Miller

I could hear the possessiveness in Leo’s voice the moment he introduced himself, and honestly, despite the growing tension in the air, it almost made me smile.

But then Andrew’s words immediately echoed loudly inside my head again.

An Enigma who truly falls in love becomes terrifyingly devoted.

That sentence alone was enough to make me nervous now that Jace was suddenly standing in front of me again after all these years.

He had always been mischievous, provocative, and completely incapable of taking anything seriously, even back in college when he used to flirt with people purely because he enjoyed watching them lose their composure. Unfortunately for him, Leo was the exact opposite in every possible way. Leo did not find provocation amusing, nor was he the type of person who tolerated being tested for entertainment.

I had not seen Jace in years, and honestly, I still could not fully process why he was suddenly standing outside my apartment building in the middle of the night looking like this.

How the hell did he even get past security?

And more importantly...

What exactly was he doing here?

"You do not smell like an omega," Jace suddenly said while narrowing his eyes curiously at Leo before inhaling deeply.

Then he blinked once in confusion.

"Are you a beta?" he asked. "You are basically scentless."

Oh God.

I immediately cleared my throat while looking awkwardly between both of them.

Leo looked seconds away from stabbing Jace in the neck with a syringe while Jace stood there completely oblivious to the danger surrounding him.

Or maybe not oblivious.

Maybe he was intentionally provoking him.

Honestly, that sounded exactly like Jace.

Even back in college, he had always enjoyed getting reactions out of people simply because he found it entertaining.

Leo slowly adjusted his glasses afterward before finally speaking.

"No," he said calmly. "I simply do not advertise my biological classification through uncontrolled pheromone discharge the way you apparently do."

Jace raised a brow.

Then Leo’s expression shifted slightly.

His eyes narrowed.

And suddenly the atmosphere around us became heavier.

"You smell terrible," Leo said bluntly.

I blinked in shock.

Jace looked offended immediately. "Excuse me?"

Leo stepped slightly closer toward him, his expression turning clinical in the terrifying way it always did whenever he fully switched into doctor mode.

"You smell like oxidized blood, necrotic tissue, and the early stages of bacterial decomposition," Leo said coldly while staring directly at him. "Frankly speaking, your pheromone profile suggests possible infected soft tissue trauma, poor wound management, and prolonged exposure to untreated bleeding. You should probably seek immediate medical attention before your body progresses into systemic infection."

Jace stared at him blankly.

Meanwhile, my stomach suddenly tightened because now that Leo mentioned it...

I could smell it too.

Blood.

It was faint beneath Jace’s lavender omega scent, but it was definitely there.

Leo’s eyes hardened slightly behind his glasses.

"You also smell necrotic," he added coldly. "Which means there is either infected tissue damage somewhere on your body or you have been bleeding long enough for bacterial contamination to begin setting in."

Jace’s playful expression faltered for the first time.

"That is dramatic," he muttered weakly.

"No," Leo replied flatly. "It is medical observation. Frankly, whatever is rotting on your body should probably be examined before you die."

"Leo," I interrupted quietly. "Please stop."

Because even I was starting to feel uncomfortable now.

And honestly?

Jace really did not look okay anymore.

The longer I stared at him beneath the dim apartment lights, the more obvious it became that something was seriously wrong. He looked exhausted in a way that went far beyond ordinary tiredness, like his body had already reached its limit hours ago and was only forcing itself to remain standing through sheer desperation.

His oversized hoodie was dirty and wrinkled, the fabric clinging unevenly to him as though he had been wearing it for far too long without rest.

Even his breathing sounded wrong. It was uneven and shallow, almost strained, like every breath coming out of him required effort.

And then, when I finally started paying proper attention, my eyes landed on the dark stains spread near the sleeve of his hoodie.

Blood.

Old blood.

Fresh blood.

So much of it that my stomach tightened instantly the moment I realized what I was actually looking at.

Jace suddenly looked toward me again before forcing a weak smile onto his face.

"So..." he muttered awkwardly. "Am I getting invited upstairs or not?"

Something about the way he said it immediately made my chest tighten.

This was not normal.

How could someone I had not seen in years suddenly show up in front of my apartment covered in blood stains?

"How did you even find me?" I asked carefully.

Jace shrugged weakly.

"It was not difficult," he answered quietly. "You and Rhys are literally famous now. Hockey interviews, articles, social media, league appearances... honestly, it would have been harder not finding you. I mean, both of you have been winning the Stanley Cup three years in a row."

A faint sadness crossed his face afterward.

"I am glad though," he admitted softly. "You both made lives for yourselves."

Then he laughed bitterly beneath his breath.

"I probably would have become a hockey player too if the rules were not so shitty back then."

That sentence hit harder than I expected.

Because he was right.

Back then, omegas were never even given the chance.

But now, after Kayden came out and changed everything, I genuinely hoped more omegas would finally step forward and join the league without fear.

"Whatever conversation both of you are having, I genuinely do not care. I need sleep," Leo muttered flatly before brushing past us toward the elevator.

"Leo?" I frowned.

"I am getting the medical kit from your apartment before he collapses from blood loss directly onto the pavement," he answered coldly. "Judging from the visible saturation pattern on his clothing and the rate of active bleeding, he has already lost a clinically concerning amount of blood."

Then suddenly Jace grabbed my wrist tightly.

The movement startled me immediately.

"Wait," he whispered urgently.

I looked down at him in confusion.

His fingers were trembling badly.

"I need help."

Something cold immediately settled inside my chest hearing the fear in his voice.

Then slowly, with shaking hands, Jace lifted the oversized hoodie covering his body.

And my entire body went cold instantly.