The day had gone quite smoothly if he was being honest with himself. Inviting fifteen people into his home for an indefinite amount of time was a little disconcerting, but nothing that he wouldn’t eventually get used to.
Scott wasn’t quite sure he’d ever get used to the idea of looking for a mate.
Being mated wasn’t an entirely new concept, of course. The continuation of the Wilkey bloodline almost entirely rested upon his shoulders (that’s not to say he doesn’t have siblings; they just weren’t legitimate and therefore didn’t really count) and he was an Omega. He had mostly expected for an Alpha to be chosen for him, have a few children, and spend most of his time bedding pretty Omega maids and his Alpha guards while his husband had his official concubines. But now his father was dead, and therefore unable to choose someone for him. Which meant he got to pick for himself.
Despite the limitations put upon him, like picking between fifteen people, he still got to make the decision. That was much more than most royal Omegas ever got.
So yes, it had gone well. He had briefly introduced himself to each of the Suitors, and they all had such distinct personalities, but only a few stuck out in his mind.
Particularly an Alpha named Allen.
His Council had gotten to choose the Alphas that he was inviting to the Palace (despite the random drawing that they had advertised), and most of their choices had been obvious politically speaking, but Allen’s parents were also socialites who were renowned for their distaste for the Crown. They were highly conservative in their values, from believing in monogamous mating to the notion that Omegas and Betas were the “weaker” ranks. He had no idea if their son shared these values, but he wouldn’t last long in the Palace if so. Scott had no use for monogamy or the idea that he should submit to an Alpha just because of his disposition.
A knock on the door to his chambers interrupted his musings. He stood up from his bed, slipping on a silky robe over his pajamas to maintain some decency, before going to answer it. He wanted to be annoyed that his night was being interrupted, but perhaps it was someone seeking to warm his bed tonight. A cute little Omega maid had been eyeing him today, hiding behind fluttering lashes and red cheeks.
Colin was standing at the door.
The first thing that hit him was the bitter scent of angry Alpha. It had him tensing up, instinctively wary of the person before him. Scott didn’t bother with trying to invite Colin inside, clearly the Alpha wasn’t here for a good time, and he didn’t want the scent stenching up his room. “Yes?” He questioned, leaning against the doorframe.
“Explain this.” He growled, pushing what seemed to be a magazine toward his chest.
Scott clumsily took it, too shocked by the informality to even scold him, as his eyes scanned over the cover. The headline, “The New King’s Secret Lover?!” was printed in bold letters across the top. This wasn’t too terrible, gossip magazines were constantly speculating about his love life, constantly grasping at straws for anything to talk about. No, it was the cover picture that was incriminating. It was of himself, on his back, the black sheets of his bed framing him as he stared into the camera through hooded eyes. His lips were kiss-swollen, and his shirt unbuttoned, a hand that wasn’t his splayed across his pale chest. A rather pretty picture, he remembered Colin taking it, but he didn’t think it was so pretty printed onto glossy magazine paper. The red arrow pointing out Colin’s mating band on his ring finger wasn’t so pretty either, nor were the words speculating him sleeping with mated Alphas.
“Huh.” He mumbled. According to the date on the bottom, this was going to be released tomorrow.
“That’s all you have to say?” Colin seethed, reminding him that the man was even there. He looked up then, taking in the way that the Alpha’s hands were clenched and trembling, the way his lips were pulled back into a snarl, sharp canines on display. Something ugly twisted in his stomach, the Omega in him whining at displeasing their favorite Alpha. He wanted to scoff at the useless feeling.
“Mind your tone, Colin.” He said evenly, because even if he was fond of Colin, that didn’t mean he got to forget his place. The Alpha didn’t seem particularly pleased by that.
“Mind my tone? Excuse me? I have a mate, you know, one that it going to recognize my hand or maybe the fucking ring she gave me?” His growl was bone chilling.
Scott grit his teeth, forcing himself to ignore the instinct to submit and hopefully subdue an angry Alpha. “Captain Ingram.” He said sharply, squaring his shoulders back and forcing himself to look at the guard in the eye.
Like a switch had flipped, the angry Alpha was at attention, years of training kicking in. Like a dog coming to heel, attentive and waiting for orders from its master. Scott inhaled through his mouth, trying not to let the agitated pheromones cloud his mind. “It seems that you’ve forgotten your place, Ingram.” He pursed his lips, happy that his voice never failed him, even when he wasn’t feeling so good on the inside. “Frankly, how this affects your mating isn’t any of my concern. Thank you for at least having the sense to come to me about this matter, but now, it is out of your hands. You are dismissed.”
Colin’s nostrils flared, eyes that Scott was so fond of sparking with anger, but he gave a short bow before walking down the hall. Scott shut the door and leaned against it, letting his head fall back against the wood with a small thump. After taking a few moments to calm down, he straightened up again and looked at the magazine again. This was going to be a mess.
Comments (12)
See all