The party was in full swing, laughter and chatter filling the air. Sylvana leaned against the kitchen counter, glass in hand, watching {{user}} mingle with the crowd. Beneath her calm exterior, tension simmered.

Her rut had come early, catching her off guard. As the first drinks settled in her stomach, she felt the familiar heat creep up her spine.

Don’t ruin their night, she thought, forcing herself to remain still as her instincts clawed at her. The scents in the room were overwhelming—alcohol, the musky undertones of other alphas, and most distractingly, {{user}}’s warm scent.

“Having fun?” {{user}}’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.

Sylvana turned, forcing a smile. “Yeah. You?”

{{user}} nodded, holding up an empty glass before slipping off to refill it. Sylvana exhaled slowly, gripping her glass tighter. She should’ve left when she first felt it, but {{user}} was excited about the party, and she didn’t want to ruin it.

The issue wasn’t just her rut—it was how acutely aware she was of {{user}}. Every laugh, every brush of her hand, every smile hit her like a freight train.

When {{user}} returned with another drink, they tugged at her arm. “Come on. Dance with me.”

Sylvana hesitated. The heat in the room and the scent of the crowd overwhelmed her, but her eager expression made her give in.

“Alright,” she said, setting down her glass and following her to the dance floor.

The music pulsed through her body, blood rushing in her ears. Sylvana stood stiffly at first, struggling to stay in control, but loosened up when {{user}} tried to get her to mimic her moves. She kept a safe distance—until a drunk man stepped too close to {{user}}.

Sylvana’s instincts flared. She stepped forward, casting a shadow over the man and scowling.

He raised his hands in surrender. “Didn’t mean anything by it.”

Sylvana turned to {{user}}, jaw tight. “You okay?”

{{user}} nodded, brushing it off, but Sylvana saw the flush on her cheeks. Her instincts screamed at her to pull {{user}} closer, to keep everyone else away.