Two Dogs, One Queen
Lucius Vale sat alone in his office later that night, staring at the untouched glass of whiskey on his desk.
Her voice wouldn't leave his head.
"Be mine."
The audacity.
The insult.
The… tempting, career-saving offer.
His entire legacy reduced to a single mocking line from that Beta.
A Beta.
He raked a hand through his hair, standing abruptly just to pace like a caged animal. His reflection in the glass wall showed every bit of his downfall: the loosened tie, the hollow eyes, the ghost of defeat that he couldn't scrub off.
It wasn't just that she won.
It was that she enjoyed it.
The smirk. The wink. That glimmer in her eye like she already knew he'd say yes… eventually.
He hated her.
Despised her.
And still…
His hand hovered over his phone.
All it would take was one call.
One surrender.
One—
"F*ck."
He slammed the glass into the wall, watching amber liquid drip like spilled pride.
---
Meanwhile… back at Krishna's apartment…
Aaron Triton stood by the kitchen counter, arms crossed, sulking.
He'd been staring at her door for ten minutes.
Because he heard.
News traveled fast.
The rumors.
The boardroom bloodbath.
And worst of all?
That she… Krishna Debonair… had personally walked into Lucius Vale's downfall… and extended an offer.
To him.
The infamous, cold-blooded, emotionally constipated, golden-boy Alpha of corporate hell.
Aaron gritted his teeth.
Krishna finally wandered out from her bedroom in nothing but an oversized tee and her usual bare legs, hair tied up like she hadn't just spent the day ruining someone's entire existence.
"Why the face?" she asked, grabbing a cold drink from the fridge like nothing happened.
Aaron's voice came low. Tight.
"Why him?"
Krishna blinked innocently.
"Who?"
"You know who." His tone dropped lower. "Lucius Vale."
She raised an eyebrow, sipping her drink.
"Oh? Is my dog jealous?" she teased.
Aaron's fists curled tighter at his sides.
"Why him, Krishna? I get it… You like collecting people. But that one?" He scoffed bitterly. "You're offering that bastard a leash too?"
Krishna laughed - soft, wicked, amused.
"Relax." She set her drink down and walked toward him, slow, like a predator playing with its prey. She pressed her palm against his chest. "You're still my first dog. My favorite little errand boy."
Aaron sucked in a sharp breath.
"Then why let him near you?"
Her smile curved, lazy and sweet, dangerously close to cruel.
"Because I like breaking beautiful things."
She tilted up on her toes, brushing her lips over his jawline just enough to make him shiver.
"And your jealousy…?" she whispered.
"Delicious."
Before Aaron could catch her, she laughed and walked away—barefoot, unapologetic, and leaving two very different Alphas spiraling in their own tailored, private hells.
And Krishna?
Krishna felt nothing but entertained.
Let the games continue.
---
Krishna sat cross-legged on her velvet couch, scrolling through her phone like she didn't have two grown Alphas emotionally spiraling over her.
Her apartment was quiet…
Well, almost.
Aaron Triton—once the golden son of a powerful political family, now…
Her lap pillow.
He laid there on the floor, head resting against her thigh, arms wrapped lazily around her legs like she was his entire universe. His eyes were half-lidded, a lazy, satisfied smile pulling at his lips every time her fingers combed through his hair.
Every now and then, he'd nuzzle closer, like some overgrown retriever desperate for every scrap of her attention.
"Stop moving," she said with a lazy grin, scratching behind his ear just to watch him shiver like she knew he would.
"Yes, ma'am," Aaron hummed, tail-wagging energy practically vibrating off him.
And then—
Ding-dong.
Her doorbell.
Krishna's fingers paused mid-stroke.
Aaron stiffened.
Slowly, she pulled her hand away, standing with a stretch that had Aaron following her with puppy-eyed disappointment.
"Stay," she teased, giving him a light pat on the head before sauntering to the door.
When she opened it…
There stood Lucius Vale.
Disheveled.
Wrinkled shirt.
Tie loosened but still knotted like he'd tried to hold onto some semblance of dignity.
His jaw flexed.
His eyes burned.
And yet…
He stood there.
Defeated but standing.
"I'm here to… discuss your offer," he bit out, like each word was a knife dragging across his tongue.
Krishna's grin spread like wildfire.
"Oh? Already?" she mused, eyes twinkling. "I expected you to sulk at least another day."
Lucius stepped inside with the kind of heavy, reluctant authority only an Alpha still pretending he had power could manage.
But the second he walked in…
He froze.
His gaze landed on Aaron, still sprawled on her floor like a loyal pet, still hugging the very spot Krishna had just vacated.
Aaron lifted his head, caught Lucius's glare… and smirked.
Smirked.
As if to say: She pets me. She owns me. You're next.
Lucius's eye twitched.
"This…" he muttered, dragging a disgusted glance from Aaron back to Krishna. "This is what you've been doing with your time?"
Krishna just yawned.
"Yep," she said sweetly. "Collecting dogs. Want a collar too, Mr. Vale?"
Lucius's fists clenched at his sides.
Aaron…
Just grinned wider.
And Krishna?
Already planning who she'd break next.