Chapter 2: Secret is saved with me, little Omega

Orion pov

I should have pushed him away.

I should have slapped his hand off, grabbed the suppressant, and run back into the crowd before anyone noticed the scent I was leaking. It was like a broken bottle of perfume spilling everywhere. But I didn’t move.

Not when his fingers brushed my jaw again.

Not when his scent wrapped around me like a velvet chain, tight and irresistible.

Not even when his lips lowered and I could feel his breath warm on my neck.

Was I scared?

No.

Worse.

It was something much deeper. It was need.

Primal. Stupid. Desperate.

My Omega instincts screamed for touch, for connection—especially with him.

And that was the scariest part of all.

Cassian’s voice was soft but dangerous.

“You don’t have to pretend anymore,” he whispered. “It’s written all over you.”

My fists clenched. My nails dug into my palms, trying to stay calm. Anything to stay grounded.

“I don’t know what you are talking about." I rasped.

He pulled back just a little, tilting his head as if I was a puzzle he’d already partly solved.

“You’re trembling,” he said quietly, voice even. “Your body doesn’t agree with your words.”

“I’m not your pet. let go of me.” I snapped, pushing at his chest.

But he didn’t budge.

God, he was so solid—like a wall made of iron, but warm too.

He looked at me for a moment, then spoke again.

“You’re right,” he said slowly. “You’re not a pet. But you are in heat. And if you don’t take your suppressant now…”

He finally stepped back, thank the moon, and picked up the injector again.

But instead of giving it to me, he held it out.

“Say please,” he demanded.

I blinked.

“What?”

His lips twitched. Not quite a smile. Not quite not.

“Say please,” he repeated. “If you want the suppressant.”

Anger filled my chest. It pushed past the fog of heat and scent clouding my mind.

“You think this is funny?” I hissed. “You think this is a game?”

“No,” he said calmly. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen the real you.”

I stared at him, breath ragged.

He was teasing me, playing with me—seeing how far he could push. Alphas like him thrived on control. On dominance. And right now, I was exposed. Weak. Vulnerable.

I hated it.

But more than that…

I hated how my body reacted to his touch.

I snatched the injector from his hand and turned away quickly, jamming the needle into my arm with trembling fingers. The cold rush of the suppressant shot through my veins like ice water. A few seconds later, relief washed over me—my heartbeat slowed, the heat faded, and my scent was pulled back into the cage I’d kept it in for years.

I closed my eyes. I took a deep breath.

When I opened them again, Cassian was still standing there.

Watching.

Waiting.

“Why?” I asked softly.

It came out smaller than I wanted. Too human. Too tired.

“ Why are you still standing here? Why not just expose me?”

Cassian leaned against the pedestal, folding his arms.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said. “Why is the heir to the Orion empire pretending to be a Beta when you’re not?”

My stomach twisted.

“You don’t know anything about me,” I said.

“No,” he agreed. “But I want to.”

There was something in his voice—something that made my skin crawl and my chest flutter at the same time. Interest. Curiosity. And maybe… something else.

“Whatever game you’re playing,” I said coldly, “stop it and go away.”

I turned to leave.

But he spoke again, voice low and firm.

“You’re wasting your life." he said behind me.

I froze.

He kept talking.

“You think you’re surviving, but all you’re doing is breathing while they cage you. You’ve let them control you.”

I turned back slowly. My eyes narrowed.

“You don’t know what I’ve been through,” I said.

“I know enough,” Cassian replied. “I know what it feels like to be raised for someone else’s purpose. To be shaped like a weapon, ready to be used for their plans.”

He stepped closer, but carefully—more like he was approaching a dangerous animal, not hunting me.

“I didn’t tell anyone,” he said. “I won’t. But I want to see what happens next.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

He paused, studying me.

“It means I’m not your enemy… yet,” he said. “But I’m not your friend either.”

He moved until he was nearly face to face with me. His gaze was unreadable now—calculated, but not cruel.

Then he leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

“Run if you want,” he whispered. “But listen: if I find you once, I can find you again.”

A shiver ran down my spine.

He stepped back, straightening his collar. His whole body shifted—regal, controlled, like the powerful Alpha prince he was.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at the negotiations,” he said, tone formal now. “Try not to faint again.”

And just like that, he vanished—disappearing into the corridor like smoke, leaving only silence and the faint scent of rain and danger behind.

I stared after him, every part of me trembling. I didn’t want anyone to see me like this—weak and vulnerable. I needed to hide my secret. I needed to stay calm.

Cassian knew what I was.

He knew my secret.

And strangely, that wasn’t the worst part.

The worst part was how my body reacted to his touch.