The Alpha's Weakness Episode 1: An Omegaverse Romance Serial

by Arabella Green

  Arabella Green

  The Alpha’s Weakness Episode 1

  Copyright © 2020 by Arabella Green

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  First edition

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  An indisputable fact of life: the men who talk the biggest game are the worst in bed. I’d yet to find any evidence to prove otherwise, much to my own chagrin.

  I pulled the bedroom door closed behind me as I slipped into the hallway, pushing down the handle the whole way so as not to make a noise. The last thing I needed was for Louis - or was it Luke - to wake up during my getaway.

  Out in the hall, the muffled music from the ballroom filled the space. The plucking of the lute echoed off the marble walls and tiled floors. Music did little to help the headache blooming at my temples. I rubbed my fingertips along the points of radiating pain. All I wanted was to go home.

  I weighed my options as I crept back toward the ballroom. I could slip out now and find my way home before my father ever noticed I was missing. I’d be asleep long before he returned from the festivities at the castle. Though it would only be delaying the inevitable yelling match that would come as soon as dawn broke.

  I sighed. A resigned dread filled my bones. My best bet would be to return to the ballroom so I could grin and bear my way through the rest of the evening. I shot an annoyed glance back at the bedroom door of the servant who’d promised a night of fun. Fun was a strong word for that distraction. Not to mention that it had been far removed from the promise of lasting the whole evening.

  I slipped into the ballroom and immediately cringed. The muted music was now clear and boisterous. Chatter filled the air. Every corner of the enormous room was filled with nobles schmoozing and dancing. The excessive number of bodies made the room stuffy. I pulled at the collar of my dress. The airflow it provided was hardly adequate.

  Nose wrinkling, I fought the urge to cover my nose with my hand. The mingling scents of sweaty alphas, betas, and omegas was oppressive to the senses.

  I scanned the crowd, looking for any sign of my parents or sisters. Seeing none, I let myself relax as much as one could in a too tight dress. Provided no one had seen me leave, or return, they’d have no reason to ask questions. It wasn’t as though they paid much mind to me anyway; still, I preferred not being at the center of their interrogations.

  I pulled my long, dark hair up from around my shoulders, finding pleasure in the way it let heat drift away from my neck. I longed for a ribbon. Or a pair of cutting shears. Either would do.

  “Maria.”

  My heart stopped at the sound of his voice. Hands immediately dropping to my sides, I turned to face him.

  “Father,” I said.

  His face was drawn into its usual scowl. The sharp lines of his nose, and the beadiness of his eyes made him look like a hawk. Which made me the unsuspecting mouse whose head was about to be bitten off.

  “Where have you been, girl?” He said.

  “Socializing.”

  “Is that what whores are calling it now?”

  I flinched and looked down at my feet. My gaze traced the circular patterns of the tiled floor, as my body desperately longed to fidget in place.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Don’t lie to me. You reek of an alpha.”

  “It was only a minor indiscretion,” I said slowly, “I’m back now.”

  “Then it’s safe to assume that your bed partner isn’t a potential suitor. Is that right?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re a fool. You’re far past the age where you should have taken a mate. Your minor indiscretions are an embarrassment to our family name.”

  His voice was rough with irritation. I fisted my hands into my skirts and cleared my throat.

  “I’m only twenty-four,” I said.

  “Both of your younger sisters have been mated before you. That should fill you with shame.”

  I ground my teeth and looked him in the eyes, anger bubbling in my blood. He spoke as if they were better off than me. I pitied my sisters, not envied them.

  “I don’t see why! Melody hates her alpha. And Megan can hardly take a bite of toast without Drystan’s permission. They’re miserable, father, and you know it.”

  “They’re fulfilled and taken care of.”

  “But-”

  “Enough,” he snarled, his arm cutting the air, “I’ve had it with your childish antics. You will be mated before the next full moon, do you hear me?”

  I gaped at him. Courtships lasted anywhere from months to years. A few days wouldn’t be long enough to find someone, let alone go through the proper courting rituals.

  “That’s only four days away. You can’t possibly expect me to find someone so soon.”

  “I don’t. I’ve found him for you. Lord Brecken’s eldest son has selflessly agreed to be your alpha.”

  My stomach lurched. The Brecken men weren’t my idea of favorable partners. They hardly qualified as tolerable people, let alone mates. The only thing the family had going for them was their status as one of the most powerful merchant families in the court. My head spun.

  “But he hasn’t even courted me. Can’t we just take this slow? I’ll allow him to court me, then we can revisit this conversation next year.”

  “Do you take me for an idiot, girl? You’re crafty and unmanageable, like a damned snake. I won’t allow you the time to find a way out of this. If you wanted a proper courtship, then you should have accepted an alpha’s offer instead of fucking some worthless stranger.”

  “Please don’t do this,” I pleaded, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

  “I’m tired of your games, Maria. You will be mated and that is final.”

  My father turned abruptly and stormed off, his tall, lithe form disappearing quickly into the crowd. I watched him go. My stomach heaved, my head throbbed, and my eyes stung.

  I needed a drink.

  Chapter 2

  Noblewomen were not, under any circumstances, to visit taverns. So I always went to the one furthest on the outskirts of the city. The Drunken Gnome was a seedy little log cabin situated right along the outer fortifying wall of Highever. Only criminals, prostitutes, and career gamblers frequented the place. Well, only them and me.

  Having ditched my dress for an old stained tunic, I plopped down on a wobbly bar stool with as much grace as an ogre. Keira, the barkeep, eyed me from across the bar and grabbed the largest mug to fill with ale. I gave her a weak smile.

  Much like the ballroom, the tavern was filled with music and voices. Unlike the ballroom, the music was offbeat and all the voices were either cackling or yelling. Glasses clinked together. The stale air smelled vaguely of vomit. It was the perfect place to not accidentally run into another noble.

  Keira slid me my drink
and waited for her coin. I dropped some gold metal into her palm.

  “Open a tab for me,” I mumbled.

  “Sure thing,” she said gruffly. Then, just like that, she was gone helping another customer. I sighed. Weren’t barkeepers supposed to stand around and listen to their patrons’ woes? Perhaps Keira did with other patrons. I suppose I couldn’t blame her for thinking I’d had no problems to speak of. Compared to the usual crowd in the Drunken Gnome, my problems probably seemed like child’s play.

  Still, they were problems nonetheless.

  I took a swig of my ale, relishing the burn in my throat. Drinking myself into a stupor sounded more and more appealing. Maybe finding my drunken body along the streets in the morning would cause enough of a scandal for Lord Brecken to rescind his offer.

  A hint of musk wafted to my nose. Licking my lips, I sniffed. The earthy smell belonged to an alpha. A powerful alpha. Letting my head loll to the side, I closed my eyes and revelled in the scent. Few alphas in the modern world smelled as feral as this one. Their scent alone stirred my lower belly.

  Terry Brecken smelled nothing like feral alpha. If anything, he smelled like an overripe pineapple. My shoulders sagged at the thought. How could I spend the rest of my life with a spoiled fruit?

  A tall, well muscled man sat on the stool beside mine. He placed his elbows up on the bar and signalled to Keira. I swallowed hard. The scent was his.

  “I’ll take a tankard,” He said, his voice a melodic rumble.

  I squeezed my knees together and tried not to look at his strong jaw flex as he spoke.

  “Elven or Honey ale?” Keira asked.

  “Elven.”

  I clicked my tongue. He obviously wasn’t from around here.

  “You’re making a mistake. The elven ale here tastes like goat piss. The honey ale isn’t great either, but it’ll get the job done,” I said without thinking.

  His dark eyes looked me over. Flushing, I pulled my drink up to my lips. He considered me for only a moment, but it felt like an eternity.

  “You heard the woman. I’ll take the honey ale,” he said finally.

  “Smart man,” Keira muttered as she walked away.

  The alpha turned in his seat to face me, giving me an unobstructed view of his stubbled face. Had the servant from the castle looked anything like this guy, I would have stayed the whole night in that damn room.

  “And who are you?” He asked.

  I took a sip and shrugged. “Who cares? Don’t we all come to taverns to forget who we are?”

  He chuckled, a low sound from down in his broad chest.

  “You sound bitter. Let me guess, your lover just left you and you’re drinking away your sorrows.”

  “I wish. Rather, he just agreed to mate with me.”

  His eyes met mine, one brow raised. Keira slid him his drink. He grabbed the glass and raised it between us.

  “My condolences. Let’s drink to mourn the death of your freedom.”

  “Hear hear!”

  * * *

  My new drinking buddy and I downed several mugs of ale over the course of the night. He didn’t speak much, but he was pleasant and funny, nonetheless. He made me feel comfortable. Too comfortable. I had to remind myself not to reveal my name as I told him of my shitty evening.

  “I blame the damned king. If it weren’t for him, this never would have happened,” I said, words only slightly slurred.

  “The king?”

  “Mmhmm. If he’d shown up to his own party, maybe I wouldn’t have had to find entertainment in some random alpha’s bed.”

  “He sounds like an ass,” he said, the corner of his mouth ticking upward.

  “I’m certain he is,” I said, slamming my hands down onto the bar, “I mean, I’ve never met him, but how could he not be? You don’t murder kings in cold blood and assume their crown if you’re a good person. The whole thing is so stupid. Highever’s traditions are archaic and impractical. If it were up to me, I’d just behead the guy as soon as he strolled into town, not roll out the red carpet for him.”

  And it would have been the most logical thing to do, too. Just because he bested our king in battle didn’t mean we had to accept his rule. The stranger hadn’t even proven he could lead our nation. Why welcome him? It made no sense. It didn’t speak well of him that he’d taken his sweet time making his way back to our capitol. He’d usurped power months ago, yet only a handful of people in the court had even seen him.

  Asshole.

  “Killing the guy is what they’d do in other kingdoms,” he said with a shrug.

  “Other kingdoms have sense. I could run away to another place where the people aren’t idiots.”

  “You’d fit in well where I come from.”

  “Where’s that?” I asked, blinking. I’d assumed from his accent he wasn’t from the capitol, but it hadn’t occurred to me he wasn’t from Highever at all.

  “Bloodstone.”

  “That’s so far away. What brought you here?”

  “Business.”

  “You’re a merchant?”

  “I do a lot of different things,” he said noncommittally. I just barely held back a snort.

  “Ah, so it’s not on the up and up, eh? I bet you’re one of those travelling prostitute types, right? You look like one.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You know, tall, rugged and handsome and all that. I’m sure omegas throw themselves at you and beg for your knot. You must make good coin.”

  “I do alright,” he said, amusement brewing in his eyes. I could see why he’d chosen his profession. I shook my head and willed my untoward thoughts away.

  “Lovely, then the next glass is on you,” I said as I waved over at Keira, “Barkeep!”

  * * *

  I’d lost count of how long we’d been drinking. Or how many drinks I’d had. My limbs felt numb and heavy. The room spun every time I tried to stand. It was perfect.

  “Why all the pressure to marry a nobleman?” The alpha asked randomly.

  I leaned over toward him. Losing my balance, I had to grab onto his arm to keep from falling off my chair. I swallowed at the feel of his solid muscle under my palm. Why couldn’t Terry be so attractive? Then at least our loveless union might have provided decent sex.

  “If I tell you, you must promise to keep your delectable looking mouth shut,” I said, putting a clumsy finger up to my lips. I mostly missed the mark, my finger instead coming to rest on my cheek. The alpha laughed.

  “You have my word.”

  “I’m actually a noble. I belong to the house of Du Lac.”

  “I’d never have guessed,” he said, though he didn’t seem properly surprised. I frowned. He must not have believed me.

  “It’s true!” I nearly shouted.

  “That doesn’t answer my question,” he said, ignoring my outburst.

  “I’m twenty-four,” I explained.

  “And?”

  “Being unmated by your twenty-first year is unheard of, let along your twenty-fourth. Do nobles not have courting traditions in Bloodstone?”

  “Not,” he paused, “not like that.”

  I sighed, plopping my head down onto the bar with a thunk. My eyes closed of their own accord.

  “Your home sounds like a wonderful place.”

  The rest of the night passed by in a hazy blur of laughter and blackness.

  Chapter 3

  When I awoke, my mouth felt as though something had crawled in it and died. My brain pounded against my skull. And worst of all, I had a vague recollection of still being betrothed to Terry.

  Covering my face with my pillow, I rolled onto my back. I wasn’t ready to wake up. The very act of opening my eyes felt impossible.

  In my pity party, it took me a while to register the scent coming from the pillow. I sniffed at it. Then again. And again.

  The pillows in my bed didn’t smell of alpha.

  I shot up, flinging the pillow to the foot of the mattress. My stomach heaved at the move
ment, but I pushed down the discomfort and took in my surroundings. Dread filled me.

  The room was large, unnecessarily so. Dark blinds were pulled over the floor to ceiling windows, only letting in the barest sliver of light. Still, I could see that the furnishings in the room were expensive and lavish. Even the bedding was luxurious. The silken sheets were cool against my legs.

  Swallowing down a nasty post-night-of-drinking-belch, I looked over to the form laying beside me. Hair tousled, and stubble more prominent than the night before, the handsome alpha from the tavern laid sleeping. I blanched. I’d slept with the most handsome alpha I’d ever met, and I couldn’t even remember it!

  I threw my legs over the bed and cringed as my feet met the tiled floors. Something about this was giving me deja vu. I shook my head and scurried toward the door. There’d be time to meditate on the thought later. After I explained to my father where I’d been all night.

  I turned the brass knob and took a step out into the room beyond. I froze. White marble surrounded me. Overbearing white marble walls melted into black marble floors. On the walls hung expensive paintings in gold embroidered frames. I’d only ever been to one place that looked like this before. But this couldn’t possibly be the castle.

  “Off so soon?” A deep voice asked.

  I whipped around to see the alpha sitting up in bed. The sheets fell down to his waist to reveal his bare chest and chiseled abs. He looked like one of the gods.

  “What are you doing here? What am I doing here?” I whispered harshly.

  “I was sleeping. I can only assume you were doing the same.”

  “We’re in the castle,” I said, pointing frantically out into the adjoining room.

  “I’m aware.”

  “Why are you so calm? We broke into the castle and had sex in someone else’s bed! I’m going to be eviscerated for this. And I don’t even want to think about what’s going to happen to you!”

  “Maria,” he said calmly, patting the bed beside him, “come sit down.”

  “How do you know my name?”

  “You told me.”