by Nora Phoenix
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 to a T, 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 goose bumps, 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 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, still holding on to 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 toward Aloysius, 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 not to 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 you 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.”
The cop’s eyes widened for a fraction before he got himself under control again. “Is that so?” he said, then turned toward Aloysius. “You have a death wish, son? Don’t you know better than to touch another man’s property?”
Vieno bristled on the inside at being called property, but he didn’t need Lidon’s calming hand to remind him now was not the time to bring that up. Even Palani managed to keep his face from reacting to that statement, though it probably pissed him off just as much.
“With all respect, officer, but there has to be some sort of scam,” Vieno’s father said. “I know for a fact that my son and this�
��this beta are lovers. This is a ruse my son has come up with to avoid marrying the alpha we chose for him.”
The cop’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so? Let’s verify the facts, then. What’s your name, omega, and who do you belong to?”
Vieno felt the alpha compulsion from the cop rolling through him. He knew Lidon could block it as his mate, but he allowed it, meaning he wanted Vieno to cooperate. “Vieno Hayes, sir. And I belong to Lidon Hayes. I’m his claimed mate, sir, and I have the mark to prove it.”
He pulled down his shirt again, showing his shoulder.
“I didn’t even need to see your mark. His smell is all over you. And who are you, beta?”
Palani didn’t miss a beat. “I’m Vieno’s friend, sir.” He left off his name, which was probably smart. If the cop recognized his unusual name, he’d be fucked. He wasn’t popular amongst cops.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Enar said, slinging an arm over his shoulder. “I’m Doctor Enar Magnusson. I’m a friend of Lidon’s. This beta is my boyfriend.”
Enar’s voice was uncharacteristically arrogant, as was his attitude and the patronizing way he treated Palani.
“Mind if I smell him?” the cop asked.
Vieno’s stomach rolled. There was no way Palani would pass that test. Would Enar somehow try to stop it? He had to, right?
“Not at all.”
Vieno bit back a gasp at those words. Palani was fucked now, wasn’t he? Then why was he so cool about it? Enar too. His response had been quick and decisive. Then it hit Vieno. They knew something he didn’t.
Enar nudged Palani forward, and he obediently took a step and allowed the cop to smell him. “Yeah, his smell is all over you. I smell no trace of the omega.”
They’d had sex. Palani and Enar had fucked. That was the only way the cop would smell Enar all over Palani. Vieno waited for the rush of jealousy to hit him, but it didn’t. Instead, there was only curiosity. How had he missed this? And more importantly, was it mere sex, or dared he hope for something more? More than anything, he wanted Palani to be happy. And the thought of his best friend and Enar together was appealing.
The cop turned toward Vieno’s father, his face tightening. “That’s a severe accusation to make about an alpha when all evidence points to the contrary. If I were you, I would walk away before either I or Detective Hayes decide to arrest you. That goes for you too, young alpha. You do not want to get involved in a pissing match, because you’ll lose. Go home and find yourself another omega.”
Palani sat on the hard, velvet chair in the first row of the wedding room in the town hall. Its official name was different, of course, being named after some dignitary he could never remember. But everyone called it the wedding room, for obvious reasons.
Enar sat next to him, so close their legs were a hair’s breath away from touching. And as he watched his best friend get married, all Palani could think about was whether he should move his leg a little so it would connect with Enar. Or even better, whether he should reach over and grab his hand. After all, they were pretending to be boyfriends, right?
It had been a bold move on Enar’s part, claiming Palani like that, but it had worked. They’d gotten lucky that he had still smelled like Enar, even though they never finished their…encounter. Fuck, he wasn’t even sure what to call it. It had been perfect, and it had been over as fast as it had started, all because of a stupid joke he’d made.
He hadn’t even realized what had happened till after Enar had walked out. At first, he’d thought the man had gotten pissed because Palani had insinuated he liked bottoming. Arguably, that was a stupid thing to say to an alpha, so he couldn’t have even faulted him for that. But then it had sunk in that with that spontaneous joke, he’d stumbled across the truth, and Enar hadn’t been quick enough to cover it up.
Enar liked bottoming. The sexy doctor who looked like a freaking cover model with his smooth chest, his strong muscles, and that mischievous smile liked bottoming. To say it had shocked Palani was an understatement. Not because he judged him for it, because hello, he was vers, like most betas—though some more by necessity than by choice—but more because it had been the last thing he’d expected.
For an alpha, bottoming constituted a big no. It could ruin your reputation and get you ostracized by friends and family if someone found out. All alpha fathers warned their sons about it: don’t ever get caught bottoming, because your life will be over. And here was this hot alpha, and he’d accidentally outed himself as being vers.
But who would Enar trusted enough to fuck him? Because that was a big risk to take. Then the answer came to him, and he almost gasped. It had to be Lidon. He was Enar’s best friend, and from what Palani understood, they’d grown up together. Enar trusted no one more, as evidenced by the fact that the cop also knew about Enar’s less-than-legal activities and had never ratted him out.
Lidon had topped Enar, which meant this marriage didn’t merely mean a breakup between him and Vieno. It also meant the end of Enar’s relationship with Lidon. Where would the man be able to find his pleasure now? Maybe Palani should offer his help? No, that was crazy. The chances of Enar ever wanting to do anything with him again were zero.
Hell, they’d barely spoken a word when they’d moved Vieno’s belongings into Lidon’s mansion the day before—and what the fuck was that about, that sprawling ranch the cop referred to as a “nice house”? Talk about an understatement. The guy was beyond loaded if he could afford that.
Enar had been polite and cooperative, but that was it. He’d clearly not been willing to talk about what had happened, and Palani had extended him the courtesy of not bringing it up. He owed the man that much after everything he had done for him and Vieno. But he did hope that they’d be able to become friends again in the future, if only because of Lidon and Vieno.
And because he kind of liked the doctor on a personal level. He was hot as fuck, but so was Lidon, though in a completely different way. Lidon was more serious, stricter, and a hell of a lot more dominant. Enar was laid back, relaxed, but still so fucking sexy.
Next to him, Enar moved his leg a fraction, and Palani held his breath, waiting to see what happened. That strong leg settled against his, and he let a slow breath fall from his lips. Maybe they weren’t quite as done as he'd feared.
The judge read the whole marriage document, a boring legal mumbo-jumbo Palani had heard dozens of times when attending weddings from friends, cousins, and coworkers. Lidon and Vieno stood in front of the judge, facing each other, waiting until the judge finished this formal part.
Palani studied Vieno. God, he looked so much better than a couple of months ago. The effects of that one heat with Lidon were staggering. And Palani was well aware he had Enar to thank for that. He’d known that Vieno had to hook up with an alpha and get knotted without a condom and he’d introduced them to Lidon. And look where it had led to.
Vieno looked happy; there was no denying it. He was happy with the alpha, Palani knew. Sure, they were still in the beginning stages of their relationship despite the alpha claiming and the marriage, but Palani saw they were a good match. Lidon wanted to take care of Vieno, and even if he was an alpha steamroller at times, he’d also shown he was open to suggestions…even corrections. No, he’d be good for Vieno, good to him.
And if what Enar had said was right, if somehow, on a deeper level, Lidon had recognized Vieno as his fated mate, even better. They were destined to fall in love, be happy together. Build a family. Everything he wanted for Vieno, and then some.
It meant freedom for Palani…if he could make good on his promise and manage to let Vieno go. His dangerous faux pas from the previous morning had shown it might be more challenging than he had counted on. It had been pure habit to bend over and kiss Vieno. They’d rarely kissed outside of Vieno’s heat—an unspoken mutual agreement to not make things more complicated than they already were. But they’d always greeted each other with a simple kiss on the mouth. That was a habit he needed to break before Lidon would t
ake serious offense and break it for him.
“Please extend each other the right hand,” the judge said, and Palani sat up straight, making sure his leg still brushed up against Enar’s. Then he felt his hand being taken and enveloped in a bigger, stronger hand, and he smiled. He squeezed and was rewarded with a soft squeeze back. They were okay, he and Enar. Thank fuck.
“Lidon Hayes, do you swear to honor and respect your claimed omega mate and to take care of him and any offspring you may produce with him the best way you can until the day you die?” the judge asked Lidon.
“I swear upon my life,” Lidon spoke with a strong voice.
“Vieno Kessler, do you swear to honor and respect your alpha mate and to obey and serve him the best way you can until the day you die?”
“I swear upon my life.” Vieno’s voice was softer but clearly audible.
“I have inspected and confirmed the alpha claim placed upon Vieno Kessler by his alpha mate, Lidon Hayes, and I have heard both parties swear to their union. By the power vested in me by our government, I declare this union to be legal and unbreakable for as long as you both shall live.”
Palani’s heart filled with unexpected joy as he watched Lidon place a soft kiss on Vieno’s lips. He felt no anger, no jealousy, only a deep relief that Vieno was safe and taken care of. In the end, that’s all he’d longed for, even if it wasn’t with him. He’d always known it wouldn’t be with him.
“You okay?” Enar asked softly, giving his hand another squeeze.
“Yeah,” Palani said. “I’m happy for him. For them.”
Enar studied him from aside for a second before leaned in and kissed him on his cheek. “You’re a good man, Palani.”
He let go of his hand because the judge had congratulated Lidon and Vieno and they were now headed their way. Palani waited while Enar gave Lidon a manly hug before bending over to kiss Vieno on his cheek. “Congratulations, little one. You did well with this one. Don’t get a heart attack when you see his house, okay?”
Vieno smiled. “Thank you. And thank you for your role in this.”