Harrison’s grip remained tight, his fingers squeezing with that same intense, protective strength. His dark eyes were pitch black, completely devoid of any fear, whoever tried to touch Julius tonight wouldn’t survive it.

"Dangerous or not, we are going," Julius spoke up softly, repeating Harrison’s words to break the silence. He looked down at their joined hands. "If the gala is the perfect place for them to make a move, then it is also the perfect place for us to catch them."

Harrison slowly relaxed his tight grip, his expression shifting back to his usual calm, calculating mask. He leaned his large frame against the back of his chair, his jaw still tight. "Yes. We force their hand. They think a crowded ballroom gives them cover, but it just gives my men more angles to watch."

"But Daniel said the applicant’s file is heavily encrypted," Julius reminded him, setting the phone down on the table. "We know they are connected to the shadow group searching for my father’s drive, but we still don’t have a face or a name. Walking into that hall means we are walking into an open trap."

"Then we make sure our trap is tighter," Harrison said. He stood up from the table, "Marcus will double the security lines around the hall before the guests even arrive. My men will be inside the ballroom, dressed in regular suits. You will stay right next to me the entire night."

Julius let out a long breath, slowly nodding his head. He knew Harrison was right. Running away wouldn’t solve the problem, and they needed to face the danger head-on if they wanted to protect the drive. "Alright. We go."

The hours dragged on with an agonizing slowness inside the large mansion.

Harrison spent most of the afternoon locked in his private study downstairs, holding quiet, tense meetings with Marcus and Anna to arrange the security details. Julius tried to focus on some financial reports in the library, but his mind kept drifting back to Daniel’s warning. The tension in the house was thick, waiting for the sun to drop.

By the time the sky outside went down, it was time to get ready for the lion’s den.

Upstairs in the bedroom, Julius stood in front of the long mirror, adjusting the collar of his shirt. He had chosen a simple, well-fitted dark suit that made his lean frame look sharp and professional. The bedroom door opened with a soft click, and Harrison walked in, already fully dressed in a matching dark suit that made his massive shoulders look even more imposing.

Julius caught Harrison’s intense stare in the mirror and felt a sudden warmth rush up his neck. He turned around slowly. "What is it? Is something wrong with the jacket?"

Harrison walked forward, He stopped right in front of Julius, his massive frame blocking out the rest of the room. He reached out, his large, warm fingers gently straightening Julius’ shirt.

"Nothing is wrong," Harrison said, his voice dropping into a low. "You look beautiful, baby. Almost too beautiful to bring into a ballroom full of hungry Alphas."

Julius let out a soft laugh, touching Harrison’s forearms. "I can handle them, Harrison. I am an Alpha too, remember?"

"I remember," Harrison murmured, a faint smile touching his lips. He lifted Julius’s chin, forcing him to look directly into his dark eyes. "But tonight, you stay right by my side, no matter what. Let’s go."

Julius nods his head, giving Harrison a silent promise not to leave his side.

****

The ride to the grand hall was completely silent. They sat together in the back of the car while Marcus drove smoothly through the downtown traffic. Julius stared out the window, watching the bright lights of the city, until Harrison’s large hand came down, covering his fingers completely.

He has been to several Gala’s, women flaunts over him and all that but for some reason he was really nervous about this one, maybe because of the rumors spreading about or the threat. He had no idea, all he knew was that he had to get a hold of himself.

When they pulled up to the front entrance of the massive gala building, the quiet environment vanished. The entire street was blocked by security barriers, and the loud, blinding flashes of reporter cameras lit up the dark night sky.

Marcus opened the passenger door, and the roar of the crowd surged inside. Julius took one deep breath, looked up at Harrison, and stepped out into the flashing lights.

The glass doors of the grand ballroom swung open, revealing an absolutely massive room packed with hundreds of wealthy guests, high-ranking politicians, and powerful pack leaders. But the moment Harrison stepped through the entrance with Julius right beside him, the loud chatter died instantly.

The entire ballroom fell into a sudden, deep silence. People froze mid-sentence, and low, hurried whispers started traveling across the room like a wave. Camera flashes from the media perimeter inside the lobby area exploded everywhere in their eyes, blinding and constant.

Harrison did not look at a single person in the whispering crowd. He kept his chin high, his jaw set in a hard line as they stood at the top of the entrance steps. Sensing the sudden rush of tension in Julius’s posture, Harrison squeezed his hand firmly, his thumb rubbing over Julius’s knuckles.

"Just keep breathing, baby," Harrison spoke softly, his deep voice meant only for Julius’s ears as the blinding lights flashed against them. "Keep walking straight. Let them stare all they want, I want them to see who exactly you belong to." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Julius kept his head held high, looking into the sea of staring eyes before him. He let out a slow breath, nodding up at the big man as his voice remained perfectly steady.

"I am fine, Harrison. Let’s get this show over with." Julius murmured, tightening his grip on the large hand holding his.

With a final, reassuring look from Harrison, Julius took a confident step forward with him, walking directly down into the silent, watchful crowd together.