The council chamber was filled with measured tension.
The Four Fang Alliance had called this meeting.
They were the ones who extended the invitation. They needed Stormveil's involvement.
But now, sitting across from Sky Wongravee, they were the ones being weighed.
Sky sat with the same unshakable presence he had carried into the ballroom-calm, unreadable, yet impossible to ignore. He had accepted this meeting, but there was no urgency in his posture. No indication that he considered this alliance necessary.
And that alone forced the F4 leaders to tread carefully.
Nani's father, Warut Hirunkit leaned forward, hands resting on the table, gaze sharp. "We requested this meeting because we recognize what's coming. The Blackridge Pack is expanding their reach. They have already taken control of three key sectors-supernatural and human alike."
Sky didn't react.
He was listening. But whether he cared was still unclear.
Prayuth Naravit continued, his voice level. "We do not take alliances lightly. The Four Fang Alliance has always operated at the highest level of both human and supernatural influence. Our resources are unmatched in politics, commerce, and intelligence."
Sky finally spoke, his tone smooth, even. "And yet, you need me."
It wasn't a question.
It was a statement.
A ripple of tension passed through the room, brief but unmistakable.
They had expected resistance, but this was something else.
Sky wasn't asking for terms. He was making them justify their own invitation.
Warut Hirunkit met Sky's gaze without wavering.
"You hold power in the supernatural world, but we hold power in both." His voice was steady, measured. "Stormveil has remained in the shadows. This is an opportunity to secure more than just your pack's safety."
Sky tilted his head slightly, considering.
He was allowing them to make their case.
Another elder, Sarut Jirawat, spoke carefully, choosing his words. "We want to exchange information. Blackridge moves fast, but we have eyes everywhere-on both sides. If we pool our intel with yours, we control the battlefield before war even reaches us."
For the first time, something flickered in Sky's expression.
Not interest.
Calculation.
Stormveil wasn't lacking in intelligence. Their network ran deep in supernatural circles. But the human world? The political landscape F4 had mastered?
That was a different game.
Sky tapped his fingers lightly against the table. "And if I refuse?"
A beat of silence.
Not hesitation. But strategy.
Nani's father leaned back slightly, his tone remaining neutral. "Then Blackridge continues to spread. We will still fight, with or without Stormveil. But if we fall, the balance shifts permanently. Not just for us."
His meaning was clear.
If F4 crumbled, Stormveil wouldn't be next-but they would be alone.
The room was still.
Then-Sky exhaled, slow and deep.
And he smiled.
Not in amusement.
Not in agreement.
But in a way that made it clear-he had been waiting to hear something worth his time.
"Now," he said, voice quiet but absolute. "That's a better reason."
The Four Fang Alliance leaders exchanged looks.
They weren't negotiating with just any Alpha.
They were negotiating with Wongravee.
And the game had just begun.
----
A tense silence hung in the air.
The F4 leaders had laid out their offer-influence, connections, power.
Sky listened. Measured. Weighed every word.
And then, with an infuriatingly calm expression, he let them wait.
Finally, he exhaled, almost as if he were indulging them. "It's not a bad deal."
The leaders remained silent, waiting.
Sky leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the table. "Stormveil doesn't take alliances lightly." His voice was even, unreadable, but absolute. "We don't move for promises-we move for proof."
Nani's father held his gaze. "Then what will it take to convince you?"
Sky let a beat of silence stretch. Then, slowly, a small smirk tugged at his lips.
"I'll offer this-out of respect for the F4's gesture in considering an alliance with Stormveil."
The weight of his words settled over the room.
He was acknowledging their power, not bending to it.
Sky's fingers tapped idly against the table. "We'll take responsibility for the border between our territories. No threats will cross into either side. That should give you the freedom to focus on Blackridge without worrying about external interference."
It was a solid, tactical move. A temporary measure-one that still left Stormveil with all the power.
Waranon metawin narrowed his eyes. "You're willing to put your forces on the line to protect a border that isn't yours?"
Sky tilted his head slightly, as if the question was amusing. "Let's just say I have my reasons."
His gaze flickered-just for a second-toward the door.
As if he could still feel the presence of the Omega who outside the room.
The room didn't miss the implication.
A sharp exhale from one of the elders. A quiet, knowing glance between the F4 leaders.
Nani.
Sky wasn't doing this purely out of strategy.
And he wasn't denying it, either.
Nani's father studied him carefully, then gave the smallest nod. "Then we have an agreement."
Sky leaned back, satisfied. "For now."
A deal was struck.
But the real game had just begun.
-----
"You're such a menace."
Pond's voice cut through the air as he shot Phuwin a glare, arms crossed over his chest.
Phuwin, entirely unbothered, sipped his drink. "And you're just mad because I'm always right."
Nani sighed, rubbing his temple. "What did he do now?"
Pond gestured wildly. "He told that stuck-up Beta from earlier that I was already married with three kids just so he'd stop flirting with me!"
Win raised a brow. "And?"
Pond looked betrayed. "And? Now everyone thinks I have a secret family, Win! That's not normal!"
Phuwin smirked. "I saved you from a desperate suitor. You're welcome."
Pond groaned, shoving a hand through his hair. "Next time, just tell them I'm not interested."
Phuwin grinned. "Where's the fun in that?"
Nani chuckled, shaking his head. "I hate to say it, but you kind of deserved that one, Pond."
Pond shot him a look. "Et tu, Nani?"
Before Nani could answer, a low, amused voice cut in.
"You're all so entertaining."
All eyes shifted to Bright, lounging lazily in his seat, gaze flicking toward Win.
"Especially you."
Win barely glanced at him. "No."
Bright's grin widened. "I haven't even said anything yet."
"No." Win sipped his drink.
Bright leaned forward, eyes glinting. "You don't even know what I was gonna say."
Win finally looked at him, completely unfazed. "I do. And the answer is still no."
Pond snorted. "Oh, I like this. Keep going."
Phuwin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this is the most engaged I've ever seen Win."
Nani smirked, but his focus flickered toward the far end of the room.
The doors to the private council chamber were still closed.
Sky was in there.
They all knew it.
They just didn't know what kind of deal was being made.
Pond exhaled through his nose, arms still crossed. "They've been in there for a while."
Phuwin hummed. "Wonder how it's going."
Bright tilted his head. "Does it matter?"
Pond shot him a look. "Of course it matters."
Bright shrugged. "Stormveil isn't the type to make alliances unless there's something in it for them. If they accept, it means they see value in F4."
Dew, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "If they don't?"
Bright smirked. "Then we're about to have a much bigger problem."
That thought lingered between them, unspoken but understood.
The sound of a door opening broke the tension.
Their instincts kicked in at the same time.
They turned-
And saw Sky stepping out.
-----
Sky didn't hesitate.
The moment he stepped out of the meeting, his eyes found Nani.
And he walked straight toward him.
No glancing around. No hesitation. Just intent.
Nani stiffened. He knew people were watching-but it was impossible to ignore the way Sky's presence disrupted everything.
The shift in the air was palpable.
"You're back," Win said first, voice neutral but observant.
Sky didn't even glance at him. "Of course."
Nani rolled his eyes. "Did you expect a welcome parade?"
Sky's lips twitched. "No. But I wouldn't have minded a proper greeting."
The way he said it-
It wasn't a tease. It was something else.
Something that made Nani's pulse stutter.
Pond tensed slightly, but not out of aggression. It was just instinct, like his body was adjusting to the shift between them.
Dew exhaled sharply through his nose, like he already knew where this was going.
Phuwin, however, was grinning. Bright looked downright entertained.
Sky took another step closer, and suddenly Nani felt hyper aware of the heat radiating from him.
He smelled clean, crisp-dangerous in a way that wasn't threatening, but inescapable.
"Tell me," Sky mused, his voice smooth. "Did you think about it?"
Nani blinked. "What?"
Sky tilted his head slightly, watching him too carefully. "The kiss."
A beat of silence.
Win's eyes flickered with interest.
Pond's jaw twitched.
Phuwin let out a quiet "Oh?"
Bright smirked. "This just got good."
Nani clenched his jaw. "You have an ego problem."
Sky hummed. "Maybe."
And then-
An arm slipped around Nani's waist.
The touch was natural. Effortless. Like Sky had done it a thousand times before.
Nani froze.
His breath hitched. Not because it was unwanted-but because it was too easy to accept.
Sky leaned in, his breath warm against Nani's skin, his lips hovering-
Too close.
For a split second, Nani thought-
No.
He felt it.
That Sky was about to kiss him.
On the lips.
His heart almost stopped.
And then-
At the last second, Sky's mouth shifted.
Instead of his lips, he pressed a slow, lingering kiss against Nani's cheek.
Warm. Deliberate. Intimate.
Like he wanted Nani to feel it.
Like he wanted Nani to know he had been this close-this close-to claiming his lips instead.
And Nani's body betrayed him.
A sharp, deep pull, something that curled low in his stomach, something he wasn't ready to name.
His fingers twitched, wanting to grab onto something-onto Sky-but he fought it down, forcing himself to stay still.
Sky pulled back slightly, lips still curved.
"I'll see you later, Nani."
Nani's breath stuttered.
Sky stepped back like he hadn't just turned his entire world upside down.
Then, with a nod to the others, he turned toward the exit.
Bright clapped Win on the shoulder. "Try not to miss me too much."
Win didn't react, but his eyes followed Bright a second too long.
Phuwin sighed at Pond. "Don't look so tense. We're leaving, not stealing your Omega."
Pond rolled his eyes but said nothing.
Fort gave a respectful nod to the group before following behind them.
And just like that-
They were gone.
A beat of silence.
Then-
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Pond finally exploded.
Win exhaled. "Interesting."
Dew? Dew simply smirked and looked at Nani.
"So?" he asked, voice unreadable. "How was it?"
Nani scowled. "Shut up."
But even as he said it-
His body still tingled where Sky had touched him.