Jaxson's lungs burned as he dragged in the humid Lagos air, the city's neon glow pulsing in the distance. One moment the Enigma had been there—standing still, smug, daring him with those impossible eyes—and the next… gone. Vanished like smoke.
Anger snapped hot in his chest. How dare he? No one, no Omega, no Alpha, no one had ever turned their back on Jaxson without consequence. And this… this wasn't just anyone. This was his. Every instinct screamed it, every nerve burned with it.
His boots scraped over the concrete as he prowled the rooftop, scanning. No scent. No movement. It was like the night itself had swallowed the man whole. A growl rumbled low in his throat. You can run, but I'll find you.
Jaxson had hunted rogues through forests, tracked Omegas who thought they could hide from their bonds. This would be no different. Except it was. The scent that lingered on his tongue wasn't like anything else—sweet, electric, pulling at him like a hook buried deep in his chest.
He launched across the gap to another rooftop, landing hard but steady. There—the faint trace again, curling in the air like a secret. It dragged him downward, into the pulse of the streets.
The late-night market was thinning, vendors packing away spices, cloth, and cheap electronics under the sodium lamps. Crowds pressed and parted, the air a riot of smells, but still Jaxson caught it—that note of ozone and honey, threading through the chaos. He followed it like a man possessed.
And then he saw him.
Leaning casually against a graffitied wall, bathed in the yellow light like it was his stage. One leg bent, arms crossed, watching Jaxson approach with that same maddening half-smile. Unbothered. Untouchable.
Jaxson's steps slowed. His pulse didn't. The air between them stretched tight.
"Lost, Alpha?" The words rolled out low and teasing, as if he'd been waiting just to deliver the line.
Jaxson's jaw flexed. "You vanished." His voice came out rougher than he intended, too raw, too honest.
The Enigma straightened, pushing off the wall with liquid grace. "Did I?" His eyes gleamed with mischief. He stepped closer, the scent wrapping tighter around Jaxson, filling his head until he could think of nothing else.
"You know who I am," Jaxson said, because he needed to hear it, to ground himself in the truth of his dominance.
"Of course." The Enigma's lips curved like he knew more than he should. "The city whispers about you, Jaxson."
"And yet you run."
That laugh—it wasn't just a sound, it was a spark that lit something in Jaxson's blood. "Do I look like I'm running?" Another step closer, the heat of him seeping through the night.
Jaxson's hand twitched. He wanted to grab him, to claim him, to prove what being an Alpha meant. But when their eyes locked, he froze. That look wasn't submission. It was challenge. Pure, unflinching challenge.
"You interest me," Jaxson said finally, voice low, more confession than threat.
The Enigma tilted his head, gaze flicking down to Jaxson's lips before drifting back up. "Is that all, Alpha?" His voice was silk, daring him to cross the line.
Jaxson's heart slammed. He wanted to close the gap, to taste him, to make him bend. But the Enigma leaned in first, his breath brushing Jaxson's ear.
"Tell me, Alpha… what is it you really want?"
The words shot through him like fire. Jaxson's chest heaved. He didn't even realize he'd tilted forward, lips hovering a breath away, until—
The Enigma pulled back. That damned smirk glittered in his eyes.
"Patience," he purred, stepping away, scent fading like a tide retreating. "Some secrets are worth waiting for."
And then he was gone again, swallowed by the shadows. But his voice lingered, a taunt, a promise Jaxson couldn't shake:
"I have something you crave, Jaxson. Something above all else."