Chapter 1: Meeting the Little Pup Upon Her Return

Inside the crushing darkness of the hotel's penthouse suite—Dominic's temporary concrete den high above the human city—the air burned with an primal, suffocating heat.

Two silhouettes clashed in a wild, predatory tangle of sheer, unyielding dominance.

The heavy, suffocating aura of the alpha male pressing down left Clara Thorne utterly defenseless, tears spilling from her eyes as she tried to push against his iron chest.

"No more... please..."

But under the intense influence of a forced heat serum, the man's eyes flamed a feral, blood-red crimson, erasing every ounce of his human rationality.

He captured her slender wrists in one relentless, bruising grip, pinning them ruthlessly above her head like a hunter securing his prey.

Driven by raw, possessive instinct, he claimed her over and over, demanding absolute submission and consuming her sweetness until she was entirely spent.

A single path of tears traced down Clara’s pale cheek.

She could never have imagined that merely twenty-four hours after being recognized by her biological father, he would ruthlessly drug her and trade her to a dangerous, predatory stranger.

In the end, the relentless torment dragged her down into absolute unconsciousness.

Four years later, at the Imperial Terminal VIP Lounge.

Dominic Vance had just concluded a crucial meeting with a foreign pack delegation when a tiny figure suddenly barreled forward, colliding straight into him.

"Dad... dy!"

The little pup wrapped his arms around Dominic’s tailored leg and tilted his face up, revealing a clean, meticulously sculpted jawline and fine features.

At a single glance, an inexplicable sense of familiarity struck Dominic's core, whispering of a hidden pack bond.

"Are you lost, little one?"

Dominic leaned down, keeping his deep, commanding voice surprisingly low.

Yet the pup simply stared back with a desperate intensity, shaking his small head vigorously.

He even extended a tiny, pale finger, pointing directly at Dominic's chest. "Dad..."

Dominic froze, his dark brows knitting together as he cast a sharp look around the immediate perimeter.

The surrounding velvet seating was entirely deserted.

It was as if this miniature creature had materialized out of thin air.

By Dominic’s ruthless standards as the Alpha King, he would never waste a second on an unidentified child.

Yet, looking at this pup, a strange, undeniable pull vibrated deep within his chest, a magnetic resonance of shared blood.

"Can you not find your father?"

He didn't even notice the uncharacteristic warmth bleeding into his tone, carrying a hint of instinctual protectiveness.

The pup blinked, his eyes clear and dark like midnight dew, shimmering with a brilliant, calculating intelligence.

Instead of answering, he merely stepped closer and nudged his head against Dominic's hand, seeking warmth.

That simple, trusting gesture caused the Alpha's stone-cold heart to soften.

Breaking every rule he lived by, Dominic took the pup's small hand in his, intending to deliver him to the terminal security.

But after only a few strides, the little pup anchored himself right in front of a sleek glass display, staring fixedly at the vibrant array of gelatos, refusing to budge.

"A pup shouldn't have cold treats before a journey," Dominic murmured, a faint frown touching his face.

Hearing the denial, the pup's small mouth trembled, his eyes instantly flooding with heavy unshed tears.

"Waaah..."

That pathetic, fragile sight instantly shattered a piece of Dominic's carefully guarded armor.

Ten minutes later.

The little pup was holding a towering waffle cone loaded with three colorful scoops, eagerly licking left and right.

He ate with absolute devotion, leaving a perfect ring of cream right around his lips.

It gave him an incredibly charming, slightly devious appearance.

A wave of possessive fondness washed over Dominic's eyes. Reaching into his breast pocket, he drew out a silk handkerchief and personally wiped the cream away. "Slow down. No one is going to take it from you."

The corner of the exquisite silk was embroidered with his elite family crest, marking its high value, yet he used it on the toddler without a second thought, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Attention all travelers within the Imperial Terminal, we have an urgent announcement."

"A three-year-old male pup has been separated from his mother."

"He was last seen wearing denim overalls and a sky-blue shirt..."

Dominic's sharp, wolfish ears twitched, picking up the frequency immediately. He looked down at the child in his arms.

The age and description matched perfectly.

Yet the pup remained blissfully oblivious, completely focused on devouring the rest of his treat.

In these brief minutes of interaction, Dominic had already noted that this boy was unlike ordinary children.

He barely responded to external noise, entirely locked in his own quiet world.

Instead of finding it troublesome, Dominic felt a profound wave of sympathy and affection.

In fact, an irrational surge of anger bloomed inside him toward the careless mother who had managed to lose such a precious pup.

"Alpha King. Forgive me, I arrived as fast as I could."

Suddenly, a voice laced with utter shock and disbelief echoed from the lounge entrance.