The room was still recovering from Rin's quiet announcement. The ripple of shock had yet to settle completely when Lucas, Ari, and Kanji stood firmly beside him—an imposing wall of alpha presence behind the deceptively elegant figure that had just flipped the power balance of the room.
Kael remained seated, his sharp gaze unwavering. He hadn't expected the infamous ghost leader of the Crimson Vultures to be the striking man who walked in like sin wrapped in silk. Rin's cool, detached expression gave away nothing, but Kael was watching. He noticed the subtle tension in his jaw, the flicker of boredom behind those long lashes, the faint smirk dancing on his lips as if he were toying with them all.
"He's a beta?" someone muttered again, disbelief heavy in the air. "How the hell—"
"If you're done gawking," Lucas growled, his pheromones spiking— the scent of cedar rolling through the space like a warning fog. "Show some damn respect."
Ari stepped forward, too, his mint scent flooding the space around Rin. "If any of you try that shit again—"
The tension sparked like flint, especially when Kanji, stoic and brooding, let his slick of scorched amber and ash ripple out. It was a declaration. Rin was not alone. And he was not someone to be underestimated.
But Rin raised a hand. "Enough," he said, voice like velvet soaked in poison. He turned slightly, his expression flat but his eyes full of knives. "Let them bark. Some alphas need to feel big before they realize they're just fleas."
The comment was a slap dressed in silk.
Kael's lips twitched. He was the only one not taken aback.
In fact, he looked amused.
He stood slowly, the leather of his gloves creaking as he removed them one finger at a time. "You've got bite," he said, stepping forward. "I like that."
The air shifted. Heads turned.
Kael's towering form, dressed in obsidian black, commanded the space with the deadly calm of a wolf at rest, who would make a move to get its prey at any time. His tobacco scent mixed with a hint of leather—didn't flare, but it lingered, like a warning only predators understood.
"Kael Vescari," he said, his voice low and sharp as a blade's edge. "Wolf Marks."
"Rin Asano," came the soft reply, "Crimson Vultures. Though I assume you already knew that."
Their eyes locked. The tension was undeniable. Not the kind bred from hate. Something deeper.Like curiosity laced with caution.
Kael extended his hand.
Rin stared at it for a beat too long.
Then extended his hand and shook it.
A current passed through the contact. Neither of them flinched.
From the corner, Danialle smirked as he sipped some wine. "This year's meeting just got interesting."
One of the enforcers from the Serpent's Coil leaned over to his boss and muttered, "Did he just flirt with that beta?"
"Shut up," the boss hissed, elbowing him hard in the ribs.
Kael let go of Rin's hand.
"Let's start," he said coolly, striding to the center table where representatives from the Black Thorns, the Serpents Coil, and the Silver Talons had already taken their seats.
The long, curved table in the center was made of a gleaming slab of black glass. Its surface reflected the faces of the underworld's most dangerous factions, now seated together under the low, red-tinged lights. Behind them stood the trusted members of each gang.
Kael took his seat. On his right sat the leader of the Black Thorns— Adam. On his left sat the leader of Serpent's Coils—Damon. Next to Adam sat the only woman in the room, Emma, the leader of the Silver Talons. In front of Kael sat Rin Asano with Lucas, his second-in-command, standing behind him. The other members of all the gangs stand in corners with their guard up.
While Danialle stood next to Kael.
Kael spoke first.
"We're not here to hold hands or play nice," he said, his voice a calm baritone with an edge of steel. "We're here because the Ash Fangs crossed a line."
The mention of the rogue gang pulled grim nods from around the table.
"They burned our warehouse," Emma added, her tone flat.
" They tried to hijack a weapons shipment from us, too." Said Damon.
"And using unmarked traffickers," Ari cut in. "Meaning they're hiding more than they're revealing."
"Then let's crush them," snapped Adam, his ink-black eyes sharp. "We don't need to waste our time sitting like this. We should make a move."
"And how should we be supposed to make a move?" Damon scoffed.
Adam frowned and said with a hint of anger in his voice," How else— we join forces and attack their headquarters with full force once and for all."
Rin's soft laugh cut through the room like a scalpel.
"How naive," he said, lazily swirling the drink in his glass. "That's why they're winning. You think this is a street brawl?"
Adam glared. "And what would you suggest, pretty boy?"
Lucas shifted forward, but Rin raised a hand. His eyes, cool and laced with contempt, flicked toward the man.
"Hmm…. I do have a plane, but I think you will not understand it with that simple brain of yours."
A few muffled laughs rippled in the room.
Adams' face darkened.
Before things could spark, Kael's voice sliced cleanly through the air.
"Enough." His tone left no room for challenge.
Everyone stilled.
"We're not here to fight among ourselves," Kael continued. "Ash Fang's not some small gang that we can defeat with force; they are far more dangerous than any of you. Even if we join forces now and attack them, the loss will be ours. They have the advantage in both manpower and weapons, so using force is out of the question ."
Adams's brow frowned deeper, but he did not say anything because he knew that what Kael said was true.
Kael spoke again after some time.
"We need an organized front. We need to form a temporary alliance."
The room went quiet.
Then Danialle leaned forward, his eyes sharp.
"There's something else we need to address—before we play diplomat."
"I just got my hands on a new piece of information on Ash Fang. I assume you all know about the recent kidnapping of Omega's apparently Ash Fangs behind this."
"Why would they need Omegas?" Emma frowned.
" Well, this is the interesting part of the news, they are doing experiments on them, apparently they developed a new drug that forces Omegas into heat, and it's said that they have succeeded in it."Danialle continued, " Their purpose is to make these drugs and let them on the market; it can also help them gain more influence among those who enjoy this kind of thing." His voice laced with disgust.
This caused everyone to furrow their brows.
Rin, who didn't show any expression since the meeting started, clenched his fist under the table so hard that it turned white, but he did not show any expression on his face, so no one noticed this sudden change in his behaviour.
In this world, there are six secondary genders: Alpha, Beta, and Omega, each existing as male and female. Alphas hold the highest physical and pheromonal strength, often exerting natural authority over others. They experience 'ruts,' a biological phase marked by heightened aggression, territorial instincts, and intense desire to claim a mate. Betas, though lacking the extremes of Alphas or Omegas, are considered the most stable and functionally closest to ordinary humans. Omegas are the most physically vulnerable of the three, but biologically unique—they can become pregnant regardless of their sex. Omegas experience 'heats,' a cyclical period of heightened fertility, sensitivity, and overwhelming pheromone output that can provoke uncontrollable responses in nearby Alphas.
Kael's voice was low. "They're not a gang. They're a disease."
Rin spoke again, softer now. "Then let's become the cure."
Kael's eyes met his again—steady, burning, aligned.