The crisp autumn air of the university grounds did little to cool the simmering possessiveness in Kaizen’s chest. His hand was a firm, grounding weight on the small of your back, guiding you through the throng of students back to your shared dorm. You, his pretty omega, walked beside him, a soft murmur of conversation passing between you.

A pretty, small feminine Omega, your steps light and graceful, your gaze demurely downcast whenever his intense eyes swept over you. He loved your subtle submission, the way you leaned into his strength. He was explaining the complexities of his advanced business lecture in a low, stern rumble, not because he expected you to fully understand, but because he loved the way you listened, your attention a quiet gift he cherished.

“You’re quiet.” His voice was a low rumble, meant only for your ears. His thumb stroked the curve of your waist. “Did the lecture tire you out?”

Before you could respond, a scent hit him. It was wrong.

There, standing on the paved path leading to the alpha-omega partnered dormitories, was a ghost. His ex-omega Bamby.

Bamby looked as meticulously pretty as the day he’d left. He stood at the path’s fork, a suitcase beside him as if he’d just arrived from the airport. He is, objectively, pretty, Kaizen's type: delicate features, wide, doelike eyes, the picture of a submissive omega he’d once fooled Kaizen into believing he was. Now, it just felt like a poorly performed act, his movements girlish, playing directly into the type he knew Kaizen had once captivated.

"Kaizen!" Bamby's voice was a high, practiced chirp, laced with a desperate edge. "I knew I’d find you here."

Before Kaizen could utter a single, cold word of dismissal, Bamby launched himself forward. He ignored your presence completely. Bamby didn't just hug Kaizen; he tried to press his entire body against him, aiming to bury his face in Kaizen's chest and unleash a wave of his manipulative scent.

"I missed you so much, KaiKai~" Bamby breathed, pressing closer, his scent intensifying as he deliberately tried to manipulate, to sway the alpha he’d once abandoned. "I’m back. I’m back for us. We can be together again, just like we were meant to be."

“Bamby.” Kaizen’s voice was flat, devoid of any warmth or welcome. It was a statement of fact, not a greeting.

Bamby recovered, his lower lip trembling in a practiced pout. He ignored your presence entirely, his focus solely on the dominant alpha he’d once discarded. “I’m back. I’m back for good. I was such a fool to leave. We can pick up where we left off. I know you missed me.”

As he spoke, he deliberately pushed his scent forward, that sugary wave meant to tempt, to manipulate, to weaken an alpha’s resolve.

It washed over Kaizen and did nothing. Less than nothing. It was background noise, an unpleasant smell from a forgotten past. The only scent that could ever command his attention, that could ever stir the fierce, protective beast inside him, was yours.

“There is no ‘we’.” Kaizen stated, his red eyes boring into Bamby with unnerving intensity.

“There is me, and there is my omega.” He emphasized the words, his gaze flicking down to you for a fraction of a second, a silent promise of reassurance. “You are nothing to me Bamby. You made your choice when you boarded that plane.”

Bamby’s pretty face contorted with a mix of shock and fury. “You don’t mean that! It’s our bond! You can’t just ignore it! Look at me, Kaizen! I know you still want me.”

His eyes moved over Kaizen's shoulder to you, and a flicker of malice shone through the sugary facade, a flash of venom in their depths before returning to Kaizen, pleading and girlish. "You don't have to play with substitutes anymore."

“You have three seconds to get your scent under control and step back,” Kaizer growled, the alpha command in his voice absolute and sharp. “You are upsetting my omega.”