"Big sister!"
The eldest Belion sister looked with some surprise as Rose knelt in front of her, hands on her thighs. Melina watched with concern, accompanied by a knowing glimmer of recognition that turned into quiet acceptance.
"Sorry, dear, I was lost in my thoughts… what were you saying?" Erika asked, gently taking Rose's wrists and looking her straight in the eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"I am," the omega replied with a smirk and a shrug. "You know how, when I'm happy, I tend to get lost in my thoughts… I can never just sit still and do nothing. I—"
"Are you sure that's it?" Rose asked. Though barely a whisper, her words silenced Erika completely. The elder sister remained still.
"Your expression… you only look like that when something happens to you and you don't know what to do."
Erika blinked a few times, visibly uncomfortable, then looked from Rose to Melina, who didn't seem surprised at all. "(How is it that she—?)"
"(Just because she's young doesn't mean she'll ignore everything for long)," Melina seemed to say without words, and Erika understood her perfectly.
"(I see)," the omega nodded imperceptibly before turning her gaze back to Rose, who now looked impatient. "Listen, something's up… I admit it."
"What is it?... Is it something bad?... Do you need help?" Rose asked, one question after another, getting closer until she was practically pressed against her sister.
"Calm down, Rose, I swear it's nothing bad." Sensing the charged atmosphere, Erika released her pheromones, hoping to soothe both girls. The younger duo seemed to relax almost immediately. "(Or so I hope)," the thought made her hesitate slightly, but she let it go.
"S-So?" Melina asked, her voice tight with tension as she stared at Erika with surgical attention.
"It turns out… hypothetically, an alpha may or may not be courting me, and I don't know how to react… it's the first time I've felt a true interest in someone." The omega lowered her gaze and began to play with her fingers. "(I don't even know what he looks like… or his gender… and he came into our home unnoticed, behaving like a stalker.)"
Before her thoughts could take flight, two small screams interrupted them. Both girls had screamed at the same time and volume, but their reactions were wildly different... one excited and curious, the other alarmed and distrustful.
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"(This is boring)," William would think, suppressing the yawn that was threatening to come out.
Alpha Gamma was sitting in a leather armchair inside a meeting room with several important people from the underworld. He stared up at the ceiling, ignoring everyone present, occasionally overhearing a comment or two when they spoke directly to him.
Accompanying Aballay was Bentral, accompanied by an ash-brown-haired alpha wearing a mask that slightly obscured his face.
The trio of alphas were wearing the same outfit as everyone else present: dress pants and a plain black shirt.
The meeting was about what to do about a new law passed by the state legislature that seemed to embolden the police force to raise its head and start snooping where they're not called.
A few minutes into the meeting, the double doors to the room would suddenly open, surprising everyone and alerting them. The security guards in each group would pull out their pistols, pointing them directly at the people who had entered.
Everyone except William and his companions, would simply sigh, staring at the newcomers with disinterest.
"You're late," an elderly man sitting at the head of the table would speak in a dismissive tone, making a slight gesture that made the security guards put away their weapons after each duo received a brief nod from their respective leader.
"Good morning, Brandy," the one who seemed to be leading the small group of three would greet cheerfully, sitting in the only free seat and then shrugging her shoulders. "I'm sorry I'm late. I got caught up in the middle of life attending to some last-minute matters."
"(The guest list was completed)" William snorted, focusing his gaze for the first time since his arrival on one of those present, watching as the last to arrive pulled out a Swiss Army knife and began playing tricks with it. "(And how could it be otherwise... Lauren is always late)"
While Alpha Aballay was deep in thought, the rest of those present would sit a little more erect, straightening their postures, each preparing to begin the meeting.
The meeting was no ordinary event. The pillars of the underworld gathered in that room, figures whose power and control defined the rhythm of the shadows.
The atmosphere was charged, dense with the presence of imposing personalities.
Sitting at the head of the table was Brandon Londraw, a gray-haired alpha of the old school. At over 70 years old, he remained in charge thanks to his export business, anchored to his position by a network of contacts forged over decades and unparalleled experience, partly because he had yet to find an heir to fill his boots. His face, marked by years and battles, was like a map of the history of organized crime.
At her side, Ezequiel Sarmen, a 46-year-old beta, dominated the murky world of illegal substances. His neon green hair was as distinctive as his mild autism, which gave him a keen perception of when to speak and when to remain silent. He was a brilliant mind, a silent strategist whose words, though few, were always accurate.
Dairon Barton, a dark-haired alpha whose age fluctuated between 20 and 40 depending on her mood, controlled the establishments where documents could be falsified or sensitive information obtained. His presence was as enigmatic as his business dealings, a shifting and unpredictable figure who kept everyone on edge.
Cerval Tormant, a 28-year-old beta, with brown hair and a rare congenital insensitivity to pain. His specialty was administration and logistical support, and he was the ace up their sleeve to assume leadership in any branch in case of an emergency. A quiet man, but whose coolness in the face of danger made him invaluable. The last to arrive, Lauren Zandermont, a vivacious, purple-haired 30-year-old alpha, was a specialist in attracting attention. Her control over the brothels and escort houses was surprisingly tight, despite her carefree appearance. She was a force of nature, equal parts charismatic and dangerous.
And, of course, William Aballay himself, who dominated the speakeasies, as well as off-site locations where large sums of money could be borrowed. He was the man who controlled the flow of capital in the underworld, and his presence at the table was as vital as the blood in the veins of an organization.
At this moment, the meeting between the main Mafia families began, with all representatives and their trusted escorts present. The air was thick with the palpable tension of conflicting interests and fragile alliances. Whatever was decided in that room would have profound repercussions in every corner of their domains.