The morning in Verdenne was crisp, alive with the faint scent of sea-salt air that drifted through the city. Their apartment still bore the traces of yesterday's unpacking: half-opened boxes stacked near the living room, clothes folded over the couch, books arranged in clumsy piles.
Kaein stretched from the balcony, eyes catching the skyline of Verdenne's endless towers. For a moment, he looked almost boyish, though the faint shadows under his eyes reminded Lior that the Alpha still hadn't shaken the weight of pheromonal need.
"Come on," Lior said lightly, tugging at his sleeve. "If we don't go now, the good vegetables will be gone."
Kaein chuckled, letting himself be pulled along. Their day unfolded like something ordinary couples in the city must have often done—though for the two of them, every simple act carried a thread of intimacy.
The supermarket buzzed with quiet chaos: children tugging at parents, elderly women comparing fruit, the constant hum of refrigeration. Kaein pushed the cart while Lior selected vegetables, inspecting each carefully, his delicate hands brushing the textures of leafy greens.
"Why do I feel like you're more serious about these tomatoes than any pilot briefing?" Kaein teased.
"Because bad tomatoes ruin everything," Lior replied simply, voice soft but firm. His subtle smile lit Kaein's chest with warmth.
Later, they stopped by a small café tucked into a street corner. The scent of roasted beans and butter lingered as they settled by the window. A few students recognized Kaein, whispering about their forensic psychology professor being on a date. He pretended not to notice, though the slight red tint on his ears betrayed him.
"Professor, you're blushing," Lior murmured, smirking into his coffee.
"Shut up."
The lightness clung to them as they walked through the streets, bags in hand, until the air shifted. Pheromones—sharp, heavy, intrusive.
It began subtly, like the faint sting of smoke in clean air. Ahead, a small crowd had gathered in the open market square. An Omega was pressed against a stall, face pale, movements trembling as an Alpha loomed over them, voice harsh, pheromones flooding to force submission.
Kaein stiffened. His instincts as an Alpha screamed to react, but beside him, Lior's expression cooled.
The harassing Alpha turned, eyes catching on Lior. His lips curled in an ugly grin. "Well, look at that. Didn't know pretty Omegas roamed the streets. You're wasted with that man —"
He stepped closer, pheromones lashing out, trying to dominate.
For a heartbeat, Kaein's heart stopped.
Then the world shifted.
Lior exhaled. It was not loud, not violent—but the air itself bent. His Lunar dominance uncoiled like a tidal wave, invisible yet crushing. The harasser staggered as if the ground vanished beneath his feet, his knees buckling. His face drained of blood, a primal terror taking root in his body before he even understood why.
The square went silent. Even the Omega being harassed felt relief flood their system, as though their chains were cut by sheer will.
"Name," Lior said, voice calm, almost kind—but it carried a depth that brooked no refusal. The Alpha, shaking, stuttered his name.
"Good." Lior's gaze did not soften. "Then remember this day as the one you failed to know your place."
Two officers arrived—summoned by the murmuring crowd. Without resistance, the trembling Alpha was handed over, escorted by police with bowed heads.
The crowd scattered. The Omega whispered thanks before disappearing with friends.
Kaein could not stop staring. The man walking beside him now was still the same soft Lior who debated over tomatoes, but a shadow lingered in him: something dangerous, absolute.
That night, the contrast still lingered in Kaein's chest.
Back in their apartment, silence hung heavy. Kaein sat on the couch, restless, his pheromones leaking faintly—anxious, stirred.
Lior knelt beside him, eyes gentle again. "Still trembling?"
"I didn't know…" Kaein whispered. "You could be that."
Lior leaned close, brushing his neck with soft pheromones, soothing warmth seeping into Kaein's restless body. "And yet, even at my worst, I'm still yours."
The reassurance broke something fragile inside Kaein. His hands gripped Lior's shoulders, pulling him close. Their lips met with urgency, not the raw dominance of the Aldrene nights, but something deeper: reassurance twined with desire.
Pheromones filled the room—soft, silken, intoxicating. Kaein trembled under Lior's touch, letting the Lunar's steady control unravel his tension. Clothes tangled, whispers drowned in the rush of need.
This time, Lior's dominance wasn't primal terror—it was protective, wrapping Kaein in warmth, reminding him that even shadows could cradle instead of destroy.
By the time night wore deep, the city lights outside had dimmed, leaving only their uneven breaths and the faint trace of pheromones clinging like a promise.