The morning light slipped through the sheer curtains, painting pale gold streaks across the floorboards. The room was quiet, filled only with the sound of slow, steady breathing.
Rin stirred first. His lashes fluttered, brows knitting slightly as he woke. His body felt unusually warm, held by something firm and solid. When he tried to move, he realized—he wasn't lying on the mattress. He was lying on someone.
Blinking through the haze of sleep, Rin tilted his head and froze.
Kael lay beneath him, one arm draped securely around Rin's waist, the other resting against his back as if even in sleep he refused to let go. The faint rise and fall of Kael's chest pressed against him, his warmth seeping through the thin shirt Rin wore. Their legs were tangled, their breaths almost synchronized.
For a long, stunned moment, Rin didn't move.
His instinct should've been to recoil, to push the Alpha away. Normally, even the faintest trace of another Alpha's touch made him tense, sick with unease. But this—this was different.
Kael's scent filled the air — that smoky, grounding mix of tobacco and leather — and instead of repulsing him, it made something inside him go strangely quiet. Peaceful. It was the first time in years Rin didn't feel like flinching away. His body didn't reject it; it welcomed it.
He let out a soft breath, barely audible, and stared at Kael's sleeping face. The man looked completely different like this — his sharp jawline relaxed, the faint lines of tension gone. Without that commanding expression, he seemed almost human. Almost gentle.
Rin's gaze lingered longer than he intended. Then, shaking himself slightly, he tried to move — carefully lifting Kael's arm from his waist. But as soon as he shifted, Kael's grip tightened instinctively.
Rin froze again.
Kael's brows furrowed, his eyes fluttered open — sharp grey eyes meeting his startled amber ones. For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Kael's voice came out rough from sleep.
"Did you sleep well?"
Rin blinked, caught completely off guard. His face warmed, the faintest blush rising to his cheeks. He nodded once, quickly. "Y-yeah." His voice was hoarse, quiet. "Now let go. I need to… freshen up."
Kael studied him for a heartbeat, amusement flickering in his eyes, then released him without protest. "Careful with your wound," he murmured.
"I know," Rin muttered, sliding off the bed. His bare feet touched the cool floor as he stood, feeling awkwardly aware of how close they had been just seconds ago. He walked toward the bathroom, but halfway there, he hesitated.
He turned back, biting his lip slightly. "…I don't have any clothes."
Kael, still lying on his stomach with his face half-buried in the pillow, cracked one eye open. His voice came out muffled. "Check the closet. If anything fits, wear it."
Rin frowned but did as told, pulling open the dark wooden closet doors. Inside was a neat row of shirts, jackets, and trousers. Most were too large for him, but after several minutes of searching, he found a black t-shirt and soft drawstring shorts that might work.
As he stepped out, holding the clothes, he glanced back at Kael and asked almost accusingly, "Why do you have so many clothes in a guest room?"
Kael didn't even lift his head. His reply was muffled against the pillow, voice lazy. "It's not a guest room. It's my room."
Rin froze mid-step. "Your room?"
Kael made a low sound of acknowledgment.
Before Rin could say anything else, a sharp, hurried knock echoed from the door. The urgency in it snapped both of them alert.
Kael pushed himself upright instantly, while Rin, startled, went to open the door. Eric stood there, slightly out of breath, tension in every line of his posture.
"What's wrong?" Rin asked, brows furrowing.
"You both need to come downstairs," Eric said quickly. "Now."
Rin blinked, confused. "What happened?"
"Just—come. You'll want to see this yourself."
Kael was already up, buttoning the top of his shirt, expression hardening into that cold, composed demeanor of the Wolf Mark boss. He exchanged a brief look with Rin — one that said he doesn't know either.
Rin nodded once and turned away. "Give me five minutes."
Eric hesitated, then nodded and left to wait downstairs.
Rin took a quick shower, washing off the remnants of sleep and the faint scent of Kael's pheromones that clung to his skin. But even as he dressed, the thought stayed in his mind — that strange comfort he'd felt in Kael's arms. He didn't understand it, and right now wasn't the time to.
When he emerged, Kael was already dressed, his black shirt half rolled at the sleeves, his hair still slightly damp. He looked every inch the mafia leader again.
"Let's go," Kael said simply.
They descended the stairs together, the atmosphere in the mansion shifting as they neared the living room. The air was thick with tension.
Almost all of the Crimson Vultures' members were there along with several high-ranking Wolf Mark commanders. Conversations were low and clipped, faces grim.
Rin frowned immediately. "What happened?"
Lucas stood, expression tight with anger. "Our headquarters," he said. "It's gone."
Rin's heart skipped. "What?"
"It burned down," Lucas continued, voice low but seething. "The entire villa — reduced to ash."
The words hit like a physical blow. Rin's body went still, his expression unreadable. "How?"
"No one knows," Lucas said. "It happened sometime during the night. The villa's isolated, so no one saw the fire until morning. By then, there was nothing left to save."
Kael's jaw clenched, eyes narrowing. "Casualties?"
Lucas shook his head. "None. We were the only ones who lived there since we were all here, so there was no one there."
Rin straightened, his voice calm but sharp as a blade. "I want to know who did it."
Lucas nodded grimly. "We're already investigating. Whoever it was knew what they were doing — no traces left, no witnesses. But we'll find them."
Before Rin could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway. Everyone turned toward the entrance as one of the Wolf Mark's team leaders entered — a tall man in a grey vest and gloves. His name was Dante, one of Kael's more reliable sub-commanders.
In his hands, he carried a small, black box.
"Boss," Dante said, glancing first at Kael, then at Rin. "This was just delivered at the front gate."
Jax frowned. "So? Just hand it to whoever it's for. Why bring it here?"
Dante's expression didn't change. "That's the problem. It's addressed 'To the Leader of the Crimson Vultures.'"
The room fell silent.
Every pair of eyes turned toward Rin.
Rin's expression hardened, but beneath the calm surface, a cold unease coiled in his stomach. Only a few people knew that the Crimson Vultures were staying at the Wolf Mark headquarters — and all of them were trusted allies. Which meant whoever sent this knew exactly where he was.
"Who delivered it?" Kael asked sharply.
"Courier," Dante said. "Didn't leave a name. Said it was prepaid, no return address. He's already gone."
Rin exhaled slowly, stepping forward. "Put it down."
Dante obeyed, setting the box in the center of the table. It was a bit large, wrapped neatly in matte black paper with a blood-red ribbon tied in a bow.
No insignia. No marks. Just the words in elegant script — To the Crimson Vultures' Leader.
Kael's eyes narrowed, watching Rin closely. "Be careful."
Rin nodded slightly, though his expression showed no fear — only cold curiosity. He reached out and untied the ribbon, fingers steady despite the tension hanging over the room.
The ribbon fell away.
He lifted the lid.
And froze.
For a moment, Rin didn't react at all — he simply stared inside, his body going utterly still. Then, slowly, his eyes widened, color draining from his face.