Serin learned early that survival didn't come from being strong.
It came from being unnoticed.
He walked like he belonged.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Not nervous.
Not confident.
Just normal.
That was the trick.
The street was crowded, but not loud — evening traffic, people leaving work, small shops closing their metal doors, buses pulling in and out of stops. The kind of street that felt ordinary enough to disappear into.
Serin kept his hood low and his bag close to his body.
His suppressants were wearing off.
He could feel it.
Not as pain — as heat.
A low, quiet burning under his skin, deep near his neck, where his omega glands rested. A reminder that no matter how well he acted like a beta, his body wasn't one.
He passed a small grocery store.
A food stand.
A closed pharmacy.
A bar with dim yellow lights.
Normal places.
Normal people.
Normal life.
That's what he wanted.
Just normal.
Then his chest tightened.
Not fear.
Not panic.
Instinct.
The air felt heavier, like pressure before rain. Like something invisible had stepped into the space around him.
Serin didn't stop walking.
He didn't turn.
He didn't look.
But his body knew.
Alpha.
Not just any alpha.
The kind that makes your instincts curl inward.
The kind that makes your omega side go silent.
The kind that makes your body want to submit even when your mind refuses.
His fingers twitched inside his sleeves.
His breathing stayed steady.
Don't react.
Don't show fear.
Don't draw attention.
That was how you survived.
Across the street, a black car had stopped near the sidewalk.
Not a luxury car.
Not a flashy one.
Just black. Clean. Quiet.
A man stood beside it.
Tall.
Still.
Calm.
He wasn't doing anything.
Not talking.
Not moving.
Not watching people.
But something about him made the space feel controlled.
Owned.
Kael Virex hadn't been looking for anyone.
He was just stepping out of the car.
Just another stop.
Another meeting.
Another day.
Then the air changed.
Not scent — not clearly.
Just something wrong.
Faint.
Muted.
Hidden under chemicals.
But real.
Omega.
His eyes lifted without thought.
Not searching.
Not scanning.
Just… drawn.
And then he felt it.
That pull.
Not desire.
Not heat.
Not attraction.
Recognition.
Instinctive.
Deep.
Primitive.
Unclaimed.
Unmarked.
Unprotected.
His jaw tightened.
His body went still.
His wolf stirred in his chest.
Across the street, Serin felt it too.
That invisible lock.
That silent connection.
Like two instincts touching.
Like two worlds colliding for one second too long.
His steps slowed.
Not because he wanted to.
Because his body reacted.
Fear slid into his stomach like cold water.
He didn't look back.
But he knew.
Someone had felt him.
Someone had sensed him.
Someone dangerous.
A quiet voice spoke behind him.
Low.
Controlled.
Calm.
"Find him."
Not loud.
Not aggressive.
Just certain.
Serin's heart dropped.
Not because of the words.
But because of the tone.
The kind of voice that doesn't ask.
The kind that doesn't chase.
The kind that already owns the ground it stands on.
And for the first time in years—
Serin ran.