Omega's Choice

by Lilli Carlisle

  Helena pushed away from the wall and crossed the space Aldric had put between them. She rubbed her chin on his chest before speaking. “We’ll meet you and your men at the stables in one hour. Is that enough time, Alpha?”

  He lowered his head and spoke softly into her ear. “I’ll meet you anywhere and anytime you wish, Princess.” Then he nibbled the tip of her ear before kissing it, causing her to tremble. As he pulled away their eyes locked, and for that fraction of a second before she turned to walk away Aldric felt part of himself reaching out to her—his other half.

  Helena walked in a daze all the way back to her suite. She’d never felt so close to losing control in her entire life. She knew what she needed to do; she had made her decision. Now she just had to figure out the right time.

  “You look a little worried, Princess. Did the sparring upset you?” Amalia asked once the two of them were alone in her bedroom.

  “No, that’s not it. I’m concerned now that I’ve made my choice, Aldric may not wish me to be his omega any longer.”

  “Why?” Amalia shouted, acting as if the possibility was insane. “You’re perfect.”

  “You’re biased.”

  “Don’t care, he would be a fool not to want you,” Amalia stated in a huff.

  Helena began to undress but stopped to breathe in Aldric’s scent on her tank top. “Gods, he smells so good.”

  “That’s because he’s your mate. You’ve chosen him. To me you smell like sweat—you stink. Get in the shower before we’re late. Cassandra will be arriving with Giselle shortly.” Amalia pushed Helena in the direction of her bathroom.

  “You’re sure? You think he’ll say yes even after I pulled the angry-she-wolf routine?”

  “Especially because you did. You didn’t hold back, you showed him the real you, and that seems to be exactly what he wanted in the end.” Amalia blushed once again.

  Helena shut the door to the bathroom and turned on the shower to warm up while she finished undressing. She and her wolf had agreed—they wanted Aldric as their own. Amalia may be confident Aldric still wanted her, but Helena wasn’t so certain. Some men preferred their mates to be a bit more subdued.

  Well, that wasn’t her. She was driven and stubborn at times, especially when she felt she was doing the right thing. Outside of her duties, she preferred to be free, out in the open air surrounded by the life bustling around her.

  She looked at herself in the spreading fog of her full-length mirror and straightened her spine, standing tall. “If he doesn’t want me the way I am, then fate has other plans for me.” Instantly a rock settled in the center of her stomach, the thought of Aldric walking away felt so wrong.

  Helena squared her shoulders and glared at her reflection. “He will say yes.” With a nod she walked with purpose into the shower.

  Aldric was her alpha.

  It was an honest-to-gods unicorn. Aldric and the little white animal regarded each other through the closed gate. Its pointy little horn sparkled in the sunlight as he and several of his men simply stared at the saddled miniature horse. In fact, there were several different horses saddled. Many were Arabians in varying shades of gray, chestnut, roan, and black. A larger number were Clydesdale/Paint mixes and extremely large, standing at over eighteen hands and with two thousand pounds of muscle on huge feathered hooves. What struck Aldric as more odd then a unicorn nibbling happily at the grass was the fact that all of the horses were indeed saddled for their planned ride but roamed freely across acres of pasture instead of waiting at the stables for their riders. Aldric imagined it would take a bit to round them all up once Helena arrived.

  “We have four warriors shifted into their wolves combing the nearby forest for any uninvited guests, Alpha Aldric,” General Jensgar reported. “We will have eight warriors riding with us as well as Lothar and myself. Theron and Tofa are in the surveillance room reviewing all tapes involving contact with or near the princess over the past week to see if they can find any pattern.”

  “Thank you, General Jensgar.” Aldric liked the man. Jensgar and Lothar would most certainly have a clash of authority on more than one occasion until they became accustomed to one another. Aldric would welcome Helena’s royal guard and attendants into his pack based on the love and devotion they had shown toward their princess.

  “Lothar and I can’t seem to shake the feeling we’re missing something, Jensgar. As if something more is at work other than simply attempting to attract an omega’s favor. We just don’t have enough information, and this is only the second day of festivities. We have five more days in which anything can happen. I’ll not risk Helena.”

  Lothar and Godric nodded in agreement with Aldric’s assessment as they kept scanning the surrounding area dotted with their combined warriors.

  “I agree with you and Lothar, Alpha. I feel it too, but I can’t pinpoint where my unease is originating. It’s as if a voice in the back of my head keeps shouting out warnings, but I see nothing of danger to the princess,” the general admitted. Suddenly, every single horse in the pasture stood at attention before dancing excitedly and racing toward the gate. “Princess Helena has arrived.”

  Sure enough, four of his warriors emerged from the path leading from the palace followed by a glowing Helena, who was holding hands with Cassandra. Cassandra skipped while they sang a song Aldric was sure he’d heard at least a dozen times from one of Cassandra’s princess movies.

  Gods, Helena was beautiful on every level. Hope filled him. Maybe a beauty could love this beast after all.

  The thundering of hooves stopped abruptly as each horse lined up along the fence to watch Helena’s approach, feet dancing in excitement. Aldric knew how they felt; he couldn’t look away either.

  “Brothers, look at my new riding outfit. It’s just like Princess Helena’s,” Cassandra gushed before twirling to show off her outfit, complete with riding boots and helmet. “Tonight I get to go to the ballroom with Mother and the princess.”

  “Shhh, little flower, we don’t want to give away all our surprises.” Helena tickled Cassandra before walking into Aldric’s open arms for a hug. “This is the way I would like to be greeted by you from now on. Is that okay, my alpha?”

  “I can’t think of anything I would like better than to have you in my arms, my omega.” Simply saying the words filled Aldric with pride and brought his wolf to the surface. He gently rubbed his chin along both of Helena’s cheeks, scenting her again, since she’d had a shower. His wolf demanded Aldric do so to ward off any other possible suitors.

  Who could blame the beast for wanting to be closer to the woman he considered his mate?

  “Are you two going to kiss? Isn’t it gross to kiss a boy, Princess?” Cassandra asked, looking as if she had smelled something foul just from the prospect of kissing a boy.

  “I honestly don’t know, Cassandra. I’ve never kissed a boy on the lips before. But I think it’s best if you don’t try to find out until you’re much older, or your brothers may become upset,” Helena stated, which caused every last protective instinct Aldric had to slam into him like a freight train.

  His omega was truly innocent in many ways. He knew Helena was aware of and had seen the brutality of their world, but she remained true to herself, and cared for everyone and everything around her. Aldric hugged Helena a bit closer. Instead of pulling back, she melted further into his arms and body. Though the top of her head only reached his pecs, she fit perfectly against him. It still amazed him that she truly had no issues or concerns when it came to his size or scars.

  “Perhaps you should greet your horses, Princess Helena,” Amalia suggested, drawing their attention back to the present and forcing Aldric to take a step back before he did something inappropriate. He now saw the merit of having chaperones until the bonding ceremony, considering what occurred only an hour before. With such intense emotions, they could have easily gotten carried away.

  “Yes, thank you, Amalia.” Helena blushed a beautiful shade of red before tucking a st
ray blonde curl back into her thick braid, then led Cassandra over to meet the unicorn.

  Aldric noticed a few people wandering the paths, other groups with omegas, their alpha’s security as well as chaperones following the couples closely. All this would seem strange to the outside world, but these rules and codes of conduct were necessary when courting an omega. Theirs were a race prone to violence and they had the power to back it up. If two alphas had designs on the same omega, it could get violent and bloody quickly. Without rules of conduct to govern every action up until the omegas chose whom they wished to mate, alphas would remain unmated, omegas would be lost, and packs would struggle.

  Thankfully, Helena had initiated contact with only Aldric. He was unsure how he would have reacted if forced to watch Helena near another alpha.

  “Now, Lady Cassandra, I would like you to meet Matilda.” Cassandra squealed in joy watching the unicorn bow down on one knee. “Thank you Matilda, that was polite. She agrees that your new riding outfit is beautiful, Cassandra.”

  “She did? Can you please tell her that I think her horn is pretty?” Cassandra asked.

  “You just did, sweetheart. She can understand you when you speak. It’s just that animals can’t respond to us in a way we understand. Some others just choose to ignore what’s being said. I am fortunate to be able to communicate with them telepathically.” Helena turned to the unicorn. “Matilda said thank you. She had it buffed this morning when she was told you were coming for a ride. When you two spend more time together, you’ll learn her body language and you’ll be able to tell what she’s thinking.” His sister went down on her knees and began talking nonstop to Matilda.

  “I’ll leave you two alone to get to know each other.”

  Aldric couldn’t help himself; he wrapped his arms around Helena from behind and hugged her close. “You’re amazing, you know that, little one?”

  “Hardly. You may be a tad biased, Aldric.” She laughed softly then kissed his cheek before wiggling free. “Now, I would like to introduce the rest of you to my friends.” With that, she introduced each member of their group to a corresponding horse. As he had expected, the Arabians were for the women while the larger Clydesdale/Paint mixes were perfect for the larger men.

  Once everyone was seated in their saddles and had arranged their positions—the princess and Cassandra at the center of their group along with Amalia and Giselle—they began their ride.

  They began at a leisurely pace alongside the gardens so Cassandra could wave to their mother. Aldric had to admit his mother held back her shock pretty well when she saw that her daughter was indeed riding a unicorn.

  They proceeded through to the orchards full of cherry, apple, and peach trees. All the while, Aldric sat enthralled by the beautiful, intelligent woman by his side. It felt as though they both had a new awareness of each other since sparring. While they rode, they spoke of topics ranging from his pack and town to were-politics and the state of the Werewolf-Elven Alliance. The Alliance had lasted over four hundred years, and Aldric believed it benefited both sides, but there were always those looking for any reason to start a war.

  By mid afternoon, their group reached a long, open stretch of sand where they decided to rest the horses and eat the lunch that had been packed for them. Four wolves stayed to the edge of the woods, sniffing the air and keeping watch for any intruders. Once the blankets and food were set out, Helena refused to allow the warriors to leave to guard the area without taking something to eat. She even made them take food for the four warriors remaining in wolf form.

  Helena finally settled on a blanket set for just the two of them—slightly away from the others but still well within hearing distance and sight. Aldric brought over two bottles of water and joined her for their semi-private picnic. They ate in companionable silence; he appreciated the fact that she didn’t feel the need to fill the silence. They were comfortable together.

  Finally, with his stomach full, he sat back with his legs spread out in front of him as he leaned against a tree stump that had washed up on the shore. Helena crawled over and sat between his legs. Leaning back, she rested her head against his chest and watched the water lap across the sand.

  Aldric wrapped his arms protectively around his amazing omega and swore he would do anything to convince her to choose him.

  “Do you want children?” she asked while still facing the water. While she seemed calm, he could feel this was important to her.

  “Yes, I’ve always wanted children. I’ve just never thought I’d have the opportunity,” he answered honestly. He still couldn’t believe that he might actually have that opportunity now.

  She released the breath she must have been holding. “I’ve always wanted a large family. I want my children to have brothers and sisters to love. I think I missed that after my family was killed.”

  He hugged her closer to his chest. “I won’t pretend to know what it would feel like to lose the ones I love. I can’t imagine the pain you’ve gone through, little one.” She turned around, and he tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ears before he continued. “You’re an intelligent, beautiful, loving, and gifted woman. You’ll have your family full of children to share yourself with someday.” Of that Aldric was positive. Anyone would feel blessed to have that opportunity with her.

  “Do you want that with me?” she whispered. Her jewel was swirling green, but a great deal of red was quickly slipping through and overtaking the green. He was pretty sure he knew what the darker red meant as it happened before, and it was more than simple affection.

  Aldric knew he had to tread carefully; once the words were spoken, they could not be taken back. Helena hadn’t actually asked him to be her mate, and with her being a princess, he needed specifics. “Yes, I would, but I’m not sure what you’re asking.”

  She sat up a bit straighter and, in a more confident voice, asked, “Alpha Aldric Forst, I know this may seem quick, but I’ve wanted to be with you for years. Would you do me the honor of becoming my mate?” All noise ceased. Not just from the surrounding attendants and warriors, but the entire forest fell into silence and seemed to be waiting for his answer.

  “Yes, Princess Helena Leonidi Reinhilde Lichtenberg, I accept you as my mate and will honor and protect you for the rest of our days,” Aldric answered loudly and with a great deal of pride and reverence, speaking words he had never thought he would have the privilege of saying.

  Now that the words had been spoken, the time of their bonding ceremony would be set. It was much the same as a human marriage ceremony, only with the addition of their melding of powers and magic. Within the next forty-eight hours, he would claim his omega and nothing would take her away from him. He leaned forward and, for the very first time, kissed her on the lips, feeling in that instant that Helena was to become his heart. Without her, it would simply stop beating.

  She tasted like the sweetest strawberries, even though they hadn’t eaten any during lunch. He loved strawberries. His tongue mapped her mouth as small whimpers escaped her kiss-swollen lips. He knew he had to pull back, and it took all of his restraint to manage it. He slowed the kiss, biting gently on her lower lip before licking the sting away.

  They finally separated to the cheers of their people, who had apparently heard Helena’s question and his reply. They were now bound into the first phases of their bonding. Helena was now officially his intended omega.

  “Give me your hand.” Helena held out her left hand, which he took immediately with his own.

  Warmth and bright white light spread from their joined hands. He could hear chanting inside his mind as warmth spread up his left arm to the side of his neck. He watched as small vines of ivy began to appear on both their hands and snaked up their arms. Once it reached Helena’s neck, it seamlessly joined with her existing royal tattoo of Fenrir. But when it reached Aldric’s neck, it felt like he was being branded by a hot iron.

  Biting back the torture and careful not to crush her hand, he waited it out. It didn
’t take long before the pain simply vanished as if it never existed. She released his hand and swayed a bit as she leaned forward. Carefully, he cradled her to his chest and waited for her breathing to return to normal.

  “Wow, I didn’t know that could happen,” Godric announced as he cautiously approached. “Are you royal now?”

  “What are you talking about, brother?” Aldric asked while watching Helena rest. Her eyes were closed and she had a happy smile on her face.

  Helena’s attendants moved forward, along with Cassandra, Godric, Lothar, and the general, but all still remained at a respectful distance. The bond had begun between them, and Aldric would kill any perceived threat from any of the men.

  “Aldric, along with that vine tattoo signifying your intended mate status, you now have a huge royal Fenrir tattoo across your neck. Can’t miss it,” Godric answered, still looking a bit shocked.

  Helena sat up quickly and turned Aldric’s head. “I’ve never known this to happen. Aunt Alexandra wears a gold Fenrir medallion around her neck to signify her marriage to royalty, since she was not born with royal blood. Our children would carry the tattoo from birth because they would share my bloodline as well as yours, but you’ve been given it by the gods, Aldric. Are you upset?” She looked unsure as tears gathered in her eyes.

  Quickly, he gathered her into his arms. She should never feel unsure about his commitment. “No, I would never be upset by anything that binds me to you. We have been blessed by the gods themselves. I have been given a great gift—you as my mate. I promise to show you every day for the rest of our lives just how much you mean to me.”

  “Princess, King Leonidas would like us to return to the palace so that he can officially announce the joyous news.” Amalia said and smiled wide, her cell phone tucked close to her ear. “He’ll have the elders called about the royal tattoo.”

  “Good news truly does travel fast.” Helena laughed and welcomed a happy Cassandra into her arms. “Now we must have a wonderful celebration to share our happiness with everyone.”