by Nora Phoenix
Vieno leaned back and offered his mouth, which Lidon took in a wet kiss. He didn’t release him until every cell in his body hummed with pleasure over the connection with his mate that simmered between them.
All that time, Enar had forced Palani to stay where he was, almost plastered against his own body. Lidon sent him a grateful nod.
“Thanks for stepping in,” he told his friend, who acknowledged him with a nod back. Then Lidon’s eyes settled on Palani, who was getting the color back in his face.
“Come here,” he said and this time he did allow the alpha compulsion seep through his voice. Palani's eyes flickered with a mix of resentment and fear as he stepped forward. Vieno shivered and Lidon pulled him close, dropping another kiss in his hair before returning his attention to Palani.
“Do you have a death wish?” he asked, his face hard and unforgiving.
“No, alpha.”
Ah. This wasn’t the rebellious, sassy tone he’d used with Enar before. This was the genuine submission of a man who realized he’d fucked up.
“Dammit, Palani, I like you. You’re smart and loyal and I respect the hell out of you for how you’ve done everything to take care of Vieno. But if you had pulled that shit with any other alpha, you’d get your ass beaten, do you understand?”
Palani met his eyes before lowering them again. “Yes, alpha.”
“You need to find a way to get through that thick skull of yours that Vieno is my mate now. We are forever, irrevocably linked. You can’t touch him and dammit, you can’t kiss him. I can’t tolerate anyone else with him, not this soon…and especially not you.”
Palani seemed to stiffen for a second before bowing his head and lowering himself to his knees in a slow gesture that left Vieno gasping. If nothing else, that alerted Lidon how extraordinary this move by the proud beta was, but Lidon would have known anyway. And if he’d even caught a whiff of him trying to play Lidon or faking his submission, he would’ve ripped him a new one, but the move was genuine.
“I’m sorry, alpha. I place myself at your mercy.”
Lidon had witnessed this move hundreds of times before, if not more, and had heard that same utterance from countless criminals and perps he’d arrested. But it had never felt as fragile and valuable as it did here, in this moment, with Palani on his knees before him, his eyes averted at the floor.
Lidon’s hand reached out before he realized it, covering Palani’s head. The buzz cut was softer than Lidon expected. He caressed the head before saying the words. “Your apology is accepted, Palani. You have your alpha’s mercy.”
Palani and Vieno exhaled at the same time, the tension dissipating. “Thank you, alpha,” Palani said.
Lidon’s hand traveled from the beta’s head to his biceps as he pulled him to his feet. “Get the fuck up off your knees. It doesn’t suit you at all.”
Palani dared to look at him for the first time. Lidon could see the smart ass reply at the tip of his tongue he swallowed back, and he couldn’t help but smile. “You’re gonna get yourself in so much trouble one day.”
Palani shrugged. “I didn’t say it, did I?”
Lidon scoffed. “Your eyes were speaking volumes, dude.”
“You can’t punish me for what I think,” Palani said.
“True. But you keep trying and someday, I’ll find a way,” Lidon said. Not that he was angry with Palani. Hell, he hadn’t even been truly enraged when Palani had seemed to want to kiss Vieno. His alpha had protested, rather forcefully, but Lidon couldn’t really be upset with the man. The love between him and Vieno was real, and it was a shitty situation for them.
“Let’s eat,” Enar said. “I’m starving.”
When they were all seated around the small dining table, Lidon said, “I want to get married tomorrow.” He realized the forcefulness of his statement, so he corrected himself. “I mean, if that’s okay with you, Vieno? I’d rather not wait any longer than necessary.”
Vieno nodded quietly, still a tad pale looking from the confrontation earlier.
“Can you get a permit on such short notice?” Palani asked, demonstrating once again he possessed a great attention to details and practical things.
“Yes. As a police officer, it’s one of our privileges. I’ll go to city hall today to request the expedited permit, if Vieno agrees.”
“Do…do I have to come with you?” Vieno’s face turned several shades whiter. Damn, Lidon had forgotten about his predicament for a minute.
“Not today. I know it doesn’t shout equality, but an omega doesn’t need to be present to request the wedding permit. You do, however, need to be present tomorrow for the actual ceremony.”
To his credit, Vieno didn’t look away but kept eye contact with Lidon. “I’m terrified,” he said, his voice almost a whisper.
“What are you scared of?”
“That people can smell me…that they’ll react to me.”
“I can barely detect your own scent,” Enar said. “There’s too much of Lidon present to detect you, so I don’t think you have to worry about that.”
Vieno didn’t seem convinced, which worried Lidon.
“Permission to speak?” Palani said.
“Why would you need permission?” Lidon asked, ready to snap if he was mocking him, but one look at Palani’s face told him he was serious.
“Because this may be between you and Vieno and I don’t want to butt in.”
That was reasonable. And a lot more considerate than Lidon had given him credit for. “Please, what are you thinking?”
“What started out as genuine fear for his safety has grown into more. He hasn’t set a foot outside in three years, and that isolation may have saved him, but it’s also become his safety. He’s full blown agoraphobic. You may need to sedate him if you want him to go outside of this apartment and function tomorrow.”
Lidon tried to let that information sink in. He’d known it would be an issue, but he hadn’t realized it was this…he didn’t want to say “bad”, because that sounded like a judgment and he wasn’t making that call. This wasn’t Vieno’s fault, but it was a problem all right.
“Vieno?” he asked softly. “Do you recognize what Palani says?”
“Yeah…” was the quiet answer. “I’m…I don’t know how I’m gonna do it. I want to, but I’m super scared…”
“I can give you a mild sedative, if that’s what you want,” Enar offered.
“Better make it a strong one,” Palani said with his usual snarkiness, but Vieno didn’t seem to mind.
Lidon reached across the table to grab Vieno’s hand. “We’ll make this work, somehow, I promise.”
Palani said, “I’ll box up all his things later today. Good thing it’s Sunday, so I don’t have to work. It’s not much, since his parents didn’t allow him to take anything other than his clothes and books, but it will help him feel more comfortable at your place, I think.”
“I’ll help,” Enar said. “I have a few patients this morning, but I’ll keep the second half of the day free.”
“Enar has a key to my house and knows the gate code,” Lidon said. “So have him drive you over to drop off Vieno’s things.”
“Gate code?” Palani asked. “How big a house do you have?”
Lidon grinned. He’d been right, Palani hadn’t checked his background. “Pretty big. It’s private, surrounded by a fence and the entrance is gated, so that might help you feel more safe?” he said to Vieno. “Plus, I have a nice pool…and a yard and shit.”
Palani’s mouth dropped open. “A pool? Just how much money do you have?”
“I’m…pretty well off.”
“He’s loaded,” Enar said with his mouth full. “Come on,” he added when Lidon shot him a dark gaze, “It’s not like they weren’t gonna find out. His parents passed away and left him the house and enough money to live comfortably.”
“Why are you a cop, then?” Vieno asked, his eyes still somewhat big.
“Because it’s what I love. Besides, what else would I do?
Sit around on my ass all day?” He didn’t realize how it could come across until Enar stilled. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” he offered lamely.
Vieno looked at him straight. “I work,” he said.
“You do?” Lidon hadn’t expected him to say that. It was a stunning testament to what Vieno had tried to argue earlier, about how little they knew about each other.
“I’m a virtual personal assistant for two authors,” Vieno said. “It’s not the best paying job in the world, but I’m good at it and it’s helped me contribute to our finances.”
Lidon deliberated how to formulate what he wanted to say. “If you want to, you could stop working…but if you’d like to continue, I’ll support you.”
Much to his surprise, Vieno got up from the table to hug him. “Thank you,” he whispered in Lidon’s ear. “And thank you for thinking about how to say this. Thank you for trying.”
Lidon kissed his cheek. “For trying not to be an alpha asshole, you mean?”
Vieno pulled back with a mischievous smile on his lips. “If the shoe fits…”
“You’ve got your work cut out for you with this one, Vieno,” Enar said, laughing. “But it was about damn time someone started working on him.”
“Oh, Vieno can…work on me any time,” Lidon said.
His heart did a funny little squeeze when Vieno blushed prettily in response.
15
Vieno thought his heart would burst out of his chest with how hard and fast it thumped in his chest. Fuck, he was about to step outside.
Three years.
It had been almost three years since he’d been outside. Rather pathetic, if you thought about it. He was grateful none of the three men had said a negative word about it. They’d been more focused on coming up with a plan that would work.
Enar had given Vieno two drugs to help him relax and had ensured him he could have more if he needed it. Vieno had no idea what he’d been given, but the stuff worked well and created a pleasurable detachment from reality. Like being awake and dreaming at the same time.
Vieno smelled like Lidon from afar with no detectable trace of his own scent, Enar had confirmed. That had been a huge relief, even though rationally, Vieno had known he’d be safe with two alphas and a beta to protect him.
Not that Palani would risk getting close to him again. That had been scary as fuck this morning. Vieno had been convinced Lidon would kick Palani out of his own apartment, but he’d shown admirable restraint—no doubt helped by Palani’s genuine regret and submission.
Vieno would never admit it, but it had been compelling to see Palani on his knees before Lidon. It had been all kinds of wrong, of course, but also hot as fuck. He’d almost expected Lidon to whip out that perfect cock of his and have Palani suck him off. God, that would be so hot…Wait, was that the real him thinking that or had the drugs he was on triggered some weird erotic fantasy? He shook his head, trying to clear it.
And now he was about to set foot outside to get married. He took another deep breath to steady himself. Three days ago, his biggest worry had been whether to ask Lidon to help him through his heat or not. Now, the man next to him would become his legal husband in an hour—a mere formality after the claim, but still a ginormous step.
At least he was dressed the part. He wore a dark blue suit Palani had bought for him only hours before, with a soft pink shirt and a bright blue and pink striped tie. He'd styled his hair perfectly, and he looked cute, if he did say so himself. Lidon looked breathtakingly sexy in a suit in the same color blue, only with a light blue shirt and the same tie. They matched perfectly, looking every inch the happy couple.
“Are you ready?” Lidon asked.
Vieno nodded, then reached for the front door to open it. The cool breeze on his skin as he opened the door gave him goosebumps, as did the chirping birds in the trees surrounding their building. His first steps outside were hesitant, as if he’d forgotten how to walk, three pairs of eyes watching his every move. He blinked against the sunlight, even the pale rays that forced themselves through the clouds hurting his eyes.
His hands shook, he realized, and he clenched them, fighting to keep his breathing under control. This was so much harder than he anticipated. He’d told himself he feared going outside because of how he smelled, but even the knowledge Lidon's scent concealed his own didn’t do a lick of good. Clearly, he’d been lying to himself all this time.
“You okay?” Lidon checked.
Vieno discovered he’d been standing still with his eyes closed, his fists clenched, and his face lifted toward the light. He opened his eyes and swallowed. “Yeah. No. Kinda. It’s…hard.”
He felt him step in behind him, the much bigger body dwarfing him. “I’m right here.”
Vieno leaned back, needing to sense the strength in his alpha. His alpha. It sunk in, deep into the core of his being. Lidon was his. This powerful, dominant man, practically a stranger, was now a part of him, just like he was a part of Lidon. They were merged, inextricably linked.
He waited for the panic to hit, but it didn’t. Instead, he experienced a quiet strength inside him, a calm peace of mind that he’d done the right thing. He was doing the right thing. Getting married, it was the best choice. Especially to this man. Everything Lidon had done so far had shown him to be honorable. The rest, Vieno would have to do in trust.
“Will you hold my hand?” he asked Lidon, his voice shaky. “And you have my permission to use whatever alpha powers you have on me to get me through today, okay?”
“Whatever you need.”
With small, hesitant steps he walked down the stairs, Lidon’s long, strong fingers laced through his.
He was surprised to find a limousine waiting for them. “Did you…” he asked Lidon, who shook his head.
“I did,” Palani mumbled. “It’s your wedding. You deserve a little festivity. Enar and I will follow in his car.”
Vieno’s eyes grew moist, but it was Lidon who answered. “Thank you.”
Lidon helped Vieno in first, then took his place beside him, never letting go of his hand. He didn’t stop shaking until the door was closed behind them and he breathed out, feeling safer in the enclosed space of the limo.
Lidon’s thumb stroked his hand in gentle circles, a constant reminder of his presence. Not that Vieno could forget—his whole body constantly aware of his mate sitting right next to him. It was funny how that alpha-claiming shit worked.
“No regrets?” Lidon asked after a few minutes.
Vieno shook his head. “No. You’re a good man, Lidon.”
They shared a quiet smile as they rode to the courthouse, their hands interlinked. Lidon exited first, never letting go of Vieno. Palani and Enar arrived almost at the same time and together, they walked inside.
“What the…” Palani uttered and then Vieno saw them. His father and mother. They were waiting inside, right next to his former fiancé. Vieno squeezed Lidon’s hand so hard it had to leave bruises, but Lidon didn’t even flinch.
“Your parents?” he guessed.
“And Aloysius,” Palani spat out.
Lidon put a hand on Palani’s shoulder. “Look at me,” he said, his voice low and authoritative. Palani shot Vieno’s parents a nasty look before focusing on Lidon. “Let me handle this. Can you do that?”
Enar stepped close as well, creating a small circle with the four of them. “Do not disrespect Lidon, Palani. His alpha will not accept it under these circumstances, not when his claim on Vieno will be challenged. You need to submit. We all do. And for fuck’s sake, do not touch Vieno.”
Palani nodded. “I understand and I promise I won’t say or do anything unless you ask me to. I know you have Vieno’s back.”
Lidon squeezed his shoulder, Vieno noted. “And yours too, don’t forget that.”
“This marriage is a scam and I will not allow it to proceed,” Aloysius said, his voice booming through the hallway, causing several people to look their way.
Lidon turned to
ward Vieno’s asshole ex, his arm protectively draped around Vieno. “Excuse me? And you are…?” His voice was ice cold, and Vieno couldn’t help but snuggle closer.
“Aloysius Baker. I have first claim on this omega.”
His parents stepped closer too. Vieno avoided looking them in the eye, instead focused on Lidon who gave Aloysius a once over. “Oh, you’re him. Right. By the way, his name is Vieno. He’s not ‘this omega’, he has a name. Vieno. Vieno Hayes, to be precise.”
“You’re not married yet,” Aloysius bit out, small droplets of spit flying from his lips.
Lidon met Vieno’s eyes. “Do you want to tell him, sweetheart? Or should I do the honors?”
A rush of pride swept through Vieno that Lidon trusted him to speak for himself, that he valued him enough to not assume he wanted Lidon to act on his behalf. “I’ll do it,” he said and was rewarded with a quick kiss on his lips.
He turned toward Aloysius and took a deep breath. “I’m his already. He alpha-claimed me.”
“You’re lying.” That was his father, his first words proving he hadn’t changed an iota. “He’s lying,” he repeated to Aloysius.
Vieno sighed dramatically, then loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt far enough so he could pull it over his shoulder. Lidon’s mark was clearly visible, the outline of his teeth the proof of his claim.
“That’s fake,” his father sputtered.
Aloysius reached out in what Vieno assumed was a move to touch him, but he never got that far. Lidon growled so loud, the hallway grew eerily quiet. “Do not touch my mate! I will not warn again.”
Aloysius took a step back, his face losing all color. “I… He can’t…” he stammered.
“What is going on here?” a stern voice interrupted them. A fifty-something bear of a man in police uniform stalked toward them, his face resembling a thunderstorm. Until he caught sight of Lidon, that was, and then he slowed down, his scowl disappearing. “Detective Hayes, is there a problem?”
The tiny nudge in Vieno’s back hinted that Lidon wanted him to speak up. “This alpha tried to touch me, sir,” he said. “Even though I’d shown him proof of Lidon’s alpha-claim on me.”