The door closed behind Lord Rylan with a final, echoing thud.
Silence followed.
Not the peaceful kind—but the heavy, unsettled kind that pressed against Adrian's chest and refused to move.
Adrian stood exactly where he was, arms crossed, spine straight, jaw tight. He didn't sag in relief. He didn't crumble. If anything, he felt sharper—like every nerve had been scraped raw and left exposed.
Cassian watched him closely.
"You didn't bend," his father said at last.
Adrian swallowed. "I won't."
Cassian nodded slowly. "Good. Because that boy expected you to."
Adrian frowned. "He expected me to want him."
Cassian's lips curved faintly. "And did you?"
Adrian didn't answer right away,cause he knew deep down he'd be lying if he disapproved
That alone was an answer.
Cassian didn't press. Instead, he said, "You challenged him publicly. That takes courage. Most Omegas would have folded the moment he stepped forward."
Adrian bristled—not in offense, but conviction. "That's exactly why I didn't."
Cassian raised a brow.
"Because everyone expects Omegas to fold," Adrian continued, voice firm. "To soften. To submit. To be grateful an Alpha wants them."
He clenched his fists. "I refuse to live like that."
Cassian studied his son for a long moment—then nodded once, decisively.
"You're right," he said. "And that's why this won't be the last move House Veythar makes."
Adrian's stomach tightened. "You think he'll push harder?"
"I think," Cassian said calmly, "that Lord Rylan has never been denied anything he truly wanted."
Adrian exhaled. "Then he'll learn."
Cassian gave a low chuckle. "You sound like you're preparing for war."
"Maybe I am."
Cassian's expression softened with unmistakable pride. "Then you won't fight it alone."
---
That night, sleep refused to come.
Adrian lay awake, staring at the ceiling, his mind replaying every second of the confrontation.
Rylan bowing his head.
Rylan asking permission.
Rylan saying I'll wait.
It unsettled him more than the arrogance had.
Because arrogance was easy to reject.
Patience?
That was dangerous.
Adrian rolled onto his side, frustration twisting in his gut.
He thinks waiting will change my mind.
He wouldn't let it.
Omegas weren't prizes to be worn down.
They weren't rewards for persistence.
They weren't property.
And Adrian would prove that—even if the heir of Valcor himself had to learn the lesson the hard way.
---
Three days passed.
No letters.
No gifts.
No envoys.
Too quiet.
Adrian didn't relax. He trained instead.
Not with swords—Cassian wouldn't allow that yet—but with discipline. Early mornings. Long runs. Breath control. Mental focus.
"Strength isn't always physical," Cassian reminded him. "Especially for an Omega who refuses to be underestimated."
Adrian took the words to heart.
By the fourth day, whispers returned—but different ones.
Lord Rylan hasn't visited anyone else.
He declined three Omega invitations.
The Duke's heir dismissed a council banquet.
Adrian pretended not to hear.
But his body reacted anyway.
An odd heat curled low in his stomach—not desperate, not needy, but aware. Awake.
No, he told himself firmly.
This doesn't mean anything.
That evening, as the sun dipped low and shadows stretched long across the Severale courtyard, a familiar presence brushed against his senses.
Not overwhelming.
Not invading.
Just… there.
Adrian stopped walking.
Slowly, deliberately, he turned.
Lord Rylan stood at the edge of the courtyard—unarmed, unarmored, dressed plainly in dark linen instead of crimson. No guards. No envoy. No crest on display.
Just him.
He didn't step closer.
He didn't speak.
He waited.
Adrian's heart beat faster—not from fear, but from irritation.
"You were told to keep your distance," Adrian said coolly.
"I am," Rylan replied. His voice was calm. Controlled. "I didn't cross the gate."
"That's a technicality."
Rylan's lips twitched. "You said request. Not vanish."
Adrian narrowed his eyes. "And what are you requesting?"
Rylan met his gaze evenly. No dominance. No pressure.
"Five minutes," he said. "To talk. That's all."
Adrian hesitated.
Cassian wasn't nearby.
No one was watching.
This—this—was exactly the situation he'd warned against.
And yet…
Adrian lifted his chin. "Three."
Rylan smiled—slow and genuine this time. "Fair."
Adrian didn't invite him closer.
Rylan didn't try.
They stood apart, the space between them deliberate and charged.
"I came to apologize," Rylan said quietly.
Adrian blinked. "…For what?"
"For acting like wanting you gave me the right to claim you."
The words landed heavily.
Adrian studied him, suspicious. "And?"
"And I was wrong."
Silence stretched.
Adrian hadn't expected that.
Not from him.
"I don't need you to accept me," Rylan continued. "But I won't treat you like something to be won either."
Adrian crossed his arms. "Words are easy."
"I know."
Rylan met his eyes, unwavering. "That's why I'm not asking for anything tonight."
Adrian searched his face for manipulation. Found none.
"Then why are you here?"
Rylan exhaled slowly. "Because I needed you to know I heard you."
Adrian's chest tightened—annoyingly so.
His three minutes were almost up.
"Good," Adrian said. "Then hear this too."
Rylan waited.
"I don't belong to anyone," Adrian said firmly. "If I ever choose someone, it'll be because they stand beside me. Not above me. Not over me."
Rylan nodded once. "Understood."
Adrian turned away. "You can go."
Rylan didn't argue.
As he walked back toward the gate, he paused—just once.
"Adrian?"
Adrian didn't turn.
"You're not weak," Rylan said softly. "And I won't insult you by pretending otherwise again."
Then he left.
Adrian stood there long after the gate closed, heart pounding—not in surrender, not in fear…
But in something far more dangerous.
Possibility that he was falling for this Tyrant Alpha