Chapter 7 The Perfect Couple

• Elara
• The crowd immediately began to buzz excitedly, drowning out the sound of the elder’s gavel.
• “Is the marriage between Alpha Alaric and that Omega woman really a sham?”
• I felt a flush creep up my neck, my cheeks burning. Was this seriously happening? Would I really have to spend six months married to a man I hardly knew?
• Across the room, Mason and Olivia sat side by side, smiling smugly at us. Olivia caught my eye and gave a little wave, her fingers wiggling mockingly.
• Beside me, I sensed Alaric’s gaze piercing into me. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, only to find him glaring at me quietly, his jaw clenched tight.
• “What?” I snapped in a low voice, trying to keep my expression neutral. “I don’t want to be around you for six months either, so don't look at me like that.”
• He sighed heavily, his shoulders relaxing just a fraction. “Fine. But now’s not the time to bicker,” he murmured. “From this moment on, we need to play the perfect couple. If we slip up, then we’ll lose the girls.”
• Suddenly, the door creaked loudly, followed by the sound of… clapping? Even the crowd went quiet at the interruption.
• Turning toward the sound, I saw a man making his way down the aisle, clapping slowly with a sly grin on his face. He bore a striking resemblance to Alaric—the same sharp features, the same intense eyes—but there was a cunning glint in his gaze that set him apart.
• I realized immediately—this must have been Alaric’s younger brother, Asher Donovan.
• “Well, well,” Asher drawled as he approached us. “I didn’t expect you to get married so suddenly. I thought you’d sworn off women ever since your late wife.”
• A hush fell over the nearby crowd, all ears straining to catch every word. I felt Alaric stiffen beside me, but he didn’t miss a beat.
• “Sorry to disappoint you,” Alaric countered coolly, “but I love my wife very much. Unlike you—an idle playboy who clearly has no idea how to shoulder the responsibilities of an Alpha.”
• Asher’s smile faltered, irritation flashing across his face for a split second before he masked it with a chuckle. He turned his gaze to me, his eyes sweeping over me appraisingly. Under his scrutiny, I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. I resisted the urge to shrink beneath his gaze, instead sitting up a little straighter.
• At that moment, Alaric reached out and clasped my hand. The unexpected contact sent a jolt through me.
• “You,” Asher said quietly, eyeing our intertwined hands for a moment before meeting my gaze, “you don’t look very much like you want to be touched by my brother.”
• A few nearby onlookers tittered amongst themselves. Steadying myself, I mustered a calm voice. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I love my… husband.”
• The word husband felt foreign on my tongue, and I stumbled over it slightly, the unfamiliarity unsettling me.
• Asher’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Clearly, he didn’t believe a word out of my mouth, and I couldn’t blame him. I wasn’t exactly being convincing.
• He stared at me for a moment longer, considering, before he plastered another smirk onto his handsome face. “Then let me offer my congratulations to my dear brother and his Omega bride. May you have a long and happy life together.”
• With that, he gave a mocking little bow and turned away, disappearing back through the heavy oak doors. The murmurs resumed, even more animated than before.
• I instinctively tried to pull my hand away from Alaric’s, but he didn’t let go.
• “People are watching,” he murmured under his breath, his gaze fixed ahead.
• I glanced around and saw numerous eyes still trained on us, some whispering behind raised hands, others openly pointing. Reluctantly, I relaxed my hand in his grip
• “Fine,” I whispered back, swallowing my discomfort.
• Hand in hand, we began to make our way toward the exit. As we neared the grand doors, Olivia suddenly stepped into our path.
• She shot us a look of pure disdain, her lips curling into a sneer. “This has to be a fake marriage. There’s no way an Omega like Elara could—”
• Before she could finish her sentence, Alaric released my hand. My heart skipped a beat, thinking for a moment that he was abandoning the act. But instead, he slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me firmly against his side.
• He was… warm. And sturdy.
• And I quickly realized that I hadn’t had anyone in my life to lean on like this since… well, maybe forever.
• The thought made me flush, although I tried not to let it get to me.
• “Is there something you wanted to say, Olivia?” he asked smoothly, arching an eyebrow.
• Olivia’s face twisted with fear, jealousy and rage, her eyes flickering between us as if our very proximity to one another offended her. “No,” she finally spat out after a moment. “Nothing at all.”
• “Good,” Alaric replied coolly.
• He guided me past her, practically shoving her out of the way with his very presence. She stumbled back, letting out a small “Hmph!” of disdain as her eyes landed on me. I ignored her, but it wasn’t out of sheer willpower. I was too focused on… something else.
• I could feel the heat of his body through the thin fabric of my dress, the scent of his cologne filling my senses. It was disconcerting, to say the least, and it made it hard to notice anything other than his presence.
• As we stepped outside, the cool evening air washed over me. I hadn’t even realized just how long we had spent inside—we’d spent all day in that courtroom, arguing over the lives of children.
• Alaric's luxury car awaited us at the curb, its sleek black exterior gleaming under the streetlights.
• Wordlessly, he opened the passenger door for me, his hand lightly touching the small of my back as I slid into the seat. The gesture was clearly just meant to satisfy onlookers, and yet it sent another unexpected flutter through me.
• Once he was behind the wheel, we pulled away from the venue, leaving the cacophony behind. Neither of us spoke. We were both too exhausted, and besides, what was there to even talk about?
• We hardly knew each other. And we certainly didn’t like each other very much just based off of first impressions.
• But we were trapped together now for six fucking months.
• I folded my arms and stared out the window, watching the city lights blur past. My mind was a whirlwind, and I didn’t know how to make sense of any of it. Agreeing to marry Alaric had been a desperate act, and now we were getting our comeuppance for it.
• Goddess, how could I have been so stupid?
• Beside me, Alaric drove with a stoic expression, not saying a word. I wondered what he was thinking, if he felt any of the same doubts and frustrations that were swirling around inside of me.
• Of course he didn’t, I quickly realized, as Olivia’s words replayed in my mind.
• “There’s no way an Omega like Elara…”
• I knew what she was going to say; that there was no way a lowly Omega like me could marry an Alpha without some kind of ulterior motive.
• She was right, and we all knew it. This marriage was nothing more than a strategic move, a means to an end. I couldn’t allow myself to forget that, no matter how convincing the act became.
• So I steeled myself, vowing not to let my heart betray me.
• I had to put up with this for six whole months, which meant that I had to keep my wits about me for the sake of my children…
• And my own sanity.