Riven stared at his sister like she'd lost her mind.
"You want me to do what?"
Ria didn't even blink. She tossed a silver pill packet at him like it was a stick of gum. "You're the same height, same face. Same everything. They won't notice."
He caught it by reflex and looked down at it like it might explode. "You're actually insane."
"They're coming tonight," she said, moving around the room like she hadn't just asked him to commit full-on identity fraud. "And if they find out I skipped my heat again, the bond contract is off. Do you know how much money we'll lose?"
"We?" he muttered.
She stopped and gave him a look that said watch yourself.
He probably shouldn't have said that out loud.
Technically, Ria was the official omega. Registered, tracked, and kept under government compliance. Riven, on the other hand, wasn't even supposed to exist. A male omega was either a rare biological glitch or a legal complication, depending on who you asked.
They didn't get protected.
They got erased.
"You've been living in my apartment for three months," she said, her voice sharpening. "Eating my food. Wearing my clothes. Using my water. Don't pretend like you're doing me a favor."
He looked away.
Okay. She wasn't wrong.
After their mother died, Ria had found him hiding in an abandoned basement bunker and pulled him out. She got him into her penthouse. Fed him. Kept him out of sight. Never told anyone.
All because her life was finally good.
She had four rich, powerful Alphas circling her, trying to win a shared bonding contract. They thought she was special. Untouchable. One-of-a-kind.
They didn't know she had a twin brother. And definitely not one who was also an omega.
"I don't even know what to do," Riven said. "What if I mess up? What if my heat actually starts? What if one of them touches me and realizes I'm not you?"
"You've been skipping your pills," she said, walking toward her closet. "I can smell it. You've been curious."
"That's not—" he started, but she turned and shoved a black silk bag into his chest.
He nearly dropped it.
"You're doing it," she said. "The setup's ready. Shower. Use the wipes. Put on the perfume. Take the pill. Lie in bed. They'll come in, see you, think I'm tired, and leave. That's it."
He opened the bag hesitantly and inside was a nightgown, heat patches, bite blockers, lacy underwear and perfume.
"This is actually crazy," he muttered.
"No. Crazy is what they'll do if they find out I'm hiding a male omega in here," she snapped. "You think they'll say, 'Wow, what a cute twist'? No, Riven. They'll rip this place apart. They'll come for you, then me, then you again."
And she wasn't being dramatic.
These weren't normal Alphas.
There was Ares, the CEO with a temper and too much money. Silas, the calm-faced politician who always seemed ten steps ahead. Rowan, the artist with zero filter. And Jude, the doctor no one talked about. The one whose name made even Ria go quiet.
All four of them were supposed to arrive tonight.
Riven sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at the silk fabric.
It was red. Deep red. The kind of red that didn't belong in a bedroom unless someone was trying to make a memory.
"You're overthinking it," Ria said, walking out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. "It's one night. You don't have to talk. Just lie down, look tired, smell right, and let the pills work."
Right. Just pretend to be his twin sister in heat.
Totally normal sibling favor.
She sat beside him, placed her hand on his.
"Please, Riven. I got you out. I've protected you this long. Just help me keep this together."
Her voice was gentler now and quieter.
"They'll never know."
He didn't answer. Just looked down at the dress again. It didn't look like something anyone could wear and walk away from.
****
He should've said no.
Honestly, he wanted to say no at least ten times.
But he wasn't just Ria's brother. He was her responsibility. And when Ria had a problem, she fixed it… usually by using him.
By the time the sun had gone down, Riven was lying in her bed. Hair curled. Skin powdered. Nightgown on.
The scent suppressants made his body itch and his stomach twist. He'd taken them late. He knew that was risky, but she was right, he'd skipped a few doses last month. Something in him had been shifting.
Now it felt like everything was coming awake all at once.
Too hot. Too fast. Too close.
Then came the knock.
Not on the bedroom door, but from the front of the apartment. He saw the passcode panel flash red, and his breath caught.
They were here.