ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE

Omega Pete

Chapter 010

DARIUS

I watched Sebastian turn around with a sigh, his shoulders slightly hunched as he made his way towards the door.

Every instinct in my body screamed at me to call him back, to tell him to stay, but I forced myself to remain silent.

The door clicked shut, and the sound echoed through the room like a gunshot.

"It is just lust," I muttered to myself, pacing towards the window. My reflection stared back at me in the dark glass—hard eyes, clenched jaw, the picture of control. "I am keeping him close because I want to possess him. Control him. Keep him as mine. That is all this is."

The words tasted like lies on my tongue.

Kain stirred inside me, a low rumble of discontent vibrating through my chest.

"You told him he could stay the night," Kain's voice cut through my thoughts like a blade. "Why did you send him away?"

"Change of mind," I said aloud, my hands gripping the windowsill until my knuckles turned white. "I was not thinking clearly when I made that offer."

"Not thinking clearly?" Kain's anger flared hot and fierce, making my chest tighten painfully. "You looked him in the eyes and promised him he could stay. And then you threw him out like he meant nothing."

"He is an arrangement," I said coldly, forcing steel into my voice. "Nothing more than that. I made the terms clear."

"He is our MATE!" Kain snarled, thrashing against the cage of my control. "The bond is there. You felt it. I felt it. Why are you doing this?"

I spun away from the window, my pacing growing more agitated. The room suddenly felt too small, too suffocating. "Because this cannot be more than physical. I made the terms clear to him. No love, no attachment, complete secrecy. That is the deal we made."

"You are a coward," Kain spat, his disgust washing over me in waves. "Hiding behind rules and terms because you are too afraid to feel anything real."

"I am not afraid of anything," I snapped, my voice rising despite myself. I ran my hand through my hair, tugging at the strands. "I am being practical. Realistic. This is the only way this can work. I am an Alpha and he's an Omega. Can't you see that? This is the only way."

" The only way?" Kain's laugh was bitter, mocking. " Or the only way you can pretend you are still in control? You promised him the night, Darius. You gave him hope and then snatched it away because you got scared."

"I did not get scared," I growled, but even I could hear the defensiveness in my tone. "I simply realized it would be a mistake to let him stay. To let him think there could be more between us than what I offered."

" There IS more between us!" Kain roared, his fury making my head pound. "The mate bond does not care about your rules or your fears. It exists whether you acknowledge it or not."

I stopped pacing and leaned against my desk, my head hanging low. Kain was right, and that was what terrified me most.

The bond was there, pulling at me, urging me to go after Sebastian, to bring him back, to apologize for the confusion and the coldness.

"I cannot give in to this," I said quietly, more to myself than to Kain. "If I do, everything falls apart. My position, my reputation, everything I have worked for."

"And what about him?" Kain asked, his voice softer now but no less insistent. "What about Sebastian? You saw his face. You saw the hope in his eyes. And then you crushed it."

I closed my eyes, seeing Sebastian's face in my mind. Those eyes that had lit up when I made the arrangement. The careful hope that had bloomed there, fragile and precious.

And then the confusion when I had suddenly ordered him to leave.

"I had to," I whispered. "Before this gets out of hand."

"It is already out of hand," Kain said wearily. " And fighting it will only make things worse. For both of you."

"Then I will fight harder," I said, opening my eyes and straightening up. My jaw set with determination. "I am the one in control here, Kain. Not you. Not the bond. Me. And I will tame this thing between us before it has a chance to control me."

"You cannot tame a mate bond, you fool," Kain said, his voice heavy with resignation. "You can only accept it or destroy yourself trying to resist it."

"Watch me," I said coldly.

Kain went silent after that, retreating to the back of my mind. But I could still feel his displeasure radiating through every cell of my body.

The bond pulled at me like a physical thing, a rope tied around my chest, urging me to follow Sebastian.

I ignored it.

I had to.

Because if I gave in now, if I let myself care even a fraction beyond the physical, everything would crumble. And I could not let that happen.

Not for anyone.

Not even for my mate.

SEBASTIAN

I practically floated down the hallway, my feet barely touching the floor. A grin stretched across my face so wide it made my cheeks ache, but I could not seem to stop smiling.

He made an arrangement. And I actually agreed to his proposition.

"I cannot believe it," I whispered to myself, my heart hammering with excitement.

The cold dismissal that had followed—Darius ordering me to leave instead of staying the night as he had promised—should have dampened my spirits. But somehow, it did not. I was too caught up in the victory of securing the arrangement at all which include him all the myself.

I replayed his words in my mind: "You can live out your fantasies with me. But there will be no love, no attachment, and complete secrecy."

The terms were harsh. Clinical. Almost cruel in their directness.

But I had agreed without hesitation because having Darius in any capacity was better than not having him at all.

"No love, no attachment, complete secrecy," I repeated softly, testing the words on my tongue. They should have stung.

They should have made me feel small and used.

Instead, they just made me more determined.

Because I could read people. It was my gift, my curse. I could sense emotions, feel the undercurrents of what people truly felt beneath their words.

Except with Darius.

The Alpha was a blank slate to me. A stone wall. My ability slid off him like water off glass, finding no purchase, no entry point. It was frustrating and fascinating in equal measure.

One moment, he would show a crack—a softness in his eyes, a gentleness in his touch that made my heart soar with hope.

The next moment, he would be cold as winter ice, his expression carved from granite, every emotion locked away behind impenetrable walls.

"He is so hard to read," I muttered, shaking my head. "One second sweet, the next second frozen. How am I supposed to navigate this?"

But even that uncertainty did not dim my enthusiasm. If anything, it added to the thrill. Darius was a puzzle, a mystery, and I had never been able to resist a challenge.

"This is the beginning of something real," I told myself firmly. "I know it is. He just does not realize it yet. But he will. I will make sure of it."

I would follow his rules. No attachment. No love. Complete secrecy.

But that did not mean I could not try to change his mind. To show him that what was between us could be more than just physical satisfaction.

I knew it would not be easy. Darius was stubborn and guarded. His emotions were clipped off, unreachable. But I had always been persistent.

And now that I had my foot in the door, I was not about to let it close.

My stomach growled, interrupting my thoughts. Right. Food.

I headed towards the kitchen, my smile still firmly in place despite everything. I was so lost in my thoughts, planning my next move, thinking about how to approach Darius tomorrow, that I did not notice the figure coming around the corner until it was too late.

I crashed directly into someone, stumbling backwards with a startled yelp.

"Oh! I am so sorry!" I said immediately, reaching out to steady myself against the wall. "I was not paying attention—"

"Hey, it is alright," a cheerful voice interrupted. "No harm done."

I looked up after regaining my balance, and my breath caught.

The boy in front of me was stunning. Not in the same dangerous, commanding way that Darius was, but in a softer, more approachable manner. He had a mop of curly blonde hair that fell over his forehead in messy bangs, and the widest, most expressive blue eyes I had ever seen.

His face was heart-shaped and youthful, with a smattering of freckles across his nose.

He was shorter than me, more delicate in build, and there was something almost ethereal about him.

"Seriously, do not worry about it," the boy said, his smile bright and genuine. "You look like you were miles away. Good thoughts, I hope?"

"I... yes, actually," I said, unable to help returning the smile. There was something infectious about this stranger's energy. "Just thinking about... things."

"Things," the boy repeated with a knowing grin. "Very specific. I like it."

I laughed despite myself. "Sorry, I am being vague. It has been a strange evening."

"The best ones usually are," the boy said. He stuck out his hand. "I am Pete, by the way. I do not think we have met before. Are you new to the pack?"

"Sebastian," I replied, shaking his hand. "Not to the pack but to the pack house. Recently got accepted from the guard tryout."

"Ah, that explains why I have not seen you around," Pete said. His grip was warm and friendly, his smile never wavering. "I would definitely remember someone as tall as you. No offence, but you kind of stand out."

"None taken," I said with a slight laugh. "I get that a lot."

He paused, then grinned mischievously. "Want to hear something funny?"

"Sure," I said, genuinely curious now.

Pete leaned in slightly, as if sharing a secret, that mischievous grin widening.

"I am an omega too," he said.