Roen froze when he saw Claude leave the restaurant—alone.
His gut clenched. That wasn't right. Eren was supposed to be with him, handling the client together. So where was he?
Something reeked of wrong. Claude's scent carried smug satisfaction, sour and sharp, but no trace of Eren clung to him.
He pulled out his phone at once. "President. Did Lucas pick up Eren?"
On the other end, Adriel's voice was clipped. "Lucas? No. Why?"
Roen didn't bother with details. The warning was enough. Adriel was already on his feet, his alpha instincts flaring. Claude had left alone—Eren was still inside. His chest tightened, a dangerous heat spiking in his blood. He grabbed his keys and was gone.
At the restaurant front desk, Adriel asked for Eren. The receptionist faltered, her scent turning nervous, skittish.
"I—I'm sorry, sir, but—"
"Don't." His voice dropped, weighted with alpha command. The air thickened with it. "Tell me if you saw him."
The girl swallowed, trembling. She called for the manager.
Minutes later, Adriel stood in the security room, the glow of monitors lighting his rigid face. His pheromones pulsed sharply, the room suffocating under his restrained fury. On-screen, he saw it: Eren being guided down a hallway by a man. Led toward a private room.
Adriel's jaw locked, his scent snapping into something sharp and dangerous. He didn't wait for explanations. He was already moving.
Inside, Eren had smashed a vase over the man's head. The sound still rang in his ears as he staggered into the hallway, his body lurching forward with desperate effort. His limbs were heavy, the drug in his veins dragging him down, but survival drove him on. His own scent bled out weakly—fear tangled with adrenaline, sharp and uneven.
He barely made it a few steps before collapsing to his knees. His palms slapped the floor, cold tile pressing into fevered skin. His vision blurred, and his pheromones sputtered into the air like a dying flame.
The alpha's scent pressed in again—thick, hot, oppressive. He loomed, adjusting his robe, dominance rolling off him in waves meant to choke and crush. Eren gagged on it, his instincts flinching. His body screamed to yield, but his mind clawed against the haze.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be," the man murmured, grip tightening around Eren's arm. "Do you realize what this refusal could cost Adriel's deal? You should be grateful."
Eren's stomach twisted. His blouse hung torn against his chest. His pheromones spiked with panic, bitter and thin.
Then—
A snarl split the air.
The intruder's scent faltered just as another presence slammed into the hallway—feral, furious, absolute. Adriel's pheromones rolled over everything in a crushing wave, raw alpha dominance that tore through the air like a storm. The other man's scent shriveled instantly, smothered under it.
Eren felt it too. His drugged body sagged, his instincts recognizing him at once. His own pheromones, weak and scattered, shifted toward Adriel's, reaching, clinging. Relief and submission poured out of him before he could stop it, his body betraying the flood of safety he felt.
The intruder cursed, stumbling back, his dominance crumbling. His grip on Eren slipped.
And then—WHAM.
Adriel's boot connected with his chest. The man flew backward, crashing into the wall with a wheeze of pain.
Eren's eyes went wide. He clutched at his torn blouse with trembling hands, trying to cover himself. His tears spilled over as his body released the fear it had been holding. His pheromones shook with relief, curling instinctively toward Adriel, craving the safety of his alpha's presence.
Adriel stood in front of him, shoulders broad, his scent a furious blaze. It shielded Eren, wrapped around him, burned away the last traces of the intruder's stench.
Eren's breath hitched, his tears flowing faster. His body had finally given in. He was safe—because Adriel was here.
The man staggered back to his feet, blood on his lip, eyes flashing with rage. "What the hell—"
But Adriel was already moving.
One punch. Clean. Savage.
The alpha's head snapped back. He hit the floor with a grunt, clutching his face.
Adriel stepped forward, every muscle trembling with restraint. His pheromones lashed through the room, heavy, oppressive, suffocating. They pressed down on the man like a storm front. His voice shook with fury.
"You thought you could touch my omega and walk away?"
The alpha froze. His nostrils flared as recognition cut through the haze. Then he smirked, blood staining his teeth.
"Well, well. Adriel Ulrick. What a surprise. Do you realize that little outburst could cost you the Ulrick Jewels partnership with my mall?"
Adriel didn't flinch. His gaze was locked, his pheromones coiling tighter, crushing the other man's dominance.
"You think I give a damn about that right now?"
The alpha scoffed, lifting his chin, trying to reassert himself. His pheromones spiked oily and sharp, pressing outward, but Adriel's surged back tenfold, drowning him out. The man's scent faltered.
"You should care. This could blow up your company. You sent me your omega—so why storm in like some savior?"
Adriel's expression hardened. His voice dropped to a lethal growl.
"Sent you? I don't hand out my people like party favors."
His fists curled again, knuckles white.
"President—stop!" Eren's voice cracked, trembling as Roen helped him stand. His pheromones were scattered, bitter with fear, but they reached instinctively toward Adriel, clinging to the familiar strength in the air. He knew if Adriel lost control completely, Ulrick Jewels could face fallout they might not survive.
The alpha straightened his robe, still smirking despite the blood. "You sent me your Chief Designer to seal the deal. I could've launched your line in every mall I own. We could've built an empire. But you're throwing it all away—for a weak, low-born omega?"
That was it.
Adriel stepped in close. His pheromones crashed like a tidal wave, stripping the other man's smug scent from the air. Then he drove his fist into his face again. Another savage, bone-crunching punch. The man collapsed, groaning, unable to rise.
"I don't need your empire," Adriel said, his voice low, lethal, dominance dripping from every word. "And Ulrick Jewels will never touch your filthy business again."
He turned to Roen, his aura still raging but controlled, curling protectively around Eren.
"Film him. I want the world to see exactly what kind of bastard he is. Let's see who still wants to work with him after this."
Roen didn't hesitate. He pulled out his phone, recording as the man spat blood and tried to bluster.
"You're insane. This is a huge—"
Adriel's pheromones surged again, silencing him mid-sentence. The man's breath hitched, instinct caving under the sheer force of it.
Eren clutched his torn shirt, trembling, but his own scent had shifted—fear slowly giving way to relief. Adriel's presence wrapped around him like a shield, steadying the chaos in his blood. Tears spilled over, his instincts finally releasing the terror they'd been holding. He was safe. His alpha was here.
"Don't talk to me about sanity," Adriel snapped, his pheromones crackling sharp in the air. "Or about what I'll lose. You and your mall? You're nothing. I'll take Ulrick global without you."
Then his gaze shifted—Eren.
He was standing unsteadily now, blouse torn, trembling fingers trying to pull it closed. His scent was all over the place—fear, adrenaline, exhaustion—frayed and uneven. It stabbed at Adriel's instincts, every note of distress sinking claws into him.
Adriel shrugged off his coat without a word and crossed the room. Slowly, deliberately, he draped it over Eren's shoulders. His scent clung to the fabric, wrapping around the omega in a protective shroud. Eren exhaled, shaky, his pheromones fluttering and then curling instinctively toward the alpha's.
That's when Adriel saw it.
A bruise, dark and raw, blooming on Eren's arm.
His breath caught. The air shifted, thick with sudden danger. His pheromones spiked, jagged and violent, making the bleeding alpha on the floor flinch back instinctively. The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Adriel reached out anyway, his hand gentle where his instincts screamed to crush and destroy. His fingertips brushed the bruise. His touch was soft, careful, but underneath—boiling fury radiated.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, voice hoarse.
Eren looked up, eyes glassy. His own pheromones trembled, overwhelmed but soothed by the dominance curling protectively around him. "It's okay," he murmured, almost inaudible. "You're here now."
And then his body gave out.
Eren collapsed forward, straight into Adriel's chest.
Adriel caught him instantly, arms locking tight around him. He buried his nose against Eren's hair, breathing in his scent—drugged, unsteady, but alive.
His own pheromones poured out in waves, fierce and sheltering, blanketing the omega until the trembling eased.
"You're safe now," he murmured into his ear. "And I swear—no one will ever lay a hand on you again. You're mine. Only mine."
Without another word, he lifted Eren into his arms. His stride was steady, but the quiet rage burning through his scent made the air itself heavy.
Roen stayed behind. He stared down at the man, disgust curling in his chest.
"You better be grateful that's all you got," he said, voice sharp as a blade. "If I were you, I'd start drafting a public apology. Fast. Because once Adriel Ulrick's fury kicks in, you're not walking away clean."
The man groaned, blood on his teeth. "Why is this all on me? Blame your Chief Designer. He planned everything. I was set up. Framed."
Roen's eyes narrowed, his pheromones snapping sharp with warning. "Save it. You'll need that story when Ulrick's legal team grinds you into the dirt."
He turned to go—but the man's words stuck like a splinter.
Chief Designer?
Claude?
No. That couldn't be right. Claude knew Eren was Adriel's Omega wife. He wouldn't dare. But then again… Claude had been Adriel's first love. And if he wanted him back badly enough?
Roen clenched his jaw, unease crawling down his spine. What the hell had Claude just started?