Understudy [ABO] [MxF] [18+]

N I N E

Elias couldn't stop thinking about that night, for better or worse.

It was like he didn't know whether it was the best thing he had ever done, or the absolute worst. In that moment, nothing had felt more right. Holding his mate in his arms, lips all over her, bare skin heating his, her scent filling his lungs, was more intoxicating than any substance he could ever take. It scared him to think of what he would have felt if his body had been entirely free of any suppressant hormones. He wasn't sure he would have been able to control himself, or let her go.

More than anything, he wondered if he would come to regret letting her go the way he did. Now that he had changed clinics, he knew the chances of running into her again were next to none. He had no reason to see her again. He didn't even have her number. He had very purposely not looked at it while he was packing his things up at the clinic, knowing that just once glance would burn it into his memory for him to use in a moment of weakness.

"Elias, were you even listening?"

His eyes snapped up to Atticus, who was swirling his drink with an eyebrow raised in that annoying way he had mastered. "Sorry, I zoned out for a minute. What were you saying?"

Atti sighed dramatically, "I said, mother tried to set me up with yet another mate because you keep refusing to meet any of them, and I need you to spare me for once and entertain her. I can't keep being dragged to these dumb match making meetings every other weekend! I have people to flirt with waiting for me."

"I keep telling you, and her, that I don't want a mate. If I did," Elias narrowed his eyes at Atti, who flinched a little, "you know I wouldn't have done what I did the other night."

"You choosing to reject her is not my problem," Atti snapped and poked his straw at Elias. "My problem is mother not giving me a break because she can't get to you. I'm asking you a favour as my older brother, just go to one of these stupid match making things and waste a few hours, reject the person, then enjoy the rest of your weekend looking at red blood cells or whatever it is you get off to."

Elias sighed and shook his head, "Atti, I'm sorry, but I just---"

"Just one! Please?" Atti pouted and batted his eyelids. "I'll bring you a midnight snack the next time you ask me, I promise."

"Fine," Elias shrugged, "on one condition. Other than the midnight snack."

"What?"

"You never tell our parents I rejected my mate. Ever."

"Why?"

"You know how they are," Elias grumbled. "Me being mated to an omega would be the perfect PR package for them. I can already see it now, 'Conte Family Warmly Welcomes Omega Daughter-In-Law' on every news article."

Atti chuckled, "Fine, fine, my lips are sealed. I wasn't gonna tell them anyway. So we have a deal?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Fantastic!" Atti grinned. "I'll get them to send her profile your way so you can suss her out beforehand. I haven't even looked at it yet."

"Don't bother, it won't make a difference anyway. I'll go to one stupid meeting and say no."

Atti shrugged and finished the last of his drink, "Suit yourself. Meeting is next Sunday."