ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE

Caught in the act again

Chapter 011

SEBASTIAN

My eyes widened at Pete's words, and before I could stop myself, I drew him into a hug. He let out a surprised laugh but hugged me back just as enthusiastically.

"Another omega!" I said, pulling back with a grin. "I cannot tell you how relieved I am to meet you."

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual," Pete said, his blue eyes sparkling. "Come on, let us head to the kitchen. I am starving, and you look like you could use some food too."

We started walking down the hallway together, our footsteps echoing softly in the quiet corridor.

"So, have you been here long?" I asked, glancing at him.

"About six months now," Pete said, adjusting his curls with one hand. "It has been quite the experience, let me tell you."

"Six months," I repeated, trying to imagine what that must have been like. "How did you know I was an omega? I mean, we literally just met."

Pete grinned mischievously. "The guards have been talking non-stop about you. The omega that Alpha Darius accepted at the tryouts and appointed as his personal guard. It is all anyone can talk about in the lower quarters."

My stomach twisted uncomfortably. "They have been talking about me?"

"Oh yes," Pete said, nodding enthusiastically. "You are quite the celebrity around here. An omega becoming the Alpha's personal guard? That has never happened before. Ever."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "I suppose that makes sense. It is rather unusual."

"Unusual is putting it mildly," Pete said with a laugh. "But do not worry, most of the talk is just curiosity. Everyone wants to know how you managed it."

"So everything they said is true then," Pete continued, studying my face. "You really are his personal guard now."

"Yes," I said quietly. "Everything they said is true."

We reached the kitchen, and I was relieved to find it deserted. The large room was dimly lit, with only a few candles burning on the far counter. The remnants of dinner sat on the main preparation table—covered dishes, leftover bread, and what looked like cold roast.

I hesitated at the entrance. "Should we be here? Without any of the maids, I mean?"

Pete rolled his eyes and grabbed my arm, pulling me inside. "Hurry up and grab whatever you want. They will be back soon for the late-night clean-up, and you will not have the chance to do this then."

I stood there, watching as Pete moved confidently around the kitchen, uncovering dishes and piling food onto a plate. He moved like he had done this a hundred times before.

"Are you not hungry or something?" Pete asked, pausing to look at me. "Are you seriously going to stand there and wait for the maids to return without taking what you want?"

I sighed, realizing he was right. My stomach was practically eating itself at this point. I grabbed a tray and began piling it with food—bread, cold meat, some cheese, and what looked like leftover vegetables.

"That is more like it," Pete said approvingly. "Come on, let us get out of here before we get caught."

We left the kitchen with barely suppressed giggles, balancing our trays carefully as we hurried down the hallway. My heart pounded with the thrill of it—sneaking around like children stealing sweets.

Fortunately, Pete's room was just down the hallway from mine. We stopped at his door instead of mine because I did not want our chatter to wake Darius.

The last thing I needed was for the Alpha to think I was being disrespectful by making noise outside his quarters instead of guarding it.

Pete's room was small but cozy. A single bed against one wall, a desk covered in papers, and shelves lined with books and what looked like baking supplies.

We settled on the floor, our backs against his bed, trays balanced on our laps.

"So," I said, taking a bite of bread. "How has life been for you in the palace these past six months? As an omega, I mean."

Pete laughed, a genuine sound that made his whole face light up. "It has been good, actually. Better than I expected."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "No trouble?"

"Oh, there could have been trouble," Pete said, grinning. "But my elder brother is a guard in the palace. And he is this burly, muscular man that no one in their right mind would cross. So everyone stays away from his little brother if they do not want any trouble."

I felt a pang of something—envy, maybe. "You are so lucky. I do not have anyone watching out for me like that."

Pete tilted his head, studying me with those sharp blue eyes. "What about the Alpha?"

I nearly choked on my food. "What about him?"

"Come on, Sebastian," Pete said, nudging me with his elbow. "I happened to be there the day of the tryouts. I saw everything."

My heart started racing. "You were there?"

"Yes," Pete said. "I saw how those guards bullied you in the guards quarter's. And I saw how Alpha Darius stepped in and warned them not to touch you. Nothing like that has ever happened before. The Alpha does not usually interfere in guards disputes."

I stared down at my tray, my appetite suddenly gone. "He was just being fair. That is all."

"Fair?" Pete laughed softly. "Sebastian, I have been here six months. I have seen how the Alpha operates. He does not intervene for just anyone. I think he likes you."

My chest tightened. I wanted Pete to be right more than anything. But I also remembered Darius's cold words, his harsh terms. No love. No attachment.

"I hope he likes me," I said quietly. "And not just protecting me because it is the right thing to do."

Pete hummed thoughtfully, taking another bite of his food. But I could feel his eyes on me, assessing.

I looked up at him. "What?"

"Nothing," Pete said, but his smile suggested otherwise. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"About how you look when you talk about him," Pete said simply. "Like you are already half in love with the man."

I felt my face burn. "I am not—"

"It is alright," Pete said gently. "Your secret is safe with me. I am an omega too, remember? I understand what it is like to want something you are not supposed to have."

We fell into a comfortable silence after that, eating and occasionally chatting about lighter things. Pete told me about his brother, about learning to bake from his mother, about the other staff members in the palace.

I told him about my love of sketching, about how nervous I had been during the tryouts.

The hours slipped by without me noticing. Pete yawned eventually, and I realized how late it had gotten.

"I should go," I said, standing up and gathering my empty tray. "Thank you for this. For the food and the company."

"Any time," Pete said warmly. "It is nice having another omega around. We should do this again."

"I would like that," I said honestly.

I returned to my post outside Darius's door as the first hints of dawn began to lighten the sky. My body ached with exhaustion, but my mind was too active to consider sleep.

Instead, I pulled out my sketchbook and a pencil from my small bag of belongings.

I started sketching without really thinking about it. My hand moved across the page almost of its own accord, creating lines and shadows that slowly formed into a familiar face.

Darius.

I sketched the sharp line of his jaw, the intensity in his eyes, the way his hair fell across his forehead. I tried to capture that rare moment when his expression softened, when the walls came down just a fraction.

I was so absorbed in my drawing that I did not hear the door open.

"Sebastian."

I froze, the pencil hovering over the page.

Slowly, I looked up to find Darius standing in the doorway, fully dressed in training gear. His dark eyes were fixed on my sketchbook, and there was no way to hide what I had been drawing.

It was too late.

He had caught me sketching him again.