Nico

Everyone but my family stood when I entered the dining hall. I bowed my head to them, motioning for them to sit down. I tried my best to keep my eyes from looking at the Alpha that I had the unfortunate desire to run to. 

I gritted my teeth together and joined everyone at the table, and sat down in my usual seat, which was right across from him. “Good morning,” I greeted my family. 

My brothers sleepily responded with their good mornings, obviously hating the fact that they had been summoned to breakfast earlier than usual this morning. I tried ignoring Javon’s presence and tried talking with my dad instead. 

I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t want to see him. I didn’t want to be in the same place as him either. I’d rather sign off on three thousand pages of approvals in one day than deal with this situation at the moment. 

“So the two of you are mates?” My dad tapped his fork against his plate a couple of times, trying to address the elephant in the room.

“Unfortunately,” I mumbled, scooping a forkful of eggs into my mouth, again averting my eyes from looking at him. 

The tension in the room grew so thick that it almost felt hard to breathe. “You wouldn’t even let me explain.” Javon bit back. 

“Do you hear that?” I replied childishly. “Sounded like a bunch of bullshit being spewed from someone.” I rolled my eyes. 

“Language,” My dad chimed in. “We have a guest this morning, and you know better.” I bowed my head in submission to my dad. Knowing I had crossed the line, I was so angry and frustrated. 

“I’m sorry, Dad,” I replied quietly. 

“Y’know, I was sleepy this morning, but nothing like drama first thing in the morning to wake someone up.” One of my brothers, Trevor, piped up. 

“Shut up,” I snapped at him. 

“Listen, please let me explain?” Javon asked, his voice holding sincerity. “I’m sorry for calling you stuck up. Please let me talk to you alone?”

“I’d rather go into a snake pit than to talk to you alone.” I set my fork down, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms. 

“Why must you be so stubborn? You won’t even let me explain myself.” The alpha growled. 

“Why should I?” I asked, sitting back up, finally looking in his direction. “Why should I listen to some glorified Alpha who fucks random strangers out in the open for everyone to see? Why should I listen to the prince from a kingdom that is almost rogue? You tell me.” I spat between my teeth in frustration. 

Javon bit his plump lips together and furrowed his brows. He swallowed and got up from his seat, leaving the room hastily. I wanted to do the same, but I remained planted in my seat. 

My papa rubbed his temple, shutting his eyes. He was clearly frustrated at the interaction. “You need to talk to him before he leaves, Nico. Like it or not, he’s your mate. He’s not the crowned prince of his kingdom. He’s the crowned prince’s bastard son.” 

I cringed at my papa’s words. I didn’t think that anyone would use those words to describe someone as a child born from a different mother than the person married to the prince. I honestly didn’t care if he were an illegitimate child or not. Laws didn’t care about that any longer, either. 

“Elias, don’t use that term.” My dad chimed in. “It’s not a polite term.” 

“It’s the correct term.” My papa replied. 

“I don’t want to talk about it. I didn’t even want to talk to him today,” I grumbled. “I told Dad I needed to think about it, and I wasn’t given that time to think about it.” I got to my feet. “So, if you’ll excuse me.”   

I left the dining hall without eating much of my breakfast. I was sick to my stomach anyways. As soon as I exited the dining hall, Kota caught up to me. He handed me a manila folder and started to babble about the paperwork that needed to be finished before dinner. 

I blocked out his voice and began to flip through the folder, glancing at what needed the most attention versus what would be a quick and easy look. I’d rather bury myself in work than deal with my family or Javon. “Is there anything else I need to look at?” I asked. 

“I don’t think so. Kallin and I haven’t finished the scheduling for the week. We assumed you’d want to spend some time with your mate.” Kota responded quietly.

“I’d rather get struck by lightning.” I huffed, “fifty times.” I added for dramatic effect. “Anyways, thank you, please make sure to get me the schedule once it’s completed.” 

“Yes, your highness.” He bowed his head, walking a few paces ahead of me to open my office door. 

— — —

Javon

“I’m glad you found your mate.” My mom said into the phone. I tapped my pack of cigarettes against my palm, trying to get one out of the pack. “Have you told your father yet?” She asked. 

“Honestly, I haven’t… I don’t think that the omega wants me as his mate.” I replied. The cigarette hung loosely from my mouth as I dug in my pockets to get my lighter. “I don’t think I made a very good first impression.” I pulled the lighter out of my pocket and lit my cigarette, inhaling a big puff of smoke. 

“Javon,” She used her mother's tone, the one where I knew she would scold me with her next words. “What did you do?”

I sighed, not wanting to let my mom know that I was balls-deep in another omega when I first laid eyes on him. Or that I was hammered because I was fucking pissed at my father for standing me up once again for his perfect family. 

I was his illegitimate child, and they liked to let me know every chance that they could. But the only thing that set me apart from my half-siblings was that I was an alpha. It was the only reason he stayed in contact with me. I knew the day his mate would finally have the alpha he so desired. I would be left in the dust. 

To be quite frank, I wish that his wife had one so he would leave me alone for good. It wasn’t like he had helped my mom take care of me as a child other than sending a shit amount of child support each month to help take care of me. I hardly even knew who he was, but somehow I had a title and responsibility I could care two shits less about. 

“I did something stupid.” I took another drag of my cigarette. 

“Is it fixable, stupid, or?” I could almost see her eyebrow raised.  

“It’s probably fixable, but that’ll be if he lets me talk to him at all.” I shrugged, leaning my head back, trying to calm my nerves. 

I thought of him, his beautiful, long hair, his beautiful, mesmerizing eyes. But he seemed the opposite of me. I was a free bird, always trying to do things I probably shouldn’t do, but still did anyway. It got me in boatloads of trouble at home, but it didn’t stop me from being adventurous. I didn’t act like a royal because I honestly didn’t want to be anyway. The title was something tacked onto me because I was an alpha. Now, Nicolas was proper, poised, and he held himself above others. It was obvious he took his position with pride. 

When he called me a mutt, it did hurt in my chest. Our kingdom shifted more than others, and it was banned for other kingdoms because of the violence that others would cause, and the risk of outbreaks of rogues was greater in the kingdoms that allowed regular shifting. 

“I’m sure you can get him to talk to you,” I could hear the smile in her voice.  “I’ve seen you talk the britches off of many boys and girls.” She chuckled. “That’s one thing you got from your father.” I cringed. It wasn’t uncommon knowledge that my father was a fuckboy. I had more half-siblings than I could count on my hands and toes. But shockingly enough, I was the eldest, 23, and the only alpha out of them. 

“Please don’t compare me to him. That’s just gross.” I responded, shaking my head. 

“I’m surprised you don’t have little Javon’s running around.” She chuckled in response. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you bring the same person home twice.” 

“For the most part, unless I’m hammered or something, I make sure I’m wearing protection.” I frowned in remembrance of the omega I had fucked the other night. I surely hadn’t worn protection that night, but I assumed the omega didn’t care because when I pushed him away, he skimped away as if he had gotten what he had come for and left. 

“I’m glad to hear that. At least you learned something from your father's crap.” She hummed. 

“You’re not wrong.”  I nodded, taking the final drag from my cigarette. “Well, mom, I’m gonna go. I guess I gotta do some damage control.” I let out a groan, the smoke escaped my lungs, and I threw the cancer stick on the ground, stamping it out. 

“Okay, baby, keep me updated. Let me know if they’ll let me visit before your wedding.” She responded. 

“Will do. I love you, mom.”

“And I you, baby.”