"Joey."
Ms. Vie didn't look up from her tablet.
"We finalized AXIOM's schedule weeks ago. Brand shoots, interviews, endorsement campaigns, fan meets." Her finger slid across the screen before she finally lifted her eyes. "And now both Dane and Axis are missing. Where are they?"
The office was quiet except for the faint hum of the air conditioning. Joey stood before her desk, forcing himself to keep his expression steady.
"I've been trying to reach them since five this morning, Ms. Vie. I checked their condos, the studio, the gym, even the recording building. Neither of them is answering their phone."
Ms. Vie stared at him for a moment before tapping her tablet.
A document appeared on the screen behind her.
"Axis is scheduled for his mandatory cycle management tomorrow. Biomed sent the confirmation this morning." Her expression hardened. "Missing that appointment isn't an option."
"I contacted their family residence. They haven't seen either of them."
For the first time, Ms. Vie set her tablet down.
"So neither of them can be reached."
It wasn't a question.
Joey held her gaze.
"No, Ms. Vie."
A tense silence settled between them.
"We have sponsors waiting for campaign approvals," Ms. Vie said. "A magazine cover shoot next week. Two endorsement renewals. Every hour they stay missing creates another problem for this company."
She rose from her chair and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Morning light spilled across the office, stretching between them.
"If they don't show up soon, this stops being an internal issue."
Joey's jaw tightened.
Ms. Vie folded her arms as she looked out over the city.
"If they're not back by noon, we're suspending all group activities and releasing a statement. Health reasons. Personal circumstances. Whatever buys us enough time to control the situation."
She turned back to him.
"And if the media gets hold of this before we do, we'll spend months cleaning up the damage."
Joey kept his face neutral, though unease settled heavily in his chest.
"Understood."
"Good."
Her expression sharpened.
"Find them. Call every residence, every private clinic, every contact they have. Pull security footage if necessary. I want an update within the day."
Joey nodded immediately.
"Yes, Ms. Vie."
"And Joey."
His hand paused on the door handle.
"If there's something you know and haven't told me, now is the time."
The warning settled heavily in the room.
Joey looked at the CEO for a fraction longer than usual before answering.
"...There isn't."
Ms. Vie studied him for a beat, then nodded once.
"Then find them."
Joey left the office and pulled the door shut behind him. Only then did he release the breath trapped in his lungs.
As he stepped out of the office, he nearly collided with Leia and Elio.
Relief flashed across his face so quickly he didn't have time to hide it.
"Elio, how are you?" His gaze shifted briefly to Leia. "Hi, Leia."
He let out a breath, forcing on a familiar smile.
"Good to see you both."
Stepping closer, he lowered his voice so only Elio could hear.
"Vyn's been losing his mind worrying about you," he said quietly. "I don't think he's slept properly since you disappeared."
For the briefest moment, something shifted in Elio's eyes.
Then it was gone.
"Thank you for the concern, Joey." Elio offered a polite smile. "I'm doing okay."
The answer was smooth and carefully measured. Joey knew he wouldn't get anything more.
He studied him for another second before giving up. Some conversations couldn't be forced.
"Right." Joey nodded. "I'll see you both later."
Leia returned the nod, and Joey headed down the hallway, already pulling out his phone as he disappeared around the corner.
Leia knocked once before opening the office door.
Ms. Vie stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. She turned as they entered, and her expression immediately softened into something warmer.
"Elio. I'm glad you're here."
She gestured toward the chairs in front of her desk.
"I've reviewed your latest medical reports, and I wanted to discuss a few things personally."
Elio and Leia took their seats.
Ms. Vie returned to her desk and tapped her tablet. Several files appeared on the screen, the Onyx Biomedical logo standing prominently among them.
"First, I want to assure you that the company is committed to supporting your recovery," she said.
"From this point forward, all examinations, treatments, and cycle management will be handled through Onyx Biomedical. Keeping everything centralized will help us avoid unnecessary complications."
Her gaze shifted to Leia.
"Review his schedule immediately. Remove anything nonessential and build more downtime between activities."
Leia nodded, already opening her tablet.
"Of course."
"We've already had enough questions about how this company handles its artists," Ms. Vie continued.
"I'll take care of it, Ms. Vie."
"Good."
She closed the file.
"That will be all."
Elio rose without a word. As he turned toward the door, his eyes lingered briefly on the Onyx Biomedical logo glowing on the screen.
Then he looked away and followed Leia out.
Joey was waiting outside.
He looked up from his phone as soon as the door opened, slipping it into his pocket. His gaze settled on Elio before shifting briefly to Leia.
"Leia, do you mind?" Joey asked. "I need a minute with him."
"Okay," Leia replied before walking ahead.
Elio adjusted the cuff of his jacket and followed Joey without a word.
They walked through the hallway in silence until Joey led him to a quiet corner of the building terrace.
"Look..." he began quietly.
Joey rested both hands on the railing, watching the traffic crawl far below.
"I know this isn't my business, and I don't want to get between you and Vyn."
He let the words hang before turning to face Elio.
"But ever since you disappeared, he hasn't been himself. He barely sleeps. Barely eats. He spent days looking for you." His jaw tightened. "Then you finally come back... and somehow things are even worse."
A tired sigh escaped him.
"What happened, Elio?"
Elio stood beside him, eyes fixed on the skyline. His hands remained buried in his pockets, shoulders held so tightly they barely moved when he breathed.
The silence stretched.
"I'm sorry, Joey," he said at last.
He looked over, and for a fleeting second, Joey caught the quiet defeat in his eyes.
"I really am. But... I can't tell you."
Joey searched his face for a long moment before letting out a slow breath.
"...Okay."
He leaned back against the railing, rubbing a hand over his face.
"I just hope whatever this is... you two find your way through it." His voice softened. "I've known Vyn for years. I've never seen him fall apart like this."
He glanced toward Elio again.
"He's burning himself out because he can't reach you."
Elio's fingers curled tighter inside his pockets.
"I know," he whispered.
——
Dane was standing on the edge of the Empire Onyx rooftop.
The building cut into the night like black glass, and the city stretched far below it in cold, indifferent lights. He didn't move. Didn't hesitate. Just stood there for a long moment like something inside him had already gone silent.
Then he stepped forward.
Slow at first. Too slow. Like the world hadn't realized yet that he was falling.
Then gravity took him.
"Dane!"
Axis woke with the name ripping out of his throat.
He got out of bed too fast and almost went down, knees buckling as the rut-fever surged through him. His vision blurred at the edges, heat pressing in until everything felt sharp and wrong at the same time.
He pushed himself forward anyway, crossing the hall to the guest room.
Empty.
The bed hadn't been touched in time. The sheets were cold.
"Shit..."
Bathroom.
Axis moved fast, too fast, like delay itself would cost him everything. He hit the door and shoved it open.
Dane was in the tub.
Submerged. Still. Eyes open but unfocused, like he was already gone somewhere the room couldn't reach.
No scent. No response. Nothing.
"Fuck—Dane!"
He was in the water instantly, grabbing him and hauling him up.
Dane's body felt heavier than it should have, limp in his arms, frighteningly still.
"Don't you fucking do this," Axis snapped as he dragged him out and dropped him hard onto the tile. "Don't you do this to me."
His hands shook the moment he started compressions.
One. Two. Three.
"Breathe," he said sharply, voice breaking anyway. "Dane, breathe. Come on. Fuck."
Nothing.
"Shit—" He tilted Dane's head back.
Once. Twice.
Then he leaned down and forced air into him, mouth to mouth, urgent and unsteady, like control didn't exist anymore.
Again and again.
The third time, Dane jerked.
Water spilled from his mouth as he coughed violently, dragging air back in like it hurt to return.
Axis pulled back just enough to see him.
Dane's eyes opened—wide, lost, terrified. His hands grabbed him immediately, clinging like he needed something real to stay here.
"Help me," he choked out. "Axis... I can't—I don't want to die."
"No. You're not going to die," Axis said, rough and immediate. "You're fucking here. Stay with me."
He didn't wait for Dane to steady himself. He lifted him up, wet clothes clinging between them like a second skin, and carried him back to the bed with heavy, uneven control.
He stripped away Dane's soaked clothes with shaking hands before dressing him in dry ones.
The room shifted as Axis's scent filled it, turning heavier with every breath.
Dane kept shaking, still weak from the harvest, his mind barely holding together.
He stood over Dane for a moment, jaw tight, breathing hard.
"I can't fix what they took," Axis whispered, his voice vibrating with a dangerous, dark intensity against the silence of the room.
"But I can give you enough of mine to keep you breathing."
Dane's eyes widened, his breath catching as he felt the heat coming off Axis.
It wasn't just warmth—it was pressure, heavy and unstable, like something barely held together. The pre-rut sat under Axis's skin, close to breaking.
"Look at me."
Dane did.
Axis's jaw clenched. His hands were shaking.
"I don't know if this will work," he admitted hoarsely. "But I can't watch you disappear."
Dane didn't answer.
Axis leaned in and didn't look away. His gaze held Dane in place as his fangs brushed the inside of his wrist, right over the thin pulse there.
His pheromones flooded the room without restraint, heavy enough to make the air itself feel suffocating. Every breath Dane drew carried Axis with it, overwhelming his senses until there was nowhere left to escape.
Axis's breath trembled.
There was still time to stop.
He didn't.
His fangs pierced Dane's wrist.
Not gentle. Just enough to break skin—and everything after followed.
Axis pushed through the mark, forcing himself into the space between Dane's panic and his body, flooding him with heat, presence, something raw and unfiltered that didn't know how to be soft.
Dane arched sharply, a broken sound tearing out of him as the sensation hit—too intense, too grounding, like something forcing him back into his body and locking him there before he could slip away again.
His hands scrambled for something real, gripping the sheets first, then Axis's shirt, pulling him closer like letting go wasn't an option anymore.
The noise in his head shattered.
That thin, unbearable static broke apart under the weight of Axis's presence, swallowed whole by the mark on his wrist.
Axis didn't move back.
Forehead against him, breath uneven, both of them caught in the space between panic and something neither of them had named yet.
And for the first time, Dane didn't feel like he was slipping away.
The hallway outside the guest room was already tense with movement before Kael reached the door.
He heard the chaos first—rushing footsteps, broken urgency. Enough to pull him there.
The door stood open.
He stopped just outside it.
Inside, Axis was still over Dane, too close, too unsteady. The air was heavy with something sharp and unmistakable. Dane lay beneath him, shaking, but anchored now in a way that didn't need explanation. The mark on his wrist said everything Kael needed to know.
Kael didn't step in. He didn't speak.
For a moment, he just stood there, taking it in with quiet understanding.
Then he reached out and gently pulled the door shut.
——
"Why, Joey?" Vyn's voice dragged, rough and unsteady. He swallowed hard, trying to steady himself, but it didn't work.
"Why is he looking at me like that... like I'm a stranger? Why?"
The dim bar swallowed his voice whole, the air heavy with the scents of expensive liquor, aged whiskey, and the faint, stinging bite of cigar smoke.
Vyn wasn't AXIOM's untouchable ace here. He was just a man sitting too long at the edge of the polished bar top, hunched over his drink and too drunk to hold himself together, with something quietly breaking in his chest.
He sagged against the high stool, his shirt wrinkled and his collar undone. A tear slipped down his cheek, disappearing into the fabric near his neck as Joey, seated on the stool right beside him, watched him fall apart in silence.
Vyn let out a short, broken laugh, his grip tightening on his glass before loosening, as if he'd forgotten what he was holding.
"I... I don't get it," he muttered, his gaze unfocused.
"Now it's like... it's like I'm nothing to him. Why, Joey? Why?"
Joey rubbed his back, his jaw tightening. He looked at Vyn for a moment, like he understood more than he could say, but none of it had a way out.
"I don't know, Vyn," he said quietly. " Maybe... maybe all of this has something to do with the Mercier name. Give him some space for now."
At the mention of the name, Vyn went still, as if the word had struck somewhere too deep.
He leaned back and took another drink, as though he could drown the thought before it reached him.
"I can lose it, Joey," Vyn said hoarsely.
"That... fucking... name."
A hollow laugh escaped him.
"Mercier." He spat the name like it burned. "Fuck, I hate it." He swallowed hard. "I never wanted that name."
He looked up, his eyes glassy.
"I'd give it up... all of it... just... just to be with him."
"Vyn..."
"I mean it." Vyn stared into the amber liquid in his glass. "If that's what it takes... I'd do it."
Joey sighed, then reached over and patted Vyn's back.
"Hey." He offered a small, reassuring smile. "You'll get through this. You will."
Vyn shook his head.
"I don't think I can." He swallowed hard. "I'm... I'm scared of losing him."
The answer came so quietly that it hurt more than if he'd shouted it.
Joey swallowed and pushed himself to his feet.
"You're too drunk, Vyn. Come on. Let's go home."
Vyn didn't respond.
The penthouse was silent when Joey finally got him inside, leaving him to collapse onto the bed. But the moment the door clicked shut, Vyn's eyes opened—bloodshot, unfocused, but burning with a frantic, singular purpose.
He shoved himself to his feet, swaying as the room tilted beneath him. He barely noticed.
He left his penthouse without another thought.
His feet carried him somewhere they already knew.
Elio's door.
His fingers fumbled over the keypad, missing the first number before trying again.
Click.
It still worked.
A broken sound escaped him, somewhere between a laugh and a sob, as he stumbled inside and found the bedroom by memory alone.
Elio lay asleep beneath the covers.
Vyn didn't hesitate. He climbed onto the bed and pulled him into his arms from behind, holding on with a desperate, crushing force, as if letting go would make the man vanish into thin air.
Elio reacted with lethal instinct—a sharp, violent turn and a strike that sent Vyn sprawling off the bed with a dull thud.
He was breathing hard, his posture defensive and his eyes piercing the dark.
"Vyn?" His voice cracked. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Vyn groaned, pushing himself up, his movements heavy with alcohol.
He didn't explain. He simply lurched forward, collapsing against Elio's lap and burying his face into his stomach, wrapping his arms around his waist like he was anchoring himself to the only thing that mattered.
"Mm... I missed you," he muttered, his voice muffled and thick. "God... Elio, I missed you so much."
Elio froze, his hands hovering in the air—caught between an instinct to repel and a buried, aching need to hold.
He gritted his teeth and shoved Vyn back. "Go home. You're reeking."
Vyn got up, his gaze softer and more vulnerable than it had ever been while sober. He reached out, his fingers trembling as they brushed Elio's face, tracing the skin as if he needed to confirm he was truly there.
"Elio..." he murmured, his voice thick and dreamy. "Your eyes... they're different."
He studied him for a moment, then added quietly, almost absentmindedly.
"They're beautiful."
Elio turned his face away immediately, hiding the unnatural, shifting iris of his eye in the shadows.
"Leave. Now."
"No." Vyn's hand tightened against his cheek, unsteady but desperate. "I'm... I'm not going anywhere."
"Vyn—"
"Elio... don't..." His words slurred together. "Please... don't push me away."
He shook his head as if he could force the thoughts into place.
"I... I never even got to tell you." His voice cracked. "How much I love you."
"I can do anything... anything." He swallowed hard. "Please... just come back to me."
For a second, Elio felt his resolve falter.
Something twisted painfully in his chest.
"You see..." Elio's voice was quiet. Almost steady.
"Day by day..." A faint smile tugged at his lips, though there wasn't an ounce of warmth in it. "It feels like I'm being torn apart... piece by piece."
Vyn frowned, his drunken gaze searching Elio's face.
"Can we..." His words slurred together. "Can we just go back to how things were?"
Elio closed his eyes.
"If only it were that simple."
Vyn's eyes were glassy with alcohol, but the way he looked at Elio never wavered. There was nothing hesitant left in his gaze—only raw instinct, possessive and unguarded.
His fingers tightened around Elio's jaw while his other arm locked around his waist, holding him close enough that there was no room left between them. His pheromones spilled free without restraint.
Then Vyn leaned in.
The kiss wasn't gentle. It tasted of whiskey and sorrow, rough and desperate, carrying weeks of fear, confusion, and everything he couldn't put into words. He bit at Elio's lips, seeking him with a reckless intensity that shattered the last of the distance between them.
Elio didn't pull away.
His gaze stayed on Vyn's, steady and unguarded. Whatever restraint had been holding him back was slipping, piece by piece, leaving something raw behind.
Vyn's pheromones rolled over him, instinctive and possessive, pressing into every barrier Elio had left. For a heartbeat, the air itself seemed to tighten.
Then Elio's answered.
Heat flickered in his mismatched eyes, impossible to miss, as though looking away had never even crossed his mind.
Elio's restraint finally crumbled.
He caught Vyn by the collar and shoved him back onto the mattress with enough force to make him gasp.
A primal switch flipped—quiet, inevitable. Instinct took over where control used to be. The hunger he had been denying for far too long rose all at once.
Elio's pheromones filled the room, thick and intoxicating, colliding head-on with Vyn's dominance instead of yielding to it.
Neither gave way.
The air grew heavier as their instincts met, neither willing to retreat.
Vyn stilled for half a breath.
Even through the alcohol haze, his expression shifted. His gaze flickered to Elio, unfocused but suddenly more alert, caught between confusion and instinct as the unfamiliar scent settled around him.
It wasn't the frozen mint and white lilies he knew, yet something about it felt strangely familiar, pulling at him in ways he couldn't understand.
Elio captured his mouth once more, harder this time, and Vyn's breath hitched as the scent wrapped around him completely, blurring the edges of thought and instinct alike.
Elio broke away only to drag his mouth down Vyn's jaw, to his throat.
Vyn's hands found Elio almost instinctively, gripping at his forearms before sliding higher to his shoulders. His fingers tightened, not to push him away or reclaim control, but as though holding on was the only way to keep himself grounded beneath the weight of Elio's dominance.
Their pheromones had become overwhelming, tangling in the space between them and sinking into his skin, clouding thoughts already dulled by alcohol.
His breath caught.
"Elio..."
The name left him softer than intended.
Elio didn't answer.
Vyn could feel the hard pressure of Elio's arousal through the thin silk of his pajamas, pressed against the denim covering his own hip.
He reached for Elio almost desperately. His fingers fumbled with the buttons of Elio's pajama shirt until the silk finally fell open, revealing his chest.
Elio barely gave him the chance. He caught the hem of Vyn's shirt and pushed it up, his palms sliding over Vyn's bare skin, each touch leaving behind a trail of unbearable heat.
He leaned down—hot, wet, hungry. He pressed his lips to Vyn's chest, swirling his tongue against a nipple.
"Fuck—"
A jagged sound tearing from his throat as Vyn arched his back.
Elio's lips drifted lower, leaving a trail of lingering kisses down to Vyn's stomach. His hand found the metal button of Vyn's jeans, fingers unsteady as he worked it open.
He slipped his hand inside, wrapping it around Vyn's cock, already hard and slick with pre-cum beneath the thin cotton of his underwear. He stroked him slowly at first, then firmer, guided more by instinct than thought.
The moment didn't last.
A rough breath escaped him before he moved back up, quicker this time, as though the surge inside him had finally begun to take over. A low growl vibrated deep in his throat as he found Vyn's mouth again, kissing him harder than before.
Elio's lips wandered from Vyn's mouth to his jaw, then lower, dragging over the warm skin of his neck. His teeth grazed lightly against it in small, possessive nips.
It felt instinctive. Territorial.
Vyn answered without hesitation. Still breathing hard, he pushed Elio's pajama bottoms lower until his hand closed around his hardness. The heat of Elio's body startled him, but he didn't pull away. Their movements quickly found the same rhythm, neither willing to let go.
Elio buried his face against the curve of Vyn's neck, his breath ragged, his hand still locked around Vyn in a punishing, rhythmic grip. Driven by the surge he could no longer fully control, he pressed his face higher, seeking the scent gland.
"Will you let me mark you?" Elio rasped against his pulse point.
His grip tightened around Vyn's cock, the pressure becoming almost possessive.
Vyn's head was swimming.
The booze. The longing.
It all blended into a warm, golden haze. He didn't stop to think. Didn't question why an Omega would even ask.
He simply looked up at Elio and nodded.
"Yeah," Vyn murmured, his voice breaking. "You can." He slid his fingers into Elio's hair, gently guiding his head back to bare his throat.
Elio finally let go of Vyn, his hand sliding free before both hands found Vyn's shoulders. His grip tightened until his knuckles turned white.
He leaned in, his fangs brushing lightly against Vyn's skin.
One more second...
and there would've been no turning back.
Then reality hit Elio like a bucket of ice water.
His entire body went rigid. The fog of instinct shattered. Memory came rushing back all at once.
He tore himself away.
"You need to leave, Vyn."
"No..." Vyn shook his head, blinking slowly. "Don't... don't say that."
His words tangled together.
"I know... I know you want me too. Don't push me away."
"Enough, Vyn." Elio's voice was a dangerous, low tremor. "Go home."
Vyn shook his head, his body wavering.
"No... please don't do this, Elio." He leaned his forehead against Elio's shoulder, the plea escaping before he could stop it. "I can... I can do anything for you. Just tell me what to do."
A heavy, jagged silence settled between them before Vyn spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Is it... because I'm a Mercier?"
A hollow laugh slipped from him.
"I'm just a fucking bastard carrying that goddamn name."
His grip loosened, as though even holding on had become exhausting.
"I hate it too." His eyes fell shut for a moment. "If that's why... I'm sorry."
Elio looked down at him, a flicker of something raw breaking through his mask before it hardened again.
"It's not you, Vyn."
It's your father.
He stepped back, drawing a line in the dark.
"Get up, Vyn."
Vyn blinked slowly, as though trying to understand the words.
"Can I stay?" he whispered, the question slurring at the edges. "Just... just tonight."
Elio looked away.
"No."
He shoved him away. "You can't stay here."
"P-Please..." Vyn whispered.
"Vyn, I'm too tired for everything," Elio said, his voice cold and final. "Please leave."
Vyn stared at him for a long moment, trying to process the answer. His lips parted as if he wanted to argue, but nothing came out.
Instead, he gave a small, absent-minded nod.
"...Okay."
He turned too quickly.
The room tilted beneath him.
Before he could catch himself, he dropped heavily onto the floor. His back slid against the side of the bed until he came to a stop, breathing unevenly, his head resting against the mattress.
He stayed there for a long moment before his body slowly gave in. He slipped onto his side, one arm stretched carelessly across the floor, his eyelids already too heavy to keep open.
"...Elio."
The name escaped him in a whisper.
"I... I miss you."
His breathing caught.
"So... so much."
Elio didn't move.
He stood quietly, looking down at him as silence settled over the room. He found himself crossing the room.
"...Idiot," he muttered under his breath.
He crouched beside Vyn, slipped both hands beneath his arms, and dragged him upright before guiding him onto the edge of the mattress. It took more effort than he expected, but eventually Vyn collapsed onto the bed, rolling onto his side without ever opening his eyes.
"...Mm..."
His lips moved again.
"I looked... everywhere..."
His words slurred together.
"You weren't... there."
His hand wandered slowly across the sheets until his fingers brushed against Elio's.
Almost immediately, they curled around his hand.
Elio froze.
Still asleep, Vyn slowly pulled Elio's hand closer.
He pressed a soft kiss against the back of it, then lingered there, taking a slow breath as if he was quietly breathing him in.
The corners of his lips lifted faintly.
"...Found you."
He stayed like that for a while, his lips brushing lightly against Elio's skin before taking another slow inhale.
"...Don't... go again."
His fingers tightened just a little around Elio's hand.
"I... looked... everywhere..."
The words came out broken and slurred, almost too quiet to hear.
"I'll... do everything..."
Then he fell silent again, still holding Elio's hand close, as if letting go wasn't even an option.
The rest dissolved into something unintelligible.
Only Elio's name remained clear.
"...Elio..."
It came again.
Soft.
Broken.
Repeated like he was afraid he'd forget it if he stopped saying it.
Elio didn't answer.
He stayed where he was, allowing Vyn to keep holding his hand while sleep pulled him deeper under.
His gaze lingered on Vyn's face for a long time.
He didn't realize his thumb had begun tracing slow circles over the back of Vyn's hand until he caught himself.
Vyn's breathing finally evened out.
Even in sleep, his fingers stayed wrapped around Elio's hand, as though letting go had never been an option.
Elio watched him in silence.
Long after the room had gone still...
he never once tried to pull away.