『𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡』𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘪 𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘰

⁰¹

•••

[ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ ]
𝐍𝐎 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐏𝐇𝐀

•••

"I heard this one's English," Reo's friend, Yukimiya, said in his ear. He was standing a tad too close for it to be socially acceptable, but Reo was almost thankful. It gave the wrong impression, and that was precisely what he wanted in a room full of alphas. "Your dad must know of your preference for their soccer team."

"So what?" Reo almost laughed as he twirled a glass of wine in his hand, "Does he think we will make small talk about football?"

"He must be growing impatient by now. If you just got yourself a fake partner like I've told you before, maybe you'd be able to keep him off your back a little longer."

"But I don't want to," Reo held back an eye roll. Unfortunately, whenever he bumped into Yukimiya at a banquet, they always talked about this topic. Over, and over, and over again. "It's too much work."

"We both know that is not the real reason." Yukimiya smiled.

He was right. Of course, Reo refused to give anyone but Nagi a chance. Not that Nagi knew, because Reo doubted his best friend was interested in omegas or harbored feelings for him, though that was not the point. He only found one alpha interesting in the whole world and did not need to waste time and effort into wooing another for a mating mark he did not want, either.

His father never understood him. The Mikages were expecting an alpha, and maybe if they'd had one, they would let him be. But, instead, Reo was born an omega, and to maintain a certain image that guaranteed respect, he was meant to have a partner who would elevate his status.

His dad said he was the heir of a wealthy empire, so the number of suitors shouldn't intimidate him. And between all those options, he shall marry someone who was simply superior, for one could know much about an omega seeing the type of alpha they were married to.

Reo thought his dad wanted an alpha who would keep him on a tight leash. That was it.

"The name is Rosalie Brown, she comes from old money, but her family is starting to invest into new money, technology. You know, the kind of thing your family is good at," Yukimiya pointed out, looking at the English alpha talking with Reo's dad. She had long blonde hair and a beautiful dress with a brooch made of gold on the chest, and her scent was so strong she had made some heads turn when she first came in.

If she were a few years older, then maybe Reo would consider giving her the time of day, flirting a little to feel desired for a while. He always had a weakness for older women, after all.

She peeked at him from where she stood, and Reo's dad stared too. He was probably mentioning him to her, as he always did. Reo smiled politely nevertheless.

"And I'm supposed to come with the deal?" He whispered to Yukimiya.

The other man shrugged with a bit of a grin and sipped from his drink, entertained, "You're always so harsh with him. I won't be surprised if you give him a heart attack one day."

"Yet he never stops trying," Reo replied, scrunching his nose a bit in annoyance, "no matter how many I turn down, he keeps introducing me to alphas like this is The Bachelor."

"Again, if you just got yourself a girlfriend or something..."

"And have the poor actor or actress undergo a whole investigation for my dad to approve of them? No thanks," he tipped the glass against his lips, thinking. "You know how much that would cost? And dad could still say no."