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"Only when I mean it." I offer her my arm. "Shall we?"

She takes it, smiling up at me. "Lead the way, rock star."

We make it to the door before Leo appears, holding out a small phone. "Every hour," he reminds her.

"Yes, Dad," she says, rolling her eyes but taking the phone.

Onyx doesn't say anything and just watches us. I can feel his gaze burning into my back until the doors close.

"They're just worried about you," I say as we descend.

"I know." She sighs. "But I needed to get out of there. Even just for one night."

"Well, you're in for a treat." I guide her to where my driver is waiting. "Tonight is going to be unforgettable."

And I mean to keep that promise.

The venue is a renovated theater in the heart of downtown, featuring Art Deco glamour and velvet seats. I bring Dahlia in through the back entrance, my security team keeping a respectable distance as we make our way to the green room.

"This place is incredible," she says, looking around with wide eyes.

"Wait until you see it from the stage." I grab two bottles of water from a cooler and hand her one. "The acoustics are insane."

She takes the water but doesn't open it, too busy taking in everything around us. "How many people will be here?"

"About three hundred. All personally invited." I step closer to her. "But I'm only playing for one."

Her eyes meet mine, and something electric passes between us. "Lucky me."

"Lucky me," I correct her. "Having you in the audience gives me a reason to play my best."

A knock at the door interrupts us. "Five minutes, Axl," my stage manager calls.

"Be right there." I turn back to Dahlia. "I've got a special seat for you at the side stage, where you can see everything."

She follows me through a maze of hallways until we reach the wings of the stage. A single chair sits just offstage, positioned perfectly to see both the performance and the audience.

"Your throne awaits," I say with a dramatic bow.

She laughs, taking the seat. "I feel like royalty."

"You are." I lean down to kiss her cheek. "My Omega queen."

Before she can respond, the house lights dim, and the crowd begins to cheer. My band is already taking their positions on stage.

"That's my cue." I grab my guitar from where a tech is holding it. "Enjoy the show."

The moment I step onto the stage, the crowd erupts. The energy is electric, feeding something primal inside me. But for the first time in my career, the audience isn't what matters. My eyes keep drifting to the side of the stage, where Dahlia watches with a smile that outshines every spotlight.

We play through our set, the music flowing through me like a living thing. When we reach the final song, I step up to the microphone.

"This next song is new," I tell the crowd. "It's something I've been working on. It's for someone special who's here tonight. Someone who's changed my life in ways I'm still trying to understand."

I glance at Dahlia, who's watching me with wide eyes. The band starts a slow, haunting melody, and I begin to sing. The lyrics came to me in a fever dream the night after I met her, about finding something you never knew you were missing, about a connection that defies explanation.

As I sing the final chorus, I turn fully toward where she sits, no longer pretending I'm singing to anyone else. The last note hangs in the air for a breathless moment before the crowd explodes with applause.

I barely hear it. All I see is Dahlia, with tears shining in her eyes, looking at me like I've given her the moon.