Liam left the room a few minutes later.

He did not rush. He did not slam the door. He just stepped out into the hallway and let it close behind him, the soft click echoing faintly in the quiet corridor. The pack house was always busy in its own way. Not loud, not chaotic, just alive. Low voices somewhere in the distance. Footsteps on wood. The smell of food, cleaning products, and the faint wild scent that never really left a place filled with werewolves.

He walked slowly, hands in his pockets, shoulders relaxed but his mind not as calm as he pretended.

A few people passed him.

Some of them looked at him curiously. They had not seen him before.

Others looked at him differently.

They remembered.

Four days ago when Irina introduced him to the pack. The tension in the air. The testing stares. The way some of them had circled him quietly like predators sizing up prey. He had not backed down. Not even a little. He had met their eyes one by one like he belonged there.

Respect among wolves was earned, not given.

Liam knew that.

He stopped walking when someone brushed past him a little too fast.

"Hey," he said casually.

The person paused.

It was a young man with dyed purple hair. The color was bright, almost neon under the hallway lights. It clashed with the neutral walls but somehow fit him perfectly. He looked small at first glance, slim build, hoodie hanging loosely off his shoulders, ripped jeans, gum moving slowly in his mouth. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Liam studied his face for a second.

He had never seen anyone quite like him.

His features were soft, almost delicate. Big eyes, smooth skin, small nose. It was strange because his body was clearly that of a grown man but his face looked like it had refused to age properly. Like someone had taken a baby version of him and stretched it over an adult frame.

Adorable.

That was the first word that came to Liam’s mind and he almost laughed at himself for thinking it.

"Have you seen Lana around?" Liam asked.

The young man looked irritated at first. Being stopped clearly annoyed him. His brows furrowed slightly as he turned, gum still rolling lazily between his teeth.

Then he looked up properly.

And he froze.

His eyes widened just a little.

He blinked once.

Twice.

The annoyance disappeared instantly.

He stared at Liam like he was trying to process what he was seeing.

Liam was used to that reaction. He did not think much of it anymore but it still felt strange sometimes.

The young man’s lips parted slightly around the gum.

For a solid three seconds he said nothing.

Then it hit him.

"Holy fuck," he muttered under his breath before speaking louder. "You are one good looking son of a bitch."

Liam did not know whether to laugh or just nod and move on. The bluntness caught him off guard.

He let out a small breath that might have been a chuckle.

"Hmm," he replied lightly.

Then he asked again, "Have you seen Lana?"

The young man kept staring.

He continued chewing his gum slowly while looking Liam up and down without shame. It was not even subtle. His eyes dragged over Liam’s shoulders, chest, jawline, then back up to his eyes.

Five seconds passed.

Then he finally spoke.

"Who the fuck is Lana?"

Liam closed his eyes briefly.

Of course.

Of course this random purple haired wolf had no idea who Lana was.

He exhaled quietly.

"A lady wearing a red top and black jeans," Liam said, trying to keep it simple. "Dark brown hair. Green eyes."

The young man’s chewing slowed.

"Wait."

The way he said it made Liam straighten slightly. For a split second he thought maybe this guy had actually seen her. Maybe something happened. Maybe there was an issue.

Liam’s attention sharpened.

But then he just watched, almost speechless, as the young man casually removed the gum from his mouth.

Not with embarrassment. Not like someone trying to be polite.

No.

He took it out between his fingers and flicked it neatly into a nearby trash bin with practiced ease.

Then he reached into his pocket.

Liam stared.

The young man pulled out a wrapped lollipop like he was about to perform some sacred ritual.

He unwrapped it slowly.

Carefully.

The crinkling plastic sounded loud in the quiet hallway.

Liam could not believe this was happening.

The young man placed the lollipop in his mouth with dramatic slowness, closing his lips around it as if savoring the moment. His eyes half closed briefly as he tasted it.

He actually hummed under his breath.

Liam just stood there.

Waiting.

The purple haired wolf leaned against the wall now, one foot propped casually, sucking on the lollipop like he had all the time in the world.

"You were saying?" he asked lazily.

Liam stared at him.

"You said wait," Liam replied flatly.

"Yeah," the young man said around the lollipop. "I did."

Another slow suck.

Liam felt his patience thinning but he forced himself to stay calm.

"Did you see her or not?" Liam asked.

The young man tilted his head slightly, studying him again like he was still not over the whole face situation.

"Red top. Green eyes," he repeated slowly.

He tapped the lollipop stick lightly against his teeth as if thinking.

The hallway felt long and quiet around them. A few other pack members passed by, throwing curious looks at the strange scene of Liam standing there while this grown baby faced wolf enjoyed candy like it was a five star dessert.

Liam resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

He had dealt with assassins, gang leaders, supernatural monsters.

Now he was negotiating with a man who replaced gum with a lollipop mid conversation.

The young man finally straightened slightly.

His eyes sharpened just a little, like maybe he did remember something.

But instead of speaking immediately, he took another slow savoring pull from the candy.

Liam watched him in disbelief.

The young man finally pushed himself off the wall and stretched one hand out toward Liam like he was about to seal a business deal.

"I know who you’re looking for," he said around the lollipop, voice suddenly confident. "I’ve seen her around. In fact, she was carrying some computers when I saw her."

Liam’s eyes lit up immediately.

Computers.

Yeah. That made sense.

He could go search the building floor by floor.

But that would be stressful.

And unnecessary.

"Where is she?" Liam asked directly.

The young man did not answer.

Instead, he slowly folded one arm across his chest while keeping the other stretched out toward Liam, palm open.

He raised his brows.

"You should give me some money before I change my mind."

Liam stared at the open hand.

Then at the lollipop.

Then back at his face.

He rolled his eyes instantly.

This is peak shamelessness.

"Why should I pay you for something so simple?" Liam said calmly. "I can just ask another person."

The young man made a dramatic offended face.

His lips pulled down, eyes widened like Liam had just insulted his entire bloodline. It was so exaggerated that Liam could not help it. A low chuckle slipped out of him.

The purple haired wolf pointed the lollipop at him accusingly.

"Wow. Wow. Okay. Fine," he said. "I’ll tell you where she is. I guess what they say is true. All models are stingy and horrible people in person."

Liam raised an eyebrow slowly, a faint smile forming.

"Model?"

The young man blinked at him like that was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course," he said.

And then he did something very daring.

Before Liam could react, his hand came up and lightly touched Liam’s face. Not aggressive. Not threatening. Just bold. His fingers brushed along Liam’s jawline like he was inspecting fine art.

"With a face like yours," he said casually, "I’m sure you must be one of the top models in the world."

For a brief second the hallway felt very still.

A few wolves walking past slowed down slightly, sensing something strange in the air.

Liam did not move.

He did not push the hand away.

He simply leaned back against the wall beside them, crossing his arms loosely, letting the guy have his moment.

"I’m not a model," Liam said softly.

The young man froze.

Actually froze.

His hand dropped slowly from Liam’s face.

"No freaking way," he muttered, staring at him like Liam had just confessed to being an alien. "You’re not?"

Liam shook his head once.

The young man stepped back half a step, studying him again from head to toe with even more intensity than before.

"That’s crazy," he said. "That is actually crazy. So you’re just out here walking around looking like that for free?"

Liam laughed quietly under his breath.

"You should really go into modeling," the young man continued, getting more animated by the second. "You would make a lot of money. I know someone that can help you get in."

He leaned closer now, lowering his voice like he was about to reveal a state secret.

"Trust me," he whispered. "You would have a great career."

His eyes sparkled with excitement.

"We will get rich."

Liam’s expression shifted slightly.

His eyes went up.

"We?"