Ezra
The elder waited for me to move, but my body refused to budge. I stood there, staring at him in full disbelief because there was no way they were actually being serious.
I wasn't sure how I was supposed to react to something like this because what did you mean by I should take off my clothes in front of all these people?
But before I could say anything, a dangerously deep voice echoed through the hall.
It was Alpha Xenon, the one with the scar on his face.
His voice was so deep, for a moment I forgot what they told me to do. "It is disrespectful to keep the royal members waiting. Omega Ezra, bare yourself before the crowd or suffer retribution for your insolence."
My stomach twisted. Of course he had to be the one. What was his deal? He was the same Alpha who outed me the first time I came to the palace.
From his tone, I knew he was serious.
The crowd didn't make a sound. They all stared at me, waiting to see what I would do. I kept my eyes on the king and the princes. Their expressions were unreadable, but their eyes never left me either.
I swallowed and slowly moved my hands to my clothes.
Fine.
If this was what I had to do, then I would do it.
I undid the first piece, then the next.
The hall was silent but I could feel their excitement—especially the omegas who were probably waiting to see me embarrassed. My heartbeat was calm, which surprised me.
Normally I would be panicking, but I was unusually calm.
I kept going until the last piece of clothing dropped to the floor.
Gasps filled the room immediately. Someone even whispered, "He's stunning."
I stood there completely naked, under the eyes of everyone in the hall. Instead of feeling small or ashamed, I felt strangely confident. Whatever it was that possessed me, I was grateful because there was no way normal Ezra wouldn't run out of the door immediately they told me to pull my clothes.
The king's stare was intense. So were the princes'. None of them looked away. They weren't disgusted. If anything, they looked impressed in a way that made my skin heat up.
The king finally spoke.
"You've got a very good-looking build," he said. "And your manhood has such a distinct shape, it's made me jealous of my sons."
If I could have died right there, I would have. The crowd reacted with laughter, but the prince's expression wasn't that of amusement—it was hunger.
The king lifted his hand.
"Clothe yourself, young omega. Your initiation is complete. The alphas will visit you soon. You may return to your chambers."
I let out a breath and quickly picked up my clothes. I dressed as fast as I could without looking like I was rushing.
The maids came to my side and bowed. "We will escort you," Seris said.
We left the hall. The moment the doors closed behind me, I felt so much better.
They walked me back to my room, and I thanked them before they left. I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm myself.
Not even three minutes passed before I felt a sudden wave of dizziness. My vision became blurry just like last time. I blinked a few times and then everything went black for a moment.
OMEGA SYSTEM: EZRA EMBERLOCK RETURNS
When I opened my eyes, I was staring straight into a pair of beautiful emerald eyes.
For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
Alpha Allen.
He looked even more beautiful up close. So close that our noses were barely inches apart. His hair fell slightly over his forehead, and his face looked like it was carved perfectly. There was not a single flaw in his features.
He was on my bed.
He was on my bed.
And he was on top of me.
My brain stopped working.
He looked down at me, and his voice came out deep and dangerously intense.
"If you keep looking at me like that, Omega Ezra, it will be hard to not claim you right here and now."
That sentence alone made my skin jump. That was when I fully understood the situation. He wasn't just in my room. He was leaning over me—close enough that I could feel his warmth through our clothes.
I tried to sit up too fast and ended up bumping straight into his chest. He caught me with both hands almost immediately. His arms were strong. Strong enough that it warmed my entire body.
"Careful, Ezra," he said in a dangerous whisper. "I'm not trying to hurt you. I only came to check on you. The initiation was a lot. Baring yourself like that in front of everyone… I wanted to know if you were okay."
"I'm fine," I managed to say, even though the warmth in my body was getting worse by the second. It wasn't embarrassing warmth.
It was… something else. Something that made my body react to him in a needy way. And Allen's gaze didn't help at all. He looked like he was holding himself back too.
He pulled back a little, giving me space, but his eyes stayed on me.
"It's not time yet," he murmured. "I want to make sure you're comfortable before the breeding season begins."
Breeding season?
He continued, "You should learn the palace first. Get used to the people here. And get used to me. I'm the top alpha among my brothers, so technically, you are my omega to claim first and I get to decide if they touch you or not but I'm guessing from your presentation, they would definitely put up a fight."
My brain did not know what to do with that information.
"I'll be coming to see you often," he said. "I'll also show you my nest."
He stood up to leave, but stopped halfway to the door. He turned his head slightly, just enough so I could see his eyes again.
"Oh, and Omega Ezra," he said, "you have a really good physique. It will be hard for me to stay away from you for long. So it might be a good idea to get used to this place and most importantly, get used to me."
Then he left.
Just like that.
The door closed quietly behind him, leaving me alone in the room.
I stared at the door for a long time.
Then I looked down at myself.
And froze.
I had a full, strong erection.
"Oh, come on," I whispered, covering my face with my hands.
I wasn't gay, right? I sat in the quietness of my room, the atmosphere was still fresh with his scent and now, I wasn't so sure about my earlier conclusion. I was definitely into him.