The night was alive with a low hum of electricity, the moon hanging like a silver coin over the neon-lit city. Clouds drifted lazily across the sky, occasionally obscuring the pale glow of starlight, as the city's underworld slowly gathered in the heart of it all.
A sleek black sedan moving on the road that purred like a predator in the night. The city outside was a blur of neon and shadow. A man sits in the front seat, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other lazily placed on the window.
"I just arrived in the city, the work was done earlier, tell me the location of the meeting," his voice soft and smooth as he tilted his head back lazily, while talking on the phone.
"Boss, are you coming to the meeting?" Lucas said with a hint of surprise in his voice.
"If I were not coming then, why would I ask for the meeting palace?" the man said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
" The Cruz Club boss. Should I come and get you?" Lucas said with embarrassment.
"No need. How long will it take you to arrive?" The man said as he pulled the car into the parking lot.
Lucas checked his watch, his expression calm and focused. "About ten minutes, boss," he said quietly. "We are on our way."
A faint smile curved at his lips, his amber eyes glinting faintly beneath the glow of the dashboard lights. "Alright, I'll go on ahead," he murmured and hung up the phone before the other person could speak. He gets out of the car and walks toward the building, which has " Cruz Club" written on top of it.
Cruz Club was an exclusive venue known for its information. If you want any information, you can get it here. It's a place known as the neutral zone. The club has only one rule: not to cause trouble in the club. If you violate it, you will never be able to enter the club, no matter how powerful you are. Once you are inside the club, you can not fight; that's the rule of the club. It is always lively with people; some came for information, while others came just for fun. But tonight, the club was silent. A simple sign hung on the door: "Closed for Private Event."
Inside the club, the bar was shuttered, its gleaming countertop now host to a scattering of highball glasses filled with nothing more than water or whiskey. At the center of the club, a large round table dominated the room, surrounded by chairs pulled from the VIP sections. Pheromones of various scents were mixed. Almost all the gang leaders were already present, waiting for the two most anticipated groups to arrive.
The door of the club opened, and Kael Vescari walked in, his presence as commanding as a thunderstorm. He wore a black suit that hugged his broad shoulders perfectly. His gaze was sharp, a predatory calm in the way his eyes swept the room, assessing every face. Behind him came other members of the Wolf Marks.
Rowan walks in wearing a grey suit that fits his slender yet muscular physique. Even as a beta, his presence speaks of respect.
Kade followed closely behind with a sily smirk on his face.
Behind them came Jax, a solidly built man with tattoos winding up his arms and a permanent smirk that suggested he'd be more comfortable in a firefight than polite conversation.
Heads turned at their entrance. Conversations paused mid-sentence as the other leaders and their right hands took in the imposing figure of Kael. As they murmured between themselves, the Wolf Marks took their seats.
A low whistle broke the silence. "Looks like the wolf decided to show up in person," drawled a tall man with a tattoo of a black rose crawling up his throat—the leader of the Black Thorns.
Kael's lip curled in amusement, though he said nothing. His eyes flickered to the other gathered groups.
The Serpent's Coil leader was a wiry man with a permanent smirk and too many rings on his fingers. Beside him, the Iron Syndicate's leader—broad-shouldered and silent—watched Kael with the blank stare of a man who'd seen too much.
The Silver Talons were there too, their leader a woman with icy blue eyes and a blade concealed beneath her sleeve. It is not common to see a woman as the leader of a gang, although her gang is not as large as others, nobody dares to mess with their leader, a woman who is more formidable than many.
She nodded politely to Kael, though her expression remained guarded.
A man moved toward the crowd from the deepest part of the club in a sharp black vest and tailored trousers. Daniell Cruz, owner of the club and the neutral broker of the underworld, wove between groups with an easy smile and a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Daniell purred as he reached the table, his voice smooth as aged whiskey. "It's a pleasure to see you all."
Daniell's eyes glittered with amusement as he greeted the gang representatives with a mix of easy familiarity and veiled caution. He was a known neutral—a man who had no loyalties beyond his club and the information he sold.
The grand doors of the Cruz Club swung open once again, and a hush fell over the room. Every head turned instinctively as a man stepped into the glow of the chandeliers.
He was a vision of effortless elegance and icy confidence. Dressed in a tailored black suit that clung to his slender frame. Midnight hair framed his pale face in a silky curtain, and his amber eyes—cold, bored, and faintly amused—swept lazily across the room.
Everyone was in awe of the person's beauty. However, no one could detect any pheromones on him; for a beta to be this beautiful makes everyone more curious about the person.
"Damn…" someone near the bar breathed, voice low with awe. "Who the hell is he?"
Jax leaned forward from where he stood behind Kael, his scarred brow lifting in surprise. "Boss," he muttered, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, "you see that? I didn't know they let runway models into these meetings."
"He's… quite beautiful, for a beta," Kade murmured.
Even Kael's normally impassive expression shifted slightly, those sharp eyes narrowing with interest as he watched the stranger's slow, confident stride.
A low murmur of appreciation rippled from the room. "Pretty little thing," one of the Iron Syndicate men said, his tone somewhere between admiration and hunger. "Wonder who he's here with?"
Jax let out a low whistle, his grin broadening. "He's got that look, doesn't he? I wouldn't mind—"
"Jax." Kael's voice cut through his subordinate's low murmur like a blade—calm, cold, and final. The bigger man stilled immediately, his grin faltering as he inclined his head in apology.
"Sorry, boss. Just… appreciating the view," Jax said sheepishly, though his eyes stayed glued to Rin.
"Pretty little thing," one of them sneered, a Beta from the Black Thrones with a glint of hunger in his eyes. "Didn't know you hired a new entertainment, Danielle."
" I do not know him," Danielle said with a frown on his face.
The club was closed for a private event for the day. There is no way a regular customer can enter the club. There are security guards at the door; if anyone wants to enter the event, they must have the specific VIP card that permits them to enter. If this person can come into the club alone, it means he has the card.
But the question is, who is he? From the reaction of all the people present, it seems he belongs to some other gang. But all the gang present today are already here, except for the crimson vultures. But I have never seen him, a new face?
Danielle's frown grows deeper as he thinks of all these things
It was not only Danielle who was thinking this. Kael, who was sitting on his chair, was also thinking the same thing. His eyes fastened on the stranger's face as he wanted to see what he would do next.
"You do not know him, then, who do you belong to, pretty boy?"
The man's lips curved into a smile—cool, arrogant, and faintly mocking.
"Belong?" he repeated softly, his tone dripping with disdain. "You must be confused. I don't belong to anyone."
The Beta blinked, thrown by the soft steel in his voice. He stretched his hand, wanting to touch him. "What? Listen, sweetheart—"
The man's gaze darkened, flickering down the man's outstretched hand as if it were something filthy. "Don't call me that," he said coolly, his voice like frost. "Save your clumsy advances for someone more desperate—I don't entertain lesser creatures."
The Beta's smirk faltered, his cheeks flushing a deep red. Jax let out a low, appreciative whistle. "He's got a sharp tongue, huh?"
Kael's mouth curved into the faintest hint of a smile filled with amusement.
Before the Beta could stammer another word, the doors swung open again. Lucas entered with Ari and Kenji close behind him, the trio moving like shadows in the half-light. Lucas's calm eyes swept the room, immediately finding the man's slender figure. He took long strides and arrived near him. The man looked at him with composed eyes.
As soon as Lucas opened his mouth to say something to the man, one of the Black Thorns called out to Lucas, his voice a mix of false friendliness and bravado. "Finally, someone we know. Does this pretty boy belong to you? He is quite pretty if you get tired of him, send him to me."
Lucas's jaw tightened, his calm mask slipping just enough to reveal cold fury. He moved to the man's side, his posture subtly protective. "Careful," he said, his voice deceptively cold. "You're speaking to someone far beyond your reach."
The Beta smirked, a glint of malice in his eyes. "You said he was out of my reach, Lucas, but I bet I could make him come crawling if I wanted."
The Beta's words echoed through the room, dripping with arrogance.
Lucas's face hardened, eyes narrowing to icy slits. "Watch your mouth," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. The Beta's smirk faltered as Lucas stepped forward, his Alpha scent spiking sharply, rich, cedar-tinged dominance that washed over the room. Ari's hand twitched near the blade hidden in his coat, jaw tight with fury, his scent followed, sharp and citrusy, an electric jolt of aggression. Kanji's presence coiled around them, a deep, iron-tinged heat that made the Beta swallow hard.
The other gangs shifted uneasily as the combined weight of the three Alphas' pheromones pressed down, the air thick and suffocating. It was a primal warning—step too close, and they would tear him apart.
The Beta tried to hold his ground, but couldn't help paling against the heavy dominance in the room.
Ari's hand twitched near the blade hidden in his coat, jaw tight with fury. Even the normally calm Kanji's expression darkened.
Across the room, Kael's brows lifted in mild amusement, but the slight smirk on his lips didn't hide the cold glint in his gaze.
A wave of murmurs rose from the other gangs, some leaning back as if to put distance between themselves and the brewing storm.
Rin, still calm and composed, tilted his head slightly, lips curling into an almost bored smile. "Such bold words… I'd like to see you try," he said, voice soft but every syllable slicing through the tension.
The Beta's face paled, but his pride wouldn't let him back down. Around them, the air grew charged, a silent promise that any further provocation would be met with swift and merciless consequences.
" I never know you were this possesive of new recruits."
Lucas's lips twitched faintly, a humorless smile. Even though the man about whom all this talk was about, remain calm, he could not keep quite. " He's Rin Asano—the leader of the Crimson Vultures."
A stunned hush fell over the room. Even the Beta paled, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as realization dawned.
The man whose identity was now known as Rin Asano, the leader of the Crimson Vultures, swept his gaze around the room like a blade. "Next time you try to touch something you don't understand," he murmured, each word dipped in arrogant disdain, "try not to embarrass yourself so thoroughly."
Kael's silver eyes glinted with faint amusement and interest as the room shifted, power and tension crackling through the smoky air. A slow smile curved his lips as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"Well," he drawled softly, his voice carrying easily in the hush. "Now this just got interesting."
Daniell let out a low, musical laugh, eyes alight with delight. "Oh, this night just became so much more fun," he said softly, his grin bright and foxlike. "The night is young, gentlemen—let's see where this goes."