ADAM'S POV

The Alpha's bedroom was huge. I mean, ridiculously huge. I could probably fit my entire bedroom back home into one corner of this room and still have enough space to move around without bumping into anything. There was a massive bed in the middle, a sitting area near the windows, a walk in closet that looked bigger than my room, and a door that I assumed led to the bathroom. Everything looked expensive, from the furniture to the curtains, and I couldn't help wondering how much money one person actually needed to live like this.

Not that I had time to admire any of it.

I was too busy worrying about the fact that I was now married to Alpha Xaden Blackwood, and we were expected to share this room as husband and wife.

I had tried asking for another room earlier, but I couldn't exactly insist on it with the maids standing there. Imagine the look on everyone's faces if I refused to share a bedroom with my own husband on our wedding day. That would have been suspicious, and I couldn't afford to give anyone a reason to question me. So I had smiled, kept my mouth shut, and followed them into this room like a good little bride.

Now that I was finally alone, I had absolutely no idea what to do.

My suitcases were sitting beside the wardrobe, and I stared at them as though they might magically give me some answers. Everything inside belonged to Aurelia. The dresses, the nightgowns, the underwear, even the shoes. My mother had packed everything she thought her daughter would need.

For as long as I had to pretend to be Aurelia, I would have to wear these ridiculous dresses, keep the fake breasts strapped to my chest, and use the scent blockers. I couldn't even imagine how exhausting it would be to keep up the act every single day, especially when I was sharing a bedroom with an Alpha who could probably smell the difference between a wolf and a rabbit from miles away.

What if Xaden noticed that something about me didn't add up? What if he wanted to take a bath with me or decided he wanted to see his wife without all these clothes? How was I supposed to explain why my body didn't look the way he expected it to or why I had a dick instead of a vagina.

I groaned and covered my face with both hands.

"Adam, think," I whispered to myself. "Just think."

The only thing I could come up with was to act shy. I would pretend to be the kind of woman who blushed whenever her husband came too close, and hopefully, he would leave me alone long enough . It wasn't much of a plan, but it was better than standing here waiting for my life to fall apart.

I glanced at the wedding dress I was still wearing and immediately decided that I couldn't spend another minute in it. The corset had been squeezing my ribs all day, and I was pretty sure I would have bruises by morning. Besides, I didn't want Xaden coming back and watching me struggle with all those buttons while I tried to remember how a woman was supposed to behave.

I opened one of the suitcases and searched through the clothes until I found a simple flared dress. It looked comfortable enough, so I placed it on the bed and began removing my wedding gown. By the time I finally got the corset off, I could breathe properly again.

"Oh, thank God," I muttered, rubbing my sore ribs.

I quickly changed into the dress, then turned towards the mirror to check my appearance. The blonde wig was still sitting on the dressing table, and without it, my short black hair made me look more like myself. I couldn't wear it all the time, though. I would have to put it back on before Xaden returned.

Then I noticed something wrong with my chest.

One of the fake breasts was sitting higher than the other, making the dress look uneven. I frowned at my reflection and tried adjusting the fabric, but it only made things worse.

"Seriously? Now?"

I checked the door before lifting the dress slightly to fix the straps. The stupid things had shifted when I changed, and I couldn't leave them like that. I loosened the strap on one side, carefully removed the fake breast, and tried to reposition everything properly.

I was so focused on the task that I didn't hear the door open.

"Are you getting comfortable?"

My whole body went stiff.

I turned towards the sound so quickly that the fake breast slipped out of my hand and landed on the floor.

For a moment, I couldn't even breathe.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God!

I snatched the flared part of my dress and pulled it down, covering the fallen object beneath the fabric. Then I turned my back to the door, hoping Xaden hadn't seen anything. My heart was beating so hard that I could practically feel it in my throat, and I was suddenly very aware that I was standing in the middle of his bedroom with one fake breast missing.

Of all the times for him to walk in.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No!" I answered too quickly.

There was a brief silence, and I silently begged him not to come any closer. I could already imagine him looking down and asking why I was behaving like someone who had just committed a crime. Which, technically, I had.

"I know we just got married," Xaden said, sounding amused, "but you can't even turn around to look at me?"

I swallowed and tried to calm my breathing.

"I'm sorry," I said, lowering my voice. "I'm just shy."

"You're shy?"

"Yes."

I hoped that would be enough to convince him, but apparently, the Moon Goddess had decided that I hadn't suffered enough for one day because I heard his footsteps approaching.

I wanted to run.

Unfortunately, running away from your husband in his own bedroom probably wasn't something a normal bride would do, so I stayed where I was and prayed he wouldn't notice how badly my hands were shaking.

A moment later, he was standing behind me.

Then his hand settled on my waist.

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

His palm was warm against my body, and I could feel how close he was standing behind me. I had never been this close to him before, and I didn't know what to do with myself. Every part of me was screaming to move away, but I was terrified that doing so would make him suspicious.

"You're tense," he murmured.

"I'm not," I replied, even though I sounded like I was about to cry.

He chuckled, and I wondered what exactly was so funny. Here I was, fighting for my life, and he seemed to be enjoying himself.

"You're not?" he asked.

"No."

"Then why are you standing like you're afraid of me?"

Because I am afraid of you! I wanted to scream. You're an Alpha, I'm a male Omega pretending to be a female, and there's a fake breast on the floor beneath my dress.

Instead, I forced out a nervous little laugh.

"I'm just not used to this."

"Used to what?"

"Being married," I answered, silently congratulating myself for coming up with something that sounded reasonable.

His hand remained on my waist as he leaned closer, and I held my breath.

"You changed without me?"

I blinked.

What was that supposed to mean?

"I was supposed to be the one to take off your dress," he continued, his voice carrying a teasing note. "You couldn't wait for me?"

My face heated immediately, and I was grateful that he couldn't see it.

"I was just uncomfortable in the dress," I explained quickly. "Especially the corset. It was too tight, and I couldn't breathe properly. I'm sorry."

I hoped he would accept that explanation and let the matter go. I couldn't exactly tell him that I had changed because I didn't want him watching me undress, especially when I was already struggling to keep my disguise in place.

For a moment, he said nothing. I stood there, waiting for him to move away, but instead, his fingers shifted slightly against my waist.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," he said.

Sweetheart?

I almost choked.

"I'll be taking this dress off for you tonight."

My eyes widened, and I stared at the wall in front of me, wondering if there was any possible way to disappear without leaving a body behind.

Tonight?

He meant tonight?

Oh, Moon Goddess, please tell me he didn't mean it .