Damian Roberts hated events like this. The moment he stepped into the ballroom earlier that evening, his instincts had started warning him to leave. Everything about the place felt wrong.
Too bright.
Too elegant.
Too full of people who lived in a world that had never made room for someone like him. Crystal chandeliers shimmered above the crowd like frozen starlight. Expensive perfume and alpha pheromones hung thickly in the air, creating a pressure that settled uncomfortably in the back of Damian's throat. He kept his head slightly lowered as he moved through the room, maintaining the calm, unobtrusive posture expected of catering staff.
Invisible.
That was the goal. Invisible people rarely got into trouble. He adjusted his grip on the silver tray resting against his palm. Rows of champagne glasses clinked softly together as he walked between small groups of guests engaged in quiet, important conversations.
Laughter drifted through the room. The kind of confident laughter that came from people who had never needed to worry about rent, food, or whether someone stronger might decide to claim you simply because they could. Damian forced himself to focus on the task in front of him.
Deliver drinks.
Avoid attention.
Get paid.
Go home.
That was the plan. Simple. Safe. He only wished he had known whose event this was before accepting the shift. Because the moment he arrived and saw the name Walker printed across the guest list, a cold weight had settled in his stomach.
Walker Corporation.
One of the most powerful families in the city.
Alpha bloodline.
Old money.
Old power.
The kind of family that controlled industries and the lives of the people beneath them. And tonight was their engagement celebration. Damian had heard the whispers while the staff prepared the event earlier.
Kendrick Walker.
The heir.
Engaged to Alehandra Peters.
A strategic union.
A perfect alliance.
The sort of arrangement people like Damian were never meant to question. He stepped carefully around a group of investors gathered near one of the marble columns. Their voices were low, but fragments of conversation still reached him. "Walker stocks are going to skyrocket after tonight." "The Peters family brings international connections." "Power move." He kept walking. Not his world. Not his business.
Damian lifted his hand briefly to scratch the back of his neck before stopping himself. The suppressor patch was still there. He could feel the faint adhesive pulling gently against his skin.
New.
Stronger than the cheap versions he usually bought. It had cost him almost half a week's wages. But tonight required something reliable. Because Damian Roberts wasn't just an omega. He was a male omega. Rare enough to attract attention in the worst possible ways. In some circles, male omegas were treated like curiosities. In others, they were treated like prizes. Neither situation had ever ended well. So Damian did what he had learned to do years ago.
Stay quiet.
Stay careful.
Stay forgettable.
Across the ballroom, a sudden burst of camera flashes caught his attention. Guests shifted, turning toward the center of the room where a small stage had been arranged. Damian followed their gaze briefly. He didn't need anyone to explain what was happening. The heir had arrived. Kendrick Walker. Even from a distance, the alpha stood out.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Perfect posture.
He carried the kind of presence that naturally commanded space around him. Damian quickly looked away. Rule number one: never stare at powerful alphas. It invited trouble. He continued moving through the crowd, offering drinks with quiet efficiency.
A woman accepted a glass, a man waved him away, another guest took two.
Routine.
Normal.
And yet Damian couldn't shake the strange tension prickling along his skin. It felt like the air itself had shifted. Like a storm building somewhere just out of sight. He tried to ignore it. Tried to focus on the rhythm of work.
Step.
Offer.
Move.
Step.
Offer.
Move.
But then it happened, a scent drifted through the air.
Faint.
Almost hidden beneath the heavy cloud of perfumes and colognes. But Damian felt it instantly. His breath caught.
Alpha.
Not just any alpha. A powerful one. The kind that carried natural dominance in their pheromones. His body reacted before his mind could catch up. Pulse quickening. Muscles tightening. Instinct rising. It was the kind of scent that made weaker omegas lower their heads without thinking.
Damian swallowed slowly. Ignore it. He adjusted the tray and stepped around a passing couple. The scent grew stronger.
Closer.
His instincts prickled again. Something about it felt… focused. Like it was searching. That was ridiculous. Alphas couldn't track people through a crowded ballroom like predators.
Still… Damian turned slightly to move around another guest and walked straight into someone. The tray tipped. A champagne glass slid toward the edge. Damian's heart lurched. Not here. Please not here, but before the glass could fall, a steady hand caught it. Strong fingers closed around the delicate stem with effortless precision.
Damian froze. The world seemed to narrow. Because the person standing in front of him was unmistakably an alpha.
Tall.
Broad.
Close enough that Damian could feel the heat of his body. "I'm sorry," Damian said quickly, stepping back. The apology came automatically, but the alpha didn't answer. Instead, the space between them shifted. Something in the air tightened. Damian felt it immediately. The alpha scent hit him fully now.
Sharp.
Dominant.
Powerful enough to send a shiver down his spine. His instincts stirred uneasily. He looked up. And immediately regretted it. Dark eyes met his.
Steady.
Focused.
Unmistakably intelligent.
Kendrick Walker.
Damian's stomach dropped. Of all the people… For a moment, neither of them spoke. The tray in Damian's hands trembled before he forced it still. Kendrick Walker studied him in silence. Something unreadable flickered behind the alpha's gaze. Then Kendrick's eyes narrowed slightly. Because now he could smell it clearly. That scent.
Warm.
Soft.
Unmistakably omega.
But deeper than any omega scent he had encountered before, it carried something rare beneath the sweetness. Something that pulled instinctively at the alpha part of his nature. Kendrick felt it like a thread tightening somewhere deep in his chest. He had followed that scent across the ballroom without realizing it. Now he knew why. His voice came out low.
"You."
Damian blinked.
"Sir?"
Kendrick tilted his head slightly. "You're the one." Damian's heart began to pound. The one what? He forced a polite expression onto his face. "I'm just staff." But Kendrick wasn't looking at his uniform. He was looking at him.
Directly.
Intently.
Like he had discovered something he couldn't ignore. And that was when Damian realized something that made his stomach twist. The suppressor patch on the back of his neck suddenly felt very, very thin. Because Kendrick Walker was still staring at him.
Not like a guest.
Not like an employer.
Not like a stranger.
Like a predator who had just found the source of a scent he couldn't forget, and somewhere deep inside Kendrick's instincts, a quiet certainty settled into place. This omega… this stranger standing in front of him…. has not an accident, was not a coincidence, was not temporary.
And for the first time in his carefully controlled life, Kendrick Walker felt something dangerous take root.
Claim.