Chapter 3 First blood

Kieran arrived at Elliot's penthouse building within fifteen minutes of getting the security alert, his heart still pounding from the adrenaline rush and worst-case scenarios playing in his head. The building was one of those ultra-luxury high-rises where the lobby had actual marble floors and a fucking chandelier, the kind of place where Kieran's monthly rent wouldn't even cover the maintenance fees. He bypassed the nervous security guards and took the private elevator straight up to the penthouse, his hand resting on his concealed weapon just in case.

When the elevator doors opened on the top floor, everything was quiet. Too quiet. The penthouse door was slightly ajar with obvious scratch marks around the electronic lock where someone had forced entry. Kieran's training kicked in hard. He drew his gun and moved through the doorway silently, sweeping each room with practiced efficiency. The place was massive, probably three thousand square feet of modern furniture, expensive art, and floor-to-ceiling windows showing the glittering city below. It was beautiful and cold and empty-feeling despite all the luxury.

He found Elliot in the home office, and the sight of him alive and unharmed made something tight in Kieran's chest finally loosen. The S-Tier alpha was sitting behind a sleek desk, looking through papers on his tablet like absolutely nothing had happened. His silver-white hair was slightly messy, his tie loosened, but otherwise he seemed completely unbothered. When Elliot glanced up and saw Kieran standing there in sweatpants and a t-shirt with a gun drawn, he actually fucking smiled.

"Well, that was fast," Elliot said, his golden eyes lighting up with what looked like genuine pleasure. "Did you fly here?"

Kieran holstered his gun with hands that were still shaking slightly from leftover adrenaline. His relief was already transforming into fury. "What the hell happened? Are you hurt? Did you see the intruder?"

Elliot leaned back in his expensive leather chair, looking way too relaxed for someone whose home had just been broken into. "My security system went off about twenty minutes ago. I locked myself in the panic room like a good boy, waited about ten minutes, and when I came out whoever it was had already left. Building security is reviewing the camera footage now." He gestured casually at the open door. "They didn't take anything valuable that I can see. Probably got spooked by the alarm."

Kieran stared at him in absolute disbelief. "You came out of the panic room before anyone cleared the scene? Before police or security confirmed the threat was gone? Are you fucking insane?"

"I was getting bored in there," Elliot said with a shrug, like that was a reasonable excuse for risking his life. "And I can take care of myself. I'm an S-Tier alpha, not some helpless omega who needs to hide and wait for rescue."

The casual comment about helpless omegas, combined with Elliot's complete lack of concern for his own safety, made Kieran's blood pressure spike dangerously high. He crossed the room in three long strides and slammed both hands down on the desk, leaning in so they were face to face, close enough that he could see the flecks of darker gold in Elliot's eyes.

"Being a strong alpha doesn't make you bulletproof, you arrogant asshole," Kieran said, his voice low and harsh. "Arrogance is what gets people killed. You think because you've got S-Tier genetics and money that you're invincible? I've seen men twice your size and ten times as trained get killed because they thought they were too important to die."

For a moment, the air between them felt electric and dangerous. Elliot's amused expression faded and something intense flashed in those golden eyes as he studied Kieran. The temperature in the room seemed to rise about ten degrees. Kieran was suddenly hyperaware of how close they were, of Elliot's scent surrounding him like a physical presence of cinnamon and dark spice and something uniquely alpha that made his omega instincts purr with interest.

His suppressants should have been blocking this. Should have kept him neutral and professional. But Elliot's S-Tier pheromones were so strong that Kieran could feel them anyway, making his skin feel too sensitive, making his pulse race, making him want things he had no business wanting.

Elliot's eyes darkened as he looked at Kieran, his gaze dropping briefly to Kieran's mouth before meeting his eyes again. "You're different from what I expected," Elliot said, his voice lower and rougher than before. "Most omegas would be intimidated by me. Or trying to please me. You look at me like you'd rather punch me in the face."

Kieran straightened up, putting some desperately needed distance between them. "You're pretty punchable," he said flatly. "Especially when you're being an idiot about your own safety."

That made Elliot laugh, this genuine surprised sound that transformed his whole face from arrogant alpha to something almost boyish. For just a second, Kieran saw past the expensive suit and S-Tier genetics to something real underneath. Then building security arrived, breaking whatever weird moment was happening, and Kieran forced himself back into professional mode.

They spent the next two hours reviewing camera footage and interviewing building staff. The intruder had used a stolen security card from a resident who'd reported it missing two weeks ago. The person was dressed in dark clothes with a ski mask, clearly knew how to avoid most of the cameras, and had professional training based on their movements. They'd gotten into Elliot's penthouse but fled immediately when the alarm triggered, not taking anything or leaving any obvious traces.

The whole thing screamed professional reconnaissance. Someone was testing Elliot's security, seeing how close they could get, learning the layout and response times. This wasn't some random break-in. This was preparation for something bigger.

When the building security finally left, promising to upgrade their protocols immediately, Kieran turned to Elliot with his arms crossed. "We need to talk about security changes. Effective immediately."

"It's two in the morning," Elliot pointed out, glancing at his expensive watch. "Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"No. Because tonight proved your current security is shit." Kieran pulled out his phone and started making notes. "First, I'm moving in. Starting tomorrow. You need twenty-four-seven protection and I can't do that from across the city. There's plenty of space here and I'll take one of the guest rooms."

Elliot's eyebrows rose with interest. "You want to move in with me? That's moving pretty fast, omega. Usually I buy dinner first."

Kieran ignored the flirtation and the way it made his stomach flip. "It's non-negotiable if you want proper protection. Second, we're changing all your access codes, installing additional security cameras, and I'm running deep background checks on everyone who has access to this building. Third, you're going to actually follow security protocols, which means no more ignoring threats or wandering around alone."

Elliot studied him for a long moment, something unreadable in his expression. Then he nodded slowly. "Okay. Whatever you think is necessary. I'll have my assistant arrange for a guest room to be prepared for you."

The easy agreement surprised Kieran. Maybe Elliot was taking this more seriously than he let on. "Good. I'll move my stuff tomorrow afternoon."

As Kieran turned to leave, Elliot's voice stopped him. "Hunt?"

Kieran looked back.

"Thank you. For coming so quickly. For giving a shit about whether I live or die." Elliot's expression was sincere for once, without the usual smirk or arrogance. "I know I'm being cavalier about all this. It's just... easier to joke than to think about the fact that someone actually wants me dead. But I appreciate that you take it seriously. Even if I don't always show it."

The honesty caught Kieran off guard. He nodded stiffly. "It's my job."

"Still. Thank you."

Kieran left before he could say something stupid in response to the way Elliot was looking at him with those intense golden eyes.