Fatal Attraction

Nikolai’s POV

I slammed my bedroom door so hard that the frame shook in response. My hands wouldn’t stop trembling. I pressed them flat against the wood, trying to steady myself, trying to understand what the hell had just happened.

That omega. That insignificant omega—arrgh!

I pushed away from the door and started pacing. Everything felt wrong and off and out of place. This was far from what I expected. That’s if I even expected anything.

For months, I’d been feeling this weird pull in my chest, like something invisible was tugging at me. It had started small, like a faint awareness I couldn’t shake. And then it got stronger until it drove me half mad. It had to be a mate bond. But that didn’t make sense.

I already had Leah. We’d been together for three years. She was very beautiful and strong. She was also Marcus, my Beta’s sister. And more so, she was exactly the kind of woman an Alpha was supposed to end up with. Everyone expected us to complete the bond soon.

But the pull I felt? It wasn’t for her.

At first, I ignored it. Told myself it was stress, exhaustion, and anything that felt like a reasonable excuse. But it kept getting worse. I could barely focus. My wolf wouldn’t stop prowling. Whoever it was, she was out there. And not knowing who she was was eating me alive.

Then tonight happened.

I had been at the gathering, talking with Marcus about some stupid border issue, and obviously not paying attention to anything else. Because of course, this was just another night of duties and fake smiles.

Then the wind shifted, and I caught that scent. My wolf froze as every nerve in my body went on high alert. I turned, scanning the room until my eyes fell on her. She was standing at the corner, obviously trying to stay hidden. Her dress was a bit shabby and her dark hair was barely adorned. Nothing about her screamed “special,” but that pull inside me tightened so hard I could barely breathe.

“Who’s that?” I’d asked Marcus.

He glanced over. “Her? That’s Celia…Hartwood, I think. She’s an omega.” My eyes bulged for a second.

“An omega?” I repeated.

“Yeah. And also an orphan Why?”

I didn’t answer. Because I couldn’t. My wolf was already clawing at me, desperate to get to her. But this didn’t even make any sense. The Moon Goddess wouldn’t tie an Alpha to an omega. That kind of pairing was impossible. It broke every law, every rule, and every bit of logic. Omegas were weak and very inconsequential. Nothing of them was Luna material. This had to be some kind of mistake.

But I needed to be sure. I needed proof. So I went to her. I watched her eyes widen like she couldn’t believe I was talking to her. I saw the shock in her eyes and could perceive the fear from her aura.

“What’s your name?” I’d asked.

“C-Celia,” she’d whispered.

And hearing it, actually hearing her say it, sent another sharp pull through my chest.

“Come with me,” I told her.

She had followed. Of course she did. What omega would say no to her Alpha?

In my quarters, I’d tried to stay calm, and rational. I had begun by asking her questions, as I studied her. But when my fingers brushed her jaw, she’d leaned into the touch like she’d been starving for it. And that broke something in me.

Before I knew it, I was kissing her. And she returned it with the same passion. Everything about her was soft, hesitant, desperate. It should have disgusted me. Should have reminded me who she was and who I was. But it didn’t. Instead I had my finger inside her and longed to have hers around me. And I only needed to guide her to take the cue. And when she did, I knew just then I had never felt anything better.

By the time I had her beneath me, my wolf was howling in satisfaction. It didn’t feel wrong. Instead it felt like something was finally falling into place. The way she moaned my name, the way her body moved with mine, the way she held me, none of it felt like a mistake. And it should have been terrifying but every other feeling was subdued by the uniqueness of this moment.

When it was over, she curled into my chest like she belonged there. And that was when another wave hit me that instant. The warmth vanished in seconds, and was replaced by emptiness and disgust. I shoved her away immediately. I suddenly felt the urgent need for space or air. Just anything to break from whatever had just happened.

She had queried my actions and with one look at her disgust filled my guts and I said it. Every cruel thing I could think of. I made sure she remembered she was nothing. I tossed coins at her feet and told her she was just a mistake. A very dirty one at that.

Now, sitting on the bed, I pressed my hands to my eyes, trying to quiet my mind. It was done. Finally I was able to prove this feeling wasn’t real. She meant nothing. Yet, I couldn’t deny the restlessness I felt in my soul. And just then, a knock came at the door.

“Come in,” I muttered.

Leah stepped inside, wearing one of her thin robes. Her blonde hair was loosened and she had it spilling around her shoulders.

“Hey,” she said softly, walking toward me. “You left early. Everything okay?”

“Fine.” I said nodding. “Just tired,”

She smiled and slid her hands up my chest. “Want me to help you relax?”

I knew that tone. It was all too familiar. Leah knew exactly how to handle me. I didn’t even have to think. Without waiting for a response, she kissed my neck, hands moving down to my belt. “Let me take care of you.” She whispered in that sinful tone that got me in a second, grabbing my middle man and stroking it in the way she knew how best to handle it. I waited for the usual spark. But shockingly, I felt nothing. This must be a joke. She equally pulled back slightly, wearing a frown. “Something wrong?”

“No,” I said quickly. “Just tired.”

“Then let me do the work,” she whispered, pushing me onto the bed, taking off my pants completely, and straddling my hips. She started moving, trying to coax a reaction. Still nothing. What the hell was wrong with me? Was it because I had just had sex? Hell no!

She kissed me, and I kissed back, desperate to make it work. And just then, and I swear I didn’t even mean to, Celia popped in my imagination. Her voice and the way she had called my name, rang subconsciously in my ears. And instantly, my body reacted.

“There we go,” Leah whispered, pleased, increasing the pace of her movement against me. I shut my eyes and tried to focus on Leah. But every time I did, I felt the spark dying. The only thing that kept it going was thinking about her. And so to make this work, I took Leah out of the picture and replaced her with Celia. And my body gave in to that imagination. My mouth Leah’s breasts but imagined running my tongue on Celia’s while she moved. Leah’s moans filled the room yet I kept hearing Celia screaming my name. I pulled Leah closer to me, groaning deeply while imagining Celia body beneath me and thrusting into her and coming.

When it was over, Leah collapsed against my chest, satisfied. “That was amazing,” she said sleepily. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” I murmured automatically, staring at the ceiling. She fell asleep in minutes. But I couldn’t. I just laid there, replaying everything in my head and hoping that this was some fucking dream I would wake out of the next day.

When the sun came up, Leah was still asleep. I got dressed quietly. But somewhere in the back of my mind, a thought had been forming. The pull between Celia and me, might not be a bond, but it was still something. And I could use that.

Keeping her close would make it easier. Plenty of Alphas had omegas as concubines. Leah would still be my Luna. It made sense. So I went back to the quarters where I’d left her. The halls were still quiet.

But when I had finally opened the door, I paused and squinted as I saw the bed was empty. I then stepped inside slowly, scanning the room. The sheets were messy. Her scent was still faintly lingering. Even the coins I’d thrown were still there, scattered across the floor. But she was completely gone. Immediately, rage hit me.

How dare she leave? I didn’t tell her she could. She didn’t have the right. She was nothing. An omega didn’t get to walk away from her Alpha. I stormed out in fury and found Marcus down the hall.

“Alpha?” He stood straighter instantly, reading my mood. “What’s wrong?”

“The omega from last night—Celia Hartwood. She’s gone.”

“Gone?” He blinked.

“Find her,” I snapped. “Every tracker, every scout. I want her found now.”

“Yes, Alpha. But… may I ask—”

“Because I said so!” I roared. “She doesn’t get to walk away from me like I’m nothing.”

Marcus swallowed hard. “Understood. We’ll find her.”

“You’d better,” I growled, my hands curling into fists. “And when we do, she’s going to learn what happens when someone defies their Alpha.”