The wedding of between Alpha Allen and Omega Julianna was in two months. Preparations were ongoing and the reality of his arranged marriage and the responsibilities to come began to dawn on Allen.
He sat on the couch in his sister's living room, sipping a cup of coffee and staring into the flames dancing in the fireplace. Thinking about his encounter with Omega Akira, he couldn't help but smile.
His sister Laurette, sat beside him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What's going, Allen?" she asked nudging him playfully. "You've been acting strange lately and now you're smiling which is something you don't do often."
"Nothing " he said. Allen was determined to not tell his sister about his encounter with Akira given her support concerning the arranged marriage.
"That's a big lie" she said, rolling her eyes at him. "You can tell me, I promise not to tell a soul." Allen hesitated, unsure of how to share his secret. But something about Laurette's kind eyes put him at ease.
"I met someone," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.
Laurette's eyes widened with excitement but in the flick of a moment, she suddenly looked concerned.
"Allen, I believe you know that you're about to get married in two months time and this marriage is very important to the pack" she said.
Allen's face fell at her statement, "I came here to spend time with you, and not for you to remind me of my problems " he said.
She looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorry. Why don't you tell me more about this someone."
Allen smiled, feeling a flutter in his chest
"Her name is Akira. She's an Omega of the Silver Mist pack, and...and I don't know, Laurette. There's just something's about her."
Laurette's face softened, her eyes filled with understanding and a bit of sadness. "I'm happy for you Allen," she said. "But... there's something you should know."
Allen's heart skipped a beat as he sensed a warning in Laurette's tone.
"If you're about to remind me of my duties to the pack, I don't want to hear any of it, you've said enough" he said, his voice laced with anger.
Laurette's eyes locked onto his. Her expression serious. "It's not that, Akira is already engaged, Allen. To Victor, the son to the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack."
Allen's world came crashing down around him. Engaged? Akira was engaged?
He felt like he'd been punched in the gut, his breath knocked out of him.
Still in a state of shock, he stood up in a bid to leave, "I need some fresh air, I'll speak to you later," he said to his sister and walked out of her room, heading to the garden.
Laurette sighed, feeling sorry for her brother and wishing there was something she could do to ease his troubled mind.
Ryker's mind reeled as he processed the news. He has been so caught up in his own feelings, he hadn't stopped to consider Akira's situation.
He thought back to their encounter, and his heart ached with disappointment but he knew he had to face reality. Akira was off-limits and he would have to find a way to move on.
A MONTH LATER
As the preparations for Alpha Allen and Omega Julianna's marriage was ongoing, the blackwood pack was also preparing for the marriage of the Alpha's son Victor to Akira, the Omega of the Silver mist pack.
The influential Blackwood pack had long-standing been allies with Akira's family, the Omegas of the esteemed Silver Mist pack. Akira's parents had arranged for her to be married to Alpha Victor Blackwood, the eldest son of the Alpha of the Blackwood pack, as a sign of their ongoing relationship.
Since they had been childhood friends, Akira and Victor's families had always believed that they would eventually get married. Akira's parents formally announced her engagement to Victor, who was ten years her senior, when she turned sixteen. There had never been a choice offered to her. In order to maintain the relationship between their families, her parents had always expected her to marry Victor in accordance with custom.
Growing up, Akira had been expected to follow tradition and marry Victor, securing the alliance between the families. Akira had grown up with the expectation of marrying Victor, but as she got older, she began to feel trapped by the engagement.
THE SPARK OF ATTRACTION
Victor, Akira's fiancé, arranges a high-society event where Allen and Akira reunite. Allen, who is a guest, is captivated by Akira's beauty and charisma right once, but he also knows that she has a commitment to someone else.
Akira and Allen happen to cross paths in the gardens later that evening. Feeling overburdened by the demands made of her, Akira has left the party to get some fresh air.
Sensing that Akira is there, Allen follows her to the garden. There is an unmistakable spark of attraction between Allen and Akira as they stand together in the moonlight. Allen is impressed by Akira's humor and intelligence after they exchange a few hesitant words. Akira,in turn is drawn to Allen's confidence and power.
Allen exchanges a forbidden look with Akira as they part ways. It is a moment of unadulterated connection that reveals a great deal about their mutual attraction. It is a dangerous moment, though, and if caught, it might have dire consequence.
As the marriage preparations progress over the following few weeks, Allen and Akira keep running into each other at social gatherings. Their attraction is just getting stronger every day as they trade sly looks and hushed remarks. When their forbidden love blossoms in the shadows, they eventually start slinking away from their responsibilities to meet in secret.