The Shadow's Inheritance

Chapter 26: The Unsilent Summit

Chapter 26: The Unsilent Summit

The grand dining hall of the Umbrian estate was a pressure cooker of wealth and hidden aggression. Six dynastic families, each led by an Alpha King, sat around the colossal oak table. The air was a heavy, intoxicating blend of dominant pheromones: the dry sandalwood of the Byzantine Alpha, the sharp metal and rain of the Slavic King, and the focused, arrogant bamboo scent of the Wang Alpha.

The center of the room, however, was anchored by the Deluca family. Jungkook sat at the head, his cedarwood scent radiating authority, but it was perfectly layered with the cool, controlling lemon and salt of Taehyung, seated immediately to his right. Taehyung, dressed in an emerald suit, was the Omega Queen, his posture commanding every eye.

Beside Taehyung, in a tailored suit matching his father's, sat Luca. At six years old, he was smaller than the men at the table, but his fierce gaze and tightly controlled Alpha scent—a barely contained cinnamon and pine—made him a gravitational force. He was obeying the scent protocol, holding his power internal, but the energy humming around him was palpable.

The dinner had proceeded through the pleasantries and political skirmishes until the Wang Alpha, a sleek, imposing man named Jiyong, set his glass down with a resonant clink.

"Signor Deluca," Jiyong began, his voice smooth as silk, yet carrying the weight of ancient judgment. His scent, bamboo and old spice, subtly expanded, testing the boundaries. "The stability of the international market required that we verify your recent domestic arrangements. We are satisfied with the Deluca financial restructuring. However, the matter of the lineage is... unorthodox."

Jungkook leaned back, placing his hand possessively on the small of Taehyung's back, linking their scent. "The Deluca lineage is secure, King Jiyong. This is my Alpha son, Luca Deluca."

Jiyong didn't look at Luca. He looked at Taehyung. "We acknowledge your bond, Signore Deluca. But the disruption caused by the former arrangement—the Beta-Omega Enzo, the confusion of scents, the subsequent speed of the dissolution and your re-bonding—it raises questions about the Alpha's choice. A true Alpha King would never allow such a public display of weakness, or such a dubious lineage."

Before Jungkook could respond with the fury that rose instantly in his chest, Taehyung spoke. His voice was soft, impeccably polite, and entirely lethal.

"King Jiyong, the only thing you are smelling is the scent of commitment," Taehyung countered, his eyes meeting the rival King's without blinking. "My Alpha King chose to dismantle his entire empire to rectify his mistakes and secure his true mate and firstborn. We are stronger now because we survived the fire. If you mistake devotion for weakness, then perhaps your dynasty is the one lacking foundation."

Taehyung turned, addressing Luca in a clear, audible tone. "Luca, bambino. The gentleman is questioning the strength of your birthright."

Luca looked up, his expression utterly serious. He had been waiting for this moment, taught by his Papa when and how to deploy his strength.

Jungkook, understanding the silent command, immediately released his protective cedarwood scent—not to dominate, but to signal permission. Show them, Alpha.

Luca's response was instantaneous, primal, and breathtaking.

The small Alpha heir released his entire, untamed store of pheromones. The cinnamon and pine scent, pure and utterly dominant, hit the room like an atmospheric explosion. It was raw, unadulterated Alpha power, stronger than Jiyong's bamboo, stronger than the sandalwood, and, for a dizzying instant, stronger than even Jungkook's own mature cedarwood.

The effect was devastating. Every Alpha and Beta at the table flinched. The scent receptors of the rival Kings and their counsel were overwhelmed, their primal instincts kicking in with the sudden, shocking presence of an indisputable True Alpha. They were biologically forced to recognize the superior lineage.

Jiyong, the Wang Alpha, choked slightly, his eyes watering, his own scent retracting involuntarily in a gesture of biological submission. His Beta counsel, Jiho, actually lowered his head, unable to maintain the defiant gaze.

Taehyung smiled, placing a hand on Luca's arm, silently urging the child to pull the power back. As the surge receded, leaving only the faint, sweet trace of cinnamon, the room began to breathe again.

"I believe, King Jiyong," Taehyung said, finishing the argument in the resulting, stunned silence, "that the Deluca lineage has never been more secure."

Jungkook, his heart hammering with pride and renewed devotion, leaned over and pressed a hard, possessive kiss to Taehyung's temple. "The summit is concluded, gentlemen," he declared, his voice ringing with finality. "You have seen the foundation of my family. My heir requires rest. My Love requires solitude. Enjoy your evening."

He rose, sweeping Taehyung and Luca out of the room. The Deluca family had made their statement. The international community had no choice but to accept the Omega Queen and his Alpha Heir.