The Wedding Night Rules

Ethan’s back sank into the cool black silk sheets, his white wedding suit stark against the dark fabric. Lucas hovered above him like a predator that had finally cornered its prey. The Alpha’s scent was everywhere, thick, intoxicating, and impossible to resist. It wrapped around Ethan’s senses, making his gland throb painfully at the back of his neck.

“Lucas… wait,” Ethan breathed, pressing both hands against his solid chest. The muscle beneath his palms was hard and warm, radiating power.

Lucas paused, one knee braced on the bed between Ethan’s legs. His stare gleamed with restrained hunger as he studied the smaller man beneath him. “You’re trembling,” he observed,quietly . “But your body heat tells a different story, little substitute.”

Ethan bit his lower lip hard. His body was reacting on instinct, warmth pooling low in his abdomen despite the fear knotting in his chest. This was exactly what he had been warned about.Alphas like Lucas, the kind who could unravel an Omega’s instinct without even trying.

“I’m not ready,” Ethan said firmly, trying to keep his voice steady. “The contract is clear. No forced intimacy.”

Lucas’s lips curved into a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. He lowered himself slightly, caging Ethan with his arms without putting his full weight down. “I don’t need force, Ethan. Your body is already singing for me.” His fingers returned to the first button of Ethan’s white suit jacket, popping it open slowly. Then the second. “But I’m not an animal. I won’t take what isn’t offered… yet.”

His breath ghosted over Ethan’s exposed collarbone. Ethan shivered violently, a soft involuntary sound escaping his throat. Lucas went still at the noise.

“You smell like honey and fresh snow,” Lucas murmured, almost to himself. “ No wonder your family hid you away and sent your brother instead.” He leaned down and pressed his lips lightly against the sensitive skin just below Ethan’s ear , not a bite, not a mark, but a deliberate taste.

Ethan’s hands fisted in Lucas’s shirt. Heat was spreading through him faster now, a warning sign that his body might enter a stress-induced mini-heat if this continued. “Stop playing games,” he whispered. “You know this marriage is fake. One year. Public performances only.”

Lucas pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. For a moment, something unreadable flickered across his cold face. “Public performances start tomorrow. Tonight is about setting boundaries.” He sat up, still straddling Ethan’s hips, and shrugged off his own black suit jacket. The movement revealed the powerful lines of his shoulders and arms through the thin dress shirt.

“Rule number one,” Lucas continued, voice commanding. “In this penthouse, you sleep in my bed. No separate rooms. I need your scent on the sheets so my instincts stay calm around you.”

Ethan’s eyes widened. “That wasn’t in the contract…”

“I amended it mentally the moment I smelled you,” Lucas cut in. His fingers traced down Ethan’s chest, opening more buttons until the white shirt parted to reveal smooth, pale skin. “Rule number two: You will attend every public event with me as my devoted Omega. You will smile. You will let me touch you. And when rivals test us, you will bare your neck like you belong to me.”

Ethan’s breath hitched.Lucas’s presence grew heavier, crowding every thought from Ethan’s mind.“And if I refuse?”

Lucas’s hand slid down to rest possessively over Evan’s flat stomach. “Then I’ll make sure your family’s debts crush them before sunrise. But I don’t think you’ll refuse, Ethan. You’re smarter than your brother.”

The words stung with truth. Ethan had agreed to this substitution partly to protect what remained of his family, and partly because he had his own quiet plans. He couldn’t afford to anger Lucas Sebastian this early.

A sudden sharp cramp twisted in Ethan’s lower belly. He gasped, curling slightly. The stress was triggering the beginning of a heat wave, earlier and stronger than he had expected.

Lucas noticed immediately. His expression shifted from teasing dominance to something sharper, more focused. “Shit. You’re sensitive.”Lucas dragged a hand through his hair, jaw tight like he was irritated with himself for losing focus.He moved off Ethan and strode to the bedside table, returning with a suppressant injector and a glass of water. “How long have you been suppressing?”

“Three years,” Ethan admitted through clenched teeth, accepting the water. The cramp eased slightly as Lucas rolled up his sleeve and administered the suppressant with professional care.

“Idiot,” Lucas muttered, but there was no real anger in it. He tossed the injector aside and pulled Ethan into a sitting position, helping him out of the open suit jacket. “From now on, no more hiding your cycles. I won’t have you damaging yourself under my roof.”

Ethan leaned against the headboard, cheeks flushed. The suppressant was already working, but the residual heat left him feeling vulnerable and overly aware of Lucas’s every movement. Lucas disappeared into the massive walk-in closet and returned with a soft black silk sleep shirt.

“Change,” Lucas ordered, turning his back to give a semblance of privacy.

Ethan quickly swapped the formal white shirt for the silk one. It smelled strongly of Lucas. When he finished, Lucas turned around and studied him with hooded eyes.

“Better,” he said. Without warning, he scooped Ethan up again and carried him to the bed, tucking them both under the covers. Lucas pulled Ethan flush against his chest, one strong arm locked around his waist.

“Sleep,” he commanded, lips brushing the top of Ethan’s head. “Tomorrow we have our first public appearance as a married couple. A charity gala. You’ll need your strength.”

Ethan lay stiffly in his embrace. Lucas’s heartbeat was steady against his ear, but the firm grip around his waist never loosened. The combined scents in the bed made Ethan’s head spin,safety and danger all at once.

Just as Ethan’s eyes began to drift shut, Lucas’s low voice broke the silence again.

“One more thing, little substitute,If another Alpha so much as looks at you with interest tomorrow… I might not be able to control myself.”

Ethan’s eyes snapped open. He tried to pull back to see Lucas’s expression, but the arm around him tightened.

“Lucas… what do you mean?”

Lucas’s chuckle was low and amused. “Means the one-year contract might become permanent a lot sooner than you planned.”

A sharp knock suddenly sounded on the penthouse door. Lucas’s body tensed instantly. His phone, discarded earlier, lit up with multiple urgent messages.

“Mr. Sebastian ” a voice called from outside ,one of his trusted assistants. “Emergency! The Cannon family just tried to wire money out of the country using the alliance funds. And… There's a video. Kevin is livestreaming from abroad, claiming the marriage is invalid because his brother is a defective Omega.”

The air in the room turned icy with Lucas’s rage.

Ethan’s blood ran cold.

Lucas sat up, eyes glowing with dangerous Alpha fury as he looked down at Ethan.

“Care to explain, wife?” he asked, voice frighteningly calm. “Or should I handle your family my way?”