactly, I don't fight against the urge to kill, but I know I could never give it up forever."
Hannibal's honesty actually surprised Will a moment, he wasn't the sort to let any perceived weaknesses show. Yet the honesty was refreshing for Will who'd spent so many years being lied to. He wanted Jack and Mason dead, there wasn't any refuting that and, now she'd told them her name and Will remembered the night his father had sold him, he wanted Margot dead as well. She'd shown up on his doorstep twice in his life to take everything he held dear, he'd not let there be a third. So, after a calming breath and nod to his alpha, Will took the scalpel and stood. They went to the metal table together where Margot continued to struggle and scream pointlessly. He'd not seen Hannibal kill before and didn't know his preferred method, but as she continued to shout things like 'get away from me you worthless omega', Will just wanted her to shut up. Before he'd even realized he'd moved, Will had drawn the blade across Margot's throat causing an abrupt end to her shouting. Oh how peaceful quiet was.
Blood bubbled up slowly for a split second before pouring out like a tidal wave, it poured out of her uncontrollably and Will couldn't pull his eyes away. Hannibal's arms snaked around him from behind so he could press his chest to Will's back and plant a kiss just above his mating bite; Will preened. As Margot gagged, choked and bled out before them, the pair snuggled into one another knowing her death bonded them in a totally new way. They weren't just mates or lovers any longer, they were co-conspirators – murder husbands.
"See." Hannibal said quietly, hardly a whisper. "This is all I ever wanted for you. For both of us."
"It's beautiful."
People could scoff at murder and killers all they liked, call it evil or distasteful but everybody was a killer. Maybe they'd not killed a person but everyone had killed something be it a fly buzzing around their face, a suffering dog or a fellow human being, it all boiled down to killing in the end. Humanity as a species was hypocritical and contradictory, but most were too arrogant to admit it and used sophistry to shove different deaths into a diagram of varying severity. Hannibal and Will knew the truth though and were brave enough to acknowledge their darkness without trying to justify themselves. Death was beautiful, each splatter of blood a detailed brush stroke. Death truly was beautiful. People could walk into a Michelin restaurant, order and then comment on how beautiful the plate before them was, all while completely forgetting that something died to put that meat on their plate. All humans were killers, but the two of them refused to look away in shame. Slowly the quiet gargles softened until they finally ended and a once desperate light in Margot's eyes faded, but neither turned away from the art they'd created.
Will set the scalpel down so he could place his bloody hands atop Hannibal's. "You were right. I don't feel a compulsion but I don't think I could give it up now I've experienced it."
Hannibal kissed at that mating bite again. "You are the most wondrous creature I've ever encountered, Will. I adore you, my beautiful and brave omega."
"Alpha."
He could feel Hannibal's interest pressed against him, knew seeing his own mate kill someone had been the single most erotic thing Hannibal had ever witnessed, but Margot had come to destroy and he wanted to see her broken down into nothing but fragments. Her death had been quicker than she deserved, she should have suffered more for threatening their pups.
"My darling William." Hannibal muttered against the shell of Will's ear.
"I want you inside me, but I want to see you butcher her first." Sparkling blue eyes tilted up to Hannibal's maroon ones hopefully. "Please? I want her to stop existing."
They both knew Hannibal could never deny his omega just as well they knew he wasn't a slave to his baser instincts, so Hannibal's nod didn't surprise Will in the slightest.
"If that is what my omega wants then that is what he shall get. Would you like to assist or just watch?"
After confirming he only wanted to watch this time around, Hannibal set to work. He showed Will how to drain the blood and cut into the body to remove organs. Frankly, it reminded Will of before he'd presented when he'd seen his father butcher deer he'd hunted. Organs such as the heart, lungs and liver were set into boxes and refrigerated before he set about turning Margot into a few choice cuts. It hadn't ever occurred to Will that so much of a person was edible, but humans were just another animal and only society made people forget that.
"We'll be eating her for weeks."
"I don't usually have a whole body to break down quite like this. Perhaps I'll make a few special treats for Winston out of her, only right he gets to consume the one who hurt him." Will couldn't argue with that. "She came here to kill you and our pups, now she will sustain the three of you."
"I should regret this. I killed someone. My consciousness and empathy should be screaming at me but …" He trailed off.
"But your conscience is clear?" Will nodded as Hannibal helped himself to what would soon be a lovely steak. "That is because you have protected the lives inside you. You have ensured they can never be threatened again. My sweet boy, you will always fiercely protect our pups in a way I cannot ever compare to. It is one thing to sire a child, it is quite another to grow and give birth to one."
"You saying it's a mama bear situation?" Will asked with a chuckle.
"A surprisingly apt description." He returned Will's smile. "Did you know that newborns don't realize they're a separate entity to their birth parent? The concept of being outside the womb is too complex for them to understand. Everything they do is reactional rather than emotional, they feel but don't think. Imagine you go from a constant temperature and dark place you've always known, where all your needs are automatically met, to somewhere loud and bright full of beings you don't recognize, why it sounds terrifying. Logically, I know all of this information, I understand it, but I can never approach our pups in the same way you can. You might know that you're separate from them, but you can also still feel that you're part of them where I can't." The steaks were placed into a tray and slipped into the fridge before Hannibal went to was his hands and equipment. "The idea that omegas are weak is a misguided and woefully idiotic one. Omegas might well be the strongest of us all."
The faith Hannibal had in Will was the only thing that had gotten him through Doctor Lutz's reveal that he carried twins. At six months in, things were progressing quickly and Will had often felt overwhelmed, but with Hannibal as his alpha all would be well. He'd not realized Hannibal thought quite that highly of him though. At first he'd wondered if Hannibal was truly capable of loving anybody but himself and only enjoyed Will's understanding of him because it acted as a mirror. However, as he'd gotten to know Hannibal better he'd seen that, while Hannibal very much did love himself, he was also extremely lonely, isolated and longed for his true self to love and be loved.
Once Hannibal had dried his hands and tools, the basement lights had been shut off so they could return upstairs. Deposing of what remained of Margot Verger could wait.
~X~
As had become an unfortunate habit of late since all the rooms were filled, Mason sat at the House's reception desk with his feet up watching the small, not to mention old, television there. Cordell, one of his most trusted lackeys, leaned against the wall just behind him, a semi-permanent shadow to assist in carrying out his dark urges.
Margot had been missing for almost a week now, though it had taken a few days for Mason to even notice, but the police had finally alerted him to his sister's whereabouts. So there he sat listening to the news report and lamenting the loss of an easily accessible toy.
"… The woman has been identified as Margot Verger, a beta and most recent victim of the Chesapeake Ripper. Her body was reportedly discovered in the early hours of yesterday morning by a dog walker, and had been eviscerated and posed just as other Ripper victims. Allegedly the body was found with an entire cuckoo's nest placed in the chest cavity. Police and FBI have made no statement indicating further evidence on the Ripper's identity nor why Miss Verger was targeted…"
Cordell's mouth opened to spit out the usual condolences regardless of whether Mason cared about his sister or not, but Mason was talking before Cordell could get a syllable out.
"My sister was such an amusing little plaything. Her fear tasted delightful. Shame she wasn't an omega, I could have had fun with that. Still, she was stupid and begging for someone to kill her, I just regret it wasn't me. I'd have thought the Chesapeake Ripper would have put a little more effort into who he kills though, Margot couldn't have been much of a fight."
"What do you think is with the bird's nest?"
Mason shrugged. "How should I know, I'm not a bird expert."
There wasn't any question if he'd ever loved his sister, the answer was a resound no. Margot had always been a plaything to him instead of a sister, something to physically and psychologistically abuse as a way to pass the time. Once he'd had her uterus taken to ensure the money their father had left them couldn't ever pass to her via a male heir, she'd been little more than a blank slate he poked at every now and again. Yes, losing Margot had affected him less than a little girl breaking her favorite doll.
The main door opened then admitting a stocky man with thinning dark hair. That shouldn't have been possible, that door shouldn't have opened for anybody without the reception desk buzzing them in unless that person was Jack himself. Mason was on his feet in an instant, television forgotten and trusty gun gripped tightly in his hand.
"Who the fuck are you? How did you get in here?"
"I have a key." The heavyset man smirked. "Tell Jack his business partner wants to have a word."
Realization dawned on Mason then, so this was the mysterious business partner they'd all heard whispers about but never actually seen. Cordell was quickly ordered to go get Jack while Mason put on what he thought was a charming smile and escorted the newcomer into the library – Well, they'd all come to call it the library because of the bookshelf in there, but it was more of a waiting room and gentleman's club for the more brazen visitors to the House. Jack wouldn't like his business partner's arrival, so Mason wanted to hear everything he could.
