Omega's Choice

by Lilli Carlisle

  Princess Helena took that moment to turn toward him again. Instantly, his heart raced, his palms became sweaty, and a nervous excitement rolled around in his stomach, which he wasn’t entirely sure he liked. After all, he was a feared warrior, people looked to him for guidance and strength, and now he felt like he was going to pass out because a gorgeous woman was smiling at him with such joy.

  As Amalia spoke to Helena, the princess’s small omega stone on her forehead glowed, and it was impossible to miss the waves of happiness coming from her.

  “Looks like the princess is happy you agreed to dance with her, brother.” Godric looked about ready to burst with excitement. “Should I call home and have the rest of our party get on the road?”

  “No, not yet, Godric. Let’s see how the evening goes first. Then we can call in reinforcements.” Aldric didn’t want to get ahead of himself. He refused to be let down again. “What do you think Lady Amalia meant by she’d waited years?”

  “I have no idea, but I do know the only way you’re going to find out is by asking the princess herself. Ready to waltz, brother?”

  “At least all mother’s lessons are about to come in handy. What if she expects our normal life to be like this?” Aldric panicked.

  “Okay, now you’re just looking for problems that aren’t even here yet. Get out there and sweep that princess off her feet with the alpha you are. Wait until I tell Cassandra she was right yet again.” Godric had a look of absolute glee at the prospect of making that call back to the pack.

  “Yeah, well, if Cassandra was right about this, brother, then she also predicted that I would have to fight for my omega.”

  Godric turned to face Aldric and all humor fled from his expression. “If we have to fight for your omega, then it’ll damn well be one we win, I can assure you of that. If this night goes well, I’ll be calling in more warriors as well. They will be here before the sun rises.” Both Theron and Tofa nodded in agreement, even if Theron continued to tap away on his tablet.

  “We shall see, Godric. Let’s hope I don’t step on her foot. Then it may be the royal guard we need to fight.” Aldric laughed as he, Godric, Theron, and Tofa stood and made their way across the ballroom to stand in front of King Leonidas, Queen Alexandra, and Princess Helena.

  Princess Helena was simply stunning; her emerald green eyes beamed with happiness as he approached. Aldric had never felt this level of immediate attraction before in his lifetime. Helena’s curly blonde hair was pulled away from her face, showcasing her royal tattoo and tiny vines twisting down her slender neck to her collarbone. Her smile lit up everyone and everything around her and her green eyes shone with happiness.

  Aldric, Godric, Theron, and Tofa stood before the king and queen, bowing respectfully and waiting for King Leonidas to speak. The entire time, Aldric hoped like hell he didn’t screw this up.

  The room had grown strangely quiet.

  Helena could barely contain her excitement. Alpha Aldric stood before her family, intent on accepting her request for a dance. She was working hard to contain most of her happiness, even though she knew a bit was bleeding through. If the smile on her uncle’s face was any indication, he knew.

  “Alpha Aldric Forst, my loyal and honored friend. You and your party are welcome here, but I understand it’s not my council you seek.” King Leonidas announced with a small twitch to the corner of his mouth. Helena knew he was fighting back a smile. He wasn’t going to make this easy. Gods, I love my uncle.

  Alpha Aldric stood to his full height, every bit an alpha through and through. “I thank you for your welcome, but you are correct, King Leonidas. I’ve come at the request of Princess Helena to claim a dance.”

  King Leonidas turned toward Helena, who was doing her best not to shoot daggers out of her eyeballs at her uncle. If she could have, boy would he be in trouble. “Is this true, dear niece? You wish to dance with Alpha Aldric?”

  “Yes, Uncle. I would very much like to dance with Alpha Aldric.” Helena was impressed she was able to keep her voice from cracking. She was way past nervous.

  “Well then, welcome. Your party may come join our table,” King Leonidas ordered before he turned to his wife. “My queen, would you do me the honor of a dance?”

  Aunt Alexandra blushed before accepting his offered hand. “Of course, my love.”

  Alpha Aldric’s party joined the table as the alpha walked toward Helena. She was on joy overload and feared she would blow at any moment just by watching this perfect male specimen, a predator in all rights, stalk her.

  When he was merely a foot away, he stopped to bow before her and held out his hand. “Princess Helena, may I have the honor of this dance?”

  Okay, she lost focus for a few seconds and her joy poured out in waves, making the entire table smile, but all she could see was the handsome grin on her alpha’s face. “Yes. I would like to dance with you, Alpha Aldric.”

  Helena placed her hand in Aldric’s, noting that such a size difference may have scared most omegas away, but Aldric’s size comforted Helena. It made her feel safe and secure. And he sure could fill out a tuxedo; he was breathtaking. Helena had no idea where you would find a tux in his size. Aldric was easily one of the largest alphas in attendance. And he was all hers, for at least one dance anyway.

  Carefully, he led her to the dance floor, which was still empty—well, except for the king and queen.

  “A waltz?” King Leonidas asked Aldric, a sign of respect for the visiting alpha.

  Aldric turned to Helena and with her subtle nod of agreement, responded, “Excellent choice, my king.”

  The king smiled knowingly. “A smart man indeed seeks a pretty lady’s approval—well done. A waltz it is.” At her uncle’s command, the orchestra began to play.

  Alpha Aldric danced like a dream. His huge body led her effortlessly around the dance floor as they swayed gracefully to the music. Helena felt cherished in his arms, and she knew her joy was out in full force, but she couldn’t seem to tone it down in the least.

  “Your omega jewel is glowing,” Aldric commented as he spun her around the floor.

  “I’m happy.” Helena knew not everyone appreciated her emotions waving around them unchecked. “I’m having a difficult time controlling my stronger emotions at the moment. I’m sorry. I’ll try harder.”

  “No, don’t you dare. I think it’s beautiful when your jewel glows showing your happiness. Does it glow when you have other emotions?” He asked with honest interest, which went a long way in calming Helena’s concerns.

  “Yes. I guess you could call it a permanent ‘mood ring’ of sorts. Only, I can use my emotions to help other people when they’re sad or in need of comfort. I can reach people on a more cellular level. But, usually, I’m much better at controlling myself.” She hoped she didn’t scare the handsome man off, but she knew she needed to start with honesty if they wanted the possibility of a future. “There’s actually many different facets to my powers that would require much more time than a dance would allow me to explain.”

  Helena knew the dance was coming to an end but had no idea how to request spending more time with him. She was hoping something would come to her, but she was drawing a blank. Thankfully, Aldric took that problem right out of her hands.

  “Well, considering you have initiated contact with me, Princess, I believe I’m now within my rights to ask if you would like to continue our discussion on the balcony. There’ll be less noise, so we can talk, and, of course, we’ll be accompanied by our escorts to ensure your safety.” He smiled down at her, showcasing his deep dimples, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

  He’s gorgeous. Don’t blow this, girl.

  “Helena—please call me Helena. I would love to spend more time with you.”

  The music came to an end. Aldric bowed once again before taking her hand and placing it on his arm. They were the focus of attention as the couple followed her aunt and uncle from the dance floor, but Helena was so happy she barely noticed.

/>   Once they reached their table and the king and queen were seated, Helena left Aldric to speak quietly with them. “I love you, Uncle, with all my heart but behave yourself. I like him.” Helena glanced over to see Aldric speaking with his people and General Jensgar. “We’re going out to talk on the balcony. I have my escorts, as well as Aldric’s security team, so do not worry, I’m safe. Don’t make a scene and ask what his intentions are in some awful medieval European way. I know we’re at court, but it’s 2017. Unless, of course, you never want to see another one of my delicious, double-stuffed, chocolate chip cookies ever again.”

  “That’s low, my dear, but indeed warranted,” Aunt Alexandra agreed with a low, conspiratorial laugh.

  “You two are absolutely no fun. It’s my job as your parental figure to make young men nervous.” Her uncle almost pouted, which would have shocked quite a few people in the hall.

  “Don’t worry. You make them nervous, Uncle, just by breathing. Going now. Love you both. Not a word, just smile and wave,” Helena sing-songed before kissing their cheeks and turning toward the man she was hoping wanted to get to know her just as much as she wanted to get to know him.

  “Ready, Helena?” Aldric smiled as he held out his large hand.

  “Yes,” Helena answered before taking his hand. She knew her stone was glowing gold again but was unconcerned since Aldric had told her it was beautiful. He gave a slight nod to someone over her shoulder, but by the time she turned around, her uncle was innocently sipping his wine. Yeah right.

  As their group passed through the crowds to the balcony, she thought it best to be upfront about her family. “If my uncle becomes too much of an overbearing father, please let me know. He’s been warned and I’ll follow through on my threat.”

  “So you threatened the king for me?” Aldric laughed. It was such a deep, rich sound, she definitely wanted the pleasure of hearing it more often.

  “No, I threatened my uncle, and if he doesn’t behave, he will miss his weekly fix of my double-stuffed chocolate chip cookies. Now, if I wanted to threaten the king, then I would have brought my butterfly swords or perhaps a dagger. It really depends on what I’m wearing. It’s easier to hide a short sword under a full gown.”

  The man introduced as Aldric’s brother, Godric, coughed, trying desperately to cover up what she thought might be a laugh. Helena smiled and looked right at him. “Laugh all you want, Godric, but I know my uncle’s ruled by his stomach and he’s addicted to my baking. Notice we made it out of the hall without some vague comment about Aldric’s intentions and an even vaguer threat to his manhood should he do something to offend the princess.”

  Godric stared in shock; she assumed from either not knowing whether he had offended the princess and should already be apologizing, or if he should laugh at her obvious blackmail of the king, with cookies of all things. Or then again, it could have been the whole sword comment—one never knew.

  “You sound just like our mother,” Godric finally spoke. “But she uses cherry pie to keep us in line and prefers to use two small daggers when threatening.”

  “Smart woman. Can’t wait to meet her.” Helena looked around at the mixture of astonished faces among Aldric’s people. Sometimes she forgot that only her own ladies and guards were used to her less-than-princess-like behavior when away from formal settings.

  She looked up at Aldric, which in truth was a long way up because, again, the guy was massive. “Sorry, I could go back to the formal-princess routine, but honestly, I wish to act that way in actual formal settings, not in everyday life. What people see at court isn’t how we spend every day of our lives. Gods that would be tiring.”

  “No, Helena, I want you to behave just as you would normally, not the routine you have to use at court.” Aldric sounded pleased and was smiling, so she took that as a good sign.

  “Princess Helena is well schooled in sword play as well as various martial arts. She can easily defend herself if need be, as a precaution we pray she never needs,” General Jensgar stated with pride, considering he had been her taskmaster. He trained with Helena each and every day since she arrived at the palace after her parents’ deaths.

  Aldric looked down at Helena, his lips twitching. “Perhaps we could spar and you could show me what you’ve learned, little one?”

  Helena was so happy she could have screamed. Aldric seemed to be accepting her unexpected behavior, at least so far. “I would enjoy that. We have a training room in our private wing. Would that work?”

  “Yes, I think we can arrange that.” He looked over toward their advisors, who were huddled together, tapping away on their tablet screens. He gave Helena one of those rakish grins that made her want to climb him like a tree and kiss him, which was strange considering she had never kissed a man before. Well, other than her uncle, and that was only on the cheek.

  “Just make sure there aren’t any threatening desks in the room, or you’ll see our princess get her ninja on.” Marcus mumbled, then chuckled when he realized everyone had heard him. He was slowly coming out of his shell around Aldric’s people, which made Helena happy. Marcus was an amazing guard, but extremely shy.

  Helena had instructed each of her personal staff and guards to act as they naturally would around Aldric and his people. She hoped that would allow Aldric time to get to know what they were really like even though it was her decision to be mated or not.

  “Don’t you dare tell them that story, Marcus, or I’ll let it slip exactly who’s been sneaking into Uncle Leo’s private pantry,” she warned, knowing full well Marcus would tell anyway, but needing to put up some sort of fight to maintain her dignity. Of course, it was only an empty threat because it was actually her and Marcus who raided the king’s sweets stash. Uncle Leo had a sweets addiction. He’d likely weigh over four hundred pounds if he weren’t a werewolf. Yep, he may need an intervention.

  “Now I have to know,” Aldric said as he brought Helena’s knuckles up to his lips and kissed them softly. Okay, she would tell him anything if he just kept looking at her like she was the only person in the universe.

  “My uncle and General Jensgar had been teaching me how to hide my scent and sneak up on an opponent. So after a while, we made a game of it and I would try to sneak up on either of them. Do you know how hard that is when you have your own personal guard following you everywhere?” She gave Aldric her best pout, causing him to laugh even harder.

  “Why do I get the feeling you managed to ditch them a few times in the past?”

  “Because you are obviously an intelligent alpha.” She smiled as they walked hand in hand closer to the stone railing. The moon shone brightly in the night sky and reflected on the lake below, giving the illusion of a blanket of fireflies. “So, as you guessed correctly, I managed to lose my guard and make it into my uncle’s library to lie in wait for him. It would have worked if someone had secured the drapes properly.”

  “You were hanging from the drapes ten feet in the air. Though I applaud your ingenuity at getting in and hiding in the first place, how you thought that rod would hold your weight is still a mystery.” Radulf obviously couldn’t help but add to the story as he stood guard from the far side of the balcony. He was ensuring their continued privacy from other guests who were trying to sneak covert glimpses of the group.

  “Well, of course, looking back on it, I realize my error in judgment,” Helena admitted sheepishly.

  “So where does the desk come into play?” Aldric asked while bringing his arm around Helena’s waist. She couldn’t stop herself from leaning into his side and soaking in his strength and warmth. His small growl of happiness confirmed he was enjoying her cuddle as much as she was.

  “Well, you see, our stealthy princess here came tumbling down from where she was hiding as the rod gave way.” General Jensgar just had to jump into the conversation. “The king just managed to catch her before they both fell through his office desk.”

  Is nothing sacred?

  Helena just shook her head, knowin
g she would spend her entire life hearing this tale being retold to her children and grandchildren. She couldn’t wait.

  “We were both fine, but the desk didn’t make it.” Helena confessed, wondering if maybe her tomboy ways were going to come back and bite her in the ass.

  “I’m thankful you weren’t injured, little one. Please don’t deliberately put yourself in danger again,” Aldric requested before kissing her hand once again.

  “I’ll do my best but, honestly, I don’t try to get into those situations. They just sort of happen around me,” she confessed with a sheepish smile. She had ended up in more than her share of interesting situations over the past twenty-five years.

  “Though I don’t find that reassuring, I can work with it,” Aldric conceded, making her smile because that statement meant they’d spend more time together.

  Their entourage—made up of her three royal guards, Lothar, Godric, Aldric’s two advisors, and her two attendants— kept their distance to give the two of them a semblance of privacy as they sat on a bench. With werewolves’ enhanced hearing, Helena knew their conversation wasn’t completely private, but these people had been entrusted with their safety, so she understood they needed to be there even though she’d give anything for ten minutes alone with the alpha.

  “As you have probably guessed by now, I’m not the wear-a-gown-and-tiara-twenty-four-seven kind of princess,” Helena admitted. “So what else would you like to know about me?”

  Aldric threaded his fingers through hers before asking his question. “Your attendant, Amalia, mentioned something about waiting years, but wouldn’t explain. She said to ask you.”

  Helena was thrown by his question. Would she look stalker-ish if she admitted she had waited two years to meet him? She noticed Amalia making a quick disappearing act behind her brother Marcus. “There’s no use hiding, Amalia. I know where you sleep.”