The conference room was silent. Rows of executives sat stiffly, papers untouched before them, as the sound of polished shoes echoed against the marble floor. Dominic Lanxian entered, tall and broad-shouldered, his black suit perfectly tailored, his expression carved from ice.
"Let's begin," his voice was low, commanding, carrying across the room without effort.
The executives scrambled to open their reports. No one dared meet his gaze for too long. They had all learned that his eyes—cold and sharp like steel—were enough to strip a man bare. Dominic was not just an Alpha, he was the Alpha. His dominance was not loud, but suffocating, pressing into every corner of the room until no one dared to breathe too loudly.
The meeting continued for hours, numbers and strategies exchanged, but Dominic's mind wandered. It wasn't weakness—he could recite every statistic mentioned without flaw. But he was restless tonight, his instincts unsettled. Something gnawed at him deep within, a sensation he hadn't felt in years.
"Sir?" his assistant's cautious voice broke the silence. "The board awaits your final approval."
Dominic closed the file with a sharp snap. "Approved. Send the documents to my office." He stood, his presence so overwhelming that even in his silence, no one dared to move until he had left the room.
Outside, in the night air, Dominic's luxury car waited. The chauffeur bowed as the Alpha approached, opening the door.
"Drive," Dominic ordered. His tone left no room for hesitation.
The city passed by in a blur of lights and shadow. For most, the metropolis was a place of dreams, but Dominic saw it for what it truly was—a battlefield. And in that battlefield, omegas were the first to fall. He had no interest in them. Weak, desperate, easily manipulated. That was what society said. That was what he believed.
Or at least, until tonight.
—
Ashen walked quickly down the side street, clutching a paper bag against his chest. His shift at the café had run late again, and the night air was cold. His scent suppressants were wearing thin, and the faint trace of omega pheromones drifted from his skin, enough to draw a few lingering stares from strangers.
He lowered his head further, his heartbeat quickening. Being an omega meant being prey. He knew this. He had lived it. He had survived it. But tonight, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change.
The screech of tires split the night.
Ashen froze. A pair of headlights blinded him, and before he could move, the car swerved sharply, stopping inches away. The paper bag fell from his hands, scattering bread across the pavement.
The driver leapt out, cursing under his breath. "Watch where you're going, boy! Do you want to die?"
Ashen stumbled back, mumbling an apology, but then the back door opened.
A man stepped out.
Tall. Impeccably dressed. His presence was suffocating even here on the empty street. His gaze fell on Ashen, and in that moment, Ashen forgot how to breathe.
An Alpha. A powerful one.
Dominic Lanxian's eyes narrowed, scanning the fragile figure before him. The boy's scent was faint but undeniable—an omega. His clothes were plain, his hands trembling as he tried to gather the fallen bread.
Dominic should have walked away. Omegas were nothing to him. But something about those eyes—large, filled with quiet defiance despite their fear—caught him.
"What's your name," Dominic's voice was cold, yet threaded with an edge of curiosity he did not recognize.
Ashen froze. His instinct screamed at him not to answer. No omega dared speak casually to an Alpha of such presence. "I… Ashen." His voice was barely audible.
Dominic tilted his head, studying him as if unraveling a puzzle. "Ashen." He repeated the name, low, almost testing how it felt on his tongue.
The chauffeur stepped forward quickly. "Sir, let's go. He's just an omega."
Dominic's eyes flickered. Just an omega. That was what the world believed. That was what he believed. But as Ashen stood there, shoulders squared despite his trembling hands, Dominic realized one thing—this boy was not like the others.
And for the first time in years, Dominic Lanxian found himself intrigued.
The Alpha turned away, his coat shifting with the motion. "Pick him up," he ordered.
Ashen's eyes widened. "Wait, what are you—"
Before he could protest, the chauffeur grabbed his arm.
"Let go!" Ashen struggled, but the grip was too strong. Panic surged in his chest. Why was this happening? He had only wanted to get home quietly, unseen, unnoticed.
Dominic glanced back, his gaze cold, his voice sharp. "Bring him to the car."
Ashen's heart pounded in his ears as the night swallowed him whole. He didn't know why the Alpha had chosen him. He didn't know if it was fate or misfortune. But he knew one thing for certain—his life would never be the same again.
And Dominic Lanxian, the cold Alpha who had never cared for omegas, had just taken the first step into a story neither of them could escape.