In the following days leading up to the Summer Galla, which Torn informed him they absolutely needed to attend for whatever reason, Jak started to really consider seriously injuring himself to get out of it.

The Galla was tomorrow night, and Torn had been working his ass to the bone in preparation...and Jak was close to his breaking point.

"C'mon Torn! I've been at this for hours!" Jak groaned as he frustratedly threw down the stupid soup spoon...or maybe the dessert spoon...and slouched back against his chair.

"It's been 15 minutes Jak." Torn sighed as he rolled his eyes, "If you hadn't trampled on Tear's foot during your dance lesson, you'd still be doing that. So, while he's icing his foot, you're going to practice your dinner etiquette."

The Galla was tomorrow night and Torn seemed hell-bent on teaching Jak everything he felt he needed to know. This included memorizing all the important faces he would need to know and watch out for, learning ballroom dancing, and currently...which fucking fork he needed to use for the salad or entrée. It was the dumbest shit he's ever had to learn, and he told Torn as much.

"Trust me, I'm well aware of how ridiculous it all is. This was my life for 16 years." Torn shot back unsympathetically, "You only have to suffer for a few days, so stop the bitching and pick up the damn salad fork."

Jak groaned and rolled his eyes before sitting back up and reaching for a small fork.

"Wrong, that's the dessert fork." Torn droned.

Jak grit his teeth and moved to a larger fork.

"Dinner fork."

Jak growled loudly and glared at Torn.

Torn glared right back, "Don't get pissy. This is for your own good. And stop making that face, or I'll put you in time out like every other unruly child." Torn growled loudly.

Jak replied by chucking a medium sized fork at Torn, not even surprised when the older man easily caught it in midair. Torn glanced at the fork then said in a mocking voice, "Good job. You found the salad fork."

Jak wanted to stay angry, but he couldn't help but let out a single laugh that sounded more like a huff of exhaustion, "Does that mean I can stop now?"

Torn paused and sauntered over to his thoroughly tortured mate. He dropped the fork down on the table and relented, "Sure, it's time you resumed your dance lesson anyways." He heard another exaggerated groan from Jak as he turned and moved to the middle of their room, the only open space they had to practice in.

Jak wasn't the only one protesting.

"Um...how about we don't and say we did?" Tear pitifully piped from the bathroom as he exited, limping slightly, "My feet are still recovering."

As per Torn's "request", Tear "volunteered" to teach Jak a few simple dances that were commonly performed at the Galla. Thankfully, today's lesson went better than yesterday's...

At least Tear was able to walk out of the bathroom this time...

Jak gave Tear an apologetic grimace, "Sorry Tear..."

Tear just waved him off and pleaded, "It's fine, just...I'm begging you, please, please, PLEASE learn your left from your right."

Jak threw his head back with a groan and complained, "Why can't you just teach me, Torn?"

"Because I like my feet, and I need to be able to walk for the Galla." Torn coolly replied as he took a seat in a chair facing his whining Alpha and whimpering twin.

Tear limped over to Jak and whispered in his ear, "I say we mutiny. He can't catch both of us if we run in different directions."

Jak whispered back a very good observation, "Can you even run?"

"Probably not, but you can, so I'll just hold him off while you make a break for it. A win for one of us is a win for both of us!"

"Aww, you'd sacrifice yourself for me?"

"If it means saving my feet-"

"Tear, shut up and start the lesson before I come over there and stomp on your other foot." Torn stated not as a threat, but a promise.

Unfazed, Tear tsked in annoyance, "Whatever you say, drill sergeant." He then turned to Jak and sighed, "Alright hotshot, let's see if you retained anything...show me where you put your hands." Jak nodded and placed one hand under Tear's open palm, and the other high on Tear's waist, just under his ribs.

"Good, now remember, you're the Alpha, so you need to lead. Move your right foot forward to where my left foot is now, but PLEASE don't SLAM your foot down on top of mine this time! It's NOT a race, it's a WALTZ!"

"I get it!" Jak argued, "You don't have to yell!"

"My FOOT would beg to differ!" Tear retorted, "Now, after you step down, bring your other foot up to your right foot, then step back with your left foot while I step with my right. Then rinse and repeat three more times. Got it?"

Jak nodded, "Yeah, I think so."

"Then on your lead."

Jak took in a breath then moved his foot forward. This time, he moved slowly, allowing Tear to move his foot back in time. He followed the instructions correctly and when they had repeated the simple movements three more times, Tear stopped them.

"Good!" He grinned cautiously, still dreading what could happen to his undamaged foot, "You got it! Now, when you're finished with the fourth step, use your leverage on my waist to turn us to the right, step back with your right foot and pull me to your side until you're facing my back to your current right. Then repeat the steps again."

Jak did exactly as Tear said and found that with some practice, the moves were actually pretty easy to get down.

He turned them and resumed the back-and-forth stepping.

Torn watched them, pursing his lips in approval, "Looking good, pup. Keep that up, and I might even let you dance with me."

Jak perked up instantly but Tear just snorted, "Hey, don't threaten the kid! You're the reason our ballroom dance instructor quit. Remind me, what did he say about you? You have two left feet..."

Torn rolled his eyes, "And both are put on backwards, I know. That's only because I didn't give a shit back then." He crossed his arms leisurely, "I can dance just as well as you, twinkle toes."

Jak smirked and decided to put that claim to the test, "Oh really? So that means you wouldn't mind dancing with me...you know, so I can compare?"

"Nice try kid." Torn laughed softly, "You still need more practice."

He felt a bit guilty when Jak's face fell a bit in disappointment. The kid somehow had him tightly wrapped around his little finger...though he probably didn't realize it, which Torn was grateful for, "Get your lessons done, and I promise, I'll save a dance for you at the Galla."

That seem to do the trick as Jak eagerly perked up and grabbed Tear, "Alright! Next lesson! Lets go!"

Tear squawked in surprise as Jak grabbed him and forced him into a faster version of their slowdance despite the other man's fervent protests.

Of course, the lesson ended with Tear's other foot getting crushed underneath Jak's over-eager boot.

Anyone passing by the room would overhear Jak profusely apologizing to the loudly cursing Omega, and Torn snickering at his twin's expense.

After Tear had left for the night, with some assistance from Jinx who kindly volunteered to carry his abused boyfriend home...again..., Torn decided to finish their day with a run-down of what the Galla's itinerary would be like. Something they had yet to go over.

It was going well at first...

Torn explained how the first hour would be dedicated to polite socializing in the foyer until everyone arrived. Then after the Countess gave a brief welcome speech, the guests would funnel into the ballroom for dancing, socializing, and drinking. As the guests enter the ballroom, it's tradition for the hosting family to welcome them.

"Just smile and accept the handshakes, no need to talk for an hour...trust me, you'll have your ears gabbed off when the real socializing starts." Torn explained. "After that, everyone goes to the dining hall in the adjacent room for dinner."

He tried to breeze past what would happen next to avoid the incoming argument, but he knew there was no way that was going to happen.

"So, you're telling me that after dinner, Alphas and beta males get to enjoy desserts and expensive wines, but Omegas and beta women have to go...take a nap?!" Jak reacted just as Torn expected him to...with confusion and disgust.

Torn sighed as he attempted to rationalize something that really was outdated and stupid, "When I said 'take a nap', I was partially joking. I'll admit I sometimes used the after-dinner recuperation break to sneak in a few minutes of sleep...but it's pretty much just segregated socializing. Though sometimes Tear and I ended up taking naps because sitting around in a room is boring."

As he predicted, Jak angrily folded his arms and huffed, "Then I'll go with you. They can't make me stay with the other Alphas."

"Jak, we can't compromise on this." Torn tried to calmly explain, despite wanting to encourage his rebellious mate, "Very important people are going to be at this event. The entire council of Haven is attending. We already made quite a statement with the interview with Lotta Bellemore, now you need to play politics with the people who can actually make changes happen."

Torn's ears picked up a light frustrated growl emitting from his younger mate. Of course, he would be resistant to go along with the asinine sexism he's come up against since day 1 of this "relaxing Haven Honeymoon". And as much as Torn was relieved by his Alpha's atypical reaction, this was the one place where they absolutely needed to go with the flow.

So, in order to motivate the kid, Torn decided to sweeten the deal a bit, "Tell you what, if you can manage to get through the entire Galla without straining Spargus and Haven's relations even further...I'll listen to one request of yours."

That got Jak's attention. The kid perked up instantly and flushed lightly, "You'll do anything?"

Torn's eyes narrowed warningly, "I'm still not having sex with you. That's where I draw the line..." For some reason, Torn already regretted bribing the kid as soon as he saw the Alpha's face go up in flames at the notion.

"I wasn't going to ask for sex!" Jak nearly squawked.

Torn raised a brow and shrugged, "Just making sure we're on the same page."

"Of course!" Jak frowned, offended that after all this time, Torn still didn't believe that he was capable of thinking without his dick involved. "So... that means you'll let me kiss you?" Jak asked cautiously.

"You say that like you don't already plant one on me whenever you want." Torn huffed.

Jak rolled his eyes, "I mean a real kiss. Like the one you gave me when we visited Reista manor...only I wanna do that to you."

To Torn's surprise, the kid managed to say that without turning into a tomato. Though he felt like he was about to take over that role from the absolute sincerity in Jak's statement. Torn ran a hand over his face and gave an exaggerated groan, "Fuckin' fine then...if that's what it'll take to get you to behave."

Jak nodded, a little too enthusiastically, "I will! Promise!"

Torn just raised a brow then looked away. He really couldn't stare at that excited grin for too long. It made him feel...odd.

Of course, it didn't end there.

His annoying little Alpha immediately snuggled up against him, laying his head against his chest and promptly crawling onto his lap. Torn gave a warning growl as a force of habit, but Jak knew exactly how to respond by this point. He gave a high-pitched whine and nuzzled under Torn's chin, against his neck, rubbing his cheek against Torn's scent gland and bond mark.

Looks like Jak was feeling a bit overly affectionate right now. Even though they already scented once today, Torn deduced that Jak probably wanted to groom him.

And honestly, Torn had been feeling pretty...accommodating today.

All right...he's been unusually affectionate lately...actually returning chaste kisses with the blonde bastard and letting his touches linger.

Whatever...it was probably just a reaction to the stress.

He just sighed in response and tilted his head, giving the kid more access as he wrapped a loose arm around Jak's waist. There wasn't any point in pushing him off, and frankly Torn was mentally exhausted from trying to cram 16 years of high-class social norms into three days...a little grooming would probably be good for him.

At the first touch of Jak's lips on his bite mark, Torn felt his body relax. The little idiot had gotten really good at this. He felt Jak kiss along his scent gland before swiping his tongue across it, pressing down hard before planting his lips down again.

It took a while for Torn to figure it out, but he froze when he recognized the movements Jak made...

...Jak was mimicking the way he groomed him.

Torn only groomed the kid for real once! How the hell did he pick up his techniques so quickly?

Jak had moved to fully straddle his lap at this point, but it felt so nice Torn didn't really care. And the second he heard Torn's beautiful purr begin, Jak smiled against Torn's neck and moved up higher, planting small affection-laces pecks up his jawline and over to his ear.

He really did love the sound of Torn's purr. Like the roll of thunder mixed with the hum of a lullaby. He couldn't resist adding teeth to the mix as he captured the base of Torn's ear between them, pressing down gently before replacing them with his tongue, sliding it halfway up the length of his mate's long ear. He could feel the shiver Torn couldn't contain coarse through the broader man's shoulders as he hissed out a barely concealed moan.

Jak never wanted to touch someone else so badly...

None of the other people he's messed around with were even half as intoxicating as Torn. Everything about the Omega...his voice, his scent, his taste...it all drove Jak to the brink of insanity...left him teetering on the edge, waiting for that final push that never came.

It was addictive.

"Can I bite you?" Jak whispered in Torn's ear, "Just on your mark?"

Torn only grunted in response, disrupting his purr for a moment, before craning his neck further to the side...giving him silent permission.

Jak didn't wait.

He leaned down and smashed his nose against the gland, taking in Torn's strong Omega scent before biting down hard, wringing a feral-sounding growl out of the other man. Torn tightened his grip around Jak's waist subconsciously, bringing their bodies a tad closer.

The bite was hard, breaking the skin only in a few places, but more importantly it put pressure on Torn's scent gland, allowing some pinpricks of the raw gland oil to break through instead of blood...which Jak eagerly lapped up, enjoying the raw aroma of his mate like a fine wine.

Meanwhile, Torn was feeling the bite a little too much. He honestly didn't expect to be affected this badly from one little bite...and it wasn't even that hard! He could practically feel slick oozing out of him and his own teeth ached badly with the desire to tear into his younger mate, rip open his mark with a harder, deeper bite than his Alpha gave him.

"His" Alpha?

Fuck...

How long has it been since he started thinking of Jak as "His"?

It felt wrong to claim him as his, but at the same time, it felt even more wrong to say he was anything but.

He ground his teeth as growls spilled out between purrs, fighting that urge as it grew stronger and stronger with every suck Jak gave to his fresh bite mark.

Suddenly, Jak pulled away, looking Torn straight in his eyes with a determined and dominating look that caught the older Omega by surprise. Since when was Jak even capable of this behavior?

Jak tilted his head and growled out two words that made Torn nearly lose himself, "Bite me."

And it scared Torn when he actually felt himself leaning forward to do it.

He immediately pushed himself back against the couch and growled, "No. We should get to bed." He made no move against Jak, however, which the younger man took note of.

Jak just peered down at him with a frown, "One bite...that's all I'm asking. It doesn't even need to be hard. I'm giving you my explicit consent."

"Jak...I can't." Torn started, but he couldn't for the life of him think of a damn excuse as to why he shouldn't anymore. So, he told the truth, "I don't like that side of me." He said it so quietly, he wasn't sure if Jak heard him.

One look at the other's face told him he did. Jak's brow furrowed in confusion, "Why? I like that side of you."

Torn shook his head. Of course, he wouldn't understand...not if he didn't know the exact reason.

"I only ever bit one person...and that relationship still haunts me." Torn clenched his jaw, growling with barely concealed disgust, "When I was with Erol, the urge to bite him overtook all my senses. Biting him brought out the worst in me; it made me mean...possessive...cruel. I don't want to be like that with-" He stopped himself, but Jak seemed to understand.

"Torn...what happened between you and Erol?"

It was a question he knew was coming...and one he did promise to answer. Torn supposed now was as good a time as any; alone in their room still riding the high from being claimed by the Alpha he fell harder and harder for each passing day.

"I guess I did promise you a story..." Torn sighed as he let his arms fall to his side. Jak shifted his weight so he comfortable sat in Torn's lap as the tired Omega began his story.

"I was 18 when I entered basic training..."

The story took everything out of him to tell. He had to take several moments to pause at the harder points, but Jak was a gracious and empathetic listener.

He told Jak all about how him and Erol met...how he'd been there during his first heat...the relationship they patched together from scraps of physical attraction.

He even admitted to Jak that Erol was the first person he ever felt he could actually build a life with.

But then it all fell apart when Erol broke their pact.

It was over before Torn anticipated, and left them both silent.

He didn't want to look at Jak's face right now. He knew exactly what he would find and he couldn't stand the thought of being pitied. Thankfully, Jak didn't say anything, just laid his head against Torn's shoulder.

Torn closed his eyes in relief, feeling Jak wrap his arms around him in a comforting embrace...and Torn returned it this time...holding his Alpha close against his body.

After a moment, Jak spoke, "I won't ask you to bite me anymore."

"Thanks..." Torn grunted.

Jak continued, "But...I want you to know that I really want you to bite me, so bad. I don't see it as cruel...I see it as proof that I'm yours...and you're mine. But, if you're really against it, I'm not gonna force you."

"Jak..." Torn started, but soon realized he couldn't say a damn thing.

...so instead, he settled for stroking the younger man's back, feeling the vibrations from his soft growls under his hands.

After a moment of silence, Torn gave a sigh, "Alright, bed...now. We got a big day tomorrow." He looked down, getting ready to move.

That's when he heard the snoring.

He peered down at the Alpha currently burying his face against his chest. He shook him lightly, "Are you serious, you fucking brat..." Jak was completely unconscious, most likely from exhaustion from working so hard these past few days. Torn had half a mind to just shove him off, but when he felt Jak's arms tighten around his middle, he found he really didn't have the heart to do so...or energy for that matter.

He stayed for a moment, feeling the rise and fall of Jak's back under his hands as he snored against him. His head fell forward before he could stop himself. Tucking his face in the crook of where Jak's neck met his shoulder, he took in a deep breath.

Jak's unique Alpha scent surrounded him...flooding his senses...overstimulating them until his world became nothing but the sound and scent...of his Alpha.

This felt so different.

So much different from Erol and Jinx...

The urge to mark came back stronger all of a sudden, and Torn almost felt like he believed what Jak said about the concept of marking.

He had to force himself to wrap his arms around Jak's back and upper thighs, holding him against his body as he stood up. He carried the sleeping, heavy, Alpha to their bed. As he laid Jak down against the mattress, he wasn't surprised when the other man tightening his grip around his back, keeping their bodies pressed together.

This time, however, Torn didn't bother trying to escape. He simply laid down beside him and let Jak's mismatched snoring lull him to sleep.

The night of the Summer Galla was upon them far too soon, but even so, Torn felt that Jak learned everything he needed to know very quickly. Besides, Torn didn't plan on leaving his side for even a moment.

Aside from the one hour in which they would be separated...

But still, he would absolutely be there for the rest of the time.

Currently, they were holed up in a spare bedroom in Reista manor. It's tradition for the hosting family to make a grand entrance when all the guests arrive, so Countess Reista made sure they were all present ahead of time.

All except Tear, however, which Arippa informed Jak that Torn's energetic twin wouldn't dare set foot in the manor out of spite and hatred for their Grandmother. That tends to happen when said Grandmother disowns and throws you out of your own home.

That being said, Jak was a bit surprised to find that the Countess had ordered him a traditional Haven Menswear called a Tuxedo.

It was...not was he was used to, but holy shit he looked fucking great in it!

He wore a shiny, gold, button up, collared shirt with a pristine, white silk waistcoat overtop. The buttons on the waistcoat were also made of gold and ran in a neat line up the center. His outer jacket was also a pure white, but the collar, lapels, and interior were made from the same shimmery gold silk as his undershirt. On his left jacket lapel, a gold and diamond pin was placed in the center, just under the notch, and gold chains linked the pin to his breast flap.

The jacket ended at his hips and tapered in to accent his broad chest and slender waist. The long sleeves of the jacket ended in cuffs that were lined along the edges with that silky gold material, and decorated with diamond studded, gold cufflinks. His pants, belt, and shoes were all white as well, but the buckle of his belt was gold, as were the edges and insides of his dress shoes.

The final touch to his look were some neat wrist-length, white gloves, and a neatly tied, gold, silk ascot around his neck, tucked neatly into his waistcoat.

Arippa had tried to style his hair as well, but after much yelling and protesting, he settled for letting Jak borrow a simple gold circlet that held back his hair like his trademark goggles usually did. It was thin and barely noticeable against his blonde-green locks, but it did the trick.

Speaking of Arippa...

Jak glanced over to the connecting door that lead to the room next door, where Torn was currently getting changed.

Apparently, he had an old outfit laying around which he used as an excuse to NOT wear the one Countess Reista laid out for him.

Jak didn't get to see that one, but whatever it was, it wrang out some rather colorful curses from the neighboring room.

So here he waited...patiently...while Torn got ready. And with every passing minute, Jak became more and more curious about what male Omegas were expected to wear.

Torn wore a formal military suit to their wedding...and apparently that was a huge deal, despite him looking incredibly handsome in it.

His mind wandered, turning over every possibility from a similar outfit to the one he wore all the way to the revealing ball gowns he'd seen pictures of. All of which, he admitted to himself, he still thought Torn would look good in.

Well...maybe not one of those super frilly feminine gowns... though the thought did make him laugh.

He didn't have to wonder for much longer, as the door to the other room swung open forcefully and Torn stomped inside.

"I TOLD YOU IT'S ENOUGH!" Torn practically screamed as he glared at a flustered and annoyed Arippa behind him.

"Oh, come on! Just let me put ONE more in-" Arippa started to argue before he was cut off.

Torn rounded on him and exclaimed, "I need to be able to take these OUT! With all the shit you put in my hair, it's already gonna take me an hour, AT LEAST!" With that, he slammed the door in his brother's face, and turned towards Jak with a glare.

It immediately melted when he took in Jak's appearance. Torn turned fully to face him, eyes roving over his form, "Woah...you really do clean up good, brat. It's like our wedding all over again...lookin' all princely and shit."

Jak couldn't even respond...

His mouth wouldn't close as he took in Torn's figure.

It was way better than anything he could imagine.

Torn wore a long-sleeved, black, silk turtleneck that fit like a second skin. It covered the entire lengths of his arms, hugging his biceps and broad shoulders, and presumable going all the way up his long neck. Around that neck sat a wide metal choker that began at the top and covered the entirety of his neck, even flaring out a bit at the base to partially cover his collarbone and the base of his neck where his scent gland was. The choker had a branding in the center that Jak recognized as the Reista house crest...which he learned about from Torn's tour a few days ago.

Overtop of the sheer turtleneck, he wore a dark blue, under-bust corset that was styled like a vest and decorated with intricate silver embroidery along its shoulder-straps. The corset was cut to sit around his chest...drawing attention to his large pectorals while dramatically curving his waistline. It was cinched tightly in the back by a silver rope that Jak noticed as soon as Torn came in.

Billowing out from the bottom of the corset and falling around his hips, a sheer, knee-length, black half-skirt wrapped around him. It covered his rear and the sides of his thighs, but was cut to expose his pelvic region and legs. Underneath he wore simple blue trousers and black, knee-high boots with what must have been 2-inch heels. Torn really didn't need the extra inches, but he certainly knew how to look intimidating in heels.

Torn also wore some simple jewelry, silver cuff-bracelets, silver ear ornaments attached to the tops and bottoms of his left ear, and of course the Seal of Mar around his neck, now dangling on a silver chain. Something Jak was both shocked and touched to know that he brought it with him.

However, the most intricate part of his ensemble came from the absolutely breathtaking hair jewelry Arippa forced on him.

His usual simple ties were all replaced with intricate silver bands and chains, leaving him his normal, preferred hairstyle with an elegant upgrade.

He was absolutely breathtaking, and Jak didn't even realize he was in a trance until Torn literally shook him back to reality.

"Will you stop gaping like that?!" Torn growled as he squeezed Jak's shoulder, effectively pulling out of his awestruck state, "I already feel like an over fluffed Monkaw."

Jak blinked once before finally finding his voice, "What are you talking about?! You're fucking gorgeous!" Jak couldn't contain his excitement anymore as he grinned like a madman and practically gushed, "Holy shit! I didn't know what the hell to expect but this is so much better than what I thought it would be! Like I knew you'd be cool no matter what, but this is fucking next level! You're so fucking hot and handsome and-"

"Ok I get it!" Torn clapped a hand over Jak's mouth, his cheeks heating up slightly in mild embarrassment. Torn looked away and removed his hand from Jak's mouth, "I can't believe I'm actually playing dress-up again...like a little girl." He crossed his arms over his chest, "This is the closest thing I had in my old closet to a passable male Omegan 'dress' that didn't make me feel like throwing up." After a moment, he peeked back at Jak and pondered aloud, "You seriously think I look good in this?"

Jak gave an incredulous look and gaped, "Um, YES!? Fuck, did you even LOOK at yourself?! That shirt is so tight and I can almost see your muscles clearly, that corset shows off how fucking ripped and curvy you are, and holy shit your legs are so long and look fucking POWERFUL! Like you can kick so many asses with those heels!" He kept the fact that he had an unshakable urge to kiss every part of those long legs to himself.

...ok, maybe he was getting a bit too excited over this.

Trying to keep his thoughts pure, Jak noticed Torn's face darken a bit as his blush spread, but he didn't seem uncomfortable anymore, so Jak continued, "And your hair...shit...it looks so nice! Silver looks great on you...so does blue! But I have to ask..." He reached up to Torn's neck and ran a finger over the base of the metal choker, "Isn't this uncomfortable? You don't really need a second necklace; it doesn't add much."

Torn winced as Jak touched the choker, "Yeah, it's uncomfortable as hell...but it's a requirement for all Omegas to wear one during mixed social gatherings. That way no-one tries to make a move on them, and they can't spread their pheromones."

Jak froze, his face starting to take on that same disgusted and angry look that he'd sported every time a bullshit custom came up, "Are you fucking serious?!"

Torn rolled his eyes, "Unfortunately...but yeah. Again, it's mainly because I'm technically nobility." He ran a hand over his metal –covered neck and frowned, trying not to look sad, "This...um...is actually the one my mom made for me when I turned 15. It was made with the intention that I would start wearing it when I started producing pheromones. This is the first time I've worn it."

"Oh..." Jak immediately pulled away, "Sorry...I didn't know."

"It's fine." He heaved a sigh, "Technically, after the bonding ceremony, the Alpha is supposed to present their Omega with a collar they made...and since we chose to give a big ole' Fuck You to tradition, the Countess 'requested' I wear this instead. Honestly, I forgot it existed until she sent it along with the abomination she wanted me to wear."

"That's..." Jak couldn't even find the words anymore, "I'm sorry, there's just so much wrong with what you just said."

Torn gave a small laugh in response, "Yeah, I know...don't worry about it too much. Just...try to enjoy yourself a little."

Jak glanced up at Torn and paused for a moment before he smiled and nodded, "Ok." He then grinned again and backed away, "So, how do I look?" He gave a spin then eagerly grinned at Torn, awaiting his answer.

Torn once again let his eyes travel up and down Jak's body. His Omega hindbrain betrayed him when he felt the urge to tilt his neck and whine right then and there for the extremely annoying...but unbelievably attractive Alpha in front of him...all done up and practically oozing beauty and power.

Instead, he smirked at the younger man and teasingly purred, "Like an over-fluffed monkaw."

Jak's mouth fell open in shock, "OH COME ON! I gave you SO MANY compliments! You can give me at least ONE!"

"Hey, I'm sure some people find monkaws cute." Torn shrugged as he turned away and sat on a couch.

"You're such an ass!" Jak growled as he moved to stand in front of the other man.

Torn raised a brow, throwing his arms over the top of the couch casually as he crossed his legs at the knee. He once more allowed his eyes to travel up Jak's form, stopping at his face and once more feeling both the urge to tease...and the urge to dig his fingers into the annoying pup's neck and bite at his pretty pink lips.

The door next to them flew open and slammed against the wall, thankfully stopping Torn's traitorous and confusing thoughts before they could go any further.

He was already appalled by where his mind was about to go with that thought.

Arippa shot Torn a glare as he stomped into the room, "I spend two hours of my valuable time getting you both ready, and you don't even have the decency to thank me?" He crossed his arms when he got a mere few feet away and tsked, "It would seem manners are a lost art."

The couple had enough decency to at least look sorry, and Jak sheepishly apologized for the both of them, "Sorry, Arippa...we really do appreciate you helping us get ready."

"How long do we have before the pissing contest?" Torn added in place of an apology.

Arippa's lips twitched upward in an amused smirk, "Guests are filing into the foyer as we speak. Mia informed me that we'll be summoned in about 10 minutes." He walked over to a standing mirror and adjusted his appearance slightly.

Being a senator, Arippa did not have the luxury of being Lax with his appearance, so of course his version of a Haven tux was all out. It was a similar style to Jak's, but bore several different sashes and scarves around his hips and shoulders. His ensemble reminded Torn of a peacock with the forest greens, golds, and purples decorating him.

Even so, it definitely matched him in personality...flamboyantly masculine yet graceful.

A knock on the door caused Arippa to leave the mirror and saunter over to open it, revealing Eryn waiting on the other side, "Ah, Darling! Come, gaze upon my work!" He moved to the side and motioned to Torn's hair, "I believe this is my masterpiece!"

Eryn chuckled softly as he entered the room, pausing to give his lover a short kiss before looking over the royal couple, "Wow! He really did a number on you, huh Torn?"

That earned him a middle finger from Torn and a playful smack from the Senator before he looped his arm around Eryn's and hummed, "Stop it with the teasing, He looks lovely, doesn't he?"

"He does...you did good, babe." Eryn gave Arippa a loving pat on the arm before addressing Torn, "Mia told me to let you know it's time."

Immediately, Jak and Torn shared a look that shared both anxiety and resolve. Eryn led Arippa out the door, and before Jak turned to leave as well, Torn grabbed his hand and met his eyes, "Hey, it'll be fine. I'll be right next to you for as long as I'm allowed." He let his thumb run over the underside of Jak's wrist briefly.

Jak looked down at their connected hands until Torn released his. After one last glance up at his mate, Jak offered his arm, which Torn eventually took...after giving a resigned eyeroll. It would seem he would be reluctantly playing the role of a stereotypical Omega tonight.

Arm in arm, they exited the room, ready to take the stage as the happily mated royal couple of Spargus.

After catching up to Arippa, just in time to catch him and Eryn sharing one last kiss before the soldier had to return to his duty, Torn's older brother gave them a warm smile and asked, "Ready? Just follow my lead and smile. It'll be fine."

At first, Jak assumed the reassurance was for him, but Arippa kept glancing at Torn...as if trying to communicate something else to him. It only confirmed his suspicions when Torn growled, "No shit it'll be fine. Stop worrying and lets just get this over with." Due to him arm being looped around Jak's, Torn was easily able to nudge him with his elbow, "Lets get moving, brat. You're supposed to be leading remember?"

Jak decided to just go with it as he led them down the stairs behind Arippa. As they entered the foyer, Jak felt his heart drop into his stomach when he saw the mass of bodies waiting for them. There had to be at least 150 people all crammed together in the highly spacious foyer...all dressed up in sparkling outfits and staring right at him.

In the crowd he was only able to pick out two familiar faces.

Near the front closest to their side, Ashelin stood tall, accompanied by two fully armored guards at her sides. The red-headed Alpha wore a lovely cocktail dress that left very little to the imagination. She locked eyes with him and smiled with her red painted lips...accompanying it with a subtle wave.

On the opposite side, near the back row, was a face he was significantly less happy to see.

Erol stood amongst the crowd, a bored expression gracing his face until he too locked eyes with Jak. He sneered with disdain at him until he turned his attention to something else.

Once Jak looked away from the two familiar faces in the sea of strangers, he noticed several pairs of eyes on him...the stares accompanied with hushed whispers of likely gossip.

Once again, he felt his legs go weak and his heart began racing, but Torn leaned down to his ear and whispered, "Relax...I'm here." And as it turns out...that was all Jak needed. He took a breath and allowed a friendly smile to grace his face as they finished their descent down the stairs to stand beside Countess Reista, who turned to them and gave a short nod of what may have been approval.

The Countess turned to the crowd and addressed them with her powerful voice, "Welcome esteemed guests, to our yearly Summer Galla! The Reistas have always looked forward to this time...and we are overjoyed to see so many radiant and familiar faces here tonight." The crowd erupted with distinguished applause, and quieted down when the Countess raised a hand and continued her speech, "I am proud to spend this evening with all of you...and I am honored to be accompanied tonight by my oldest grandson, Senator Arippa," She turned a hand towards Arippa, who stood at her right.

Once more the crowd applauded as Arippa gave a small bow, flashing his pretty smile towards the crowd. The Countess then motioned to Jak and Torn, "And for the first time, the young royal couple, Prince Jak Mar of Spargus and his mate, my grandson, Torn Reista-Mar."

The applause doubled as Jak managed to bow to the crowd at the waist. Torn followed him, keeping his head lower than Jak's to adhere to what must have been yet another bullshit custom. Jak managed to keep his smile regardless, even going for bonus points by taking Torn's free hand and planting a kiss on his knuckles.

It seemed to do the trick since Jak heard several excited whispers and elated gasps. He finished off the look by gazing lovingly into Torn's eyes...though he didn't need to fake that part. Torn was smiling, but Jak could tell from his narrowed eyes that he was pushing it with the lovey dovey displays. He whispered for Torn's ears only, "Oh come on, they're eating this shit up."

"They'll eat up anything if it's coming from you...but in case you forgot, I have a dick." Torn hissed while keeping his smile for the crowd.

The Countess resumed her speech, but Jak wasn't really paying attention at this point. He leaned a bit closer and teased, "Trust me, I didn't forget...it's a very nice dick. And aren't you the one who wants me to make a good impression on these asshats? Thought you'd be happy I'm acting all Alpha-like, but if you'd like I can bare my neck for you and give a little whine."

Torn growled very lowly and grumbled, "All I'm saying is you don't have to treat me like a fucking woman. Despite this fucking outfit, I'm your Omega...not your Princess."

"Well, if we wanna be technical...I am a Prince...and you married me...sooooo..."

"One more word out of you, and you're sleeping on the floor tonight."

Jak decided this was probably a good enough reason to keep his mouth closed, they were very much on display right now, so now wasn't a good time to get Princess Torn riled up. With nothing better to do right now, he tuned back in just in time for the end of Countess Reista's speech.

"We invite you to enjoy yourselves this evening. Tonight, we celebrate the past, present, and future of our great city! Thank you." The Countess gave a regal bow and the doors behind her flew open, revealing the impeccably decorated grand ballroom. However, he felt Torn pull him to the side, near the base of the staircase.

Before he could wonder why they weren't entering the ballroom, Torn leaned down again and reminded him, "Not so fast, the hosting family always welcomes guests personally for the first half-hour of the Galla, remember? Just smile, shake hands, and go with the flow. Don't worry about talking."

Honestly, Jak was hoping that part was a joke...turns out it wasn't.

Suddenly, it was like the floodgates opened.

The party guests ascended the main stairwell, funneling past them into the ballroom. Jak immediately felt claustrophobic as the first few guests immediately came up to him, smiling widely and offering their hands to shake. Torn intervened the first few times, thankfully, welcoming the initial guests with a warm smile and greeting.

Ashelin was among the first to come up to them. She gave Jak a warm smile and reached out to shake his hand, "It's good to see you again, Jak." She turned to Torn, her smile softening, "Hell, I'm even happy to see your sorry mug, Torn."

Torn squinted and leaned forwards, "Huh, is it just me, or do you have even more wrinkles?"

Ashelin scoffed, "Well, good to see you're still an asshole." The two smiled at each other for real, showing Jak that the teasing was all in good fun. Ashelin turned back to him and said, "We'll talk more later. I'm dying to hear all about your stay so far."

Jak laughed, "I'm taking that as your permission to stay near you the whole night so I don't have to socialize with strangers."

The Governess laughed again a bit louder, "You'll be fine. Just be yourself...you may make more friends than you think."

With that she left them and proceeded inside the ballroom.

Their conversation gave Jak enough time to build up his courage and begin greeting guests himself.

As they greeted, Jak took notice of a couple repeating occurrences. First, across the way near the opposite staircase's base, Arippa stood next to the Countess. But while she simply nodded and lucidly greeted her guests, Arippa seemed to engage in eager conversation with everyone who stopped in front of him. His smile was warm and he gave every guest the same level of attention despite their gender.

Second, he found it painfully easy to tell the Alphas and Betas from the Omegas. Just like Torn said, every single Omega had an elaborate choker around their neck, all of them made of metal but adorned with jewels, lace, and other flashy materials.

And finally, and this actually surprised him, a lot of younger guests preferred talking to Torn over him...giving him a short greeting while engaging Torn in conversation. And truth be told, Torn seemed surprised by the treatment as well from the snippets of conversation he could hear. He was still ignored by the majority of the older Alphas, but mostly every person under 40 excitedly engaged with him, even going as far as expressing interest in his military past.

Suddenly, an older man eagerly shook his hand and flashed a toothy grin, "Prince Mar! I'm Senator Waycaster, and this is my lovely wife Emilia." He motioned to a tall, lean woman standing beside him, smiling warmly at him as she curtsied and chimed in a thick foreign accent, "It is an honor!" Jak took note of the beautifully ornate metal choker around her neck and gave the couple a respectful bow. Senator Waycaster then turned to Torn and beamed at him, "It is good to see you back in the city again, Commander."

That seemed to stun Torn as he struggled for a moment to reply, "I...thank you Senator. It's good to be back."

Emilia excitedly interjected, "We saw the interview! Your announcement about being the ambassador is true, yes? My dear Alpha is so excited to be working with you in the future! He says you are the greatest Commander Haven's ever had!"

Torn blinked in confusion, "Um...I'm flattered."

The Senator cast a glance behind him at the Countess before leaning forward and whispering, "Most of us didn't agree with how this all played out, Commander. I swear, if my fellow Councilmen weren't such cowards...well, I digress. Just know that you have more supporters than you think in the Council of Haven." He pulled back and placed an arm around his wife's waist, "We'll have more time to discuss later. Good evening."

Senator Waycaster led his wife back into the sea of guests eagerly entering the ballroom, leaving the royal couple stunned. They didn't have any time to really think about the bomb that just dropped on them, as the next slew of guests rushed them. The next group consisted of an excitedly giggling group of three young Omegan noblewomen. They immediately invaded their personal space and begged him and Torn for selfies; even going as far as shamelessly groping Jak's arms and shoulders, complimenting his appearance and physique.

Jak wasn't a fan of the chattering ladies rubbing their hands all over him and gushing about "never meeting a Prince before" or how "handsome and exotic Spargans are". However, he kept up his nervous smile as he let them pose for pictures with him.

When they moved on to Torn, however, Jak found it increasingly more difficult to watch the ladies salivate over his mate's tantalizing form.

It took everything in Jak's power to not shove the overly touchy girls away and yank Torn behind him. But, it seemed like Torn somewhat enjoyed the innocent attention and even smiled for a picture. Therefore, Jak just suppressed his unhappy growls and averted his eyes. Thankfully, Torn did stop one of the women who got a little too bold and tried to slide her hand lower down his corset.

Jak finally got them to leave his mate alone when he promised to dance with each of them later...which, of course, caused them to squeal in excitement.

The gaggle of ladies then moved on with the rest of the crowd, their excited giggling still audible above the chattering guests.

"Well, looks like someone's pretty popular." Torn purred in amusement, "Those ladies were the daughters of three Council members. It might be a good idea to dance with them later...so good call."

Jak barely concealed his unimpressed frown and bit back, "I dunno...with the way they kept grabbing at you, I think they actually wanted to do a different kind of dance with you." He may have been a bit too obvious about how jealous he felt.

Which Torn absolutely found cute rather than irritating, and definitely felt the need to tease him about, "Don't worry, pup. If you're good I'll let you touch my biceps too. Maybe even massage my shoulders; I got this knot that needs some work."

Jak growled before he could stop himself, "Oh, I'll give you a fucking knot..."

When he turned to meet Torn's eyes, he found the Omega giving him a wide-eyed, stunned expression.

Upon realizing the double-entendre, he immediately backpaddled when Torn's shock wore off and replaced his stunned expression with a glare, "Shit! I didn't mean it like that-"

"Too late-" Torn deadpanned, "You said it, now you're sleeping on the couch."

Jak sighed in defeat, "Yeah...that's fair."

As the final few guests funneled past them, they finally got a breather before the Countess crossed the hall to address them, "Good work. I hope you enjoy your evening." She didn't spare them another second as she entered the ballroom.

Arippa, however, lingered back to check in, "You guys did great! Especially you, Jak." He gently laid a hand on Jak's arm and gave him an encouraging squeeze, "Keep laying on the charm, I promise, they'll be eating out of your hand." He then turned his attention to Torn and gave him a sterner look, "And for fucks sake, Torn... it's Jak's first party; dance with him at least once."

Torn rolled his eyes, "It's on my to-do list. Now get your ass in there, oh-so-important Senator."

That earned him an eyeroll from his older brother, and a light punch to the shoulder, before Arippa decided to make his entrance into the ballroom, leaving the royal couple alone outside the door.

After a moment, Torn turned towards Jak and was about to tell him to lead them inside, when his ears picked up on footsteps coming towards them.

"Well, this is quite a shock." Erol jeered as he ascended the stairs.

Jak immediately whipped his body around to face Erol head on, teeth bared and a warning growl already ripping out of him. Torn placed a hand on Jak's shoulder to keep him from doing something stupid, and sneered at Erol as the other Omega reached the top of the stairwell.

Erol smirked as he boldly looked Torn up and down, "I don't think I've ever seen you look so pretty. Dresses suit you, Reista."

Torn's upper lip curled in a snarl as he retorted, "You're wearing one too dumbass. At least I still look like a man." He took a moment to look Erol over as well.

The ginger Omega wore a similar outfit to Torn's, consisting of a sleeveless, royal blue undershirt, blood red overbust corset, and royal blue pants with black thigh-high boots. The only major difference was the skirt style; Erol having a shimmery gold slit skirt wrapping around his right leg and leaving his left exposed. And...like every Omega...Erol bore a metal choker around his neck, gold in color and bearing another insignia that Torn recognizes as the Ackerman emblem.

Torn hated the fact that he still, in the darkest recesses of his mind, found Erol attractive.

Erol simply raised a brow and huffed, "Please, I don't let my choice in clothing define my masculinity...unlike you apparently." He turned his attention to Jak and mused, "Well well...the desert rat knows how to make himself presentable. Or did you have your pretty little wife dress you up?"

"Don't you have anything better to do, Ackerman?" Torn spat as he moved to stand beside Jak rather than behind him.

Erol shrugged, "Not really. These Gallas are incredibly boring, but I've got a duty to fulfill. Being a member of high society is so draining." He strolled past the couple, but right before he entered the ballroom, he turned to give Jak a nasty smirk, "Save a dance for me, freak." He entered the ballroom with a chuckle that grated on both Jak and Torn's nerves.

After heaving a frustrated sigh, Torn groaned, "Well, this'll be interesting."

"Please tell me I don't actually have to dance with that asshole." Jak pleaded.

"I don't know, so I'll guess that's a maybe." Torn admitted, but then tried to reassure Jak, "Look, just ignore him, ok? You don't owe him shit."

"You're damn right about that." Jak growled, "Whatever, lets just go inside." He offered Torn his arm and tried to give him a smile, "We've got fops to shmooze."

That brought another short laugh out of Torn before he took Jak's arm, ready to play his part as the Prince's arm candy...despite how aggravating that image was.

As far as Gallas go, Jak was enjoying it far more than he thought he would.

Sure, it was his first Galla...which made it the best!

True to his word, Torn stayed by his side the entire time. Every time someone came up to them, Torn was always there, helpfully whispering the things he needed to know into his ear. He let him know names, occupations, and even some political leanings.

Senator Waycaster was an absolute delight to talk to on account of his unconventional world views for someone his age.

The Senator and his wife currently engaged Jak and Torn in a discussion of Omegan rights. The Senator took a sip of his wine and mused, "I'm telling you, your highness. Commander Torn was proof that an Omega can be more than what we've kept them as for centuries." He looked towards Torn and addressed him, "I approve of your choice of replacement by the way. Commander Tess is a hell of a woman! What you said about her during Miss Bellemore's interview was spot on."

Emilia nodded in agreement, "I keep telling my Alpha that they need more Omegas on the council."

Senator Waycaster sighed sadly, "Yes my dear, and I've proposed the notion several times already." He gave a knowing glance to Torn, "You grandmother is a hard one...got everyone scared to vote against her. I don't know how she does it...but I suppose that's the power of an elite Alpha's voice."

Jak decided to add his own queries, "Why don't you guys do an anonymous vote? That way she wouldn't know who voted for what. Or better yet, just let the people vote?"

"It's the old ways, son." Sentar Waycaster lamented, "The council is mostly still made up on traditionalists. Flexible members like Senator Arippa and myself are few and far between...but, maybe you two can help change things soon."

Torn stepped in, "You alluded to that earlier. You said we have more people in the council on our side. Who?"

The senator recoiled a bit and whispered, "They're on your side...but not so much that they would stand up to the Countess. I've already gotten myself into hot water more than once. So far, Arippa's the only one able to combat her...and that's only because she's damned scared of him."

Jak raised a brow, "Scared of him?"

Emilia interjected, "Senator Arippa is more popular...more, how you say, charming. If he weren't Alphasexual, he would already have replaced her as head."

Torn frowned a bit at the information, "He's popular among the people...so maybe Jak's onto something with letting the people vote."

"Perhaps...but this is a tricky path." Senator Waycaster warned, "And it would be better discussed once you formally meet with the entire council after Prince Mar's coronation."

The conversation was interrupted by a loud bell.

Senator Waycaster smiled and exclaimed, "Ah! Dinnertime already! Well, it was good to speak with you both. I look forward to more conversations in the future."

Jak smiled, "Same, Senator! And it was nice talking to you too, Emilia. You're a very charming woman."

Emilia laughed as she flushed slightly, "Oh, Prince Mar! You bring this old woman much joy!"

With that, the Senator and his wife left for the adjacent room along with the other guests.

Jak and Torn funneled in with the rest of them and were presented with a long banquet table with assigned seating. Jak and Torn were both seated near the head of the table, on the Countess's right side, across from Arippa and Ashelin.

Dinner went along with very little excitement, though Jak noticed that while he was presented with his food immediately, the kitchen staff once again withheld Torn's food until Jak grit from behind his teeth to allow his mate to eat. This time though, Jak managed to keep his cool...

...even when he saw that all the Omegas were given salads as their only selection.

They weren't even offered the very interesting and tasty appetizers.

Torn jokingly whispered to him that they would need to "stop by a yakow burger joint on the way home". But that didn't do much to make Jak feel better.

He decided to just grin and bear it until dinner was over.

Finally, the time came for dessert...which meant all the Omegas had to leave and "rest". Torn stood up along with the other Omegas and leaned down to give Jak one final encouraging statement, "Keep it up, kid. You're halfway done. I'll see you in an hour."

Jak nodded, though he gave Torn a sad expression, "Wish I could come with you..."

Torn huffed, "I wish I was staying. Because of you, I now know what I'll be missing." He glared at the dessert tray that was placed in front of Jak, "Damn it...and of course it's fucking cheesecake."

Jak gave him a guilty grimace, "Want me to try and save you some?"

For a moment, Torn looked like he was going to accept the offer, but he eventually sighed and shook his head, "Nah...just describe it to me later." With one last pat to Jak's shoulder, Torn turned and left the room, heading to the parlor with the other Omegas.

Leaving Jak's side for the first time tonight...

Torn had managed to secure himself a couch in the corridor outside the parlor room. The other Omegas all intermingled amongst themselves, but since all of them were women, he couldn't really join their conversations.

Despite all being Omegas, he was still male.

Everyone in that room was the wife of some politician or wealthy CEO. What the hell did he have to talk to them about?

It didn't help that the only other soldier in there was someone he wanted to avoid like a plague.

Even Senator Waycaster's wife, who he wouldn't have minded chatting up, had busied herself with the other women.

So Torn decided to sneak out of the room and fiddle with his Com. He left not a moment too soon it seems, since he overheard the three overly-touchy noble ladies ask about his whereabouts. However, he could still hear the chattering through the door, so unfortunately it didn't look like he would be catching that nap tonight.

He didn't get to do much when he felt the couch dip beside him. Looking up from his com, he met Erol's gold eyes and sarcastic smirk.

He didn't even hear the other man leave the room...

...Erol was a pro at stealth missions after all...

"Finally." Erol purred, crossing one leg over the other, "I've been trying to get you alone all night...it's hard with that little rat sticking to your side like a parasite."

Torn kept his attention on his com and dismissively retorted, "What a coincidence, I came out here to be alone. Feel free to take a hint."

Erol tilted his head, "I thought you could use some company. That, and I have nothing to say to those women."

Torn paused and turned to give Erol a nasty look, "I'd rather be talking to one of those gropey ones right now if it meant getting away from you."

Erol seemed unfazed by the remark and simply crossed his arms, moving to change the subject, "So, I'm dying to ask...how's your adorable little Alpha in bed?" He continued before Torn could reply, snapping his fingers, "Ah! That's right, I forgot...you haven't mated with him yet." He gave Torn a look of mocking pity, "Poor boy's probably ready to burst at this point...having to deal with your frigid ass."

Torn growled low before taking a breath to regain his composure, "For your information. We both agreed to keeping our relationship platonic." He met Erol's eyes and boasted, "He's incredibly patient. Hell, he even said I don't have to provide him with a biological heir if I don't want to." Torn felt the urge to laugh when he saw Erol's shit-eating smirk falter at the news.

Sure, this felt like a playground argument, but Torn didn't care...as long as he got to prove Erol wrong.

"Honestly, I hit the lottery with him. An alpha who doesn't pressure me for sex, actually respects my opinions, and actually wants me to scent him!" Torn continued, eager to rub his luck in his ex's nose, "He's so unlike any Alpha I've known. Plus, I even get to join Spargus's military as a bonus."

Erol rolled his eyes, "Yeah yeah, I saw the interview. Yippee for you." He paused before regaining his smirk, "I must say...I'm starting to see your desert rat in a new light..."

At this statement, Torn was caught off-guard slightly. He narrowed his eyes at the other Omega as Erol continued, "He treats you as his equal, plays the nice guy, and even gives you a way to regain your old occupation. How...sweet..."

The way Erol phrased his statement made Torn think that he was going somewhere with this, "What the fuck are you getting at?"

"I'm curious..." Erol began as he gave Torn a cruel smirk, "He gives so much...sacrifices so much...How long until he wants something in return?"

That gave Torn pause...

But he soon shook his head and dismissed Erol, "He's not like that."

"He's an Alpha..." Erol reminded, "No matter what they say or do, they're all like that."

Torn frowned, "Maybe most of them...but not Jak."

"Really now?" Erol mused as he uncrossed his legs and turned to face Torn fully, "Tell me...have you ever had to bribe him with physical acts of affection?"

"I-" Torn started...but then he stopped...

...he was bribing Jak right now with the promise of a kiss.

"Has he ever forced himself on you? Even if he apologized afterwards?"

…Torn thought back to the time in the infirmary...when he woke up with Jak on top of him, "That's-"

"And I'm sure he's never once thought about you sexually..." Erol narrowed his eyes, "Right?"

Torn shifted in his seat, trying desperately to maintain his composure...but Erol's words were breaking through his walls.

"Your lack of reaction tells me all I need to know." Erol crossed his arms again in thought as he mused aloud, "Sounds like a typical sex-driven Alpha to me...albeit a tad more subtle."

"What's your point, Ackerman?" Torn growled, keeping up his steely glare.

Erol huffed as he moved closer, "Tell me something, Torn. How long do you plan on making him wait to fuck you?" Erol continued without letting Torn reply, "Till he rutts? Till you go into heat? He's a young Alpha...you know how high their libidos are. He might be fine now...but what happens when he matures into a fully-fledged Alpha?"

He let another callous smirk grace his face, "When we were together, you always played so hard to get. Expressing disinterest...refusing casual sex outside of our heats and even simple intimacy. As a matter of fact, you were only ever honest during your heats...when I was splitting your soaked cunt open on my cock, or when you were fucking me like the Alpha you so desired to be."

Erol leaned in closer, his words biting, "Once every few months...four times every year, unless you've been impregnated and sex is banned until the pup is born...do you really think he'll be satisfied with that? Not to mention your whole...issue...with Alphas in general. If you don't put out...how long do you think he'll last before he tosses your prudish ass aside and goes after something easier."

Torn wanted to say something...argue in Jak's favor. The kid had so earnestly expressed affection for him. He respected his boundaries, felt guilty when those lines were accidently crossed, and seemed to highly value his opinion. He wanted to believe that Jak was different...he had to be different...

...but Erol had a point...

...he is an Alpha...

...an immature Alpha...

...what would happen once those Alpha hormones came into the picture?

"You know..." Erol hummed, "He does smell rather...exotic. It's quite intoxicating." He smirked at Torn's sudden jolt to attention and threatened, "With you as his partner, the kid's probably desperate for a fuck. Ever since I dumped your ass, I've gotten quite comfortable dealing with Alphas. I wonder how he'd react if I offered to drain his balls."

The roar that ripped its way out of Torn was uncontrollable, and before he knew it, he had Erol pinned against the back of the couch, a hand wrapped around his throat, not caring about the pressure he applied since the damn choker protected him.

Erol didn't so much as flinch...keeping that damned smirk on his face.

He knew he'd won.

Torn growled as his eyes filled with rage, "Don't you DARE touch him. He's mated to ME."

Erol raised a condescending brow as he let out a raspy laugh, "Since when does that matter where sex is involved. Even mated Alphas can't resist Omegan pheromones. Mated or not...an Alpha is an Alpha...and I guarantee you, you're not the only one he can have a reaction to. You're deluding yourself if you think otherwise."

"And you're fucking arrogant if you think he'd react to you! He doesn't even like you!" Torn growled.

His smile took on a more sinister glint as he growled back, "Oh, please, 'liking' has nothing to do with it. I think you need to be reminded of how easy it is for an Omega to arouse their chosen target." A sweet smell wafted around Torn's nose...familiar, yet it brought back both bittersweet memories.

Erol's Omegan pheromones...and he smelled close to his heat.

Using his daze as an opportunity, Erol pushed forward, grabbing Torn by his jaw with both hands and digging his nails in. Erol was a bit too quick and captured Torn's mouth in a bruising kiss, snagging his bottom lip between his teeth and biting down hard.

Torn pushed him away so hard Erol hit the arm of the couch with a thud. Torn horridly wiped his mouth in disgust and snarled at Erol, "Don't you FUCKING touch me you bastard!"

Erol righted himself, then cast a glance downwards. He gave a surprised gust of laughter and purred, "See? No matter how you feel, your body is still honest."

It took a moment for Torn to realize what Erol meant. One glance down at his crotch shamed him.

He was hard...

...and after realizing that, he could feel that he was starting to get wet as well.

Erol scented the air, catching the familiar scent of Torn's slick, and purred teasingly, "Oh, that's a familiar scent. Is your tight little cunt getting wet from my pheromones?"

Torn couldn't reply as he felt his body begin heating up. Erol leaned forward and huskily whispered, "You know...I still hate your fucking guts for what you did to me back then...but fuck it all, I do miss the taste of you. Tell you what, I'm feeling nice tonight...just say the word and I'll take that lovely cock down my throat, or...maybe you'd prefer my mouth lower? Your choice, Darling."

In a flurry of limbs, Torn scrambled off the couch and backed away from Erol, his eyes wild with disgust, panic...and unmistakable lust.

The fire-haired Omega just stared him down, his victorious smirk turning into a haughty smile. He got what he wanted from this interaction and simply basked in his former-lover's shame.

What's worse...is Torn felt sick at the conclusion that he very much wanted to take Erol up on that offer.

Despite still having some remnants of his pride intact, Torn turned and fled down the hallway. It didn't matter if this was a cowardly thing to do...he just had to get the fuck away from Erol.

He could hear the asshole's cackling follow him down the hall.

Turning the corner, he barreling into a spare bedroom, making a beeline for the bathroom and locking the door behind him.

He panted as he slumped against the wall, taking a seat on the toilet as he caught his breath.

His body was still heated from the encounter...betraying him and humiliating him in front of the wrong person.

Even as he sat there, the smell of Erol clung to him, invading his senses and nearly causing him to vomit. However, he was also aware of Jak's scent still lingering from their regular scenting session that morning. Being close to him all evening kept his scent strong as well...and Torn's arousal honed in on that specific scent...magnifying it until that was all he could smell.

He moaned low as he felt his cock strain against his pants.

It was only then he became painfully aware of just how long it had been since he got off in any form.

It was almost like he was in heat...and there was no way he could go back to the Galla in this state.

He couldn't get his pants down around his knees fast enough as he fisted his erection. The glide of his hand was rough due to a lack of lubrication, but he solved that easily by reaching his other hand down and gathering up the slick that was steadily flowing out of him.

Once his cock was coated, he fucked his fist hard, lifting his hips off the toilet as his mind was assaulted by images he regretted manifesting.

He imagined not his hand...but rather Jak's hand...then Jak's mouth around his cock. Sucking, stroking, getting him off. He fantasized Jak bending over, presenting his ass for Torn to pound mercilessly.

…no...

It was wrong using Jak like this...

Shaking his head, wishing it would also jostle the fantasy free of his mind, Torn tried to focus on something else...anything else.

He reached down and rubbed the pads of his fingers over his soaked hole, easily sliding two up inside his hot, wet channel. Again, and against his better judgement, he imagined it was Jak fingering him, getting him ready and open to accept his cock...and eventually his knot.

"Oh, I'll give you a fucking KNOT!"

He whined, something he'd never done outside of his heat...remembering Jak's slip up earlier and picturing him saying it with a literal intention.

That pushed him over the edge as he gripped the base of his cock and shoved his fingers in as far as they would go. He came hard...harder than he ever did during his heats.

Once the high died down, he was left with nothing but a sweaty brow, sticky thighs, and a heavy shame that hung over him like a blanket.

He stood on shaky legs, wobbling over to the since to wash seed and slick off his hands.

He caught his face in the mirror...cheeks flushed, hair in slight disarray, and eyes hazy from post orgasmic fog.

He became aroused by his ex, then used Jak as fapping material.

...

What the fuck was wrong with him?

He felt an overwhelming urge to punch the mirror, but decided against it.

He had a lot to clean up and didn't want to add a sliced up hand and broken mirror to the mix.

Jak wasn't as much of a fan of cheesecake as Torn was...but he still ate it just in case Torn was serious about describing it to him later. The other deserts were fantastic as well. A serving of a custard-like desert called crème brulee, a tart made from one of Haven's exotic fruits, and a small bowl of chocolate flavored ice cream with some shimmery glimmer-wumpbee honey flakes decorating it.

He really needed to figure out how to make ice-cream when they got back to Spargus. Literally the best thing about Haven.

Well, that and the gun course...

Wine was being poured and the Alphas had all moved into a smaller drawing room to socialize.

Jak reluctantly followed them, but was so thankful when both Ashelin and Arippa came up to him and saved him from having to socialize with strangers.

After a healthy amount of grade A Haven wine, the topic of Jak's Haven city experience turned to his and Torn's marriage so far.

Ashelin sipped from her glass and commented, "You know, I'm really sorry I've ignored the two of you this week. The Council has been up my ass lately over the recent protests. Poor Tess couldn't even come tonight due to the amount of paperwork."

Arippa gave a small chuckle as he swished his wine around in the glass, "That's an understatement, she has more paperwork than I do...and my job is mostly paperwork." He turned his attention back to Jak, "But enough politics, Torn seems to be warming up to you a lot quicker than I anticipated."

Jak blushed and gave a shy grin, "You think so? I mean...we have been getting a lot closer lately."

Ashelin gave a huff of laughter, "Of course, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that all you Reista men have a thing for blondes." She motioned to Captain Eryn, who stood watch by the door sans his helmet, showing off his bleached blonde hair.

And...now that Jak thought about it, Tear was also dating a blonde...

"What can I say..." Arippa shrugged, "We have good taste." He gave Jak a playful wink, which Jak would have taken as a flirting attempt if he hadn't already seen how devoted Arippa is to both Torn and Eryn.

Instead, Jak smirked in response and teased back, "I'd say the good taste goes both ways. You guys are a good-looking bunch."

This caused Arippa to give a surprised guffaw as he lost his graceful edge for a moment before quickly replacing it, "Oh, you sweet thing! No wonder Torn fell so hard for your charms!" He took a large gulp of his wine before purring, "I'm looking forward to the day I finally become an uncle."

Jak grimaced slightly at the suggestion, "If I'm honest...I don't think that'll be for a while...or probably never. Torn doesn't seem to like the idea of pregnancy, and I don't think I'm ready to be a dad."

"Oh darling," Arippa sighed with a gentle smile, "I didn't say that with the intention that it'll happen anytime soon...I have a tendency to look forward to the distant future and its potential possibilities. I'm an optimist that way. And for the record, I think you would make a fine father one day...just like Torn would as well."

Ashelin raised a brow at this, "Are we talking about the same Torn? Last I checked he hates kids."

"He hates other people's kids...but think about how protective he is of his pack." Arippa pointed out, "Whether he realizes it or not, he has some pretty strong maternal instincts."

"Don't you mean paternal?" Jak asked.

Arippa pursed his lips and hummed, "You know, scientists who study behavior have made discoveries that maternal and paternal instincts are found in both men and women. Rather than correlating to one's gender, the respective instincts correlate more to types of behaviors. Maternal being nurturing and guiding while paternal exhibits protective instincts. The gender roles forced upon society tell us that only women can be maternal...and yet, my father was always the one to comfort us while my mother handled the discipline."

He gave Jak a pointed look, "Torn might take after our mother, but I'm sure you've witnessed his maternal instincts firsthand yourself." He took another sip of his wine before offering his final thoughts, "And, if I'm honest, I think your maternal instincts are just as strong as your paternal ones."

"Wow...that's...that actually makes a lot of sense." Jak replied. He frowned when he was suddenly reminded of his own parents. His memories of his mother were all tainted, and the distance between him and his father overshadowed all his old happy memories.

A good father? Him?

He wasn't even sure what a good father looked like.

But...even though it felt like jumping the gun, he couldn't help but feel warmth in his chest at the thought of eventually starting a family of his own...

...with Torn.

He could easily imagine a smaller version of himself or Torn, or even a mixture of both of them, running around the palace or playing on Spargus's beach while he and Torn proudly looked on. Perhaps their child would take after their Omegan father and grow up to be a superb soldier.

Jak laughed to himself and shook his head, dismissing the fantasy as just that.

After all, they barely just started being comfortable with kissing. It would be a very long time before they could even discuss taking their relationship that far.

Assuming it even happens in the first place.

Ashelin nudged him and gave a concerned look, "You alright?"

Jak nodded, "Yeah, just...thinking."

"That so?" Ashelin gave an unconvinced look, but decided against prying further in favor of asking something else, "By the way, I saw the interview. That was a ballsy move you made with that announcement. You had the entire council in an uproar."

"All I did was tell the truth." Jak stated, "Did you see the way the Countess talked about Torn?! I couldn't just let her fucking insult him like that. Besides, it was worth it to shake her up a little."

Arippa gave an undignified snort, "Truer words were never said. I saved a recording of the interview to my com. I'm still waiting for the perfect moment to play it back in her presence."

Ashelin had a different opinion, "You were a little too truthful. It's only going to come back to bite you if you give away all your intentions at once."

Jak frowned, "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"I'm not saying you did," Ashelin tried to defuse, "I'm just trying to give you some political advice. Trust me, I've been dealing with these pompous pricks for years. You never want to reveal all your cards. Announcing how Spargus politics work was a good move since Torn will absolutely be your best asset in dealing with the council. However, you gave away far too much when you talked about Torn joining the military. Tensions are already high concerning his retirement, and he didn't really help anything when he told the world that it wasn't his choice."

"It wasn't his choice though," Jak argued, "He was forced to bond with me because of Haven's sexist customs."

Ashelin sighed, "Yes, we know that, but the people did not."

"Well maybe they needed to." Jak retorted, "Maybe this will be what finally gets them riled up enough to do something!"

Both Arippa and Ashelin went quiet. The senator turned away and downed the rest of his wine as Ashelin's face fell slightly.

The red-headed Alpha also downed her glass before resuming the conversation, "Well, you're right about that. Tess has her troops spread thin handling protests that quickly turn violent. The O.R.A has called for action that will keep falling on deaf ears because the council calls the shots." She set her glass on a passing tray before turning back to Jak, "Things aren't going to change until the people in power change. Focus on that, and you'll see real change happen."

Arippa decided to finally add his two cents, "Making Torn your political equal is a hell of a start. Use that when you start filibustering with us."

With that, the second bell of the Galla rang, signaling for all guests to return to the ballroom for dancing.

Ashelin gave an unamused sigh and ran her hands down her dress to straighten it, "Well, duty calls." She gave Jak and Arippa a polite nod before rejoining the crowd of Alphas on their way to the ballroom. Arippa gave Jak a friendly nudge and teased, "If you want to dance with Torn, you better get a move on."

Jak didn't need to be told twice as he suddenly remembered that he would be able to see Torn again. He quickly darted to doors, leaving a chucking Arippa behind, and followed the dwindling crowd of Alphas back into the ballroom. It seemed the Omegas and women were also funneling back into the ballroom.

Jak scanned the crowd for Torn.

A band of musicians on a stage in the corner began playing and couples grouped up in the center dancefloor. Effortlessly, the dancing began and Jak could only walk around the edges of the floor, peering through the spinning bodies for a glimpse of his mate.

Just when he was about to give up, he felt arms wrap around his shoulders.

"Smells like someone's been drinking."

He barely suppressed a shiver as he felt Torn's warm breath against his earlobe. He turned his head and gave Torn a cocky smile, "Did you enjoy your nap?"

Torn rolled his eyes and sighed, "Unfortunately, it was too noisy to nap." He didn't move out from behind Jak and, to the Alpha's surprise, lowered his head to nose around his covered neck. Jak felt another shiver go up his spine and tried to stay still, "Uh...Torn? You alright?"

"Hm?" Torn pulled away, as if coming out of a daze, "Sorry...guess I'm just tired. You smell nice..." He froze then looked away in embarrassment, "Forget you heard that."

"Not a chance." Jak smirked and moved to stand next to Torn, looping an arm around his waist, "We'll scent later, and you can smell me all you want."

Torn raised a brow and growled, "You forget...you're still sleeping on the couch for that 'knot' comment."

"Oh come on!" Jak whined, "That was hours ago!"

Torn shrugged in reply, but Jak noticed the small smirk that told him he wasn't serious about his threat.

They watched the dancers for a moment, and just when Jak was about to ask Torn to dance, he heard a familiar giggling.

"Prince Mar! Oh, Prince Mar!"

The three handsy Omegan women trotted up to them, two of them grabbing at his arm. The taller brunette in a pink ensemble batted her eyes at him and begged, "Will you dance with us now? All the other Alphas here are old men or jerks!"

The green haired girl in blue leaned against her pink friend and gave a pout, "We just want to have a dance without getting felt up! Is that too much to ask?"

Finally, the short, blue haired girl in purple saddled up against Torn and peered up at him innocently, "Commander, may we please dance with your husband? We've never danced with a Prince before!"

Torn gave the smaller one a smile as she looper her arms around his, "I don't see why not. Just keep your hands where I can see them, ladies."

Jak gaped, "Wait, what?!"

"It's only fair, Sweetheart." Torn purred, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "These lovely ladies want to have a good time, and you did promise to dance with them, so get out there and show them your moves."

All three girls squealed in excitement as the brunette started pulling Jak to the dance floor, "Me first!"

"Hold on a sec-" Jak yelped as he was dragged away to the floor.

Torn snickered and called after them, "Don't wear him out too much! Your friends want a turn, remember?"

The two remaining girls patiently waited for their turns beside Torn, and in the meantime they chatted him up, curiously inquiring about what being bonded to a Prince was like. What surprised Torn, however, was that they talked about the interview with Lotta Bellemore and requested to hear more stories from his time in the guard.

He indulged them with stories until the brunette came back, switching out with her green haired friend.

As time went on, the two women began chatting, giving Torn a reprieve from storytelling. He focused instead on his husband...putting Tear's dancing lessons to use.

He watched as he expertly danced with the young Omegan woman. And as he watched, he felt heat flood his belly again.

It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room along with all other occupants. It was just him and Jak. He watched him twirl and sway to the music, a real smile blooming on his face from the good innocent fun he was having.

And to him...this was the definition of beauty.

Jak was the perfect example of a fairy tale prince. His gold and white outfit sparkled in the light...his smile shone even brighter. And fuck...he never thought he'd feel weak in his knees from a smile.

His little spat with Erol seemed to fade away like a distant memory.

Why was he even worried?

Erol was so very wrong about Jak. Jak is different.

...but...even so...

Erol was right about one thing...despite everything, Torn was afraid of how intimate he was getting with Jak.

The urges to mark him were getting stronger every day. All evening he'd felt hot and uncomfortable around his younger husband.

And that fit he had earlier in the bathroom...

He felt cold suddenly as the world came back into existence. He focused back on Jak, the blonde seemed to naturally charm everyone around him...including the pretty young Omega still dancing with him.

They looked good together.

Jak was so radiant; he could have anyone he wanted at the drop of a hat.

...he would be so much happier if he were mated to someone like her...

Torn clenched his jaw. The room felt claustrophobic all of a sudden. He turned and once more fled down the Ballroom, out into the hall.

He needed some air.

After Jak had finally been released from the blue-haired girl's clutches, he wearily staggered back to where he left Torn, only to find that he was no longer there.

He was about to once again scan the crowd for his mate, when he felt someone's presence behind him. He smiled and rolled his eyes, "You know, if you're gonna make a habit of sneaking up behind me, you can at least be cute about it and give me a kiss."

"How forward. And here I thought you didn't like me."

That...was not Torn.

Jak barely suppressed a growl as he turned and glared at Erol, "I thought you were Torn."

"What's the matter? Did your prudish little wife manage to ditch you?" Erol chided, flashing that dangerous smirk.

Jak turned to fully face him, his face beginning to twist in a sneer, "He's not attached to my hip, he can go wherever he wants. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have nothing to say to you." He tried to leave, but Erol grabbed his arm, keeping him there.

"Oh, but I have lots I want to say to you." He purred, "How about a dance?"

Jak whipped his head to gawk at him and growled, "I would rather dance with a Metal Head!"

"A wise choice." Erol snickered, "They'll be less likely to bite." He tightened his grip on Jak's arm and sternly demanded, "Stop being bitchy and just come with me. I want to talk about Torn...there's something I think you should know."

With that, Erol released Jak's arm and moved to the dance floor.

Jak really wanted to just turn and go find Torn. Nothing good could come from talking to Erol...

...and yet, his curiosity got the better of him.

So, he begrudgingly met the other man on the dance floor. After half-heartedly performing the standard basic movements, they settled into a waltz.

Erol then started talking, "I bet you're curious about me and your lover. We did have quite the affair after all."

Jak frowned, "Torn already told me everything...including how you betrayed him."

Erol tsked, "He betrayed me first. I thought I was important to him...but as it turns out, I was just a convenience. Much like you are now."

"What the hell are you talking about?" The waltz faltered slightly, but Jak kept the pace back up.

Erol leaned in and stated in a lower tone, "You really don't see it? How he's stringing you along? He is never going to sleep with you...you do know that, right?"

"I don't care." Jak replied, "He's not a prize to be won, or a challenge to be conquered. If he decides to sleep with me, I'd be stoked, yeah...but I wouldn't mind if it never happened. I'm happy just being with him, and I know he's happy being with me."

Erol gave a laugh, "Please spare me your misplaced chivalry. As for being happy, you should know that everything Torn does is fake...and his affection is always transactional...never emotional. He's probably already tried that shit with you by now. What, does he bribe you with kisses on the promise you'll be a good little ALpha for him?"

Jak frowned, his cheeks betraying his resolve as a light flush came to them.

"Oh? Did I hit the nail on the head? Figures, I've seen it all before. He attempted the same shit on me. At least I wasn't stupid and got some actual sex out of him. You should value your services a bit more...raise your prices a bit."

Jak felt his face heat from anger listening to Erol talk about Torn in such a way. He had to keep calm though...since they were surrounded by other people.

He should never have fallen for Erol's trap.

"You're mistaking common decency for stupidity. I'm planning to wait for Torn to willing to have sex with me...instead of taking advantage of him during an ill-timed cycle." Jak hissed as he traded a scathing smirk.

That seemed to hit a nerve in Erol, as the Omega's gold eyes narrowed in anger and his snarled, "And yet, which of us has actually fucked him...on several occasions?"

"Which of us is bonded to him? The so-called 'fate worse than death'...as you put it." Jak tilted his head in mock intrigue as he jabbed, "With the way you're talking, it seems like you're jealous."

Erol let out a laugh at that statement, surprising Jak slightly, before huffing, "Oh, I stand by my statement. Trust me, I'm not jealous of you...I pity you. He's not capable of love. You should just give up on him."

"I'm not you." Jak growled, his patience wearing thin, "Just because he's never shown you real affection doesn't mean he hasn't given it to me."

Erol rolled his eyes and chided, "You've only been married to him for a mere week...that's not affection he's giving you...he's satiating you. You don't know what he's really like with someone he truly adores."

Jak had enough at this point. He locked eyes with Erol, leaned in close and growled right in his face, "Neither do you..."

He pulled himself away from the orange-haired Omega, blinking owlishly at him with his gold eyes. Jak gave a sarcastic bow and walked away as quickly as his feet could carry him.

By the time Jak finally burst outside into the backyard gardens, he was no longer able to contain his growling.

This night really wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for that arrogant, preachy, bastard Erol!

The Omega's words still circled Jak's brain like a flock of birds, pecking away at his logic and casting doubt on everything he believed up to this point.

Torn liked him...right?

He's kissed him...twice! On the mouth! He's comforted him, held him against him, let him cuddle him during the night. Jak was able to make him PURR for fucks sake! Erol has no idea what he's talking about.

Torn absolutely must feel something for him.

...right?

He reached the main garden fountain.

It was still in view of the ballroom, as Jak could clearly see the dancing pairs through the grand glass windows. The music still echoed into the night air.

But none of that interested him when he noticed Torn sitting on the edge of the fountain, looking up at the night sky...obviously deep in thought.

Instantly, he felt his heart quicken and his mind settle. He made his way over to the other man, causing him to jump to alertness for a moment. When Torn saw it was just Jak, he scooched over to make a place for Jak to sit and resumed staring up at the stars.

Jak settled beside Torn, looking him over once before turning his gaze upwards.

The Haven night sky was a lot different from Spargus.

Out in the desert, there wasn't a single inch of sky that wasn't littered with stars. Purples and blues decorated the wide expanse, and Jak could clearly make out his favorite constellations.

Here... everything was swallowed in an inky blackness...except for the constellations.

He smiled and nudged Torn's side, "That's Valtial the conqueror." He pointed up at a grouping of stars.

Torn's gaze followed Jak's finger and he raised a brow, "And who the hell is that?"

"He was a great warrior who supposedly lived a long time ago." Jak explained, "He fought monsters, saved villages, and had 12 Omegan wives."

Torn huffed through his nose, "Charming..."

Jak shrugged, "That's not the interesting part. He supposedly tamed the entire world, but when there were no more realms to conquer, he returned home with his well-earned riches. He planned to give away all his wealth and live simply with his wives. He wanted to retire and live a peaceful life with the 12 women he loved...but his wives wanted to maintain their lavish lifestyle. They found out that he was practically unkillable...save for his one weakness, which was a promise he made to never touch wine. They killed him by spiking his water with wine and turning his body into dust."

"Wait..." Torn interrupted, "How the hell did they turn his body into dust...from wine?"

"Shh, don't worry about it," Jak dismissed, "Anyway, the precursors intervened and turned all his treasure into wood and stone, leaving the 12 widows with nothing. They then took his dust and scattered it into the night sky. And that's him."

"Wow..." Torn pondered, "That's...not a story I've heard before."

Jak laughed softly, "My mom would tell me the stories of all the constellations. This one was my favorite."

"Why is that?" Torn glanced over to Jak.

Jak shrugged, "Dunno...just, I guess a part of me always like to imagine that his wives got what they deserved in the end. And the precursors maintained his legacy by turning him into stars...it's divine justice, y'know?"

Torn gave a small nod, "Yeah...I get that." He gazed up at the sky for a moment before he too pointed to a constellation, "That one's my favorite. It's called Aira and Sava, ever heard of them?"

Jak shook his head, "Nope, we don't have one that looks like that in Spargus."

"It's about an Alpha named Aira, and an Omega named Sava." Torn began, "Aira was incredibly handsome, but he felt that no one deserved him. Sava was undesirable and ugly, but she fell madly in love with Aira. Sava knew he was her soul mate, but she was too terrified to confess her feelings to him, because she knew he would reject her."

Jak frowned sadly, "That's awful..."

"Oh, it gets worse." Torn chuckled, "Sava decided to show Aira her love for him by painting a picture of him... giving it to him as a gift. Aira loved the painting so much, he wouldn't stop staring at it. He became determined to find the painter, believing she was his soul mate. When Sava finally gained the courage to reveal herself, Aira didn't believe her. He refused to believe that his soul mate was someone so ugly and worthless. What's worse...Sava agreed with him and locked herself away in her home...continuously painting portraits of Aira. Eventually, they both became bond sick due to their refusal to listen to fate's design. They died alone. The precursors felt so bad for them, they turned their bodies into a constellation."

"Wha the fuck, Torn!" Jak gasped, "That's horrible!"

It was Torn's turn to shrug now, "It's a sad story, but..." He looked up at the constellation, "To me, the saddest part is that Sava didn't deserve someone like Aira...someone so full of himself that he wouldn't give her a chance because of how she looked. She deserved better...and I can't help but look at that constellation and wish I could rip her away from him...introduce her to someone better."

Jak hummed in agreement, "Maybe Valtial wants a 13th wife...seeing that his other 12 never made it up there with him."

"Yeah..." Torn mused, "That's a nice ending...Valtial the betrayed hero and Sava the victim of arrogance...finding love amongst the stars."

They sat there staring at the sky, and before they knew it, they'd moved so close their shoulders were pressed together. Jak closed his eyes, listening to the light sound of music and wind...and then he got an idea.

He stood up and moved in front of Torn. Before the other man could ask what he was doing, Jak bowed at the waist and held out his hand.

He flashed a suave grin at Torn and purred, "Will my incredibly handsome mate please do me the honor of dancing with me?"

Torn just stared at him for a moment before dropping his head in defeat and giving a tired laugh, "Since when did you become Prince Charming?" Despite his teasing, Torn did take Jak's hand, allowing the Alpha to pull him off the fountain and against his body.

Jak smiled up at Torn and slid a hand around his waist, making sure to go slowly so Torn could feel his hand even through the corset, "Ever since you started looking like Cinderella."

Torn placed his hand on Jak's shoulder and warned, "Call me that again, and I'll get some much-deserved revenge for Tear."

Jak tightened his grip, pulling the taller man against him firmly before teasing, "If it means I can finally dance with you, it'll be worth it."

Jak led them, as Tear had taught him, and they slowly moved in time with the music.

Even though he'd had several dances tonight...this by far was the best one.

Time seemed to stand still around them...

Long after the music ended, Jak still found himself swaying back and forth. Now in a more relaxed waltz with slower movements, Jak laid his head against Torn's chest, taking in his calming scent that was dampened by the metal choker.

Torn moved his hand from Jak's shoulder to the back of his head. He lowered his face and nestled his cheek on the top of Jak's head...greedily nosing his hair for his scent.

Once more...Torn found he had an irresistible urge to claim Jak.

He pulled away from him gently, sliding a hand under Jak's chin to tilt his face up. At first Jak's face showed confusion, but when Torn began leaning down, he closed his eyes and accepted the gentle kiss happily.

Heat blossomed in Torn's belly again...causing him to deepen the kiss.

He wanted more...

Jak suddenly pulled away and dragged Torn off towards the side of the manor. Torn nearly whined at the loss of contact before he found himself shoved against a wall, his little Alpha staring up at him with determined eyes.

He raised a brow, "What are you doing?" Though he made no move to escape.

Jak leaned in close, growling low in his throat, "I want to kiss you. I've wanted to all night." He was so close...so close, Torn could feel his breath against his lips. Jak's growls grew in intensity...ringing in Torn's ears until he found himself begin to purr in sync with them.

"Can I?" Jak whispered...still waiting for permission.

Torn couldn't find a single reason to deny him, "Show me what you got, brat."

Jak didn't waste a second, crushing their mouths together hard. A little too hard at first, but Jak softened once he felt Torn open his mouth willingly. At first, he just moved against him, enjoying the feeling of Torn's lips against his own and the heat of their breaths colliding.

It was Torn who attempted to deepen the kiss by sliding his tongue along Jak's bottom lip, trying to coax him into taking the plunge.

Who was Jak to deny?

He reached a hand around the back of Torn's neck, not too pleased when he felt the cold metal of his collar rather than his warm skin. But that didn't matter...he needed leverage. He used his hand to tilt Torn's head to the side so he could better control the kiss. Once he could, he boldly slid his tongue against Torn's.

The Omega's muffled moan only encouraged Jak further as he coaxed Torn into a different kind of dance. There was no need to fight for control here...this kiss was about exploring...cooperating...feeling.

Jak pulled away for air and immediately moved his attack upwards, capturing the base of Torn's ear in his teeth. Torn hissed and dug his nails in the back of Jak's head as he released a growl amidst his increasingly strong purrs. Jak moved his hands down, sliding them over Torn's shoulders, following the straps of his corset before moving them inward.

This time he got a little more bold, tentatively groping Torn's chest, massaging the hard, yet springy flesh. He was shocked Torn was letting him do this, and honestly, he wasn't about to question it. He avoided the Omega's quickly hardening nipples and just focused on touching his less sensative parts, stroking his body through the thin fabric covering it.

Even though he wanted desperately to rip open his top and take one of the hard buds in his mouth, he resisted and moved up to caress his shoulders and arms.

Meanwhile, Torn had gotten a bit grabby himself. With one hand gripping Jak's hair, he pressed the Alpha's head close to his body, giving him more and more access to his ear. His other hand traveled down along his chest, over his stomach, and around his waist to settle on the small of his back. He laughed softly as he teased, "Getting a little too touchy, punk. Never gave you permission to grab my tits."

Jak pulled away and smirked deviously, "You can touch mine too if you want...eye for an eye and all that."

Torn responded by leaning forward and kissed Jak again, teething at his bottom lip before growling, "As tempting as that is, you're getting a little too big for your britches, pup."

Jak smiled and leaned in, nudging the side of Torn's face with his nose, "Sorry...I should've asked first. I just really love touching you."

Torn sighed softly and whispered, "I'll bet...perverted brat." But then after a moment he decided to throw the kid some slack, "It felt...good. You know how to work your hands. Wouldn't mind you doing it again some other time."

Jak instantly perked up and gave Torn one of his goofy smiles, "Really? I'd like that."

"I bet you would...but I wouldn't mind touching yours too." Torn purred, "You've got a nice set yourself."

Jak pushed his chest flush against Torn's and teased, "Imagine how much nicer they'll look without the shirt on.

Torn rolled his eyes and sighed, "And we're done, you ruined it."

That earned him a pout from the Alpha as he whined, "Oh come on, Torn. I'm kidding!" He placed smaller kisses along the side of Torn's face as he emitted a submissive whine, "C'mon...I'm not done yet."

Torn leaned forward to nuzzle the side of Jak's neck, "We're getting too worked up, kid. We still need to go back in there, and I'd rather not look like we just finished necking in the shrubs."

"But we weren't in the shrubs." Jak pointed out.

"Not the point." Torn stated before he gave Jak one last kiss on the lips and whispered, "We can continue later, ok? When I can finally take this fucking collar off."

Jak pouted for a bit, but soon relented and sighed, "Ok...but you promised alright? No backsies."

"No backsies? What are you, 5?" Torn scoffed.

Jak replied in a very mature way...by sticking out his tongue then running away back towards the Galla.

Torn couldn't help but let out a small huff of laughter before making himself presentable and following after his totally-not-5-year-old mate.

Now he just had to survive another hour...and hope his slick didn't leak through his pants.

The Galla ended longer than Jak would have liked, but it was worth the wait when they got back to their suite.

Torn had practically forced him against the door and attacked his mouth again with forceful nips and dominating tongue-play. It caught him so off guard, but at the same time he was absolutely up for another make-out session.

Torn started steering Jak over to their bed, shedding his expensive tux parts along the way until he was left in just his gold button down and his trousers.

Jak was barely able to wobble his way over to the bed before Torn pushed his down against it.

Something was different with him...

It was almost like one of his restraints snapped. Torn's blue eyes were filled with a lustful need that Jak hadn't seen before. He didn't really get what was happening until Torn ripped open his dress shirt, the buttons flying in different directions, and yanked his neck to the side. He didn't waste any time bathing his scent gland with his tongue.

Jak sighed and closed his eyes...

Ok...So, Torn was grooming him...that wasn't anything new.

Maybe something weird wasn't up with Torn...he was just a bit more eager than usual.

He gave an encouraging growl as he felt Torn moan against his mating bite, sucking on the deep indents before he started grazing his teeth over the bite.

...wait...

...he wasn't going to...

?!

The pain was more of a shock than anything else...and it was immediately overtaken by intense pleasure.

Torn's teeth drew blood, and he heard the Omega give a growl of possession as he released his jaw.

Jak didn't imagine it...

Torn bit him!

A primal growl filled the room...coming from Jak's throat and scaring even himself.

Torn must've take that the wrong way because he immediately backed away, practically flinging himself away from the bed and pushing himself against the opposite wall...staring at Jak with wide eyes.

He looked like he was about to apologize, but Jak was having NONE of that, "Get the FUCK back over here and dig your teeth in!" Jak growled loudly, nearly losing control and using his Alpha voice.

Torn's look of regret was instantly replaced by that lustful one as he practically tackled Jak and sank his teeth into his shoulder. Another growl ripped itself out of Jak...guttural and intense, but this time, Torn didn't stop.

He lapped over the bleeding wounds he created before making yet another one on the opposite side.

Jak had no fucking clue what had suddenly pushed Torn to mark him like this. This morning, he was under the impression that the other man would never ever do this with him. But whatever devil inspired his mate, Jak was eagerly awaiting the new scars he would receive from the harsh marking.

He would never wear a shirt again if it meant he could show everyone how passionately his mate claimed him.

After leaving 4 bites along Jak's neck and shoulders, Torn pulled away and seemed to get kicked back into his Omega mode. He began carefully and thoroughly grooming Jak's new wounds, purring like a kitten the entire time.

Jak wanted to just enjoy the aftermath, but seeing that this is unusual behavior from Torn, he needed to know if Torn was alright, "What made you suddenly want to mark me?"

Torn paused his grooming, seemingly just having realized what the hell he did, "I...I don't know..." He pulled away, confusion blooming on his face, "Why...why did I?"

Realizing that Torn might be about to lose all the progress he made, Jak reached across the gap and pulled him into a hug, "I guess it doesn't matter, right? You finally marked me as yours...that's more than I ever could have asked from you. Thank you."

Torn was still in his arms.

A million questions screaming in his head.

Something was absolutely wrong with him...his behavior was erratic...abnormal...almost like...

His eyes went wide at the possibility.

...but...no...it can't be that.

It wasn't time yet! He had at least a whole month to go.

No... that wasn't it,

He sighed and allowed Jak to push him down gently against the bed.

Maybe it was just the stress finally getting to him.

He closed his eyes as he felt Jak licking along his metal choker. He felt Jak reach around and undo the locks on the back, finally freeing his scent which Jak hastily partook in. He felt his Alpha suckle at his mark before digging in his own teeth, repaying him for the damage he'd done prior.

Jak didn't mark him as many times as Torn did, but he did spend extra time grooming his new marks.

Briefly, Torn remembered that he was still in his Galla outfit...and he had a million metal pieces in his dreads. He needed to get them out...but the world was slowly fading around him...and his Alpha's growls, scent, and grooming was lulling him deeper and deeper into the void.

Before he knew it, he was off in a deep, blissful sleep...purring contently as Jak continued caring for him.