When Rivals Say I Do

Diplomacy

Elliot decided it was time to explore his new house. The Leighton estate was a source of plentiful data regarding the history of the Gaea.

He wanted to know what information the Whitehall estate had. Granted, this wasn’t the main house, but still, he assumed there would be enough to learn.

Elliot arrived at the library. It was grand, almost as big as theirs. He expected that it would be covered in dust, considering Vincent didn’t look like an avid reader. But the shelves were kept clean and organized. He noticed rows and rows of books about war and military topics.

Not something he wanted to read, but something caught his eye—a corner dedicated to the kingdom of Kaos.

It was probably there because Kaos was a kingdom that prioritized military pursuits.

Elliot took one book, ‘The Rise and Fall Within Kaos’. He browsed through the pages and soon found himself immersed. He decided to take the book and sit down.

Kaos was a kingdom built in an area where natural resources were scarce. They had struggled to survive, and thus the rulers had developed their people to be the ones who produced resources. They trained them to conquer. They had terrorized small villages to expand their kingdom.

Elliot shuddered. He knew about the violent past of Kaos. That was the reason most kingdoms kept an eye on them—offering an extended hand in exchange for not being targeted.

He was so buried in the book that he didn’t realize Vincent had entered the room and taken a seat in front of him.

“They’re brutal,” Vincent broke the silence.

Elliot was startled and closed the book with such force that it made a noise.

“Don’t scare me like that,” Elliot exhaled.

Vincent laughed. Elliot thought the man was mocking him, but his laugh sounded genuine.

“If you need more books about them, you can just ask me,” Vincent replied.

Elliot noticed that Vincent looked different. He didn’t have the same arrogance that he usually carried himself with.

“Did you get whacked in the head?” Elliot wondered out loud.

Vincent c****d his head, and Elliot couldn’t help but imagine him as a confused dog. He was adorable.

Elliot shook his head. Just because Vincent seemed nice right now and looked more attractive than usual didn’t mean his personality had changed overnight.

“I’m fine; training ended early. My father took over,” Vincent replied as he leaned back in his chair, his gaze not leaving Elliot.

Elliot felt watched; Vincent’s eyes were always intense.

It seemed as though Vincent didn’t realize Elliot’s sarcasm.

“I mean, you look… nice,” Elliot admitted, gesturing vaguely in Vincent’s direction.

Vincent raised an eyebrow and smiled.

“Thanks?” Vincent replied.

“I mean, where is the ‘I’m the alpha!’?” Elliot remembered insulting Vincent about how he always acted like an aggressive alpha, but now that he seemed serene, he didn’t know how to react to it.

“I am still an alpha,” Vincent rolled his eyes and added, “I just have a lot on my mind.”

Elliot mimicked Vincent’s position and observed how Vincent seemed to find it amusing.

“Want to discuss what’s on your mind?” Elliot offered.

It must have been groundbreaking, whatever it was that Vincent was thinking about.

“No, I can deal with it,” Vincent replied flatly.

It was Elliot’s turn to roll his eyes. So much for Vincent not acting like a typical alpha; he still didn’t want to open up.

Well, Elliot couldn’t really blame him; he, too, was closed off from Vincent.

Maybe it was time for both of them to open up to each other for their marriage to work.

Vincent was correct in what he had said the first day: they needed each other now that their fates were tied.

“Humor me, Vincent.” Elliot stood up, went to the shelves, and trailed his fingers over the books. “Let’s put aside our differences for now.”

Vincent stood up and followed Elliot. “So, you want to compromise now?” he smirked.

Elliot was now regretting his decision. He had thought Vincent might need someone because of how differently he was acting today, but it seemed like he was still his usual self. Elliot wanted to erase that smirk from his handsome face.

Before he knew it, Vincent had cornered him between the shelf and the wall.

“I thought about what you told me,” Vincent started, his voice low, almost a whisper.

Elliot pressed himself closer to the wall; Vincent had this habit of cornering him without giving him a chance to escape.

“What do you mean?” Elliot asked.

“About me just being an alpha.” He leaned down, his face at the same level as Elliot’s. “I like being an alpha, and I’m proud of it, but you made me question it.”

Elliot gulped; Vincent’s eyes seemed dark now.

“Look, I apologize.” He raised his arms to keep a distance between them.

However, Vincent pressed their bodies together.

Elliot felt hot; Vincent always had the upper hand, and he wished one day he could turn their situation around.

“Elliot…” Vincent trailed off.

Suddenly, Vincent’s face was against his neck, and his entire weight was pressed against Elliot.

Elliot could feel that Vincent was burning up.

“You have a fever,” Elliot stated as panic started creeping into his voice.

Vincent only hummed in response and put his arms around Elliot, hugging him in place.

“I think it was the suppressants, but right now I’m comfortable like this,” Vincent said.

Elliot felt awkward; it looked like Vincent had sought him out just to collapse on him.

“Well, I’m not comfortable. You’re heavy,” Elliot huffed. He didn’t want to be soft on Vincent just because he was sick.

However, Elliot admitted that it felt nice being hugged by him at the moment. He shook his head; it was the omega in him that adored this attention from an alpha, not him.

“I’ll call for a servant; go sit,” Elliot demanded.

But Vincent just whined, and Elliot’s stomach dropped. He was acting too cute, and Elliot had to use all his brain power to prevent himself from getting swept away by the moment.