A Big Flaw

Malakai's eyes burned, intimidating his brother and Caius suddenly let go of Eve. 

"Blackmailing Malakai won't do me any good," Eve said. "I'm not stupid." 

Caius eyed her and shot Malakai a stern look. "Why would you tell her what you are?" He was pissed off. "First you marry her and then you tell her your entire secret. Are you crazy?" 

Before Malakai could respond, Eve chirped in, saying, "He didn't tell me. I figured it out." 

"You…figured out?" Caius raised a brow at her and chuckled. "How exactly? Humour me." 

She turned toward Malakai and stepped closer to him until she could lift her hand and touch his chest. "You have something on you." 

Malakai furrowed his brows at her. "On me?" 

"Yes. I don't know what it is, I can't pinpoint it, I don't think it's something I've ever seen before, but whatever it is, it's like a mask, reducing the potency of your scents and pheromones. Actually, I never would have been able to figure out you were a supreme alpha. The thing is…I came at the right time when you hadn't reapplied whatever it was you put on, so…the real potency of your pheromones and scents were slowly beginning to be exposed." 

She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. "What is it? I'm curious." 

Malakai eyed his brother. 

Caius laughed. 

"No way, you must have told her you have something on you." He shook his head. "Malakai don't undermine my products, okay? I know what I created, and under no circumstances would anyone ever be able to figure out you have something on. It's a mask for a reason, it isn't meant to be detected, not unless you tell! So don't try to fool me." 

Malakai smirked. "No one is doubting your product, Caius. It has protected me for twelve years of my life now. You product isn't the problem." 

"Then what is?" 

"Eve," he said. "She is the problem." Then he tapped his head. "Her brain, it's a whole other different case." 

The man shifted his gaze. to Eve, asking, "What do you mean by that?" 

Malakai looked at Eve. "My brother has a talent for messing around with chemicals. He owns a company that says temporary pheromones and scents for betas." 

"Oh…" Eve slowly nodded and her lips curled into a smile. "So let me guess, whatever you have on that is protecting the full potency of your scents and pheromones, he created it." 

"Bingo." 

She turned towards Caius. "Your product is incredible. It almost fooled me too." 

Caius blinked at her and cleared his throat, stifling the prideful smile that almost emerged on his lips. "Why, thank you. At least someone appreciates my work."

"So how are. you going to handle the write ups and the reporters?" he asked. 

Malakai didn't answer him, but turned to Eve. "How do we handle it?" 

She blinked at him. "You want me to handle it?" 

"Why not?" The man stared at her like he was dissecting me. "You're the smart one between the three of us here right now." 

Eve stared at him and slowly shifted her gaze to Caius. "Malakai and I didn't cheat, I don;t know how to explain it to you, but we didn't. Those accusations are fake. So first…we're going to clear my name. That is how we'll handle the reporters." 

Malakai walked to the sofa and sat down. He wore no shirt, so his inked skin was bare, muscles bulging as he crossed his arms. Her gaze stayed stuck on the writing he had on, until her name rang into her ears. 

"Eve," he snapped her back to reality with his voice, not harsh, but rough nonetheless. 

She rubbed her neck, fingers. running through her mating gland before she shook her head at herself. 

"There is an auction this evening, right?" she asked. 

Malakai nodded his head at her. "There is, but I'm not going." 

"We have to," Eve said to him. "Patro will be there and I'll make him come with me to one of the operating rooms. Then there I'll ask him things about the write ups and I know Patro, he'll slip." 

"How sure are you?" Caius chirped in. "You can't be hundred percent sure—" 

"I am," she stated. "Patro is a temperamental man. Two years with him, I think I know him enough. He is the type that loves to mock me, he'll taunt me, but the thing is, it'll be on speaker." 

"How will that work?" Malakai inquired with pure curiosity. "We aren't the ones holding the auction. The building doesn't belong to us either." 

Eve nodded agreeing. "Of course you don't own the building." She began to walk towards the table where she knew Malakai kept his cards, probably one of his unlimited cards that didn't matter much to him. 

She picked it up. "But…" 

"What?" 

She wiggled the card. "With money, everything is possible. Who says we can't buy the operating team and have them, you know, tap a little bit with the room, so that when we speak, the entire crowd inside the auction hall can…hear?" 

Malakai gazed her way and held it. He didn't say a word, his eyes running over her. There was a slight tilt to his head and then something else, like a burn in the depths of his golden eyes that made her want to shift on my feet. Then his very red lips were angling into a smirk, that smirk that looked anything but normal. It was dangerous. 

"What…do you say?" she asked. 

"That's possible," Malakai said. "Infact…" He stood to his feet, and approached Caius, grabbing him by his suit to adjust it. "My brother here will do that job." 

"What?" Caius screwed his face at him. "I'm not your—" 

"Caius, you'll deal with getting the operators on our side, just for tonight. If there is anything you are, it's a persuader and negotiator." He stood at the very same height level with Caius was a six foot six man. "Wouldn't it feel satisfying to know one way or the other, Patro got to pay for the death of our sister?" 

"I don't think that's a question you need to ask. You already know my answer." 

He smiled at him. "So, do this for us." 

Caius glanced at Eve and agreed. "Fine. The auction house will be all under your control for tonight. Now I must run. Unlike you, I don't avoid our mother. " He turned before Malakai could make a response and left. 

Eve moved towards Malakai. "You won't be there." 

He cocked a brow at her. "What do you mean?"

"You won't be there. Not physically at least." 

"Why?" he asked.

"We've got to make Patro think I'm vulnerable. He likes it when I'm vulnerable enough for him to crush me. It makes him happy. So, if we're going to make this work, we're going to give him what he likes the most. A vulnerable Eve."

Malakai raised a brow. 

"I think I get it," he said, dropping into the love seat, legs crossed. "Not being there physically means I'll possess you. Patro on the other hand will think you're alone and then…" 

"We strike." 

Eve smiled sharply. "We've got to turn this entire charade of his against him. With proof, an omega can be believed over an alpha." 

Malakai peered intently at her, the unassuming facade breaking just for a moment.

"Patro Zolotov," he hummed in amusement. "Underestimates you, and that… is a big flaw."