Page 27 of The Wolf's Prince
“Come sit,” she said. “Help me.”
Soren did as she said, taking the scraps and the seat next to her.
She seemed to be stitching something.
“Socks, she explained, showing him her progress on the tiny pair.
He smiled gently.
They were so cute.
At some point, he had thought about children. A little flock of them with a loving omega of his own. Now he wasn't sure if that would ever happen. He had hoped the bond would fade faster than it was. Instead, Soren only felt more agitated and frustrated the longer he and Nikolai were apart.
Mating was supposed to be an incredible experience. A blissful connection that could not be broken.
For a few hours, he had tasted that. He had felt the love and warmth and connection. Now he felt only emptiness and disappointment.
“How have you been feeling?” Anzu asked casually.
Soren shrugged.
“Fine.”
“It can't be easy, losing your mate—”
“It's fine,” Soren insisted, only cutting her off because he noticed the other omegas listening carefully. Eri was among them, on the opposite side of the fire, her lips pursed into a sour expression.
He sighed. They were already listening, so he may as well try to right this now. The time since his arrival home had been frustrating enough already. He wanted to end it. He wanted things to go back to how they were. He wanted to pretend that Nikolai did not exist out there, shunning him somewhere in a palace while Soren faced ridicule and disgust for giving him the most precious gift he possessed.
“It wasn't a true bond,” he said, just loudly enough for everyone to hear. “I can already feel it fading.”
He paused. Not used to lying, the fact that he was doing so now made the rest of what he wanted to say flee him.
“What were you even thinking?” Eri suddenly demanded. “There are plenty of suitable omegas here.”
Soren took a moment before meeting her hurt glare.
“You're right,” he said. “I was intoxicated, and the human seduced me. In my delirious state, I believed that we were fated mates.”
He laughed bitterly.
“That couldn't be further from the truth. I'm glad that he did not bite me and I'm relieved that those feelings are now fading.”
Soren wanted to go on, he wanted to further secure his previous position as a desirable alpha, one worthy of mating with, but he simply could not force another false word out.
Luckily, Eri said it for him.
“That is good news,” she said, and a smile lifted her lips and brightened her eyes, turning her back into the pretty girl that he knew her to be. “As soon as that near-bond mark fades from him, you will be free to pick a new omega. One worthy of you.”
Soren swallowed and nodded resolutely, but he simply could not bring himself to return her smile. He could not pretend to be hopeful. He could not pretend for another moment that he was not crushed.
“Excuse me,” he muttered, handing back Anzu’s supplies and pushing to his feet but before he could make it to his den and into bed where he could nurse his wounds, there was a great commotion.
CHAPTER6
SOREN
Soren ran.
