Chapter 43 Not Yet Ready
“It was a stupid move, but it was nothing to start a war over. It’s been two years. Juean should call an end to it. It’s nothing but a waste of resources at this point. No, even right from the beginning.”
“We are all well aware of your stance on the war, Rye. But it was father’s last wish and decree as king. Juean can’t very well call it to an end without seeing it through.”
“Seeing it through how?” Ryedir was starting to snarl at this point. Kari had never seen him so animated in conversation before. “We have taken enough land now that we could claim it as a fifth Niamrean Vesnice and have that as reparation. Then send you across to set up and run the area. You are more than capable of managing such an undertaking, including the construction of additional infrastructure to link it to the capital.”
“What, and lose their best sister to such menial tasks?”
“If Juean would just open his eyes to reality and do his own damn dirty work, then it wouldn’t be a problem,” Ryedir snarled, standing up to his full height and looming threateningly with his dominating alpha aura unleashed on full.
“Well, aren’t you all riled up today?” Millicent didn’t sound unnerved at all. If anything, she seemed to find Ryedir’s obvious agitation highly amusing and Kari wondered if she had directed that conversation intentionally. “I’ll spread a little gossip around court that your cute little omega is nearing heat so no one will be surprised if you bite back over the next few days. You are known to be cold and recluse and overly blunt but perhaps that knowledge will smooth the feathers you will inevitably ruffle. It’ll give you an excuse to keep him with through the wedding events as well. Least I could do in return for such amusement.”
The omega giggled and Kari shivered at the evil glint in her eyes. Oh yes, looks like she had been intentionally baiting Ryedir into a conversation that would get a reaction.
“Just get out,” the alpha gritted out and Millicent’s tinkling laugh followed her out the door.
“I’ll come see you later, dearest brother.”
Ryedir ran a hand through his hair and seemed to force himself to relax. “It’s been a while since I’ve been the focus of her amusement. I had forgotten how annoying she could be,” he muttered before padding over to Kari, pulling him to his feet, and wrapping his arms tightly around his frame.
Kari stood motionless and let the alpha hold him against his chest, nose buried in his hair. It was an odd feeling, on one hand he wanted to comfort his alpha and help calm him down but on the other hand, he hadn’t made his choice yet.
Well, not verbally to Ryedir. He hated being beholden to his instincts, especially when confronted with those like his alpha who seemed to never let such things dictate their actions.
Except for now. This was a distinctly alpha way to calm down. He made a strangled noise as he was squashed even tighter against the man’s chest and gave in, putting his arms around the man’s waist while he leaned against him.
The response was almost instant.
Ryedir took a deep breath and Kari could feel the man relax against him. He took a second to marvel at the power he seemed to have over this alpha and reached up to run a hand through his dark hair.
The alpha growled in approval, then he moved back just enough to lock eyes with him and whispered, “Why won’t you say it?”
It was a moment of vulnerability, a crack in the confident facade that Ryedir always showed the world. His eyes spoke of hurt and confusion and want.
The look stabbed through Kari far more than any words could have. It was like Millicent had unsettled him enough that his mask had fallen and the omega now got to peer inside and see a man that was just as human as everyone else.
He was intelligent and could read people well enough to react in such a way as to seem like he knew everything. But for all that, he wasn’t perfect. Once the mask slipped off, he was just like Kari. Strengths, weaknesses, and insecurities.
He remembered Millicent’s words to him the day prior.
“Ah. Did my dear big brother do the stupid alpha, ‘you are mine’ thing? Honestly, all the aristocratic alphas are horrendous when it comes to feelings.”
“I bet he fell in love with you at first sight.”
For the first time, he clearly saw the emotions swirling in Ryedir’s eyes that he never seemed to be able to articulate properly. But they told a tale that Kari wasn’t willing to hear just yet.
“Not yet,” Kari whispered back and silently begged the man to see the answer in his own eyes. I’m not ready, not yet.
The alpha tipped his head back and pressed a kiss to his forehead, his nose, then to his lips. It felt like a promise.
On a whim, Kari formed a tiny rosebud of ice and pressed it into Ryedir’s hand once he had pulled away. The man brought it up for inspection and it sparkled in the low light. It sat small in the palm of his hand, fragile but beautiful with its furled petals closed tight. It sat as a real rose might, petals shut tight until it was time, until it was ready to bloom and show the world its full potential.
He only hoped that the other man got the underlying meaning.
The alpha suddenly pressed in and kissed Kari again, but this time it was not a chaste kiss. Oh no, teeth and tongues clashed together and it was all the omega could do to just hold on as he was overwhelmed. Ryedir kissed him breathless and didn’t pull away until he started to feel dizzy for lack of air.
“You are mine, Kari. Never forget that.”
The omega fought the urge to roll his eyes, reminding himself that it seemed that Ryedir was just terrible with the whole ‘feelings’ concept. It would be funny if it wasn’t so exasperating.
