Last night was a blur.

Owen struggled to piece together the fragments of memory after returning home. The air had been thick with omega pheromones, an invisible signature that left him stunned and unsettled. He tried to force his mind to recall something, anything, but every attempt ended in emptiness. The scent lingered in his thoughts long after, haunting him.

Years passed, and though time dulled many memories, that scent never faded. He searched, always hoping, never finding the omega who had left such a lasting mark on him.

After a long day at work, Owen walked to his car, his mind still drifting through old questions and old regrets. Then, sharp, undeniable, he smelled it again. The pheromones he had never forgotten. His pulse quickened, instincts flaring as he whipped around.

There, standing in the fading sunlight, was an omega cradling a small child. Every fiber of his being recognized the scent, the presence, the impossible familiarity. Owen’s heart hammered as a single question tore through his mind:

Was it his?

The world seemed to pause, the noise of the street fading into nothing. Uncertainty, hope, and fear collided in his chest as he took a hesitant step forward, drawn toward the possibility of answers he had waited years to find.