Nullam domum sentit

The archives' entrance swallowed them whole—a cathedral of polished onyx and holographic light. Amor craned his neck, dizzy as crystalline panels refracted artificial sunlight into rainbows across marble floors. "Whoa..." he breathed, his worn boots suddenly conspicuous against the sterile gleam.

Nana patted his shoulder, unfazed. "Wait here, pups. This old wolf's got business with the records keepers." She gestured toward plush silver sofas in a soundproofed lounge. "Safe zone—no unregistered kids allowed. Behave." With a rustle of her herb-scented cloak, she vanished behind retinal-scanned doors marked *ADULTS ONLY*.

Obsessio slumped onto a sofa, scowling at a floating drone offering synth-tea. "Hate these places. Smells like... sterile nothing."

Amor smirked, perching beside him. "You sulk here often, Sio? Thought you'd be tailing Nana. Big bad Alpha reduced to babysitting?"

"Nah. Paperwork's her battlefield." Obsessio kicked his boots onto the glass coffee table, ignoring a disapproving chime from the wall. "And I'm not babysitting. I'm... strategically lounging."

Their banter froze as a boy materialized before them—flawless silk tunic, hair artfully tousled, and a scent like overripe peaches drenched in amber. He zeroed in on Amor, eyes sparkling with predatory curiosity.

All of sudden, there's boy comjng to Amor,...

"Hi there! You're adorable." The boy beamed, ignoring Obsessio completely that next to amor. "I'm Audax. Twelve, from the Silverthorne District." He leaned in, nostrils flaring theatrically. "Mmm... sweet. Beta, right?" He sniff Amor's body puffed his chest. "I'm Super-Alpha lineage. Obviously."

Amor blinked, recoiling from the cloying scent. "Amor," he mumbled. "Just... Amor."

"Perfect name for a cutie!" Audax trilled, reaching to touch Amor's hair. "Wanna see my new hover-glider? My dad bought it from—"

"Hands off." Obsessio's voice was a low growl, suddenly between them. His own scent—pine and petrichor—flared like a territorial shield. "He's with me. "

Audax pouted, assessing Obsessio's frayed sleeves and forest-stained pants. "You his bodyguard? How... quaint."

Amor found his voice, strained but polite. "Cool. The... Alpha thing."

Obsessio's knuckles whitened. In the gilded cage of the archives, hierarchies weren't written in scent-markers alone—they were etched in silk and sneers. And Amor? Just another prize to be sniffed at.

Audax's playful smirk hardened into something colder. "You really don't know who I am? A Super-Alpha? That's just pathetic." Obsessio voice lost its teasing edge, turning condescending. He puffed out his chest slightly, as if emphasizing an invisible status.

"Can't you even smell my S-Alpha scent? You seem like an Alpha, but you feel… weak. I should be the one looking after Amor." Audax teasing it.

Obsessio's jaw tightened, but he didn't rise to the bait fully. His voice was low and controlled, yet edged with warning. "Have you lost your mind, huh?"

The air in the plush waiting room grew thick with unspoken challenge. Amor, wanting nothing to do with their Alpha posturing, deliberately ignored them. He picked up a nearby nature magazine, focusing intently on an article about migratory birds. He turned the pages slowly, his expression carefully neutral, pretending not to hear the brewing tension.

Let them sort it out themselves, Amor's thought, retreating into the glossy pages.

Just as the standoff felt like it might escalate, a sharp, authoritative voice cut through the room. *Audax. Come. It's time to leave." A stern-looking man in an expensive suit stood by the entrance.

"Yes, dad," Audax replied instantly, the arrogance melting into obedient compliance. He shot one last glare at Obsessio, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "Watch yourself."

Obsessio met his gaze steadily, his reply firm and simple. "You watch yourself."

Audax turned on his heel and followed his father out of the luxurious waiting room, the heavy door sighing shut behind them. Only then did Obsessio let out a slow breath, the tension in his shoulders easing. He walked over to where Amor sat, still pretending to read the magazine, and dropped onto the sofa beside him. The quiet hum of the building's climate control filled the space where angry words had been moments before.

Obsessio leaned over the back of the sofa, his Alpha scent spiking with sharp, possessive irritation. "Hey, are you crazy?" he hissed, fingers digging into the cushion. "Why'd you give your name to that bastard?" The unspoken that other Alpha hung thick in the air between them, his jealousy practically radiating heat.

Amor didn't even glance up from his magazine, flipping a page with deliberate calm. "Chill, Sio. It's just a name. Don't make it a whole thing." His voice was steady, a deliberate counterpoint to Obsessio's simmering intensity.

Obsessio scoffed, pacing now like a caged predator. "But... ugh! He's so damn annoying! Hope I never see his smug face again. Total creep." He wrinkled his nose like he'd smelled something rotten. "Seriously disgusting."

Amor finally lowered the magazine, fixing Obsessio with a look of weary exasperation. "You Alphas... honestly, sometimes you're all the same. Zero emotional bandwidth. It's exhausting." He shook his head, a flicker of genuine frustration in his eyes.

Obsessio stopped mid-pace, stung and confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Forget it," Amor cut him off, raising the magazine like a shield. "Just drop it, okay? Go away. I wanna focus on this article – it's actually kinda interesting." His tone was final, dismissive.

Obsessio stared at him for a long beat, jaw clenched tight. The rejection stung more than he'd admit. "Fine. Whatever." He pushed off the sofa with more force than necessary. "Enjoy your... reading." The sarcasm was barely veiled. He stalked across the room and deliberately chose a chair as far from Amor as possible, the distance feeling like a physical chasm. Slumping down, he crossed his arms, glowering at the wall while the air crackled with unspoken tension and the faint, agitated scent of a jealous Alpha.

Obsessio's thoughts):That bastard... Acting like some top-tier Alpha who can just waltz in and take whatever he damn well pleases.

A low growl vibrated almost imperceptibly in Obsessio's chest. He stared blankly ahead, replaying the scene in the marketplace – Audax's smug face, the way he'd leaned in too close to Amor, demanding his name. It made Obsessio's blood boil. A hot, unfamiliar anger surged through him, primal and possessive, like a volcano ready to erupt. He couldn't explain why the sight of them talking, let alone making eye contact, filled him with such raw, irrational fury. It just did. The thought of Audax's scent anywhere near Amor's made his Alpha instincts scream.

Amor watched Obsessio's strange behavior from the corner of his eye. The brooding silence, the clenched jaw, the tense shoulders... Was he this pissed off just because of that jerk's teasing earlier?... Amor couldn't wrap his head around it. The intensity was baffling. He tried to focus on the colorful magazine pages in his lap, but Obsessio's dark mood was like a physical weight in the small space, making it impossible to picture the happy scenes he was looking at.

Just as the tension threatened to suffocate them both, the door creaked open. Nana bustled in, her arms laden with parcels, her familiar scent cutting through Obsessio's dark cloud like sunshine. "All done, my pups!" she announced, her voice warm despite the fatigue around her eyes.

"Let's head home before the light fades. Oh!" She rummaged in one bag, pulling out a paper-wrapped bundle. "Snatched up some fresh bread while I was at it. Vendor practically threw it at me, said it was the last of the batch." She held it out, the warm, yeasty aroma instantly comforting.

Like magnets, both boys moved towards her. Amor reached her first, wrapping his arms around her waist in a grateful hug, burying his face briefly in her shawl. "Thanks, Nana!" he mumbled, his earlier confusion momentarily forgotten.

Obsessio was right behind him, his hug firmer, almost protective, as if anchoring himself to her solid presence. The simple act, the familiar scent of flour and road dust mixed with her own unique warmth, began to dissolve the sharp edges of his anger. "Yeah, thanks," he murmured, the growl finally gone from his voice.

Nana chuckled, patting them both. "Alright, alright, enough mushy stuff. Let's get moving!" She herded them gently towards the exit. Stepping out of the dim building and into the cool twilight air felt like shedding a heavy cloak. The journey home stretched before them, but now, with Nana between them, the scent of fresh bread promising comfort, and the shared warmth of their little pack, the shadows – both literal and the one brewing in Obsessio's chest – seemed a little less daunting. Amor walked close to Nana, chatting softly about the bread, while Obsessio fell into step beside them, his gaze occasionally flicking towards Amor, the possessive fire banked but still smoldering deep within his Alpha core, a silent vow to keep the unwanted other Alpha far, far away. The cottage, their sanctuary, awaited, nestled safely between them.