The instinct of an alpha is known to be strong, wild and domineering. In the Roveaven Empire, alphas preferred to fight on battlefields or serve in the cavalry because it was a way to give vent to their natural strength. Omegas, on the other hand, were forbidden to become knights, to avoid trouble with alphas. After all, you did not want to "put a beautiful prey in the monster's lair".
Once an alpha's instinct captures the pheromone of an omega, he feels attracted, almost compulsively. They often chase the omega of interest in a hunt that gives the alpha a false sense of power, making him believe he is in control. However, in reality, it is the omega who chooses his partner, marking him with a bite. All this persecution, is nothing more than a trap created by omegas who feel the same attraction.
These games of seduction often took place between single alfas, who dominated power and respect. Cadec had already gone through all this. Pheromones, drugged drinks, forced bite attempts to establish bonds. Many of these situations involved omegas genuinely interested, but there were also vipers, sent by enemies, eager to see him fall.
When he reached the age of twenty-five, Cadec simply stopped attending major events, except those in which Magnus or the Emperor insisted. For him, it was safer to stay away.
However, he now faced a new kind of problem.
His alpha instinct was thirsty for Eugene Grimwood.
It had all begun when, in the midst of the chaos of a rebel attack, Eugene's sweet floral scent invaded his senses. Since then, Cadec struggled daily to control his instincts.
"Argh!"
His body trembled, an intense heat taking over every fiber. Cadec bent over the bed, the sweat dripping and soaking the fine linen of his sleeping clothes. His hands were stuck in the sheets, in a battle against the urge to get lost in the need to possess the omega.
"Haaa!"
With a clumsy movement, Cadec fell out of bed, panting. The sound of his breath echoed through the empty room, as he tried desperately to crawl to the next table. He needed something, anything to keep him away from that suffocating feeling.
Reached for the jug of water and poured the icy liquid over his face, giving him temporary relief to stand up. Cadec forced himself to walk to the bathroom, where he threw himself into a bathtub full of cold water. The shock of the cold helped to calm his instincts, although his body continued to tremble, fighting against the fever that was boiling inside.
"That's... that's not good" he muttered, his voice hoarse from exhaustion.
The control that Cadec always kept seemed to be crumbling. It was almost as if he were becoming a wild beast, unable to contain the primal desire to possess that omega.
He remained in the bathtub, indifferent to the cold winter that ravaged the Empire. Long minutes passed before he felt his body begin to calm down. When he finally got out of the tub, wrapped in a towel, his muscular body was exposed to the cold air, still with the sweat mixing into the water.
It was then that the butler came in, impassive.
"Your Highness, the gift you ordered for young Grimwood has arrived. Would you like to check it before sending it?"
Cadec sighed, exhausted, and gave a sign of agreement. The maid went right behind the butler, bringing a silver tray. On it lay a velvet box containing a pair of cufflinks and a sapphire brooch. The prince watched the present for a few moments, trying to visualize Eugene using them.
For a brief second, his instinct stirred again, leading Cadec to take a step back, looking away from the piece.
"Wrap it up and send it along with the card I wrote. It's on my desk."
"Yes, Your Highness." The butler looked at the maid and silently dismissed her before turning to the prince "Would you like to have a tea before preparing for tonight's event?"
"I will work first" Cadec sighed, rubbing his forehead "Later I will go to the academy."
"As you wish."
As soon as the butler left, Cadec forced himself to drive away Eugene's thoughts. Needed to concentrate on work, use routine as a form of control. As long as Cadec was focused on his missions, he could suppress the growing desire that had plagued him since the hunting festival. Cadec forced himself to use his work as a way of venting the burning desire that has irritated him in the last days.
To his surprise, he could not escape his destination when the sun set hours later.
After getting ready for the event that night, Cadec went to his office where he found the letter from Eugene containing the invitation of his graduation, which would be a few hours. Rough fingers held the thin paper, rereading Eugene's beautiful handwriting. Just by standing on the paper, he could feel the floral pheromones.
His instinct went crazy in the last few nights. Thanks to Eugene's smell he could feel from that letter.
Raising it, he got lost as he approached his face and inhaled the floral scent. Cadec took a deep breath to fill his lungs with Eugene's pheromones, causing more and more shivers and fueling more and more of his alpha instinct.
His breathing accelerated. The simple touch of that invitation made his alpha instincts roar inside.
"Your Highness, the carriage is ready."
Cadec held the invitation for another second, hesitating. He did not know how he would face Eugene that night, but something inside him made him want to see the omega. Without saying a word, Cadec put the invitation in his jacket and went to the carriage.
During the whole trip, he remained motionless, staring at the cold winter landscape of Roveaven. He felt he was about to enter a new battle — but this time, the fight would not be with rebels or mercenaries. The fight would be with himself.
Cadec didn't want to be just another alpha hunter, he didn't want to be like the men he despised, a Moutuni. He needed to keep control. Needed to remember who Eugene was.
The younger brother of his best friend.
And above all, someone who deserved respect.
The trip to the academy was a real test of his patience. Cadec remained motionless, staring at the path, his hands closed on his lap as he tried to contain the storm that was stirring inside him. His thoughts were all centered on one person: Eugene.
How would he react to seeing you?
The prince knew he should keep his composure, but every minute of waiting only fed the desire that grew with each second.
The carriage stopped gently in front of the great hall of the academy, where the graduation ceremony would take place. The sound of the animated voices of students and guests invaded the environment as Cadec went down, adjusting his fraque while receiving curious looks.
It would not be necessary to announce his arrival, his presence alone was enough to announce himself. He was accompanied by imperial guards who soon spread around the perimeter without preventing the prince to enjoy the night alone. Cadec walked with firm steps, but his heart beat faster as he approached the doors of the main hall.
As soon as he entered the hall, his eyes scanned the room looking for a single person.
And then he saw it.
Eugene was in the center of the hall, surrounded by fellow grads. The young omega smiled, joking and exchanging words with his friends. His face was illuminated by the joy of the moment, a soft glow in the eyes, and its familiar sweet aroma filled the air around where he stood.
"Oh, I see you're here."
Looking quickly at Magnus, Cadec agreed.
"I assume I'm not late."
"No. But your brother is, and it irritates me" Grunt Magnus with an angry look.
"The temple is on the opposite side of the academy. It's natural to take more time. You don't need to get angry."
"Precisely why I warned that damned dove that I myself would seek my husband. But he is so annoying with these blessed security protocols."
Cadec let muffled laugh, accustomed to Magnus' bitter ways when things didn't go his way. The prince also greeted Jesse Shang and his wife, as well as other nobles he recognized. Having sometimes his unconscious betraying him and forcing him to check Eugene, who was still talking with friends.
However, Cadec felt his body stiff when he saw another boy, apparently the same age as Eugene, wrap him in a carefree and friendly hug. The two laughed as if they were old friends, and the boy did not seem to have any reservations about touching or teasing him.
A bitter and intense sting pierced Cadec's chest.
Jealousy.
A wave of possessiveness exploded inside him, so strong that it was necessary to clench his fists with force, trying to suppress the impulse to go there and tear Eugene from the arms of that guy. His alpha instinct roared within him to ward off any threat that came close to the omega he wanted to protect — and more than that, possess.
For a moment, Cadec stood still, motionless as a statue, while fighting against the primitive desire to act. He could not simply interfere. Maybe it was a friend of Eugene's, and this was clearly a joke. But even knowing that his body was burning with frustration. The sight of another man touching Eugene, laughing beside him, was enough to make his blood boil.
Cadec took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep control.
This is not how it should be.
But his eyes remained fixed on them, unable to look away. Every laugh of Eugene, every innocent touch he received from that boy seemed a blow to his self-control. Cadec knew that he needed to stay calm, but the possessiveness he felt for Eugene intensified every second.
Finally, Eugene turned towards him, and their eyes met. For a brief moment, the hall seemed silent, time almost stopping as Eugene's gaze fixed on de Cadec. The smile of the omega softened, turning into something more shy, more reserved. There was a surprise in his eyes, but also something more — something that Cadec could not ignore.
Eugene began to walk towards him, while his friend, apparently oblivious to what had just happened, continued to talk with his other colleagues.
Cadec took a deep breath again, trying to calm the storm in his chest. When Eugene approached, with that delicate smile and radiant eyes, the alpha knew that tonight would not be easy.
Controlling yourself near Eugene... was harder than he could ever imagine.