The ballroom glittered like a constellation of glass and gold.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, scattering soft light over polished marble floors and the elegant crowd below. Music drifted through the room—something classical and gentle, carefully chosen so it wouldn't overpower the low murmur of expensive conversations.
Everything about the evening was flawless.
Everything about it was planned.
Kendrick Walker stood near the balcony doors, one hand resting loosely in his pocket while the other held a glass of champagne he hadn't touched. From where he stood, he could see almost the entire room.
Powerful men and women filled the hall—corporate executives, investors, political figures, and heirs of old families who had been shaping the city for generations.
They were all here for one reason.
Him.
The future of Walker Corporation.
A title Kendrick had been carrying since he was old enough to understand the weight of it.
"Smile."
The quiet voice came from beside him.
Kendrick glanced down slightly.
Alehandra Peters stood at his side, elegant and composed as always. Her dark hair was pulled into a sleek style that framed sharp, intelligent features. The deep red dress she wore was bold without being excessive—perfectly calculated.
Like everything else about her.
"People are watching," she added softly.
Of course they were.
Kendrick's lips curved into a polite smile that never quite reached his eyes.
"That's the point of tonight, isn't it?"
Alehandra's gaze drifted across the ballroom.
"Yes," she said calmly. "It is."
Across the room, cameras flashed. Members of the press had been invited—carefully selected outlets who would report exactly what the Walker and Peters families wanted them to.
The announcement would dominate headlines by morning.
The engagement of Kendrick Walker and Alehandra Peters.
Two of the most powerful alpha families joining forces.
A perfect alliance.
Kendrick felt the familiar weight settle on his shoulders again.
He had always known this moment would come.
His father had started preparing him for it years ago.
You don't belong to yourself, his father once told him during a quiet dinner meeting. You belong to the legacy we built.
Kendrick had never argued.
Alphas like him didn't have the luxury of rebellion.
Their lives were strategy.
Responsibility.
Control.
Alehandra turned slightly toward him.
"You look like a man attending his own funeral."
Kendrick let out a faint breath that might have been a laugh.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Only to someone who knows you well."
She studied him for a moment.
"Are you having doubts?"
The question hung between them.
Kendrick looked back at the ballroom.
"No."
It was the correct answer.
And it was mostly true.
Alehandra nodded once.
"Good."
Across the hall, Kendrick spotted his father speaking with several investors. The older alpha's posture was straight and commanding, his presence dominating the space around him.
Walker blood carried a certain authority.
Kendrick had inherited it.
People naturally stepped aside when he walked past.
They listened when he spoke.
They obeyed when he gave orders.
Power came easily to alphas like him.
But tonight, standing in the middle of luxury and celebration, Kendrick felt something strange stirring beneath the surface.
Something restless.
Something he couldn't quite name.
He set his untouched champagne on a passing tray.
"I'm going to get some air."
Alehandra didn't stop him.
"Don't disappear for too long," she said.
"The speeches start soon."
Kendrick stepped through the tall balcony doors.
Cool night air brushed against his skin immediately.
The city stretched below him—an endless ocean of lights and towering buildings. Traffic moved like glowing veins through the streets.
Everything here was built by people like his family.
Controlled by them.
Owned by them.
And yet the world outside suddenly felt… larger than the ballroom behind him.
He leaned slightly against the railing, breathing in the quiet for a moment.
That was when it happened.
A scent drifted through the air.
It was faint.
Almost impossible to notice.
But Kendrick froze instantly.
His senses sharpened in a way he couldn't explain.
The scent was unfamiliar.
Warm.
Subtle.
And completely wrong for a place like this.
It carried something softer than the sharp dominance of alphas.
Something deeper than the neutral calm of betas.
Kendrick's pulse quickened slightly.
"Omega…?"
The word left his mouth before he could stop it.
But that didn't make sense.
Omegas rarely attended elite gatherings like this unless they belonged to powerful families.
And this scent—
It was different.
Stronger.
Something about it pulled at him instinctively.
Like a thread tightening around his chest.
Kendrick straightened slowly.
The scent drifted again, just faint enough to tease his senses.
Somewhere nearby.
Inside the ballroom.
And for the first time that evening, Kendrick Walker felt something far more dangerous than doubt.
Curiosity.