"Wait, don't hang up on me you brat." His father's irritated voice on the other end of the line drew Lucian from his thoughts.
"What is it now, dad?" Lucian didn't try to hide his tiredness from his voice.
"A friend of mine reached out. He has the perfect omega son and I think the two of you should go on a blind date." His dad's voice was positively diabolical and a part of Lucian knew that there was no way he was getting out of the arranged setup.
"Fine. I will go." Lucian didn't even bother to bargain and there was soft pause on the other end.
"Good. Treat your date well. I owe this friend a huge favor." His dad cautioned before hanging up and leaving Lucian staring blankly at his phone screen.
He hated blind dates now more than ever since he had found his mate.
Lucian had no time to pay anyone that was not Jace more attention than they deserved and he inwardly hoped his date wasn't the sensitive type to easily take offense to his indifference.
Once Jace was officially his, he could tell his father about them and put an end to all this madness.
The evening approached much faster than Lucian had hoped and he stood before the full length mirror in his room, examining the formal black suit he wore and making sure it was perfect before he headed out for his blind date.
The venue for the meeting was a luxurious restaurant and once Lucian was seated, he busied himself by looking at the menu since he was fifteen minutes earlier than his date.
Ten minutes later...
"Lucian." A deep yet soft voice that sounded familiar drew his attention from the small booklet in his hands and the subtle chocolate scent in the air had him surprised as he tore his eyes from the menu.
"Kyle?" Lucian couldn't keep the surprise from his voice as he looked at the man that was taking a seat opposite him.
"I am your blind date." Kyle masked the excitement in his voice as he tried to interpret the unfathomable expression in Lucian's ashen grey eyes.
The alpha didn't seem particularly happy to see him, something that sent a tiny arrow of disappointment through his heart.
"It's good to see you again, Kyle. How are you?" Lucian inquired politely as he briefly recalled their previous encounter.
"I am fine." Kyle smiled softly, his charming smile a lethal weapon he trusted to sway any living creature.
"That's good to know." The alpha replied.
Lucian didn't seem to notice his subtle seduction and Kyle reached for his wine glass, contemplating a more straightforward approach as he took a sip.
"Were you forced to come to this blind date?" The omega asked and Lucian grimaced slightly, giving away his response before he spoke.
"Is it that obvious?" He asked, his voice concerned and polite.
He didn't want to offend Kyle.
"Yeah, you look like you are ready to bolt." Kyle teased and Lucian's lips curled into a small smile, his cold grey eyes flickering with the tiniest hint of amusement.
"Were you forced to come as well?" Lucian asked, his guarded aura lightening a little.
Kyle couldn't really reply honestly and tell the alpha that he was the reason they were on a blind date in the first place.
He didn't want Lucian to perceive him as a desperate omega.
Shamelessly chasing after what he wanted was the way Kyle handled most of his affairs but until Lucian was comfortable enough around him, it was not a fact he was ready to expose.
"It doesn't really matter. We are here and we might as well have a good time. Are you interested in someone?" Kyle skillfully changed the topic, his sharp blues looking for the smallest sign of emotion on Lucian's fine and calm face.
Kyle valued his time and he wasn't about to go running after a man that had his attentions engaged elsewhere.
He needed to know that Lucian didn't have someone waiting on him.
The alpha was a little surprised at the straight forward question but he recovered quickly, slowly swirling his wine glass.
Lucian had no intention of taking a sip anytime soon as he took his time to study the man that was seated across from him.
The part of him that was calculative and always figuring out a way to get one step ahead was working twice as hard to understand the intentions of the omega that was watching him with refined precision.
If the omega was interested in him, then Lucian had no choice but to disappoint him since he clearly wasn't Jace.
"I have a mate." Lucian replied carefully, keen to notice the subtle change in Kyle's facial expression and body posture.
The omega was clearly disappointed judging from the way his bright blue eyes dulled a little and his straight shoulders dropped a few centimeters.
Lucian was impressed with how well he hid though but a part of him did not relish bluntly rejecting the omega.
The caring and human part of him felt bad for Kyle.
"If you have a mate, then why are you here on a blind date?" Kyle asked, truly curious even though his chest stung with disappointment and maybe hope.
A faint hope that he still had a chance of winning over Lucian's heart.
Lucian had seen the question coming but now that Kyle had voiced it, he had no idea on how to come up with an appropriate reply.
"I have just found him and....there are a few things that we still need to work on. My father also played an active roll in pushing me into attending blind dates." Lucian explained honestly, missing the faint sparkle of hope in Kyle's eyes as he talked to the waiter that had walked over to their table.
If Lucian had just found his mate and they were not so close yet, could he still manage to conquer the alpha's heart?
Could Lucian leave his mate and chose him?
Kyle dared to hope and he was beyond caring whether he looked like the villain in a budding love story.
He wanted Lucian and he was going to get him!