Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
“It’s not that surprising, I suppose,” Serena said. “Being on suppressants for so long and refusing to start a family of your own would make your alpha instincts latch on to a random kid. Nature finds a way. It was pretty arrogant of you to think you’re above your biology.”
Hugh ground his teeth. “Would you stop rubbing it in? I’m well aware of the issue.”
Serena nodded, but she still looked far too amused for his liking.
“What are you going to do about it?” she said, her expression becoming serious once again.
Suppressing the strong urge to tell her to mind her own damn business, Hugh looked at Eric again. “I’ll help him. I’ll fix him.”
“And how are you going to accomplish that when the kid looks at you like he’d suck your dick right here if you let him?”
Hugh grimaced. “It’s just a childish imprint. Imprints fade, eventually.” They did, but the fastest way to get rid of an unwanted imprint was physical distance. Except Hugh couldn’t do it to Eric. The boy was all alone. Eric needed him. (Needed him, needed him, needed him.)
“Eventually is the key word here. If you don’t keep your distance, it might take years.”
“I’m well aware of that,” he said. “But physical distance isn’t the only way to make an imprint fade fast. Imprints can be transferred to someone else.”
“Hmm. That’s true. But how are you going to find him a more compatible alpha when his reputation is tarnished? Alphas have been avoiding him all evening. Reputable alphas, that is.”
“Let me worry about it,” Hugh said, setting his drink down and heading toward Eric. He felt a rush of affection and fierce protectiveness when the kid visibly perked up at his approach, and it didn’t please him. He disliked being a slave to one’s biology, even if it was manifesting in such a harmless way.
His annoyance must have reflected on his face, because the kid wilted like a flower in need of water, his body language becoming smaller and unsure.
Damn it.
Hugh pushed his annoyance down, not allowing it to appear on his face. The last thing Eric needed was to feel like he was a burden to him too. He wasn’t, not really. Hugh needed to take care of him as much as Eric needed an alpha; his annoyance was with his lack of control over his instincts, not with Eric.
“How are you doing?” he murmured as he approached him, careful to keep his voice low. Eric wasn’t standing alone: there was an older omega beside him. Hugh nodded to him with a polite smile when he recognized him as Lucien Cleghorn, the prime minister’s stepfather.
Lucien nodded back, giving him a reserved, wary smile. Hugh didn’t know the omega all that well, but it was common knowledge that Lucien had been raped as a teenager during his heat by Pelugian soldiers and his parents had kicked him out when he got pregnant. If Cleghorn Senior hadn’t taken the poor omega as his second spouse, he would have had nowhere to go. Although nowadays Lucien was accepted in polite company as part of such a high-profile family through his marriage, he wasn’t exactly welcomed in it. Hugh had always thought it was unfair, but there was nothing he could have done about it. He’d been a teenager himself when it happened—and a newly mated teenager too.
Suppressing a grimace at the thought, Hugh turned his gaze to the younger omega. Eric had a small frown on his face as he looked at Hugh and Lucien.
Hugh almost smiled, amused despite himself. Imprinted omegas tended to be extremely possessive of the alpha’s attention, especially when it came to other unmated omegas. Until they got rid of the blasted imprint, he’d have to be careful about not hurting the kid’s feelings.
“I’m okay,” Eric said, making an aborted move to grab Hugh’s hand and then immediately snatching his hand away, his face flushing. He cleared his throat a little. “You know Lucien, right?”
“We’re acquainted,” Hugh said, careful not to look at Lucien anymore. The older omega was gorgeous, but Hugh had met a lot of beautiful omegas over the course of his work and it wasn’t hard for him to be indifferent to them. He was a mature alpha, not a green knothead who let his dick do the thinking.
Eric darted his doe-like eyes to him and whatever he saw on Hugh’s face seemed to relax him. He smiled a little and shifted closer to Hugh, his body language emanating the need to be touched and held.
Hugh put his hands in the pockets of his suit pants. Just in case. He didn’t trust himself. They were in a very public place, and people wouldn’t understand if he pulled the kid to him and held him close—which was what his instincts were violently urging him to do. Fuck, this over-the-top protectiveness was starting to creep him out. It wasn’t him.