After the marking ritual, the marked couple could easily sense each other's mental state. And the Omega who is in a bad mood can only be comforted by its own Alpha/ Luna and no one else can comfort the Omega.
Before living together, Lukas had already asked about Stella's life and he knew that she had an Alpha boyfriend. If it weren't for his accidental appearance, maybe Stella and his boyfriend would have been happily preparing for their wedding now. But Stella doesn't seem to have a chance to make up for it.
Not only was Lukas aware of this little Omega's resentment towards him, but she was also vigilant at all times and always repels his approach. Even when her mood is sluggish due to a lack of him comforting her, she stubbornly wants to fight his instincts.
Lukas could easily his Alpha attribute to stop Stella's wasted effort in avoiding him but he didn't do it, maybe he thought it was a good opportunity to let this Omega vent or maybe he just wanted to know what her hard work could achieve but no matter what, such indulgence was definitely not because of love.
After standing in the living room for a while, Lukas turned around and went back to his room.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Whenever Lukas left, I found myself waking up at the same time.
The instinctive bond between us ran deeper than I had ever imagined, and I had never resented our relationship more than I did in that moment.
After finally making it through the week, I forced myself to sleep for a while before getting up on Saturday.
Despite the mental turmoil I was putting myself through, I refused to be lazy or passive. I often exercised to keep my body fit. In the past, Jake and I would hit the gym together every weekend, but those days felt like a distant memory now. Even though it had been a month since our breakup, thoughts of the past still brought a wave of sadness crashing over me.
Jake and I were high school sweethearts, our relationship spanning eight years. We had weathered all kinds of hardships, from long-distance love to secret romances, and finally to a steadfast commitment to each other. Everyone around us supported our relationship, even blessing us, with many expecting that we would grow old together. How ridiculous that now seemed. I shook my head and smiled bitterly at the thought. I had been in a deep depression for far too long, and I knew it was time to change my mood.
I changed into light clothing and decided to take a walk. Since moving in with Lukas in this upscale residential area, I hadn't ventured outside except for work or commuting. The security here was strict, but just outside the residential complex was a bustling shopping street with convenient amenities.
As I wandered aimlessly, I stumbled upon a supermarket around the corner. After weeks of eating fast food, I was craving something homemade. While contemplating which ingredients to buy, I suddenly spotted a familiar figure walking by just ahead of the supermarket.
For a moment, my mind went blank, and my body instinctively chased after him. I didn't care about anything else; I just wanted to see him from afar, and that would be enough for me.
Suddenly, memories flooded back to when Jake and I were separated during college. As we prepared to enter the real world, we each had our own thoughts and desires for freedom, which led to many conflicts. We often quarreled, both over the phone and in person. Our arguments were usually over trivial matters, and it was rare for us to find time to meet and apologize.
We were so familiar with each other that our words sometimes turned harsh. Although Jake was always the gentle one, even he couldn't avoid the frequent quarrels that eventually escalated. After one particularly big fight, we entered a cold war that lasted nearly a month. In the end, it was I who ran to find Jake and apologize first.
The moment I saw Jake, all my contradictions faded away, and I laughed with genuine happiness. This moment felt so reminiscent of the past. I ran like a madwoman, anxious that the person I had been searching for would disappear in the blink of an eye. My frantic appearance startled the passersby, who quickly made way for me.
Finally, I spotted his back and reached out, grabbing the corner of his shirt. "Hah... Hah... J-Jake...!" I called out eagerly, breathless from my sprint.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Jake frowned as soon as he got home, and instead of heading straight to his room as usual, he knocked on Stella's door.
When I heard the knock, I lifted my head and sniffed the air, catching a whiff of Lukas' scent. I immediately scowled. After a moment of hesitation, I finally opened the door.
Lukas was leaning against the wall, frowning at me. This was the first time we had looked each other directly in the eye since moving in together.
I couldn't bear to hold his gaze, feeling as if I had done something wrong, so I quickly looked away. "What do you want from me?"
Lukas clearly wasn't pleased by my tone. "What did you do earlier?"
"I just went for a walk," I replied.
"Is simply walking around made you so happy and excited?" Lukas' gaze intensified. "Who did you meet?"
"Why do you care?" I shot back, though unease crept into my voice.
"Just tell me," Lukas insisted.
"...J-Jake..." I admitted.
Lukas sighed, but he released his dominant aura and the pressure in the air grew heavier. I could feel cold sweat trickling down my back, yet I wasn't finished. "You... can't do this... You already... destroyed us... Don't stop me... from having a chance... to see him..."
"I didn't say that," Lukas replied.
I gritted my teeth. "But... that's what you're... planning to do... right?"
Lukas fell silent, and in this case, silence spoke volumes.
I glared at him, my voice rising in anger. "You have... no right! To stop us... from meeting...!"
"Then what do you want me to do?" Lukas suppressed his anger. "What? Do you want me to let my mate go back to other men? Is that what you want?" His tone was laced with helplessness.
I fell silent for a moment, grappling with my thoughts.
"Although I forced you into this situation, I am willing to marry you. I've given you enough time to adjust, so can you please stop thinking about others?"
I shook my head slowly. "You don't understand... You don't understand at all..."
"That's right, I don't understand at all," Lukas admitted.
I looked at him, confused.
"I've never been in love, not even once, but I vowed to take responsibility and I can't allow you to do anything immoral," Lukas said firmly.
I remained silent, unable to find the words to respond.
"Let's say you got back together with that guy," Lukas said. "He's an alpha too, right? He knows better than I do what marking you would do to you physically and mentally."
I opened my mouth to interject, but he cut me off, glaring at me. "Even if you're willing, do you really think he would let you take that risk?"
"Enough!" I shouted, swaying slightly as I leaned against the door. "Don't talk to me anymore..."
Lukas stared at me for a moment, then suddenly realized that I wasn't in a good state. "You've lost a lot of weight..." he frowned.
"Leave me alone..." My voice was barely audible.
"How can I ignore you, since you moved here, you've always been wary of me..." Lukas suddenly stopped suppressing me with his aura and said in a softer tone. "It's my fault..."
I caught a whiff of something different in the air—he was releasing his pheromones. My body shivered as warmth spread through me. "W-What did you just do...?" I asked in horror.
"I'm sorry but I'll have to use a little more forceful means," Lukas said in a gentle.
"You fuck—" The words caught in my throat as he swooped in and kissed me on the lips.
In the next moment, I found myself pressed against the bed, and Lukas was kissing me deeply. I couldn't resist his kiss at all; I felt dizzy. Being kissed by my mate was both comfortable and exhilarating, and I couldn't help but want to open my mouth more to meet his. Although I craved him physically, my mind screamed at me to push him away. I had just said goodbye to my old lover and now I was in bed with someone else. Yet, I felt powerless against the pull of this mate bond.
Lukas, aware of my internal struggle, released more of his pheromones. The tip of his tongue brushed against my tightly closed lips, coaxing me to slowly open my mouth. I moaned softly, and that nearly shattered his control, urging him to ravage me. But he knew I was still trying to resist the rising tide of love and desire within me.
"Relax... Don't refuse me," Lukas said, taking the opportunity to hold her lips, licking and biting them gently.
"Umm..." I groaned, still stubbornly resisting. My mind and body were at war, and it was tormenting. "D-Don't..."
Lukas had no choice but to coax me in another way. "It's not your fault; I forced you."