Page 9 of Fritillaria (Fortune Records Omegaverse #5)

Chapter 9

I vy

He’s fucking here again.

I barely had any time at home last night. A few hours of sleep and a quick shower before I was back in here. But a melody was forming in my head and I was finally getting somewhere with a song when Aspis showed up.

Sighing, I move aside to let him come in to speak with me. I leave the door ajar, just in case, but I don’t feel like he would hurt me.

He looks bedraggled today. His suit is polished, his hair immaculate, but bags have formed under his tired eyes. The bright green orbs are softened with kindness and remorse as he lowers himself onto the couch.

Keeping far back from him, I lean against the work desk and wait for him to speak.

“Listen,” his sharp fangs poke out from his mouth as he smiles. I feel betrayed by my own body when a warmth spreads in my chest at the sight. “I promise I wasn’t drunk last night. Even though it would be a great excuse for how rudely I barged in here. I wanted to apologize for interrupting you.”

I’m fascinated by the black slit pupils in his eyes that it’s hard not to get distracted. But he’s saying that he wasn’t drunk?

“I was wrapped up in my excitement,” he continues. “I have been waiting a long time to find my mates—”

“Wait,” I cut him off. “You weren’t drunk? I thought that was all a weird joke, or that you had imagined it.”

“Ivy,” he lowers his voice and there’s a command in it that I can’t escape. “Let me be very clear. That was not a joke, and I was not mistaken. You are my mate. Matilda is our mate.”

Fuck.

I don’t want this. I don’t want how my body responds to his voice either.

Having an auralism kink is really fucking me over right now.

Aspis almost sniffs the air before he slithers over to me, stopping a mere few inches away. I try to back up but my ass is resting firmly against the desk and he cages me in.

“Why are you pushing back on this?” He asks, warm breath on my face. I try not to squirm as I take in his details. The tiniest freckles spattered across his nose, the different shades of emerald in his eyes, his soft and decadent lips.

“I didn’t ask for any mates.” I tell him honestly. “I should get to choose who I am with for myself.”

He takes in a breath to argue with me but I speak before he can get it out.

“Please, leave me alone.”

Aspis huffs with exasperation, reeling back and growing in height as he does. He is truly massive when he is stretched fully.

He respects my wishes, storming out of the room and shutting the door firmly behind himself.

I sink to the floor as soon as it clicks shut, my head between my knees. Shoving my shaking hands under my butt, I try to take in slow and deep breaths. I don’t understand what is happening, why I am feeling like this.

I don’t want to be with anyone right now, let alone people that I had no choice in. Mates are a Monster thing! I shouldn’t have to be subjected to all of this.

And how am I supposed to trust him on it?

I know enough about the concept of mates to know that if some Alpha Monster comes and tells you that he can smell your Omega scent, you’re just supposed to believe them and shack up!

It makes no sense to me, how Humans new to the Monster world are just believing all this. It seems suspicious, and I’m not sure how much of it I believe.

One thing is for sure though, I’m not falling into the trap of trusting it.

Aspis

Storming back up to my office, I cut through the hallways and up the stairs. I’m enraged that she won’t give this a chance.

I know that I need to give her space, I do. But she is being so stubborn .

What even is there for her to consider?

She hasn’t asked me anything about what any of this means. Ivy has just decided that she doesn’t want mates and that’s it for her. End of story.

It doesn’t seem to matter to her that she’s not making any sense.

I didn’t mean to use my Alpha bark with her but I couldn’t help but make sure that she knew I was serious. It could have been fine then. I could have left her to it and given her some space.

But her scent .

That gorgeous, decadent, rich amber developed to a new height and I needed her.

She responded so beautifully to me, her body calling to her Alpha.

Fuck.

I don’t think I can do this, I might need to go home for the day. Every nerve in my body is on edge, screaming at me to return to my mate.

It doesn’t help that I won’t see Matilda until tomorrow morning.

One thing is for sure, though. If I am feeling the bond like this, then so is Ivy.

I know that, realistically, she will struggle to resist the pull of the mating bond.

But that’s not what I want. I hear her when she says that she wants to make her own decisions. I just wish that she would give me the opportunity to try and win her affections.

It breaks my heart that she may not come to me with open arms.