Feral - Alessandra Hazard

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Contents

Feral
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
From the Author
The Wrong Alpha series
Calluvia's Royalty series
Straight Guys series

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Alessandra Hazard

The Wrong Alpha Book 2

Other books in the series:


Book 1: Unnatural (Royce & Haydn)

Copyright © 2021 Alessandra Hazard


Editor: Eliot Grayson

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be
reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written
permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book
review. This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and events are
the product of the author’s imagination.

www.alessandrahazard.com

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Chapter 1

There was a beast in their basement.


Jules Blake had learned about it completely by accident. He had been
looking for his kitten Sheba, and after fruitlessly searching the entire house,
Jules had decided to check out the basement no one ever used. His hopes
hadn’t been high—the basement was so cold, dark, and damp that even his
not-very-bright kitten should have been smarter than to go there—but when
Jules got downstairs, he was surprised to find security guards at the door.
Armed security guards.
There were suspicious noises coming from behind the door. Growls?
Had someone just screamed? The guards’ eyes were wary and troubled,
their hands close to their holsters. It was beyond strange, considering that
the basement door was massive. Nothing should be able to break through
that door. Why were the guards so twitchy, then?
“What’s going on?” Jules asked, taking a step closer.
The guards blocked his way.
“Stay away from the basement, kid,” one of them said. “Your uncle’s
orders.”
“Not a kid,” Jules said, scowling—he was nineteen; an adult!—but of
course the guard didn’t take him seriously.
“Shoo,” he said, giving him an amused smile before turning away,
silently dismissing him.
That was the thing: no one ever took Jules seriously. For that matter,
no one had ever paid him much attention. He just wasn’t remarkable in any
way. He wasn’t the eldest and strongest child: that was his half-brother
Anthony. He wasn’t the youngest or the smartest: that was the seventeen-
year-old Eric. He wasn’t the beautiful one: that would be Liam, with his
gorgeous golden hair and golden-brown eyes.
He was just Jules: the ordinary, boring Julian Blake. The
unremarkable child. The one people barely looked at before shifting their
eyes to his brothers. It wasn’t that he was ugly or anything. He was just…
mundane compared to his siblings. Nothing special. His brown eyes and
brown hair were not terrible, Jules supposed, and his skin was nice, but that
was it. He was hardly the type of omega who turned people’s heads when
he walked down the street.
It was fine. Jules was perfectly content being the plain one, even if he
sometimes felt like a piece of furniture when Liam was in the room. It was
okay. It wasn’t Liam’s fault that he was so gorgeous. Besides, pretty much
everyone looked like furniture when Liam was around; Jules wasn’t special
in that regard.
Anyway. The point was, he was the Blake sibling people always
remembered as an afterthought. Jules was pretty sure the security guard had
already forgotten that he’d just seen him.
Jules scowled at the man’s wide back before staring at the basement
door, his curiosity piqued.
He really, really wanted to know what they were guarding. Just one
little peek. Surely there was no harm in it?
All right, maybe there would be some harm in it—if his uncle found
out, his reaction wouldn’t be pretty. Wayne Blake was anything but lenient.
If Uncle Wayne wanted them to stay away from the basement, being his
nephew wouldn’t save Jules from punishment.
Unless he didn’t get caught.
***

It had taken Jules days of careful observation before he learned when


the guards changed shifts. The guards always seemed more lax and easily
distracted when their shift neared its end. He’d also learned that the
basement locked from the outside and, to Jules’s relief, thanks to the lock
type, it wouldn’t be noticeable when the door wasn’t locked.
After some strategic maneuvering, which might or might not have
involved bribing Liam to bat his eyelashes at the guards and request their
help (Liam’s pretty face could be so useful sometimes), Jules sneaked into
the basement, his heart beating wildly with excitement, nerves, and anxiety.
He had half-expected the basement to be dark and creepy, with some
dangerous beast locked up in a cage or something.
But the basement wasn’t dark.
It was fully illuminated. In fact, it seemed to have been transformed
into… some kind of lab?
Jules looked around with a frown, utterly confused. His uncle was a
businessman, not a scientist of any kind.
Slowly, he moved deeper into the large room, looking around warily.
But there was no beast anywhere. He didn’t understand. Then what had
been making such a ruckus? Was that not—
Something growled, and Jules came to an abrupt halt, his head
whipping toward the sound.
He stared.
There was a naked man strapped down to a metal table.
That was his first impression. It was a wrong one. Because it was no
man. It was a Xeus alpha. A Xeus alpha in shifted form.
Moistening his dry lips with his tongue, Jules walked closer, curious
despite himself. He’d never seen a shifted Xeus. Heck, he’d never really
been allowed to go anywhere near Xeus alphas, period. Filth , Uncle Wayne
had called them. Abominations. Omegas from good families like ours stay
away from those animals.
Jules had never had a reason to doubt his uncle’s words. He’d never
spoken to a Xeus in the nineteen years of his life, so his uncle was surely
more informed than him on the subject—Jules had never even left the
family estate. His mother had been old-fashioned that way: unmated
omegas were not to leave their childhood homes until they were presented
to high society. Jules had been supposed to be presented last year, but then
his mother died and…
Swallowing, Jules pushed the thought away. This wasn’t the time for
moping.
He studied the alpha curiously.
The Xeus was… large. He was pure muscle everywhere, powerfully
built, with a dark trail of hair leading downward to a—
Flushing, Jules tore his eyes away. He felt a mix of embarrassed,
flustered, and painfully curious. He’d never been so close to a naked man.
But was a transformed Xeus a “man”? Most of him looked like one, but the
long, scary-looking claws at the tips of the Xeus’s fingers seemed to point
toward the answer being “no.” The alpha’s face was very ugly, his features
vaguely male but distorted into something predatory and beastly. Dark, fur-
like facial hair obscured his features. And those eyes… those glowing green
eyes that were tracking Jules’s every movement didn’t seem entirely
sentient, though they were oddly attentive for a simpleminded beast.
The Xeus emanated strength and virility, which was probably why it
took Jules a while to realize that he was hurt. There were bruises and cuts
all over the alpha, and there was a wound on his left arm, long and jagged,
still bleeding sluggishly. It looked like… like someone had literally peeled
the skin off his bicep. No one had even bothered to bandage the wound,
probably expecting the Xeus’s superior healing to do the job—eventually.
Nausea rose to Jules’s throat. Was his uncle responsible for this? Why
would Uncle Wayne even keep the Xeus here? Chained, obviously against
his will? Even if his uncle was right and Xeus alphas were more animals
than men, even animals didn’t deserve being hurt and experimented on—
and this lab was clearly used for some kind of experiments on the Xeus.
There were a lot of blood samples in the containers around the table.
“Hello?” Jules said, hesitantly. “Do you understand me?”
The alpha just stared at him, his glowing eyes narrowed, his nostrils
flaring.
Jules was a little unnerved, to be honest, and he was kind of glad that
the chains would stop the Xeus from attacking him. Immediately, he felt
terrible for thinking it. No one deserved to be treated like that. No one.
Jules took another step closer. “You don’t understand me, do you?”
He sighed. This was so confusing. Xeus—the moon—wasn’t in its full
phase. This alpha shouldn’t have been in this state. To Jules’s knowledge,
Xeus alphas weren’t supposed to be able to shift into their beastly forms
when their moon wasn’t full. Some Xeus alphas could supposedly use their
claws outside the full moon, but they shouldn’t have been able to transform
their faces like this. This was just bizarre.
Frowning, Jules eyed the alpha curiously. “Well, you’re clearly in no
state to tell me why you’re like this.” He wondered if the Xeus could smell
how confused and nervous he was. Probably. Jules had heard that Xeus
alphas’ senses were very heightened compared to non-shifter alphas and
omegas.
Jules smiled ruefully, meeting the Xeus’s eyes. “Fuck, I’m really out
of my depth here, to be honest. I didn’t expect—I didn’t expect you at all.
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now.” Just leaving and pretending
that he hadn’t seen the Xeus in their basement seemed… wrong. Cruel. But
what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t exactly confront his uncle about
it. He couldn’t tell him to release the Xeus. Just imagining it made Jules
cringe. He liked to think he wasn’t a coward, but there was bravery and then
there was stupidity.
Uncle Wayne wasn’t one to tolerate questions. Strictly speaking, he
wasn’t the master of the house yet, but with their parents dead and their
eldest brother gone, Uncle Wayne was their legal guardian and the de facto
alpha of their family. And the thing was, at this point, they weren’t even
sure Anthony was alive. He’d been gone for so long Jules could barely
remember his eldest brother’s face. He’d been only four when Anthony had
left for the war. Well, the war had been over for a few months now, but they
still had no news about Anthony. If he didn’t return soon, he was likely
dead—and their uncle would become the master of the house. The Blake
estate was entailed to alphas. With the three younger Blake siblings being
omegas, they couldn’t inherit it and would be completely at their uncle’s
mercy if Anthony was declared dead.
A growl snapped Jules out of his thoughts.
He flinched, looking at the Xeus warily. The alpha had his teeth
bared, his muscles straining and pulling at the manacles.
“Shit, stop—” Jules winced as the alpha’s wrists started bleeding.
“You’re only hurting yourself!” He grabbed his arm.
The alpha went rigid, his glowing green eyes fixing on Jules again.
His heart hammering, Jules swallowed. Despite the Xeus being
restrained, Jules suddenly felt like prey. But he didn’t let go of the alpha’s
arm, just gentled his touch a little. “You’re hurting yourself,” he repeated,
softer. “I doubt they’ll break, no matter how strong you are. Look, I promise
I’ll try to help you.”
The Xeus glowered at him, his harsh breathing the only sound in the
room. But he did stop thrashing. Could he understand him after all?
Jules cocked his head to the side. “Can you understand me?”
The Xeus just kept looking at him with the same unnervingly intense,
not-quite-rational look. His muscles were very tense despite him being still.
He wasn’t relaxed by any means. He looked like an animal ready to attack
at any moment. A cornered, wounded animal.
Wounded animals were dangerous and unpredictable; that much Jules
knew.
Jules looked around until he found a bottle of blood stancher.
Clicking his tongue in disgust—why wouldn’t his uncle’s people use it on
the Xeus when they had it right there?—Jules grabbed it and headed back to
the alpha. He hesitated, meeting the hostile gaze. He was soft-heartened, not
suicidal.
“I don’t mean you any harm,” he said, keeping his voice as non-
threatening as possible. “Will you let me treat your wounds? That gash on
your arm looks nasty.”
The Xeus didn’t reply, but his body language didn’t become more
hostile, either.
All right.
Jules moved closer.
The alpha was still watching Jules warily, but he didn’t even flinch
when Jules applied the medicine to the wound on his arm. Jules was pleased
when the blood stancher did its job quickly and the wound finally stopped
bleeding.
“Here we go,” Jules mumbled, glancing back at the alpha.
The Xeus was still staring at him.
Okay, this was starting to get a little creepy.
Wetting his lips, Jules stared back. Those glowing eyes were oddly
entrancing: scary but transfixing too. It was incredibly hard to look away,
his senses sharpening and focusing only on those eyes. He felt—
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and Jules wrenched his gaze away,
feeling a little disoriented.
Right. His phone.
It was a message from Liam, warning him that Jules didn’t have
much time before the guards would return.
“I have to go,” Jules said, lifting his gaze from his phone. “I need to
go before I’m caught.”
The alpha growled.
“I’ll be back,” Jules said. “I’ll help you escape, I promise.”
The Xeus didn’t reply, looking at him with freakish intensity. It made
Jules’s stomach clench and his heart beat fast in his chest for no damn
reason. Was it fear he was feeling? He wasn’t sure.
By the time he returned to his room, his heart was still beating too
fast. He felt confused, flustered, and very lost.
His kitten was on his bed, kneading her claws into the duvet. Because
of course she was.
“This is all your fault,” Jules said.
Sheba meowed.

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Chapter 2

Jules spent the next few days jumping at every little sound, scared
that Uncle Wayne had found out about his visit to the basement. What if
they noticed that someone had used a blood stancher on the Xeus? Jules
could only hope they’d think it was the Xeus’s superior healing at work.
But as three days passed without any trouble, Jules relaxed—enough
to start considering going back.
He knew it was crazy. It was a miracle he hadn’t gotten caught last
time. He shouldn’t tempt fate again.
But he had promised. Not to mention his own curiosity wouldn’t let
him forget about the Xeus. Who was he? Why was he locked up in their
basement? What did his uncle want with him?
Okay, research time. He needed to research it. Or rather, he needed
Eric to research it for him. Jules wasn’t the smart Blake brother, after all.
He liked to think he was fairly intelligent, but he wasn’t embarrassed to
admit that his baby brother was the resident genius.
“Why are you interested in it?” Eric asked.
“It’s a totally hypothetical question,” Jules said, putting on his most
innocent face.
Eric, bless his precious soul, didn’t suspect him of lying, of course.
For all his intelligence, Eric wasn’t good at people. Or reading people. Or
talking to people. Jules kind of dreaded Eric’s debut in society: there was
little doubt it was going to be a disaster, and Jules could only hope some
asshole alpha wouldn’t use his baby brother’s social cluelessness against
him.
Eric hummed and started typing on his computer. “I’d normally say
it’s impossible for a Xeus alpha to shift into his beastly form outside of
Xeus being full, but there’s an obscure drug that can force a Xeus to shift.
It’s called kerosvarin.”
Jules perked up. “Do you know a cure?”
Eric shook his head, pushing his light-brown fringe off his eyes.
Physically, he was the middle ground between the fair-haired Liam and
brown-haired Jules. He wasn’t quite as gorgeous as Liam—no one was—
but Eric was still very lovely. Definitely prettier than him. Jules was glad.
He was A-okay with being the plain Joe of the family, and he wanted Eric
to have it easier. Because as much as it sucked, an omega’s worth to their
family was still in their marriage prospects. Jules had heard that things were
different in Kadar for omegas, but Pelugia was still stuck in the dark ages
when it came to social issues like omega rights.
Jules hoped his baby brother would be able to find a nice match.
That said, everyone knew Liam was the brother who would be marrying up:
he would probably marry some rich, handsome, and important alpha, maybe
even one from the upper crust of society. As for Jules… Uncle Wayne said
Jules would be lucky if he got any marriage offer at all. Jules kind of hoped
he wouldn’t get any marriage offers, but obviously he didn’t share that
opinion when Uncle Wayne was around.
“There’s no cure,” Eric said, his forehead wrinkling as he read
something on the screen. “It’s funny that you asked about that, actually. I
can see increased activity for search terms ‘Xeus’ and ‘kerosvarin.’
Something is up. Considering the rumors…”
“What rumors?” Jules said.
Eric shrugged, his eyes still on the screen. “There have been all sorts
of rumors circulating since the Opal House event last month.”
“Really? I thought the event was NDA-locked?”
“It was,” Eric said. “But the NDA technology wasn’t enabled
immediately, so some things were still leaked. For example, the video of
Prince Haydn choosing his husband over King Stefan was leaked before the
NDA tech locked everything down. And there are reports of a feral Xeus
alpha attacking guests—there are some blurry pictures—but those reports
are really confusing, and no videos had leaked before the NDA tech was
enabled… Interesting...”
Jules frowned. “Why would they even use the NDA tech for such an
event? It’s weird.”
Eric shrugged. “If the rumors of a feral Xeus were correct, the Xeus
might have maimed or killed someone important. Or the Xeus was someone
important. In either case, they’d want to protect the Xeus’s identity. It’s
actually common practice at high-profile events, especially political
events.”
Damn it. So Jules was pretty much back to square one: he had no
leads. The feral Xeus in their basement might or might not be the same feral
Xeus that attacked people at the political event last month, but since the
event was NDA-locked, Jules had no way of ascertaining it.
“All right, thanks,” he said, dropping an absentminded kiss on top of
Eric’s head before wandering away.
He was disappointed by how little he’d learned, but even if he still
had no clue about the Xeus’s identity or how to help him, it didn’t mean he
couldn’t try to help him.
Jules spent the rest of the week planning. This time he knew what to
expect and prepared accordingly. He grabbed a flash drive, intending to
copy files from the computer he had seen in the basement, his first aid kit—
and some food. He had noticed how thin the Xeus was. Jules didn’t doubt
that the alpha could still easily snap his neck, but he really was thin, all
muscle and skin, with no body fat at all. He could definitely use some food.
When everything was ready, Jules went to Liam and attempted to talk
him into distracting the guards again.
This time his older brother wasn’t as cooperative, though. “Why?” he
said, looking at him suspiciously.
He looked ridiculously endearing.
Jules patted him on the head. “Don’t you worry your pretty little
head.”
He got a punch to the gut for the “pretty little head,” but eventually,
Liam grudgingly assented after Jules promised to tell him everything later.
They agreed that Jules would message him when he wanted to leave the
basement so Liam could distract the guards again.
As soon as Liam successfully did his part, Jules darted downstairs.
He had been half-afraid that someone would already be in the basement
despite the late hour, but his concern turned out to be unfounded.
The Xeus was alone. He was still shackled to the metal table, his
long, powerful body covered in bruises and cuts. Jules winced in sympathy.
It looked worse than last time.
“Who are you?” said a hoarse voice.
Jules froze.
His gaze snapped to the alpha’s face. He found him looking at Jules
with narrowed eyes. It was bizarre. The Xeus’s face still looked ugly as sin,
his features harsh and predatory, but there was real sentience in his eyes.
How was it possible? He couldn’t communicate last week at all.
“Hello,” Jules said when he recovered from his surprise. “You don’t
remember me?”
The Xeus’s nostrils flared. He was inhaling his scent, Jules realized
with morbid fascination. It seemed it was true that Xeus alphas had much
better senses. Jules couldn’t smell him from such distance. Granted, his own
senses were dulled by the suppressants he was on. All Dainiri omegas were
on suppressants after their first heat.
“You smell familiar,” the alpha said. His voice was hoarse and
gravelly, and it seemed every word took an effort. The suspicion in those
glowing green eyes wasn’t gone completely, but his body relaxed a little.
It wasn’t surprising, Jules mused. He had heard that untouched,
unmated omegas smelled sweet and soothing to alphas, and it seemed Xeus
alphas were no exception.
His heartbeat becoming steadier, he walked closer and clicked his
tongue in dismay when he saw the cuts on the alpha’s body. They looked
worse up close. “I was here last week,” Jules said, pulling out the supplies
from his first aid kit. “I helped you, remember?”
“No.”
The alpha’s muscles tensed a little but he didn’t make a sound as
Jules applied an antiseptic to the deepest wounds, even though it had to be
painful.
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” Jules said, applying the blood
stancher. “Don’t be such a suspicious grump. By the way, it’s convenient
that you’re suddenly talking, but couldn’t you talk to me last time?”
“Don’t remember,” the Xeus said, boring a hole in Jules with his
eyes. “Who are you? Did they send you?”
“No one sent me,” Jules said, applying the blood stancher to the cut
on the alpha’s stomach and trying not to blush. He resolutely didn’t look
below the alpha’s waist. This close, he could smell the Xeus’s scent:
something rich and dark he couldn’t quite identify. The scent was… it
wasn’t unpleasant. Jules cleared his throat. “In fact, I’ll be in a world of
trouble if they find out I’m here.” He poked at the alpha’s ribs. “Do you
want to eat? I brought food.”
The Xeus didn’t say anything, still watching him warily, but his
stomach growled.
Jules smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes. Here.” He pulled out the food
he’d brought—chicken—and then paused, glancing at the manacles.
Oh. “I’ll have to feed you.”
“Free me,” the alpha said, flexing his clawed hands.
Jules laughed a little. “Do I look like someone who has keys to those
things? Sorry, but I’ll have to feed you. And I forgot to bring a fork I’m
afraid. Promise not to bite my hand?”
The Xeus just stared at him for a long moment before nodding with
obvious reluctance.
Feeding a grown man, especially a naked one, was… strange. Jules
found himself blushing as he brought chicken pieces to the Xeus’s mouth.
He watched his mouth as he chewed, watched his muscular throat work as
he swallowed.
Jules found himself inhaling deeper, breathing in the alpha’s scent—
he smelled so good. He was a little disturbed by the sudden warmth in his
nether regions. Well, this was just embarrassing. But maybe it was a normal
physiological reaction. He’d never been this close to an alpha unrelated to
him. Maybe it was totally normal.
Except he was becoming hard between his legs.
Hard and slick.
Fuck. Maybe all the debasing things people said about Dainiri
omegas were true. Jules had always scoffed at them, but for the first time in
his life, he wondered if omegas like him really would gladly spread their
legs for any virile alpha. Because there was no other explanation for why he
was suddenly getting wet just from being close to an alpha. A very ugly
Xeus alpha. The Xeus’s body might be that of a large, muscular man, but
his face should have repulsed Jules. It didn’t.
His cheeks hot, Jules couldn’t bring himself to meet the alpha’s eyes.
Could he smell his arousal? Judging by his flaring nostrils, he
could. Thankfully, the Xeus didn’t comment on it, eating ravenously. When
he was done, he licked Jules’s fingers, and Jules had to swallow the whine
that threatened to leave his mouth. Fuck, what was wrong with him? He
was trembling, his crotch aching and needy.
Those glowing eyes fixed on him. The alpha’s fangs nipped on
Jules’s finger.
His underwear uncomfortably wet, Jules snatched his hand away and
cleared his throat, trying to push away the mental image of sitting on the
Xeus’s face as the alpha licked him between his legs. What the fuck. Where
was this even coming from?
Focus, Jules.
Turning away swiftly to hide his flushed face, Jules walked to the
computer and put on his gloves—he didn’t want to leave his fingerprints
anywhere, just in case. His fingers were still trembling as he turned the
computer on. There was a password, of course, but that didn’t bother him.
His uncle wasn’t very imaginative. It took Jules only several attempts
before he guessed the password—his uncle’s birthday, pfft. He pulled out
his flash drive and started copying anything that looked remotely
interesting.
“What are you doing?” said the hoarse voice behind him.
“I want to find out what’s going on here,” Jules said, trying to sound
casual and not at all like he still had a boner. “Why he is keeping you here.”
“He? You mean that alpha?”
Jules didn’t need to turn around to sense the hatred in the Xeus’s
voice.
“Yes. Do you know him?” He nearly smacked himself. Why hadn’t
he thought of it? In his defense, he hadn’t expected the Xeus to be
talking. “Do you know why he’s keeping you here?”
“No,” the alpha said gruffly. “I don’t remember. I don’t remember
anything until the past few days.”
“But?” Jules prompted.
“I heard them talk.”
Jules made an encouraging noise.
“They’re looking for some kind of cure,” the Xeus said.
Jules frowned. His uncle was looking for some medical cure? He was
literally using the Xeus as a lab rat?
“I need to go,” he said when the file transfer was complete. He turned
off the computer and said, without looking at the alpha, “I’m going to look
through these files and then maybe I’ll find out what’s going on here. Please
don’t tell anyone that I was here or I wouldn’t be able to help you—”
“Come here.”
Jules wet his lips. “Why?”
“Come here,” the Xeus repeated, his voice so low it was nearly a
growl.
Was it Jules’s imagination or had the alpha’s scent become stronger?
Jules could still smell him all the way from there, and it really wasn’t
helping the situation in his pants.
He was pretty sure the Xeus wasn’t using an alpha’s Voice—Xeus
alphas didn’t possess that ability—and yet Jules still found himself doing as
he was told.
He put the flash drive into his pocket and walked back to the Xeus,
his heart pounding.
The glowing green eyes watched him intently.
The closer Jules got to him, the harder Jules’s cock got and the wetter
his hole became. Gods, it was horrible. What kind of slut was he? He was
leaking . He could feel slick running down his leg already.
When he stopped by the Xeus, the alpha’s hands flexed, his sharp
claws scraping over the metal table he was shackled to. “You smell good,”
the alpha said, his nostrils flaring. He licked his lips. “Let me taste you.”
Jules was speechless, his face flushing scarlet. There was little doubt
what he meant. “You—” he managed. “I’m not—” Glowering at the alpha,
he grabbed his stuff and all but ran away.
Jules had to stop at the top of the stairs and text Liam that he wanted
to leave. Leaning against the wall, he waited for his brother’s “all clear”
message, his thighs squeezed tightly and his teeth sunk into his bottom
lip. How dare that brute—that animal—!
When he finally got back to his room, Jules flopped down onto his
bed and glared at the ceiling. That was what he got for being a nice person
—treated like a slut by a Xeus! Ugh. Had that animal really thought Jules
would let him taste him? Lick him between his thighs, lap at his hole with
his tongue—
Jules wrenched his fly open and stroked his cock hard and fast,
imagining sitting on the Xeus’s face, riding it hard, the Xeus’s tongue soft
and wet against his aching hole.
He came with a weak groan, embarrassed and freaked out.
Fucking hell, what was wrong with him?

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Chapter 3

Jules was angry and embarrassed enough to push the Xeus to the
back of his mind for a few days.
But on the third day his curiosity—and his conscience—finally
outweighed his other feelings and he decided to check out the files he’d
copied to the flash drive.
Two hours later, Jules closed the files, feeling a little sick to his
stomach. And a little scared, if he were honest.
The files were a log apparently maintained by a Dr. Umberto
Navarra: his observations of the experiments done on the Xeus. The log was
absolutely disgusting in its lack of compassion. Dr. Navarra treated the
Xeus like a thing, dispassionately describing the drugs and toxic chemicals
used on him and the effect they had on the “subject.”
If Jules understood the log correctly, the doctor’s main goal was to
reverse the kerosvarin’s work and give the feral Xeus his rationality back.
Judging by the Xeus’s newfound ability to speak, the experiments were
clearly successful, at least partly. What Jules didn’t understand was why
they were doing it—why his uncle was conducting these illegal
experiments. It made no sense.
Although the logs were dry and matter-of-fact, Navarra’s growing
frustration was obvious. It seemed he wasn’t happy with their progress,
frustrated by their inability to reverse the Xeus’s beastly appearance and
instincts.
And then there was the other part of the “research”: their physical
experiments to test the Xeus’s healing ability. It seemed every time they
tried a new drug on the alpha, they had to make sure that the Xeus’s
superior healing factor wasn’t affected—it seemed to be their priority. There
was a log stating that they had tried a new drug that showed great potential
for reversing the alpha’s beastly appearance, but apparently it affected his
healing factor negatively, so they had to stop administering it.
It was bizarre. On one hand, trying to reverse the effects of
kerosvarin seemed like a good deed. Except it seemed the research was
being done for some other, less than altruistic reason. Not to mention that
the Xeus clearly hadn’t given his consent for these experiments, and he sure
as hell hadn’t given his permission to be physically tortured for the sake of
science.
Jules needed to get him out of there. He didn’t have a choice. His
conscience wouldn’t let him ignore the problem, no matter how ashamed
and unsettled he was by his reaction to the Xeus. Sometimes one had to
suck it up and put aside one’s personal feelings, and this was one of those
times.
Jules considered his options.
It seemed the Xeus’s rational thinking had been restored enough—in
his current state, he was unlikely to be a danger to others if Jules set him
free. But how was he supposed to do that?
He needed the key to the manacles.
Later that evening, Jules sneaked down to his uncle’s office. The
house was quiet. The hour was late enough for everyone to be in bed. Or so
he had thought.
He could hear faint voices coming from his uncle’s office.
Jules froze, looking at the door. Then he took off his shoes and
padded over before pressing his ear against the door.
“—it’s been over a month!”
“That’s not enough, Mr. Blake,” an unfamiliar male voice
said. “We’re doing all we can, and the progress we’ve made is frankly
incredible! If I were allowed to publish the results of our research, it would
be the greatest discovery of—”
“I don’t care,” Uncle Wayne growled. “I’m running out of time.”
“Sir, frankly speaking, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t allow us
to administer kerosvarin now. You will not become a feral creature such as
the one in the basement. You will simply be a normal Xeus alpha—”
“There’s nothing normal about those disgusting beasts,” Uncle
Wayne bit out, his tone full of disdain. “I won’t agree to be turned into one
unless I’m on my deathbed!”
A sigh. “We’re doing our best, Mr. Blake,” the man said, his voice
almost pleading. “But you must understand that you’re asking us to do the
impossible in a matter of weeks. Kerosvarin’s effects are normally
irreversible! You can’t expect us—”
“I’m paying you a fortune to do the impossible, Navarra,” Uncle
Wayne snapped. “Work faster. I refuse to become a filthy Xeus that turns
into a mindless beast every full moon.”
“Very well,” Navarra said with a sigh. “We will keep trying. Our
progress has been incredible. He can already speak and think somewhat
rationally, but so far we’ve been unsuccessful at fixing his physical
appearance and beastly instincts.”
“Try harder,” Uncle Wayne said bitingly. After a pause, he
added, “Does he remember yet who he is?”
“No, sir.”
“Hmm, let me know if he does. I’m somewhat curious about it. If the
Kadarian government bothered to use the NDA-tech for him, he could be
someone important. Perhaps a Kadarian senator, even.”
“Sir, isn’t it… Isn’t it dangerous? If he’s really someone important?”
“It doesn’t signify.” Uncle Wayne’s voice was flat. “You know it
doesn’t.”
The resulting silence made Jules’s stomach clench.
What…? Did his uncle mean that he intended to kill the Xeus?
“Besides,” Uncle Wayne said. “It could well be a different Xeus, not
the one that caused a ruckus at the Opal House last month. We have no way
of knowing.”
“Kerosvarin is a very obscure, forbidden drug,” Navarra said,
sounding skeptical. “Even I was barely able to secure it on the black market
after months of trying. The odds of another Xeus poisoned with that drug
seem rather slim. It must be the same one.”
“It doesn’t signify,” Uncle Wayne repeated, his voice harder. “The
important thing is, we’ve found a subject for your experiments. Now you
must do your part.”
“I will! Of course I will.”
The voices sounded closer, and after grabbing his shoes, Jules
hurriedly walked away, trying not to make any noise. His heart was still
pounding when he got back to his room, his mind reeling from what he had
overheard.
All right. Think . He might not be Eric, but he wasn’t stupid.
What had he learned?
Dr. Navarra wanted to use kerosvarin on Uncle Wayne. Kerosvarin
was an illegal drug that amplified the person’s dormant designation genes,
and it would turn Uncle Wayne into a Xeus alpha. It meant…
It seemed his uncle was sick. Seriously sick. With Uncle Wayne’s
disgust toward Xeus alphas well documented, there was no way he would
ever consider being turned into one unless he was on his deathbed. It wasn’t
difficult to guess why Dr. Navarra would suggest it as a solution: Xeus
alphas had heightened metabolisms and regeneration. Their bodies
destroyed bad cells, which was why they never had cancer.
Could his uncle have cancer? There were several types of cancer that
were incurable even with modern medicine. Theoretically, turning a sick
non-shifter alpha into a Xeus alpha with heightened regeneration should
probably help. Except Uncle Wayne clearly wasn’t happy with the solution
and had no desire to remain a Xeus. Hence the experiments on the Xeus in
the basement. They were trying to reverse kerosvarin’s effects.
And when they managed to do it, they were going to kill the Xeus.
They would never let him go.
Jules paced his room, his anxiety rising.
What if he tried to contact the Kadarian government? If the Xeus was
a Kadarian, if he was someone important enough to warrant NDA-tech, it
was likely that the Kadarian government would help him. Except Pelugia-
Kadar relations were strained again. There was no way anyone at the Opal
House would be willing to listen to some kid from another country. Jules
was unlikely to get past a low-level secretary. It just didn’t seem realistic.
Not to mention Jules didn’t want his family mired in a scandal. Liam would
absolutely hate him if he ruined his upcoming debut in society. Well, strictly
speaking, it was their debut, but Jules wasn’t the one who was going to get
all the suitors. Liam had been dreaming about his social season for ages—it
had been postponed twice already because of their grandmother’s and
mother’s deaths. His debut was important to him. Jules might mock his
brother’s vanity, but he still loved him. He couldn’t ruin Liam’s dreams.
So what could he do?
He could help the Xeus escape. In other words, his plan hadn’t
changed.
He still needed to find the key to those manacles.

***

He got lucky two days later.


His uncle had left the estate on some business. At least that was what
he said. After everything he’d overheard, Jules was skeptical of anything
his uncle said, but he certainly wasn’t complaining. With his uncle gone, he
could search his rooms and office without fear of being caught. He only
hoped his uncle didn’t take the key with him.
His luck lasted. Jules found the keys in his uncle’s bedroom. At least
he hoped one of those keys was the right one: some of them definitely
looked like the type that would unlock the electronic lock on the manacles.
Smiling in relief, Jules put the keys into his pocket and all but ran to Liam’s
room. “I need your help!”
Liam looked up from his book and rolled his eyes. “I’m not flirting
with the guards again.”
Jules plopped down next to him on the bed. “Pretty please, brother
mine?”
Snorting, Liam returned his gaze to his book. “No.”
“Come on, Li!” Jules moved closer. “What are you reading? I didn’t
know you read.”
He earned an elbow to his side for his teasing.
Was Liam blushing?
“Are you blushing? What is this book?” Jules grabbed the book and
looked at the cover before Liam could stop him. He laughed when he saw
the title. “The Peerage of the Pelugian High Society?”
“Shut up,” Liam said defensively. “You should read it, too! All
proper young omegas do.”
“It’s boring,” Jules said, scrunching up his nose. “Why would I read
it?”
“To make a good match,” Liam said, as if Jules was the stupid one.
His pretty golden-brown eyes fixed on Jules with something like
bewilderment. “Don’t you want to marry well?”
Jules chuckled. “Marry well? What does it even mean? If you mean
marrying into a title, it’s very unlikely. High-ranking alphas marry beneath
their station only if the omega is a beauty. So… it isn’t relevant to me.”
Liam frowned. “I wish you wouldn’t talk about yourself like that.
You’re very pretty.”
Feeling a rush of affection, Jules raked a hand through Liam’s
hair. “You’re biased,” he said with a small laugh. “I’m nothing special. I’m
not ugly or anything, but I look like a somewhat nice-looking beta, not an
omega. There’s nothing remarkable about me. Highborn alphas don’t look
at omegas like me.”
Liam was still frowning. “You could marry a viscount.”
Jules chuckled again.
“You could!” Liam said stubbornly. “There are thirty-six unmarried
alpha viscounts—”
“Your knowledge kind of terrifies me,” Jules said, with a crooked
smile. “Leave it, Li. I’m not making a great society match—I don’t want to,
anyway. We all know you’re the one who will be doing that. Who do you
want to marry?”
Liam blushed a little. “I didn’t choose anyone. That would be highly
improper to choose an alpha before meeting them. And it would be very
conceited of me to—”
“Oh, come on,” Jules said. “I don’t believe you. I’m sure you have
narrowed down the candidates to two or three.”
“Fine. But don’t tell anyone.”
“My lips are sealed,” Jules promised, suppressing a laugh and putting
on his most serious face.
“There’s the Earl of Sherbrooke,” Liam said thoughtfully. “He would
be a fantastic catch for any omega: rich, relatively young, and handsome.
There’s the Marchioness of Ferhum—she’s one of the most beautiful alphas
out there for sure—”
“I thought you preferred a male alpha,” Jules said, yawning. All this
talk about prospective suitors bored him.
Liam shrugged. “I do, but you have to keep your options open. A
knot is a knot, isn’t it?”
“Liam!” Jules said, choking on his laughter.
Liam grinned. “Come on! As if you’ve never thought about it! There
are obviously differences between male and female alphas, but both have
their own perks.”
The image of the naked Xeus in their basement flashed in Jules’s
mind. His cheeks warm, Jules averted his gaze.
“Are there… Are there any Xeus alphas among your eligible
candidates?” Jules said after a moment. He actually had no idea if Liam
shared their uncle’s prejudice.
Liam’s face did something strange.
“What?” Jules said, his curiosity spiking.
“You know Uncle Wayne would be against any of us marrying a
Xeus,” Liam said carefully, studying his fingernails. “But technically, he
isn’t the alpha of our family until Anthony is declared dead. Also, if a rich,
titled Xeus offers me a marriage, I don’t think Uncle would care all that
much—”
Jules grinned. “Who are they? Who did you choose?”
“I didn’t,” Liam said, his fingers fiddling with the bed covers. “But
the Duke of Westcliff is the most handsome alpha on the planet. It would be
ridiculous to dismiss him just because he’s a Xeus. He’s rich, gorgeous,
titled and—”
“He’s the king’s nephew, Li,” Jules said when he managed to pick up
his jaw. He had no idea Liam’s ambitions were that high. “He’s not just a
duke; he’s a royal duke! Our alpha was just a viscountess.”
Liam didn’t look fazed. “So what? You think he’ll care about it if he
falls in love?” He smiled dreamily. “He’s so handsome, Jules.”
That Jules couldn’t argue with. Even he sometimes stopped and
stared when they showed the royal family on the news. King Stefan and
Prince Haydn both were handsome alphas, but they completely paled next
to the Duke of Westcliff. The tall, black-haired alpha made all other alphas
pale by comparison. He was pretty much Liam’s alpha equivalent: so
stunningly handsome he didn’t seem real. Maybe they were well matched,
after all.
“Still,” Jules said. “Please manage your expectations, Li. Because if
you aim for Westcliff, anyone else will seem like a consolation prize in
comparison.”
“I know,” Liam said, but judging by his expression, he wasn’t taking
Jules’s words seriously.
Jules shook his head with a small smile. His brother was used to
having everyone wrapped around his little finger. His angelic looks usually
let Liam get away with murder, so Liam probably couldn’t imagine
someone not falling in love with him. It wasn’t really vanity when it was
true, was it? For all Jules knew, the Duke of Westcliff would take one look
at Liam and fall in love. Everyone else did, after all.
“I really need your help, Li,” Jules said, changing the subject. “It’s
important. One last time?”
Liam sighed. “I’m not doing anything until you tell me why you’re
sneaking into the basement. I think it’s a fair request, considering that if you
get caught, I’ll get in trouble too.”
Jules had to admit his brother had a point.
“All right,” he said with a sigh and started talking.
He didn’t tell Liam everything—he definitely didn’t mention his
body’s embarrassing reaction to the Xeus—but he told him the important
parts.
Liam looked gratifyingly disturbed by the time he finished. “You
want to help him escape?” he said, frowning. “But Uncle Wayne will likely
suspect one of us if someone frees the Xeus.”
“He can suspect us all he wants, but as long as we don’t get caught,
he can’t prove anything. And it’s not like he’s going to ask us about it. What
he’s doing to the Xeus is illegal, Li! If it gets out, Uncle will be arrested.”
“But if you help the Xeus, won’t Uncle be arrested anyway?” Liam
said, looking at his hands. He chewed on his lip. “We can’t afford a scandal.
Our debut in society is just two months away, Jules.”
Of course that was what Liam was worried about.
“Is your precious society debut more important than someone being
experimented on and possibly killed?” Jules said sharply.
Liam glared at him. “Sorry if I’m actually thinking about our future,”
he said, as sharply. “If Anthony doesn’t come back within three months,
he’ll be officially declared dead and our home will belong to Uncle Wayne.
Do you want to depend on his charity for the rest of your life? We’ll have
no rights here, no money! When he’s our alpha, Uncle Wayne will be able
to do anything he wants to us: marry us off to disgusting old perverts or
kick us out of the house. I have to marry well and fast, to make sure our
future is secured!”
Oh.
Jules stared at his brother, at a loss for words. He hadn’t actually
thought about it this way. He hadn’t thought that Liam might feel like he
was under pressure to marry well. Eric was just seventeen, and Jules was…
Jules, so of course the responsibility to marry well fell on Liam’s shoulders
—he was the beautiful one, after all.
It cast a new light on Liam’s obsession with their society debut and
high-ranking alphas. His brother felt responsible for them. He wanted to
protect them.
His throat a little tight, Jules hugged Liam, pressing their cheeks
together. “Sorry,” he murmured, inhaling his brother’s familiar scent. Liam
was a Vos omega, so unlike Jules, his scent wasn’t suppressed. He smelled
nice, even to Jules’s suppressed senses. “I didn’t know you were worried
about it.”
Liam sighed and pulled back. “Of course I worry. Someone has to.”
He rubbed his forehead with the tips of his fingers. “Now you understand
why our family can’t afford a scandal right now, right? I have to get married
first.”
Jules considered it. “What if… What if we free the Xeus and take
him far away from here so he can’t lead the authorities to our house? I don’t
think he knows Uncle Wayne’s name. He isn’t exactly rational right now. I
doubt things like names even register to him.”
“That could work, maybe.” Liam sounded skeptical. “But how will
you take him far away if he doesn’t want to go? Xeus alphas are much
stronger than normal alphas, much less omegas.”
Jules wrinkled his forehead. “I guess I’ll have to convince him that
it’s for the best?” he said, wincing. He knew there were many holes in his
plan, but they couldn’t just do nothing.
Noticing that Liam was giving him a weird look, Jules said, “What?”
“Are you…” Liam smiled crookedly. “Are you sure you aren’t being
influenced by the Xeus?”
Jules blinked. “In what way?”
Liam looked around the room before finally looking back at him. A
faint flush appeared on his cheekbones. “They say Xeus alphas affect
Dainiri omegas the strongest. Like, matching animal pheromones and all
that.”
Jules spluttered. “Don’t be silly. Besides, I’m on suppressants.” He
carefully didn’t think about his reaction to the Xeus.
“Right,” Liam said. “Sorry, it was stupid of me. He’s probably really
ugly and gross in his shifted form right now, right?”
Jules nodded quickly, but his mind was reeling. Could Liam be right?
Could his compassion toward the Xeus be caused by the fact that he was a
Dainiri? Just like Xeus alphas, Dainiri omegas retained many of the traits of
their primitive ancestors. They were more fertile, more nurturing, more
driven by their instincts than Vos omegas—and more passionate,
supposedly.
Feeling uncomfortable, Jules decided to change the
subject. “Anyway, I’ve already found the key to his manacles. All I need
from you is to distract the guards in a way that won’t make Uncle Wayne
suspect you.”
“Hmm…” Liam suddenly grinned. “I could ‘accidentally’ set the
smaller living room on fire. It’s close enough to the basement that the
guards should come running when I shout for help.”
“Brains and beauty,” Jules said, pecking Liam on the cheek. “If the
Duke of Westcliff doesn’t fall in love with you at first sight, he’s an idiot.”
Liam just laughed and shoved him away.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 4

They decided to turn the plan into action the very same evening.
Liam was having doubts, but Jules convinced him that they should do it
while their uncle wasn’t home. They might not get another chance like this
anytime soon.
So Jules huddled in the cupboard near the basement, waiting for
Liam to do his part.
He didn’t have to wait long.
Soon enough, there were Liam’s panicked shouts and then the sounds
of people in heavy boots running past the cupboard.
Then everything went quiet.
His heart pounding, Jules got out of the cupboard and quickly headed
to the basement. He had no idea how much time he had: probably ten
minutes, if he was lucky. It should be enough. It had to be. Hopefully the
guards wouldn’t think to check on their prisoner—they rarely seemed to—
so Jules hoped they wouldn’t find out that the Xeus was missing until the
morning. And hopefully no one would notice that Jules was missing, too.
Jules knew there were too many variables in his plan. So many things
could—and probably would—go wrong. But he had little choice. His uncle
was going to have the Xeus killed after they were done experimenting on
him. He couldn’t just do nothing. He had to help him.
The Xeus was already looking at him when Jules entered the
basement, his glowing green eyes alert and more than a little unnerving. His
tall, large body seemed tense, his muscles rigid. There didn’t seem to be any
new wounds on his body, which was a relief—there was no time to patch
him up.
“Hey,” Jules said, stepping closer to the metal table and pulling out
the keys he’d stolen from his uncle’s room. He felt a jolt of anxiety, but the
third key he tried did the trick.
He grinned in relief when the manacles unlocked. His smile was
wiped when a clawed hand grabbed his wrist in a punishing grip. A second
later, Jules found himself on his back, with the alpha looming over him, his
glowing eyes glaring down at him. Sharp claws pressed against his throat.
Jules moistened his lips with his tongue, his heart thudding against
his ribs. “Rude,” he said with a shaky smile. He felt hot. And shivery. In his
defense, he’d never had a naked alpha on top of him. “I’m trying to help
you, big guy. Don’t you remember me? And we really, really have no time
for this. Let me go.”
The Xeus inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring. Gauging Jules’s
sincerity? Was his sense of smell that good, even despite Jules’s
suppressants?
Jules forced his body to relax, emanating safe-nonthreatening-omega
. It seemed to be working, because the predatory glint was fading from
those glowing eyes, some rationality slipping back into them. Some being
the key word. There was still something distinctly primitive about the way
the Xeus was looking at him. A different sort of primitive.
Jules swallowed, becoming increasingly aware of the heavy, naked
body on top of him. Of the hard hip between his thighs. Of a strong scent
that was pure alpha —a scent that was starting to do terrible things to his
body again. He smelled so good. How could someone who probably hadn’t
had a real, non-sonic shower in ages smell so good? It was fucking unfair.
Jules could practically feel his higher brain functions shutting down with
each greedy inhale, his cock stiffening and his hole becoming
embarrassingly slick. He was wet again, just from having this strange, ugly
alpha on top of him. It was fucking horrible. He wasn’t a goddamn animal,
and yet.
And yet he found himself lowering his eyes timidly and baring his
throat.
The Xeus growled and shoved his face into his neck, his pheromones
thickening and becoming so overwhelming that Jules whimpered and
spread his legs, aching with need between them.
The arousal was as sudden as it was overwhelming. Jules whined, his
body shaking with impatience and the rush of hormones. He wanted. He
wanted… something hard inside him. He wanted a cock. He wanted this
alpha to fuck him with his cock.
Part of him, the part that was still trying to think, was screaming,
Stop, what are you doing ?
But Jules couldn’t. He’d had no idea it was possible to want so much,
so fast, to feel so desperate for it, like he’d fucking die if he didn’t get this
alpha inside him, now .
As if hearing his thoughts, the alpha growled into his neck, his
powerful body vibrating with tension. There was the sound of fabric
tearing, and Jules realized that the Xeus must have ripped his pants and
underwear, leaving him naked bellow his waist.
Yes, yes—
The alpha pushed his thighs wide and pushed his cock into him.
Jules cried out, his eyes widening and becoming unfocused. Gods.
Such a rush. Had he just come? He wasn’t sure. But it felt so good. The
thick length in him would have probably hurt if he weren’t so wet, so ready
for it. His walls were squeezing the cock in him greedily, and he keened,
impatient for more.
The Xeus gave him more. He started fucking him, hard and fast, low
animal growls leaving his throat as his cock pistoned in and out of Jules’s
hole. Oh fuck, fuck, so good. Jules was whining and growling with every
powerful thrust. He couldn’t get enough, clenching around the cock in him,
his fingernails sinking into the alpha’s muscular back, urging him on. Yes,
yes, please, so good, more—
Part of him was mortified by his own shameless behavior—he was
letting a strange alpha fuck him, as if he were a bitch in heat and not the
noble, untouched omega he was. Not only that: the alpha was a Xeus in a
feral state, all claws and fur. It should have felt terrifying. It should have felt
disgusting. He shouldn’t have been moaning and clenching around this
strange alpha’s cock, begging for more. But he couldn’t stop. He felt like
he’d die if the alpha stopped fucking him. He felt like he’d die happily on
that cock, he loved this, he needed this, he wanted this more than anything

Jules arched, pushing back onto the cock pounding into him. “Ah—
deeper!” He knew he was being illogical—there was no possible way the
alpha could fuck him any deeper—he could feel his cock practically against
his stomach, but somehow it wasn’t enough. He needed—he
needed… “Deeper!”
The Xeus growled and sank his teeth into his scent gland, and the
world exploded , his senses going into overdrive, wave after wave of
pleasure washing over him. Jules came with a sob, clenching around the
cock in him, hard. So fucking good.
The alpha went rigid, and then Jules felt the thickness in
him growing, alarmingly so. Hot liquid filled him up.
Jules opened his eyes dazedly and stared at the ceiling as he realized
what he was feeling. The Xeus had knotted him, pumping him full of his
semen. He had knotted him.
A giggle left Jules’s mouth, and then another, before turning into
laughter. He’d somehow managed to lose his virginity to a Xeus alpha—and
had a knot in him—and he still hadn’t even been kissed. It was kind of
hilarious, in a way.
The alpha on top of him made a questioning sound, his face still
buried against Jules’s neck as he scent-marked him lazily. His teeth were
still—
Jules’s smile froze on his lips.
Fuck. The alpha had bitten him. And knotted him. Did that mean…
Did that mean they were bonded now?
He focused and listened to his senses, but it was difficult. His body
still felt too mellow and satisfied, the knot in him making him feel almost
high on the feeling. He couldn’t tell if the mark had taken. But the fact that
he still had no desire to shove the alpha away despite feeling sated was
probably worrying. In fact, the mere thought of being apart from this alpha
caused a panicky feeling in his chest, and Jules found his arms tightening
around the alpha’s back.
Fuck.
They were bonded.
Now what?
All right. There was no need to panic yet.
First things first, he needed to get the Xeus out of the basement. He
still needed to help him escape.
How long did it take for a knot to go down? Probably more time than
they had. He should move—he should pull away…
Jules lost his train of thought, a wave of warm pleasure spreading
through his body when he tugged on the knot. It felt unbelievably good, as
if it was meant to be there, inside him. It was a pleasure different from the
mind-blowing orgasm he’d just had, more mellow and low-key satisfying—
and incredibly hard to give up.
All right. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to lie like this for a bit. It wasn’t
like he could help the Xeus escape while they were stuck like this.
So Jules relaxed and closed his eyes, figuring he’d wait for the knot
to go away. He kind of felt too good to worry about anything else.
He honestly had no idea how much time passed. It could have been
minutes and it could have been hours. The knot in him felt amazing.
At long last, Jules opened his eyes, realizing that the alpha was
fucking him again—this time less urgently, but definitely fucking him. The
knot was gone. But the cock in him very much wasn’t.
“Look,” Jules said with a laugh that came out more like a moan. “We
don’t have time for this—we need to get you out of—oh yeah, there!”
So he might or might not have let the Xeus fuck him again.
He might or might not have come apart on the alpha’s cock with
shameless moans that would have made a whore blush.
At least this time he managed to stop the alpha from knotting him.
“This is all your fault,” Jules complained when it was over,
scrambling away from the Xeus and nearly falling to the floor, his limbs
were so shaky. His body felt… well used , his thighs trembling and muscles
he hadn’t even known about pleasantly sore. “I came here to help you, not
to lose my v-card!” He fished his phone out of his pocket and cursed when
he saw how much time had passed. Over an hour. Damn it. “There’s no
chance the guards haven’t returned. What are we going to do now?” All the
planning he’d done—it was all for nothing now. They were lucky the
guards hadn’t noticed that the door was unlocked, but how long would their
luck last? They were bound to notice it soon.
The Xeus got to his feet, too. He stretched his muscles, grimacing
slightly—they must have been stiff after a month of being shackled to this
table. In fact, his supernatural regeneration was probably the only reason he
wasn’t in immense pain now.
Rubbing his lips, Jules forced his eyes away from the alpha’s
muscular body and looked back at his phone. He had four messages from
Liam, each more alarmed than the previous one.
The fire is out. They’re going back! Where are you?
Did you manage to get him out? Everything is quiet.
Jules???
If you keep ignoring me, I swear I’ll kill you next time I see you!
Jules sighed, wondering what he should do. Liam would be beyond
pissed if he found out that Jules had wasted the opportunity Liam had given
him.
Jules looked down at his ripped pants and boxers. They were barely
holding up. What was left of them resembled a tattered skirt. Just great.
Fucking fantastic.
He reached down to his bag and pulled out the clothes he’d found for
the Xeus. “Here, these are for you,” he said without looking at the alpha,
wishing he had something to change into, too. The clothes belonged to one
of their servants—a tall, large alpha—so they wouldn’t fit Jules
anyway. “Get dressed.”
For a moment, he thought the Xeus didn’t understand him, but then
Jules heard the rustle of clothes and exhaled in relief.
Then he went back to worrying. What were they going to do now?
Jules was snapped out of his thoughts when a hand gripped his arm
and none-too-gently pulled him toward the door.
“What are you doing?” Jules said, looking at the alpha. He was
dressed, thank fuck, but the strange, disturbing effect he had on Jules’s body
was still there. Fuck, he smelled amazing. Like everything good in the
world. Jules could barely stop himself from shoving his face into the Xeus’s
neck and breathing .
No. He needed to get a grip. He needed to get his brain to focus on
their course of action, not to keep fixating on his base, primitive wants.
The glowing green eyes flicked to him for a moment, the alpha’s
nostrils flaring.
Jules blushed and cleared his throat. “There are guards outside,” he
whispered urgently. “We can’t just go out and—”
The Xeus leaned down and sucked hard on his neck—on his mark.
Jules gasped, his brain relocating to his lower body again. It took an
embarrassing amount of time to remember that it was neither the time nor
the place—nor the right alpha.
“Stop that,” he said weakly, even though his body was clinging to the
Xeus’s. “We need to find a solution—how to get you out of here.”
Something in his chest gave a jolt of unease at the thought of the alpha
escaping. Leaving.
Don’t be ridiculous, Jules told himself, annoyed. Of course the Xeus
would leave. He had to. That was the point of this. He had to leave or
Jules’s uncle would dispose of him after he outlived his usefulness. His life
was in danger. Jules shouldn’t be letting some… some pheromones affect
his judgment. This was serious.
“Stay here,” the Xeus said hoarsely.
Jules blinked at him for a moment, confused.
Before the words fully registered, the alpha pushed the door open.
Then there was a hard thud, then another.
Jules’s eyes widened. He ran out of the door and stared at the two
bodies on the floor. “Did you kill them?” he whispered, looking at the Xeus,
who was searching the guards’ pockets.
“No,” the alpha said in his gravelly voice.
Jules exhaled in relief. Glancing down the corridor anxiously, he
said, “There’s an aircar parked at the western gates of the estate. It doesn’t
have a lot of fuel, but I can drop you off far enough from here that you
should be safe.”
He looked back at the Xeus, expecting to see confusion on his face,
but there was none. Either he still had rudimentary knowledge of aircars or
he wasn’t listening to Jules’s words at all. Jules frowned. It was so difficult
to gauge the extent of the alpha’s capability for thinking rationally. It was
obvious that the Xeus was far from being rational, but how bad was it? Did
he understand him perfectly and was just unable to speak much, or was it
worse?
Judging by the fact that the Xeus had just taken money from the
guards’ pockets, clearly he understood some basic concepts of survival in
the modern world.
Taking the guards’ phones away too, the Xeus dropped both guards
into the basement and locked the door.
Jules nodded approvingly. It would win them some time before the
alarms were raised.
Then, the alpha turned and put a hand on Jules’s shoulder. “Walk,” he
said shortly, his touch heavy and distinctly proprietary.
Jules did as he was told, though he felt a little miffed. He had
expected that he’d be the one leading the rescue and showing the way—as
opposed to being manhandled and bossed around. It also didn’t help that he
felt self-conscious and flustered because of everything that had happened in
the basement. Ugh, he hated his stupid biology, hated how much this
alpha’s presence was affecting him. Hated it. Utterly despised it. Why
couldn’t he have been born a beta? He looked like one anyway.
They somehow managed to leave the basement without encountering
anyone. Not for the first time, Jules felt grateful that his mother had been
against installing modern surveillance systems in the Blake ancestral home.
Suppressing the wave of sudden longing—Gods, he still missed her so
much—Jules led the Xeus to the aircar that Liam had parked outside the
western gates. He unlocked it and told the alpha, “Get in the passenger
seat.”
To his relief, the Xeus did as he was told.
Jules got into the pilot’s seat and tried to remember how to fly it.
Liam was so much better at it than he was. Strictly speaking, aircars were
still forbidden on Eila. They were considered too fast for Eila’s air traffic.
Helicopters were widely in use by most of the population, but helicopters
were too noisy and slow for Jules’s purposes. This aircar was his mother’s
pride and joy. She’d had it imported from some Inner Core planet five years
ago and offered to teach her kids to pilot it. Eric hadn’t been interested, but
Liam and Jules had been all too happy to learn. Well, Liam had; Jules had…
tried.
“Here goes nothing,” he muttered under his breath, and started the
engine. Please .
He did manage to take off.
And the aircar didn’t drop like a rock, which he counted as a win.
Jules’s tentative smile transformed into a grin as he realized that this
part of the plan had gone off without a hitch. Finally something had. He had
intended to sneak the Xeus out of the mansion under the cover of the night,
not allowing him to see anything he might identify later, before getting him
as far from their lands as possible, choosing complicated routes and taking
numerous turns to confuse the Xeus—and any potential pursuers. It seemed
his plan was finally going as it was supposed to.
When Jules landed the aircar in the forest an hour later, there was no
way the Xeus could possibly identify where they had traveled from. The
Blake house was seven hundred miles away. They were now closer to the
Kadarian border than to any Pelugian city. They were safe, in every sense of
the word. Even Liam would be pleased—this debacle shouldn’t ruin his
social season.
“Well,” Jules said, killing the engine. “This is it.” He stared at the
dark woods outside the aircar for a moment before finally turning to the
silent alpha.
He found the glowing green eyes trained on him with unnerving
intensity.
“Go,” Jules said. “You’re free now.”
The Xeus didn’t move. He cocked his head to the side, his nostrils
flaring. Was he smelling Jules’s emotions again?
“You’re free now,” Jules repeated, ignoring the uneasy, tight feeling
in his chest. It was fine. Just a side effect of an ill-advised mating mark. It
would pass. It wasn’t a real attachment. These… emotions… they weren’t
real. “Go. You need to go. I think you might be a Kadarian. The Kadarian
government is looking for a feral Xeus. Maybe they’ll help you.” And
maybe not, Jules thought, his stomach clenching in sudden fear. “Be
careful, all right?”
The alpha finally moved. But not toward his freedom—toward Jules.
Strong arms dragged him into the alpha’s lap and tucked Jules’s head under
his chin. A low, guttural sound left the Xeus’s throat, and Jules found
himself relaxing, his body instinctively responding to the comfort offered to
him. He breathed in greedily, inhaling the rich scent of his alpha—no, not
his alpha. What was he thinking? He was being stupid, letting hormones
and pheromones rule him.
But his body didn’t care, melting into the alpha’s embrace. He didn’t
want to let go. He couldn’t imagine letting go, not ever. This was his. His.
His alpha.
Jules sank his teeth into the alpha’s scent gland, needing to put his
mark on him, even though rationally he knew the futility of it. Omegas
couldn’t mark alphas, much less Xeus alphas with their superior
regeneration. But he wanted it. Wanted it so badly he was shaking with it.
He’d heard the stories of it: of omegas being madly possessive of their
alphas, but Jules had always scoffed at those stories, not believing that
omegas could be as possessive as those knotheads. Well, the joke was on
him now. He felt nearly feral with that need to mark, to claim his alpha for
his own, so that every omega knew who he belonged to. Maybe it was an
instinct awakened by the prospect of being parted from his alpha. Maybe it
was something else. But he couldn’t control it. He didn’t want to let go.
Jules buried his face in the alpha’s neck and closed his stinging eyes.
It was stupid. He didn’t know this man. He hadn’t even seen his real
face , for fuck’s sake. But something inside him—probably something that
made him an omega—was incredibly sad that he’d never get to know him.
People didn’t believe in one true mate anymore, and Jules was no
exception. It had been scientifically proven that mating compatibility was
just a matter of compatible pheromones. An omega could have up to ten
“mates”—compatible alphas whose scents and pheromones appealed to the
omega enough to easily form a mating bond. This alpha was just one of
them. There was no reason to be so upset.
Except finding even one truly compatible alpha was rare enough.
Jules hadn’t actually thought it would happen to him. He wasn’t a dreamer
like Liam. He was the pragmatic one. When the social season started, it was
unlikely he’d find a compatible alpha. It was just statistically improbable.
He knew he wasn’t a beauty. Alphas wouldn’t come close enough to him
for Jules to smell them. Jules had told himself it was fine. He’d told himself
marriage could be good even without perfect compatibility. Not that he had
expected to find someone willing to marry him anytime soon.
Since he’d already resigned himself to that, finding a match in a feral
Xeus he’d never see again just seemed like a bad twist of fate. A bad joke at
his expense.
Or…
For a wild moment, he was tempted to stay. Stay with this alpha, help
him return home—wherever it was—and then maybe—
Then what? his rational side said. Kerosvarin had no cure. Was he
really ready to bind his life to a feral alpha Jules would never even get to
know for real? A feral alpha who would never love him for real, for the
person he was? Pheromones and great sex didn’t make a relationship; that
much Jules knew. Even if by some miracle his Xeus managed to shift back
into a man, he would be disappointed to find himself bound to an
unattractive omega like Jules. They had no future either way.
So this… this tight feeling in his chest was stupid. Irrational. It was
the mating mark’s doing. It wasn’t real.
But it felt so very real.
Swallowing around the tightness in his throat, Jules took one last
breath of the alpha’s scent and whispered, “Go.”
The arms around him didn’t loosen.
Jules bit his bottom lip hard. “Go,” he repeated, looking into the
Xeus’s glowing eyes.
The alpha stared at him.
“Mine,” he said hoarsely, his arms around Jules tightening. “Come
with me.”
No. He’d only slow the alpha down. And he needed to get back home
before his absence was noticed. He had to get the aircar back—it would
throw them off the scent and win the Xeus more time. His uncle’s men
would only be searching the lands around their house if they didn’t find out
that Jules had used the aircar to get the Xeus away.
He had to go back.
He had to.
But he also knew the alpha wouldn’t let him leave—unless Jules
tricked him.
His stomach in knots, Jules leaned in and kissed the alpha on his
furry cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment. Goodbye .
“All right,” he managed. “Let’s go. Just let me grab my bag.”
He waited until the Xeus got out of the car.
Then he locked the door.
His hands shaking, Jules started the engine and took off, quickly
gaining altitude so the alpha couldn’t stop him.
The bond lit up with loss and betrayal.
Swallowing, Jules set the course for home.
“It isn’t real,” he whispered determinedly. “It’s just hormones. It’ll
pass. Don’t be stupid, Jules.”
If his vision was blurry, it didn’t matter: there were only clouds in the
vicinity.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 5

Jules returned home feeling far more downbeat and exhausted than
the situation probably called for. It didn’t help that he had to spend half an
hour deleting the flight logs from the aircar’s internal memory and applying
a scent neutralizer all over it to eliminate even the barest hint of the Xeus’s
scent. Although his uncle didn’t have the aircar keys, Jules didn’t want to
leave anything to chance. He wanted his Xeus to get to relative safety,
wherever that was. If there was a safe place for a feral Xeus.
“None of your business,” Jules muttered, but the anxiety under his
skin didn’t disappear.
The house was mercifully quiet, but instead of calming him down, it
only made him more anxious. It felt like the silence before the storm.
After erasing his fingerprints from his uncle’s keys and putting them
back, Jules returned to his room. He climbed into his bed and closed his
eyes, willing himself to fall asleep. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.
When the Xeus’s escape was discovered, he would need to be at his
sharpest in order to convince his uncle of his innocence. He needed to stop
worrying and sleep.
But no matter how hard he tried to push those concerns away, they
kept sneaking back into his mind. The truth was, in their society, Xeus
alphas were looked down on. They were a dying breed, a throwback to their
species’ primitive past. They were considered too primitive, too irrational,
and downright dangerous when shifted. A shifted feral Xeus outside the full
moon would be considered a dangerous abomination, and other people
could easily shoot him down, citing self-defense. It was just a fact. No one
would let a feral Xeus alpha run amok. Sooner or later, he would be
captured. The question was, whether he would be captured by the bad guys
or the good guys.
Jules sat up in his bed, his mind racing. Then he quickly left his room
and darted into Eric’s across from his.
As expected, his baby brother wasn’t asleep. He rarely was at night,
instead doing something geeky on his computer.
“I need your help,” Jules said, closing the door.

***

The morning came far too soon for Jules’s liking. He could barely
stop himself from yawning as he stood next to Liam and Eric while their
uncle paced the room agitatedly.
“And you’re sure you haven’t seen anything?” Uncle Wayne said.
Liam gave him a confused, angelic smile. “I’m not sure what we
were supposed to see, Uncle. I thought there was nothing of value in the
basement? Was anything stolen?”
Sometimes Jules really envied how well Liam could lie when he
wanted to. His scent didn’t betray him at all, remaining steady, with an
undertone of confusion. Jules had never been that good of a liar, but
thankfully his suppressants made his scent faint, which made reading him
difficult.
Eric was the one Jules worried about the most. Although Eric didn’t
know everything about the Xeus, there were other things Eric did know, and
Jules wasn’t sure he could trust his baby brother not to betray them with a
clumsy lie.
So Jules cut in hurriedly, “If there was anything stolen, we didn’t hear
a thing, Uncle. Eric and I were playing video games in his room until early
morning—you know we get carried away when we play e-sports.”
Eric nodded and, thankfully, remained quiet.
“What happened?” Jules said, because it would have been stranger if
he didn’t ask.
Uncle Wayne gave him a long, scrutinizing look.
Jules held his gaze, hoping his face didn’t betray him. He knew he
would be his uncle’s main suspect: it was well known that Eric didn’t care
for anything but his computer and books, and Liam had the reputation of a
harmless, proper little omega. Jules was usually the one who had to bear the
brunt of his uncle’s anger.
Uncle Wayne stepped closer and, looking him in the eyes, said, “ Tell
me the truth. ”
Jules’s breathing hitched. Fuck. He hadn’t expected his uncle to use
his Voice on him. For a moment, he panicked, fully expecting his body to
obey the command, but… nothing happened. He didn’t feel the compulsion
at all.
Jules nearly grinned in relief when he realized why: the Xeus had
marked him. By putting his mark on Jules he had changed his body
chemistry—making him Jules’s alpha and overriding any power an alpha
related to him could have on him. Well, that was an unexpected upside.
“I’m telling the truth,” Jules said, holding his uncle’s gaze. “We
played video games in Eric’s room well into the night and didn’t hear
anything. We don’t know what you’re looking for.”
Uncle Wayne swore under his breath and turned away. He started
pacing again. “There was a dangerous beast locked up in the basement,” he
gritted out at last. “I thought someone might have let it out, but it seems the
idiot guards simply forgot to lock the door, thinking it was safe because the
beast was chained. Imbeciles. As if they don’t know magnetic locks can
sometimes fail.”
“How careless,” Liam said distractedly, reading a fashion magazine
on his phone.
Uncle Wayne grunted something and stormed out of the room.
Jules exhaled.
“Phew,” Liam said when their uncle’s footsteps receded. “He seems
really pissed.”
“He is pissed,” Jules said, plopping down between his brothers and
slinging his arms around them. “Thanks, guys! I couldn’t have done it
without your help.”
Eric shot him a look. “You still haven’t told me everything.”
Jules pinched his cheek. “The less you know, the safer you are. You
totally suck at lying.” Glancing at the door, he lowered his voice and
whispered, “Did he get the message?”
Eric nodded, his eyes sparkling. “It’s easily the most impressive hack
job I’ve ever done! Damn, I wish I could tell my online friends about it—”
“What are you two taking about?” Liam said suspiciously.
Right. Liam didn’t know about his plan.
Jules cleared his throat. “I asked Eric to hack into the phone network
and send Prince Haydn a message about the Xeus’s whereabouts.”
Liam’s brows furrowed. “Prince Haydn? Why him?”
Jules shrugged slightly. “You know a feral Xeus will never be safe,”
he said, looking at his hands. “He’ll be caught, sooner or later. So I just
wanted to make sure he’s caught by the good guys. Mother always said how
good and fair Prince Haydn was. If the Xeus is really the one who escaped
the Kadarian Opal House, it’s very likely that Prince Haydn knows him.
And the prince will be fair to him regardless of the Xeus’s nationality—he’s
a Pelugian happily married to a Kadarian, after all. And most importantly,
Prince Haydn isn’t prejudiced against Xeus alphas—his cousin is one, too.”
“Yeah.” Liam’s frown disappeared. “I guess it makes sense.”
Jules smiled faintly. He could only hope he hadn’t made a mistake. If
he was wrong… If he was wrong about Prince Haydn being impartial
enough to help his Xeus… well.
He wasn’t likely to ever find out, was he?

***

Eight days later, Jules woke up in pain.


Breathing raggedly, he stared into the dark ceiling of his bedroom,
confused and freaked out of his mind. He hurt, but he wasn’t even sure
where the pain originated from. Everything hurt, his entire being shaking
with something terrible. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
He curled up into a ball and rocked back and forth, trying to suppress
the violent tremors racking his body and make sense of his feeling of utter
misery, the source of which he couldn’t explain.
It took him a while until he was able to focus enough to realize that
the faint sense of another person he’d had since the Xeus’s escape was now
gone.
Jules froze, his eyes going wide, before he scrambled off his bed and
ran out of the room.
He couldn’t even remember how he ended up in front of their butler’s
door. He pounded on it before he could think twice.
Harrison looked sleepy and confused when he finally opened
it. “Master Jules? What is the matter?”
“Order me to do something,” Jules blurted out. “Use your Voice on
me.”
The butler froze. “Pardon?”
“Use your alpha voice on me,” Jules repeated. “Now. That’s an
order.”
Harrison blinked in obvious bewilderment before saying, “Jump.”
Jules didn’t jump—Harrison was neither his relative nor his
bondmate. But he did feel the compulsion. He felt it.
His knees suddenly weak, Jules turned and wandered away, ignoring
the butler’s questions.
The mating bond was gone.
It was gone.
Gone.
Mating bonds could fade if neglected for a long time, but they
couldn’t… they couldn’t just break like this. Not this abruptly. Unless…
Only a bondmate’s death could break a mating bond.
Jules wasn’t sure how he reached Liam’s room.
“Jules?” Liam said sleepily, sitting up.
Jules crawled into the bed and buried his face in his brother’s
shoulder. “It’s my fault,” he whispered hoarsely, closing his eyes.
“What are you—”
“He’s dead, Li.”
After a moment, Liam’s arms came up around him. “How—how do
you know?”
“I can’t feel him anymore.”
Liam went rigid against him. “What?”
Jules bit his bottom lip, hard. He didn’t say anything. Liam wasn’t an
idiot. It would take him only a few moments to draw the right conclusion.
And Liam did. “You mean you bonded to the Xeus? You—you had
—”
“He marked me,” Jules said, pressing his wet eyes against his
brother’s shoulder. “And the mark took. We were apparently compatible
enough for it to take. But the bond is gone now, Li.”
His brother was quiet.
After a moment, slim fingers started stroking Jules’s hair. Liam’s
sweet scent became stronger. Soothing.
Jules breathed it in and relaxed, even though he knew Liam was
using his omega nature to calm him down. He didn’t mind, not this time.
“It’s not your fault,” Liam said at last. “If you didn’t help him escape,
Uncle would have killed him anyway. At least he died free.”
Jules’s eyes filled with tears again. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told
Prince Haydn about his whereabouts. Maybe he isn’t as fair as Mother
thought—”
“It’s more likely that someone else found the Xeus,” Liam said
calmly. “Xeus alphas are fast. He was likely already a good distance away
from the coordinates you gave Prince Haydn by the time the prince got your
message.”
Liam’s words made sense. They did. Then why did he still feel so
shitty?
“I should have stayed with him,” Jules said. “I shouldn’t have left
him there alone—”
Liam scoffed. “Please. If someone managed to kill a shifted Xeus
alpha, a weak omega wouldn’t have stopped them from doing it. Don’t be
stupid, Julian.”
Jules cringed. He hated being called Julian. It was a name for
someone beautiful, elegant, and sophisticated. He was anything but. “Don’t
call me Julian.”
“Don’t be stupid, Jules, then.”
A faint smile curled Jules’s lips. “Thanks,” he said quietly. “I needed
that.”
Liam’s arm tightened around him. “Does it hurt?”
Jules closed his eyes, not knowing how to answer. Not knowing how
to put into words what he was feeling. He felt raw and achy, his body
hurting from the inside. No, not his body— it was like there was a wound
inside his soul. Something intangible but still very much real.
“I’ll probably just need to increase the dose of my suppressants,” he
said. “It’ll probably help.”
It had to.
He couldn’t imagine what this pain would have felt like without the
suppressants. There were cases of omegas dying when their alpha did. It
helped that Jules’s bond had been new and not deep. Had he had a strong
emotional attachment to the alpha, it would have been much worse, though
at the moment it was hard to imagine feeling worse.
“It’ll be okay,” Liam said, kissing him on the forehead awkwardly.
His cheerful voice was so obviously fake that Jules almost smiled. Liam,
for all his perfect omega looks, wasn’t actually very nurturing. It always
came off as awkward when Liam tried to be a gentle, nurturing
omega. “The season will start next month, and I’m sure you’ll forget about
this in the excitement of it!”
“Oh, joy,” Jules deadpanned. “If you think that’s actually comforting,
I hate to break it to you, but it’s really not.”
Liam chuckled. “You’ll see, brother. We’re going to have so much
fun, you and I!”
Jules forced a smile.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 6

Inner Core
Planet Calluvia

“It was the only choice, Haydn.”


Prince Haydn Schaefer pursed his lips, still looking at the
unconscious man in the hospital bed. “Was it?” he said quietly. “We had to
act without his consent.”
“Because he was in no state to give it,” his husband said, taking his
hand and squeezing it.
Haydn turned his head and smiled weakly at Royce, his smile turning
more genuine as his husband’s gaze held his. It was a little embarrassing
that just looking into Royce’s dark eyes affected him like this. Everything
felt magically better when Royce was close and looking at him.
“I know,” Haydn said with a sigh, putting his head on Royce’s
shoulder and deeply inhaling his familiar scent. It comforted him. “But Dr.
Jordan said this procedure was too risky. What if he doesn’t remember
anything when he wakes up?”
Royce dropped a kiss on top of his head. “Then we’ll help him
remember. At least he’s back to normal now, not a mindless beast
anymore.”
Haydn frowned. “He wasn’t really a mindless beast when we found
him in the forest.”
It was most puzzling. Although Devlin hadn’t recognized him, he
clearly was capable of at least some cognitive thinking, which was a much
better state than he had been in when he’d escaped the hospital months ago.
Fuck, there were so many things they still didn’t understand. Starting from
the mysterious anonymous message with the feral Xeus’s whereabouts—the
message they still hadn’t been able to trace to its source, which suggested
the work of a highly skilled hacker—and ending with the fact that Devlin
had smelled unfamiliar when Haydn and his people found him in the forest.
Haydn eyed his unconscious cousin with a frown. Devlin’s scent was
normal now after the advanced genetic modifications that had forced him to
transform back to a man, but it was still bizarre that he’d had a slightly
different scent in the forest. The doctors said that it appeared that Devlin
had been experimented on, which was probably why his scent had changed
and which was why he was less of a mindless beast than he had been
months ago. It still made little sense.
“What do you think happened to him?” Haydn said. “Who
would experiment on him? Why?”
Royce hummed. “The Secret Service is investigating it. Hopefully
we’ll find out soon enough.”
Haydn made a face. “ If my father deigns to tell us anything. You
know I don’t have authority over the Secret Service anymore.”
His husband just squeezed his hand again. He didn’t need to say
anything for Haydn to feel his support through their mating bond. When
Royce was touching him, it was difficult to give a damn that the king had
all but disowned him already.
“Is he going to come here?” Royce said.
“My father? Probably.” Haydn’s lips twisted into a humorless
smile. “Devlin is the next in line for the throne, after all. The king will want
to make sure that Devlin isn’t a mindless beast anymore before he can
disown me officially.”
There was the sound of footsteps approaching, and Haydn turned his
head, already bracing himself for his father’s appearance. He hadn’t seen
him in two months, ever since the disastrous Opal House event.
But it wasn’t his father.
It was Lord Chancellor Ksar’ngh’chaali, or Lord Ksar, as they called
him because of his unpronounceable alien name.
The medical personnel in the room immediately dropped into deep
bows, reminding Haydn that this foreigner was a royal on his native planet,
not just a representative of the Galactic Council.
“How are you liking Calluvia?” Lord Ksar said, his cold tone at odds
with his polite question.
“The planet is beautiful,” Royce said. “Thanks for your hospitality.
The genetic center wouldn’t have accommodated us so fast if it weren’t for
you.”
Lord Ksar just gave a curt nod of acknowledgment before glancing at
Devlin’s still form. “He hasn’t awakened yet? I have been told he should
awaken today.”
Haydn looked at his unconscious cousin anxiously. “He’s supposed
to. But his doctor said that it’s impossible to completely predict how his
body will react to the reprogramming of his genetic code.”
“Physically he does look fixed,” Lord Ksar noted, his silver eyes
flicking over Devlin’s prone form dispassionately. “No claws and fur.”
Haydn glanced at his cousin. He certainly looked back to his
incredibly good-looking self, a man once again, rather than the ugly, beastly
alpha he’d been for months. While it was a relief, Haydn couldn’t help but
think that they might have made a mistake by forcing Devlin to undergo the
traumatic procedure of altering his genetic code. It had always been their
last resort: Devlin’s doctor thought it was too risky. Unfortunately, they’d
had little choice: the doctors who had examined Devlin back home reported
that after some unknown experiments on him, Devlin’s genetic code was
extremely unstable and in need of a fix as soon as possible. Haydn had had
to use his position of Lord Chancellor to get Devlin to Calluvia, a high-tech
planet of the Inner Core, in order to get his cousin the treatment he’d
needed. It all had happened so fast that there hadn’t been time to pause and
think about whether they had been doing the right thing. Had they?
The truth was, Devlin hadn’t given his consent to this procedure.
Haydn might have had his cousin’s best interests at heart, but he still had
forced him to undergo an incredibly risky procedure the result of which
wasn’t guaranteed. Devlin might wake up and not even remember who he
was. He might wake up with his sanity gone. He might wake up and hate
Haydn for his broken bond.
Haydn cringed at the thought. He’d been honestly shocked when the
doctors had told him that Devlin had an active mating bond. He couldn’t
imagine the circumstances of a feral Xeus bonding to someone. In fact, he
tried hard not to think about it. He could only hope that whoever the
unfortunate bondmate was, Devlin hadn’t inadvertently hurt them.
But it wasn’t relevant anymore. The bond was now gone. The genetic
modification procedure had inevitably broken it.
Haydn wondered if his cousin would even remember that he’d been
bonded to someone. If he’d miss the bond. Would it hurt? The doctors back
home had no idea, because there had never been a precedent of the effects
of kerosvarin being reversed. The doctors here didn’t know, either, because
Calluvians didn’t have alpha and omega designations and they had never
tried such a procedure on an Eilan. It was all very experimental.
Fuck, what a mess. Even if Devlin’s broken bond didn’t have any
unwelcome consequences, Haydn could only cringe at the thought of his
cousin’s reaction when he found out that he’d been a feral beast for months
—and that he had managed to bond to someone.
Devlin had always been… weird about his designation. Haydn knew
that his cousin hated the total loss of control during the full moons and
didn’t like being the face for all Xeus alphas of the planet, but Devlin was
also very responsible when it came to his designation. Devlin might not like
that he was a Xeus, he might not be particularly proud of it, but he had
always been politically savvy—more politically savvy than Haydn was,
truth be told—and Devlin had often used the influence he wielded to make
the lives of Xeus alphas a little better, since he was pretty much the only
Xeus alpha in a position to do it. But now… This whole situation would be
a PR nightmare if it ever became public knowledge. Devlin’s political
opponents would relish the chance and use it as a weapon against Xeus
alphas in general and Devlin in particular.
The whole thing would no doubt be humiliating for his proud cousin.
Haydn knew how much Devlin had struggled with controlling his violent
nature as a boy, how long it had taken him to suppress his natural
aggression. Haydn had always admired Devlin’s iron will: he had done such
a good job of pretending to be a level-headed politician and socialite that
sometimes even Haydn forgot that he wasn’t what he appeared to be.
Devlin would absolutely hate his loss of control. That was why Haydn had
insisted on using the NDA-tech after the debacle at the Opal House. To his
relief, there hadn’t been any leaks and people didn’t seem to have found out
that the feral alpha at the event was Devlin. Thank fuck for small mercies.
A soft groan made Haydn snap his gaze back to his cousin, his heart
beating faster in excitement and anxiety. “Dev?”
The dark eyelashes fluttered.
Devlin Schaefer, the Duke of Westcliff, opened his eyes.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 7

Two months later

The social season was even worse than Jules had expected. He had
thought he was prepared for the utter tediousness of it, but ten days after
their arrival at Faris, Pelugia’s capital, Jules already felt like punching
someone. Preferably Liam’s stupidly pretty face.
“Has your brother mentioned me?” said the blond alpha he was
currently dancing with, casting a heated look over Jules’s shoulder.
Jules didn’t need to follow his gaze to know that he was looking at
Liam. They all did.
Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Jules stretched his lips into a
smile and ground out, “No.”
The alpha looked disappointed but not disheartened. “Are you
certain? Perhaps he mentioned me by my title? Most people call me by my
title, not my name. Viscount Benley?”
Jules smiled wider. “I’m quite sure, my lord.”
As soon as the dance was over, he strode toward Liam—or tried to.
As always, Liam was surrounded by a large crowd of his admirers.
Elbowing twenty alphas out of the way, Jules finally managed to reach his
brother. “A word,” he said, pasting on another smile for the sake of their
captive audience. Not that any of those drooling knotheads even glanced his
way.
Liam gave his fans an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, but my brother
requires my attention,” he said, his long eyelashes fluttering prettily and a
dimple appearing in his cheek. Although Jules couldn’t smell it, he could
feel the air spike with alpha pheromones as the alphas’ eyes glued to Liam’s
face. Gross. How could Liam stand being around these knotheads all the
time?
“Of course,” the alphas chorused, their gazes on Liam.
Jules took Liam’s arm, dragged him away a little, and hissed, “If you
sic your fans on me again, I swear your face won’t be so pretty anymore.
You think I don’t know what you’re doing? Stop. Just stop. I get that you
have a veritable legion of suitors, but I don’t need your leftovers. Get it?”
Liam sighed, as if Jules was the unreasonable one. “I didn’t sic them
on you. I may have told them that I appreciate alphas that treat my family
with kindness and respect. That’s all!”
Jules scoffed. “Right. That’s totally all.”
Sighing again, Liam took his arm and walked them to the corner of
the ballroom, away from any potential eavesdroppers. “Look,” he said
softly, his expression serious. “I really hate that you’re not having fun. I just
wanted to help, Jules. I hate that you always look like you want to be
anywhere but here. This is our debut season, not just mine. I hate that you
hide in a corner of the ballroom and look miserable.”
Jules pursed his lips and dropped his gaze. “I’m having fun,” he
mumbled. “I just don’t like dancing.” That was a lie. He did enjoy dancing
—theoretically. He just didn’t like dancing with people who did it as a favor
to his brother.
“Did you like Baron Evler?” Liam said.
Jules shrugged. “He’s all right, I guess.” Evler had been a little more
tolerable than Liam’s other suitors. He had actually looked at Jules when
they danced.
Liam beamed. “See? I think he’s perfect for you! Give him a chance
maybe?”
Jules rolled his eyes. “Li, he danced with me to impress you, not
because he’s interested in me. And I’m not looking for an alpha. I don’t
want to marry.”
The smile faded from Liam’s face, his expression becoming
probing. “Are you all right?” he said, dropping his voice even lower. “Does
the bond still hurt?”
Cringing a little, Jules averted his gaze. “It’s fine,” he said shortly.
It was fine. Thanks to the increased dose of suppressants, he could
now barely feel it. All he could feel was a faint hollow thing in his chest
that he could ignore most of the time. There was another upside to the
increased dosage of his suppressants: his sense of smell was gone now, so
the various smells and pheromones in the ballroom didn’t affect him at all.
As for the downside… he knew he didn’t smell like an omega anymore,
which probably contributed to his lack of popularity, coupled with his plain
looks.
“Are you sure—”
Liam’s words were interrupted by a murmur of excitement that
suddenly rippled through the ballroom.
They both turned their heads toward the door.
Liam sucked a breath in. “That’s the Duke of Westcliff,” he
whispered, squeezing Jules’s arm.
Jules could see that.
He’d always thought that pictures and videos of the duke had to have
been somehow manipulated—because he had thought it wasn’t possible for
an alpha to be so handsome. But he had to admit the duke looked even
better in real life. The videos and pictures didn’t do justice to the sheer
presence and self-assuredness Westcliff’s tall, powerful body emanated. He
was mouthwateringly handsome: his strong face so perfectly symmetrical it
might have been sculpted by an artist, his green eyes unnaturally bright, his
full, firm lips sensual despite being curled into a sardonic smile, his jaw
strong and angular. He looked effortlessly elegant in his dark suit, despite
the five-o’clock shadow on his lean cheeks.
“Oh gosh, I think he’s heading over here, Jules,” Liam whispered,
blushing a little.
He was right: although Westcliff stopped here and there to speak to
people, he was clearly moving in their direction.
Jules snorted. “Of course he is. He would have had to be blind not to
notice you.”
He let go of Liam’s arm and took a few steps back. He had no
delusions about the duke’s destination.
He was right, of course.
By the time Westcliff finally reached Liam, his brother already had
his crowd of admirers around him. But the crowd parted for the duke
without him even saying anything. Jules was almost impressed.
Westcliff stopped in front of Liam and bowed slightly, more of a nod
than a bow. He stretched out a hand. “A dance?”
Liam cocked his head slightly. “I don’t dance with unfamiliar alphas
I’m afraid,” he said, his lips curling into a small smile. Liam looked
ridiculously lovely when he did that, and he knew it.
Jules shook his head with a fond smile.
To his mild astonishment, Westcliff didn’t look instantly besotted.
Raising a black eyebrow, he simply said, “Devlin Schaefer.” And then he
took Liam’s hand and led him to the dance floor. Just like that.
Jules crossed his arms over his chest and tried to pretend he couldn’t
hear Liam’s suitors gossiping about Westcliff’s interest. They seemed to
have forgotten that he was even there.
“You think he’s really interested?” one of the younger alphas said,
looking positively crushed. Jules could sympathize.
“Who knows,” another alpha said, her gaze on the dancing
couple. “But Westcliff is thirty already. He can’t sleep around forever. He’s
probably thinking of settling down soon.”
Another alpha scoffed. “Please. It has little to do with his age. If the
rumors are true, the king will want him to marry and produce an heir.”
The first alpha shot him a startled look. “You really think the king
will disown Prince Haydn and make Westcliff the heir?”
“It’s not just a rumor,” the Marchioness of Ferhum cut in. “I’ve heard
from a reliable source that the paperwork has already been drawn up. It
should be announced any day now.”
A murmur of unease rippled through the group. “But he’s a Xeus,”
someone said. “We have never had a Xeus on the throne. People will not be
happy.”
“Which probably explains why Westcliff is suddenly expressing
interest in a noble, beautiful omega,” another alpha said. “He’ll need a
picture-perfect mate on his arm to reassure the common folk that he’s a
normal alpha rather than the beast he is.”
“Careful with your words, Sodenberg,” someone else said. “If he’s
the next king, you’ll have to show respect.”
Sodenberg sneered. “Come on, I’m only saying aloud what everyone
else is thinking. A beast has no place on the throne.”
“Westcliff is not like other Xeus alphas. I actually would have never
guessed he was one if I didn’t know.”
The marchioness chuckled. “You foolish boy,” she said quietly, her
sharp eyes watching Westcliff as he led Liam through the steps of the
dance. “Westcliff is just better at pretending to be civilized. A beast will
always remain a beast, no matter how well it fakes being tamed.”
Frowning, Jules turned away, trying to digest what he had just
overheard.
He was still pondering it when the dance ended and Westcliff
escorted Liam back to his group of admirers.
“Thank you for the dance, Liam,” he said with a slight bow, holding
Liam’s gaze and ignoring everyone else. He smiled. “It was a pleasure.”
Liam blushed and nodded. “The pleasure is mine, Your Grace.”
Jules pursed his lips and looked after the duke’s retreating tall form.
There was something about the interaction that made him uneasy. He
couldn’t put his finger on it, but coupled with what he’d just heard people
discussing, it made him very unsettled.
He needed to find out if the duke was truly interested in Liam or if
there was something else motivating him.
Slowly, he followed Westcliff around the ballroom as the alpha made
his way to the door, clearly intending to leave.
The duke, however, was detained by another alpha. “A word?” the
other alpha said, clapping Westcliff on the back.
It took Jules a moment to place his face. It was the Earl of Terlaine,
one of Liam’s legion of suitors. The only reason Jules even remembered his
name was because the earl was uncommonly handsome—almost as
handsome as Westcliff was.
Westcliff nodded and gestured for Terlaine to follow him. They
stepped out of the ballroom into the garden. Jules followed them as
inconspicuously as possible, glad that the loud music was masking his
footsteps. In other circumstances, the alphas would have undoubtedly heard
him. His scent would have betrayed him too if it hadn’t been nonexistent
thanks to his suppressants. Jules crouched behind a large tree and strained
his hearing.
“Is your interest in Liam Blake genuine, Devlin?” Terlaine said.
Jules could have kissed him for broaching the subject.
Smiling, he leaned forward and peeked through the gaps between the
leaves.
“What is it to you?” Westcliff said calmly, lighting a cigarette. His
posture was relaxed, almost lazy, but his expressionless face contradicted it.
There was something hard and calculating in his gaze now. It was like
looking at a different man. The charming duke who had been smiling at
Liam a few minutes ago was nowhere to be seen.
Terlaine didn’t seem as unsettled by the switch in demeanor as Jules
was. He probably knew Westcliff pretty well if he was addressing him by
his first name.
“Because I’m interested in him,” Terlaine said. “And I wanted to
know if your interest is serious. I don’t want to waste my time.”
Westcliff gave a soft snort. “You sell yourself too short, Michael.”
Terlaine smiled wryly. “No. I know my worth. But I’m not you. And
I’m not about to become the heir to the throne.”
Westcliff sighed and took a long drag from his cigarette.
Jules stared at the cigarette between those finely shaped lips, the dark
stubble on that firm jaw, and pondered how a man so handsome could look
so unfeeling and cold.
“I am serious, I’m afraid,” Westcliff said at last, shrugging
slightly. “The king is pressuring me to marry, and I’ve been told Blake is
the most sought-after omega in the country, so it’ll make a good story.”
Jules nearly gasped from sheer outrage. A good story ? Westcliff
wanted to pursue Liam because it would make a good story? What a
cynical, manipulative dick of a—
“Don’t tell me you don’t find him attractive,” Terlaine said, sounding
stunned.
Westcliff shrugged again, some emotion flickering in his eyes. “He’s
beautiful,” he said without any inflection whatsoever. “He’ll do. It’ll be a
PR win, a stunt to distract people from the distasteful news that a Xeus will
be inheriting the throne. You know the common folk like romanticizing the
royals’ courtships and weddings. He’s beautiful enough to be a good
distraction from the bad news.”
Distraction? A stunt ?
Over my dead body , Jules thought viciously.
He must have made some noise, because Westcliff suddenly looked
right in his direction.
Jules froze.
Carefully extinguishing his cigarette with his shiny shoe, Westcliff
said, “You can come out now, whoever you are. Don’t make me drag you
out of the bushes.”
Jules clenched his hands into fists, considering darting back toward
the ballroom. But it would be pointless. He was no match for a Xeus alpha
—they were much faster, even in their non-shifted state, than omegas.
Slowly, Jules emerged out of the bushes.
Terlaine made a surprised noise, but Jules didn’t look at him.
Couldn’t. He was too busy glaring at the duke.
“And who are you?” Westcliff said, his green eyes flicking over him
without much interest. Dismissively.
Jules flushed.
“It’s Liam Blake’s younger brother,” Terlaine said. “James, I think?”
Jules bared his teeth in a smile. “Close enough,” he said, still looking
at Westcliff. “You will not use my brother as a pawn in your PR game,” he
bit out. “Find someone else. Your Grace.”
Westcliff took a step closer, his eyes finally losing their look of
indifference. They were more intent now. Sharper. Calculating.
Jules’s heart beat faster. Something about this alpha put him on edge,
causing his fight-or-flight instinct to kick in. It was bizarre, considering that
he couldn’t even smell him.
“You misunderstood me,” Westcliff said, his deep voice significantly
softer now. “I have no intention of using your brother. My intentions are
honorable. The fact that courting him will help me achieve my political
goals doesn’t take away from my genuine admiration of him.”
Jules laughed sharply. “You should be an actor, Your Grace. I would
have believed you if I didn’t just hear you say that my brother ‘will do.’
Find. Someone. Else. Liam deserves better than a two-faced, manipulative
asshole like you.”
Westcliff cocked his head slightly, studying him like one would study
a strange creature. There was a diabolical glint in his eyes now. “Don’t you
know that you should never tell alphas that they can’t have something? It
only spurs us on to prove otherwise. We’re very competitive. It’s our
instinct.” His finely-shaped, firm lips curled condescendingly. “But then
again, I wouldn’t expect a beta to understand it.”
Jules flushed, his eyes stinging. He had been mistaken for a beta
before, but somehow, coming from this ridiculously handsome alpha, it felt
doubly humiliating.
“Mr. Blake isn’t a beta, Devlin,” Terlaine cut in.
Jules flinched, having completely forgotten that he was there.
Westcliff raised his eyebrows slightly, still looking at Jules. “My
apologies,” he said, his green eyes sweeping over Jules before stopping on
his throat.
Jules had to suppress the urge to check that his fading mark was
covered by the collar of his shirt. The mark was barely visible now and
soon would surely fade completely, but for now he had to wear high-
collared shirts that covered his throat.
“Apology accepted,” he said stiffly. Insincerely.
“In my defense, you don’t smell like an omega,” Westcliff said,
looking at him with furrowed brows.
Jules bared his teeth. “One would expect a duke to have better
manners than to comment on such things,” he said scathingly.
Westcliff smiled, as if Jules had said something amusing . “One
would,” he agreed and offered him an arm. “I will accompany you back to
the ballroom, James.”
“It’s Julian,” Jules gritted out, pointedly refusing to take the offered
arm. “Not that I gave you leave to use my given name. It’s Mr. Blake for
you.”
“Allow me to accompany you to your brother, Mr. Blake?”
Jules glared into his amused eyes. The asshole was mocking him!
“No,” he said. “Go to hell, Your Grace. And stay away from my
brother.”
He strode away with as much dignity as he could muster.
It wasn’t a lot, because his bond hurt again and all he wanted was to
go home and curl up with his kitten.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 8

Twenty-four years ago

He was fighting again.


Ilona could only watch it through the window, biting her lip hard
every time someone managed to land a punch on him. One small, six-year-
old boy against seven older boys was hardly a fair fight, but of course no
one interfered. No one ever did. Devlin’s position at the court was too
precarious for anyone to interfere. He might be the king’s “nephew,” but
most of the court strongly suspected that he wasn’t really Princess Lina’s
son. It wasn’t hard to guess when the princess herself barely acknowledged
the boy and kept him in a separate wing of the palace. Only a select few
knew the truth: that Devlin was the king’s bastard, the bastard the king
didn’t recognize as his son. And to make things worse, the poor boy’s
designation only made him a larger target. Being a Xeus was difficult for
adults too, but children could be so very cruel, and privileged children were
more cruel than most. Devlin’s explosive temper certainly didn’t help
matters.
Ilona exhaled in relief when someone finally broke up the fight. It
was Prince Haydn. He might be only six, too, but he was the
king’s legitimate son and heir, so of course the children listened to him.
She watched as Haydn helped Devlin to his feet and said something,
but Devlin ignored it and stormed away, blood still running down his split
lip. To his credit, his bullies didn’t look any better.
A short while later, the door opened and Devlin entered her room.
Ilona wasn’t surprised. He always came to her when he was hurt or upset or
angry. She might not be his nanny anymore, but Ilona knew she was the
only person the little boy trusted in the whole palace. It was both
heartwarming and disheartening.
“Let me see it,” she said, making him sit down.
They were silent while she treated his lip and bruised knuckles,
Devlin’s eyes on his hands. She’d lost count of how many times this had
happened.
“What happened this time?” she finally said, though she could guess.
She often heard other children calling him a beast and a filthy animal—
insults that Devlin could never take well.
Devlin just shrugged sullenly, his jaw clenching.
Ilona sighed and knelt down in front of him. “Sweetheart,” she said
softly, tipping his face up so he would look at her. “You know fighting
won’t change anything. You’re only proving them right by attacking them.
Don’t let them see that their insults bother you. Don’t let them get to you. I
know it seems like fighting is your only choice, but it isn’t.”
His beautiful green eyes were disturbingly dry. He never cried, no
matter how upset he was. It worried her sometimes.
“Then what can I do?” he said hoarsely. “They’ll win if I let them get
away with it.”
She tucked a wavy lock of black hair away from his eyes. “Be
patient. One day, you’ll change the world—I know you can do it. You’re so
strong and smart. But for that to happen, you need to be patient. Treat it like
a…” She paused, searching for an analogy he would understand. For all his
intelligence, he was still just a little boy. “Treat it like a game,” she said at
last, kissing him on the forehead. “A game in which you follow their rules
and trick them into believing that you’re just like them. It’s the only way
you can survive in this pit of snakes.”
Devlin stared at her without saying anything, his eyes much older
than any child should have. It made her heart hurt.
“I know it’s not fair,” she said with a shaky smile that felt more like a
grimace. “But we don’t live in a fair world. I know people look down on
you for what you are and who you are.” Some emotion flickered over his
face at the unspoken acknowledgment of his illegitimate status. Ilona
hugged him. “It is unfair,” she whispered, her heart aching for him. He was
a son of the king, after all. How must he feel, being treated like dirt while
his half-brother was adored and respected by everyone? She sighed,
squeezing his small body in her arms. “But you can make it better, one day.
I know you can. But for now, you need to guard your heart and emotions.
Let them see only what they’re comfortable seeing.”
Devlin pulled back and averted his gaze. But from the thoughtful
expression on his face, she could tell that he understood what she meant.
It would be years before Ilona would realize just how much he had
taken her advice to heart.
It would be too late.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 9

“Jules, enough. You’re being ridiculous.”


Jules spluttered, glaring at his dumbass brother. “Me? I’m telling you
that Westcliff is just using you for his political agenda, and I’m being
ridiculous?”
Liam rolled his eyes. “Yes, you’re being ridiculous. You’ve been
ranting about him for an hour, but I don’t see any problem with his actions.
There’s nothing wrong with caring about what people would think of our
courtship. It would be worse if he didn’t care. He’s a future king, after all.”
Liam smiled dreamily. “Can you imagine me as a king’s consort?”
“Agh!” Jules said in frustration, throwing a decorative pillow at
Liam’s head. “Are you even listening to me? He isn’t just caring about
people’s opinions! That’s the sole reason he’s courting you!”
“I’m sure it isn’t. He was very charming and attentive when we
danced.”
Jules pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly. “I’m sure he
was,” he bit off. “But it’s fake, Li. Look…” He walked over to Liam and sat
down next to him. Taking his brother’s shoulders into his hands, Jules said,
looking him in the eyes, “I know what he said wasn’t anything terrible, but
it’s how he said it I have a problem with. It was like looking at a different
person: cold, calculating, and heartless. He said that ‘you’ll do,’ as if he
were buying a thing. How can you be okay with it? Are you so blinded by
his looks and title? You deserve better. Don’t you want a husband who’ll
love you?”
Liam smiled a little. Taking Jules’s hands into his own, he squeezed
them. “Of course I want to be loved. But I think love will come in time. It’s
perfectly fine that he isn’t in love with me yet. I’m not in love with him,
either. But I’m sure it’ll happen as we spend more time together. Love takes
time, Jules. I couldn’t dream of a better suitor. He was perfectly charming,
he’s the most handsome alpha I’ve ever seen, and he smells nice.”
Jules frowned. At times like this, he hated that his suppressants
deprived him of normal sensory inputs. “You’re compatible?”
“We could be,” Liam said. “He smells nice enough to make me want
to inhale his scent more.” He shrugged. “It’s not like I have experience with
such things. Sure, it’s nothing like in those trashy novels—I don’t get
instantly slick when he’s close—but that probably doesn’t happen in real
life.”
Jules averted his gaze.
“Wait,” Liam said. “Did that happen to you with your—”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Jules said, crossing his arms over his
chest.
“Come on, don’t be a prude—”
“I’m not being a prude,” Jules snapped. “The bond just hurts when I
think of him, okay?”
The curious gleam in Liam’s eyes disappeared, replaced with pity. It
was almost worse.
Pursing his lips, Jules looked down at his hands. “Anyway,” he
said. “Just because he smells nice, it doesn’t make him a good person. He’s
a—”
“Two-faced, slippery, heartless bastard,” Liam said with a long-
suffering smile. “You already said that. Ten times.”
Jules scowled. “Fine, don’t listen to me and get your heart broken.”
Liam patted Jules on the shoulder. “Thanks for worrying for me,
really,” he said. “But you shouldn’t. It’s not your job. You’re my little
brother, and it’s my job to worry about you, not vice versa.”
“You’re just a year older,” Jules said, chuckling.
“Still older than you,” Liam said. “Look, I promise that I’ll pay closer
attention to anything the duke says, but you really have nothing to worry
about.” He smiled. “He’s perfect, brother.”
Jules thought of the cold-eyed man saying “he’ll do” and couldn’t
disagree more.
“No one is perfect,” he muttered. Surely he could somehow make
Westcliff show his true colors in front of Liam?
All right, he needed a plan.

***

Two days later, as he watched Westcliff dance with Liam—again—


Jules was still without a solid plan. The situation was actually worse now,
after his misguided attempt to involve his uncle.
Jules winced at the thought. All right, it hadn’t been his brightest
moment. In his defense, he had thought his uncle’s hatred for Xeus alphas
would outweigh Westcliff’s title and money. But apparently Uncle Wayne
was perfectly content to despise Westcliff and other Xeus alphas quietly and
had no intention of putting an end to their courtship. As much as Jules hated
his uncle and his bigotry, he would have respected him a little more if he
were principled enough to be consistent in his hatred. It was absolutely
sickening to watch Uncle Wayne smile at the Duke of Westcliff as if he
hadn’t tortured and experimented on Jules’s Xeus. And irrationally, that
only made him dislike Westcliff more. Why did this Xeus alpha have
everything while Jules’s Xeus had been killed like an animal?
Jules scowled at the dancing couple.
This complicated dance made it obvious how elegant and
sophisticated Westcliff was. Despite his tall, muscular frame, he didn’t look
like an oaf, leading Liam with ease and grace through the intricate steps of
the dance.
They looked wonderful together: a tall, dark, strikingly handsome
alpha and a golden-haired, exquisitely beautiful omega. Everyone in the
ballroom seemed to be watching them. Jules could hear countless people
sighing and commenting on what a beautiful couple they made.
The bastard’s strategy was absolutely working.
Jules glared at Westcliff, hating that fake-ass charming smile on his
face, the way he made Liam laugh and grin at him. The sight was
nauseating.
“Stop gawking at your brother and find a match for yourself.”
Jules flinched and looked at his uncle.
Uncle Wayne was very pale, his skin an unhealthy shade, and yet he
stood tall and proud, as if there was nothing wrong. He certainly seemed
healthy enough to stick his nose where it didn’t belong.
“I can hardly just find a match for myself, Uncle,” Jules said. “The
other party must be amenable, too. Alphas don’t take too kindly to omegas
choosing them as a mate without asking their opinion on the matter.”
“Don’t you snark at me, boy,” Uncle Wayne bit off, a hint of his
Voice creeping into his words.
Jules flinched and crossed his arms over his chest. He hated when
Uncle Wayne did that. He hated that it affected him.
“I don’t understand why you use so many suppressants,” Uncle
Wayne said, his nostrils flaring. “You don’t even smell like an omega
anymore—it’s unnatural. Your scent was the only semi-attractive thing
about you. Of course no one wants to dance with you now.”
Someone cleared his throat behind them. “Mr. Blake.”
His stomach plummeting, Jules turned and found Westcliff and Liam
standing there. Judging by the sympathetic look on Liam’s pretty face, they
had heard Uncle Wayne’s words.
Looking anywhere but at Westcliff, Jules smiled faintly while Uncle
Wayne and Westcliff made small talk. He didn’t care. Being publicly
humiliated was hardly something new for him. He didn’t give a shit about
Westcliff’s opinion.
“Would you care to dance?”
At the sudden silence, Jules frowned and looked at Westcliff.
Realizing that he was looking at him expectantly, his hand stretched to him,
Jules flushed. Glancing at Liam, he found him looking at Westcliff with a
grateful, soft smile, which only humiliated Jules more. He didn’t need
anyone’s pity, much less this alpha’s.
Jules glared at Westcliff and bit out, “No, thanks.”
The startled expression on Westcliff’s stupidly handsome face would
have made Jules laugh in any other circumstances. Had anyone ever told
this man “no”? It seemed no one ever had.
“Jules!” Liam hissed reproachfully.
Jules smiled, putting on an innocent look. “What? I don’t feel like
dancing.”
“Don’t be an idiot, boy,” Uncle Wayne said. “If people see the duke
paying attention to you, someone might actually notice you.”
Oh, wow. Uncle Wayne was outdoing himself tonight.
Jules’s smile turned strained, but he kept smiling. “I don’t need those
hypothetical ‘someones’ noticing me. I’m fine without them—having the
time of my life with my loving family, actually.”
“Do you not know how to dance, perhaps?” Westcliff said in a soft
voice, though the look in his eyes was anything but soft. He seemed
amused. Amused .
“I dance perfectly well, thank you,” Jules bit out.
Those green eyes held a challenge. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of,”
Westcliff said in the same soft tone.
Jules glowered at him. “I know how to dance,” he gritted out. “Fine!”
He grabbed Westcliff’s wrist and dragged him toward the dance floor.
“There’s no need to drag me,” Westcliff said, forcing him to slow
down his footsteps. Fuck, he was strong, incredibly so.
Jules gave him a fake smile as they took their places on the line
beside the other couples. “I just want to get it over with.”
His eyes flashing with mirth, Westcliff bowed to him. “With an
attitude like that, it’s no wonder no one invites you to dance,” he said
quietly.
Jules snorted, though truth be told, he felt a little pleased. This was
preferable to Westcliff pretending that he hadn’t heard Uncle Wayne’s
humiliating comments. And it was… a little less humiliating that Westcliff
had said people didn’t invite him to dance because of his attitude rather than
his lack of omega appeal. A little less.
“That was smart, I’ll give you that,” Jules said, lifting his hand and
aligning it with Westcliff’s hand a hair’s breadth apart as they moved
through the steps of the dance.
“What was?” Westcliff murmured, snapping Jules’s gaze from his
strong, long fingers. His hand was much larger than Jules’s.
He met the alpha’s gaze. “You definitely won a few points with my
brother by offering to dance with me.”
Westcliff’s sensual lips curled into an insufferably arrogant smirk that
made Jules want to wipe it off with his—with his fist.
“I know,” the duke said. “I’m quite proud of myself for thinking of
that.”
Jules stepped on his foot, hard.
The asshole just smiled wider and, laying a hand on Jules’s lower
back, spun him around with insulting ease, as if Jules weighed nothing.
By the time Westcliff set him back on his feet, Jules was flushed and
out of breath.
“I didn’t let you do that,” he hissed, stepping away from the alpha’s
broad chest.
Westcliff raised a haughty black brow. “It’s part of the dance. It’s
what alphas do at this part of it. I know you’re from the country, but surely
you’ve seen it since the start of the season?”
Jules gave him his sweetest smile. “I might be a country bumpkin,
but I have danced a stacetto before, and I know for a fact that not all alphas
do it. Don’t take me for an idiot, Your Grace.”
Noticing the strange expression on the duke’s face, Jules
said, “What?”
“You should smile more,” Westcliff said, his expression still
odd. “You’re kind of pretty when you smile.”
Jules hated the heat that spread to his cheeks. “Wow, kind of pretty?
I’m so flattered. Are you this smooth with Liam, too?”
The horrible part was, he was flattered. He normally ignored all the
empty compliments Liam’s suitors paid him. They just made him roll his
eyes. You’re as beautiful as your brother was his absolute
favorite, because it simply wasn’t true. But Westcliff’s words did seem
genuine—he’d said them almost grudgingly.
“With that attitude, it’s really no wonder you don’t have any suitors,”
Westcliff said, smiling a little. “Have you tried being nice to people? Or am
I the only subject of your sharp little tongue?”
“You’re not special, Your Grace,” Jules said, returning the smile as
they aligned their hands again.
“I’m not sure if I’m relieved or wounded,” Westcliff said. “Having
you live under my roof will certainly be not boring.”
Jules missed a step. “What?”
Westcliff smoothly corrected for him, making his misstep seem like a
planned dance move. “Your brother told me that if we are to marry,
his younger brothers will move into my house, too.”
Jules missed another step. “You’re talking about marriage ? You met
him two days ago!”
“And?”
“You don’t know each other!”
Westcliff spun him around. “We’re hardly planning to marry now.
But it makes sense to talk about conditions and consequences of our
hypothetical marriage before it actually occurs.”
“You can’t just—treat it like that. It’s not a business transaction!”
“Isn’t it?” Westcliff said with a small, absolutely maddening
smile. “You seem to be the only one not understanding it.”
Jules glared at him. “My brother deserves better than—that.”
“You were going to say ‘better than you.’ Do speak your mind,
Julian.”
Ugh, Jules wanted to wipe that infuriating, superior little smile off
Westcliff’s face.
He stomped on his foot again.
The asshole didn’t even wince.
“Are your feet made of durasteel? And don’t call me Julian.”
“No, you’re just a tiny thing, and your small feet would hardly hurt a
X—a grown man.”
“You wanted to say a Xeus,” Jules said, giving him a curious look.
Something flickered in Westcliff’s eyes. “That too,” he said evenly,
his face becoming unreadable again.
“You don’t seem like a Xeus,” Jules said.
Westcliff was the one to miss a step this time. “Pardon?” His voice
could have turned water into ice.
“You don’t seem like a Xeus,” Jules repeated, wondering if he’d hit a
nerve. “You don’t act like a Xeus. You’re so civilized and pragmatic. Xeus
alphas are supposed to be all instinct.”
Westcliff chuckled, but his eyes remained cold and intent. “You
shouldn’t believe the stereotypes. How many Xeus alphas have you met in
your life?”
Jules swallowed.
“Enough to know that you’re very unlike them,” he said, his voice
tighter than he would have liked. “People say mating compatibility is
incredibly important for Xeus alphas. They supposedly mate for life.”
Something shifted in Westcliff’s expression. “Where are you going
with this?” he said, holding Jules’s gaze with such intensity Jules’s skin
covered in goosebumps.
He wet his lips with his tongue. “I’m just amazed that you can quash
your instincts and make such a pragmatic, calculating decision to marry an
omega for the sake of good publicity. It seems very un-Xeus-like. Have you
surgically removed your mating gland?”
“We are not animals,” Westcliff said. “You’d be better served not to
believe everything people say. I can control my baser instincts and think
with my head, and most Xeus alphas are capable of doing it, too—outside
of circumstances beyond our control.”
“Like rut?” Jules said.
Westcliff stared at him.
Jules smiled. “What? Why should we dance around the subject? Just
because I’m an omega?”
“I see you’re going to be a handful after I marry your brother,”
Westcliff murmured, his lips twitching.
“You will not be marrying my brother,” Jules said, lifting his
chin. “So you don’t have to worry about me being a ‘handful,’ Your Grace.”
“We shall see.”
Someone coughed awkwardly, and Jules flinched and tore his eyes
from Westcliff’s.
People were staring at them.
It took Jules a moment to realize why: the music had stopped. They
were the only people on the dance floor, Westcliff’s large hand still on his
lower back. When had the music stopped?
Embarrassed and bewildered, Jules stepped back and put on a
smile. “Your Grace.” Whirling around, he strode away, his thoughts in
disarray.
Before he could regain his equilibrium, Westcliff caught up with him.
Touching him on the elbow, he slowed him down. “Stop running, Julian,”
he said. “Or people will talk.”
Jules scoffed without looking at him. “That’s all you care about? And
I’m not running. Kindly piss off.”
“Let me accompany you to your brother.”
Right. His brother.
“If you must,” Jules said. “Though I’m sure I’ll be able to find my
way without your ducal assistance.”
He heard Westcliff exhale. “You’re impossible. Must you always
argue with me?”
Jules turned his head and smiled at him. “Are you feeling
exasperated, Your Grace?”
The look Westcliff shot him was rather pinched. “You are
exasperating.”
His smile widening, Jules batted his eyelashes and said
sweetly, “Why, that’s the best compliment you could have paid me. Much
better than ‘kind of pretty.’”
A muscle jumped in Westcliff’s cheek. “I can’t believe you and Liam
are brothers. He isn’t a tenth as exasperating as you are, you little menace.”
Jules chuckled. “Now imagine marrying Liam and having to put up
with me always being around. The horror! So you should totally find
another puppet for your PR campaign.”
“You’re nowhere near as amusing as you think you are.”
“I’m actually being dead serious—”
“Julian.”
Both of them snapped their gazes toward the voice.
It belonged to Jules’s uncle, who was watching them strangely.
Liam stood nearby, too, surrounded by his usual crowd of admirers.
Although he was in the middle of a conversation, he was glancing their way
curiously.
Westcliff let go of Jules’s arm, bowed slightly to Liam with a
disgustingly charming smile, and nodded coldly to Uncle Wayne, before
turning back to Jules. Leaning in, he said, very quietly, just for Jules’s
ears, “You don’t scare me, brat. Get used to the idea that you’ll be living in
my house soon. When I’m your brother’s alpha, I’ll be yours, too. You’ll
have to listen to me. You’ll have to obey me.” His lips curled, his eyes
intent. “I’m very much looking forward to it.”
“Never,” Jules said, his fists clenching.
Westcliff picked up one of Jules’s fists and stroked his knuckles until
his fingers unclenched.
His face hot and his pulse thundering in his ears, Jules watched
Westcliff lift his hand toward his lips. Surely he wouldn’t…
He did.
Warm lips brushed against Jules’s knuckles.
It was nothing out of the ordinary. An old-fashioned gesture of
respect toward noble omegas, nothing more.
It shouldn’t have made his skin cover in goosebumps. Or made his
fingers tremble.
Jules yanked his hand away and glared at the alpha. That—
that manipulative bastard! He thought he could turn on the charm and Jules
would just forget what a two-faced, cynical asshole he was?
“Don’t waste your charm on me, Your Grace,” he said in his most
disdainful voice. “It doesn’t work on me.”
The asshole laughed, as if Jules was being amusing.
“It was worth a try,” he said, and left.
Jules didn’t watch him leave.
He didn’t.
He looked down at his hand and scowled at his tingling fingers,
before wiping them off on his pants.
It didn’t work. He could still feel Westcliff’s touch as if his flesh had
been singed.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 10

Devlin Schaefer, the Duke of Westcliff, wasn’t in a very good mood.


He had a headache—not a new occurrence ever since he’d woken up on
Calluvia to find the previous two months of his life gone from his memory
—but this morning it was particularly aggravating. For one very specific
reason.
“Your Grace, His Majesty is waiting for you.”
Devlin gave a clipped nod before walking toward the king’s office.
He paused for a moment, reinforcing the bland, neutral expression on his
face, and then entered the room.
The king wasn’t alone. Austin Cormack, the palace press officer, was
there too. He bowed to Devlin, his gaze lowered.
King Stefan regarded Devlin with a deep frown, a hint of displeasure
in his scent. “Nephew,” he said coldly.
Devlin briefly entertained the thought of calling the king Father. He
almost laughed out loud.
“Your Majesty,” he said instead, as coldly.
“Take a seat,” the king said.
Devlin did as he was told and looked from Stefan to his press officer.
The latter was the one to break the silence. “The news that Prince
Haydn is disinherited will be announced at the beginning of next month,”
Cormack said, glancing nervously at the king. But Stefan didn’t comment,
his face inscrutable, so Cormack continued. “Preliminary data suggests that
almost seventy percent of the population will disapprove. The prince—”
“He’s no longer a prince,” Stefan bit out.
Cormack swallowed. “I’m sorry, sire. Habit. The—Haydn is very
loved by the common people, especially by the army. We cannot predict
how they would react to the news of him being disinherited and a—” He cut
himself off, glancing nervously at Devlin this time.
Devlin took pity on him. “And a Xeus alpha being named the heir,”
he finished for him.
Cormack nodded gratefully. “The situation is doubly difficult.
However, it does help that the duke is popular among our people—for a
Xeus alpha.” He looked at Devlin. “Your reputation is beyond reproach,
Your Grace. You’ve performed very well as National Security Adviser, so
well that even your strongest critics have admitted so. We managed to
contain the unfortunate incident at the Opal House, so there is nothing your
detractors can use against you—”
“That’s not necessarily true,” Devlin said. “Whoever held me captive
—whoever experimented on me—might know my identity and might have
something to use against me.” Like the fact that I bonded to someone,
possibly against their will.
The unsettling thought made his stomach clench, the phantom ache of
his broken mating bond chilling his insides. No matter how many times
Devlin had told himself that it hadn’t been him, it turned his stomach to
think that his feral self might have forced some poor omega to do what they
didn’t want to do. His only consolation was the fact that the bond had
formed, which meant that the omega must have been receptive enough: the
mating mark wouldn’t have taken if his feral self had raped them. It was
still a small comfort. At least the omega was now free of their accidental
bond.
Cormack winced. “That is a possibility, but our Secret Service is
investigating the issue and hopefully we’ll have answers soon. The most
pressing concern is the matter of your former bondmate, Your Grace. If
someone steps forward, blaming you for—for assaulting and forcing a
mating mark on them, that would ruin everything. People would not care
that you couldn’t be held responsible for your actions under the influence of
kerosvarin. It would be a disaster.”
“What are you suggesting, Austin?” the king cut in tersely.
Cormack sighed. “What I suggested to His Grace weeks ago—to
choose a suitable omega and bond to them as soon as possible. If he’s
happily bonded to someone else, his first bondmate would not be able to
prove that it was His Grace who forced a mating mark on them. Everyone
knows Xeus alphas bond for life. We are fortunate that the genetic
modification procedure His Grace underwent on Calluvia dissolved his first
bond without any lasting harm to him. He can bond again.” He looked at
Devlin with a hint of approval on his face. “I see that you followed my
advice and already started courting Liam Blake. A very good choice, Your
Grace.”
Devlin gave him a flat look. He didn’t like the way the beta always
danced around the issue. “I’m hearing a but somewhere.”
“Unfortunately, the courtship alone isn’t enough to distract people
and raise morale. A royal wedding is another matter entirely. You need to
marry as soon as possible—and produce an heir. Preferably a non-shifter
alpha.” Cormack looked at him nervously. “No offense, Your Grace.”
Devlin smiled, looking him in the eye. “None taken.”
Cormack swallowed and gave him an uncertain smile. “You must
understand that I’m just thinking about the future of the Crown, Your
Grace.”
“I understand. Go on.”
Cormack visibly exhaled. “Could you accelerate your courtship of
Mr. Blake? I presume he’s amenable to marrying you, and you are
compatible?”
The question gave Devlin pause. Those were two different issues.
Liam Blake was amenable to marrying him, but as far as their compatibility
went… Liam was ridiculously gorgeous, well educated, and well mannered.
He wasn’t an empty-headed fool. His face was picture perfect, and his body
was as beautiful as his face. Bedding him would certainly be no chore. He
smelled pleasant enough. And yet…
Yet nothing , Devlin told himself sharply. Liam Blake was perfect for
his purposes. The fact that the alpha inside Devlin wasn’t drawn to him was
irrelevant. He wasn’t an animal. He was a man, and he would make the
choice as a man.
“He’s amenable,” Devlin stated. “Is that all?”
“No,” Stefan said. “Contact Haydn and ask him to attend your
inauguration as the crown prince. That would reassure his supporters that
Haydn is stepping down willingly.”
Devlin stared at him. “Haydn isn’t stepping down willingly.”
“As far as our people are concerned, he is,” the king said. “We will
say he has realized that he cannot be the king of Pelugia in addition to being
the Lord Chancellor of the planet and the husband of the Kadarian prime
minister.”
Devlin nearly laughed. “What are you going to do when Haydn
refuses to confirm it?”
“He’ll confirm it to save his pride,” Stefan said bitingly. “Not to
mention that he’s weak and soft-hearted, like all omegas. If you tell him that
you need his support, he’ll fold.”
There had been a time when Devlin had tried to hate his half-brother.
When they had been children, Haydn had everything he didn’t: the respect
of their peers, the love and adoration of everyone, their father’s favor.
Haydn had been the golden child of the palace while Devlin had been a
violent boy no one wanted around, including his so-called mother. But as
they had grown up, he’d come to pity Haydn, not envy him. Hating him was
impossible. Haydn was a genuinely good person and good cousin—cousin,
because Haydn had no idea that Devlin was the king’s bastard.
“Haydn isn’t an omega,” Devlin said neutrally, enjoying the way the
king’s face flushed with anger.
“He is,” King Stefan hissed. “He’s a filthy omega masquerading as an
alpha.”
Devlin adopted a look of confusion. “I thought you were the one that
messed with his genetics and turned him into an alpha?”
The king’s scent spiked with rage as he leaned forward. “You’re
forgetting yourself, boy,” he bit out, the air filling with his alpha
pheromones.
Devlin stared at the king, entirely unimpressed. Did Stefan really
think this posturing would work on him? He was a Xeus. If there was one
good thing about being a Xeus, it was that Xeus alphas had stronger
pheromones than non-shifter alphas did. He could out-alpha the king easily
—if he wanted to.
He didn’t, of course. He didn’t need his designation to outplay the
king. “I’m just somewhat curious, Your Majesty,” he said evenly. “Would
you have recognized me as your son if you knew beforehand that your
legitimate heir was going to be an omega? Even a filthy Xeus is probably
better than a filthy omega, right?”
The king’s face was nearly purple by now with rage. “Get out of my
sight,” he said tightly. “I should have given you to paupers, you ungrateful
—”
“Why didn’t you?” Devlin said, genuinely curious. That was
something he had never understood. The king had never showed him any
affection, and Devlin didn’t delude himself into thinking that he was his
only bastard. Why had the king even bothered to force his younger sister to
raise his by-blow as hers, especially a Xeus by-blow? It wasn’t like the king
hadn’t known that his bastard would be a Xeus when he grew up: in
Pelugia, a genetic test usually determined an infant’s designation right after
their birth, sometimes even a few months before birth, like in Haydn’s
case. It was honestly perplexing.
The king just glared at him and said nothing, his jaw working.
Cormack cleared his throat. “Should I leave, Your Majesty?” he said
awkwardly.
“You may stay, Austin,” Devlin said. “I’m sure you’re aware of all
the royal dirty secrets.”
“You are not to give orders to my people when I’m right here in the
room,” the king bit out. “Your impudence knows no bounds. At least Haydn
knew how to show respect to his betters and never spoke out of turn.”
“And yet he’s the one getting disowned, despite being a good little
prince all his life,” Devlin said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “His
only misstep was having the audacity to fall in love with his husband and
refuse to betray him. What gives, Your Majesty?”
A vein started throbbing in Stefan’s temple.
Devlin knew he shouldn’t aggravate the king so much. Rationally, he
knew it. But he had a hell of a headache, and his temper was rather short
after a sleepless night, and he didn’t like being told what to do—even if the
politician in him agreed with the course of action Cormack and the king
were suggesting.
“Get out of my sight,” the king said at last.
Smiling, Devlin stood up, gave the king a mock-bow, and strode out
of the office.
His smile dropped as soon as he was out of the room.
Sighing, Devlin closed his eyes for a moment, trying to let go of the
pent-up aggression under his skin.
He couldn’t.
Maybe he should find some pretty omega to fuck the tension out of
his system—at least for a while. Except ever since the ordeal with
kerosvarin, the mere thought of meaningless sex turned his stomach. It was
probably his broken bond. It might have been broken, but his body still
seemed to be having trouble adjusting to not having a mate. He got aroused
at bizarre times for no damn reason and couldn’t get aroused when he
should. The doctors said it was normal, given the experiments done to him
and the loss of his mating bond, but it was a small comfort when most of
the time Devlin felt so frustrated he could barely control himself.
But he had no choice.
He had to do what must be done.
Court Liam Blake and try to form a mating bond with him.
As soon as possible.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 11

“I’ll see if Master Liam is home, Your Grace,” the Blakes’ butler said
before disappearing upstairs.
Devlin took a seat on the couch and, leaning back, closed his eyes,
hoping some rest would help his pounding headache. He wasn’t used to
feeling in any way sick—Xeus alphas’ heightened regeneration normally
dealt with any issue. But these headaches probably had something to do
with his broken bond.
“Why are you napping in our house?” said a familiar voice before
someone plopped down next to him.
Devlin opened his eyes and found a pair of pretty brown eyes peering
at him suspiciously.
His lips twitched. “Hello to you, too, Julian.”
Julian Blake scowled at him. “Stop calling me that.”
“That? Your name?”
“My name is Jules,” the brat said. “But you aren’t allowed to use my
first name. It’s for my friends and family. You’re neither.”
“I’m practically your family—or will be soon.”
The glare Julian gave him was so vicious Devlin found himself
smiling. Liam’s younger brother was amusing. And kind of adorable when
he glowered like that.
“No you won’t be,” Julian said, lifting his chin.
“I will be your alpha,” Devlin said, tapping the little omega on his
upturned nose. He liked embarrassing and angering him probably more than
was healthy. “So mind your attitude.”
Two spots of color appeared on Julian’s pale cheeks. He glared at
Devlin, his lips pursing. “You won’t be my alpha. Our brother hasn’t been
declared dead yet. He might return yet.”
“You don’t really believe it,” Devlin stated. “Or Liam wouldn’t be in
such a hurry to marry.”
Julian blinked, his long dark eyelashes fluttering. “How do you know
that?”
“It wasn’t difficult to guess. Neither you nor your brother like your
uncle much. You clearly don’t want to depend on him.”
“I don’t want to depend on you, either,” Julian said with a scoff. “So
you aren’t marrying Liam.”
“Are you saying your brother won’t marry me without your
approval?” Devlin said with a smile. “You’re adorable in your naivete.”
Julian scowled. “I’m not adorable. Stop treating me like I’m a stupid
kid. I’m just a year younger than Liam.”
Devlin’s eyebrows flew up. He stared at him in bemusement. He had
thought Julian was at least a few years younger, perhaps seventeen to
Liam’s twenty.
It was probably the face, he concluded after a moment. Julian’s wide
doe eyes gave him an innocent look. His small upturned nose and small
pink mouth also contributed to making him look very young.
If Julian really was nineteen already, it somewhat explained why his
uncle was displeased with him for not looking for suitors. Omegas tended to
marry young, as young as sixteen. An omega was considered to be of age
after their first heat—just like alphas were considered of age after their first
rut. Devlin had always thought it was kind of disgusting to marry such
young omegas, but he knew that a lot of alphas weren’t as squeamish as he
was. Compared to that, a nineteen-year-old omega was more than ready for
marriage. Many omegas had a couple of kids by that age.
And yet the thought of this omega having kids—and an alpha—
was… strange.
His brows furrowed, Devlin said, “In my defense, your naive views
about marriage did make you seem like a child. Your brother’s pragmatic
approach is what I would expect from an omega of your age and
upbringing.”
Julian chuckled. “You’re the naive one if you think Liam is
pragmatic. He’s anything but. He’s just fooled by your face.”
A slow smile stretched Devlin’s lips. “My face? What about my
face?”
“You know what I mean.” Julian glowered at him, his cheeks
becoming pink again.
Devlin’s fingers twitched, itching to pinch them. “No, I don’t. Do
enlighten me, Julian.”
“You know exactly what I mean, you arrogant ass!”
Devlin grinned. “Are you saying you think I’m handsome?”
“Everyone thinks that! But I don’t. It’s not my fault people have no
taste.”
Devlin wondered if it was too weird that he kind of wanted to rub his
face against the brat’s flushed cheek. Probably.
“Your Grace?”
Devlin tore his gaze away from Julian’s scowling face and looked at
his older brother. Belatedly, he got to his feet. “Liam. You look beautiful, as
usual.”
Julian gave a derisive snort, but his brother smiled at Devlin
dazzlingly. “Thank you, Your Grace. But you didn’t tell me that you
intended to call on me today.”
“It was a spur-of-the-moment thing,” Devlin said, relieved that he
didn’t have to force a smile on his face anymore. His headache was gone, so
smiling at a beautiful omega wasn’t exactly a hardship. “Would you like to
accompany me to the Universe Park? You mentioned that you’ve always
wanted to see it.”
Liam’s eyes widened a little. He really was remarkably lovely, almost
ridiculously so. “Now?” he said.
When Devlin just nodded, Liam said, “Thanks, I’d love to. Let me
just change—”
“Great idea!” Julian cut in. “I’ll go with you. I’ve always wanted to
see the Universe Park, too!”
Liam shot him a skeptical look. “Really?”
Julian blinked innocently. “Of course! Who doesn’t want to gawk at
weird animals from all over the Union?” Grabbing his brother’s arm, Julian
dragged him upstairs. “Let’s go change.”
At the top of the stairs, Julian looked back over his shoulder, winked,
and stuck his pink little tongue out.
“Brat,” Devlin murmured, chuckling.
He was amused despite himself. He should probably have been more
irritated by Julian’s interference. Much more. It was ruining his plans for
the day. He needed to lay groundwork for a mating bond with Liam. A
couple needed a connection for a mating bite to take, a certain degree of
intimacy, which was harder to achieve if there wasn’t a high natural
compatibility. Although Devlin hadn’t really intended to seduce Liam, he’d
fully intended to kiss him—and maybe do more than that—but with Julian
there it would obviously be much more difficult.
He’d have to get Liam alone, somehow.

***
An hour later, Devlin wished he’d found an excuse to not take Julian
with them.
It was impossible to focus on forming a connection with Liam when
he had Liam’s younger brother hanging on his other arm and demanding his
attention—all the goddamn time.
“Holy shit, why would they put that troll with the poor monkeys?”
the bane of his existence said, gripping Devlin’s bicep anxiously—or
excitedly. It was hard to tell sometimes. “It’s going to eat them!”
Devlin snorted, watching the “troll”—the Eugarian gorilla, according
to the information plaque beside the exhibit—attack the smaller
monkeys. “That’s the point,” he said. “The Universe Park subscribes to the
notion that animals from different planets should be able to adapt in a
hostile new environment. The weak species die out, and only the strongest
—and smartest—survive.”
“That’s barbaric,” Julian said, his pink lips pursing into a scowl.
Devlin looked back at the exhibit. “Evolution works in a similar
way,” he said.
“This is not evolution. This is just cruelty, plain and simple.”
“Yet people love watching it,” Devlin said. “The crowds attest to
that.”
“Pfft. It proves nothing,” Julian said, lifting his chin. “All those
people are here to gawk at Liam and you, not at the monkeys.”
“I think it is very interesting,” Liam cut in, for the first time in a
while.
“See?” Devlin said, smiling a little when Julian shot Liam a betrayed
look. “Your brother is enjoying himself.”
Truth be told, he had no idea if Liam was enjoying himself—he
hadn’t had an opportunity to ask, considering that Julian had somehow
managed to insert himself into every conversation Devlin attempted to start
with Liam and get Devlin sidetracked into meaningless arguments. It was
bizarre how the little menace managed to do it every time despite Devlin
telling himself that he’d ignore him next time.
He couldn’t ignore him. It was fucking idiotic. He had the most
beautiful omega in the country on his arm, and yet he’d spent the past hour
bickering with his mouthy little brother. It was doubly idiotic, considering
the fact that he had no time to waste. He should have been wrapping up
Liam’s courtship by now. Instead, he hadn’t managed to form even the
shallowest connection with him—thanks to the menace on his other arm.
“Liam is just being polite,” Julian said. “He’ll say that even if he
secretly agrees with me.”
“I will not,” Liam said before taking in a sharp breath. He took his
hand off Devlin’s arm and all but ran forward. “Oh my! This is amazing!”
Devlin’s gaze followed Liam.
It was a giant sea exhibit, filled with various water predators from all
over the Union. Sharks—and big creatures that looked a lot like sharks—
were battling it out, with smaller fish trying to hide among the picturesque
caves. A huge white shark tore into the blue one right before their eyes,
coloring the water with blood.
“This is sick,” Julian grumbled. “Figures that Liam would like that .”
Amused, Devlin smiled, but when he glanced at Julian, he looked
genuinely nauseated, his face pale.
Frowning, Devlin hesitated. A glance at Liam confirmed that he
wasn’t going to leave the sea exhibit anytime soon: the golden-haired
omega was gesticulating animatedly as he talked to their guide.
“Let’s go,” he said, steering Julian away.
“What about Li?”
“I’ll return for him in a little while,” Devlin said. “Our guide will
keep him entertained for now.”
Julian didn’t protest—Devlin wouldn’t be surprised if the little
menace cheered on the inside, given his determination to ruin Devlin’s
courtship of his brother.
“You aren’t faking it, are you?” he murmured, guiding them toward
the next exhibit in the distance—a huge enclosure that imitated some kind
of alien jungle.
“That’s rather rude of you to suspect a noble omega of such a thing,”
Julian said, giving him an innocent look. “We omegas are very fragile
creatures, don’t you know that?”
Devlin chuckled. “I forget that you are an omega sometimes.”
Julian’s lips folded into a line. He gave a small smile without looking
at him. “Most people do. I’m used to it.” He shrugged. “I don’t look like an
omega.”
Devlin’s eyebrows knitted together. “What is that supposed to
mean?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t understand what I mean,” Julian said,
laughing a little.
“No, I don’t,” Devlin said. “I wasn’t aware all omegas looked like
each other.”
Julian shot him a sharp look before averting his gaze. “Stop making
fun of me.”
“I’m not making fun of you.” Devlin stopped and turned, blocking
his view. “Julian, look at me.”
Julian finally did. “Stop pretending you don’t know what I’m talking
about,” he said, glowering at him fiercely. “You thought I was a beta when
we first met.”
“I thought you were a beta because you don’t smell like an omega,”
Devlin said slowly, eyeing him. “It had nothing to do with your physical
appearance. If we go by physical appearance, you look very much like an
omega.”
Julian made a skeptical sound.
Shaking his head, Devlin touched Julian’s cheek with his knuckles.
Stroked it. “You have perfect skin,” he stated quietly. “Silky soft and
smooth. Alphas and betas don’t have such skin.” He took Julian’s hand and,
lifting it, rubbed the soft palm against his own rough, stubbled
cheek. “See?”
“Oh.” Julian’s cheeks were pink now. “That’s all?” he said, snatching
his hand away and shoving it into his pocket.
Devlin hesitated. “Your build is very… omega,” he finally said.
“Huh?”
Devlin ran a hand through his hair. “You’re curvy in all the right
places,” he said stiffly, looking at the sea exhibit in the distance. He should
probably return to Liam’s side now.
“Ha! I’m telling Liam you ogle my ‘right places’!”
When Devlin whipped his head around to stare at him, he found
Julian grinning triumphantly despite his blush.
Devlin laughed. “Newsflash, brat: all unmated alphas look at those
places, regardless of their intentions. No ogling is necessary. It’s an instinct.
We notice these things.”
Julian shot him an uncertain look before lifting his pointy chin. “Your
point being?”
Devlin tapped his thumb against Julian’s small nose, feeling a rush of
affection. “My point being, you’re not unattractive. When I’m your alpha,
I’ll find you a good spouse and I don’t expect it to be difficult.”
Julian glared at him, but there was something strange in his
expression now. Something almost… fragile.
“You will not be marrying Liam,” he said.
“Why not?” Devlin said. “I know your first impression of me wasn’t
the best, but you know my intentions are good. I’ll treat your brother well. I
promise.” He looked the young omega in the eyes. “I’ll take care of you,
too.”
Julian swallowed, just looking at him for a moment.
Then he turned and strode toward the jungle.
Frowning, Devlin hesitated, looking between the sea exhibit in the
distance and Julian’s retreating back. He really should go back to Liam, use
the opportunity Julian was giving him.
But Liam had their guide with him. Julian was younger and more
vulnerable. He could get lost. Or get hurt. Although there weren’t supposed
to be dangerous animals in the outdoor exhibits open to the public, entering
them alone still wasn’t recommended.
Devlin gritted his teeth, frustrated with himself. The politician in him
knew going back to Liam was the right choice. But his alpha instincts urged
him to follow the more vulnerable omega and make sure he was all right.
Sighing, Devlin followed Julian into the jungle. He consoled himself
that it was a good thing that his alpha side already felt protective of his
future mate’s family—it should help him bond with Liam.
As soon as he entered the force field separating the habitat from the
rest of the park, it was like he was in a different world. The noise of the
crowd outside was cut off, leaving only the natural sounds of the jungle.
Devlin found himself relaxing, the beast in him settling more comfortably
under his skin.
There were fewer visitors in this part of the park. It was a relief,
because otherwise finding Julian here would have been more difficult.
Devlin followed the shoe prints, his nostrils flaring in a futile attempt to
catch a whiff of the omega’s scent. He still didn’t know why Julian
suppressed his scent so much.
He found him sitting by a small waterfall, watching a pair of doe-like
creatures. Julian had his legs drawn up to his body, his arms wrapped
around them, and he had his chin on his knees.
“You shouldn’t be here alone,” Devlin said.
Julian’s shoulders tensed. “I thought you went back to Liam, Your
Grace,” he said without looking at him. “Why didn’t you?”
Devlin stared at his nape. Wavy brown hair barely touched Julian’s
pale neck. “You don’t have to call me ‘Your Grace.’ We’re going to be
family soon.”
A brittle laugh left Julian’s mouth. “The sad part is you aren’t even
being arrogant. No one will say no to you. Liam won’t.”
Devlin took a step closer and let his knuckles graze against the back
of Julian’s neck.
The brat flinched but didn’t move away from the touch. “What are
you doing?” he whispered.
I have no fucking idea.
“You don’t smell like anything,” Devlin said tersely. “A person
without a scent just isn’t normal. It’s driving my instincts crazy.”
Julian finally turned his head, his large brown eyes blinking up at
him. “And making me smell of you would fix it?”
Yes .
“It’s better than nothing,” Devlin said with a jerky shrug. “Why are
you taking so many suppressants? It can’t possibly be healthy.”
A look of discomfort appeared on Julian’s face. “I’m a Dainiri,” he
said.
Devlin shot him a look. “I know quite a few Dainiri omegas. They
still have a scent, no matter how suppressed. You have none.”
White teeth sank into Julian’s small bottom lip as their owner
regarded him for a few moments.
“My mate has died recently.”
Devlin stared at him blankly.
What?
“You had a mate?” he managed at last.
He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. He couldn’t believe how wrong
his first impression had been. Fuck, he had thought Julian was very young
and innocent… It seemed unthinkable that he’d had a mate.
“Yes,” Julian said, averting his gaze. “I’m on such strong
suppressants to make the broken bond hurt less.” He scrunched up his
nose. “Look, I know it must be off-putting to be around an omega without a
scent—but I have it much worse. I can’t smell anyone , thanks to the
suppressants. Do you have any idea how unsettling it is?”
Devlin processed that. He wanted to ask what had happened to the
boy’s mate, but that would be completely tactless. Speaking of
tactless… “Why does your uncle act like you’ve never been bonded?”
Julian winced. “He doesn’t know I’ve ever been bonded. Please don’t
tell him. I’m not sure why I’ve even told you this—it’s supposed to be a
secret. Only Liam knows. We decided not to tell anyone and just up the
dosage of my suppressants. It has to stop hurting at some point, right?”
Unbelievable.
Devlin pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are both of you insane?”
“Um, what?”
Devlin sat down beside Julian and then hauled him into his lap.
Julian squeaked. “What are you doing—”
“Fixing your careless stupidity,” Devlin ground out, pushing Julian’s
face against his throat. “Breathe.”
“Why?” Julian stammered. “I can’t smell anything anyway.”
“You may not be able to smell anything, but you’ll still be receptive
to alpha pheromones. And you need them, you little idiot. Have you been
taught nothing?”
The brat was very tense on his lap before slowly relaxing and taking
a deep, shaky breath against Devlin’s neck. “I don’t understand,” he said,
sounding confused and lost.
Devlin gritted his teeth, telling himself to be patient. It wasn’t the
boy’s fault that his irresponsible parents hadn’t educated their children on
mating bonds.
“Hundreds of years ago, there used to be a tradition that a widowed
omega must marry their deceased mate’s alpha sibling—if there was one,”
he said, acutely aware of how scandalous their proximity would appear to
an onlooker. Although they were in a secluded place in the jungle, it wasn’t
private. Anyone could come across them. At least his superior hearing
would warn him well before anyone could see them. Not that they were
doing anything wrong, but gossip didn’t need proof or facts to cause a
scandal, and a scandal was the last thing Devlin needed right now. But the
poor omega needed this. Needed his help. Needed him. “Do you know
why?”
Julian shook his head. “I feel weird,” he mumbled into Devlin’s neck,
his fingers gripping his shirt.
“Bad weird?”
“No,” Julian answered after a moment.
Devlin hummed, unsurprised. “When your mate dies, it’s always
painful. There have even been cases when the broken bond killed the
surviving bondmate. Thankfully, it happens rarely, only if the bond is
abnormally strong and you’ve been mated for years. The tradition to marry
your dead mate’s sibling existed because the broken bond heals only around
an alpha the omega trusts, whether it’s a sibling, a parent, or a new alpha
partner. A broken bond never heals without alpha pheromones, you idiot.”
“Don’t call me an idiot,” Julian mumbled half-heartedly. “And if
you’re implying I trust you—”
“You do,” Devlin said, propping his chin on top of Julian’s head. “Or
you wouldn’t feel ‘weird’ now. Your suppressants might be suppressing
your sense of smell and hormones, but your body is still somewhat
receptive to alpha pheromones. You feel better now, don’t you?”
Julian’s stubborn silence was the only response he got.
Smiling wryly, Devlin dropped a kiss on top of his head. “It’s okay,
brat. It’s normal. Nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“Shut up,” Julian grumbled, rubbing his nose against Devlin’s scent
gland and breathing unsteadily. “Fuck, it’s so confusing. I can’t smell
anything, but I do feel good.”
Running his fingers through his soft hair, Devlin said, “We are simply
used to equating scent with pheromones when scent is just one aspect of
pheromones. But it’ll still work better if you lower the dose of your
suppressants.” He dropped his smile. “It’s dangerous, Julian. The
recommended dose is recommended for a reason. You might lose the ability
to have children if you keep it up.”
Julian gave a soft snort. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I have a line
of suitors, and my popularity won’t exactly increase if people find out I’m
not an untouched virgin.”
Devlin’s lips thinned. He couldn’t deny there was truth to that: alphas
were too possessive to want a non-virgin omega as a mate.
He tipped Julian’s face up with his fingers and made him meet his
gaze. “I promise I’ll find you another mate if you want it,” he said
steadily. “But even if you don’t, you can stay in my house for the rest of
your life. After I marry Liam, I’ll be your alpha too. I will take good care of
you. You will want for nothing.”
Julian just stared at him for a moment, his doe-like eyes wide and
unblinking. Then, he looked away, his cheeks coloring slightly. “Arrogant
ass,” he muttered, getting off Devlin’s lap and springing to his feet. “Let’s
go back to Li. He’s probably looking for us.”
Devlin caught his wrist. “Julian.”
After a moment, Julian looked down at his hand before looking back
at him. His face was unreadable now. “What?”
“I was serious about the bond. You can’t just overdose yourself with
suppressants and hope the pain will go away—it won’t. Let me help you if
you don’t want to ask for help from your uncle. At least promise me you’ll
seriously consider it.”
Julian pursed his lips tightly.
He was silent for a while before finally nodding.
Devlin was a little surprised by the strength of the relief that washed
over him. Though the fact that Julian now smelled like him most certainly
contributed to his sudden protectiveness. Alphas took care of their own, and
Devlin was no exception.
He did want to be Julian’s alpha.
He was going to take good care of him after marrying Liam.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 12

Jules woke up and stretched sleepily, smiling. He felt wonderfully


well rested—
Because he was.
Jules blinked his eyes open and evaluated his state. He did feel
wonderful. Like he’d actually managed a full night’s sleep—and that hadn’t
happened since...
The bond.
Jules carefully poked at the raw, achy thing he’d come to associate
with the bond. It felt… better this morning? Not as painful as usual.
Jules mulled it over, not sure what to think. He’d half-convinced
himself that what happened in the zoo yesterday had been a fluke: sure, he
had felt… good when Westcliff had pushed him against his scent gland and
told him to breathe, but the effect had disappeared when they returned
home. So he had done his best to forget about the whole thing—it had been
too unsettling—and had fallen asleep as soon as his head touched his
pillow. He hadn’t expected to actually sleep through the night. Was it
because of what Westcliff had done?
Jules reached for his tablet on the nightstand and looked up mating
bonds on the Internet. He now felt silly for not thinking of it before. Why
had he thought that the pain would just go away without any treatment? But
then again, he hadn’t exactly been thinking straight at the time, so lost to
pain that all he had wanted was to make it go away . Suppressants had
seemed like the obvious and easy solution.
But while many articles online really recommended increasing the
dose of suppressants after losing one’s bondmate, they also advised caution
and didn’t recommend that course of action for long. The articles said that
an omega needed either to be around an alpha they trusted or to employ the
services of alpha doctors who specialized in that kind of therapy.
Frowning, Jules considered the latter option, but he knew it wasn’t
viable for him: Uncle Wayne couldn’t find out that he had been bonded—it
would be too easy for him to put two and two together and realize that Jules
must have been bonded to the Xeus. The mere thought made him cringe.
No, he couldn’t employ the services of a professional.
That left only Westcliff.
But should he really accept help from Westcliff, of all people?
“Why not?” Liam said when Jules told him everything over
breakfast.
“I don’t like him,” Jules said, poking at the sausage on his plate
moodily.
“I don’t think you’re being fair to him. If he’s offering help, it shows
that he’ll be a good, caring alpha for us.”
Frowning, Jules looked at his brother across the table. “It freaks me
out that you’re talking about your marriage to him like it’s a done deal.”
Liam shrugged. “You know it isn’t, but at this point, it would be
stupid to pretend that the possibility isn’t there. Westcliff’s caring attitude
toward my little brother shows that he’s serious about me.”
Caring attitude.
Jules thought of the way Westcliff had held him against his broad
chest. He thought of the way the duke had tucked Jules’s head under his
chin, and the feeling of absolute safety and comfort that had settled over
him.
Pushing the unsettling memory away, Jules grumbled out, “I don’t
trust him.”
Liam made a skeptical noise, but whatever he was going to say was
interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
Their uncle strode in, a strange smile on his face. “It’s official now!”
Tensing up, Jules exchanged a look with Liam. Their uncle’s smiles
were so rare these days that seeing it was a little disturbing.
“Uncle?” Liam said.
“Anthony’s death certificate has finally been signed.”
Oh.
Jules looked down at his hands, biting his bottom lip. Neither he nor
his siblings remembered their eldest brother well enough to truly grieve him
—they’d grown up without him and lived without him most of their
lives. Jules had been four when Anthony had left for the war after their
father’s disappearance. All he remembered of his brother was his strong
shoulders and laughing blue eyes. It had been fifteen years. He couldn’t
miss someone he barely remembered, right?
Except it wasn’t that simple. Anthony’s death being officially
recognized… it meant an end of an era. An end of their childhood. With the
title and estate going to Uncle Wayne, the three of them would be alone in
the world, without any protection, and completely at their uncle’s mercy.
Jules looked at Liam and saw the same thoughts reflected in his
eyes.
“Congratulations, Uncle,” Liam said with a wan smile. “I’m sure
you’ll make an excellent alpha for us.”
“Hmm,” Uncle Wayne said, looking at him speculatively. He wasn’t
as pale and unhealthy-looking this morning, and Jules wondered if he had
started getting treatment for whatever sickness he had. He wondered if the
experiments on his Xeus had finally borne fruit.
The thought had him clenching his fists under the table. Gods, he’d
never hated anyone more. He didn’t want to depend on this man. He didn’t
want to call him alpha.
“Is the duke going to propose to you soon?” Uncle Wayne said.
“I believe he will, Uncle,” Liam said.
“See that he does,” Uncle Wayne said gruffly. “And tell him that I’ll
not be giving you a dowry. If he wants you, he’ll pay a tokal.”
Jules cringed a little. The custom of the tokal, or “omega price,” as
some called it, was considered outdated in modern times. But he probably
shouldn’t have been surprised that their uncle would demand it.
“All right, Uncle,” Liam said, his polite smile still firmly on his face.
Jules really envied his brother’s acting skills, because he couldn’t
make himself smile when their uncle turned to him.
“You,” the alpha said, eyeing Jules with displeasure. “Don’t worry—
I’ll find someone willing to have you. I’ve heard Viscount Korf is looking
for a young omega to breed. He might take interest in you. Of course you
aren’t a beauty like your brother, but all cats are gray in the dark.” And with
that charming remark, Uncle Wayne strode out of the room.
Jules and Liam stared at each other.
“Viscount Korf?” Jules finally choked out, blinking rapidly. “Isn’t he,
like, eighty?” Eighty wasn’t old by Eilan standards—their species’ life span
was one hundred and forty years, and alphas remained virile for most of it,
but such an age difference was still considered distasteful. Older alphas
generally chose older omegas.
Liam sighed, rounded the table, and hugged Jules’s head to his
chest. “I won’t let him do it to you,” he said grimly. “I’ll marry Westcliff
soon and he will take guardianship of you and Eric. Uncle won’t be able to
sell you to anyone. Everything will be fine. I promise.”
Jules hugged his brother back, but the anxious, uneasy feeling under
his skin failed to disappear. Against his will, he found himself thinking of
how safe he had felt in Westcliff’s arms yesterday, as if nothing could touch
him or hurt him.
Maybe having Westcliff as their alpha wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Maybe he should give him a chance.

***

Jules’s resolve to give Westcliff a chance lasted exactly until


Westcliff called on them—on Liam—in the afternoon.
He didn’t know what it was about this man that made him all prickly,
self-conscious, and overly critical. It was a bizarre combination of
emotions, but he couldn’t help eyeing Westcliff with a judgmental, skeptical
gaze as the duke engaged in small talk with Liam and Uncle Wayne.
The asshole hadn’t even glanced at him once since entering the
room.
Jules crossed his arms over his chest, then uncrossed them. Picking
up his tablet from the table in the corner, he sat down on the couch next to
it. He stared at the screen, trying to appear engrossed in it, but nothing
caught his interest. He browsed the Internet half-heartedly and scowled
upon seeing all the speculation about Westcliff and Liam’s beautiful
romance. Boring.
Pressing his lips together, Jules closed the local Internet and
connected to the GlobalNet. But the galactic news wasn’t much more
entertaining than the local news. The pictures from the wedding of Prince
Jamil of Calluvia were beautiful, he supposed, but seeing other people so
happy just made Jules feel more alone. He stared at Prince Jamil’s smiling
face, the love that shone in his eyes as he gazed at his handsome husband,
and felt a lump form in his throat. It must be nice to be beautiful, in love,
and loved. It was almost comforting to know that some people got to have
their fairytale happy endings and that not everyone had to be sold to old
perverts just because no one else wanted them.
“Julian.”
Jules lifted his eyes, and to his mortification and horror, realized that
his vision was a little blurry. He blinked rapidly and hoped Westcliff hadn’t
noticed anything.
But judging by his narrow-eyed gaze, he had.
“Something wrong?” the duke said, taking a seat next to him.
Swallowing, Jules glanced over his wide shoulder but found Liam
and Uncle Wayne gone. “Where are they?” he said, ignoring Westcliff’s
question.
“Your brother and uncle have just left because of some issue with the
Inheritance Department,” Westcliff said, his green eyes still fixed intently
on him.
And they left you alone with me? Jules nearly said, before almost
laughing at himself. Of course they had left them alone. Even his bigoted
uncle, who considered Xeus alphas animals, clearly didn’t think that any
alpha would be tempted enough by Jules to do something inappropriate to
him. It was kind of hilarious. Kind of. Maybe Viscount Korf wouldn’t find
him appealing, either. One could only hope.
Jules made a noncommittal sound, shifting his gaze back to his tablet.
“You’re upset.” Westcliff put a hand under his chin and tipped Jules’s
face up. His expression was serious and his voice soft. “What’s wrong,
brat?”
Jules’s throat became tight again. He hated that part of him wanted to
bury his face in Westcliff’s neck, cling to him, and cry at the unfairness of it
all. He liked to think he wasn’t a bitter or jealous person, but sometimes…
Sometimes it hurt. Why did some people have everything and other people
have nothing?
“Nothing,” he forced out. “My uncle just found a smashing match for
me.”
Westcliff’s dark brows furrowed. “What?”
Chuckling, Jules put on a wide smile. “Viscount Korf. That is, if my
uncle manages to convince the old coot that I’ll be a good bitch for
breeding.”
Westcliff stared at him in silence. His gaze was kind of unnerving.
Unnerving and a little exhilarating, to be honest. If there was one good
thing about Westcliff, despite his arrogant ways, it was that he never made
Jules feel like a piece of furniture. When he looked at you, he really looked
at you, whether it was a good thing or not.
“You will not be marrying Korf,” he said at last, his voice quiet but
steely. “I will not allow it.”
Jules laughed, more genuinely this time. “That’s nice of you to say,
but you can’t do anything, Your Grace. If my uncle arranges the match
before you marry Liam, it’ll happen.”
“Julian.”
The hand on his chin was back, forcing him to meet Westcliff’s gaze.
He’d never seen eyes so green. They were not gray-green or bluish
green. They were deep, emerald green, startling in their intensity.
“I promise you, you will not have to marry Korf,” Westcliff stated
flatly.
Jules pursed his trembling lips.
He had always scoffed at the notion of omegas needing reassurance
from alphas, but now he was starting to believe there was some truth to it:
even though Westcliff’s words weren’t any different from Liam’s, he
inexplicably believed them more. The bundle of anxiety in his stomach was
dissipating, and he found himself breathing deeper and steadier,
unconsciously leaning his cheek into Westcliff’s touch. He despised himself
for being so weak, for needing an alpha to tell him that everything would be
all right, but apparently on some base, instinctive level, his stupid body
believed a big, strong alpha more than it believed his own brother. Fucking
pathetic.
“Come here,” Westcliff said.
And Jules went.
He fucking went , just like that. He climbed into Westcliff’s lap and
tucked his face into the crook of his neck. He closed his eyes and breathed
in and out, almost moaning from the illogical, irrational feeling of good-
safe-protected that washed over him.
Stupid biology and stupid alpha pheromones.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 13

Several weeks passed like that.


Westcliff called on Liam and took him out on dates, putting on that
disgustingly charming mask he wore in public. More often than not, Jules
accompanied them, serving as a chaperone, for appearances’ sake—
officially. Unofficially, he kind of… he went because he wanted to be
around the duke. It freaked him out that he felt addicted to the way
Westcliff made him feel, but he couldn’t help himself. It felt so good,
especially when Westcliff allowed him to rub his face against his scent
gland—the euphoria was beyond his ability to express properly. Afterward,
Jules felt so embarrassed, but thankfully, Westcliff didn’t make fun of him
and always acted as if there was nothing weird about his behavior.
“Better?” he would say in a quiet murmur, and Jules would flush and
nod and look anywhere but at him. Every time he told himself it was the
last time, but his resolve melted into a mass of goo the next time he saw the
duke. It was horrible. Horribly addictive.
Ugh. Just thinking about it made him feel jittery with impatience, but
unfortunately, they were in a very public place right now.
Jules stared unhappily at the opera singer before glancing at the other
occupants of the royal box. King Stefan was seated in the first row of the
box, his golden hair gleaming almost as brightly as his crown. The king had
barely said a word to them when Westcliff had introduced them earlier—
he’d just eyed Liam in an assessing manner before nodding and turning
toward the performance. It was kind of anticlimactic, considering how
nervous Liam had been about sharing an opera box with the king.
It was pretty obvious that there was some kind of divide between the
king and his nephew: they had greeted each other rather coldly and
Westcliff had taken a seat in the third row of the box, away from the king,
leaving an empty row between them. Jules wasn’t sure what Liam had
thought of it, but he seemed content enough to watch the opera.
Jules’s gaze shifted to Westcliff, seated between the brothers. He
seemed engrossed by the performance, too, and Jules glowered at his
stupidly handsome profile. There was a five o’clock shadow on Westcliff’s
firm jaw, and Jules vaguely wondered if it would be prickly to the touch.
As if feeling his gaze, Westcliff turned his head and tilted it
inquiringly.
“I’m bored,” Jules whispered.
A corner of Westcliff’s mouth twitched. “Where are your manners?”
he murmured, leaning closer to Jules’s ear. “It’s very rude of you to say that
you’re bored to the person who invited you.”
“You invited Liam, not me,” Jules countered, hoping it wasn’t
obvious that he was breathing in deeper. He could smell Westcliff, very
faintly, for the first time since he’d started decreasing the dose of his
suppressants. Westcliff smelled… good. The scent was still too weak to
register as anything in particular, but it made Jules’s head spin with pleasure
all the same.
“Same difference,” Westcliff murmured with an amused little smile,
tapping Jules’s nose with his thumb. His gaze was… affectionate?
Licking his lips, Jules tried to remember what they were talking
about. Try as he might, he couldn’t, his eyes returning helplessly to
Westcliff’s, again and again.
The duke’s crooked smile widened. “Anyone ever told you you’re
like a baby doe? A very endearing one.”
A baby doe? Endearing?
Jules scowled at him, unsure why it annoyed him so much. “I’m not
endearing,” he bit out. “I’m not some—some cute child.”
Westcliff, the asshole, had the nerve to chuckle and look at him as if
he were only proving his point.
The worst part was, Jules couldn’t even be mad at him properly—not
when he felt so good from his mere proximity. But it still wasn’t enough.
He wanted… He wanted more. He wanted more of that scent. He wanted
them closer , wanted it so badly that he was half-seriously wondering if
people would notice if he pressed his face against Westcliff’s throat and
breathed.
To be fair to his sanity, the royal box was half in the shadows, the
first row the only illuminated part. Only Liam could probably see them and
Liam was aware that the duke was helping Jules with his problem.
Fuck, what was wrong with him? Was he seriously considering
scenting Westcliff in a public place, while they were a few steps away from
the king?
“What’s wrong?” Westcliff said, his voice becoming serious as he
peered at Jules in the semi-darkness.
Jules kind of hated how well Westcliff could read him. He suddenly
wondered if the duke was this attentive with Liam. Probably more, right?
“This is all your fault,” Jules said, balling his hands into fists. “I’ve
lowered the dose of my suppressants, because of what you said, and now
I’m all…”
“You’re what?” Westcliff said, leaning in closer.
Closer, but not close enough, Jules thought unhappily.
“Is it the broken bond?” Westcliff murmured. “Does it hurt now?”
“Sort of,” Jules lied. At least it felt like a lie. The bond ached less
these days—it felt much better ever since Westcliff had started helping him
—but he couldn’t admit that he was just hopelessly addicted to the good-
safe-protected feeling he got whenever Westcliff was close.
“You should have told me,” Westcliff said, touching Jules’s cheek
with his knuckles.
Before Jules could think of what he was doing, he caught Westcliff’s
hand and pressed his nose against it. Inhaled greedily. Although alphas’
primary scent glands were located on their necks, there were some on their
hands too.
“How do you imagine that, exactly?” Jules said, nuzzling his cheek
against Westcliff’s palm. “Was I supposed to say ‘I’m sorry, Your Majesty,
but I need to scent your nephew, because reasons?’”
Westcliff didn’t chuckle.
He didn’t even smile.
He just stared at Jules for a long moment, his expression impossible
to read in the semi-darkness. The singer took a high note, exquisitely—then
held it while the passionate harmony swelled. The audience applauded, but
neither of them looked at the singer.
“I’ll be there if you need me,” Westcliff said at last, stroking his palm
against Jules’s cheek. “Just ask, Julian.”
“Okay,” Jules mumbled, his eyes slipping shut as he nuzzled into the
duke’s hand. It felt so good. He had a feeling he would be purring if he
were a cat. He kissed Westcliff’s palm chastely.
“Fuck,” Westcliff said, his voice tight and low, the air thickening with
his alpha pheromones. “I can’t wait for you to live in my house. I’m going
to take such good care of you, I promise.”
Jules inhaled shakily, his insides warming as he imagined it: living in
the same house as Westcliff and having access to him at all hours of the
day. Yes, please.
Another round of applause shattered the hazy, pleasant state he was
in. Jules opened his eyes blearily, feeling as if he were waking up from
some kind of dream.
“Feeling better?” Westcliff said, taking his hand away.
Jules nearly whined from the loss, and then immediately felt annoyed
with himself. What was he expecting? To have Westcliff attached to him all
the time?
“Yes,” he said, pulling away.
And just in time—the performance came to an end.
Westcliff turned to Liam, and Jules looked away, hugging his arms to
his chest. It was rather chilly tonight.
It was chillier outside.
The weather had apparently gotten colder while they had been in the
Opera House, and Jules found himself shivering as they walked to
Westcliff’s helicopter. Unlike Liam, Jules hadn’t bothered to wear a suit
jacket, figuring a dress shirt would be enough—he was just a chaperone,
after all—but now he was starting to regret it.
“Take this,” Westcliff said from behind and then Jules was enveloped
in his scent as a heavy dark jacket wrapped around his shoulders. “You’re
cold.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Liam said. “I told Jules that he should
wear a jacket, but he can be so stubborn sometimes.” His voice was fond
but exasperated.
Jules didn’t say anything. He also didn’t look at Westcliff as he
wrapped his jacket tighter around himself. It was much too big for him, of
course. It made him feel small. Protected.
He stared out the window the entire helicopter ride, ignoring the
polite conversation about opera between Liam and Westcliff.
As they finally arrived at the Blake town house, a valet hurried to
open the door for Liam and help him out of the helicopter. Westcliff got out
next and offered his hand to Jules.
Jules accepted his help, but Westcliff didn’t let go when Jules got his
feet on the ground.
“Are you all right?” Westcliff said, squeezing his fingers. “You’ve
been very quiet. It’s odd.”
Jules chuckled. “Are you implying I never shut up, Your Grace?”
Westcliff’s expression became a little pinched. “Devlin,” he
said. “Call me by my name.”
Jules stared.
“I’m fine—Devlin,” he said.
Devlin smiled at him, the smile that made his handsome face even
more unfairly handsome. “It’s really cold,” he said, letting go of his hand
and buttoning up his jacket on Jules. “Go inside. I don’t want you to get a
cold.”
“Don’t you want your jacket back?” Jules said, eyeing the thin blue
shirt hugging the duke’s muscular torso. Licking his lips, he looked back to
Devlin’s eyes, his face warm.
Devlin shook his head. “Xeus alphas run hotter than omegas. I barely
feel the chill.” He studied Jules in his jacket for a moment, and then
nodded, his gaze hooded. “Go inside, brat.”
Jules went.
He realized that he was smiling only when he reached his bedroom.
Pressing his hands to his flushed cheeks, Jules looked around the room,
trying and failing to suppress the smile. It was stupid. He had no reason to
smile.
He took off Devlin’s jacket and stared at it for a moment, biting his
bottom lip.
He shouldn’t. It would be creepy. And wrong. He shouldn’t.
But…
Jules brought the jacket to his face and breathed in deeply. Fuck, it
smelled so good, like the best thing in the world. He couldn’t get enough,
breathing in the scent shakily like an addict inhaling his favorite drug. His
body was tingling all over, warm, so very warm—in his heart, in his
stomach, between his thighs. Needing. Wanting. He remembered how it felt
to be wrapped in those strong arms, the feeling of being safe, protected. The
scent of a man. An alpha.
Falling back against the door, Jules all but ripped his fly open and
took his leaking cock into his hand. He stroked it, hard and fast, his face
buried in Devlin’s jacket, until he finally came in long spurts, his slick hole
pulsing around nothing.
Afterward, he felt so ashamed and guilty he couldn’t look at himself
in the mirror.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 14

Devlin followed the Blakes’ butler into the drawing room, already
feeling the tension in his temples ease in anticipation.
Truth be told, he hadn’t expected to enjoy courting an omega for PR
reasons, but it had turned out to be surprisingly pleasant instead of
irritating. His visits to the Blakes had been the highlight of his days lately—
they were certainly better than all the careful political maneuvering he had
to do the rest of the time. Not that marrying Liam Blake wouldn’t be a
political decision—of course it would be—but at least he found the omega
perfectly agreeable both in looks and demeanor. Liam was nowhere near as
arrogant and vain as one might have expected from an omega of such
exquisite beauty.
Besides, he liked Liam’s family.
The memory of Julian wrapped up in his jacket flashed to the
forefront of his mind, making his fingers tingle, his claws itching to pop
out.
Devlin glanced down at his hands with a frown, a little disturbed but
unsurprised. Julian had a real knack for bringing out his protective instincts,
which was both reassuring and irritating. It was reassuring because even he
couldn’t completely ignore his designation’s needs. An alpha was a
provider and protector by nature. The fact that Liam’s little brother pushed
the protective buttons in him was good. It would make bonding to Liam
easier. But those instincts were becoming too unpredictable. They were
something he couldn’t control or plan for.
“Your Grace.” Liam rose from the couch gracefully and smiled at
him. After a moment’s hesitation, he stretched his hand out, his wrist bared:
an invitation to scent-mark him, a gesture that was a little familiar but
perfectly proper for courting couples.
Devlin stared at the offered wrist before walking over and touching it
with his fingers lightly. He had to concentrate to consciously exude the
pheromones, because the instinct to scent-mark just wasn’t there.
“Liam,” he said, not allowing his displeasure and irritation to show
on his face. What was wrong with him? He had a stunningly beautiful
omega inviting him to scent-mark him and yet he had to force his alpha
nature to cooperate.
Dropping Liam’s hand, he glanced at the couch in the corner where
Julian was usually curled up with his tablet, but it was empty.
A wrinkle formed between his brows. “Your brother will not be
joining us?”
“Jules isn’t feeling well, I’m afraid.”
“What’s wrong?” Devlin said. When Liam gave him a startled look,
he realized that his voice had come out sharper than he had intended.
“I’m not sure,” Liam said, frowning slightly. “He said he feels under
the weather, but he usually never gets sick, so…”
“Could it be because of his broken bond?”
Liam winced, glancing at the door warily. “Jules doesn’t like talking
about it, Your Grace. I’m actually surprised he told you about the bond at
all. It’s a… a very sensitive issue.”
Biting the inside of his cheek, Devlin looked away. It was none of his
business. Julian’s former mate was obviously dead if the bond was broken.
It was none of his business who they were or how Julian had met them.
“Did his bondmate die a long time ago?” he still found himself
asking.
Liam hesitated for a moment. “Not a long time ago.”
“Why weren’t they married?”
What happened to that being none of your business?
Devlin grimaced on the inside. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure why the
subject interested him so much. It just… didn’t sit well with him.
“I don’t think it’s my place to talk about it, Your Grace,” Liam said,
avoiding his gaze.
Devlin stared at him, his instincts insisting that something was off.
But he could hardly interrogate him. Besides, Liam was correct that his
brother’s relationship wasn’t something they should be discussing.
“You’re right,” he said. “My apologies. Shall we? The race will start
soon.”
Liam nodded with a smile, clearly relieved that Devlin had dropped
the subject.
Their date that day was unexpectedly tedious.
Devlin found it difficult to keep his attention on his date, his mood
sour and distracted. He was aware that he was acting like a dick, his attitude
probably too cold and unapproachable. Liam seemed to have given up on
trying to strike up a conversation with him after a few hesitant attempts and
focused his attention entirely on the aircar race. When Liam spoke, he
spoke only to the beta chaperone who had accompanied them to the race.
By the time the race was over, Devlin had a headache once again, his
body brimming with tension and anxiety, the source of which he couldn’t
pinpoint. He barely had the patience to smile for the paparazzi as they left
the track, and his smile was probably very strained. Hopefully he didn’t
actually look like he wanted to punch someone.
He dropped Liam off, and then he hesitated, looking at the Blake
house. It would be only polite to inquire how Julian was feeling.
Devlin pulled his phone out of his pocket and entered his credentials.
Strictly speaking, he was using his privileged position to access private
data, but he did have the security clearance for it.
After finding Julian’s phone number in the database, he
hesitated. What the hell was he doing? This was abuse of power.
His misgivings, however, didn’t stop him from texting Julian. Are
you all right? I thought you wanted to watch the race. -Devlin
The reply came almost instantly. How do you know my number?
Don’t make me add ‘stalker’ to the list of your dubious qualities, Your
Grace.
Devlin found himself smiling. He could practically see the endearing
little scowl on Julian’s face, his brows furrowed, his bottom lip caught
between his teeth.
I have my sources , he typed back. You didn’t answer my question .
This time the reply took longer. Julian was typing and then pausing
before starting to type again.
Devlin drummed his fingers on the upholstery of his seat, looking at
the phone impatiently.
His pilot cleared his throat. “Should I take off, Your Grace?”
“One moment,” Devlin said as his phone screen lit up with a message
notification.
I just didn’t feel like being the third wheel tonight. I’m sure you were
glad not to have me there for once.
Glad wasn’t the word he would use. The date had been tedious.
After a moment, Devlin typed, I was really looking forward to your
commentary on the race. It’s always entertaining.
Julian didn’t start typing his reply immediately. At last, he
responded, Was it good? The race? Did you have fun?
Devlin stared at the message. He had no idea whether the race was
good or not—he hadn’t paid attention. Your brother seemed to enjoy it. Are
you going to the Irvings’ ball tomorrow?
Yeah , Julian replied after a moment. Liam has some kind of surprise
for me there. I promised to go.
Devlin frowned. I’ll see you there, then .
Julian didn’t reply.

***

The Irvings’ ball was as unpleasantly overwhelming to his


heightened senses as all balls were. At times like these, Devlin wished he
had been born in Kadar: the Kadarians didn’t have a social season filled
with parties and balls, their society having long moved past such things.
He had to actively suppress his senses at such social functions,
employing meditative techniques Ilona had researched for him when he was
a child. Fuck, he didn’t know what he would have become if his childhood
nanny hadn’t been so sympathetic and helpful—he would have likely been
as much of a social wreck as most Xeus alphas were. There were so few
Xeus alphas in high society for a reason: their aggression and heightened
senses were just too difficult to control in big crowds. Those of them who
served in the army actually had to take some suppressants in order to
function adequately.
Devlin’s eyes searched the crowded ballroom for Liam’s golden
head. Once he found him, surrounded by his usual crowd of admirers, he
continued looking. Julian should be nearby. He normally was.
But not this time.
It took Devlin a few more minutes to locate him. Julian was dancing.
He was dancing with Viscount Nasr—and smiling at him. It wasn’t his fake
strained little smile but his genuine one, the one that made him look
ridiculously endearing. Judging by the way Nasr was gazing at him, he
found it more than a little endearing, too.
Devlin frowned. Nasr wasn’t the sort of man Julian should be smiling
at that way. The viscount was much too old for him. He must have been,
what, thirty-six? Old enough to be Julian’s father.
Devlin moved toward the dancing couple, ignoring people trying to
strike up a conversation with him.
He tapped Nasr on the shoulder and said, “May I steal your dance
partner?” Without waiting for Nasr’s response, he pushed him away with
his shoulder and took his place.
“Wha—”
But Devlin was already leading Julian away.
Julian glared at him, his cheekbones a little pink. “That was a dick
move,” he said, glancing back at Nasr, who was left standing in the middle
of the dance floor.
“He’s much too old for you,” Devlin said, stroking his thumb against
Julian’s wrist.
“Stop scent-marking me,” Julian gritted out, his color
heightening. “And he isn’t too old. He’s half Korf’s age.”
“That shouldn’t be your measuring stick,” Devlin said. “I told you I
wouldn’t allow your uncle to give you to Korf. You deserve better.”
Julian chuckled. “Better? Who?”
Devlin’s lips thinned. “Someone better than Nasr.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Viscount Nasr. He’s perfectly nice and
pleasant, and he actually sees me for being me. I’ve known him forever—
he has a neighboring estate. He was always nice to me when I was a child.”
“That hardly says good things about him, does it? What a creep.”
Julian stomped on his right foot. “You’re being an ass,” he said, his
voice a mix of annoyed and bewildered. He blinked a few times. “I don’t
understand you. You can be so good to me sometimes, and then you act like
—like this!—like an arrogant, high-handed prick I want to punch.” His
voice dropped. “The viscount was perfectly nice to me, Devlin. I like him.
But now you scared him off for no reason. I doubt he’ll approach me
again.”
“If he’s scared off that easily, he isn’t worthy of you,” Devlin said
stiffly. “There will be better options.”
Julian’s smile was a little twisted. “Right.”
Devlin gave him a frustrated look. He knew that after the “kind of
pretty” fiasco, nothing he could say would convince Julian that he wasn’t
unattractive. He wouldn’t believe Devlin if he told him something different
now. And he would have liked to. Devlin could remember thinking during
their first meeting that Liam’s brother was nothing special, but now those
thoughts seemed strange and ridiculous. Julian was… he was nice to look
at. While his appearance wasn’t striking and he might appear plain at first
glance, Julian had the kind of face that grew on you. It was bizarre, but he
seemed to become more lovely with each meeting. Devlin liked looking at
him, watching his endearing little face and expressive eyes.
“I like Viscount Nasr,” Julian said without looking at him. “He’s a
good option.”
“A good option? What happened to marriage not being a business
transaction?”
A strange expression flickered over Julian’s face. “You happened,” he
said quietly.
Devlin missed a step. “What?”
Julian smiled tightly, still not looking at him. “I mean you’ve
convinced me of your point of view, Your Grace. Congratulations. You
were right.”
Devlin stared at him, unease churning in his gut. “That doesn’t mean
you should settle for some mediocre alpha who’s—”
“It’s none of your business.”
“I’m just looking out for you,” Devlin said tersely.
“Thanks, but I don’t need you to look out for me. Focus on my
brother. It’s him you should be looking out for.”
Before Devlin could say anything, the dance ended, and Julian pulled
away and disappeared into the crowd. Devlin was left standing there alone,
ignoring people’s curious gazes on him and feeling more frustrated than
he’d felt in a long time.
Julian spent the rest of the evening avoiding him—or at least it felt
that way. With each passing hour, Devlin grew more irritated. He stood
beside Liam, barely hearing what he was saying as his eyes tracked Julian
on the dance floor.
He was dancing with Nasr again.
“I think they suit,” Liam said, following his gaze. “Don’t you think
so, Your Grace?”
Devlin said nothing, sipping his drink.
“I’m ever so pleased I remembered that Viscount Nasr has always
liked Jules,” Liam said. “He’s recently widowed and he has an omega child
who needs to grow up under an omega’s care. It’s perfect.”
Devlin took another sip from his drink. “Don’t you think your brother
deserves better than to be a replacement parent for another omega’s child?
And Nasr is a pedophile if he’s ‘always liked’ him.”
Liam looked at him oddly. He seemed to hesitate before saying, “No
offense, Your Grace, but I think I’m a better judge of Viscount Nasr’s
character, as I’ve actually known him all my life. And let me remind you
that you’re ten years older than me, which is practically the same age
difference.”
“You have a problem with math if you think seventeen is practically
the same as ten.”
Liam frowned.
Damn it. What are you doing? Control yourself.
“My apologies, Liam,” Devlin said with a sigh, forcing himself to
soften his voice. “It’s been a busy day for me, and I’m not good company
tonight.”
Liam’s frown disappeared. “Of course. I understand. I’m quite tired
myself. Shall we leave the ball?”
Devlin nodded.
He let Liam fetch his brother, not wanting to be accused of being an
interfering dick again.
Julian still glanced at him suspiciously. “I don’t need to leave the ball
with you two,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m having fun.”
“All ri—” Liam started saying, but Devlin cut him off.
“Your brother can’t leave the ball with me,” he said, looking at
Julian. “You don’t want any nasty rumors to start flying around, do you?”
He could actually hear Julian grind his teeth.
“Fine,” he said, still sounding a mix of annoyed and bewildered.
The helicopter ride to the Blake house was a strange one. Liam was
the only one talking, chattering non-stop about the perfection that was
Viscount Nasr while Julian determinedly didn’t look at Devlin.
Devlin bored his eyes into him, his fingertips tingling, his claws
itching to come out. He curled his hands into fists and breathed shallowly,
trying to ignore the way Julian smelled. It was impossible. Julian fucking
reeked. He reeked of another alpha. Devlin wanted to fix it, run his hands
all over the brat, until he smelled right .
It was probably a good thing that Julian was the first to jump out of
the helicopter when they arrived, because Devlin didn’t trust himself.
Tearing his gaze from Julian’s retreating back, Devlin barely
managed a polite goodbye to Liam, he felt so on edge. Fuck, he hadn’t felt
this on edge in decades.
When he returned home, it took hours of taking out his frustration on
a punching bag to get rid of the pent-up aggression. Barely.
Exhausted and sweaty, Devlin sat down on the mat, breathing hard.
His skin still crawled with agitation.
Goddammit.
He didn’t know what was wrong with him. Years of teaching himself
self-control and composure—it seemed to be all for nothing. He was once
again acting like a creature driven by his instincts, unable to control his
aggression. Little better than an animal. And why? Just because his future
bondmate’s little brother smelled of a different alpha? He was losing his
fucking mind.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 15

The next day Julian declined to accompany them again, because he


didn’t feel well. Or at least that was what Liam said when Devlin asked.
It shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did. Julian didn’t have to
accompany them. He might really be feeling unwell. Or he might be with
Nasr.
Either way, it was none of his business.
Devlin somehow managed to put on a smile for the cameras. He
somehow managed a semblance of a conversation with Liam over their
dinner date. He probably wasn’t as attentive as he should have been,
judging by Liam’s baffled and annoyed looks, but it was better than the
alternative.
When their date was finally over, Devlin dropped Liam off at the
Blake house—and then stared at the building’s facade.
“Wait for me,” he told his pilot at last and got out of the helicopter.
Liam had long since disappeared into the house, and Devlin didn’t
see him when he pushed the front door open. The butler was nowhere to be
seen, either.
Devlin hesitated before heading upstairs, where he knew the
bedrooms were located.
It would be only polite to visit Julian and ask how he was feeling.
Polite. Right.
Devlin stopped at the top of the stairs and looked up and down the
empty corridor. He ran a hand through his hair, acutely aware that he
shouldn’t be there. He should go downstairs, find the butler, and have him
ask Julian if he was accepting visitors. Though that plan had an obvious
downside: if Julian was asleep or really sick, he shouldn’t be bothered by
servants.
But he can be bothered by you?
The thought made him grimace. The disturbing part was, the first
answer that sprang to his mind was Yes . It was irrational and illogical—not
to mention beyond arrogant—but he really felt like he had the right to
bother him.
Fuck, he should go home.
He should go home and get his head sorted out. He was behaving
irrationally. Like a Xeus.
Devlin didn’t move. He closed his eyes and let his senses sharpen
instead of suppressing them as he normally did. Three heartbeats on the
floor. The slightly faster one clearly belonged to an alpha, probably the
uncle. It wasn’t difficult to guess which of the other two belonged to Julian:
Liam’s distinct scent led to the room to the right. The one to the left had to
belong to Julian.
Devlin walked toward it and then rapped his knuckles against the
door before he could think twice.
After a few moments, he heard muffled footsteps, and then the door
opened.
Julian looked ridiculously endearing in an oversized white t-shirt and
a pair of knee-length shorts. He was barefoot, and Devlin found himself
staring at his pale little toes.
“Your Grace? What are you doing here?”
“Haven’t I told you to call me Devlin?” he said, shifting his gaze to
Julian’s face.
Julian rubbed the back of his neck, a strange expression appearing in
his brown eyes. Embarrassment? Nerves?
Devlin focused on his senses again, but Julian’s scent was still too
faint to serve as a good indicator of his emotions.
“Aren’t you and Liam supposed to be at the restaurant?” Julian said.
Ignoring the question, Devlin studied him carefully. “Do you feel
better?”
“What?” Julian said, his brows knitting together.
Devlin looked at him sharply. “Your brother said you didn’t feel
well.”
Julian averted his gaze. “Right! Of course. I feel better now. Much
better—”
“You didn’t want to go with us.”
The omega winced, but he didn’t even try to deny it. So it was true.
It shouldn’t have bothered him. It really was none of his business.
“Why?” Devlin said.
Julian shrugged. “It’s not exactly fun being a third wheel.” He still
wouldn’t meet Devlin’s eyes.
“You’re not telling the truth,” Devlin said, becoming more certain of
it the longer Julian avoided looking at him. Stepping into the room, he
closed the door behind him.
It shut with a click.
“What are you doing?” Julian said. “And I’m not lying. You think it’s
fun—”
“Julian,” Devlin said quietly. “Look at me.”
After a moment, the omega finally did as he was told. There was a
half-scowl on his face but some other emotion in his eyes. Something
troubled and uncertain.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” Devlin ordered, brushing his knuckles
against Julian’s smooth cheek. Part of him, the rational part that watched his
own behavior with bewilderment and disapproval, told him to cut it out. He
had no right to adopt this high-handed tone. But it was as though he no
longer had any control over his mouth, his instincts overriding his rational
side once again. Something is wrong , they insisted. He had to fix it, Julian
needed him to fix it. Julian needed him.
The thought was ridiculously heady, the rush of endorphins causing
him to lose the last remnants of his rationality.
“Tell me,” he demanded again, stroking the omega’s cheek—rubbing
his scent over it.
Julian shivered and leaned into the touch, his expression softening
and his eyes glazing over. His elusive scent became stronger, sweetening,
and Devlin inhaled it deeply—before suddenly realizing what the problem
was.
A glance outside the window confirmed it: Dainiri was close to its
full phase.
“You’re approaching your heat,” Devlin said, exhaling, annoyed with
himself for not realizing the problem sooner.
“Yeah,” Julian said, looking anywhere but at him. “My suppressants
won’t let me go into a full heat, obviously, but since I lowered the dose, it’s
probably going to be pretty uncomfortable for me. So I can’t go anywhere
in the next few days.”
Devlin licked his lips. “How do you usually spend your heats?”
“It isn’t exactly your business, is it?” Julian was blushing. “How do
you think?” he said, his sarcastic tone at odds with his obvious
embarrassment. “Like all unmated omegas do.”
With toys.
Devlin cleared his throat a little. “You do realize that it may not be
enough for you this time, right?”
Julian’s brows furrowed. “What?”
“Is this your first heat since you lost your mate?”
When Julian nodded, Devlin hummed, unsurprised. He’d suspected
as much. “You’re lucky Dainiri orbits around our planet so slowly,” he said,
stroking Julian’s cheek and watching him shiver. “If you were a Vos omega,
you’d have suffered through this twice a month.”
Julian scoffed, even though he was leaning into his touch like a
touch-starved feline, his eyes glassy. “Shows what you alphas know. Vos
omegas’ heats are nothing. They don’t even have to take suppressants.”
That was true. Vos omegas just experienced very heightened arousal
twice a month, when their moon was full. They were never reduced to the
needy wreck Dainiri omegas became every three months.
“I’m not talking about that,” Devlin said, trailing his knuckles down
Julian’s cheek slowly, stroking his jawline, his chin, his neck, and watching
goosebumps appear on the pale skin. He looked lower, at the fading mating
mark, his lips twisting in distaste. “I’m talking about that.” He pressed his
thumb against the mark. “How attached were you to your alpha?”
“Stop scent-marking me,” Julian hissed out shakily, his lips parted.
He glared at him with glazed eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it anyway.
The subject is closed. Please leave.”
“You need to talk about it to someone—and no, an unmated omega
like Liam doesn’t count. How attached were you to your mate? It’s
important, Julian.”
“Why?” the brat said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Devlin shook his head. “Have you slept through your biology class in
school?” he said, exasperated. “You know why there used to be so many
stories of omegas dying if their mate did? It’s because of the heats. Omegas
—especially Dainiri omegas—often couldn’t survive their first heat after
their mate’s death. Heat isn’t just about sex, Julian. When your moon is full,
all your senses, emotions, and bonds become heightened. Your broken bond
is going to hurt a lot when your heat comes. The more attached you were to
your deceased mate, the harder the heat will be on you.”
“Oh.” Julian deflated, chewing on his lip. “My mate…We didn’t—we
didn’t know each other all that well.”
“You didn’t know each other well and yet you bonded,” Devlin said
flatly.
Julian flushed. “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, after…”
After sex.
Devlin gave a clipped nod, clasping his hands behind his back. His
fingers and his jawline itched, as they did when he was on the verge of
transforming. Through sheer willpower, he managed to keep his claws in.
It was a normal enough reaction, to feel protective of a young omega
he cared about.
It was.
“But the bond took?” he said, his voice very neutral.
Julian nodded, not looking at him. “We were naturally compatible.”
Devlin’s claws dug into his palm. He turned away and walked to the
window.
He took a deep breath, staring at Dainiri’s nearly full disk, and then
another, until he had his claws under control.
“I see,” he heard himself say. “The risk still exists, then. Medical
intervention might be needed.”
“What do you mean?” Julian said. “More suppressants?”
“Increasing the dose again might do more harm than good,” Devlin
said stiffly. “I’m hardly a doctor, but even I know that you can’t keep
changing your suppressants’ dose—they’re very strong hormonal drugs,
and they might completely wreck your system if you keep treating them
like headache pills.”
“Then what did you mean by medical intervention?”
Devlin thought of the ugly mating mark on Julian’s neck. It set his
teeth on edge. The mark was obviously fading, but not fading fast
enough. “We can have the mark surgically removed. It’s a complicated
surgery, and there’s some risk of damaging your scent gland, but I will pay
for the best—”
“No.”
Devlin turned around. “It’s a good solution,” he said in a clipped
voice. “Do you really want to risk your health—and maybe even your life—
because of the mark of an alpha who is dead and doesn’t care anymore—”
“No,” Julian said again, glowering at him with bright eyes. “I’m not
going to have it cut out of me like some—some kind of parasite . I’m not
going to erase it, as if he never existed. He did.” His eyes were shining
now. “I may not have known him long, but he…” His voice dropped to a
harsh whisper. “He chose me. He was the only person in the world who saw
something special in me. This mark is the only thing I have to remember
him by.”
Devlin didn’t want to listen to this. He sneered. “That hardly says
anything good about him, does it?”
“Get out.”
Devlin clenched his jaw. “You’re being stupid—”
“Maybe I am,” Julian said with a crooked little smile. “But it’s my
decision to make, not yours. You’re… You’re nothing to me. Stick to
courting Liam. You can boss him around all you want. Leave me out of it.”
“For fuck’s sake, Julian,” he snapped, taking a few steps toward him
and reaching out, but Julian jumped away.
“Don’t touch me,” he said shakily. He opened his door and said
without looking at him, “Please leave, Your Grace . Don’t force me to call
security.”
Swearing under his breath, Devlin stalked out of the room.
He barely remembered reaching the front door, so angry and
frustrated he was.
“The palace,” he bit out as he climbed into his helicopter.
His pilot flinched. When Devlin glanced in the rearview mirror, he
realized why: his eyes were glowing.
Fuck.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d partially shifted outside the
full moon—and the debacle with kerosvarin.
It had been years. More than a decade.
What was happening to him?

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 16

Jules barely slept that night.


He was too warm, his skin too sensitive, his cock achingly hard,
despite the suppressants. He dreaded imagining what his heat would be like
without them. He’d had to jerk off four times so far, but it didn’t slake the
hunger under his skin. He ached. He burned .
Putting it plainly, he wanted a cock in him. He wanted a knot, thick
and hard. It was scary how much he wanted it, how much his thoughts kept
fixating on it, imagining an erect alpha cock in lurid detail.
Hating himself a little, Jules turned onto his stomach and tried to fall
asleep, but his body seemed to have a mind of its own, rutting his stiff cock
against the mattress, his hole clenching around the dildo in him. He sighed
in defeat and pressed a button on the remote. The dildo started thrusting, in
and out, with slick, obscene sounds. Fuck.
Jules turned up the speed, but somehow it still wasn’t enough. Part of
him knew it was a fake cock. It wanted the real thing. It wanted an alpha on
top of him, plowing him hard. It wanted his Xeus, his heavy body over him,
taking him like a bitch.
The thought made Jules whine, his hole clenching around the dildo.
More, harder.
In his fantasy, the Xeus’s clawed hand gripped his hip harder, his
powerful thighs slapping against Jules’s buttocks with every thrust, eyes
glowing in the ugly, predatory face as the Xeus fucked him into the
mattress. Mine , the Xeus growled into his ear before sinking his teeth into
his scent gland.
Except even that fantasy wasn’t enough. Thinking about the Xeus
just made his broken bond ache. Ache and hurt like an old wound that was
starting to bleed again. The pain somehow amplified the desire, and soon
Jules was half-sobbing into his pillow, his hips pushing greedily onto the
dildo. Need him, need him, can’t need him, need him. Gone, need him, gone.
I need—I need—I need. It was fucking horrible. Jules had never felt worse
in his life, his muscles trembling, his cock sore, his body oversensitive and
needy, and his bond aching.
So he tried not to think about his Xeus. He made himself think of
other alphas, trying to tell himself that any alpha would do. Any alpha with
a thick, hard cock would do. He was desperate enough to almost believe it.
He imagined going to a ball, his cock stiff and his slick dribbling
down his leg. He imagined alphas turning toward him, their nostrils flaring
and their cocks straining their pants. He would be attractive to alphas for
once. They would want him.
He imagined an alpha holding him indecently close during a dance
until Jules was desperate enough to beg for his cock. The alpha would then
lead him to the nearest table and bend him over it. He would unzip his fly
and take him, just like that, immaculately clothed but for his cock. Jules
moaned, imagining that, imagining strong, hard fingers, a hard body behind
him, and the familiar alpha scent surrounding him. The alpha would fuck
him, hard and fast, without care for his comfort, in that arrogant, infuriating
way of his, as if he knew better than Jules what he needed. He would say
into his ear, his familiar husky voice even lower than usual, “You’re such a
slut, brat. They’re all looking at us, and you don’t even care. Right,
Julian?”
Jules shuddered and came, clenching around the cock in him, feeling
so guilty for so many reasons he didn’t know where to start.
Reason One: Jules had recently lost a mate. He shouldn’t be
fantasizing about another alpha during his heat. How could he be such a
slag?
Reason Two: Said alpha was very publicly courting Jules’s brother,
and their marriage was imminent. You should not covet your sibling’s mate
—it was an unwritten rule everyone knew about.
Reason Three: Even if Reason Two were invalid, said alpha was the
Duke of Westcliff, the most handsome and desirable alpha on the planet. He
was so out of Jules’s league it wasn’t even funny.
Reason Four: Jules hated his insufferably high-handed attitude. Hated
it. It made him scowl just remembering the way Dev— Westcliff — tried to
pressure him into surgically removing his mating mark, the way he was
such a dick to Nasr, acting as if he knew better than Jules. He shouldn’t be
fantasizing about the asshole when he jerked off.
Reason Five: Westcliff saw him as his future mate’s baby brother.
He’d never want him back. He was just an unattractive relative Westcliff
looked out for as an alpha, not an object of attraction.
So yeah, there were too many damn reasons why this…
attraction was stupid and wrong.
Attraction. The word somehow felt wrong, too.
Regardless of the word he called it, he needed to stomp this feeling
out of him.
Jules fucking refused to be pathetic and pine for something
impossible.
He was resolved to ignore Westcliff starting from tomorrow.

***

“Tomorrow” passed in a daze of heat. By the end of the day, Jules felt
like crawling up the walls—or crawling out of his skin. Everything ached.
And when he said everything, he meant everything : his muscles, his bond,
his cock, his hole—hell, even his hair hurt, which was something that
shouldn’t have been possible. At some point, he thought he might be dying.
By the time it finally ended, it was evening. Jules curled up miserably
on the couch in the drawing room, because he couldn’t stand the thought of
staying in the bedroom that stank of heat, desperation, and loneliness.
“Are you sure you’re okay now?” Liam said from the opposite couch.
Jules gave a small nod.
Liam sighed, still looking at him with a frown. “No offense, but I’m
so glad I’m not a Dainiri omega.”
Jules didn’t take offense, but he glared at his annoyingly beautiful,
perfectly put-together non-Dainiri brother. He croaked out, “Anyone ever
told you you suck at comforting people?”
Liam grinned. “It speaks! And yes, you have. Multiple times.”
“I feel sorry for your future kids,” Jules grumbled.
His smile fading, Liam looked at the magazine in his hand
unseeingly. “Kids… I can’t imagine having kids in the near future.” His
forehead wrinkled. “I suppose Westcliff would want kids soon.”
Ignoring the way his stomach churned painfully, Jules said, “If the
rumors are true and the king is really making him the heir to the throne, of
course Westcliff would want kids.” He made a face. “Heck, the king would
probably demand it, too.” He looked away, looked at the ceiling, then at the
floor, before saying in his most neutral tone, “You’re talking like it’s a done
deal. Did I miss anything? Has he proposed already?”
“No, but I think he’s going to propose tonight,” Liam said. “It’s only
logical. Yesterday I overheard his phone conversation with someone—some
PR person, I think. Westcliff said the king was going to make the
announcement in a few days—about Prince Haydn, I mean. Westcliff would
want to announce our engagement around that time, too. It makes sense.”
Jules studied his brother carefully.
Liam’s lovely face was difficult to read, but his eyes weren’t exactly
shining with happiness.
“You don’t have to say yes,” Jules said, feeling painfully
uncomfortable. He was so damn torn about the subject he didn’t know what
advice to give. He didn’t want Liam to marry an alpha he didn’t love for the
sake of their family, but… He was scared that if he told Liam not to marry
Westcliff, it would be selfish advice.
To make things more confusing, there was a small, horrible part of
him that did want Westcliff as the alpha of their family. That part of him
would be content with the smallest crumbs of his attention. If Westcliff
married Liam, he would be Jules’s alpha too, and Jules would see him all
the time and—
Wincing, Jules quashed the pathetic thought. He refused to be this
pathetic. Refused.
“Of course I have to, don’t be silly,” Liam said with a rueful
smile. “He’s the best catch of the season. Every omega and beta wants to be
me.”
“But you don’t love him,” Jules said.
“I don’t know him,” Liam corrected him. “I’m sure I’ll come to love
him after we marry.”
“You don’t exactly look very sure.”
Pursing his lips, Liam drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his
arms around them. He looked painfully young right now, so very far from
the elegant, impeccable society darling people knew him as. “I just don’t
know him,” he repeated. “I’ve barely talked to him alone. We always have a
chaperone.”
“Sorry,” Jules muttered, dropping his gaze.
“No, it’s fine,” Liam said, pulling a face. “I’m not sure I want to be
alone with him. He’s so intimidating.”
“Intimidating?” Jules repeated, his forehead wrinkling in confusion.
He would call Westcliff many things, but intimidating wasn’t one of them.
He was very easy to talk to. Too easy, in fact. Jules hadn’t met a person he
felt so comfortable speaking his mind with.
Liam shrugged. “It’s hard to explain. It’s probably his scent.”
“His scent?”
“I mean, I knew that Xeus alphas had very strong, aggressive scents,
but I don’t like that his scent makes me want to timidly agree with anything
he says. It’s really unsettling.” Liam smiled crookedly. “Westcliff probably
thinks I’m very docile and empty-headed.”
Jules frowned. Westcliff just smelled good to him, not intimidating.
But maybe he would feel differently if he wasn’t still partially on
suppressants.
“Has he…” he started, unsure if he wanted to know. “Has he scent-
marked you yet?”
Liam gave an uncomfortable smile. “Yeah. I allowed him to scent-
mark me—with his fingers, obviously.”
Jules’s stomach clenched. “Yeah? Did you like it?”
“It was… weird,” Liam said, his gaze far away. “Until the duke,
Mother was the only alpha who scent-marked me. Well, I vaguely
remember Anthony doing it, too, but it’s been so long since he left that…”
Liam trailed off, and they both fell silent for a moment. “Having a strange
alpha scent-mark me was definitely weird,” Liam said, clearing his throat a
little. “But it wasn’t disgusting or anything. I can get used to it.”
Wasn’t disgusting?
Jules stared at his brother in bewilderment. He couldn’t wrap his
mind around the concept of Liam not enjoying Westcliff’s scent-marking.
But then again, maybe it was Jules’s broken bond making him
needier and more receptive to alpha pheromones.
Jules was still mulling it over when their butler announced the duke’s
arrival.
His heart jumped and started beating faster.
Licking his dry lips, Jules forced himself into a seated position. He
grabbed his tablet and pretended to be engrossed in it. He didn’t lift his
head at the sound of footsteps.
“Liam,” Westcliff murmured. “Good evening.”
“Your Grace,” Liam said.
Now that Liam had told him about his difficulty talking to the duke,
Jules did notice how uncharacteristically docile Liam sounded.
“You look beautiful tonight,” Westcliff said without much inflection.
He sounded… distracted?
“Just tonight?” Jules murmured snidely, knowing that Westcliff
would hear him. But as soon as he said that, he regretted it. What happened
to his resolution to ignore Westcliff? Though to be fair, he wasn’t talking to
him, was he? It was none of anyone’s business what Jules was muttering
under his breath.
Liam said something in response, but Jules could barely hear it. All
his senses seemed to attune to the alpha in the room. He didn’t know if it
was the aftereffect of his recent heat, but he could smell things better. He
could smell Westcliff despite the distance between them, and the scent made
him a little lightheaded. Jules scowled when he caught himself inhaling
deeper and deeper, trying to take in more of that musky, heady alpha scent.
Slag , he told his stupid body that clearly hadn’t gotten the memo that
they were ignoring Westcliff from now on. Fuck, how was he supposed to
ignore him when he felt like a junkie trembling impatiently in the proximity
of his fix? His fingers were literally trembling. Literally. He had to grip the
tablet harder to stop the tremors.
And it didn’t fucking help that he could feel Westcliff’s gaze on him.
“Good evening to you, too, Julian,” he said in his low, slightly husky
voice.
Jules squeezed his thighs together, feeling himself get slick. Gods,
this was horrible. Wasn’t his heat supposed to be over? He wasn’t supposed
to react to an alpha this way.
My brother’s fiancé , he told his body firmly. Stop being a slut. You’re
supposed to be on suppressants.
His stupid body ignored his brain. Of course it did.
When the silence stretched, Liam coughed pointedly, clearly
scandalized by Jules’s rude silence.
Jules sighed. “Your Grace,” he said, without looking up.
“I see you’re still sulking over what I said.”
Sulking?
“I’m not a child,” Jules bit out. “I do not sulk. Your Grace.”
“You do, or you wouldn’t be Your Grace-ing me.”
“I thought that’s how one addressed a duke. Though I hear we’ll be
calling you Your Highness soon. Out of curiosity, how does it feel to steal
your cousin’s crown?”
The air in the room thickened, vibrating with alpha pheromones.
Jules sucked a breath in, his mind becoming a little foggy. It felt both
good and horrible at the same time.
Liam made a strangled noise, and Jules finally looked up. Liam was
pale on the opposite couch, his body subconsciously making itself smaller,
his eyes wide as they stared at Westcliff.
At last, with great reluctance, Jules followed his gaze.
Westcliff looked… “Angry” seemed like a bad word choice, but Jules
couldn’t think of a better one. His gaze was intense. And hot. Scalding. It
was fixed on him with an expression that made Jules want to bare his neck
—and spread his legs.
Swallowing, Jules fought the impulse with great difficulty. “What?”
he said, his hostile tone probably an overreaction, but it felt like he couldn’t
control his mouth at all, his frustration after the unfulfilled heat needing an
outlet. “Did I hit a nerve? Your Grace.”
A muscle twitched in Westcliff’s chiseled jaw. “If you must know, I
had nothing to do with the king’s decision. He would have disinherited
Haydn anyway. There are other alphas from lesser lines that would become
the crown prince or princess even if I refused.”
Julian smiled. “I can’t help but notice that you said ‘alphas.’ I guess
betas and omegas aren’t people, right?”
“I didn’t say that,” Westcliff ground out, taking a step closer. “Don’t
twist my words into something they are not.”
“Not twisting anything. It’s your words, not mine.”
“It’s the king’s opinion, and it’s the one that counts in this case.”
Jules scoffed. “Are you actually claiming that you had nothing to do
with the king disinheriting Prince Haydn? That you didn’t say yes when the
king consulted you?”
Westcliff laughed. It was a harsh laugh. “This shows that you don’t
know the king at all. He doesn’t care for anyone’s opinion besides his own.”
“Like uncle, like nephew?” Jules said, lifting his chin.
A strange expression flickered in Westcliff’s eyes.
“I’m nothing like him,” he said, very evenly.
Something about his tone made Jules pay attention, his ire forgotten.
Jules studied the way the alpha’s tall body was practically exuding tension,
the way his handsome face was terribly blank.
“You hate him,” he said softly as the realization dawned upon
him. “You hate the king.”
Westcliff grimaced, taking the seat next to Jules.
He sighed. “Hate is too strong a word,” he said, suddenly looking
tired. “But yes, I don’t like him.”
Jules’s fingers twitched toward him, itching to touch, to offer
comfort. He balled them into fists, trying to suppress those instincts. They
were natural for an omega toward their alpha—but they were completely
inappropriate toward Westcliff.
It was so difficult. It didn’t help that he also had to actively fight the
urge to climb into Westcliff’s lap, unbutton the top button of his shirt, press
his face against his neck, and breathe .
Fuck, it felt like he had a multiple personality disorder sometimes.
“Why?” Jules said, eyeing the short space between them with dismay
and annoyance. Couldn’t Westcliff sit down on Liam’s couch? Jules ignored
the part of him that felt ridiculously pleased that Westcliff had chosen to sit
down next to him—that part of him was a stupid omega who thought with
his cock rather than his brain.
Westcliff sighed and leaned back against the couch in that
quintessential alpha male pose—big, relaxed, his thighs spread to
accommodate his—
Nope, not thinking about Westcliff’s cock or knot.
Wincing, Jules decided to blame those thoughts on his recent heat.
“It’s complicated,” Westcliff said, touching Jules’s wrist and stroking
it with his fingers absentmindedly.
Jules kind of froze, his lips parting and his nostrils flaring as he was
filled with the familiar wonderful feeling of safe-good-protected-alpha .
“Uncomplicate it for me,” Jules said, when he regained his ability to
speak. He still couldn’t make himself pull his wrist away and stop the scent-
marking.
Westcliff’s green eyes were grim as he murmured, “He’s my father.”
Wait, what?
Jules blinked. “You mean the king and his sister…”
Westcliff laughed. “No, his sister wasn’t my mother,” he said with a
rueful smile. “He’s an asshole, but he isn’t that sick. He convinced—forced
—his sister to pretend that she gave birth to me while she was in the
countryside.”
“Then who is your mother?”
Westcliff shrugged, still stroking his wrist. Their scents were so
mixed at this point that Jules’s head felt hazy with warm, low-key pleasure,
Westcliff’s face the only thing in focus.
“I have no idea,” the duke said, the tension in his shoulders easing as
they gazed at each other. “She or he is probably dead.” His sensual lips
curled into a wry smile. “The king and I hardly have the kind of relationship
that would allow me to ask about it—and get a straight answer. He likes to
act like I’m not his son at all.”
Jules thought about it for a moment, pressing his cheek against
Westcliff’s shoulder. He breathed in deeply. He felt better than he had in
days, the terrible frustration of the past few days shifting into something
else. “So you’re actually his firstborn son,” he said. “You’re a bit older than
Haydn, right?”
“I’m not his firstborn,” Westcliff corrected him, playing with Jules’s
fingers. “The king had another son, much older than me and Haydn:
Thander. Don’t you remember him?”
Thander. Right. The prince who had died decades ago in the war.
Jules would have been embarrassed by forgetting about the existence
of a prince of his country, except his mind felt so hazy right now he could
barely remember his own siblings’ names, much less someone else’s.
“In my defense, he died before I was born,” Jules muttered, trying to
gather his thoughts. But it was so difficult. Westcliff smelled so good. Jules
wanted to press his mouth against that chiseled jaw and suck, find out if
Westcliff’s skin tasted as good as it smelled. Jules moistened his lips with
his tongue. Focus, Jules. “So you aren’t actually stealing Prince Haydn’s
crown.”
A small, bitter smile curled Westcliff’s lips. “But that’s what people
would think anyway,” he said, releasing Jules’s fingers. “That I’m stealing
it.”
Frowning, Jules took Westcliff’s hand again and squeezed it, their
fingers entangling.
Those green eyes softened, losing their hard, bitter edge as they
gazed at Jules.
Westcliff lifted their entangled fingers and glanced at them. “Thank
you,” he said quietly, looking Jules in the eyes before brushing his mouth
against Jules’s knuckles.
And Jules’s heart soared and then dropped, breaking into a million
pieces.
He now had a word for what he felt for Devlin Schaefer, the Duke of
Westcliff. It wasn’t attraction. It was much, much worse.
Jules didn’t know what he would have done—he was this close to
just running out of the room, curling up into a small ball, and crying into his
pillow—if someone hadn’t coughed awkwardly.
Jules flinched and turned his head.
He almost flinched again when he saw Liam.
Liam. He’d completely forgotten that his brother was in the room,
too.
Flushing, Jules snatched his hand away and curled it by his thigh,
though rationally he knew he had nothing to feel guilty about—besides
falling in love with the alpha who was going to marry his brother.
His stomach clenching, Jules forced a smile. “I’ll go to my room. You
were right, Li: I still feel very tired.”
Liam had a strange expression on his lovely face. For a moment, he
didn’t say anything, looking a mix of stunned and thoughtful, before
nodding distractedly. “Sure. Go get some rest.”
When Jules got to his feet, Westcliff did the same. “Are you all
right?” he said, his voice brimming with tension once again. “I told you it
was dangerous.”
Jules couldn’t look at him. Not now, when he felt so fragile and
bruised.
“Yes, you did,” he said. “Good night.”
In his peripheral vision, Westcliff made an aborted move, as if he was
about to grab his arm but thought better of it. “Good night,” he said.
And Jules walked away, his heart breaking a little bit more with every
step as he left the man he was in love with alone with his beautiful brother.
I think he’s going to propose tonight , Liam’s voice sounded in his
ears, over and over and over. I think he’s going to propose tonight. I think
he’s going to propose tonight.
By the time Jules got to his bedroom, his vision was so blurry he
could barely see.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 17

Liam Blake was used to people thinking he was just a dumb,


decorative thing incapable of anything beyond batting his eyelashes and
looking pretty. It was an assumption he didn’t mind—he even used it to his
advantage sometimes—but privately, he considered himself a rather
observant person.
Except right now he felt like an idiot for not noticing it sooner.
“It” being the fact that his little brother had something of a crush on
the Duke of Westcliff. At least Liam hoped it was just a crush. He didn’t
want Jules to get hurt.
There was something else that had completely blindsided him: until
now, he hadn’t realized that the duke treated Jules completely differently
from the way he treated him, Liam.
It wasn’t that Westcliff had ever treated him badly; no. He was
perfectly charming and polite, and he was never as presumptuous and pushy
as some other alphas—he never scent-marked Liam without his permission
—and Liam had appreciated that, thinking that Westcliff was just one of a
rare breed of polite, civilized alphas. But he had just seen Westcliff scent-
mark Jules, scent-mark him without asking him. Apparently Westcliff’s
civilized manners didn’t extend to Liam’s baby brother. Liam would have
been offended on Jules’s behalf, except Westcliff’s behavior clearly didn’t
bother Jules—quite the opposite.
It made Liam feel… a little bereft. As if he were the outsider in the
room.
He told himself it was stupid to feel that way. But he couldn’t help
but compare Jules’s relationship with Westcliff to his own. Westcliff’s every
gesture toward Liam seemed carefully planned and courteous while the way
he behaved with Jules seemed instinctive: the way the duke had scent-
marked Jules certainly didn’t seem to be something conscious. And then
Jules had taken Westcliff’s hand. Just like that. As if it were nothing.
Liam couldn’t imagine taking Westcliff’s hand. The duke was so
very… very. He was kind of intimidating. It wasn’t Westcliff’s looks or the
title. Liam was vain enough to admit that he knew how he looked and knew
how to use his looks. Alphas rarely intimidated him, no matter how
powerful or handsome they were.
But something about Westcliff had unsettled him from their first
meeting. Those charming smiles of his were incredibly attractive, but Liam
couldn’t get a read on the man at all. Sometimes he thought that charm was
just a mask, and he wasn’t sure what kind of man Westcliff really was. On
the rare occasion Westcliff forgot to be charming, he seemed too cold and
unapproachable, bordering on rude. He wasn’t at all like Liam had
imagined him before meeting him. Before the start of the season, Liam had
been a little bit in love with the idea of marrying the Duke of Westcliff, of
them instantly falling in love with each other, but the reality was so
different from his expectations. The idea of marrying Westcliff had just
made him nervous lately. How could he marry a man he didn’t know at all?
Who seemed distant and cold when he wasn’t being charming and polite?
Except he had just seen a completely different side to Westcliff—
with his own little brother. Westcliff had never acted this way with Liam.
He was never this… honest. He had never looked at Liam with such
intensity—as if he were the most interesting thing in the room. He looked at
Jules that way. It likely wasn’t intentional on Westcliff’s part—Liam
doubted Westcliff would be courting him if he were interested in Jules that
way, but it showed how unaffectionate and superficial their courtship was.
They had to talk about it.
They needed to. Because Westcliff’s behavior could be easily
misinterpreted and misunderstood, and it likely only fed Jules’s little crush.
Poor Jules.
Liam’s heart ached for his brother. Ever since the beginning of the
season, Liam had been so disappointed and annoyed with how shallow
society alphas were: all they wanted in an omega was conventional beauty
and an attractive scent. Jules’s subtle appearance and nonexistent scent
made him pretty much invisible to everyone, and it hurt Liam to watch his
brother put on a smile and pretend that he didn’t care that no one invited
him to dance while Liam was always surrounded by a crowd of alphas.
And now this. Although Liam was certain it was just a puppy crush,
nothing serious, he still needed to speak to Westcliff and warn him that he
should tone it down. He didn’t want his brother to get hurt.
Liam cleared his throat once Julian disappeared upstairs.
Westcliff finally looked at him, and after a moment, smiled—the
charming, polite smile Liam was beginning to hate.
“I wanted to talk to you, Your Grace,” Liam said.
Westcliff just gave a nod.
Liam suddenly wondered why he had no issue with Liam “Your
Grace-ing” him.
“I’ve wanted to tell you that while your attention is flattering, I’ve
realized that it isn’t enough,” Liam said. “I know we have had an…
understanding for a while, but I’d like to take a step back and reevaluate
whether we suit each other.”
Westcliff shot him a look that seemed vaguely impatient. “I don’t
understand what there is to reevaluate, Liam,” he said, somewhat
distractedly, glancing upstairs. “Your brother should see a doctor. A heat
after the recent death of his mate could have been very dangerous to his
health.”
Liam frowned, momentarily distracted from the issue. “Speaking of
my brother,” he said.
“What about him?”
“You must have noticed that he has a crush on you,” Liam said.
Westcliff’s face went utterly blank.
“Pardon?” he said at last.
“Jules has something of a puppy crush on you,” Liam said with an
uncomfortable chuckle. “It’s not all that surprising, really. Our alpha was
female, and our dad and oldest brother left for the war a long time ago.
Jules didn’t really have an older male figure to look up to—Uncle doesn’t
count. Jules was practically bound to develop something of a crush on you,
considering that you’re the only alpha he sees regularly.” And the only
alpha who paid him attention until Nasr , Liam thought, but he didn’t say it
aloud. He knew how proud Jules was: he would be absolutely humiliated if
Liam told that to a man Jules was crushing on.
“I’m not sure why you’re telling me this,” Westcliff said evenly, his
expression inscrutable.
“Because I don’t want my brother to get hurt,” Liam said. “Of course
it’s just a silly, childish crush, but crushes can hurt, too, and I don’t want to
marry a man who inadvertently hurts my brother.”
Westcliff’s eyes were gleaming with a strange emotion. “I still don’t
understand what you expect me to say or do,” he said.
“Stop encouraging him,” Liam said exasperatedly.
“I’m not encouraging him.” Westcliff’s tone was slow, as if Liam was
talking nonsense.
“You do! All the scent-marking, hand-holding and hand-kissing—it’s
very… ambiguous. Someone not used to an alpha’s attention might easily
misinterpret it.”
“What are you suggesting I do?” Westcliff snapped.
Liam flinched.
Westcliff took a deep breath through his clenched teeth. “I
apologize,” he said after a moment. “But I’m really at a loss. Are you
suggesting that I must treat Julian coldly?”
“Yes,” Liam said faintly, still reeling from Westcliff’s outburst. Was
that Westcliff’s true face? “It’s for his own good. Put some distance
between you.”
A muscle twitched in Westcliff’s cheek. “This is ridiculous. Even if
you’re correct, it’s just a harmless crush.”
“I don’t want my brother to get hurt,” Liam repeated.
“I don’t want to hurt him, either,” Westcliff said, looking
away. “Thanks for the warning, but it was unnecessary. Julian has recently
lost a mate and it’s natural that he subconsciously gravitates toward an
alpha he trusts to soothe the wound in his psyche.”
Liam frowned, not convinced at all. He didn’t like that Westcliff had
completely dismissed his concerns—that he was downright refusing to do
as Liam was requesting. What kind of marriage would they have if
Westcliff was already treating him so dismissively?
“I disagree,” he said. “But going back to the first issue: I’m not
convinced yet that we suit, Your Grace. We need to talk about it.”
Westcliff shot him another irritated look. “I thought we had an
understanding. You were aware from the first day that I thought highly of
you. Our match is beneficial to both of us. What is there to talk about?”
What was there to talk about, indeed. Apparently wanting some
affection and attention from his future husband was too much to ask for.
Liam felt his eyes burn with angry tears. “We’ll have to agree to
disagree, then,” he bit out. “Until you prove that you can be an attentive
alpha for me , speaking of marriage is very premature.” He lifted his chin.
He had his pride, damn it. People called him the Diamond of the Season. He
didn’t have to settle for an alpha who couldn’t be bothered to listen to his
opinion, no matter how handsome and titled that alpha was. “I have other
suitors, Your Grace. I don’t need you. Considering the upcoming events,
you need me more than I need you. Good day to you.” He rose to his feet
and strode out of the room, his head held high. He wouldn’t let anyone take
him for granted. He was Liam Blake, the most sought-after omega in the
country. Westcliff would come crawling back to him in a day or two.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 18

“Did you really break up with Liam?” Jules said the moment De—
Westcliff entered the drawing room.
Westcliff paused before closing the door.
And then they were alone.
Jules swallowed. He sternly told his heart to stop being stupid. This
was his brother’s future mate. His brother’s. Not his. Never his.
But fuck, Westcliff looked unfairly handsome in that dark suit and
pale-blue shirt—it made his tanned jawline and neck look mouthwateringly
good.
Jules dragged his eyes away.
“Liam is out,” he said when the silence stretched. “If you wanted to
apologize to him, that is. He’s out on a walk with another suitor.” Liam had
been confident that it would make Westcliff jealous and contrite and he
would soon “come crawling back” to him, begging his forgiveness.
Except Westcliff didn’t look particularly contrite. His expression was
very strange, actually. He was looking at Jules as if… as if he were seeing
him for the first time.
It made Jules feel self-conscious, acutely aware of his plain, casual
clothes. Not that wearing fancy clothes would make him less plain.
The thought made his stomach tighten. He’d always told himself that
he didn’t care that he wasn’t beautiful like other omegas, but at the moment
he wished he were more attractive. It didn’t help that he still felt very… raw
after the previous day’s realization. He’d barely slept last night, and his
morning hadn’t started well. He’d woken up to a very annoyed brother, who
had informed him that Westcliff was an unfeeling, dismissive prick, and that
Liam had broken things off to teach him a lesson.
The news had given Jules very mixed emotions. He hated that he
couldn’t quite squash down the small, stupid hope that reared its ugly head.
He knew how foolish that hope was. No matter the current state of affairs,
Westcliff and Liam were still going to marry. And even if they didn’t, it
wouldn’t change anything for him.
“I’m not here to talk about your brother,” Westcliff said, sitting down
next to him and laying an arm behind Jules on the couch. “How are you
feeling?” he said, his voice dropping to a husky, intimate murmur as he
leaned in. “You said you didn’t feel well yesterday.”
Jules squeezed his thighs together.
Fuck. That voice .
“I’m okay,” he replied, taking in a careful lungful of Westcliff’s
scent. Fuck, how could a man smell so good? Jules wanted to roll around in
that scent forever until it was all he could smell. Don’t act like a junkie,
don’t act like a junkie, don’t act like a junkie—you are better than that .
Repeating that mantra in his head, Jules said aloud, “You shouldn’t have
pissed off Li. He can be pretty bad-natured when he’s angry. What did you
two argue about, anyway? He didn’t tell me.”
Westcliff stared at him for a moment before speaking.
“Liam said you have a crush on me.”
Jules opened his mouth and closed it, feeling like he’d been punched
in the stomach. He blinked at Westcliff dazedly, his eyes wide and his heart
beating somewhere in his throat. How—? Was he that obvious? Apparently
he was.
“I’m going to kill him,” he said faintly.
Something shifted in Westcliff’s expression. “So it’s true.”
Jules’s face felt so hot it was probably a very unattractive red. He
couldn’t meet Westcliff’s eyes, looking anywhere but at him.
“Hey,” the duke said, taking his trembling fingers into his hand and
squeezing them. “It’s okay. As your brother said, it’s normal in your
situation.”
A hysterical laugh bubbled up in Jules’s throat as he looked at their
joined hands. In his situation? What did that even mean?
“Right,” he said.
“Look at me,” Westcliff said. Commanded.
Jules didn’t disobey him. He couldn’t. On some primitive level that
didn’t make any fucking sense, this alpha felt like his. He wanted to obey
him. It felt good obeying him— right . Shit, he was so screwed, wasn’t he?
Westcliff’s gaze held his.
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he said firmly, bringing his
free hand to Jules’s cheek and stroking it with his knuckles.
Jules shivered, swallowing back a moan.
“It is normal in your situation,” Westcliff said, watching his reaction
with a strange glint in his eyes. Was it his imagination, or did it really seem
predatory?
“You’re trembling,” he stated, stroking Jules’s jawline. This time
Jules couldn’t stop a small whine. He was so hard—and so slick his
underwear felt sticky.
Jules glared at him half-heartedly. “Stop that,” he said shakily, but he
wasn’t pulling away from the touch. He felt so oversensitive and needy, as
if it’d physically hurt if Westcliff stopped touching him.
Westcliff’s scent became headier, the air thick with alpha
pheromones. He eyed Jules for a long moment, his gaze very serious and
intense. “It is just a crush, right?”
“Obviously,” Jules lied, hoping that it wasn’t obvious that he kind of
wanted to curl up into a ball and hide from the world. Preferably after
crawling into Westcliff’s lap. Yep, apparently he was masochistic enough to
want comfort from the man who was the reason he felt like shit.
“I’m serious, Julian.” Westcliff cupped his cheek with his big hand.
Stroked it with his thumb. Jules tried not to shiver. Westcliff held his gaze
steadily. “Your brother thinks I should be colder with you. That’s why we
argued—I said no. I’m not letting your brother dictate my actions. But if
you really want distance, I will give you distance. But only if you want it.”
Jules just about melted, his heart so very warm he barely knew what
to do with it. Gods, he loved this man.
Darting forward, he kissed Westcliff on his stubbled cheek. “Thank
you, but I’m fine,” he lied, pressing his cheek against Westcliff’s and
breathing in deeply. “It’s nothing. I don’t need distance.” He probably
should want distance, but fuck, he was weak. He wouldn’t be able to bear
any distance between them. Even the small distance between them right
now felt horrible. He wanted them closer, so close there was nothing
between them but skin.
Damn it, he really needed to get a grip. But it was so hard, pun
intended, when he was surrounded by Westcliff’s scent and pheromones and
could feel him so very close. The prickling of the alpha’s stubble against his
cheek felt so good, and Jules couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel
like against his stomach, his inner thighs, his buttocks.
“All right,” Westcliff said in a low voice, pecking the corner of
Jules’s mouth. “No distance. If this is what you want.”
Jules nearly whined, his mouth searching blindly, needing. It was
pure bliss as his lips rubbed against Westcliff’s firm jaw, the alpha’s scent
so thick in the air he felt high on it.
“Sweetheart,” Westcliff said hoarsely, nuzzling his cheek. “Baby. I
fucking adore you, you know that, right?”
Jules shivered, warmth curling around his heart and spreading
downward until it turned into a needy heat between his legs. He burned. He
ached for him, for this alpha who didn’t belong to him but felt like his. It
was so very wrong, to feel this for him, but Jules’s body didn’t care. It
wanted. It wanted this alpha. His touch. His mouth. His cock. His knot.
“Tell me what you need,” Westcliff said, kissing his cheek, his breath
hot and unsteady, before nipping his way down Jules’s jaw, to his neck.
Jules could only soak it up, his head spinning and his gaze unfocused.
He didn’t understand what was going on anymore, but fuck it, he’d take
anything Westcliff would give him. Anything.
When Westcliff’s mouth closed on his scent gland, Jules jerked, as if
electrocuted, slick running down his leg, his hole aching. He wanted to be
touched there. He wanted to be fucked.
“Tell me,” Westcliff said.
Jules squeezed his eyes shut. “Can’t you smell it?”
He had thought he was stinking of arousal and lust, but Westcliff
shook his head against his neck. “Your scent is still too faint to discern any
nuances,” he said, taking a deep breath. “It’s not just the suppressants. Until
the mark fades completely, your scent will be faint. Mated omegas stop
smelling strongly to other alphas.”
Right. Westcliff wasn’t his alpha. As if Jules needed another
reminder of how wrong this was. His mate had died just a few months ago.
He had no business acting like a bitch in heat with another alpha, no matter
how good this alpha smelled to him.
“Tell me,” Westcliff said again, his tone like a demand. An
order. Was it sick that it only made Jules more aroused?
Alpha , his hindbrain thought dazedly. Stop fighting it, tell him
everything, he’ll take care of you.
Jules buried his burning face in the hollow of Westcliff’s throat and
breathed in deeply. Feeling drunk on alpha pheromones, he guided their
joined hands to his crotch, any semblance of shame and propriety forgotten.
He pressed Westcliff’s hand against his cock, shuddering at the contact.
He didn’t say anything. Couldn’t.
Westcliff went very still, just cupping the bulge for a moment that
seemed to stretch into forever.
Jules whined impatiently, his cock throbbing under the touch.
“Babe,” Westcliff breathed out at last, his voice low and husky. “I
don’t think we should—”
“I’m no innocent little virgin,” Jules snapped, lifting his head, his
sexual frustration finally overriding his embarrassment and shame. “I’m
still horny after my heat, that’s all. I want a cock. Give me yours.”
Westcliff stared at him like he’d grown a second head. But his scent
thickened, becoming muskier and even more mouthwatering, the air
charged with alpha pheromones.
“Come on,” Jules said, looking him in the eye. “I’m so horny right
now any cock will do. You don’t want me to go looking for a knot, do
you?”
Westcliff’s gaze darkened, his jaw tightening. “Stop saying such
crude things. It doesn’t suit you.”
“Why?” Jules said, pushing his hips against Westcliff’s hand. Fuck,
he was so hard he felt like crying from frustration. “Because I’m a noble
omega? I had a mate before. I’ve been fucked and knotted—”
Westcliff growled , his eyes flashing and his claws sliding out.
Jules froze, a little stunned by Westcliff’s loss of control, but mostly,
he was embarrassingly turned on by it. It was the first time Westcliff had
acted like a Xeus in his presence, and it was more arousing than it should
have been.
Westcliff closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His claws sank back
into his skin, and when he opened his eyes again, they weren’t glowing
anymore. But his scent remained thick and musky, his powerful body tense
and rigid. And there was a very big bulge between his legs.
Jules licked his dry lips, his hole clenching over nothing. Fuck, he
wanted him. He needed that inside of him. Now. “You’re going to be my
alpha if you marry Liam,” he said hoarsely, scraping his nails against the
bulge under Westcliff’s suit pants. “Aren’t you going to be a good alpha and
take care of me?”
Westcliff inhaled sharply, his pupils so blown his eyes seemed
dark. “Usually being a good alpha doesn’t involve knotting your mate’s
little brother.”
“I know,” Jules said lightly, ignoring the way his heart ached and hurt
at the thought of Westcliff mating Liam. His fingers trembling with
impatience, he unbuckled Westcliff’s belt and then unzipped his pants. “But
you aren’t mated to him yet. In fact, Liam called things off, so there’s
nothing wrong with this. There are no promises to break, and it’s not like
you love each other. It won’t hurt anyone.” Besides me and my stupid heart
, he thought as he finally pulled out Westcliff’s cock. He nearly moaned as
he squeezed it in his hand. So thick and hard, the fat head already leaking
pre-come. Fuck, he wanted it.
Jules leaned down and licked the cockhead. Mmm .
Westcliff made a low, guttural sound as Jules took his cock into his
mouth. Gods. The cock felt impossibly wide in his mouth and his lips were
stretched to their fullest, but Jules sucked him down, Westcliff’s taste
flooding his senses. He’d heard that omegas got high on the taste of an
alpha’s arousal, but he’d never believed it until now. He felt drunk, sucking
on the cock greedily and unable to get enough, moaning around it like a
whore, his whole world narrowed down to that thick, delicious cock—
until Westcliff’s hand buried in Jules’s hair. “Come here,” he bit out,
dragging Jules upward and into his lap.
Then he jerked Jules’s fly open. A moment later, his large hand
wrapped around Jules’s aching erection and started stroking it. Jules
squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face against the alpha’s wide
shoulder. Fuck, it felt so good, he couldn’t believe it was finally happening,
but it still wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He wanted something different.
He wanted Westcliff’s hand on his aching, empty hole.
As if reading his thoughts, Westcliff moved his hand lower, stroking
his slick opening, and Jules let out a long, shameless moan. He hoped none
of the footmen stood outside the door—they’d hear everything—but to be
honest, Jules wasn’t at all sure he’d be able to stop humping Westcliff’s
hand even if the entire staff watched them.
“Cock,” he gasped out, grabbing Westcliff’s erection again and
stroking it greedily. “Need your cock in me. Wanna be fucked.”
“Fucking hell,” Westcliff gritted out. A moment later, there was a
tearing sound—his pants, Jules realized dazedly—and then Westcliff was
lifting him and—
Jules moaned, impaled on the hard, throbbing cock.
Fuck fuck fuuuuck.
Nothing should feel this good. He’d almost forgotten how amazing
this felt, being pounded into, used like a ragdoll for pleasure as Westcliff
fucked up into him, lifting him up and down, as if Jules weighed nothing.
His strength was an enormous turn-on, and Jules could only take it, his
moans getting progressively louder, no matter how much he tried to muffle
them against Westcliff’s shoulder. They were fucking fully clothed, he
realized distantly. Somehow it made the act even more obscene, and Jules
moaned loudly, squeezing around the massive cock drilling inside him. The
wet, slurping sounds his hole made would have embarrassed him—if he
were capable of being embarrassed. All he could do was feel. Feel and fall
apart on Westcliff’s cock.
It took him a ridiculously short time to come, but Westcliff didn’t
stop. He toppled them over, Jules’s back hitting the couch, and kept on
thrusting. And thrusting. And thrusting. Soon enough, Jules was pushing
back onto Westcliff’s cock, needing to come again. His own cock was soft
after his first orgasm, but the need inside him didn’t lessen, the weird
pleasure taking him higher and higher, and he couldn’t get enough of it. His
fingernails digging into Westcliff’s back, he urged him on, moaning at
every thrust.
Jules cried out as he came again, his second orgasm even more
overwhelming than the first. Westcliff shuddered on top of him and pulled
out with a curse, coming against Jules’s stomach.
Blinking blearily, Jules pursed his lips, more than a little
disappointed, no matter how good he felt. “You didn’t knot me.”
Westcliff let out a strangled laugh against his shoulder.
“You’re unbelievable,” he said, still breathing unsteadily. “Of course
I didn’t knot you. It would have been irresponsible—more irresponsible
than this already is. You’re just coming off your heat. You’re likely still
fertile, even with the suppressants.”
Jules shivered. Fertile. Instead of scaring him, the word brought a
pang of irrational longing to his heart. He suddenly imagined it—and
quickly pushed the thought out of his mind. There was no use thinking
about things that’d never happen. Not to him. Not with this man.
Irresponsible . Right.
“Julian.” Westcliff’s tone was quiet but loaded. “I’m—”
“Don’t,” Jules said quickly, shimmying out from under him and
getting to his admittedly shaky feet. “It’s fine. There’s nothing to apologize
for.” He straightened his clothes, looking anywhere but at Westcliff. “It’s
just sex. We’re both consenting adults. It’s fine. I have to go!” And he ran
out of the room before Westcliff could say the dreaded “ I’m sorry, it was a
mistake.”
He didn’t need to hear it.
He knew.
He knew it was all he could ever be.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 19

“You smell like Westcliff.”


Jules froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth. Putting it down, he
darted a look at his brother across the table, hoping his face didn’t betray
the discomfort he felt. Though, “discomfort” didn’t seem to be an adequate
word to describe the mix of guilt and anxiety that had settled in the pit of
his stomach ever since he’d left Westcliff in the drawing room.
The worst part was, he didn’t feel guilty for what they’d done. He felt
guilty for not feeling guilty. Fuck, he felt like a terrible person. Liam might
not love Westcliff, but he still wanted to marry him. That had to mean
something, right? He should have felt guilty. Except the irrational part of
him, his omega side, saw nothing wrong with what they’d done—Westcliff
felt like his alpha—and there was no use trying to apply logic to feelings.
“So he did call on me while I was out,” Liam said. “I knew he’d
come begging forgiveness soon enough. He needs me.”
Jules frowned, his discomfort forgotten for a moment. “What do you
mean? He’s a royal duke. He doesn’t need to marry you in particular. He
could marry anyone.”
“Don’t be naive,” Liam said, shaking his head. “When it’s announced
that Westcliff is taking the crown away from Prince Haydn, there will likely
be huge protests all over the kingdom. People aren’t going to be happy with
a Xeus stealing the crown from the rightful heir—at least who they see as
the rightful heir. Westcliff is going to need a publicity boost, something
positive to have people talking. I’m the most desirable, sought-after omega
in the country—”
“And the most modest,” Jules said, rolling his eyes with long-
suffering fondness. He loved his brother, but he could be so vain. But then
again, was it vanity when it was the truth?
“—and Westcliff has been courting me for a while,” Liam
continued. “Our supposed romance is one of the most popular topics in the
country. People are invested in it. If Westcliff marries me, it will give him a
much-needed boost in the approval ratings. If he suddenly switches his
attentions to someone else, it’ll only ruin his reputation instead of helping
him: he’ll be seen as fickle and irresponsible, which would only confirm
people’s opinions on Xeus alphas. So yeah, Westcliff can’t really afford to
change his mind.” Liam took a sip of his tea. “I do feel for him, you know. I
do understand that it’s a very difficult situation. I’m not being cruel just for
the sake of it. But I won’t put up with my future husband treating me like a
pretty piece of furniture and completely ignoring my opinion. So he’ll have
to apologize—sincerely—before I allow him to continue our courtship.”
Jules looked down at his tea before bringing the cup to his mouth. He
took a long sip, fighting the irrational irritation and dislike he suddenly felt
toward his brother. Liam hadn’t said anything wrong. His attitude was
rational and very logical. Devlin wasn’t his. He had no right to feel so
possessive.
But how could he convince himself of that when he could still smell
Devlin on his own skin? When he could still feel the bruises on his hips, the
pleasant tenderness between his legs? When every time his thoughts
strayed, they strayed toward what had happened a few hours ago? It was
impossible.
“Don’t you want more than a political marriage?” Jules said, without
looking at Liam. “It all seems very cold and impersonal, Li.”
His brother sighed. “Obviously I wanted a love match,” he said after
a moment, picking at his salad. His voice was quiet, a little defeated. “But
I’ve met countless alphas this season, Jules. Thousands. Most of them were
titled and rich, some were very handsome. But there’s no… no spark, you
know? I felt nothing. None of the insane attraction described in the books.”
Liam scoffed. “Apparently they are full of shit.”
Jules wished he could agree.
“So yeah,” Liam said. “If I have to settle for an alpha I don’t love, I
might as well get the best one.” He shrugged with a rueful smile. “I figured
there’s a higher chance to eventually fall in love with my spouse if they’re
hot, handsome, and filthy rich. So Westcliff it is.” He paused, as if only now
remembering something, before shooting Jules an uncomfortable
look. “Your crush on him isn’t serious, right?”
Jules forced a smile. “You’re the second person to ask that today. By
the way, thanks for telling Westcliff about my crush.”
Liam flushed. “My intentions were good,” he said stiffly. “The way
he behaves with you is almost cruel, considering... I told him about your
crush because I didn’t want you to get false hopes and end up hurt.”
Jules was almost touched. Almost. He also felt more than a little hurt.
It hurt that even Liam, who had always assured him that he wasn’t
unattractive, thought that an alpha like Westcliff would never find him
attractive.
“I understand,” Jules said evenly, fighting the tightness in his throat.
“Anyway!” Liam said in an awkward tone of voice, probably just
now realizing how his words sounded. “Did Westcliff say anything? About
me, I mean? Did he seem sorry?”
No, he was too busy fucking me , Jules nearly snapped, and scowled
at the food on his plate. “No,” he said, getting to his feet. “I promised Eric
to call him.” And he strode out of the dining room before Liam could say
anything.
He spent the rest of the day hiding in his room and pretty much
freaking out, as the consequences of their ill-advised sex had fully sunk in.
What had he done? How was he ever going to see Devlin as a
brother-in-law? To smile when he saw him kiss and scent-mark Liam? To
pretend he didn’t feel crushed when he saw them in the morning, with Liam
looking satisfied and well fucked? How was he supposed to smile when he
wanted to cry?
“You can and you will,” he said firmly, pressing his hands against his
stinging eyes. What had happened was a mistake. Devlin was clearly
regretting it already, wishing he’d never given in. Devlin really needed
Liam, and he probably considered the sex with Jules a needless
complication of the situation. A misstep. A shameful loss of control. In fact,
Jules should probably expect a very awkward conversation with Devlin—
with Westcliff —soon enough. He couldn’t avoid it forever. Jules could
practically hear his words: “It’s not you,” “It was a mistake we should
forget about,” “I respect you and value your friendship”—all the cliché stuff
people said when they wanted to gently turn someone down and choose
someone else.
It was fine.
It shouldn’t hurt as much if he expected it, right?

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 20

Devlin had a busy day. He spent most of it working with the public
relations team on his inauguration speech—because apparently he couldn’t
just wing it. Every word had to be perfect and reach the right audience.
These days, monarchies were an unpopular form of government, and to
remain supported by their people, they had to work for it twice as hard as
the republics did. Devlin understood that it was necessary, but all of the
public relations work was very exhausting and frustrating, and by the end of
the day, he felt like letting his claws out and growling, just to finally shut
Cormack up.
It certainly didn’t help that he had been incredibly distracted all day
long.
Sighing, Devlin leaned back in his chair and stared at the computer in
front of him without seeing anything. In the background, Cormack was
droning on about his approval ratings, as if Devlin couldn’t read the data in
front of him.
He could read it—but he couldn’t focus on it. It was a recurrent
problem that day, ever since…
Devlin tried to push the thought away, knowing that if he started
thinking about it, he’d get nothing done.
It didn’t work.
Of course it didn’t work.
He kept thinking of the way Julian had felt around him, tight and
slick, so slick it was like being wrapped in the finest silk… the way he
gazed at Devlin with that glassy-eyed, drugged look, his lips bitten red and
parted as he moaned—
“…as you can see, Your Grace, if you fail to secure the marriage to
the Diamond of the Season soon, it will cause your approval ratings to drop.
We can’t afford it when there is such a high chance for civil unrest—”
“Enough,” Devlin said.
Cormack pursed his lips. “But Your Grace—”
“I said enough,” he repeated, staring him down. “You’re dismissed.”
Cormack opened his mouth but closed it again under Devlin’s
irritated gaze. Nodding, he finally left.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Devlin closed his eyes, his posture
sagging now that he was alone. Everything Cormack had said was true. He
couldn’t back out of his courtship of Liam; it would be beyond
irresponsible. The fact that he was even thinking about it was irresponsible.
He knew what he should do: he needed to pay a visit to the Blakes and clear
things up with Julian. It was important that they were on the same page. He
had to apologize. His lack of self-control was unacceptable. Julian was
young and relatively inexperienced. He might not have been a virgin—
Devlin gritted his teeth, fighting the inappropriate wave of ugly
possessiveness—but he was young and vulnerable after his recent heat. He
had to make sure Julian hadn’t been hurt by his careless actions. He had to
apologize and clear the air so that their friendship wasn’t ruined by that
mistake—because that was what it was.
He couldn’t afford for it to be anything else. He had responsibilities
he couldn’t easily walk away from.
The problem was, everything in him rebelled at the thought of
hurting Julian. He didn’t really believe that it had been just meaningless sex
for him. Or rather, Devlin didn’t want to believe that. Fuck, he really was a
dick. He should have wanted Julian not to have feelings for him, instead of
selfishly wanting him to be hung up on him. This was fucked-up. He was
fucked-up. He couldn’t afford to feel this way. He had responsibilities he
couldn’t walk away from.
Devlin sighed and got to his feet. All right. Clearly he wasn’t getting
anywhere. He was thinking in circles again.
He needed a fresh perspective on the issue.
There was only one person in the palace that he trusted: Ilona. His
childhood nanny still worked at the palace, having been promoted to Head
of Staff, and she always seemed genuinely delighted when he visited her.
As he’d grown older, he didn’t visit her as much as he used to in his
childhood, but he was still fond of her and he trusted her. She had always
been kind to him and didn’t seem as intimidated by his rank as the other
servants were.
The corridors in the servants wing were empty at this hour—it wasn’t
late enough for servants to be heading to their rooms yet—so Devlin didn’t
encounter many of them on the way to Ilona’s office.
He had stopped by her door and raised his hand to knock when the
noise in the room made him pause.
The door was cracked open, making its soundproof properties
useless. Devlin could hear the sounds of intimacy: breathy moans and
sounds of flesh moving against flesh.
He raised his eyebrows, honestly surprised. Ilona was still a very
attractive woman, but he hadn’t known she was seeing someone. She’d
never mentioned anyone and barely talked about her late husband.
Yet there was the unmistakable sound of kissing, wet and urgent.
Grimacing in discomfort, Devlin turned away. He’d come back later.
Clearly it wasn’t a good time.
“Not here,” Ilona said breathlessly. “Stefan.”
Devlin stiffened and looked back at the door. Stefan?
It wasn’t a rare name, but as he focused on his senses, letting them
sharpen, he recognized the king’s alpha scent. Ilona and Stefan? Since
when? Devlin hadn’t even been aware that the king had trysts with omegas.
It was well documented how little he thought of them. That said, the king
was just sixty-four—a healthy middle-aged man in excellent shape. Of
course he would have some trysts. Everyone knew he and the queen hadn’t
slept in one bedroom in decades.
“Shut up,” Stefan bit out. “I don’t want to hear your voice or your—”
He let out a guttural sound, and then there was the unmistakable rhythmic
sound of a cock moving inside a slick hole. “All these decades, but you’re
still poisoning my thoughts,” he gritted out, his voice thick with
resentment. “What have you done to me, you little—” His voice cracked
and turned into a groan, the slaps of flesh against flesh coming faster.
The omega didn’t reply, just breathed in hitched gasps and whimpers,
the sounds muffled as if she was trying not to make any noise.
Devlin stood frozen, his mind reeling as he connected the dots—the
oddities he had noticed as a child but had disregarded. Ilona, a simple maid,
being assigned as his nanny. Ilona, a simple maid, knowing that he was the
king’s son. Ilona, always being there for him and showing clear favoritism
to him over Haydn—despite everyone else on the staff preferring Haydn.
Ilona, who had apparently been the king’s mistress for decades. Ilona, who
had green eyes, just like his.
Devlin almost laughed. He couldn’t believe how blind he had been.
All these years, he had wondered about his mother, but he had searched for
his own features in members of high society. He hadn’t even considered
that the high-and-mighty king who despised omegas would lower himself to
an omega maid—and legitimize their child.
The room was quiet now. They must have finished.
Devlin stared at the door for a moment before rapping on it with his
knuckles and pushing it open.
He almost regretted it when Ilona let out a startled cry and jumped
away from the king, straightening her clothes hurriedly, her face
flushed. “Your G-grace!” she stammered, looking anywhere but at him.
Taking pity on her, Devlin shifted his gaze to Stefan.
The king was straightening his clothes unhurriedly, his arrogant face
slightly flushed but set into a hard, haughty expression.
Devlin’s claws itched to come out. “Your Majesty,” he said with a
smile. “What an unexpected surprise.”
Stefan pursed his lips, zipping his pants up. He said nothing,
exchanging a look with Ilona.
The air in the room was so thick with tension it was palpable.
Devlin sat down in the armchair, pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
Normally, Stefan would have berated him for smoking indoors. Ilona
would have chided him for smoking, period.
No one said anything.
He took a long drag, eyeing Stefan idly. “You know, for the first time,
I’m really convinced that non-shifter alphas are superior to Xeus alphas,”
he said, his tone conversational. “If you were a Xeus, you would have been
more likely to knot my childhood nanny, and this little scene would have
been very awkward. More awkward than it already is.”
Stefan glared at him.
Devlin’s lips twitched, his gaze cold. “Though, I suppose I should
have said ‘my mother,’ right?”
Ilona made a choked noise.
Stefan’s eyes hardened. “Listen, you—”
“Leave us, Stefan,” Ilona said quietly.
To Devlin’s immense surprise, the king did as he was told. With a last
hard look at Devlin, he left.
And then they were alone—he and the woman who had given birth to
him. The woman who had lied to him all his life.
Devlin stared at her, and he wasn’t sure what he felt. He thought he
should have hated her for lying, but all he could feel was confusion
and… hurt. Yes, hurt.
The silence stretched.
“I’m sorry,” Ilona blurted out at last, wringing her hands, her eyes
wide in her pale face. “I’m so sorry.”
Devlin looked away for a moment. “I don’t need your apologies,” he
said. “I want an explanation.”
“It’s… a long story,” Ilona said.
“I have time,” Devlin said, looking back at her.
Ilona chewed on her lip, her expression troubled and uncertain. It was
kind of funny how easily he could see his features in her face now that he
knew. People truly saw only what they wanted to see. It was kind of ironic
that it was the lesson this woman had taught him as a child.
“I was seventeen when I started working at the palace as a maid,”
Ilona said at last. “Your father was already married to his first wife and had
a son with her. When we met, it was…” Her gaze became distant, a crooked
smile curling her lips. “It was attraction at first sight. He smelled perfect to
me—he smelled like mine —but…” Her smile became sadder, bitter. “But
he wasn’t. He was already married. And he was the king. A man who had a
responsibility to his country and his family. I ran away from him, back to
my hometown. I didn’t trust myself. I didn’t want to be the other woman—
and that’s all I would ever have been if I’d given in to the attraction
between us—even though he was my true mate.”
When Devlin sneered, Ilona laughed a little. “I know you probably
think true mates are a thing of fairy tales—I thought the same way, too—
but if the last three decades have taught me anything, it is that true mates
are real. I did everything to fight the pull I felt toward your father—and I
mean everything.” Her eyes were glistening now. “I returned to my
hometown, waited for my heat, and gave myself to another alpha. I hoped it
would work. I hoped my first shared heat with another alpha would help me
bond to him. But it didn’t. Nothing ever worked. I still felt the yearning for
Stefan. But I became pregnant with another alpha’s child. And I married
him.” Her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. “Stefan arrived the next day.
I’ve never seen him so angry—and so broken. He called me a whore and
left.” Ilona gave a humorless smile. “See, I’m the reason Stefan despises
omegas. He thought I slept with another alpha because I was loose. He
didn’t understand that I had done it because I didn’t want to be loose. He
was a married man. I didn’t want to break a married man’s family.”
“And then what happened?”
“I had two children with Charles—my husband—before he died in
the war,” Ilona said, dropping her gaze. “Truth be told, I was… I
was relieved when he died. I’m not proud of it, but… But do you know
what it’s like to share a bed with a man you don’t love when your heart
beats for another?”
Devlin didn’t say anything. He was too blindsided by the reminder
that Ilona had other children—his siblings .
Ilona was quiet for a while before continuing. “A few days after my
husband’s death, I received a job offer from the palace.” She gave a brittle
smile. “I know I should have declined. But I had two little children to think
about. Our financial situation wasn’t good, and it was a really well-paid job
with room and board included. I had to agree—or so I told myself.” She
shook her head, her lips curled. “In hindsight, I was weak. Weak and
foolish. After years of fighting it, I gave in. I wanted him. I yearned for
him. Only him.”
Devlin looked away. He wished he could make himself despise her,
but… all he felt was pity. He couldn’t really fault her: she had been young
and vulnerable. Stefan had so much power over her, aside from having age
and experience on his side. He knew Stefan had become the king and
married his first wife very young—at fifteen—but he’d been a grown man
by the time he met Ilona. He had no excuse.
“His wife died around that time, too, and I became Stefan’s mistress,”
Ilona continued, clearly trying to sound matter-of-fact and unemotional. But
she still sounded embarrassed. “Those were the happiest few years of my
life. I didn’t have to share him with anyone—anyone but his kingdom. But
in the end, the kingdom took him away from me. His son—his only heir—
died in the war, and he had to marry again.”
“Why didn’t he marry you if he loved you?”
Ilona laughed. It wasn’t a happy laugh. “Loved me? He’s never said
that he loved me. Our relationship has never been an easy one. I’m pretty
sure he hates me half of the time. He’s never forgiven me for sleeping with
another alpha—for having children of another alpha. Of course it’s highly
hypocritical of him, but you alphas can’t think rationally about such
things.”
Devlin gave a clipped nod. It really was immensely difficult to fight
one’s territorial instincts.
“Besides,” Ilona said quietly. “He’s the king. I’m a servant.
Kings marry servants only in fairy tales, Devlin.” She bit her bottom lip
hard. “I was already pregnant with you when he married a second time. It
was just a political match, he said. It wouldn’t change anything, he said. But
of course it did. I couldn’t be the other woman. So we ended it.” She closed
her eyes, a tear falling down her cheek.
She was still very beautiful, especially for a middle-aged woman. It
was no wonder the king was so fixated on her.
“Why did you give me up?” Devlin said, keeping his voice neutral. It
seemed it wasn’t neutral enough, because Ilona’s face crumpled.
“I know you probably hate me for that,” she whispered. “But every
mother wants the world for her child. I wanted you to grow up in his world,
not mine. I didn’t want you to have to serve your own father and his
legitimate children. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. I told myself
that at least I wasn’t abandoning you. I could be near you. I could watch
you grow even if I couldn’t be your mother.” She fell to her knees in front
of him and grabbed his hands, looking him in the eyes desperately. “I do
love you, my darling. Please never think for a moment that you weren’t
loved. A good mother should never have a favorite child, but you’ve always
had a special place in my heart, because you are the child of the only man I
have ever loved.”
Devlin cleared his throat a little, swallowing the discomfort in
it. “You should have still told me the truth,” he said stiffly.
“I wanted to,” Ilona said, her voice breaking a little. “I wanted to do
it so many times, especially when I saw you hurting—when I saw how
much hatred and cruelty you had to face as a boy because of your
designation. But I promised your father that I’d never tell you the truth. He
didn’t even want you to know that he was your father.” She squeezed his
hands. “Do you remember how you found out about it?”
“I overheard it,” Devlin said, frowning. “Stefan was arguing with his
sister about me. She wanted to send me away to the countryside, and he
forbade her from doing it.” He’s my son, and he’ll stay here , Stefan had
snapped. That was how Devlin had found out.
Ilona nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “He
promised me that you would always be around so I could see you. But he
also loves you very much, sweetheart.”
Devlin laughed.
“He does,” she said steadily. “It may not look like it, but he’s very
proud of you. I know he’s always pushed you hard, but it was because he
knew you could handle it. He loves you.”
“I’m afraid you’re delusional, ma’am,” Devlin said with a crooked
smile.
She gave him a flat look. “You’re a Xeus, and yet he’s about to make
you the heir to the throne,” she said. “What more proof do you need? We all
know it will be a very unpopular decision.”
Devlin opened his mouth, and then closed it without saying anything.
He had to admit this revelation had answered the question he’d been
wondering about for decades: why had the king bothered to make his
bastard a duke? He still didn’t believe that Stefan held a great deal of
affection for him, but so many things now made sense in retrospect. He was
a son born by Stefan’s omega. Stefan might not accept his feelings for
Ilona, he might resent her for them, but alphas really were territorial
creatures. The child born of one’s mate would be important to any alpha.
“You said you ended the relationship when Stefan remarried,” he
stated, changing the subject to a marginally more comfortable one. “But
what about what I’ve just seen?”
Ilona flushed, an expression of discomfort and shame flickering over
her face. She didn’t have to say anything; her face said it all.
“I see,” Devlin said.
“The queen knows,” Ilona said uncomfortably. “And she has a lover,
too. I know it doesn’t excuse me. You’re right to judge me—I’m judging
myself, Devlin.” Pressing her knuckles against her eyes, she
swallowed. “But… but you have no idea what it’s like to fight the pull
toward your mate. It’s like fighting gravity. It’s impossible. No matter how
strong your mind is, the flesh is weak. The heart is weaker yet.”
Devlin frowned and averted his gaze.
“What is it?” Ilona said, touching his hand.
“It’s nothing.”
“You are not being honest. I know you, my darling.”
Suppressing the urge to snap at her that she didn’t know him, Devlin
pinched the bridge of his nose. Breathed in. “It’s nothing,” he repeated,
getting to his feet. “I just remembered that I have somewhere to be.”
He walked toward the door, but her voice stopped him.
“Do you hate me?” she said, her lovely voice cracking.
Devlin looked back at her. Her eyes were glistening with tears, her
hands trembling before she wrapped her arms around herself. She looked
small, vulnerable, and broken.
Sighing, Devlin walked back to her and pulled her against his chest.
She clung to him, his shirt quickly soaking with tears.
He held her tightly, his throat uncomfortably thick. His mother. This
was his mother.
“I don’t hate you,” he said, looking at the wall behind her. “I just
think you deserve better than being the dirty little secret of a man who
doesn’t know what he wants.”
As soon as he said it, he felt a chill run down his spine.
He stood still, his mind reeling, as his mother cried in his arms.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 21

He managed to sneak into the house without being seen by the


servants. He knocked on Julian’s door, once, and waited, his heart pounding
and his senses on high alert. He felt disconcertingly similar to how he felt
before his rut: his skin hot, his senses sharpened, and the beast
uncomfortably close to the surface.
He had rehearsed what he was going to say.
It was a mistake. It can’t happen again. I don’t want to be my father. I
don’t want to hurt you. We need to put some distance between us. You
deserve better than this. Better than me.
But all his rehearsed, logical arguments left his mind the moment
Julian opened the door.
Julian wasn’t wearing anything seductive. All he was wearing was an
old, oversized dark red shirt—and nothing else, as far as Devlin could tell.
Swallowing, Devlin dragged his gaze from those cute little toes to
Julian’s well-shaped legs and thighs. Like most Dainiri omegas, Julian was
on the curvier side, and Devlin’s hands itched to lift the hem of that
oversized shirt and find out whether his ass was as round and plush as it had
felt in his hands—
Enough . Control yourself, damn it.
It was easier said than done. Devlin grimaced, realizing that he was
pumping out alpha pheromones—posturing like an animal.
“What are you doing here?” Julian said, taking a step back. His face
was flushed, his nostrils flaring. “Never mind. I know why you’re here and
I agree: it was a mistake. We shouldn’t have done it. We should be friends
and forget about the whole thing.”
Devlin watched himself enter the room and shut the door.
He watched himself step forward. It felt like he had no control over
his body whatsoever.
His mother’s words echoed in his mind. You have no idea what it’s
like to fight the pull toward your mate. It’s like fighting gravity.
Julian wasn’t his mate. But he smelled of him. He still stank of him,
Devlin; he smelled like his—he looked like his, he felt like his. Devlin
could do nothing to stop himself from reaching out and touching him with
greedy hands.
“Tell me to stop,” he ground out, laying his hands on Julian’s hips,
despising his lack of control but unable to stop. Perhaps he was his father’s
son, after all. “I need you to tell me to stop.”
Julian’s lips trembled. Visibly so.
“We shouldn’t,” he stammered, looking at him in a way that was both
hungry and scared.
It wasn’t a no.
The fucked-up part was, that look appealed to his baser side, to the
predator that lived under his skin. The predator wanted the omega to run. It
wanted to catch the omega and mount him right there, regardless of any
possible witnesses.
Goddammit.
Trying to quash his Xeus instincts, Devlin managed, “I’m sorry.”
Those pretty brown eyes blinked at him in confusion.
Fuck, he was so endearing. So pure. Devlin felt like a right pervert
for wanting to stick his cock into him and dirty him up with his come.
“What for?”
“For this.” Devlin pushed Julian against the door, pinning him with
his body. The immense satisfaction he derived from their obvious size
difference made him feel vaguely ashamed, but not ashamed enough to stop
himself from pushing his erection between the omega’s legs. Julian let out a
moan, his body immediately going pliant, his neck tilting to the side to give
Devlin access to his scent gland.
And Devlin was lost. Burying his face in the omega’s neck, he
sucked hard.
Julian whimpered, his hips jerking against Devlin’s, his unassuming
scent sweetening with arousal. Devlin sucked harder, barely stopping
himself from breaking the skin. He wanted to bite . He wanted to erase
another alpha’s mark and put his own. His teeth itched.
“We can’t,” Julian said, burying his fingers in Devlin’s hair and
pulling him closer to his neck. “We should stop.”
“We should,” Devlin said, kissing and licking his way up Julian’s
slim neck.
Julian’s lips were already parted when Devlin reached them.
They both groaned as their mouths finally slotted together. It didn’t
feel like a first kiss; there was nothing tentative or unsure about it. Julian
sucked his tongue into his mouth as if it were the most natural thing in the
world, his mouth somehow soft and pliant and greedy at the same time.
Kissing him felt so addictive. Devlin couldn’t get enough, pressing him
harder against the door, needing more, needing to get deeper. He felt
starved .
He slipped his hands down Julian’s back, pulled his briefs down, and
squeezed those smooth, plump buttocks before stroking the wet opening
between them. Fuck, he was soaked already.
Julian shuddered, whining and humping his hand, his little moans
swallowed by Devlin’s hungry mouth. Fuck, he’d never felt like this, never
felt like he’d fucking explode if he didn’t get into another person, now .
It took only a moment to free his cock from his pants. Julian grabbed
it, stroking it greedily as he sucked on Devlin’s tongue. “Want you,” he
whispered hoarsely between kisses. “Put it in, put it in.”
Devlin put it in.
Later, he would be embarrassed by his own impatience and lack of
control, but right now he couldn’t fucking wait. He flipped Julian around,
pushing his chest against the omega’s back. Then he guided his cock into
him, a low growl emitting from his throat as Julian’s slick tightness
enveloped him.
After that, everything was a blur of gut-wrenching want and need.
Devlin only had the presence of mind to stroke Julian’s cock on every other
thrust, his face buried in Julian’s nape as they mated like animals—just a
hard cock pumping in and out of a hole, the air so thick with pheromones
Devlin felt drunk with it. Julian was moaning non-stop, small, breathless
moans that went straight to Devlin’s cock. They drove him absolutely crazy,
his hips moving faster and harder, until Julian’s moans turned into loud
cries of “ Ah ah ah .” He’d gotten so loud Devlin had to cover his mouth
with his hand. Julian bit it as he came, his hole clenching around his cock,
and fuck, Devlin was coming, too, his knot growing and locking them
together as he spilled inside of him, shuddering with his whole body as
pleasure washed over him.
He couldn’t pull out this time. Didn’t want to. Julian was probably
still fertile. The thought made him growl, his cock spurting again. He
wanted it. He wanted it to take.
Goddammit.
What was he doing ?
Julian sagged back into him, letting out a satisfied little sigh that did
terrible things to Devlin’s heart.
Kissing the back of his neck, Devlin wrapped his arms around him,
still panting hotly. He wanted to hold him. It was such a foreign feeling. He
normally didn’t like post-coital cuddling, which was why he tried not to
knot his sex partners—being stuck inside of someone he didn’t want to be
so close to outside of sex could be awkward and unpleasant. Cuddling after
sex usually wasn’t his thing at all.
He usually wasn’t one for letting his cock do the thinking, either. Yet
here they were.
“We shouldn’t have done it again,” Julian slurred out, sounding
breathless and drunk. Omegas got a little high on the pheromones their
alphas released when they knotted them.
It meant they were compatible.
Not that there was any doubt about that.
Devlin sighed, kissing Julian on the shoulder. “I know,” he said,
closing his eyes. They were going to be stuck like this for a while. They
might as well talk. “Are you comfortable?”
Julian made a strange sound—something between a giggle and a
groan. “I can’t believe you’re seriously asking that question,” he said, still
sounding drunk. “Yes, your knot is very comfortable, Your Grace.”
Devlin found himself smiling. “Brat,” he said, kissing him on the
neck. But it was obvious now that a serious conversation was impossible
while Julian was still riding the high.
“Let’s get you comfortable,” he said, lifting Julian carefully and
carrying him toward the bed.
He laid him down, spooning him from behind.
“Sleep,” he said, slipping an arm around the omega’s waist.
“Will you stay?” Julian mumbled sleepily, entwining his slim fingers
with Devlin’s.
Devlin stared at their joined hands, his chest tight. He had to bite his
tongue to stop himself from promising that he’d stay—promising anything
Julian wanted.
Fucking hell.
“Just for tonight,” Julian murmured, yawning, and then he drifted off,
wrapped in Devlin’s arms.
Devlin watched him sleep, feeling like the worst kind of creep but
unable to look away.
Julian wasn’t conventionally handsome or beautiful. His face didn’t
have anything objectively remarkable about it. But he looked so damn
lovely to Devlin, his every feature endearing and attractive. His mouth was
rather small, not full like Liam’s, and yet it was the one Devlin wanted to
kiss, again and again and again. Looking at Liam’s plump lips did nothing
for him, but watching Julian’s small, mobile mouth made him imagine
kissing it for hours before feeding it his cock—
Devlin grimaced, feeling himself starting to get aroused again.
He should go. Go home, and think about what he was going to do. He
clearly wasn’t capable of rational thinking around this omega.
But he couldn’t leave, not when Julian had asked him to stay.
He didn’t want him to wake up alone.
Whipped , Devlin thought, smiling crookedly to himself.
It wasn’t an amused smile. Nor was it an amusing thought.
Devlin didn’t sleep that night at all. It was both the best and the worst
night of his life.
He had a lot to think about.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 22

Jules woke up, feeling… mmm, wonderful.


His cheek was pressed against something warm and comfortable.
Smiling sleepily, he nuzzled into his pillow. It smelled good.
The pillow moved. “Good morning.”
Jules forced his eyes open and found himself staring at the Duke of
Westcliff’s magnificent bare chest—which was the thing he’d apparently
been using as a pillow.
“You didn’t leave,” Jules stated, blinking. “And you’re half-naked.
I’m pretty sure you weren’t half-naked yesterday when I fell asleep.”
Devlin’s lips twitched, but otherwise his expression remained oddly
somber. “We need to talk,” he said.
Jules winced. “Please can we not? I know how that talk goes. We
really should skip it.”
“Skip it,” Devlin repeated, looking at him strangely.
Jules put on a smile. “Yes! Don’t worry, I understand that it was a
mistake—two mistakes, now—and I’m not going to make things awkward.
No one needs to know about this.” He waved his hand vaguely between
them, smiling wider, as if it were one giant joke and his heart wasn’t
actively breaking with every word he said. He was fine. Or he would be
fine. He refused to be the pathetic, unattractive loser who acted all clingy
and embarrassing around a man who was way out of his league. He was
better than that, damn it. He had his pride. That was about the only thing he
had.
Devlin frowned. “Julian—”
A phone went off.
“That’s yours,” Jules said, turning away to fix his rumpled clothes.
He flushed, noticing that he was naked below his waist. Idiot. Of course he
was naked below his waist. “You should answer it. Seems urgent with the
way they aren’t giving up.” Not seeing his briefs anywhere, Jules settled on
pulling the sheets to his waist.
Behind him, he could hear Devlin finally reach for his phone and
answer it. “Yes?” he said shortly, his voice laced with irritation and
impatience.
“Where the hell are you?” The connection was so good that Jules
could actually hear the other person. “ You promised you’d be here!”
Devlin heaved a sigh. “Look, Haydn, I’m sorry, but this is not a good
time—”
“Are you kidding me?” the caller—Prince Haydn, apparently—said,
sounding pissed off. “You’re the reason I’m here. My father told me not to
step foot in Pelugia while he was alive, and I was more than happy to
oblige and never see him again. I’m here only because of you, Dev. The
least you can do is get your ungrateful ass over here and not leave me alone
with the king!”
“Isn’t your husband there?” Devlin said. Jules could hear him reach
for his clothes. Jules didn’t turn around. He didn’t want to see him half-
naked again. He didn’t trust himself at all.
“No, Royce actually has a country to run. He wanted to come with
me, but I told him it was unnecessary, because my favorite cousin would be
there to act as moral support. You’re making me a liar.” Haydn said more
softly, a pleading undertone to his voice, “ Please get here soon. I don’t
want to be alone with him.”
Devlin exhaled loudly. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll be there in fifteen.”
When he hung up, Jules said, “He called you cousin. He still doesn’t
know you’re his brother? Why haven’t you told him?”
There was the sound of clothes rustling.
“There was no point,” Devlin said. “He’d only feel guilty for the
privileged status he had all his life compared to me. He has a bleeding
heart.” His voice became sardonic. “Frankly, I’m surprised our father
managed to produce someone so good and nice.”
Jules turned around. He was both relieved and disappointed to find
Devlin mostly dressed. “You’re talking like you don’t consider yourself a
good person.”
Devlin smiled without much mirth. “Because I’m not one. I’m not a
good man at all, sweetheart.”
“You shouldn’t say that,” Jules said, frowning.
Devlin stroked between Jules’s brows, smoothing the wrinkle
there. “I’ve lied to everyone since I was a child, Julian,” he said quietly.
“I’ve learned to lock my emotions away behind the mask of a well-
mannered socialite who sometimes amuses himself with politics. I’ve worn
that mask for so long that it started feeling more natural than my real self.”
Devlin chuckled harshly. “Sometimes I’m not even sure what my real self is
—if it even exists. I’ve never really allowed myself to act like a Xeus. I
always had to be better than that. More in control. More than the beast
everyone expects me to be. I’ve pretended for so long it feels like it’s all I
am: a fraud.”
Jules’s heart clenched. Unable to suppress the instinct to comfort, he
caught Devlin’s hand and squeezed it. “I think you’re being too hard on
yourself. I don’t think you’re a fraud.”
Devlin laughed a little before suddenly pulling him close. “That’s
because I’ve never had to act around you,” he said, his arms tightening
around Jules so hard it was almost painful—and toe-curlingly perfect.
Jules’s eyelids grew heavier as Devlin buried his face into his neck. “I love
being around you. You make me feel…” Devlin trailed off before sighing
and holding him even tighter. “Fuck, I don’t want to go. But I have to.”
“I know,” Jules managed.
Devlin swore under his breath, so quietly Jules barely heard him.
“Why is everything so damn complicated…” he muttered. “I’ll have to talk
to Liam, because the announcement will likely be made at tonight’s
ball while Haydn is here, and it’d be better if we’re all on the same page.”
Jules’s eyes were stinging. He stared at the opposite wall
unseeingly. “Okay,” he said, tightening his arms around Devlin and hoping
he wasn’t actually clinging. He probably was. The knowledge that it was
the last time, the last time they could be like this, before Devlin was bound
to Liam for life and became off-limits—it made him clingy and needy. It
was a stolen moment, something that had never really been his, and yet it
still hurt to give it up.
Devlin’s phone started ringing again.
“For fuck’s sake,” he ground out, not lifting his face from Jules’s
neck.
“It could be important,” Jules said reluctantly, still clinging to him.
He couldn’t let go. He never wanted to let go.
“It probably is,” Devlin said, exhaling. Kissing the top of Jules’s
head, he pulled away and answered his phone, his expression already
closing off as he got out of the bed. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he said, his eyes
hardening. “I’ll be there shortly.”
Jules tugged his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around
them. “Goodbye,” he said when Devlin hung up.
Devlin looked back at him, his jaw working. There was frustration in
his body language, his shoulders tense and his eyes troubled. “Julian…” he
started before cutting himself off with a sigh. “We’ll have to talk later,” he
said, taking a step toward Jules before stopping and striding out of the
room.
He didn’t even glance back.

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 23

“Sit.”
Devlin and Haydn looked at each other before taking seats across
from the king.
Stefan looked at them in displeasure.
“You are here only because of your cousin,” he said, looking at
Haydn. “You’re still not forgiven, boy.”
Haydn huffed. “I have no need for your forgiveness . And you’ve got
some nerve to play the victim after what you did to me. Devlin is the only
reason I’m here.”
“And what did I do to you?” Stefan said snidely. “Gave you a
superior designation? What a crime.”
Haydn flushed, his scent thickening with his anger.
Devlin pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe he’d had
to leave Julian for this.
“Enough,” he said coldly, making the king turn his gaze to him. “We
don’t have time for this. Haydn is here as a favor to me, Your Majesty. Treat
him respectfully or we’re both leaving.”
Now Stefan’s face reddened, too. “You insolent—I should kick you
out of the country too, instead of making you my heir.”
Looking him in the eye, Devlin leaned back in his chair and
said, “You could. But you won’t. That would make my mother upset,
wouldn’t it?”
Stefan’s face went blank.
“You’re forgetting yourself, boy,” he hissed.
“What are you talking about?” Haydn cut in, his voice full of
confusion.
Devlin smiled, still looking at the king. Fuck it. He was sick of
lying. “Ask our father, Haydn.”
Haydn made a strangled sound. “Wha—”
“Shut up,” Stefan growled, glaring at Devlin. “You know nothing.”
Devlin’s smile widened. “I actually know a lot, Father . And now I
understand what I didn’t before.” Julian’s lovely eyes flashed to the
forefront of his mind as Devlin thought back to his own desire— need —to
do everything and anything his omega wanted. Julian had wanted him to
stay yesterday, and Devlin wouldn’t have left for all the power and money
in the world. He now understood that it wasn’t an exaggeration when
people said that alphas could kill to make their omegas happy. No matter
how much Stefan might resent his attraction to Ilona, she was still his mate,
and that was something an alpha couldn’t fight. One couldn’t fight one’s
own nature. It was a lost battle if one tried. Devlin wouldn’t repeat his
father’s mistakes.
“But that’s irrelevant now,” Devlin said, glancing at Haydn, who
looked like he’d been hit by a truck. “I’ll explain everything later,” he told
him more softly.
Haydn nodded, still looking dazed and confused.
Devlin gave him a small smile, suddenly realizing why he’d never
felt true animosity toward his half-brother, despite having plenty of reasons
to resent and envy him. Haydn’s suppressed omega nature likely affected
him on some level, making Devlin feel protective of him instead of
aggressive. It explained so much. Alphas usually didn’t get along with other
alphas well, after all.
“For all it’s worth,” Devlin said, looking at Haydn, “I am grateful that
you’re here.” He smiled crookedly. “I know how hard it must have been to
unglue yourself from your husband.”
Haydn gave a weak chuckle, still looking dazed. “But—how? Why
didn’t you tell me? Who is your mother?”
“That’s irrelevant,” Stefan bit out. “Let’s return to the subject at hand.
Tonight, we’ll be announcing that Haydn is willingly stepping down from
the line of succession.” He glared at Haydn, as if daring him to contradict
him.
Haydn didn’t take the bait, frowning a little. “If Devlin is your son,
that means he should have been ahead of me in the line of succession
anyway—he’s older by a few months.”
Stefan glowered at him. “It does not signify,” he said coldly. “As far
as the public is concerned, Westcliff is my nephew. You will step down, and
you will smile and congratulate your cousin at the ball tonight. Is that
understood?”
“Yes. But I’m only doing it because it’s the right thing to do,” Haydn
said firmly. “Not because you’re ordering me to do it.”
“I don’t care,” Stefan said. “All I care about is the end result.” He
turned his heavy gaze to Devlin. “You. You will announce your betrothal to
Liam Blake right after that—”
“No.”
Stefan stared at him. “I beg your pardon?”
Devlin held his gaze unflinchingly. “What I said. I’m not going to do
that.”
“Are you annoying me on purpose?” Stefan gritted out, a muscle
pulsing in his cheek.
“Not everything is about you, Your Majesty,” Devlin said. “I will not
marry Liam Blake, because I decided not to.”
“You can’t just—you can’t just decide not to!” Stefan snarled, his
face reddening again. “You agreed to that plan—”
“Plans change,” Devlin said.
“Everyone expects you to—”
“I don’t care,” Devlin stated. “I’m not marrying him.”
“You foolish—”
“My decision is final.”
Stefan laughed. “Fine! Be an idiot. You’re just sabotaging yourself
after all. And for what? Has another omega slut caught your fancy? Is that
it?”
Devlin closed his eyes for a moment, fighting the itching in his
fingers. His claws wanted out. Ignoring it, he said, looking at Stefan
steadily, “I find it ironic that you call omegas sluts when you’re the one
who couldn’t keep it in your pants for decades because of an omega.”
Stefan growled, the room drenching with his alpha scent.
Devlin growled back, his claws snapping out as he let his own scent
out from under his tight control. From the way his vision brightened, he
knew his eyes were glowing too.
Stefan flinched back, paling, his mouth opening and closing.
“Enough,” he ground out, a bead of sweat running down his forehead. “Stop
that,” he added, glaring at Devlin weakly.
Devlin almost smiled. He had to admit it was kind of amusing to
watch a proud alpha like Stefan try to fight the Xeus pheromones with his
own—and fail, of course. It was one of the reasons people didn’t like Xeus
alphas: they might be “a thing of the past,” a dying minority, but they were
stronger alphas than “normal” alphas. Sometimes the next stage of
evolution didn’t necessarily mean stronger. Non-shifter alphas had their
own advantages like self-control, their Voice, and easier ruts, but strength
wasn’t one of them.
“Stop that, Dev,” Haydn cut in, wincing. He didn’t look as
uncomfortable as Stefan, but his discomfort made Devlin rein his alpha in.
He got to his feet. “My decision is final,” he said again, looking at
Stefan. “You may kick me out of the line of succession, too, if you want.
But I’m not repeating your mistakes: I’m not marrying someone I don’t
love to spend decades in denial and misery.”
Stefan’s lips thinned. He said nothing.
Devlin turned and left. Haydn hurried after him out of the room.
They walked in silence for a while.
“You should have told me,” Haydn finally said. “I had the right to
know.”
“Would it have changed anything?” Devlin said.
“I guess not, but still…” Haydn grumbled, his jaw tightening. He
kind of looked like a kicked puppy. “Didn’t you want us to be brothers?”
Sighing, Devlin slung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him
into a loose hug. “You already were, you idiot,” he said stiffly. He’d never
been all that good at talking about feelings. He snorted. “You know, I really
tried to hate you at the beginning, but you were such a goody two-shoes it
was impossible.”
Haydn chuckled, hugging him back. “I’m glad you didn’t hate me.”
Pulling away a little, he peered at Devlin curiously. “So what were you
talking about back there? Are you really not marrying Blake? I thought you
were courting him. Even back in Kadar it’s all over the social media.”
Grimacing, Devlin pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. “Oh,
I fully intend to marry a Blake,” he said, taking a long drag. It did nothing
to alleviate the agitated feeling under his skin. Fuck, he wanted to see
Julian. “Just not the one people think.”
“What?”

OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 24

Jules had attended quite a few parties and balls since they had arrived
at the capital, but the royal ball was something else.
He’d never been at the palace before, and the luxury was both
overwhelming and humbling. It made Jules acutely aware that they were
little more than country bumpkins, only invited because of Liam’s
undisputed success as the Diamond of the Season—and because Devlin
intended to marry him.
Jules bit the inside of his cheek so hard he tasted blood. Not thinking
about it, not thinking about it, not thinking about it.
Fuck, he was terrible at not thinking about it.
He should have stayed home. He should have made up some excuse
to skip the ball.
But he was so damn weak. So weak for him. He wanted to be there
for Devlin—this was a very important evening for him. Devlin would be
declared the heir tonight. Jules had no idea how people would react, so he
wanted Devlin to have at least one supporter in the ballroom, even if it was
just an unremarkable omega no one ever noticed. Maybe Devlin wouldn’t
even care whether he was there or not, but… Jules couldn’t not go. Even if
it shattered his heart into a million pieces when Devlin’s engagement to
Liam was announced.
Jules didn’t know for sure that it would be announced tonight. There
were strong rumors on the Internet that it would be—apparently some
reliable source from the palace had leaked it already. Liam was aware of the
rumors, too, of course, and he was dressed to the nines, in a pale blue suit
that looked amazing with his golden coloring. He looked even more
beautiful than usual, though he seemed rather pale.
“Nervous?” Jules said with a smile. It hurt his face.
Liam shrugged, avoiding his gaze. “Of course not. I just think it’s
extremely presumptuous of Westcliff to announce our betrothal without
even asking me first.” He scoffed. “But then again, it’s very in character for
him. Heaven forbid he actually admit being wrong.”
Jules hugged his chest with his arms. “Give him a chance. He’s not
that bad.” It felt like every word scratched the inside of his throat. He hated
himself for the ugly, burning jealousy twisting his insides. He loved his
brother. He did. He shouldn’t feel this way.
Excited murmurs suddenly filled the air and Jules turned his head.
“That’s Prince Haydn,” Liam whispered, taking Jules’s arm.
Jules could see that.
He now could understand why Prince Haydn was so loved. He
practically exuded warmth . He was very easy to like. The way he smiled
was good-natured and down-to-earth. While he was handsome, he wasn’t
too handsome—nowhere near as intimidatingly handsome as Devlin was.
When Devlin followed Haydn into the ballroom, Jules couldn’t help but
notice the stark contrast between how people looked at them: they looked at
Devlin with a mix of reluctant attraction, envy, and wariness, while they
looked at Haydn with easy smiles and fondness. Haydn truly was the
Golden Prince: genuinely loved by his people, despite all the recent
controversy surrounding his marriage to a Kadarian alpha. Jules now
understood why the royal publicity team was afraid of riots when Prince
Haydn’s disinheritance was announced.
Frowning, Jules dropped his gaze. But it returned to Devlin almost
right away, drawn to him like a magnet. His stomach lurched when their
eyes met, the whole world narrowing down to Devlin and him alone, his
thoughts a whirlwind of why are you so far away, need you closer, need to
breathe you in, need you, need you.
But then Haydn touched Devlin’s shoulder and said something, and
Devlin turned away.
Suddenly there were sounds around him again as if a lid had been
lifted. Jules felt the loss of Devlin’s gaze almost physically. He was glad
King Stefan’s entrance distracted everyone around him, because he
probably looked as stricken as he felt. Fuck, this was terrible. How was he
going to bear being Devlin’s brother-in-law ? The mere thought made him
sick. Maybe he should tell Uncle Wayne that he wanted to marry Viscount
Nasr. Or even Korf. Anything would be better than living under the same
roof as Devlin and Liam.
He was so distracted by his depressing thoughts that he’d missed the
king’s speech.
“… for coming tonight,” King Stefan was saying into his
microphone, looking as regal, proud, and handsome as ever. “Now I’d like
to give my son an opportunity to speak to you.” He stepped down from the
podium and Prince Haydn took his place.
“Good evening,” the prince said, smiling. “First of all, it’s wonderful
to see you all here.”
That was met with thundering applause. Jules thought it was a little
weird, maybe because he wasn’t as enamored with the prince as everyone
else was. He did like the prince, but he still couldn’t help but associate him
with his Xeus’s death. Jules knew it wasn’t fair—it was highly unlikely that
the prince had anything to do with it—but still.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m here after staying in Kadar for
months,” Haydn continued, his expression becoming serious. Everyone
quieted down. Haydn tugged at his tie slightly. “I will be frank with you. I
know there have been all sorts of rumors flying around—about His Majesty
disinheriting me. I wanted to personally state that it is not true.”
A murmur rolled through the crowd.
Haydn smiled. “I know what some of you are probably thinking: that
I’m being forced to say this. I’m not. The truth is, with my new duties as
Lord Chancellor of the planet, I have little time for anything else. I think
you all deserve a king who will be able to give you his undivided attention
—and his undivided loyalties.”
That made people break into whispers again.
“That said, I wouldn’t have stepped down if I didn’t consider my
successor worthy,” Haydn said firmly. “But it’s the Duke of Westcliff, and I
trust him as I trust myself.” He glanced at Devlin, his smile turning
wistful. “You all know we grew up together, but you probably don’t know
how much I looked up to him. How much I admired him for being strong
and calm in the face of adversity, in situations where I would have lost my
composure. I would have been a good king for you. He will be a great one.”
Someone clapped, and after a moment, people joined in, hesitantly at
first, then more sure and unanimous.
Jules breathed out, feeling a rush of fondness for Prince Haydn, a
man he’d never even spoken to. Although Devlin’s face betrayed very little,
his eyes were warm and soft as he gazed at his half-brother.
“That was very nice of him,” Liam murmured as Haydn stepped off
the podium. “This should make people accept Westcliff more easily.”
Jules opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, there was
the sound of a throat being cleared.
The noise dropped until the ballroom was silent once more.
“I would like to take this opportunity to make another important
announcement,” King Stefan said.
Jules held his breath, his stomach twisting into a knot. Surely…
Surely they wouldn’t, right? Surely it wasn’t necessary after Prince Haydn’s
speech?
“I am delighted to announce that my nephew will be marrying Mr.
Blake soon. Congratulations, son.”
Jules was distantly aware of the applause. It drowned out the noise
Jules made, a strangled sound that ripped out of his throat.
He had known it was coming. He had. Then why did he still feel like
he had been punched in the gut? It shouldn’t have blindsided him, but it still
felt like the ground had been yanked out from under him. Had he actually
hoped for something different, deep down? Idiot.
Even though all he wanted was to flee the room, his eyes still sought
out Devlin. He seemed… angry? It wasn’t very obvious to the casual eye,
but he could read anger in the tense lines of Devlin’s jaw and shoulders.
The king smiled at Devlin, something hard and smug flickering in his
eyes.
Devlin strode over to the king and took the microphone from
him. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said in a way one might say Fuck you,
Your Majesty . He turned to the crowd and said, “Thank you for your
support, too, but His Majesty should have been more specific to avoid
confusion. I know there has been a great deal of speculation about me and
Liam Blake in the media, but while I greatly admire Liam, it’s not him I
have been courting. Liam was simply kind enough to chaperone me and his
brother.”
Jules’s world tilted. Distantly, he was aware of the murmurs of
confusion, of people turning and staring at him and Liam, and of Liam
going very still beside him. He couldn’t register any of it. He stared at
Devlin, who looked right at him as he said, “I’d like to announce my
engagement to Julian Blake.”
There was a funny ringing in his ears, and Jules had to breathe
deeply in order not to faint—that would have been beyond mortifying when
hundreds of people were staring at him. But breathing was difficult, his face
too hot, his heart beating too fast, and—it’d be fucking great if people
stopped staring at him like he’d grown a second head. He wasn’t used to
people looking at him, much less staring at him.
A hand squeezed his elbow. “Smile,” Liam whispered,
smiling. “Smile, Jules.”
Jules smiled—at least he thought he was smiling. He wasn’t sure.
Was he in shock? Everything felt surreal and disjointed, including people
he’d never even spoken to suddenly congratulating him on his fake
engagement.
After what felt like forever, the crowd parted, and there was Devlin.
Jules grabbed his offered hand like a lifeline, the world finally
coming into sharp focus. Devlin lifted his hand and brushed his mouth
against Jules’s wrist, his eyes serious and intent even though his lips were
smiling.
“Will you dance with me?” he said.
Jules nodded, breathing in deeper. Devlin’s familiar scent washed
over his senses, bringing much-needed clarity to his thoughts, even if the
clarity was rather one-dimensional. Whatever this charade was, Devlin
needed him to play along. He could play along.
Smiling tremulously, Jules allowed Devlin to lead him to the dance
floor, and then there was music, and they were dancing.
“I’m sorry,” was the first thing Devlin said, very quietly, his gaze
anxious and apologetic. “It was an asshole thing to do without asking you
first, but I had no choice because of the king.”
“The king?” Jules said faintly, laying a hand on his broad shoulder.
Devlin shrugged slightly, his eyes hardening for a moment. “Never
mind—just your average alpha posturing. He’s pissed that I didn’t listen to
his opinion. It doesn’t matter.” His hand tightened on Jules’s lower back,
pulling him closer as Devlin looked at him intently. “I didn’t plan to do it
like this. I wanted to do it properly. Obviously you can very publicly dump
me and then blame it on me. But I hope you won’t.”
Jules stared at him, his mind reeling. Was he… was he really saying
what Jules thought he was saying?
“Sweetheart,” Devlin murmured, pulling him even tighter, so tight it
probably looked indecent. “Say something.”
Jules looked into his anxious eyes.
“I don’t understand,” he managed at last. This couldn’t be happening.
Not to him.
Devlin’s gaze softened. “Julian,” he said gently, bringing them to a
halt. “Marry me.”
Jules’s vision darkened, becoming blurry. “I don’t understand,” he
repeated in a small voice. “Is this because we had sex? You don’t need to
marry me because of that—I wasn’t a virgin anyway, and I promise I
wouldn’t make things awkward for you and Liam—”
“I don’t want Liam,” Devlin said, his voice hardening. “I want you.
Only you. No one else.”
Jules opened his mouth and then closed it when no sound left it. He
stared at Devlin, and Devlin stared back, his gaze a mix of exasperation and
affection and—
“I love you,” Devlin said, his expression a little pinched. “That’s
probably what I should have started with now that I think about it.” He
chuckled. “I swear I’m usually better at talking than this, but you make my
brain relocate to my knot, and I’m all instinct, no thought.” He smiled
ruefully, looking so very handsome and affectionate—and loving .
Jules made a small sound and hid his face in Devlin’s shoulder, partly
embarrassed by his blurring vision and partly because he needed to touch
him, to be closer to him, forever and always, breathe in his scent and never
let go. His . His alpha. Really his.
“Sweetheart,” Devlin said softly, hugging him close. He kissed the
top of Jules’s head, his rich pheromones making Jules a little dizzy with
pleasure. “Everyone is staring at us,” he said with a chuckle.
Jules winced. But he couldn’t make himself pull away, feeling
irrationally scared that as soon as he pulled away, Devlin would be gone
and then he would wake up and it would all be just a dream.
“Love you, too,” he mumbled into Devlin’s throat, his hands
clenching the back of his suit. “So much.” So, so much.
Devlin’s arms tightened around him to the point it hurt, but Jules
didn’t mind. It felt perfect. Everything was perfect.
“Fuck that,” Devlin muttered under his breath. “Let’s ditch the ball. I
need to kiss you.”
Shivering, Jules rubbed his face against his scent gland, shamelessly
scenting him. Because he was allowed to. “Okay,” he said with a smile.
He looked at no one but Devlin as he took his hand and let his alpha
guide him out of the ballroom. He was only distantly aware of the stares, of
all the gossip this would cause. He didn’t care. All he cared about was the
firm, strong hand wrapped around his own and Devlin’s green eyes full of
want and affection.
I love you , his heart beat wildly in his chest, his lips trembling with
impatience. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to devour him. He still
couldn’t believe this was really happening.
Once they left the ballroom, Devlin led him to a room down the hall.
The moment the door closed after them, they were on each other, kissing
and moaning into each other’s mouths, bodies pressed so close it was hard
to tell where he ended and Devlin began. Gods. He wanted him, he needed
him, he loved him. So much. He wanted to consume this man.
“Baby,” Devlin said when they finally parted to get some air. He
cradled Jules’s cheeks with his hands and looked at him seriously. “You still
haven’t answered. Will you marry me?”
Jules laughed and kissed him again. Fuck, he couldn’t believe this
was real, that this man was his.
“Of course I will,” he whispered, smiling. “But your standards are
slipping, Your Grace. I thought I was just ‘kind of pretty’?”
Devlin half groaned, half laughed. “You’ll never let me forget that,
will you?”
Chuckling, Jules buried his face in his alpha’s neck. “Never. I’ll be
telling that story to our grandkids.”
Devlin hugged him hard.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, his voice full of wonder.
Jules grinned.
OceanofPDF.com
Epilogue

The fallout of their unexpected—and scandalous—engagement


hadn’t been as bad as Jules had feared. The gossip was still terrible, of
course, and while some media outlets questioned Devlin’s fickle character
—because no one actually believed that he’d never been interested in Liam
—the juicy scandal had far overshadowed any disgruntlement over Devlin
becoming the heir to the throne. Jules was beyond relieved. He could live
with the gossip—he wouldn’t have been able to bear making things even
harder for Devlin.
Then there was Liam, of course. Their first conversation after the ball
had been… awkward. Thankfully, Liam wasn’t really angry or all that upset
—he still had a legion of suitors—but it had still been a little awkward.
“I’m not going to claim it didn’t bruise my ego,” Liam had said with
a crooked smile. “It did. But it doesn’t matter if you love him. You should
have told me that it wasn’t just a crush, Jules. Your happiness is more
important to me than my pride.”
Jules may or may not have teared up at that.
Anyway . There had been lots of hugging, and things had been
surprisingly not awkward after that conversation. Liam had been an
immense help over the past few months, actually. He knew so much about
royal etiquette and wedding preparations; Jules would have been absolutely
lost without him.
If it had been up to him, he’d have skipped all these pointless
customs and married Devlin tomorrow, but of course it wasn’t possible with
who Devlin was. It was beyond frustrating, especially since they were now
under the public’s watchful eye and could barely get some alone time. It
didn’t help that Devlin’s new position forced him to travel all over the
kingdom to participate in public events and give countless speeches.
Jules missed him, desperately.
The phone calls—and phone sex—didn’t satisfy the longing in the
least. He missed him, the way he smelled, the way Devlin’s arms felt
around him, his deep voice and intense eyes that looked at him as if Jules
were his world. He missed him.
That was how Jules found himself sneaking into the palace that
evening. Well, “sneaking” was probably not the correct word, considering
that the security let him in, but he’d sneaked out of his own house and
hadn’t told Devlin that he was coming. He knew Devlin had arrived that
afternoon after his week-long trip to some remote province. Normally
Devlin would come to the Blake house right away, but not this evening.
It was a full moon tonight.
Jules glanced at the reddish hue of the sky and wiped his sweaty
palms against his pants. Xeus was about to rise. He was excited. And
nervous. But mostly excited.
Raising his hand, he knocked on Devlin’s door.
The door jerked open. Devlin glared at him. “What are you doing
here?” he said, his voice clipped and his dark hair unusually unkempt.
Jules drank him in. Fuck, he looked good enough to eat. Jules wanted
to kiss him.
He did—or attempted to.
Devlin’s hand on his chest stopped him. “Don’t touch me,” he ground
out, his expression tight, almost pained. “You should go now—before it’s
too late.”
Jules shook his head and stepped into the room. “I miss you.”
Devlin’s expression softened a little, but it was still pained, a bead of
sweat running down his forehead. “I miss you, too, but now isn’t a good
time. Julian. Go. It’s a full moon tonight.”
“I know,” Jules said, closing the door. “I want to spend it with you.”
Devlin stared at him. “You don’t understand what you’re talking
about.”
“I do. Better than you think.”
“I’ll be little better than an animal, Jules.”
Oh, “Jules” was bad. It showed how on edge Devlin already felt, as
did the somewhat wild gleam in his eyes.
“I know,” Jules said, stepping closer. Devlin stiffened, watching him
warily. Jules took another step and Devlin took a step back. Jules said, “I
trust you. I’m not afraid of you.”
“You should be,” Devlin said, gripping the desk behind him so hard
his biceps bulged under his thin white shirt.
Jules licked his lips, feeling his underwear become uncomfortably
sticky. He always was insanely attracted to this man, but seeing him on the
verge of losing his control turned him on more than anything ever had.
“I’m not afraid of you,” he repeated, laying a hand on Devlin’s
stubbled cheek.
Devlin went rigid, his pheromones spiking. “You should go. Now.
I’m on the verge of transforming.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Jules said, unbuttoning Devlin’s shirt with
unsteady fingers. He wasn’t nervous. Just impatient, excited, and very
turned on. “I hated that you spent your last rut alone, locked up like an
animal—”
“During the full moon, I am an animal,” Devlin bit out. “You have no
idea what you’re suggesting. I’ll look disgusting. Monstrous.”
“I don’t love you for your looks,” Jules said softly, looking at his
handsome face. He loved that face, but it wasn’t what made him fall in love
with Devlin. It was Devlin’s caring. Attention. Protectiveness. His heart.
Devlin made him feel safe and cherished. The full moon wasn’t going to
change that. “I can do it. I want to do it.”
Devlin shot him a frustrated look. “It’s not just the physical
appearance. I’ll act like an animal. I don’t want you to see me like that. If
you stay with me, I might hurt you. I’ll want to fuck you and knot you—
whether you want it or not. The instinct to breed will overpower everything.
I’ll be too rough.”
Jules wet his lips, his cock aching, his slick dribbling down his leg.
“I know perfectly well what I’m talking about,” he said. “I was mated
to a Xeus before.”
Devlin’s nostrils flared, his jaw tightening. “I don’t want to hear it,”
he said tersely, still gripping the desk behind him hard. “I don’t care about
your first mate.”
Smiling, Jules kissed him on the cheek and breathed in his scent.
Gods, he missed him. “Liar,” he said fondly. But he did appreciate that his
lack of innocence didn’t put Devlin off completely: most alphas were too
territorial to bear not being their omega’s first alpha. “Look, I know it
bothers you, so I wouldn’t be talking about this if it weren’t important. I’ve
had sex with my first mate while—”
Devlin shoved his face into Jules’s neck and sucked hard on his scent
gland, teeth almost sinking into the flesh. Jules’s surprised yelp turned into
a moan, pleasure coursing through his body.
“Mine,” Devlin snarled, pushing Jules against the desk and shoving a
hip between his legs.
“Fuck,” Jules gasped out, his thighs falling open. “Wait, stop—this is
important.”
Devlin pulled away from his throat, his eyes glowing an unnatural
green, his claws already out.
Jules stared at him in fascination.
“I had sex with a Xeus alpha while he was in his shifted form,” Jules
said.
“Are you crazy? Do you know how dangerous—”
“I didn’t exactly have a choice—”
“He forced you?” Devlin gritted out.
“No. I meant that I’ve never really talked to him when he was in his
right mind.”
Devlin’s brows furrowed. “What?”
Jules hesitated, but then he figured future mates shouldn’t keep
secrets from each other. “He was already transformed when I met him.” He
made a face. “And by ‘met him’ I mean that he was locked up in our
dungeon in a feral state while my uncle did evil experiments on him.”
Devlin went very still, his face going blank. “What,” he said
tonelessly.
Jules sighed. “I know how it sounds—it sounds unbelievable, I know
—but it’s true. My uncle was experimenting on him, because—look, it’s not
important now. My point is, I’ve been with a shifted Xeus before, and it
wasn’t traumatizing or anything. I’m sure it’ll be even better with you,
because I trust you and love you.” He blushed, still feeling a little self-
conscious about his feelings. He felt even more self-conscious when Devlin
just continued looking at him strangely. “I mean, I did like him—we were
compatible—but it wasn’t more than chemistry and pheromones. Maybe it
could have become more if we actually had an opportunity for that, but it
ended as quickly as it started. He was—he was killed shortly after I helped
him escape.”
“He was killed?” Devlin said in an odd tone of voice.
“Yes—I mean, our mating bond broke, so he must have been
killed…” Jules swallowed, feeling a pang of pain. Although his mating
mark had completely faded by now and the bond didn’t hurt anymore, it
still hurt thinking about it. “I had Eric send a message to Prince Haydn. I
hoped Haydn would find the Xeus before anyone could hurt him, but it
seems the prince was too late— Why are you looking at me that way?”
Jules frowned, completely confused by Devlin’s weird reaction. “Why are
you smiling?”
“No reason,” Devlin said, with the same strange little smile. He
cradled Jules’s face, eyeing him intently. “So you were attracted to him.
Even though he was in a shifted state.”
Flushing, Jules scowled. “You can judge me all you want, but omegas
have a sex drive, too, and we can’t help what turns us on.”
Devlin’s lips curled. “I’m not judging. I’m curious. Was his cock
bigger than mine?”
Jules glared at him, more than a little baffled. “How are you not
jealous?” he said. It was kind of insulting, actually.
“I was,” Devlin said, his eyes darkening. One of his hands moved
down Jules’s neck, stroking it with his knuckles and making him shiver
uncontrollably. His claws were so close. “It drove me crazy every time I
thought of another alpha touching you, scenting you, knotting you. But I
told myself it didn’t matter: that I may not have been the first, but I’ll be
your last. I’ll be the one whose mark you’ll have all your life, I’ll be the one
who’ll breed you.”
Jules wet his dry lips again, his heart pounding.
“But you know what?” Devlin said, leaning to his ear and biting the
sensitive earlobe. Jules gasped as Devlin licked it. “It still drove me nuts.
Do you have any idea how badly I wanted to sink my teeth into your throat,
stuff you full of my cock, and knock you up? I think I wanted it even when
I was in denial—while I was courting Liam.” He chuckled darkly, nuzzling
Jules’s cheek. “I’m not proud of it, but I would’ve wanted it even if I
married Liam. That’s why I couldn’t help choosing you—I couldn’t do that
to you. I don’t trust myself, not when it comes to you. I wouldn’t have been
able to stay away. I’d still come to your room at night, rub my scent all over
you, then have you take my cock, every night.”
A whine left Jules’s mouth, his eyelids growing heavier and his hole
wetter. Devlin cupped him between his legs. “Look how hard the idea
makes you,” he said hoarsely. “You wouldn’t have turned me away. You
would have spread your legs for me like the slutty little thing you are, no
matter how wrong it would be. Because you’d be slick for me, all the damn
time.” Devlin’s hand slid lower, stroking his soaked hole through his
pants. “Fuck, look at you. You’re drenched.”
“Devlin, please,” Jules gritted out, grinding his aching hole against
the hand. He wanted more.
“Slut,” Devlin said gently, lovingly, nipping him on the jaw. “Anyone
with a cock would do, right? Even an ugly, beastly Xeus. Did it turn you on
being fucked by a wild, strange alpha?”
Jules whined again, his head spinning, his eyes closing.
“It did, didn’t it? You must have been receptive, or the mark wouldn’t
have taken. I bet his fur felt good against your nipples.”
Jules moaned, grinding against Devlin’s hand shamelessly. He just
needed a little more… a little more…
“No, sweetheart,” Devlin said, taking his hand away. His claws
ripped his pants to shreds. “The full moon is almost here. I’ll transform any
moment now. Get naked, lie back on my bed, and close your eyes.”
Trembling, Jules did as he was told.
The sheets were cool and soft against his overheated skin, and he
almost moaned from how good it felt. He was so slick and hard, he wanted
to touch himself badly. But he squeezed his eyes shut and waited.
“Spread your legs,” Devlin commanded hoarsely.
Jules obliged, blushing.
After a few moments, he heard a low growl, and the scent of an alpha
suddenly spiked in the room, delicious and overwhelming. It still smelled
like Devlin, just much stronger and baser. He must have shifted fully.
Jules shivered, stroking his aching cock.
There was another low growl and then he felt furry cheeks between
his thighs. And then there was a tongue licking his hole, again and again,
before pushing into him—
Jules cried out, his body arching as he came, just like that, his cock
spurting his jizz everywhere. But the tongue didn’t stop: it was absolutely
relentless, delving deep into him, deeper and deeper, so damn good and
rough, oh fuck, more, more—
Jules came again, moaning loudly. Yet somehow it wasn’t enough.
He wanted Devlin’s cock. He wanted his knot.
“Fuck me,” he demanded breathlessly.
The tongue finally stopped torturing him, and Jules nearly sobbed,
his hole clenching over nothing. So fucking empty.
When a thick cockhead pressed against his opening, Jules pushed
back eagerly.
But Devlin held him still, his clawed hands’ grip almost too painful
on his hips. It shouldn’t have aroused him so much, the danger of being
shredded to pieces.
Shivering, Jules opened his eyes—
And stared.
His hand shaking, he touched the Xeus’s face, tracing his lightly
furred cheeks, and his sharp, angular jaw. “It’s you,” he whispered, feeling
stunned, delighted—and more than a little confused. His Xeus was alive.
His Xeus was his Devlin. He still smelled like Devlin, not like his first
mate, but it was undeniably him. Devlin was his Xeus. Now Devlin’s
strange reaction made sense, but he was going to kill Devlin for not telling
him immediately.
Before he could express his annoyance, Devlin moved, thrusting hard
into him.
Jules groaned, his body jerking as he was finally filled. So full. So
fucking good.
“Mine,” Devlin growled, his eyes glowing an unnatural
green. “Always.”
Jules could only hum in agreement, wrapping his legs and arms
around his alpha as he was given the fucking of his life. Devlin was a little
heavier and wider in this form, and the sensation of his furred chest against
his sensitive nipples was amazing. His cock drilled into him like a machine,
relentless, harder and harder, and soon Jules was coming again, his hole
clenching around the cock in him as Devlin started spilling into him,
knotting him so good Jules saw stars.
Fucking hell.
He felt amazing. He’d never felt better in his life.
But his eyes snapped open when sharp teeth touched his scent gland.
“Stop,” he said quickly.
He was kind of stunned when it actually worked. He had thought
Devlin would be too far gone in his rut to control his actions.
But Devlin did stop and raised his head, his nostrils flaring and his
brows furrowed in something like confusion.
Jules put his hand on his furry cheek and stroked it. “Not like this,”
he said softly. “I want you to be in full control of your actions when we
bond this time. I want you to remember it, love.”
He didn’t know how much of what he said Devlin understood when
he was like this, but he must have understood enough, because he didn’t
attempt to bite him again.
The rest of the night was a blur. A blur of rough sex and
overwhelming pleasure.
By the time it was over, Jules felt pleasantly sore and very well used.
When the first rays of sunshine filtered into the room, Devlin’s body
finally shifted back. He was still inside Jules when it happened, so it felt
kind of… interesting. Apparently Devlin’s knot was a slightly different
shape in his shifted form. Both felt equally amazing though.
“Good morning,” Jules said sleepily, touching Devlin’s smooth,
muscular chest. Mmm, he was rather fond of the fur, but this was even
better. So much more skin.
Devlin opened his eyes and stared at him.
“I’m going to kill you for not warning me, you dick,” Jules said with
a smile. “I nearly had a heart attack.”
But Devlin didn’t smile back. The look he gave him was anxious and
searching. “I didn’t hurt you or scare you?”
Jules rolled his eyes. “Do I look hurt? Or scared? It was great sex—
lots of great sex—though I do prefer it when you can actually communicate
in more than grunts and ‘mine.’” He grinned. “But it was very hot. I’m
looking forward to your next rut.”
The smile appeared in Devlin’s eyes first, those beautiful green eyes
lighting up with amusement and endless affection. “Only you,” he said,
stroking Jules’s cheek with his thumb. “You’re unbelievable.”
Jules’s chest warmed. He still had trouble believing that this look was
for him, that this gorgeous, insanely attractive, powerful alpha wanted him
—loved him. He was just Jules. Ordinary, plain Jules Blake. But when
Devlin looked at him this way, he felt beautiful and interesting, like he was
the most desirable person in the world.
“You were jealous of yourself, huh,” Jules said with a cheeky
smirk. “It’s kind of hilarious in retrospect.”
Devlin snorted, his hand stroking Jules’s back. “It was me physically,
but I wasn’t the same alpha,” he said, his expression turning thoughtful. “I
smelled different, didn’t I?”
Frowning, Jules nodded. “Kind of similar, yeah, but different enough.
Why? That’s what I don’t understand.”
“The Xeus you met was the result of whatever experiments your
uncle had done to me,” Devlin said, a wrinkle forming between his
brows. “Apparently those experiments made me capable of some rational
thinking, but they also affected my body chemistry enough to alter my
scent. We were clearly still compatible enough to bond, but…”
“You were a slightly different alpha than you are normally,” Jules
finished for him.
“Yes.” Devlin’s expression darkened as he gazed at Jules, his hand
pulling him tighter. “But it’d be a lie if I said that I wasn’t glad to learn that
I’m your first and only alpha. I am. I’m thrilled.”
Jules had always considered himself a modern, progressive person
who scoffed at the archaic fetishism of omega purity. But right now,
seeing the look of satisfaction in Devlin’s eyes, all he could feel was fond
exasperation—and pleasure. He liked pleasing his alpha. He loved making
him happy. It was the best kind of high.
“I’m glad it was you, too,” he said softly. He was. The knowledge
that Devlin had always been his, that he’d never really been Liam’s… it
was such a relief. It finally erased the guilt he had felt over stealing his
brother’s suitor. Devlin had been his mate long before he had even met
Liam. He was his, Jules’s. He always would be.
Unable to bear it anymore—he wanted him closer—Jules lifted
himself on his elbows and kissed Devlin hard, greedily inhaling his
addictive scent. Gods, he loved him. So fucking much. He would never get
enough of this man.
Devlin rolled them over and took over the kiss, his lips equally
demanding and hungry. Baby… Sweetheart… I want to live inside your skin.
Jules’s eyes snapped open. He’d heard that. Or it would be more
correct to say that he’d felt that. He’d felt Devlin’s emotions. Which
meant… which meant that they were already connected, attuned to each
other, even though Devlin hadn’t even bitten him yet. It was unbelievably
rare.
But it still wasn’t enough. He wanted to have him deeper, feel him
always.
“Bite me,” he whispered against Devlin’s lips.
Devlin inhaled sharply and, pulling back, looked him in the eye.
Jules smiled, threading his fingers through Devlin’s dark hair. “Yeah,
I’m sure.” He’d never been more sure of anything.
When Devlin sank his teeth into his scent gland, Jules’s body arched,
pleasure like no other making the world around him—around them—spin.
He clung to Devlin as they rode the high together, their pheromones mixing
as the mark took, creating a soul-deep bond. An alpha and an omega, they
were one and always would be, never to be parted again.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too,” he said back.
They laughed, because for a moment they weren’t sure which of them
said which. But it didn’t matter, did it?
Jules pulled his alpha down, pressing their foreheads together, feeling
drunk on happiness and love.
Grinning, he murmured against Devlin’s lips, “So, about those
grandkids…”

The End

Excerpt from Illicit (The Wrong Alpha Book 3):

“What’s wrong?” Jules said, watching Liam pace the room. He’d
never seen Liam look so agitated. “I thought you’d be happy now that
Anthony is back and you don’t have to marry anyone—”
“He’s not Anthony.”
Jules blinked. “Uh, what?”
Liam stopped pacing and looked at him. “That person who is
claiming to be our brother is an impostor.”
Jules laughed. “Come on, don’t be ridiculous! He looks like Anthony
—”
“Does he?” Liam said. “We haven’t seen Anthony since he was a
teenager and we were little older than toddlers! Do you honestly remember
what Anthony looked like? Besides the blue eyes and brown hair?”
Jules’s brows furrowed. “Come on,” he said. “He has an ID! His face
is on his ID.”
Liam’s plush lips pursed. “I know. That’s the part that baffles me.
The Inheritance Department confirmed his identity—”
“See? You must be wrong,” Jules said.
“I’m not wrong,” Liam snapped, starting to pace the room again.
“Then maybe tell me why you think he’s not Anthony?”
Liam didn’t say anything for a while, his expression tight.
“What is it?” Jules said, sitting up straighter.
Liam bit his bottom lip, looking anywhere but at him.
“He makes me wet, Jules.”
Jules opened his mouth and then closed it.
“I refuse to believe that I’m that sick,” Liam said in a harsh
whisper. “He must be an impostor. He must be.”
Jules’s mind was reeling. Liam’s words… made sense. Related alphas
and omegas’ pheromones weren’t supposed to be attractive to each other.
“Then who is he?” Jules said, thinking of the handsome alpha who
called himself Anthony Blake. Jules had liked him. He had been so happy
that his eldest brother wasn’t actually dead. But if that man was an
impostor…
“I don’t know,” Liam said, his eyes flashing with determination. “But
I’ll find out.”

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Acknowledgments
Thank you to Linda for always being there for me. Thank you to my
amazing editor, Eliot Grayson, for her invaluable input, encouragement, and
humor.
And thank you to my loyal readers for reading my stories and
allowing me to do what I love.

What’s next?
Just a Bit Bossy (Straight Guys Book 12) will be released in August
2021. It’s a book about Nate and his horrible boss, Raffaele Ferrara, the
characters that were mentioned in Just a Bit Wrecked.
There are other books I’ve been working on, but right now I’m not
sure which of them will release at the end of 2021. There’s Dearly Despised
(Calluvia’s Royalty Book 5), but I’m still struggling to get past my writer’s
block on it, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to release it this year.
Illicit (The Wrong Alpha Book 3) is another work in progress. As
you can see from the excerpt, it’s Liam’s story. The book will continue
where Feral left off. You’ve probably noticed that Uncle Wayne wasn’t
punished for his actions in Feral . He will be—I just still need him for
Liam’s story. I’m very excited about this book, and I can’t wait for you to
read it! I’m not sure yet when the book will be released, but December 2021
is likely if I don’t manage to finish Dearly Despised . One of them will have
to be released in 2022. I’ll keep you updated.
Thank you for reading Devlin and Jules’s story . I hope you enjoyed
it and you’ll consider dropping a quick review on Amazon. Your feedback
is very important to me.
If you’d like to get notifications of new releases and special offers on
my books, you can subscribe to my mailing list:
http://www.alessandrahazard.com/subscribe/
You can always contact me at my website
http://www.alessandrahazard.com or email me at
[email protected].

Sincerely,
Alessandra

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The Wrong Alpha series

Book 1: Unnatural (Royce and Haydn)


A planet at war. Two alphas forced into a political marriage.
Attraction that defies all reason and logic… Or does it?
The Kingdom of Pelugia and the Republic of Kadar have been at war
for decades. Peace isn’t popular, but the planet can’t survive without it.
Forced to marry an enemy prince for the sake of peace, Senator Royce
Cleghorn doesn’t like his husband, his alpha scent, or his damned pretty
blue eyes. More than anything, Royce hates what Haydn makes him
become: a primitive alpha cliché who’ll do anything to mark his territory,
even if that territory is his alpha husband. Royce likes omegas; he isn’t into
alphas, no matter how pretty their eyes are. It’s just a weird territorial
instinct. It has to be.
Prince Haydn has always tried to be the perfect alpha his father wants
him to be. He’s the heir to the throne. He’s a war general. He isn’t supposed
to bare his throat to an enemy alpha—and it isn’t supposed to feel so good.
Everyone knows a marriage between two alphas is a recipe for disaster. He
isn’t supposed to crave his husband—their marriage is just a political
arrangement, nothing more.
But when disaster strikes and loyalties are tested, which bond will be
the strongest: their marriage, or their allegiances?

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Calluvia's Royalty series

#1 - That Alien Feeling (Adam and Harry)


He’s the most precious human being Adam has ever seen. Too
bad he isn’t human.
Banished by his parents to the third planet in the Sol system, Prince
Harht’ngh’chaali of the Second Grand Clan is completely fascinated by its
inhabitants. Assuming the human name “Harry,” he tries to pass for a
human to survive, but being human is so much harder than Harry expected.
Humans are so confusing.
Adam Crawford isn’t looking for love. Financially secure and good-
looking, he’s in a good place in his life. He doesn’t mean to fall in love with
the quirky guy working at the coffee shop near his office. Harry is
ridiculous—and ridiculously endearing. He wears ugly shirts and flowers in
his hair, and he has a kind word for everyone. Adam falls hard and fast.
Little does he know that Harry isn’t what he seems and anything
between them is impossible.
Star-crossed love between a human man and an alien prince from a
world half a galaxy away.

#2 - That Irresistible Poison (Ksar and Seyn)


“I hate you.” Please touch me.
“You sicken me.” Hold me closer.
“I want to be free of you.” I can’t live without you.
The messed-up part is, he means everything he says.
The youngest prince of his clan, Seyn has been betrothed to the
crown prince of another clan since birth. Everyone says he’s so lucky to
marry one of the most respected, powerful men on the planet, but Seyn
knows better.
He hates him with every fiber of his being. Ksar is a cold, uncaring,
overbearing bastard who uses underhanded tactics to achieve his goals and
who either ignores Seyn or criticizes everything about him. Seyn can’t stand
him, and he’s willing to do anything to get out of the arranged marriage to a
man he abhors.
But the line between feverish hatred and passion can be very thin,
and it turns out that freedom isn’t as appealing as it once seemed.
Is it messed-up to miss a man you loathe?
Is it sick to want his hands on you?
Seyn knows it’s insane. He knows he should stop going back.
But knowing something and doing it are two different things.

#3 - Once Upon a Time (Rohan and Jamil)


A very proper prince and a rude, dangerous man who may or
may not be a stableman: a fairy-tale love story...
Ice Prince.
Prince Jamil of Calluvia has always disliked that moniker, but he is
responsible and proper, and it’s probably accurate to say that he isn’t good
at emotions. After being widowed, Jamil’s life has revolved around his
duties as a crown prince and little else.
But one night, everything changes.
One night, Jamil meets a man at the royal stables, a man who is the
opposite of proper, a man with eyes as black as sin.
Rohan di’Lehr is everything Jamil should despise.
He’s a rude, lowborn criminal. He’s terrible for Jamil’s self-control.
He makes Jamil behave like a wanton creature, not the crown prince.
They have nothing in common. They have no future together. He still
can’t stay away.
A story of forbidden, twisted attraction and love that defies all odds.

#4 - Prince’s Master (Castien and Eridan)


A master manipulator and an orphaned prince caught in his
schemes: it wasn’t supposed to be a love story…
Separated from his family after an assassination attempt, Prince
Eridan is rescued by the reclusive Order of monks who control High
Hronthar, an isolated school for telepaths. Eridan believes he’s an ordinary
orphan, one of hundreds of initiates of the Order trying to survive in a nest
of intrigue, rivalry, and corruption, but he’s more important than he knows.
When Castien Idhron, the most powerful man in the Order, claims
Eridan as his apprentice, Eridan’s confused and wary. Corrupt, heartless,
and calculating, Castien plays with the lives of those around him as if
they’re just a game. Eridan’s just another pawn.
Eridan despises his Master, and yet he finds himself craving his
attention and approval like a drug he can’t live without.
Castien has never understood the concepts of kindness and love, but
to his displeasure, his insolent apprentice has a way of getting under his
skin like nothing else.
Will the master manipulator win the game, or will he play himself?

#5 - Dearly Despised - to be released


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Straight Guys series

#0.5 - Straight Boy: A Short Story (Sage and Xavier)


Young, blond and handsome, Sage attracts unwanted attention in
prison. When his cellmate offers him protection, Sage accepts the offer,
even though he doesn’t trust the guy. Little does he know how much it will
change his life.
When he’s released from prison, Sage finds himself needing and
wanting things he shouldn’t want. Sage is straight. He is. He has a
girlfriend. What happened in prison stayed in prison—or so Sage tells
himself.
Until he meets his former cellmate again. Xavier. The guy he hates
and craves.

#1 - Just a Bit Twisted (Shawn and Derek)


Professor Derek Rutledge is hated and feared by all of his students.
Strict, reserved and ruthless, he doesn’t tolerate mistakes and has little
patience for his students.
Shawn Wyatt is a twenty-year-old struggling to provide for his
younger sisters after the death of their parents. On the verge of losing his
scholarship, Shawn becomes desperate enough to go to Professor Rutledge.
Everyone says Rutledge doesn’t have a heart. Everyone says he’s a
ruthless bastard. Shawn finds out that everyone is right.
He strikes a deal with Rutledge, but unexpectedly, the deal turns into
something so much more.
Something all-consuming and addictive.
Something neither of them wants.

#2 - Just a Bit Obsessed (Alexander and Christian)


Alexander Sheldon likes order and control in his life. He isn’t happy
when his girlfriend invites another guy for a threesome. Alexander believes
in monogamy, and he’s never been good at sharing his things. It doesn’t
help that Christian rubs him the wrong way from the beginning.
But what starts as animosity turns into something else. Something
unexpected and very wrong.
He was never supposed to touch Christian. He was never supposed to
feel possessive of the guy. And he most definitely wasn’t supposed to want
Christian more than he wants his girlfriend.
It’s a recipe for disaster.

#3 - Just a Bit Unhealthy (Gabriel and Jared)


When the line between "need" and "want" gets blurred…
Gabriel DuVal, a rising soccer star.
Jared Sheldon, a team physician.
To the outside world, they’re just good friends. But the truth is,
Gabriel isn’t entirely sure what they are to each other.
Some call their relationship unhealthy. Some call it codependency.
Gabriel calls it confusing. He knows Jared wants him – as more than a
friend. He doesn’t want Jared. He’s straight, he has a girlfriend, and he
loves her. But Jared is… Jared is more. Jared is his. He needs him – his
touch and his strength.
But is it enough for Jared?

#4 - Just a Bit Wrong (Tristan and Zach)


Zach Hardaway is one of the best physiotherapists in Europe.
Tristan DuVal is a young soccer star with a groin injury.
They despise each other from the moment they meet.
As far as Zach is concerned, Tristan is a rich, spoiled brat who is too
used to getting his own way.
As far as Tristan is concerned, Zach is a bossy, presumptuous prick.
Tristan hates Zach. He does. The problem is, he also wants to shove Zach
against the nearest wall and climb him like a tree.

#5 - Just a Bit Confusing (Ryan and James)


Best friends, inseparable since childhood, one in love with the other,
the other straight and in love with a woman.
Stories like this don’t have a happy ending; James Grayson knows it.
He puts on a smile, he laughs, he jokes, and he pretends he’s fine when
Ryan kisses his girlfriend in front of him—until he can’t.
Except nothing is easy and letting go turns out to be much harder
than one might think. Some bonds are too strong to be broken, even for a
straight man. And sometimes love and desire can have different faces and
layers.
A story of two men trying to function without each other and failing.

#6 - Just a Bit Ruthless (Roman and Luke)


Stockholm syndrome or Love?
When you want someone completely wrong for you…
Luke Whitford has always dreamed of meeting Mr. Right. A hopeless
romantic at heart, he dreams of falling in love with a nice man, getting
married and having a bunch of adorable babies. The problem is, Luke has
the propensity for being attracted to men who are anything but nice.
Roman Demidov, a homophobic, cynical billionaire who has a grudge
against Luke’s father, is certainly not Mr. Right. Cold, manipulative, and
ruthless, he’s not a nice man and he doesn’t pretend to be.
Luke is fully aware that Roman is all wrong for him. His attraction to
the guy is just some sort of Stockholm syndrome; it must be. If life were a
fairy tale, Roman would be the main villain, not the hero.
But even villains can fall in love. Or can they?
The story of a boy who dreamed of Prince Charming and ended up
falling for the Beast.

#7 - Just a Bit Wicked (Vlad and Sebastian)


He’s sure he’ll never fall for a man…
When it rains, it pours. After losing his prestigious job, Vlad
discovers that his girlfriend has cheated on him. Angry and hurt, he’s
determined to find her lover and teach him a lesson. When he finds out that
her lover is bisexual, it only makes him angrier. Raised by an extremely
homophobic family, Vlad is convinced he’s straight and holds nothing but
contempt for people who aren’t.
But sometimes contempt and anger can turn into obsession, and then
into something else entirely—something Vlad has always considered sick
and wrong.
He’s sure he’ll never fall for a homophobic bully…
Sebastian is a successful English model who has always detested
bullies. When a man shows up on his doorstep accusing him of sleeping
with his girlfriend, Sebastian isn’t interested in being a punching bag.
However, provoking a homophobic man is probably not the best idea…or
the safest. But then again, Sebastian has never been good at playing it safe.
Things get a lot more complicated when Vlad has to bodyguard
Sebastian. Can they stay professional?
They can’t. They bicker and fight, and they hate everything about
each other.
Now if only they could figure out how to keep their hands off each
other.

#8 - Just a Bit Shameless (Dominic and Sam)


Sam Landon is a homeless eighteen-year-old thief who is desperate
for a different life. When his skills attract the attention of the Secret
Intelligence Service, Sam eagerly grabs the chance.
Sam’s determined to prove himself when he gets his first mission–to
steal a flash drive from a paranoid crime lord–and is sent undercover as
another agent’s sugar baby.
Dominic Bommer, his “sugar daddy,” is outrageously handsome,
charming, rich, and pretty much perfect. Dominic is kind, generous, and
protective of him.
Except “Dominic Bommer” is nothing but a role performed by a
cynical MI6 agent, who is actually straight, aloof, and manipulative.
Sam is perfectly aware that everything Dominic does is carefully
calculated, every emotion faked. He knows that men actually do nothing for
Dominic and he doesn’t really want Sam.
But despite knowing all of this, Sam still finds himself falling hard
for a man who doesn’t exist.
Or does he?

#9 - Just a Bit Gay (Nick and Tyler)


Tyler Meyer is totally straight. But then the hot woman he’s hooking
up with sticks her finger where she shouldn’t, and suddenly he’s not so
sure… Straight guys can like that sort of thing too, right?
Except things get confusing–and frustrating–when fingers and toys
aren’t quite enough.
Enter Nick Hardaway, Tyler’s best friend. What’s a little fun between
bros, right?

#10 - Just a Bit Dirty ( Miles and Ian)


A ruthless CEO of a large company.
A British student confused about his sexuality.
They have nothing in common.
The attraction between them makes absolutely no sense.
When Miles Hardaway decided to spend the summer in America to
get away from his overbearing family, the last thing he expected was to end
up falling for a man he should dislike—but doesn’t.
Ian Caldwell is the most arrogant, bossy man Miles has ever met. He
drives Miles absolutely crazy. Although Miles has been warned that Ian is
playing some dirty, underhanded game, he finds himself caught between his
friends and a man he shouldn’t want.
Who will he choose when his heart and his mind are telling him two
different things?

#11 - Just a Bit Wrecked (Logan and Andrew)


A plane crash. A homophobe and a gay man stranded together on a
desert island. A love born out of hatred, need, and mutual desperation.
Andrew Reyes is handsome, rich, and very straight—he’s married to
a gorgeous woman. Outspoken about his distaste for gay people, he isn’t
shy about his opinion as he watches the gay couple he and his wife share a
flight with.
Logan McCall is handsome, rich, and openly gay. He isn’t impressed
with the bigoted jerk across the aisle, no matter how easy on the eyes he is.
To their shock and horror, they’re the only survivors when the plane
crashes—stranded on a desert island with no hope of rescue, and no one but
each other to depend on for survival.
As the days turn into months, can disdain, antipathy, and a craving
they don’t understand and can’t resist turn into a connection? Or something
more?

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