A Proposal of Convenience

Disbelief hit me like a cold wave as I stared at Duncan. Melissa, his fiancée, was outside kissing his cousin, Alpha Emmett on the day of their engagement, no less. And Duncan? He seemed to know about it the whole time. But as his eyes shifted to the pair, his expression changed. It wasn’t the face of someone who already knew. It was shock, pure and real.

Duncan let go of my hand without a word and walked straight toward them. Melissa and Emmett, still caught up in their moment, didn’t even notice him coming. I stood frozen, feeling empty as I watched him walk away.

“Melissa? How could you do this to me?” Duncan’s voice cut through the air, laced with disbelief as he stared at her.

Melissa jerked back in shock, shoving Emmett away, but Emmett didn’t budge. Instead, he smirked, holding her close, clearly enjoying the chaos he had caused.

“Duncan, it’s not what it looks like,” Melissa stammered, her voice shaky as she stared at Duncan.

“Not what it looks like?” Duncan’s tone sharpened, his anger barely restrained. “You’re outside our engagement party, kissing my cousin, and you say it’s not what it looks like? How long has this been going on?”

Emmett chuckled, his voice dripping with mockery. “Oh, come on, cousin. Don’t tell me you’re upset. It’s just one little kiss. Not my fault your fiancee likes me more than you.”

Duncan’s fists clenched, his body tense as he took a step toward Emmett, his rage ready to explode. I acted on instinct, grabbing his arm to stop him before things got worse. But just as I thought I’d diffused the situation, Melissa turned her fury on me.

Her slap came out of nowhere, sharp and stinging. The force sent me stumbling to the ground, my ears ringing from the impact. Pain radiated across my cheek, and I could feel my skin burning where her hand had struck.

“This isn’t your place to interfere, Omega,” Melissa sneered, her voice dripping with venom. “This is between us.”

I clenched my fists, swallowing the frustration bubbling inside me. Melissa wasn’t just cruel, she was shameless. Even after being caught red-handed, she still acted as if she held all the power.

But then Duncan’s voice broke through the tension. “Omega? April isn’t just an Omega.”

I looked up, stunned, as he stepped toward me and reached out a hand. Before I could react, he pulled me to my feet. His touch was gentle, but what he did next left me frozen.

Duncan leaned in, his lips claiming mine in a powerful force. My mind went blank and my body froze as Duncan kissed me. It was my first kiss so I had no idea what to do.

“What are you doing, Duncan?” Melissa’s voice cracked with anger. “April was supposed to be our surrogate!”

Duncan pulled back slightly, his eyes fierce as he turned to Melissa. “She’s far more than that.” He brushed my hair aside, revealing the faint mark on my neck. The mark his wolf had left on me.

Melissa staggered back, her face pale as the realization hit her. “No... how is this possible?”

“She’s my mate,” Duncan said firmly, his words like a final blow.

I stared at him, my heart pounding. He remembered.

“The wedding is off,” Duncan declared, his voice resolute. He glanced at Emmett with a smirk. “You two can have each other. I don’t settle for secondhand toys. Everything of mine is fresh and untouched.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned back to me, his hand sliding into mine with care. And just like that, he led me away, leaving the wreckage of his engagement behind.

-----------

The kiss had left me breathless, my heart racing as I replayed it over and over in my mind. Duncan’s lips on mine had been passionate and full of promise, and I couldn’t help but smile to myself, my fingers lightly brushing my lips. For once, things seemed to be going right. Melissa’s lies had finally been exposed, and Duncan had seen her true colors. I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer, so I hurried out of my room, eager to find him.

But as I reached the stairs, the sharp smell of alcohol hit me like a wall, making me pause.

“Duncan?” I called out, my voice hesitant as I descended the steps.

I spotted him immediately. He was at the mini bar, slumped over a glass of liquor, his eyes fixed on something. My heart sank when I realized it was a picture of Melissa glowing on his phone screen. My earlier happiness evaporated, replaced by a dull ache in my chest. Even though Duncan had stood his ground with Melissa yesterday, it was obvious he still loved her.

I turned, desperate to retreat before he noticed me, but his voice stopped me in my tracks.

“April?”

I froze, caught in the middle of the room, unsure whether to stay or leave. Questions swirled in my mind, but I didn’t even know where to begin. Before I could say anything, Duncan spoke again, his words knocking the air out of my lungs.

“Let’s get married.”

I stared at him, my heart racing for all the wrong reasons. “Get married?” I repeated, my fists clenching at my sides.

The weight of his words pressed down on me. He was still clinging to Melissa, yet here he was, asking me to marry him. It felt hollow, and a pang of disappointment hit me hard. Was I just a distraction for him?

“A contract marriage,” Duncan said, his voice steady but with a hint of something unreadable beneath it. He reached for an envelope on the table beside him and held it out to me. “Let’s make this simple. Marry me for one year. No strings attached. At the end of it, you’ll have your freedom." He paused, his gaze locking onto mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. “I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. You’ll have a settlement, enough to start fresh. This is.... practical for both of us.”

His words hung between us, heavy and suffocating, and I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or just walk away. I thought, foolishly, that he had finally accepted me as his mate but I was wrong.

"Why?" I asked, my voice betraying the disappointment I tried so hard to hide.

Duncan stared at me for what felt like forever. Then, the sound of his phone ringing sliced through the silence. He tore his gaze away from mine and stood up, walking to the corner to answer. My heart twisted painfully as I realized how foolish I’d been. The tears I’d been holding back started to burn behind my eyes. I blinked them away, but they refused to disappear.

"Okay, we’ll be there," Duncan said into the phone, and I quickly wiped my eyes, but it was pointless. My face was blotchy, my eyes red and swollen. Anyone would know I’d been crying.

"Is that all?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "I’d like to go back to my room now."

I turned to leave, not wanting him to see how broken I felt.

"Wait!" Duncan called after me. I froze but didn’t dare turn around. "The news about our engagement has already spread. The Alphas are all waiting to congratulate us. Your father’s throwing a party for you. I just heard it’s your birthday."

The words hit me like a punch. My birthday. My father had never cared enough to celebrate it, so over the years, I’d stopped remembering it, too. And now, here I was, getting rejected on my birthday.

"I’ll get ready when it’s time," I said, my voice tight as I walked to my room, not waiting for him to say anything else.