Damian Roberts hated events like this.
The moment he stepped into the ballroom earlier that evening, his instincts had started screaming at him to leave.
Everything about the place felt wrong.
Too bright.
Too elegant.
Too full of people who belonged to 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 mingled thickly in the air, creating a pressure that sat uncomfortably in the back of Damian's throat.
He kept his head slightly lowered as he moved through the room, careful to maintain 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.
Or food.
Or whether someone stronger might decide to claim you just 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 entire 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.
Another powerful alpha family.
A strategic union.
A perfect alliance.
The sort of arrangement people like Damian were never meant to question.
He carefully stepped around a group of investors gathered near one of the marble columns.
Their voices were low, but Damian still caught fragments of conversation.
"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.
Uncommon enough to attract attention in the worst possible ways.
In certain circles, male omegas were treated like curiosities.
In others, they were treated like prizes.
Neither situation had ever ended well for the ones involved.
So Damian did what he had learned to do years ago.
He stayed quiet.
Stayed careful.
Stayed 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 politeness.
A woman accepted a glass.
A man waved him away without looking.
Another guest took two.
Everything routine.
Everything 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 brewing 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 impossible to notice beneath the thick cloud of perfumes and colognes.
But Damian felt it immediately.
His breath caught.
Alpha.
Not just any alpha.
A powerful one.
The kind that carried natural dominance in their pheromones.
Sharp.
Clean.
Commanding.
His body reacted instinctively.
His pulse jumped.
His shoulders stiffened.
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 dangerously.
A champagne glass slid toward the edge.
Damian's heart jumped.
Not here. Please not here—
But before the glass could fall, a steady hand caught it.
Strong fingers wrapped 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 words came automatically.
But the alpha didn't answer right away.
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 slightly before he steadied it.
Kendrick Walker studied him silently.
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 ever encountered before.
It carried something strange beneath the sweetness.
Something rare.
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 quiet.
"You."
Damian blinked.
"Sir?"
Kendrick tilted his head slightly.
"You're the one."
Damian's heart started beating faster.
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 unexpected.
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.
Like he could smell something that shouldn't exist.
And somewhere deep inside the alpha's instincts, a quiet realization began to form.
This omega—
This stranger standing in front of him—
Was the scent that had called to him across the room.
And Kendrick Walker suddenly knew one thing with absolute certainty.
This encounter…
Was not the last time he would see him.