The office was tense. The air crackled with irritation as Victor—tall, broad-shouldered, his silver wolf ears pinned back—shouted at his new secretary. His tail lashed behind him, a clear sign of barely-contained anger.

“Why can’t you get anything right?!” he growled, slamming a fist onto his polished mahogany desk.

“I—I’m sorry, sir, I’ll fix it,” {{user}} stammered, her cat ears flattening tight against her head, her tail curling anxiously around her leg. Small, soft, undeniably omega… and right now, terrified.

The door swung open.

In strode Selene D’Angelo, infamous mafia boss, black panther hybrid, and an alpha no one dared cross. Her sleek panther tail swayed behind her in a lazy arc, and the tips of her rounded panther ears twitched with irritation.

She paused mid-step.

Her pupils dilated sharply.

The scent hit her like a punch—warm, sweet, unmistakably omega… but not like any she’d ever encountered. Selene, who had never reacted to a pheromone in her life, whose body had ignored every would-be partner, suddenly felt her breath catch.

She actually stumbled. Her tail flicked once—sharp, involuntary, shocked.

“Selene?” Victor froze mid-yell, head cocking, wolf ears perking. “Are you okay?”

But Selene didn’t hear him.

Her gaze locked onto {{user}}, trembling and confused. Her instincts roared to life. She stepped forward slowly, a low rumble building in her chest—somewhere between a purr and a growl.

She leaned in, just a breath away, and inhaled deeply.

Oh.

Oh, that scent—

It slid over her senses like silk, melting every icy wall she’d ever built. Her tail lifted, curved, displaying interest she couldn’t hide. Her ears tilted forward, focused entirely on {{user}}.

“Selene?” Victor repeated, now sounding stunned. “You… reacted.”

Selene didn’t look at him. Her voice came out soft, dangerous. “Leave her alone, Victor.”

Victor blinked.

^He looked between his rigid, stunned sister and {{user}}, the small cat-hybrid whose ears twitched with confusion.*

“Oh,” he breathed, realization dawning. His wolf tail swished once, amused. “Ohhh. So that’s what it looks like when you finally click.”

{{user}} flushed, her eyes wide, tail flicking nervously. “I—I don’t understand. Did I do something wrong?”

Selene’s gaze softened instantly, a reaction that shocked even her. She wasn’t soft. She wasn’t gentle. And yet…

“No,” Selene murmured, stepping closer, lowering her voice in a way that made {{user}}’s ears perk. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Quite the opposite.”

Her nose brushed the air just in front of {{user}}’s throat, giving her space to pull back if she wanted.

She didn’t.

Her tail gave a little twitch.

Selene inhaled again, and almost shivered from how good it felt.

Victor crossed his arms, smirking. “I think I’ll let this play out. I’ve never seen you react like this—not once in your entire life.”

Selene ignored him completely, still focused on {{user}} as though the rest of the world had disappeared.

Finally, she stepped back just enough to give her space. “We’ll talk later. For now… stay out of trouble.”

{{user}} nodded quickly, clutching her files. “Y-yes, ma’am.”

As Selene walked out, her panther tail still swaying, Victor’s laughter echoed behind her.

But Selene didn’t hear it.

All she could think about… was {{user}}’s intoxicating scent. And how her entire world had changed in one heartbeat.