Ash blinked. stunned, his omega instincts tightening in his chest. A wave of confusion and unease rushed through him.
Adrian tilted his head slightly, voice calm. "Why are you overthinking? I mean...just lay beside you."
Ash snapped from his thoughts, realizing how far his mind had wandered. Heat crept to his face, and to cover his embarrassment, he muttered, "Why my bed? You've got your own."
Adrian fell silent for a moment, then quietly said, "Please. I promise I won't do anything to you." His eyes held a quiet plea, almost fragile.
Ash studied him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. After a pause, he sighed. "Okay. Only this night. But on one condition; our heads face opposite sides, different blankets...and you wear a t-shirt."
A small smile tugged at Adrian's lips. "Okay."
Adrian slipped inside, the faint scent of vanilla following him as he closed the door softly behind. Ash handed him a spare t-shirt, refusing to meet his eyes.
Once Adrian pulled it on, they climbed onto the bed in silence. Ash turned to face the wall, tugging his blanket up firmly, while Adrian lay down the opposite way, his head at the other end of the mattress as promised. Two separate blankets divided them like a barrier.
Yet even with their head turned away, Ash could feel the warmth of Adrian's presence on the same bed. His heart beat faster than it should, and he clenched the pillow as if it could steady him.
After a long silence, Ash finally spoke, voice low. "You've been sent a wedding suit."
Adrian's tone sharpened slightly. "By who?"
"Celeste," Ash replied. "It's...very prestigious, wealthy-looking. A beautiful suit; it beats the one you bought before."
"I know," Adrian cut him off simply.
Ash went quiet, his thoughts twisting bitterly. I knew you'd prefer Celeste's wedding suit over the one I chose...
Hours slipped by, the room sinking into silence again. But near midnight, Ash stirred awake. A faint glow shimmered across the room; Adrian, his body tense, face contorted as if in pain.
Ash pushed himself up, startled. "Adrian...?" he whispered.
Adrian's voice broke through the dark, strained and low. "Stop...it hurts..." Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, his body trembling against a steady shimmer of light that clung stubbornly to him, as if his whole being was caught in something beyond control.
Ash's worry pulled him out of hesitation. He slipped from his bed, reaching Adrian's side. "Adrian!" he called softly grabbing his hand. "Adrian, what's happening to you?"
The shimmer lingered, pulsing faintly, but Adrian's breathing began to steady. His body slowly eased from the worst of the pain, though sweat still ran down his temples.
Ash let out a shaky of relief sigh of relief, still confused. He shifted slightly, meaning to pull his hand back, but Adrian's grip only tightened, holding him there.
For a moment, Ash froze, caught between concern and the strange weight of the contact.
The shimmer gradually dimmed as Adrian's breathing slowed, leaving only the faint rise and fall of his chest. Ash sat beside him for a while, still holding his hand until the weight of exhaustion finally pulled him back to his own bed.
...
When Ash opened his eyes the next morning, the other side of the bed was empty. Adrian was nowhere in sight. The memory of the night rushed back; his pain, the strange glow, the tight grip that refused to let go.
What was that last night...? Ash thought, rubbing his forehead.
A sudden knock broke his daze came muffled through the door. "Don't run late. We'll leave within thirty minutes."
Ash froze, then remembered with a sigh. Right...today's Adrian's wedding. His chest tightened with an unwillingness he couldn't shake, but with no excuse to escape, he knew he had to go.
Dragging himself out of the bed, he glanced toward the corner of the room. Both parcels; the suit Celeste had sent and the one he had helped choose were gone.
He scratched his head lazily. Mmmh...he must have taken them.
...
Ash made his way downstairs where his mother and Adrian's father were clearly waiting. Adrian's father kept glancing at his watch, the impatient clear on his face.
Then, at last, Adrian's descended the staircase.
Ash's breath hitched before he even realized it. Adrian was dressed in the very suit he had chosen for him. The sharp lines, the way it fit him effortlessly, the calm authority in his stride; it caught Ash off guard. For a moment his omega instincts stirred, leaving him strangely entranced.
Why...why did he choose my suit over Celeste, the thought lingered, pressing heavily in his chest as he tried to look away.
Adrian's gaze swept briefly over Ash before he simply said, "Let's go."
Outside, a black convoy of sleek cars stood waiting, bodyguards already in position. Adrian's father and Ash's mother moved toward the first car.
Ash followed, but then his eyes widened; Bravin was standing there in the very suit Celeste had sent. For a second, Ash thought it was some kind of joke.
Adrian noticed his reaction and said calmly, "There was no need for it to go to a waste."
Ash's chest tightened, half in disbelief. What a damn excuse to get rid of it...Yet deep inside, he couldn't help the small rush of joy, Adrian had chosen his suit over Celeste's.
As Ash stepped toward another car, Adrian's hand guided him subtly toward the same one he was climbing into. Ash almost protested, but he knew there was no room for insistence.
In the car, Bravin adjusted his cuffs with a grin, "Thank you for the suit you bought for me, Alpha."
Ash couldn't help a laugh slipping out, but when Adrian's serious eyes turned toward him, he quickly straightened in his seat.
The convoy pulled up to the wedding venue, where a sea of cameras and microphones waited. Journalists crowded forward, voices rising as bodyguards pushed them back.
"Alpha Adrian has arrived!" someone whispered loudly among the crowd.
As the door opened for Adrian, Ash's eyes caught the glow of his phone left on the seat between them. A message from Lucien flashed across the screen:
I can't hold on, I'm suffocating.
Ash's eyes widened, but before he could react, Adrian was already stepping out, immediately surrounded.
"Alpha Adrian, today is your wedding day, what do you feel at this moment?" one journalists pressed.
Another voice followed quickly, "Will your marriage with Omega Celeste mark a new chapter for the Ironfang Enterprises and the Mega Company's future?"
Cameras flashed, questions flying as the bodyguards shielded Adrian and guided him inside.
...
Inside the grand hall, the Alphas, Betas, and Omegas had taken their seats, the air quiet with anticipation as everyone waited for Celeste's entrance. Adrian stood at the front, his posture calm to the crowd, but his eyes flickered restlessly.
He leaned slightly toward Bravin at his side. "Where is Ash?"
Bravin hesitated before replying, "He said he had to rush to Lucien's apartment...claimed Lucien was in danger and needed help."
Adrian froze. His chest tightened, his heartbeat thundering louder with every second. His Alpha instincts flared, anger rising like fire in his veins. His fists coiled, jaw tightening.
"Lucien..." he muttered under his breath. "He's in rut." The realization struck hard, sharp as a blade. His eyes darkened.
"Stupid Ash..." Adrian's voice dropped lower harsh with urgency. "He's the one in danger."
Without another word, Adrian turned on his heel, striding with sudden force. Gasps rose from the seated guests as the Alpha bolted past the entrance.
"I have to save him before he gets hurt!" he growled, pushing through the guards and storming out of the hall, leaving the wedding and its whispers behind.