Kendrick Walker had always trusted control.
Control shaped every lesson he learned growing up in the Walker family. Control of emotion. Control of reputation. Control of instinct. Powerful alphas were not ruled by impulse. They mastered it.
That belief had guided him his entire life.
Which was why the quiet distraction following him through the ballroom tonight felt so deeply irritating.
Because it refused to obey.
Kendrick stood near the far side of the ballroom, speaking with a group of investors about a development project downtown. At least, he appeared to be speaking. Daniel Morris continued explaining projected revenue numbers with professional confidence.
"...a twelve percent increase within the first fiscal year," Daniel said.
Kendrick nodded at the appropriate moment. "Yes. That seems reasonable."
But even as he responded, part of his attention drifted elsewhere again.
Damian Roberts had returned to work after the tense encounter with Victor Hale. The omega moved steadily through the ballroom, offering drinks and collecting empty glasses with quiet efficiency. His posture remained careful, his head slightly lowered, his movements controlled.
To most guests, he blended into the background.
Kendrick noticed every step.
More importantly, he noticed every time that faint scent reached him again.
The suppressor Damian wore dulled most of it. That much was clear. Yet the remaining trace lingered in the air just enough to reach his senses. The longer the night continued, the harder it became to ignore.
It settled into his awareness like a persistent signal.
"Kendrick?"
He blinked.
Daniel Morris was looking at him expectantly.
Kendrick cleared his throat. "Apologies. Please continue."
Daniel hesitated before resuming his explanation, but Kendrick already understood what had happened.
He had lost focus again.
And that was unacceptable.
Across the room, Damian replaced an empty tray at the catering station and picked up a fresh one. His shoulders felt tight. The encounter with Victor still lingered in his thoughts, leaving behind a steady unease.
Victor Hale had looked at him like a problem waiting to be solved.
Damian had spent most of his life avoiding men like that.
He reached back briefly and touched the edge of the suppressor patch. The faint itch had returned, a small reminder that the device was working harder than usual. He adjusted it carefully.
Still secure.
Still functioning.
That reassurance mattered.
Because if the suppressor failed in a room filled with dominant alphas, the consequences would be immediate and dangerous.
As he stepped back into the ballroom, a subtle shift passed through the air.
Most guests did not notice.
Two men did.
Victor Hale, standing near the bar.
And Kendrick Walker, halfway across the room.
Both sensed the faint change at the same time.
Victor's eyes narrowed slightly.
The suppressor was weakening.
Kendrick felt the shift differently. The scent reached him more clearly now, brushing against instincts he normally kept under strict control. His focus sharpened. His breathing slowed. Something restless stirred deep beneath his composure.
The reaction remained manageable.
For now.
But it refused to fade.
"You're distracted again."
Alehandra's voice cut smoothly into his thoughts.
Kendrick turned toward her. She stood beside him, poised and observant, her expression calm but attentive.
"I'm listening," he said.
Alehandra gave him a measured look that clearly expressed doubt.
"You have been staring across the room for nearly a minute."
Kendrick remained silent.
Alehandra followed his line of sight without effort. Her gaze settled on Damian near the dance floor as he offered drinks to a small group of guests.
She watched him for several seconds before turning back.
"That makes three times tonight," she said quietly.
Kendrick exhaled. "I know."
Alehandra studied him more closely now.
"You do not react this way to strangers."
"To what?" he asked.
"To someone you barely know."
Kendrick did not respond.
Because he did not have an answer.
Alehandra lowered her voice slightly.
"Is it his scent?"
The question made Kendrick pause.
Alehandra noticed immediately.
"I thought so," she said.
Kendrick frowned. "You noticed it?"
"Barely," she replied.
Her expression tightened slightly. "There is a suppressor, but it is not perfect."
She watched him carefully.
"And you are reacting more strongly than I am."
Kendrick did not like that observation.
Alehandra continued in the same calm tone.
"That means something about his pheromones is affecting you."
Kendrick looked across the ballroom again.
Damian had moved to another table, offering drinks with steady professionalism. His behavior remained controlled and unremarkable, yet the faint trace of scent continued to drift through the air.
Each time it reached Kendrick, his instincts reacted.
Subtle.
Persistent.
Alehandra studied his expression closely.
"You should stay away from him," she said.
Kendrick nodded once. "I will."
Alehandra watched him for another moment before speaking again.
"I do not believe you."
Across the room, Victor Hale leaned against the bar, observing the situation with growing interest.
He had noticed the suppressor adjustment earlier.
He had noticed the shift in scent afterward.
But what fascinated him most was Kendrick.
Victor had known the man for years. He had never seen Kendrick Walker react to an omega with this level of distraction. The behavior alone suggested something unusual.
Victor finished his drink slowly and placed the empty glass on the counter.
Now he wanted answers.
Meanwhile, Damian moved toward the tall windows overlooking the city. A small group of guests stood nearby, enjoying the view and quiet conversation. He offered drinks with his usual professionalism, then paused for a brief moment beside the glass.
The city lights stretched endlessly below, steady and distant. The quiet view helped him breathe more evenly.
Then a familiar presence settled behind him.
Close.
Too close.
Damian froze.
He did not need to turn to recognize the scent.
Kendrick Walker had followed him again.
The alpha stood close enough that the warmth of his presence brushed against Damian's senses. The surrounding noise faded slightly as tension settled between them.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Kendrick broke the silence.
"Your suppressor is weakening."
Damian released a quiet breath.
"I noticed."
"You should replace it."
"I will. When my shift ends."
Kendrick's gaze remained fixed on him.
"That might be too late."
Damian turned to face him fully now.
"And why do you care so much?"
The question hung in the air between them.
Kendrick did not answer immediately.
Because the truth unsettled him.
The lingering scent between them was affecting his instincts more than it should. That alone made the situation dangerous.
Before he could respond, another voice interrupted.
"Well."
Victor Hale stepped into view once more, smiling.
"I was wondering when the two of you would find each other again."
Damian's stomach dropped.
Victor's eyes gleamed with unmistakable interest.
And this time, his expression carried something new.
Certainty.