Omega's Choice

by Lilli Carlisle

  “Thank you.” Helena turned away, blinking furiously. She loved her staff and guards. Over the years they had all grown close and become her second family. In fact, Marcus was Amalia’s brother and General Jensgar was their father. Their mother had died when Amalia was young. After they had moved into the palace, Helena and Amalia had become fast friends while General Jensgar and Marcus joined the guards. Now all three served Helena personally and she welcomed their support and kindness, especially since she no longer had parents of her own.

  They arrived at the library to find King Leonidas and Queen Alexandra sitting hand in hand on an old couch her uncle refused to part with. It was the first piece of furniture he and Aunt Alexandra had purchased together after their claiming. The two were as much in love today as they had been over two hundred and fifty years ago. This was the type of love Helena dreamed of having.

  “Ah, there you are, my beautiful niece.” Aunt Alexandra spoke as she rose to her feet and spread her arms wide, which Helena gladly filled. “I missed you today, my dear. With all the attendees this year, I didn’t get a single moment to come by and check on you. You look absolutely breathtaking. How are you feeling?”

  “I missed you too, Aunt Alex.” Helena pulled back slightly but held onto her aunt’s hands. “I’m a bit nervous. I keep thinking about all the things that could go wrong. I’m used to standing up in a room full of people, but the thought of one alpha’s rejection has me ready to bolt.”

  “Rejecting you? He would have to be truly insane to ever consider it.” Uncle Leonidas laughed at the impossibility of Helena being rejected before taking his wife’s spot and hugging Helena tightly to his solid chest. “You still have your eye on Alpha Aldric Forst then?”

  “Yes, Uncle. I’ve been waiting for years to be old enough to attend the celebrations, and the gods willing, Alpha Aldric will agree to dance with me tonight.”

  Helena had first seen Alpha Aldric when she was twenty-three, too young to attend the festivities, but she had been allowed to watch from a private balcony. When Aldric walked into the ballroom, Helena knew she had found her alpha, but no amount of begging would make her uncle change his decision. Helena would have to wait until she was twenty-five, and if the gods were as sure of their union as she was, then Alpha Aldric would still be available when Helena came of age.

  Though Aldric was one hundred and thirty-one years of age, it was readily accepted that all alphas would be quite a few years older than their omega—considering most alphas didn’t come into their alpha-hood until they’ve reached seventy-five years.

  “Then we shouldn’t keep the young man waiting. You will remain at the head table with your family and guards. Your ladies are free to approach the alpha on your behalf to inquire about his availability,” her uncle stated, reaffirming his role as her protector.

  “Amalia and Giselle have studied the protocol and have a plan in place. Amalia will approach with Marcus while Giselle and the others stay with me. I think the rules are helping to calm me. At least I don’t have to worry about being approached.” Helena was thankful for that aspect of the selection process. It made her feel even safer.

  “Yes, and if anyone dares to approach you or makes you feel uncomfortable, you let us know, sweetheart.” The queen spoke firmly. She had taken on the role as mother after Helena’s family was murdered and she had come to live with her aunt and uncle. The queen was protective of Helena and showered her with love and affection. By some tragic quirk, the king and queen couldn’t have children of their own and viewed Helena as their daughter in every way. Helena loved them as she did her own parents.

  “No one will get close enough to the princess, Queen Alexandra. We’ll make sure she’s well guarded,” General Jensgar guaranteed, and Helena had to admit her royal guards did exude a formidable presence.

  All tall, muscled, and trained to be deadly, their uniforms were covered in the royal crest to denote their positions. Then add a sword in a sheath on their backs, guns in holsters at their sides, and countless other weapons that Helena knew each carried but went unseen—they were a lethal bunch. And, unfortunately, a necessary precaution, as evidenced by the brutal assassination of her parents.

  Of course, if all else failed, they could simply shift into their wolf form and fight with their gods-given weapons of huge teeth and razor-sharp claws.

  Helena didn’t fear anyone would be so foolish as to try to get past any of her guards, but stranger things had happened. She thought back to the time she found a unicorn standing on her balcony at five in the morning on her twenty-first birthday; now that was strange. She was still trying to figure out how the White Witch Ceva managed to deliver that gift, but accepted it nonetheless; after all, Ceva was her godmother.

  “Thank you, General Jensgar. You and your men have always brought honor to our kingdom. I do not fear when my beloved niece is under your protection,” King Leonidas assured the general as they approached the ballroom’s two-story-high closed wooden doors that showcased multiple images of wolves—from pups at play to battles fought by warriors—each depiction was engraved into the wood.

  Helena could hear the murmurs of conversations coming from the ballroom. Giselle had informed her that over three hundred guests were in attendance. Each alpha and each omega brought security, advisors, and attendants, and there were one hundred and nine alphas and fifty-two omegas, both male and female—after all, there were gay alphas, so of course there would be male omegas. Werewolves welcomed all types of relationships; the gender of a mate was never a concern.

  Knowing the number of people on the other side of those doors, Helena was definitely past nervous and again approached panic. Silence fell as the speaker of the court called for everyone’s attention before the massive doors were swung open.

  “It is with great honor that I present to you their Majesties, King Leonidas Lichtenberg, Queen Alexandra, and her royal highness, Princess Helena.” The courtier’s voice rang through the now silent room.

  Uncle Leo and Aunt Alex led the way into the enormous sparkling ballroom, befitting any fairy tale. Crystal chandeliers hung high above the gathered crowd, and rows of candles danced in the slight breeze from the bank of open glass doors leading out onto the long balcony overlooking Lake Rener. Helena followed the king and queen as all in attendance either bowed or curtsied as the royal party passed.

  As always, their guard was close by, and Amalia and Giselle stayed close to Helena in case they were required. They rounded a long table that was raised at the front of the room. The king stood before his throne, which was placed at the center of the table, the queen to his left as was customary, and Helena to his right. King Leonidas extended his welcome and again gave an explanation of the rules, which allowed Helena time to look around the room.

  Ornately decorated tables in rich burgundy, gold, and beige surrounded a dark, polished, wooden dance floor. There were four bars open to guests as well as tables of food off to the side for anyone to grab a snack. It was officially after dinner, but they were wolves, after all, and they tended to eat a lot.

  Lilies of brilliant and various colors decorated the room and festooned the balcony balustrade. Helena could feel her joy shining outward; lilies were her favorite flower. This had to be a gift from her uncle.

  Helena could feel the small teardrop jewel embedded in her forehead, signifying her omega status, glowing with her powers. She had been so lost in her joy that she hadn’t realized she had been sending it out in waves to the people gathered. That was one of her omega powers; she was able to share and transmit feelings of joy, happiness, and comfort as well as other emotions to the people surrounding her, but typically she had a better handle on her control.

  King Leonidas had stopped talking and was now smiling affectionately toward her. Heat crept up Helena’s cheeks and she knew she was blushing. He smiled back then boomed, “It is with great pleasure that I introduce my beloved niece, Princess Helena Leonidi Reinhilde Lichtenberg. As many of you are now aware, she
is indeed a powerful omega and is currently transmitting her joy to all of you. I hope there is no need to remind the alphas in attendance that approaching any omega who has not initiated contact will be dealt with severely. I wish each of you all good fortune in finding your mate. Enjoy the week at our home, and if you require assistance, please approach any one of my staff. With the blessings of the gods, let the festivities begin.”

  Cheers rang up from around the room as those in attendance went back to their conversations, and food and drinks were passed around. People laughed and enjoyed the festive atmosphere. Helena accepted a glass of wine and a plate of various hors d’oeuvres from Giselle as the three scanned the room for Alpha Aldric.

  “Do you see him?” Helena asked Amalia, who looked up at Marcus. Both shook their heads. “He has to be here somewhere.”

  It hadn’t escaped Helena’s notice that several alphas had been watching her every move, but thankfully none dared approach her. The one alpha she had been dreaming of meeting for the past two years was nowhere in sight, causing her joy to dim.

  “I found him, Princess.” Radulf, another one of her personal guards, leaned forward slightly and kept his voice low enough so that their conversation didn’t travel past the royal table. “I believe Alpha Aldric Forst’s party is over by the far wall near the first set of balcony doors at the back.”

  Discreetly, she glanced over in that direction, and sure enough, Aldric was there. She felt the rush of excitement as her eyes wandered over his well-muscled arms, straining under his black tuxedo. She wondered what it would feel like to have those arms wrapped around her.

  His broad chest was decorated with medals. Slowly, she continued her perusal from his long, black hair, strong jaw, and firm lips and up to his gorgeous, deep-blue eyes that were now staring directly at her. Helena sat frozen to the spot, unable to look away. She could feel her happiness beating through her body and felt her jewel glow on her forehead.

  She couldn’t help but smile at the alpha of her dreams.

  King Leonidas cleared his throat, drawing Helena’s attention away from Aldric. “I see you have found your alpha. May I suggest sending Amalia over before we have to physically hold you back, niece.”

  She blushed, then grinned. “Good idea, Uncle. Amalia, you’re on. Please ask if Alpha Aldric would like to dance with me, and then we can go from there…right?” Gods, she was nervous.

  “Yes, Princess. Don’t worry, you’ll get your dance. Marcus, let’s go.” Amalia stood, grabbed her tablet, squared her shoulders as if preparing to head off into battle—which caused Helena to laugh a little—and then she began her journey through the masses.

  Thankfully, people moved, allowing Amalia to pass without worry. If Helena had to guess, it might have been the scowl on Marcus’s face that moved people out of the way. Helena noticed some of the alphas watching Amalia’s progress as she passed, no doubt wondering to which alpha the princess’s attendant was heading. The closer Amalia got to Aldric, the more Helena felt like throwing up. She could at least admit it to herself; she may be calm on the outside, but in truth, she was a quivering mass of jelly.

  “It’ll be okay, my dear,” Queen Alexandra assured, leaning behind the king. “I’m told he’s an intelligent man. After all, he was a general in your uncle’s army. He wouldn’t refuse a request to dance with a beautiful woman like yourself.”

  Helena turned away from Amalia and Marcus as they arrived at Alpha Aldric’s table; she couldn’t watch any longer. “I hope you’re right, Aunt Alex, because I think I’m going to have a heart attack.”

  “Oh, my dear, that’s exactly how I felt when I sent my attendant over to your uncle’s party that first day of my first Omega Celebration, and see how well that turned out. Besides, if he winds up being a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal, we have lots of property to hide the body on.” Queen Alexandra laughed at the shocked expression on Helena’s face.

  “Let’s hope it never comes to that, Aunt Alex.” Helena laughed at her wonderfully quirky aunt before taking a quick glance back at Amalia, now sitting and speaking with Aldric’s party.

  Please let him say yes to at least one dance.

  Chapter Two

  Aldric attempted to disappear into the background as he sat with Godric, his two advisors and friends, Theron and Tofa, and his head of warriors, Lothar. From the moment they had arrived, Aldric began counting down the minutes until he was allowed to leave without causing any insult to the king and queen. The suite of rooms he had been given were larger and much more opulent this year compared to any previous years, and even though he had chosen not to bring his family and a full contingent of staff, the organizer had refused to give the extra rooms away to another party, stating that Alpha Aldric Forst was to specifically have these rooms and no others.

  Aldric didn’t even try to understand; he wasn’t about to argue with the man. Dinner had been delivered to their suite prior to tonight’s opening festivities, and if he had to admit it, he would be enjoying himself if it weren’t for the whole finding-an-omega-mate thing. Christ, if he wasn’t an alpha, he would be able to mate with anyone he chose, but since he was indeed an alpha, he could only mate an omega, could only produce offspring with an omega. As with their abilities that were born into each alpha and omega, so was the mating; it was in their DNA.

  “You look like you’re ready to gut someone, brother,” Godric commented before taking a swallow of his own beer.

  “Just looking for a way of escape to present itself,” Aldric answered in truth. If he could find a way of staying in their suite for the entire week, he would.

  “You were looking pretty happy when you locked eyes with the lovely princess a moment ago,” Theron commented from behind his tablet. Give the man some sort of technology and he was fascinated. “This tablet is amazing. We can sync times with other tablets for meetings and events.”

  “We won’t be needing that option, Theron, and a smile is not an introduction. As I have said over and over again, there is not one omega here who wishes to spend time with me. So don’t get too attached to your new toy, you won’t be using it.” Aldric would never admit he’d been unable to take his eyes off of the princess from the first moment she walked into the ballroom. She simply glowed with happiness and he couldn’t help but want to get closer to her. But again, that was never going to happen.

  “I beg to disagree, Alpha Aldric Forst.” He glanced up to find a smiling young lady shadowed by a scowling royal guard. Aldric and his men immediately stood, showing respect for the lady. “My name is Lady Amalia, and I’m one of Princess Helena’s attendants. May I please have a moment with your advisor or yourself, Alpha?”

  He wasn’t sure what to say; he’d never been in this position before. Godric nudged his knee, but still nothing came out of his mouth. Shit, I’ve gone mute.

  “Yes, please join us,” Tofa jumped in, saving Aldric and making introductions. “I’m Tofa. Theron and I are Alpha Aldric’s advisors. Godric is our alpha’s brother, and Lothar is the head of the alpha’s warriors, and you probably guessed the big, silent one is Alpha Aldric Forst.”

  At that, Aldric finally gained his ability to speak. “Yes, we would be honored if you chose to join us, Lady Amalia. You may speak openly among these four men. They are my closest advisors and family to me.”

  Once Lady Amalia was seated, her royal guard took position behind her chair, still scowling. Amalia looked back up at her guard before swatting him on his leg, shocking everyone at the table. “Stop scowling, Marcus. We’re trying to make a good impression, not scare them away. You’ll have to excuse my brother. He’s protective, which makes him perfect as the princess’s personal guard. You understand.”

  Aldric decided he liked these two, brother and sister serving the princess, but still his brain was having a hard time catching up to why they might be at his table.

  “How may we assist you, Lady Amalia?” He asked, cutting to the chase. He always believed in being straightforward, which made it
far easier to determine if you were friend or foe.

  “Princess Helena Lichtenberg wishes to formally request a dance with you, Alpha Aldric Forst,” Amalia answered in a rush, as if she had practiced her response and was eager to deliver her lines.

  “Forgive me, Lady Amalia, but why did that seem rehearsed?” If this was some sort of setup, he wasn’t in the mood.

  “I’ve been waiting years to say them. The princess—” Amalia slapped her hand over her mouth before she could say more. “I’m sorry, that isn’t a story for me to tell. Perhaps you could ask the princess when you dance with her.” Amalia hedged with a hopeful expression on her face.

  “Yes, yes he would be delighted to dance with Princess Helena,” assured Godric before another word could be spoken.

  Lady Amalia beamed with joy as she entered some sort of information into her tablet and then tapped Theron’s tablet with hers, causing it to beep. “That’s Princess Helena’s private schedule for the next week. I’ll let the princess know that Alpha Aldric has accepted her initial contact. I will also inform the king and the guards so that you and your party may approach the royal family without threat of violence.”

  “Yeah, no threat of violence sounds great.” Tofa laughed nervously while Lothar simply smiled his agreement to Marcus at the state of their security.

  Marcus seemed to relax a bit and finally spoke. “Alpha Aldric, if you wish, I will take this opportunity to provide introductions for your head of warriors, Lothar, and Princess Helena’s head of the royal guard, General Jensgar. They’ll need to coordinate security for the week if you and the princess wish to continue meeting, with chaperones of course.”

  “Yes, of course. Lothar, if you’ll return with Lady Amalia and Marcus to meet with General Jensgar, we’ll discuss what’s needed at the end of the evening,” Aldric ordered.

  “Yes, Alpha.” They all stood as Lady Amalia left. Lothar followed behind Marcus up to the royal table and bowed in respect to the royal family. The king made a welcoming gesture, and Lothar began shaking hands with an older royal guard. It did not escape Aldric’s notice that several individuals in the ballroom were watching their interaction with great interest.