Shadow of Love

The weeks passed in a blur for Leon. Every night, Athea would take him to her bed, her touch possessive and commanding, and his body—despite the occasional pain—grew accustomed to her every whim. It was becoming harder for him to hide the love bites and hickeys and the soreness of his back was difficult to hide while walking around with great posture while wearing tight shoes as demanded for an Omega such as himself. Despite those minor inconveniences, Leon could not be happier; his alpha's burning passion and love for him were evident on his body, which he could feel deep into his bones. However, each time he would touch his neck or blush, feeling his sore back, remembering last night how Athea kept going buried deep inside of him, he could always feel a shiver run down his back. It was Dior; anytime he was in daydreams, the older omega would stare daggers at him, as if releasing venom toward him, for reasons unknown. Weird, is he that insecure, Leon thought, well, can not be helped, as he has observed in last few days he has been living in the Verion estates, Elena has always maintain distance for he mate, while being openly flirty with other omegas, even him sometime in a teasing way, which might have gave Dior the wrong idea. But that's not his problem, Leon shrugs, its on Dior for being so boring that his alpha doesn't give him any attention.

Unlike Dior, he was showered in love andattention by his alpha, who took him to every event, showing him off like a prized possession. At first, it felt like a dream come true for him: his hard work, his dedication to his appearance and manners, all paying off as people praised his beauty and elegance, commenting on how lucky Athea is to gave sucha fresh beauty by her side, but to Leon, he was the one, who is lucky to havesuch a powerful and amazing alpha as his.

In a way, it validated everything he had been doing for Athea, his every effort now appreciated by those in her circle. Both her father and sister offered him rare praises for his etiquette, Elena went as far as lamenting how jealous she is of her sister, whom she thought would never even get married now flaunt around with such a beauty like Leon, while her brother, though reluctant, finally gave his approval. Despite their warm words, and praises there was still a coldness that Leon couldn't shake. Asides from Dior, it was her mother, Lady Helena, who remained the most distant. Despite all his charm, all his perfection, the older woman still looked at him with barely concealed disdain.

One morning, as Leon was tidying up her desk, sorting through paperwork for an upcoming social gathering, his frustration finally bubbled over. He stood by the desk, his fingers brushing against the polished wood as he sighed, unsure whether to speak his thoughts aloud. But he couldn't help it—he turned to Athea, his voice laced with frustration.

"Athea..." he began, hesitating as he looked at her, "Do you know why your mother hates me? No matter how I try, she refuses to acknowledge anything I do. I've done everything... but nothing works."

Athea, who had been seated at her desk, paused her movements and met his gaze. Her eyes flickered with something unreadable for a split second, but she quickly masked it with a neutral expression.

"Just ignore her," she replied coldly, her voice devoid of the warmth Leon had grown accustomed to. "She's not worth your time. It's better to focus on what actually matters."

Leon blinked, surprised by her bluntness. "But... surely it bothers you, doesn't it? She's your mother."

Athea's gaze hardened slightly as she leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. "I said ignore her." she said in a dangerous tone making Leon flinch hard.

A sudden tension hung in the air, and Leon felt his heart drop. There was something more to Athea's words than she was letting on. He noticed the subtle shift in her posture, the way her jaw tightened as though trying to suppress something.

Before Leon could voice his confusion, Athea stood up, quickly closing the distance between them. Her expression softened as she cupped his face in her hands, pulling him into a deep kiss, exploring Leon's mouth with her tongue, effectively stopping all the thoughts in Leon's mind. The softness of her lips against his contrasted sharply with the harshness of her earlier words, and Leon found himself sinking into her embrace. His thoughts scattered away as she kissed him more deeply, hands pulling him flush against her own body. He felt his body respond instantly, the ache inside him growing. Athea didn't give him a moment to process what had just transpired allowing her hand to roam around his willing body. shiver run through his body, as Athea's hand went inside his pants finding his ass to group them harshly, gasping Leon try to push her away, she is not thinking of doing here is she? he thought with maximum unease , however to his ease she hold him up, as Leon instantly placed his legs around for balance, wrapping his arms around his alphas shoulder as she carried him toward the bed.

By the time they were finished, the events of the morning were all but forgotten. Leon's thoughts had dissolved into a haze, the only thing that mattered was the warmth of Athea's body against his. But even in this moment of physical closeness, something lingered in his mind—a suspicion, an unease that wouldn't let him go.

As he lay beside her, the lingering questions about Athea's relationship with her mother resurfaced. Was it as bad as it seemed? Had Athea suffered at her mother's hands, too? She had dismissed his concerns so quickly, as if it didn't matter at all. But in the depth of her gaze, he had seen something more—something she hadn't meant to reveal.

Athea was not the perfect, unshakable woman he had believed her to be. There were cracks, hidden beneath the cold exterior. He wanted to understand her, wanted to reach that place where she would open up to him, but every time he thought he might get closer, she pushed him away, locked herself further inside.

His mind raced with confusion and desire. He couldn't deny that, despite the fleeting doubts, he still yearned for her. She was everything to him, the woman who had taken him from his ordinary life and placed him in a world of opulence and power. He had given his heart to her—and even though her walls were high, he didn't want to give up on her.