CHAPTER 293: CHAPTER 293: ABSURDITY, COMPLETE.

Lucas lay sprawled against the pillows, hair damp from the bath, the faint glow of city lights slipping through the curtains and painting pale streaks across his skin. His breathing had steadied, though every so often a soft hum escaped him, half contentment, half exhaustion.

Across the room, Trevor fastened the last button of his crisp white shirt, the fabric stretched over broad shoulders, tucked neatly into dark trousers. His cufflinks gleamed as he adjusted them with the same precision he carried into every boardroom and battlefield. The gold of his watch caught the lamplight as he pulled it snug against his wrist.

Lucas’s green eyes followed him lazily, a faint curve tugging at his lips. "You dress like you’re about to conquer a kingdom, not step out for a meeting."

Trevor smirked, checking the fall of his tie in the mirror before turning back. "Perhaps I am."

He crossed the room in measured steps, the scent of cedar and smoke following him, still laced with the faint edge of his pheromones from earlier. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he leaned down to press a kiss against Lucas’s temple, lips lingering for a moment longer than necessary.

"I’ll be gone two hours," Trevor murmured, his voice low. "A meeting."

Lucas hummed, eyes half-lidded but sharp enough to catch the shift in his tone. "This about Vivienne?"

Trevor’s violet gaze flicked to him, unreadable but heavy. "Yes."

Lucas’s lips curved faintly, as if he’d already known. He tilted his head into the pillow, eyelids fluttering shut again. "Hmm... you are moving fast now."

The alpha chuckled, the sound filling the quiet room. "I’m just a man that wants his husband only for him, without shadows from the past still lingering."

"So... you want for us to go back to Fitzgeralt territory and forget about this imperial bullshit. I should feel remorse about Vivienne."

"Why? She deserves it as much as Christian and Odin."

Lucas cracked an eye open, the faintest glint of amusement cutting through his drowsy tone. "Spoken like a true Fitzgeralt. No hesitation, no regret. Just execution."

Trevor’s lips curved, though his gaze stayed dark and unwavering. "Regret is wasted energy. You taught me that."

"Mm," Lucas hummed, rolling onto his back, the sheets slipping low across his bare hips. "Careful giving me credit. Someone might think I’m the cold one in this marriage."

Trevor leaned closer, one hand braced against the mattress beside Lucas’s ribs, his scent curling heavy in the air again. "You are cold when you need to be. That’s why I can be colder."

Lucas laughed softly, the sound muffled against the pillow. "Increasingly possessive and increasingly ruthless. I’ll have to keep a ledger just to keep track of your titles."

Trevor bent low, brushing his mouth against Lucas’s in a kiss that was brief but grounding. "Keep whatever ledger you like," he murmured. "As long as my name is written with yours."

Lucas’s smile softened even as he shook his head. "Hopeless."

"Devoted," Trevor corrected smoothly, straightening again and reaching for his jacket. "I’ll be back before you fall asleep."

Lucas hummed, eyelids drooping, his voice fading into the quiet. "We’ll see."

—

The door clicked shut behind Trevor, leaving the bedroom steeped in silence save for the distant hum of the city. Lucas exhaled slowly, letting his head sink deeper into the pillows. For a few breaths, he allowed himself the peace of it, the faint trace of cedar still clinging to the sheets where Trevor had leaned close.

Then his phone buzzed. Once. Twice. Then it practically vibrated itself off the nightstand.

With a resigned groan, Lucas stretched out a hand and dragged it toward him, unlocking the screen. The flood of notifications nearly blinded him.

A new group chat. Of course.

The title at the top read: "Glass Crackers 2.0."

Lucas’s brows lifted, green eyes glinting as he scrolled. His half-brothers were already in there, names lighting up the feed like a fireworks show. Someone, probably Sirius, had already changed the group picture three times in the last ten minutes.

Chris: Mia. Why didn’t you tell me first? You think I wouldn’t find out?

Mia: I was BUSY being kidnapped into politics, forgive me!

Serathine: She wasn’t kidnapped, she was guided.

Mia: That’s literally the same thing!!

Sirius: Lucas, blink twice if Dax chained you to a throne already.

Lucius: This is not a circus, Sirius.

Sirius: Everything is a circus if you squint hard enough.

Lucas smothered a laugh into the pillow, scrolling further.

Mia had apparently dragged Andrew into the group, the poor man’s contact was newly tagged as "Andrew Black (pending)" thanks to Sirius’s fast fingers. And yes, because Mia had no survival instincts, Chris was already interrogated in rapid-fire messages.

Andrew: Chris. What’s with the collar?

Chris: ...

Andrew: Don’t play dumb. Everyone saw it. Dax put it on you, didn’t he?

Chris: Drop it.

Andrew: I called you. Twice. You didn’t answer.

Chris: I was busy.

Andrew: Busy ignoring me, apparently. You didn’t answer my messages either.

Mia: Oh boy.

Sirius: This is better than palace press releases.

Lucius: This is not better. This is fire.

Andrew: Chris. Answer me properly. Why are you letting him mark you like that?

Chris: Andrew. Don’t.

Andrew: Then answer the question instead of running.

Mia: He’s not running, you’re interrogating him like a prosecutor.

Andrew: Because he won’t TALK to me otherwise!

Cressida: Children quarreling in public... how dignified.

Sirius: You say that like you’re not watching with popcorn.

Cressida: I don’t watch circuses. I end them.

Mia: HELP.

The chat spiraled, messages firing faster than Lucas could scroll. Andrew’s sharp, clipped words; Chris’s stony refusal; Mia typing in all caps just to keep up; Sirius gleefully poking everyone; Lucius trying to contain the flames with cold precision. And now Cressida, slicing through the noise like a guillotine.

Lucas stared at the screen, green eyes narrowing as his lips curved faintly. He had options: ignore them, drop one line, or....

He tapped the screen twice. Added Trevor Fitzgeralt to "Glass Crackers 2.0."

The chat froze for half a second before detonating.

Sirius: LUCAS WHY.

Mia: WHAT DID YOU JUST DO...

Andrew: You did NOT just...

Chris: Oh for the love of...

Lucius: Remove him.

Sirius: You can’t remove him, he’s a Fitzgeralt, it’s permanent now.

Cressida: ...Interesting.

Serathine: Very.

Trevor (last seen online 2 seconds ago): Explain.

Lucas smirked faintly at the uproar, thumb hovering over the screen as his green eyes glinted with mischief. One more tap.

Lucas added Dax of Saha to "Glass Crackers 2.0."

This time the chat didn’t just explode; it imploded.

Sirius: WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!

Mia: WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT AGAIN??

Andrew: This is insanity.

Chris: Lucas, REMOVE HIM. NOW.

Lucius: ...

Cressida: Oh, excellent. This I approve of.

Serathine: You’re courting disaster.

Dax (last seen online now): What is this nonsense?

Lucas dropped the phone onto his chest, laughter spilling into the quiet of the bedroom. Absurdity, complete.