Page 105 of Promised to the Alpha Prince

Dmitri wavered, looking into her wake, and then sat down on the springy floor of the nest, shaking his head.

Corentin started for the door.

“No,” said Dmitri. “Let her go.”

Corentin turned to look at him. “You don’t tell me what to do all the time, Mr. Prince Dude.”

“Your Highness is the proper way to address me,” said Dmitri. “Sit down.”

Corentin promptly sat down. “I did that because I wanted to,” he informed Dmitri.

Dmitri rolled his eyes. “If she didn’t want you here, I would escort you off the property personally, you understand that?”

“What did you guys do?” I said. I turned to Nikolai. “This is your fault. Why’d you bring him here?”

Nikolai shrugged, pulling a blanket up to cover his nude body. “He was going to end up in the middle of it sooner or later. I figured, why wait?”

“You upset the omega,” I said to Corentin.

“It was not my fault,” said Corentin.

“It wasn’t mine either,” said Dmitri. “It’s just the fact of life when you have a designation, that’s all. There are aspects of our lives and our personalities that aren’t in our control, and she doesn’t like it, and I don’t really like it either.”

“What things?” I said.

“Well, right before she ran off, we were sort of in a tussle about who she belongs to, I guess,” said Corentin. “And she said she didn’t want to belong to anyone.”

“Which is fair,” said Dmitri. “You think I want all this responsibility? All of you belonging to me?”

“I don’t belong to you,” I said to Dmitri.

“Me either,” said Corentin.

“Except all the evidence points to the fact that you do,” said Dmitri. “You respond to me, both of you. Corentin especially. I don’t think even Nikolai is as perfectly made to submit to me.”

Corentin glared at him. “I don’t have to submit to you.”

“That’s not even how it works,” I said to both of them.

They both gave me a look.

“I mean, it’s not,” I said, spreading my hands. “Nikolai dominates me, but he submits to you, Dmitri. I submit to Nikolai but with anyone else, I’m usually dominant. Submission and domination, they’re not a character trait, they’re an aspect of a relationship.” I considered. “Okay, maybe that’s not entirely accurate, but—”

“Nikolai dominates you?” said Dmitri softly.

“Well, yeah,” I said. “And it’s fucking hot as hell.”

“Let’s go to sleep,” said Nikolai with a yawn, pulling the covers over his head.

“No, talk to me about this Nik,” said Dmitri. “You never give me a hint of wanting to take charge when we’re together. Never even a hint.”

“No, see, this is what I’m trying to explain,” I said. “Except, I think maybe it is a character trait. We’re all alphas. We’re all naturally dominant. But it’s not a set thing, it’s not like we can’t submit. But the thing that makes me submissive is if—”

“If the other alpha is more dominant,” said Dmitri.

“If the other alpha needs to dominate more than I do,” I said. “Nik… he needs that, and I love him, and I give it to him because—”

“Wait, what?” interrupted Nikolai. “You’re just humoring me when I top you, Johannes?”

---