The Forbidden Omega

Chapter Two: The Project

This perfect, manly Omega was my true mate. There was no other question or doubt that I had. Not when he was standing before me. Not with my wolf's reaction to his very *scent.*

However, my Omega gave no indication of accepting the bond, showed nothing more than a mild interest as he asked, "I was wondering if you made wedding cakes. I'm Soren."

My heart ceased to beat. My lungs ceased to breathe, as I processed this reality. I'm drowning in an ocean of pure despair, pure grief replacing the oxygen in my lungs.

*Maybe* , I think, *maybe he's asking for someone else. Maybe its not for his own union ceremony.* It couldn't be for his own union ceremony. There was no way my Omega could be engaged to any other Alpha. It couldn't happen.

"My Alpha and I are getting married in six months."

Those ten words crush any remaining life inside me. I cannot picture myself with any other Omega, not when I had seen and smelled the utter perfection of the mate I was created for. I don't think I can ever forget this man, who has effectively put a leash on my inner wolf and my heart. Then proceeding to walk in the opposite direction, this Omega ignores the mournful howls ripping from my throat.

What cruel irony my life has become.

"Yes, I make wedding cakes." My voice is still in the pleasant, friendly tones of two minutes ago, yet my words seemed flat to my ears. "Can I ask your mate's name?" I have zero ideas how I can handle creating a decent cake for my true mate as he marries a different Alpha.

"He's named Jason." Soren's face brightens at the thought of his mate, and he bites back a happy grin, his face radiating contentment, though the expression doesn't fully reach his eyes.

I want to mourn. A stabbing pain lances through the gaping hole where my heart once beat, as he hums softly, seemingly happy in his life. *Not mine*. Not my Omega, no matter how desperate I am to be his Alpha.

"He's a good mate." Soren blushes, and I long for him to simply *smell* me. To smell his Alpha. He seemingly can't, as he continues on about the other man. "He's a good man, a good Alpha." Soren's eyes roam the small bakery, as I dig my claws into my palm, hoping the pain will ground me. "It smells so good in here," he murmurs, "like fresh baked bread."

"I try," I reply, as I try not to let my inner collapse show on my face, adding on a, "Thank you." He smiles at me, and I attempt to return it. His green eyes shone clear, holding a deep impression of kindness. He couldn't imagine what it was doing to the desperate longing for him my heart contained.

"Give me just a few minutes, and I can help with a design," I request, indicating the small number of cafe sets in the sunlit corner, where customers ate the singles of pie or cake, and I consulted with clients upon their dream cake for weddings or birthdays. He nods, hiking his small satchel on his shoulder, and walking over to the area, as I turn to the cake in the oven.

Testing the light golden sponge, it springs back, so I remove the pan, placing the portioned cakes on a cooling rack. I take the brief break from Soren's presence to gain a firmer control over my mind and heart. He wasn't my mate, no matter how attractive he is, nor how perfect he smells. He's not —

There's no doubt in me that Soren is my Omega. Even if I'm not his Alpha.

I exit the kitchen once more, and hang my flour covered apron on a peg, before pulling down a blank sketchbook, for the design of Soren's cake. I label the hardcover book with his name, on the cover and spine, but try as I might, I can't bring myself to add the other Alpha's name. I simply couldn't bring myself to admit he was someone else's mate.

Soren is waiting for me in the window seat, admiring the small window boxes just outside, filled with bright periwinkles and the occasional ladybug. He smiles tenderly as he watches a bumblebee buzz from one blossom to the next, and I could barely make a sound as I watch, transfixed.

He was devastating.

"Alright, erm..." I clear my throat, and Soren starts, looking up at me sheepishly. I smile, sitting across from him at the small metal table, opening the book to take my notes. "What did you have in mind?" I ask, tapping the end of my pen on the white pages, biting my lip in mild anxiety. "Any color preference? Design ideas?"

"I..."

There it was again. That blush of pink coloring his cheeks and enhancing his beauty to an ethereal quality. There was no way it was legal to be this perfect. I long to feel the warmth of that blush beneath my lips.

Pull it together, Aiden. *He's not your Omega.*

"I was wondering what colors you could do," Soren admits, confessing his ideas like they were a sin. "I like pastels. Not like pastel pastels, but..." He frowns, face screwing up as he tries to find the word. "Watercolors! That's it. They're soft, but," Soren shrugs, as he explains, "but oddly vibrant." He tucks his hair behind his ear, nervous like he might get caught.

I smile, jotting down the ideas he gave me, and ask, "How do you feel about fondant? I can get a better color with that." I pause, looking up from my notebook as I explain the method. "The cake would have a thin layer of frosting so it sticks, and then the fondant would be layered over it."

"Okay," he replies, leaning forward on the table and swirling his mouthwatering scent towards me. I blink to hide the flash of gold in my eyes, as my stubborn wolf begs to Claim him.

"I think the top layer I would ice, since it would photograph better." I smile in heartbroken reminiscence, remembering my sister's wedding day. "It's rather adorable when one of the couple gets a bit of icing on their nose." My heart bleeds as Soren gently giggles, his face eager.

"Can we..." My Omega pulls back, becoming guarded once more as he tries to get out his request. "Can we do a sort of abstract design? But all the colors?"

I can sense he was afraid to actually ask for the cake he had dreamt up, fearful it wouldn't be allowed for an unknown reason. My wolf growls at the assumption it was his Alpha's doing. I couldn't shake off the feeling everything wasn't as terrific as Soren wanted me to believe. He was afraid of his partner.

I resolve to give this stunning man the cake of his wildest dreams, just to see his ecstasy when it gets rolled out.