"What on earth are you talking about, Gina?" Octavia asked.
"The prince!" Gina said, gasping and twirling through the room. "He's seeking an omega to marry!"
"Oh," Oscar said, relieved. "Then there won't be a coup."
"Who said there would be?" Gina asked sharply.
"Um, Prince Brennan? It's been all over town lately," Octavia chimed in. "He's forcing Prince Alfred to breed or concede the throne."
"Oh," Gina said, her face falling. The dark expression passed quickly, and she brightened. "Well, no matter why he's doing it, the point is, he's holding a festival in three days! Every omega is invited, and he's going to choose his mate! You're both so beautiful; the most beautiful omegas in the pack for sure. One of you will certainly catch his eye."
"Well, she will, anyway," Oscar said, nudging his cousin. "If he's looking to breed, he's going to go for a sure thing."
"But you are a sure thing," Gina pointed out, confusion lining her brow. "You already..."
"He wouldn't have any way of knowing that, would he?" Oscar interrupted.
"We'll tell him!" Gina said brightly.
"No," Oscar told her firmly. "If you start talking about that, I would never be able to show my face around here again. I'll have to move on to a new pack, and I'm pretty sure I've run out of benevolent family members. Just... keep it to yourself, alright?"
"Alright," she said, with a petulant sigh.
A gleam in her eye worried Oscar.
"I've got it!" she crowed after a moment. "We'll disguise you!"
"We'll... what?"
"We'll get you a dress, and you keep your hair long anyway; we'll just curl it and add a little bow..."
"Aunt Gina."
"Oh, and I know I have some heels around here that would fit you. You know your uncle liked to wear them..."
"Aunt Gina."
"And we can do your makeup, doll you up, nobody would ever know..."
"Aunt Gina!"
"Don't you shout at me boy or I'll have you scrubbing the toilets with your toothbrush!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Look, Auntie, I don't want to dress up like a girl. I'd rather take my chances in a nice pair of pants and a sport coat."
"It would just put you on an even playing field," she argued. "Rumor is he prefers male lovers, and we know that he'll be looking for a female to satisfy Prince Brennan. If you look like a woman and smell like a man, you'll be sure to catch his eye!"
"Or we could just let Octavia have this one."
"And stick me with an alpha who would rather stick it to you? No, thank you. I'll let you have my red dress, and I'll wear the brown one."
"The brown one makes you look like a potato."
"Exactly! One fewer omegas to compete with. Look, Oscar, Gina's right. Prince Alfred wants a boy, and Prince Brennan needs to see a girl."
"It would be like lying," he argued. "I can't lie to the prince!"
"Not lying," Gina insisted. "Just... framing your best assets. You know you're a breeder, so you wouldn't actually be tricking him, you would just be making the union socially acceptable."
"Until the people find out the truth," he pointed out.
"So just wear dresses until the baby comes!"
"That assumes that first, he wants me. Second, I want him, and third that nobody blows my cover in the year or so it'll take to produce an heir."
"Produce an heir! You see, you're perfect for the position. Your words are pure royalty."
"I just read a lot..."
"Educated! Look at what a catch you are, Oscar. He has to want you!"
"He doesn't have to..."
"But he will," Gina interrupted. "Now listen here, Octavia's giving up her best dress, the least you could do is say thank you."
"Thank you, but I'll pass."
"You will not," Octavia insisted. "Gina's right. You have a decent chance of winning this bid, but only if you look the part."
"What sets me apart from every other male omega out there?"
"Your pretty eyes," Gina said, patting his cheek. "And a scarlet gown."
Oscar sighed and rolled his eyes.
"You gonna change my name too?" he asked.
"Of course, you can't very well be announced as Oscar in a dress, can you? No, you'll be... Olivia!"
"Olivia."
"Yes, it's perfect!"
"Dammit, Octavia, you aren't helping."
"I am too," she said, with a grin. "You just can't tell yet because you aren't being swept off your feet by the world's sexiest alpha."
"Right, because that's the ultimate goal in life," Oscar said, wryly.
"Isn't it?" Octavia asked, fluttering her eyelashes innocently. "Seriously though, who doesn't want to fall in love with an alpha prince?"
"You two really aren't going to let this go, are you?"
"Nope."
"Not a chance."
"Fine," Oscar sighed. "I'm your paper doll. Do your worst."
Chapter 2
Alfred paced agitatedly. He was dressed and the festival had begun. He should have been down there with his people. But the humans had begun blasting on the north-west border of his kingdom, and the noise alone was enough to get his hackles up.
"This is a waste of time," he told Burges. "If we don't move on the humans now, they'll be in our backyards before we know it."
"They will stop working at sundown, as they always do," Burges said, soothingly. "Now just hold still, your highness. Let me fix your crown."
"Is everybody here?"
"As far as I can tell; much of the kingdom is in attendance."
"And the omegas?"
"Forty-seven signed in at last count."
"Forty-seven! And just exactly how am I supposed to sort through forty-seven suitors, Burges?"
"Quickly, I suggest. We will have them line up so you can make your choice."
"Like cattle? No, thank you. I would like to at least pretend that my choice is spontaneous and romantic."
"Very well, sire. A dance, then."
"Fine," Alfred huffed, impatiently. "Come on."
Burges led Alfred from the room as he sent a longing look over his shoulder at the model of his kingdom. He didn't want to dance. He needed to plan. Still, he had to face his threats one at a time, and the threat from his brother was slightly more pressing than the human threat.
"Presenting Prince Alfred, Alpha of Nead!"
His subjects turned toward the grand staircase and clapped politely, a striking difference from the sweeping cheers he was accustomed to. His brother's attempt at undermining him appeared to be working.
"My people," he said, projecting his voice to the far corners of the open courtyard. "Thank you all for coming. Do not allow the tension and pressure of our lives to invade this space; tonight, we dance!"
His empty words rang with conviction and the crowd cheered. He looked out over them, hundreds of well-dressed shifters mingling in the wide, open courtyard. Fairy lights and floating lanterns lit the space with a magical glow as the sun set behind the trees, reflecting off of the silver dishes lined along the buffet table, the recently-waxed marble stones of the dance floor, and the cascading water of the fountains. Music filled the air from the stage directly across from the grand staircase where he stood. The flower gardens were in full bloom, their earthy, gentle perfume wafting through the air, confusing senses and deepening desires. Couples began to move through the crowd to the dance floor, and parents of omegas opened their arms to Alfred, gesturing for him to come and meet their progeny. Confident that he had restored balance, however temporarily, Alfred took the steps two at a time down into the crowd.
He was ushered over to the long tables where a cluster of anxious-looking girls wrung their hands and fluttered their lashes at him. He greeted each in turn as their parents sang their praises and, though he was polite enough, he was quickly overwhelmed by the yards of silk and clouds of perfume surrounding them. It wasn't long before they all began to look the same, and he struggled to remembe
r their names. He watched as Burges approached them with a roster, asking each of them to sign their family names, ages and first names. Each eagerly did as she was told, and Alfred had to keep from rolling his eyes at the fluttering, squealing, tittering mass. Omegas, he thought. Always waiting for orders.
One omega, however, caught his eye. She was hesitant to sign her name, and dodged Burges for a good ten minutes before the little man was able to catch up with her. She was tall, almost too tall and her dress whipped around her knees where Alfred noticed the impressive size of her feet. Her gown did its best to provide her with curves but, though she had a pleasing shape, it was far more angular than the figures of her peers. Alfred watched as she fumbled and tripped in her heels, getting frustrated with her long skirt as though she'd never worn one before. Alfred moved toward her as one song rolled into the next, offering her his hand.
"Would the lady care to dance?"
"Oh!" Her voice was low and silky, but she quickly cleared her throat and began again, high-pitched and breathy. "I would be honored, your highness."
Alfred pulled her into his arms and caught a whiff of her scent. Rich and wild, it heated his blood, and he pulled her close as they waltzed.
"What is your name?" Alfred asked.
"O... Olivia," she said.
"Did you forget?" Alfred asked with a laugh.
"Um... no, I'm just, um... so overwhelmed, you know, being on the arm of a prince!"
"Of course you are, my dear," Alfred said, and his voice sounded patronizing to his own ears. He cleared his throat. "That is, I mean, I'm sure this is a lot to take in."
"Yes. The festival alone is a rather new experience for me," she admitted.
"Is it? We've held festivals before. Did you not attend?"
"I'm actually..." She hesitated, and Alfred twirled her around the dance floor.
"You seem nervous," he commented.
"I am," she admitted.
"Why?"
"Well... I know why you're holding this festival."
"Doesn't everybody? A small kingdom like this doesn't keep secrets well."
"Yes, everyone knows."
"Why does that make you nervous? You are certainly winning the competition at the moment."
She paled and looked away at the crowd of omegas who were watching them dance.
"Only because you saw me first," she argued.
"No, I actually saw the girl in the five-tier pink fluffy thing first. What does she think she is, a cake?"
A surprised laugh bubbled from his dance partner's throat, richer and deeper than he would have expected.
"I love your laugh," he murmured in her ear.
"Oh, um, thanks," she said, awkwardly.
"You stand out from the crowd," Alfred said, earnestly. "There's something... different about you."
"Oh, well, you know... I've always been a little odd."
"Odd is good," Alfred said, with a grin. "I enjoy odd."
They danced without speaking for a while, and Alfred watched how she moved. She'd fumbled for a bit at first, but was rapidly getting the hang of it. With a little training, she would be an excellent consort at any feast, festival, or ball.
"I hear your brother is pressuring you for an heir to the throne," she said, quietly.
"He is," Alfred sighed. "Frankly, that's the only reason I threw the festival."
"What would you be doing if you hadn't been pressured to dance tonight?" she asked.
Alfred's mood brightened instantly.
"I would be planning a tactical strike," he said. "I can't tell you why or how... not yet, anyway. But it's time for shifters to take their rightful place in this world."
She shot him a curious glance.
"Aren't we already there?"
"Oh, sweet naive child... no. No, we aren't. Because we're in hiding and the humans of the world aren't. Thus, they have us at a disadvantage. It's time we made a stand for our property, our resources and our lives."
"Are our lives in danger?"
"They soon will be," Alfred said, darkly. "Unless we move quickly."
His dance partner looked worried, and he realized that he had put a dampener on their evening.
"But that's a worry for another day," he said, lightly. "Tonight, as I said... we dance."
She flashed him a smile which made his heart quicken with excitement, and he spun her around the dance floor. No other omega could distract him from her sparkling emerald-green eyes, her soft red curls, which matched her scarlet dress, or the perfect bow of her soft, inviting mouth. He couldn't believe he had never noticed her before. She was absolutely stunning. More, she was unique. Beneath the long, flowing sleeves of her dress, her arms were firm and muscular. Her jaw was just the slightest bit too powerful to be considered classically beautiful, her neck a touch too thick. The longer he danced with her, the more he noticed; and the more he noticed, the more he wanted to know.
"You seem very strong," he said, leading her from the dance floor in search of punch to soothe their parched lips. "What do you do?"
Panic strangled Oscar for a moment. What do I do? Could he answer honestly? Just how knowledgeable was the prince about his own kingdom? As the prince gazed expectantly at him, he decided all at once to lie.
"I work in the fields," he said, affecting a breathy, feminine tone. "Plenty of exercise in that."
"Well, after tonight you won't have to do that anymore," the prince said, patting Oscar's hand.
"Why... why not?" Oscar asked, though he had the terrible feeling that he already knew.
"Because you will be living in the palace with me," Prince Alfred said, matter-of-factly. "Your every need will be taken care of, and I will ensure that your family is taken care of as well. You do have family, don't you?"
"Yes... an aunt and a cousin."
"No parents?"
"Not here," Oscar said, vaguely.
"So, you came here alone to live with your aunt? Was she sick?"
"Um... something like that," Oscar lied.
Lies didn't sit comfortably in his gut, and he sipped on a glass of spiced wine to settle it. He'd been doing nothing but lie all night, and somehow that fact alone had caught the prince's attention. He scanned the crowd for Octavia, desperate for an anchor. She flashed him a smile and a thumbs up from across the table, and he relaxed slightly. This wasn't even my idea, he told himself as if it mattered. If this goes tits up, it's on her and Gina. It was the first half-truth which made him feel better, and he made the firm decision to enjoy himself.
"So, we'll start moving you in tomorrow. I'll have the servants set up the bedroom by noon at the latest, and then we'll move your family in over the next week and, I guess, oh, two weeks till the wedding will satisfy everybody, won't it?"
"Wait, wait, hold on," Oscar said, desperately. "You're going way too fast. I mean, you don't know me, I barely know you, and we just danced for a minute..."
"Two hours."
"Still! I mean, are you even going to ask me to marry you?"
"You came, you signed the roster. If you didn't want to marry me, why are you here?"
"Um... to see if we hit it off? I mean, there are plenty of other omegas waiting for your attention..."
"I don't need to dance with everyone if I've found the one I like, do I?"
"I guess not, but—"
"Great, then there's no problem. Wedding in two weeks. What's your favorite color?"
"Um... green?"
"Green and gold, perfect. They complement each other, don't they?"
"Ah... I suppose so?"
"Yes, then you'll wear a green dress with gold trim, I'll wear a gold suit with green trim, we'll deck the courtyard with... I don't know, flowers or ribbons or something; Burges will handle that. I'll let your employer know that your services will no longer be available. Who employs you? I'm sure they're here tonight."
"Will you excuse me, please?"
Oscar, panicked and, trembling, ran off into the hedge maze on the far side of
the courtyard. He knew Octavia would follow him. Sweat poured from his brow, ruining the makeup she'd spent so long perfecting, and down his sides, puckering the fabric of his dress.
"Stupid dress," he muttered.
He kicked the damn uncomfortable heels off and began pacing the soft, thick grass.
"Stupid shoes. Stupid idea. Stupid, stupid Oscar. What were you thinking?"
"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity," Olivia said, as she stepped into the maze.
"Then haul me away, I've obviously lost my mind. Why did I let you two talk me into this?"
"Because you've been nursing a broken heart for, like, a million years," she said. "Because you've always had a fondness for happily ever afters? Because love at first sight is something your heart believes but your brain can't rationalize?"
"Love at first sight," Oscar scoffed. "Don't get me wrong, he's cute. With that blue-black hair and matching eyes, it's like he stepped out of my morning dreamland. But you would not believe the gall. He's already got the wedding planned and he wants to talk to my employer and move you and Gina into the palace, and..."
"Oh my God!" Octavia squealed. "We're going to live in a palace!"
"That's not the point! Pay attention, please, I need your help. He's just steamrolling all over me. He decided that he wants to marry me, based on virtually nothing, and expects me to be okay with it. I... I can't... I don't... what if I hate him? What if he hates me? Oh God, he will hate me. He will."
"Why?"
"Because at some point, if I go through with this, he's going to see me without my dress."
"And?"
"And! And he thinks I'm a girl!"
"Oh."
"Yes! Oh! God damn it, I told you this was a bad idea, I told you!"
"Settle down, Oscar, you're getting too loud."
"How? How can I settle down? He wants to marry a woman who doesn't exist!"
"Hold on, hold on, let me think," Octavia said. "Okay... you can't tell him before the wedding."
"What? Why not? I can't exactly tell him after the wedding!"
"Yes, yes you can. Because, after you're married, he'll have to stick with it to save his reputation. He can't exactly marry you and then divorce you immediately; what would Prince Brennan think? He'd think that Prince Alfred was just buying time, is what he'd think. Instant coup."
Wild Ride: An M/M Shifter Mpreg Romance Bundle Page 63