"Papa! Mama! Please don't leave me here!"
The boy's desperate cry echoed through the gates of the large house. His small legs carried him as fast as they could, catching up to the couple already walking away. He clung to his mother's waist, sobbing. "I promise—I'll be good. I'll do anything! Just don't give me to them."
The woman froze, but she didn't look at him. Her hands pried his away coldly, shoving him backward. Eren tumbled into the grass, stunned. He blinked up through tears, searching her face for even a flicker of softness. Nothing. Only distance.
"You stay here. Don't be stubborn, or you'll regret it," his father said flatly, taking his wife's arm and leading her away without looking back.
The boy's chest burned as he cried, watching their figures retreat until the gate closed. Beyond it, a nun and a strange woman stood waiting for him.
"Eren."
A deep, steady voice pulled him out of the memory. Warm fingers brushed his cheek, grounding him. Eren blinked and saw Adriel beside him. The salty wind of the island rushed back into his lungs. His Alpha's blue-gray eyes studied him with quiet concern.
They had just docked, and Adriel had brought him straight here—to the island where his parents still lived. Eren had been silent all morning, his face pale, his steps heavy. He'd brushed it off when Adriel asked, blaming seasickness. But now, standing on the soil of this place, the old fear wrapped around him like chains.
"I don't think now's the best time," Adriel murmured, reading the tension in his body. "You look faint. You're not yourself."
Eren's hands trembled as they clutched at his shirt. "No… I'm fine," he whispered. His scent betrayed him, sharp with unease. "Besides, we're already here."
Adriel's gaze hardened, but his touch stayed gentle as he cupped the back of Eren's neck, thumb stroking over the knot of muscle there. "Then tell me what has you looking like this," he said quietly, his voice a low growl edged with protective instinct.
Eren turned his face away, heart pounding. The memories pressed in too close, but one thing was clear—Adriel's presence, his steady heat, was the only thing keeping him from breaking apart.
Eren whispered, "I'm back," his voice barely carrying as his eyes fixed on the familiar house. The air felt too heavy, pressing down on his lungs.
At the gate, a woman froze. Her eyes narrowed the instant she recognized him.
"You…? Why are you here? And with him?" she snapped, her gaze darting between Eren and the tall Alpha at his side.
Adriel didn't flinch. His blue-gray eyes only sharpened, catching the hostility like he'd expected it.
"What's going on?" A man's growl cut across the air. Leander strode forward, his presence oppressive. The moment his gaze landed on Eren—and then on Adriel—his expression darkened with something sharper than anger.
"You," Mr. Leander spat before lunging, fisting Adriel's collar. The sudden surge of Alpha pheromones made Eren's stomach twist. He staggered forward, clutching at his father's arm in desperation. "Papa—stop!"
Adriel's assistant shifted, ready to intervene, but Adriel stilled him with nothing more than a flick of his fingers. He didn't fight back—he didn't need to. His scent rolled out low and steady, calm dominance that cut against Mr. Leander's fury.
"Why is my son with you? What are you doing here?" Mr. Leander barked, his voice vibrating with suppressed rage.
Adriel's voice was even, quiet, but cutting. "I'll answer. But not while you've got your hand on me." With precise ease, he broke Leander's grip and smoothed his shirt, blue-gray eyes unyielding. "And not out here, where every neighbor can scent your temper."
Eren's chest was tight, breath caught between panic and disbelief. His father's aggression wasn't only about him being here—it was about Adriel. As if they weren't strangers at all. But how could that be?
Mr. Leander's glare lingered, nostrils flaring at the undeniable trace of Adriel's pheromones still clinging to his son. "You've got some nerve showing your face here. And bringing him."
Adriel met his stare without flinching. "This conversation belongs inside. What I have to say isn't for the street."
The silence between them thickened, heavy as a storm on the verge of breaking. At last, Mr. Leander's jaw clenched, and he stepped aside.
"Fine. Inside."
Eren's voice trembled as he faced his parents. "I came back to tell you the truth… I'm pregnant. And he's the father."
The words hung in the air like a curse.
"What did you say?!" his mother exploded, eyes wide with disbelief. Her tone cut sharper than a blade. "Pregnant? With him?" She shot a venomous glance at Adriel before turning back to her son. "So this is why you ran to the city? To disgrace us? To throw your life away?"
Eren flinched under the volume, his fists clenching at his sides. He'd expected anger, but the sheer venom still cut deep.
His mother's voice rose, shrill with fury. "What were you thinking? Out of all the people—you chose this man? Do you even have a brain left in that head of yours?" She raised her hand and struck him across the side of the head. Eren's body stiffened at the blow, his gaze dropping to the floor like a chastised child.
Before her hand could swing again, Adriel's fingers closed around her wrist, halting her mid-strike. His blue-gray eyes burned cold as steel.
"That's enough." His voice was low, but it thrummed with the authority of an Alpha's growl. The air itself seemed to shift, heavy with his pheromones, protective and commanding.
Eren's mother glared at him, yanking her wrist back. "What, you think you can defend him? You—of all people? Wherever you go, you bring misfortune." Her eyes flicked to Eren, narrowing. "Just like that cursed red hair of his."
At that, Eren's hand instinctively went to his hair, his throat tightening as shame rolled over him.
Adriel stepped closer, shielding Eren with his body. "I'll defend him as many times as I need to," he said coldly. "Because he's carrying my child. And no one—no one—puts my heir in danger."
Eren's father's jaw went slack before twisting into a snarl. "You dare stand here and talk about heirs in my house? You think we'll accept this marriage? Accept you?"
Adriel didn't blink. "It's not about your acceptance. He's already mine. And the child is mine. That's all that matters."
The older man's fists clenched. "You should leave. Now. I'll never allow someone like you into this family."
Adriel's gaze darkened, the air thick with his restrained dominance. "Then I won't leave him here. I've seen how you treat him. This house is no place for him—or for my heir."
The weight of his words made the silence stretch, thick and suffocating. Eren, still pale, finally spoke, his voice quiet but steady. "It's getting late. Sailing back tonight would be dangerous. At least let us stay until morning."
His father's face twisted with contempt. "The very roof over your head is already a burden, and now you want me to house him too? Don't push your luck."
Before Eren could reply, Adriel's tone cut through, cool and dismissive. "No need. We'll stay at a hotel."
A sharp laugh burst from his father, bitter and mocking. Adriel's brows furrowed.
"You really don't understand, do you?" Eren whispered to him. His voice was laced with shame and quiet warning. "Hotels here only open if he allows it. He controls the island."
Adriel's eyes flicked to Mr. Leander, realization dawning. His jaw tightened. The man who held Eren's childhood hostage was also the one who could bar his every move. And now, the enemy stood right in front of him.