Neon Lights and Crossed Scents.

 Neon Lights and Crossed Scents.

The L'Étoile club was a labyrinth of pulsing blue lights and bass that made the very floor vibrate. From the sanctuary of the VIP lounge on the second floor, protected by one-way glass, Kael watched the dance floor. His eyes didn't take long to find what they were looking for: Sami. The boy looked radiant, moving with a natural grace that made Kael’s heart tighten. Sami was pure light in a place designed for shadows.

"I have him in my sights," Caleb whispered into Kael’s ear, staying one step back, always alert. "The perimeter is covered, but it’s crowded, Kael. His scent is beginning to leak; it’s like honey and jasmine. The Alphas on the ground floor are already starting to get restless. Look at them... they’re sniffing the air like hounds."

Kael gripped the crystal glass in his hand, his knuckles turning white.

"They shouldn't even be looking at him," Kael growled, his voice vibrating with a suppressed dominance. "He has no idea what he’s doing to this room. He’s a lamb in a den of wolves."

Before Caleb could respond, the door to their private suite swung open with an annoying air of entitlement.

"Kael! I knew I’d find you in the most exclusive corner of the city tonight."

Kael closed his eyes for a second, forcing his cold mask back into place. He turned to find Elena, the daughter of one of the city’s most influential moguls. She was an elegant Omega, draped in expensive silk and a French perfume that tried—unsuccessfully—to mask her competitive nature. Behind her, her father smirked from the hallway, a man who had proposed a "merger of empires" to Kael’s mother more than once.

"Elena," Kael said, his voice flat. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Oh, come on, don't be so serious," she said, sliding a hand down Kael’s arm with an invasive confidence. "My father and I were celebrating a contract closing and thought the future groom of the family should join us for a toast."

Kael felt a surge of disgust. Elena wasn't in love with him; she was in love with the power his last name represented. As she prattled on about gala dates and jewelry, Kael’s eyes drifted back to the dance floor below.

Down there, an unknown Alpha had moved too close to Sami, faking an accidental bump just to scent the boy’s neck. Kael’s entire body went rigid.

"Kael, are you even listening to me?" Elena insisted, intentionally blocking his view. "My father wants to discuss the engagement date. There’s no reason to keep waiting."

Caleb stepped forward, intervening with the precision of a Swiss watch.

"Miss Elena, Mr. Monzón is here for a private security briefing. I must ask you to give us a moment."

Kael used the distraction to look back at Sami. The boy now looked uncomfortable, trying to pull away from the Alpha harassing him, seeking refuge among his friends. Kael’s blood began to boil beneath his skin. He was trapped between a woman who wanted him as a trophy and the boy he needed to save—but couldn't touch without ruining months of planning.

"Caleb," Kael said in a lethal whisper, without even looking at Elena. "See to it that the Alpha bothering Sami is removed. Now. Make it look like a standard club ejection. And if Elena doesn't leave, tell her father that my business interests do not include marriage contracts... at least, not with them."

"On it," Caleb replied, already speaking into his earpiece.

Kael knew he was playing with fire, but seeing Sami vulnerable was more than his Alpha instincts could endure. He watched as Caleb’s men moved through the crowd, his eyes never leaving the golden-haired boy who, in less than twenty-four hours, would officially belong to his world.

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