Whispers and Warnings

Elior didn’t expect peace—but he expected quiet.

That expectation shattered the moment he walked into Combat Strategy class and found Kian Drex, heir of the Eastern Alpha Syndicate, smirking at him from across the room.

Kian was everything he hated in an Alpha: arrogant, loud, territorial. In the past life, he’d been one of the first to treat Elior like a trophy to win—a conquest, not a companion.

Elior took a seat three rows back from the front. As usual, whispers followed him like shadows.

“That’s the Caelum heir, right?”

“Heard he rejected three Alpha proposals this week alone.”

“Maybe he’s just too broken to bond.”

Elior let the gossip roll off him like water. But Kian’s loud voice cut through the noise.

“So you’re still playing the untouchable card, huh?” Kian drawled, eyes locked on him. “Don’t think that act will save you for long.”

Elior raised a brow, voice silky. “You’re right. I don’t need to act. I am untouchable.”

Snickers followed, but Kian’s smirk only deepened.

“You sure about that?” he asked. “Because the way Damien’s been breathing down your neck, it looks like you’re already collared.”

The entire room fell into a tense silence.

Elior smiled slowly—dangerously.

“Oh? Are you jealous?” he said sweetly. “Or just disappointed that no matter how loud you bark, you’ll always be the Beta’s shadow in an Alpha’s skin?”

Kian stood up, rage flashing in his eyes.

Before he could speak, a voice sharper than a blade rang through the room.

“That’s enough.”

Everyone turned. Damien had entered the classroom without a sound, his presence immediately suffocating.

He didn’t look at Kian.

He only looked at Elior.

And that alone made the temperature drop ten degrees.

---

After class, Elior didn’t wait. He stormed out, knowing Damien would follow—and not caring.

He made it to the back garden before he stopped and turned.

“You can’t keep doing that,” he snapped. “I don’t need you to defend me.”

Damien folded his arms. “Kian overstepped.”

“I handled it. I always do.”

“You shouldn’t have to.”

Elior’s laugh was bitter. “And who decided that? You? The same Alpha who watched me burn?”

Damien’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t flinch.

“I didn’t come to fight,” he said quietly. “I came to give you this.”

He held out a file.

Elior hesitated, then took it. Inside were surveillance photos. Of the Drex family. Kian’s father. A closed-door meeting with black-market traders.

“Why give this to me?” Elior asked warily.

“Because you’re not the only one gathering weapons,” Damien said. “And I’d rather you have your eyes open.”

There was something else beneath the words. A warning. A plea.

“I don’t want you dead again,” Damien added softly.

Elior stared at him, heart pounding.

Again.

The word hit harder than it should.

“Then stay out of my way,” Elior whispered. “Because I don’t need protection. I need space. Power. And if you really remember… you know why.”

Damien took a step forward. “And if I said I can’t let you go?”

Elior stepped back. “Then you’ll be just another chain I’ll break.”

---

Later that evening, Elior met Callen in a hidden café below the academy’s old records wing. A secret few knew existed.

“You’ve stirred a lot of water,” Callen commented over a steaming cup of tea.

“I prefer storms,” Elior replied coolly.

Callen slid over a sealed envelope.

“Your request. Names of Kian’s allies. Teachers who owe favors to the Drex family. Even one Royal Council informant.”

Elior’s eyes scanned the list.

Perfect.

He could begin unraveling their influence from the inside.

“Also,” Callen added, “there’s chatter. Someone’s targeting unbonded Omegas. They’re vanishing.”

Elior’s expression sharpened. “You think I’m next?”

“You’re not exactly low-profile.”

“I’m not prey either,” Elior said with a grim smile. “Let them come.”

Callen raised a brow. “Even if Damien steps in?”

Elior’s eyes darkened. “If he interferes, I’ll make him regret it.”

---

That night, Elior returned to the Caelum estate’s west wing—his private quarters, untouched by anyone else.

Except tonight… someone had entered.

He knew the moment he stepped through the threshold. The air had shifted.

Subtle. Dominant. Familiar.

Damien.

Elior found a note on his bed.

In Damien’s sharp handwriting:

“They’re watching. Be careful who you trust. And stop walking home alone.”

Underneath the note sat a small blade. Slim. Concealed. Deadly.

A gift.

Elior picked it up, rolling the handle between his fingers.

Stupid Alpha.

He should’ve thrown it away.

But instead… he strapped it to his thigh.

Just in case.

---

\* CHARACTER INTRODUCTION\*

for side characters:

Kian Drex

Type: Alpha

Personality: Arrogant, aggressive, attention-seeking. Obsessed with dominating others to prove himself. Sees Elior as a challenge.

Background: Heir to the Eastern Alpha Syndicate. Comes from a powerful family with criminal ties and deep political roots.

Conflict: Rival to Damien and despised by Elior.

Callen Myre

Type: Beta

Personality: Sharp, loyal, and pragmatic. The only person Elior currently trusts.

Background: Son of a neutral noble family. Works as an information broker and has access to underground networks.

Role: Elior’s confidant and informant, helping him gather intelligence and execute strategic plans.

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