Chapter 1: Sins of the Royalty

Ethan's hands trembled violently, the hot coffee sloshing over the edges of the paper cups and dripping onto his leather shoes. His eyes were wide, bloodshot, and locked onto the girl standing just a few feet away.

Scarlett was adjusting her lipstick using her phone screen, not even bothering to look at him.

"Scarlett..." Ethan's voice cracked, a desperate edge cutting through his tone. "You... you said you'd give me a chance today. Yesterday after lectures, you told me to meet you right here."

Scarlett snapped her phone shut. She turned slowly, her glossy lips curving into a smile so sharp and cold it felt like a razor blade.

"A chance?" Her voice was laced with pure venom, echoing across the quiet courtyard. "To a Recessive Alpha? Are you completely insane, Ethan?"

Ethan flinched as if she had struck him. "Scarlett, please—"

"Look at you!" Scarlett stepped closer, her heels clicking loudly against the concrete, her voice dropping into a razor-sharp whisper that carved straight into his soul. "You smell like weakness. You barely have enough pheromones to make a Beta turn their head, let alone keep an Omega satisfied. You're pathetic. You actually thought a defective Alpha like you had a shot with me?"

Tears pooled in Ethan's eyes, spilling over his pale cheeks. The humiliation was so heavy it pressed against his chest, making it impossible to breathe.

"You knew I was Recessive..." Ethan choked out, his shoulders collapsing. "You smiled at me yesterday..."

"Because I wanted to see how embarrassing you'd make yourself!" Scarlett scoffed, letting out a harsh, musical laugh. "You're a disgrace to your own rank, Ethan. You belong at the bottom of the food chain, begging for scraps. Don't ever dare speak to me again."

"That's enough, Scarlett!"

Asher pushed through the small crowd, stepping directly between Ethan and Scarlett. His hands were clenched into tight fists, his eyes burning with intense fury.

"Does putting someone else down make you feel important?" Asher demanded, his voice hard as steel as he shielded his trembling friend. "He treated you with respect. If you weren't interested, a simple 'no' would have been enough. You didn't need to act like a monster."

Scarlett's eyes narrowed, a sneer twisting her face as she looked Asher up and down. "And what are you supposed to be? His knight in shining armor? You're just a Beta, Valentine. Mind your own business before you get dragged into something you can't survive."

"I'm making it my business when you humiliate my friend in public," Asher shot back without a trace of fear.

Scarlett opened her mouth to snap back, but suddenly—she froze.

The heavy, iron gates of the university courtyard groaned open.

Campus security guards rushed into position, dropping their heads into low, rigid bows, forcing the onlookers back to create a wide, clear path. A matte-black, bulletproof SUV rolled silently onto the cobblestones, flanked by two armed escort vehicles. The air in the courtyard instantly grew cold and unnaturally quiet.

The SUV door clicked and swung open.

A tall, god-struck perfection of a man stepped out. Dark, jet-black hair fell loosely over a razor-sharp jawline, framing eyes that burned like liquid gold—piercing, cold, and utterly devoid of human warmth. A long black coat draped over his broad shoulders, accentuating his suffocating, predatory stature. Personal bodyguards trailed a respectful distance behind him, their hands resting near their holsters.

He didn't speak. He didn't look at anyone. But as he took a single step forward, an invisible wave of bitter, burnt-cedar and crushing mint pheromones rolled across the courtyard like a tidal wave.

Students instinctively backed away, pressing themselves against walls and stone pillars. Several Omegas gasped for air, clutching their chests, while Recessive Alphas lowered their heads, their knees trembling under the sheer, biological weight of a Dominant Alpha born to rule.

Killian Cross had arrived.

Scarlett's arrogant sneer instantly turned into a sweet, radiant smile. Leaving Asher and Ethan behind, she glided directly toward Killian, shamelessly wrapping her arm around his sleeve and pressing her body against his side.

"Killian..." she purred sweetly.

Killian's golden eyes flicked downward for a fraction of a second, his arm resting around her waist with practiced indifference—not out of affection, but as a casual display of possession. He didn't say a word to her, but his silent acceptance was enough to ignite Scarlett's ego. He simply walked forward, the crowd opening up like a parting sea before him.

Stopping right in front of Asher and the kneeling Ethan, Killian looked down at them as if noticing two insects on the pavement.

Scarlett leaned closer to Killian's ear, giggling mockingly. "Look at them, Killian. This pathetic Recessive Alpha actually had the nerve to ask me out yesterday... and when I set him straight, he brought his little Beta dog to bark at me."

A wave of loud, cruel laughter rippled through the gathering crowd of students.

"Is he serious? A Recessive Alpha going after Cross's girl?"

"Look at the Beta trying to act brave in front of a Dominant Alpha!"

"He looks like he's about to cry!"

Killian let out a low, breathy hum of amusement. Overconfident in his absolute dominance, he dismissively waved his hand, signaling his bodyguards to stay back. He casually adjusted his cufflink, his golden eyes resting on Ethan's tear-stained face.

"A defective Alpha and a nameless Beta..." Killian drawled, his deep, baritone voice vibrating with a terrifying Alpha command that made the air feel like thick sludge. "You two make a truly pathetic pair. Know your place, trash. You exist in this university only because I allow you to breathe."

The crowd erupted into louder jeers and snickers. Ethan covered his face with both hands, sobbing in utter defeat, his pride completely shattered.

Asher stood frozen. His jaw clenched so hard his teeth thudded.

Every nerve in his body was screaming in pure, icy terror. If he fought back, it was over, his mind warned him frantically. His dream... his mother's dream of seeing him become a top defense lawyer... the years of sleepless nights, the sacrifices, the law degree... it would all be erased in a single second. The Cross family would crush him like a bug.

He felt his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped beast. The terrifying reality of Killian's power was a death sentence.

"Look at him," Killian chuckled coldly, taking an arrogant step closer, his suffocating pressure pressing directly against Asher's chest. "He's shaking so hard he can barely stand. Speak up, Beta. Crawl on your knees and apologize, and maybe I'll let you keep your scholarship."

Killian smirked, leaning in slightly to whisper the ultimate insult—a lethal mistake born from his pure, unchecked arrogance.

Scarlett snickered loudly, clapping her hands in delight. The students around them leaned in, recording on their phones, waiting to watch Asher break.

Lawyer... scholarship... safety... All those logical thoughts vanished. The arrogant smirk on Killian's face became the spark that ignited a blinding, infernal rage inside Asher.

To hell with the degree. To hell with the future.

Before Killian could even pull back, Asher pulled back his right arm, shifted his weight onto his back foot, and launched his fist with every ounce of fury inside him straight into Killian Cross's nose!

The sickening, explosive sound of breaking cartilage echoed through the courtyard like a gun blast.

Killian's head snapped violently backward. His grip on Scarlett broke, sending her stumbling onto the gravel with a shrieking gasp. Killian staggered back three heavy steps, his hand flying to his face.

Crimson, thick blood spurted out from between his fingers, pouring down his jaw and heavily staining his pristine white shirt.

Dead, suffocating silence fell over the university courtyard.

Scarlett's jaw dropped, her voice completely lost in her throat. Ethan's sobbing stopped instantly; his bloodshot eyes bulged open as he stared at Asher in utter disbelief. The bodyguards froze in shock, realizing too late that their master's pride had blinded him. The crowd of students stood rooted to the spot, their phones frozen in mid-air, faces pale as ghosts.

Nobody moved. Nobody even dared to breathe.

Killian slowly lowered his hand. He stared at the bright red blood covering his palm for one terrifying second. A single muscle twitched in his jaw. Then, slowly, his head tilted back up.

His golden eyes had turned pitch-black—a void of pure, lethal, murderous rage locked directly onto Asher.

Asher stood there, his knuckles dripping with Killian's blood. The reality hit him like a freight train—he hadn't just punched a bully; he had signed his execution order.

Before he could even breathe, Killian's massive bodyguards slammed Asher onto the cold cobblestones, pinning him down effortlessly under a heavy combat boot.

Killian didn't say a word. He simply wiped the thick blood from his jaw, staring down at Asher with pitch-black, emotionless eyes—a deadly silence far worse than any threat.

Scarlett stepped closer, her high heels stopping right in front of Asher's face as a cruel sneer twisted her lips.

"Look at you, Beta," Scarlett whispered, her voice laced with pure venom. "You threw away your degree, your future, your entire life... for a defective loser. Enjoy this breath, Asher. Because after today, nobody can save you."