Chapter 8

• Seylan
• VaelTech’s expansion into AI-driven climate solutions was my most ambitious project to date, and I was eager to oversee it in Geneva.
• I wasn’t going alone.
• Vaughan, despite his carefree nature, was coming along, not just as my Beta, but because he was, surprisingly, a brilliant strategist.
• A mix of ruthless efficiency and deep foresight,let him spot potential weaknesses before they surfaced. He was one of the sharpest minds I trusted.
• I left Rowan, my steadfast Gamma, behind to oversee operations and maintain order.
• Nathan, my driver pulled up right on time.
• I pushed aside the throne, my father, the pressure and focused on the work ahead.
• At least in Geneva, there were no expectations of an Alpha-Prince.
• Just business, and that, at least, was something I could control.
• In the car, my wolf and lycan roused.
• A slow, uneasy shift rippled beneath my skin, like the whisper of an incoming storm. I dismissed it as nerves from the upcoming flight to Geneva, but flying had never fazed me. I had shifted mid-air, suspended weightless, the wind tearing through my fur as I raced the sky before gravity reclaimed me. No, this wasn’t about the flight.
• Then I remembered my father’s words from the night before about enemies watching and waiting.
• My jaw tightened, I glanced at Vaughan, he had already registered my change in energy.
• “Have the men check for any hidden threats, I want updates every five minutes.”
• “Already on it.” Vaughan replied, his voice calm but I could sense his curiosity, he could feel my tension.
• That gnawing sense of unease hadn’t left me. Then, as we neared the airport, it hit me, a scent.
• “Stop the car.”
• The driver barely had time to react before I shouted it again.
• “Now!”
• The brakes screeched, tires skidded behind us, the entire fleet of security vehicles slammed to a sudden stop, horns blaring, humans shouting in frustration.
• I heard none of it.
• All I could focus on was the scent.
• Warm, Sweet, Pure.
• It was subtle, teasing the edges of my senses, slipping between the exhaust fumes and overpriced fast food like wild honey kissed by fresh rain.
• Untamed yet soft, it felt almost perfect.
• I threw the door open, stepping out with urgency, nearly setting my guards into full defensive mode. They rushed to cover me, shields forming instinctively, but I wasn’t looking for an enemy.
• I was searching.
• My eyes swept over the chaotic flow of traffic, multi-lane congestion of cars, taxis, travelers dragging their luggage. I sniffed the air again, trying to pinpoint it.
• But then… it faded, gone like a ghost
• Gone, like it had never been there at all.
• “What the hell was that?” Vaughan asked, stepping closer.
• I shook my head, fingers pressing against my temples as if that would clear the strange pull I had just felt.
• I didn’t know and that bothered me.
• My wolf paced restlessly inside me. The lycan inside me snarled low, confused, frustrated.
• I exhaled sharply, rolling my shoulders back. “Forget it, false alarm.”
• Vaughan didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press. I could feel the confusion in my guards at my erratic behavior. This wasn’t like me, I didn’t react like that without reason.
• Still rattled, I muttered an apology to my men, slipped back into the car, and let the convoy continue to the airport.
• YYC was alive with movement, a steady undercurrent of voices blending into a low, rhythmic buzz. Travelers rushed through terminals, security announcements echoed overhead, and the smell of coffee and jet fuel.
• Normally, I would be driven straight to the runway, bypassing all of this. Today, I chose to walk.
• I needed to shake off whatever the hell had just happened.
• I adjusted the sleeves of my dark, tailored wool coat, smoothing over the fitted black sweater beneath. The silver chain at my wrist caught the terminal’s light, glinting as I moved. My dark trousers were perfectly pressed, and the polished leather boots barely made a sound against the sleek airport floors.
• I appeared to walk with purpose but the turmoil still burned in my chest.
• A sea of guards flanked me, moving in precise formation. My personal security detail blended effortlessly with the warriors protecting their Alpha Prince. They weren’t just bodyguards, they were shields. Every movement was calculated, every gaze scanning for threats.
• And yet, I no longer sense any, only something or someone else.
• I mind-linked the entire team, my command swift and silent.
• “Pause.”
• Immediately, the guards halted in unison, forming an unmovable presence in the middle of the bustling terminal.
• I turned my head slightly, scanning the crowd, sniffing the air.
• For a brief second, I caught it again.
• Faint, almost lost in the whirlwind of human scents, but there.
• “Alpha?” my beta’s voice nudged my thoughts.
• I hesitated, then as quickly as I had stopped, I kept walking.
• “Nothing, move forward.”
• We continued toward the private exit leading directly to the runway, I could still feel it.