Private Dinner and Fight

Leo

"I don't know why this stupid hair won't leave my forehead," Leo groaned for the umpteenth time. He had no idea why he was trying so hard to look good for dinner. He knew deep down it wasn't about the dinner. The reason he had brushed his hair so carefully and worn the most beautiful robe in his wardrobe, thanks to Mira, was to impress the alphas.

"If they're inviting you to dinner, it means they want you," Mira had told him.

But it made him wonder—did he want them, or was it just because he was fated to them?

Leo stared at himself one last time in the mirror before leaving his room. He found the Starlit Hall with the help of his map, and when he got there, he saw two guards at the entrance. They gave him a questioning look, and he knew it had to do with his status. Unlike his hall, the Starlit Hall was bigger and far more luxurious. That was why he'd been handed an invitation.

He offered the invitation, and one of the guards beckoned him forward.

"Follow me," he ordered.

Leo nodded and stepped into the hall, his boots echoing softly on the polished marble floors. The hallway was even more beautiful than he'd imagined—like stepping into another world. The lighting was different and brighter, and the dragon drawings on the walls looked almost alive.

When the guard reached the front of a large oak door, he stopped and opened it. "They are waiting."

"Thank—" Leo began to say something, but an attendant—a woman in her mid-fifties approached him.

"You must be Ryn."

"I am not—" Leo almost said he wasn't, but quickly faked a laugh to cover it up. He knew he should be used to being called Ryn by now, but somehow, he couldn't erase his real name.

"Follow me. The alphas are waiting," the woman said, leading him deeper into the halls until they reached a glass table where the three were already seated.

All heads turned toward him as he entered, and he felt intimidated by their glances. Kael wore his usual stoic expression, but the way he stared at Leo was filled with pure lust. His eyes shifted from molten gold to obsidian and back again. It happened three times, and Leo had to look away—because all he could think about was throwing himself into Kael's arms.

Veyr, on the other hand, was smiling. He waved at Leo and pointed to the acrylic chair opposite him.

"Welcome, Ryn. You look beautiful. Please, have a seat."

Beautiful. Never in his life had Leo expected to hear anyone call him that. Ryn was beautiful—he wasn't.

"Thank you," he muttered, sitting down. He turned to Sylas, whose eyes were fixed on him. He hadn't spoken a word, and it made Leo wonder what was going through his head. His expression was neutral. He wasn't friendly like Veyr, nor intense like Kael.

Sylas looked like he didn't want to be there.

"I…" Leo tried to speak but stopped when three attendants walked in carrying various platters of food. His mouth watered—it was food he'd never seen in real life before. The only one he recognized was a roasted pheasant, which he'd only ever seen in movies.

He shifted in his chair as food was served onto his plate, and his silver goblet was filled with red wine. He picked up his fork, but when he looked up, all three alphas were staring at him. He immediately panicked—was this another rule he was breaking?

"Eat, omega," Kael ordered.

Leo frowned. He hated that Kael hadn't called him by name. But instead of correcting him, he picked up his fork and began to eat.

His eyes widened as he savored the incredible taste of the pheasant. He didn't even realize when he let out a moan. The moment he did, he froze and glanced up, mortified to find the alphas watching him.

"I…" he began.

Veyr chuckled. "Just eat, Ryn. Seems the food is to your taste. And we are your mates, so there's no need to feel embarrassed."

Leo flushed with embarrassment. He hated showing his vulnerable side, but it didn't stop him from eating—this time, trying his best not to moan again.

The meal continued in awkward silence. None of them said much, and Leo started to wonder if the purpose of this dinner was to watch him eat. The three barely touched their plates while he was practically devouring his like he hadn't eaten in years.

"You eat like a pig," Kael finally said.

Leo choked on his food. Immediately, Sylas stood and handed him his goblet.

"Th–thank you," he gasped, stunned that Sylas had cared enough to notice he was choking.

So many surprises, he thought.

"We need to talk about your heat and—"

Kael didn't get to finish. Leo had just taken a sip of wine and accidentally spat it right on Kael's face.

He hadn't meant to. Of course, he was familiar with heat. He learned about them in biology, but this wasn't biology. This was real. This was something that was going to happen to him.

"I'm so sorry!" he gasped.

But Kael was already on his feet, rushing over and grabbing him by the throat. Their eyes met, and Leo noticed the strange switching of Kael's eyes again. He visibly gulped. His heart pounded from fear, but a strange shiver ran down his spine… and tingling spread all over his body.

He liked it. The way Kael's hand was wrapped around his throat. It was crazy, but he wanted Kael to choke him more, even though he was struggling to breathe.

That had to be the omega in him.

"Let him go," Sylas said, yanking Kael's hand away from Leo's throat.

Leo gasped and rubbed his neck.

"Do not butt into my business, Sylas. This doesn't concern you," Kael growled.

Sylas growled back. "Don't go all alpha on me, Kael. Remember your place. This omega is also mine."

In the blink of an eye, Kael had Sylas pinned against the hall wall.

"No. He should be only mine!" he shouted, possessive and unhinged.

Sylas punched Kael in the face, sending him flying across the room.

"I don't care if you're a yandere freak! You will learn how to share!"

"I do not care!" Kael leaped back to his feet and kicked Sylas in the stomach.

Leo was in shock. His mouth hung open as he watched them trade brutal blows. He turned toward Veyr, hoping the third alpha would stop the madness—but Veyr was laughing.

And that's when Mira's words echoed in his mind:

"They're rivals."

Leo turned back to them and watched as they destroyed the walls, hitting each other in ways that made him flinch. He knew they weren't even using their full power, but the way they fought—it was like a battlefield.

"He might be fated to all of us, but I'm going to make him only mine!" Kael roared.

"If you don't know how to share, then reject the bond!" Sylas shouted back.

And Veyr? Still laughing.

Leo hated the way they spoke about him as if he weren't even there. To them, he was just a possession meant to be shared. But he wasn't. He was more than that. In his real world, he'd suffered enough. He didn't want to be bound to people who only saw him as an omega.

He wanted to scream at them to go fuck themselves—but he couldn't. His omega status forced him into silence like a fool.

The fight grew more intense. The ground began to shake. They were now using their real powers. Veyr had stopped laughing, but he still didn't intervene.

"I'll show you why they call me General," Kael snarled, raising a hand and beckoning Sylas forward.

Sylas thrust out his palm. A searing heat pulsed through his veins, and with a sharp exhale, he unleashed a roaring flame toward Kael.

Leo's eyes widened. He jumped to his feet.

"What the hell are they doing!?" he yelled.

"Fighting like real men," Veyr said, sipping from his goblet. "I've been waiting for them to fight like this for years."

"Are you not going to stop them!?"

Veyr chuckled but said nothing.

Leo realized then—he had no intention of stopping them. After all, he wasn't called the Mischievous Alpha for nothing.

"Do you think your fire can stop me?" Kael scoffed and released a bolt of lightning shaped like a dragon.

"This will destroy you, Prince Sylas."

Leo stared in horror as fire and thunder were about to collide—and it reminded him of how he'd died. He didn't want that to happen again.

A voice whispered in his head: "Ansuz!"

It was faint—but he heard it.]

Suddenly, Leo found himself rushing between the two attacks. He raised his hand and, with two fingers, drew a glowing rune in the air. Then, in a voice not his own, he chanted:

Ansuz ása rǫdd, kalla ek þik.

Stormr sefr, eldr blik.

Sannleikr andi, hætta stríð—

Þrumur þegi, friðr skal líð.

(Ansuz, the voice of the gods, I call you.

The storm calms and the fire fades.

Breath of truth, make the fury stop.

Let thunder fall silent, and peace flow.)

Leo's eyes fluttered open. The rune marks on his hand were pulsing while everything around him had stilled. The lightning snapped in mid-air and vanished with a hiss. The fire dimmed instantly.

"Wha…" Leo was stunned. He turned and saw Kael and Sylas staring at him with wide eyes.

"I…" he tried to speak, but coughed, then groaned and dropped to his knees, coughing up blood.

His lungs burned. His vision blurred.

"I can't…" he whispered before collapsing.

"You stupid omega!" Kael yelled, rushing toward him. He scooped Leo up in his arms. "What the hell have you done to yourself?"