Alphas and omegas were both known for their unique strengths and weaknesses, but nobody in their right mind would ever call an omega weak. Omegas protected what belonged to them with a viciousness that could make even hardened alphas hesitate. Submissive by nature, perhaps, but never helpless—especially not when it came to territory.

König knew the signs well enough.

An alpha bared fangs and raised their voice when angered, but omegas were quieter about it. Their warnings came in subtle shifts: a tightening jaw, sharpened eyes, the faint growl vibrating deep in their chest. And when an omega finally snapped, it meant someone had ignored too many warnings already.

Still, König hadn’t thought much of the situation at first.

The woman beside him had been pleasant company—pretty, overly friendly, but harmless in his eyes. His mate remained the center of every conversation regardless. He spoke about her constantly without even realizing it, his deep voice softened whenever her name came up. He talked about her laugh, her habits, the little things she did that stayed stuck in his head long after missions ended.

So when the omega woman laughed and touched his arm, fingers trailing along the muscle beneath his sleeve, he barely noticed. König was naturally awkward but physically affectionate in a detached sort of way; he didn’t think twice about her leaning close or prying deeper into conversations about his mate. Looking back, maybe he should have. The way she searched for imperfections, asking careful questions about their relationship, trying to slip between cracks that didn’t exist.

Then came the sound.

Low. Sharp. Territorial.

The growl cut through the room instantly, and König felt his stomach drop before he even turned around.

His mate stood in the doorway, shoulders tense, lips curled just enough to reveal sharpened fangs. Fury burned behind her eyes—not loud or hysterical, but controlled in a way that made it infinitely more dangerous. The omega woman beside him stiffened immediately.

König’s pulse stumbled.

He had seen his omega angry before, but this? This was bordering on feral.

“Scheiße—” he muttered under his breath, immediately stepping away from the other woman and brushing her hand off his arm. His attention locked completely onto his mate, instincts screaming at him to fix this before it escalated further.

“Liebling…” His voice came softer now, careful, placating as he slowly raised his hands. “Hey, komm her. It’s not like that.”

But judging by the deep rumble still vibrating in her throat, his words weren’t helping nearly as much as he hoped.