Page 43 of The Feisty Omega

I shouldn’t have had anything to worry about, and yet she looked so confident…

“You are 19 now,” she began, “Arrangements have been made between ourselves and Alpha Moray’s family. Arrangements that we believe will be beneficial to both families.”

“I…”

She silenced me with an upheld palm, even as I opened my mouth to speak.

“You and Marius are to be formally mated, thus joining our two families. It’s an arrangement that will be highly beneficial, since the Morays, like ourselves, are also one of the founding families. In addition, as you know, Alpha Moray presides over the Council. It’s a good match. You should be very grateful for the opportunity.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I exploded, the thud of my feet as I leapt to my feet deadened by the plush carpet, the sound as small and inconsequential as any consideration my parents might have had for my feelings on this matter.

“Not at all,” she snapped back. “It’s highly beneficial to both families, and it’s your duty to comply. That’s what you were bred for, after all.”

If she’d slapped me across the face, I couldn’t have been more shocked. I was… a commodity, a pawn to be played when it suited my parent’s political objectives.

But… I wasn’t a pushover, even if I was an omega. She hardly knew me if she thought I would agree to this.

“I won’t do it,” I told her, barely keeping the quiver of fury out of my voice, “I don’t even like Marius.”

“That’s hardly relevant. He’s here now with his father and the mating will take place shortly.”

I frowned. It wasn’t possible, and she must know that. Perhaps she’d forgotten the rules in her enthusiasm to make this match and secure political gain. Goddess knew, politics blinded people.

“I’m not having anything to do with this,” I insisted. “This is ridiculous. I’m obviously not mating now, and when I do it will be to an alpha ofmychoosing.”

I could feel the heat in my cheeks. I was angry and outraged, but there was a little frisson of fear underlaying it all, which I was careful not to acknowledge, lest my mother caught the scent of it. Standing up to an alpha was always dangerous.

“How dare you! Such insolence! You are an omega, and if your Alphas tell you to do something, that’s precisely what you will do!”

“I’ve already promised myself to an alpha,” I told her, crossing my arms defiantly over my chest.

“If you mean that boy you’ve been hanging around at the Morays' pack,” she began, eyes glittering dangerously, “I don’t care what you’ve said to him. We’ve tolerated your friendship with him long enough. His family aren’t even on the Council! It’s now time to fulfil your obligations tothisfamily.”

I bristled at her dismissive tone. Talius was a very fine alpha, the perfect blend of fierce and gentle, with modern attitudes

regarding omegas as well. As far as I was concerned, he was the only alpha I was interested in.

But in any case, I was still too young for a formal mating, although apparently my mother had forgotten this.

“You’ll do what you’re told.” Her tone was final.

Chapter 18

IRIAN

“You can’t force me,” I said, playing my trump card. “I’m under-age. It’s illegal.”

Her lips curved smugly. It was the smile of someone who thought they were exceptionally clever and had just been gifted an excuse to show it.

“And that’s where you’re wrong. We have a special permit from the Council.”

“I- I don’t believe you,” I stammered. My heart pounded against my ribcage, so hard it almost hurt. Surely this wasn’t possible. I’d never heard of such a thing.

I stared, open-mouthed, as she took the couple of steps towards the desk and pulled out a sheet of parchment from the drawer, laying it on the desktop with a triumphant flourish.

I edged closer, peering at the document from a distance, as if that would make it less likely to be real. It didn’t help. There was no mistaking the official seal of the Council at the top of the white parchment. It took just a minute to read the contents. I blinked, unable to speak. I felt a constriction in my chest, like a fist slowly tightening. They were squeezing the life out of me. How could they do this to me?

The document read:

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