CHAPTER ONE

Klyde loudly placed his phone face down on the vanity table in front of him and focused on the brush gently grazing his face. Today is the day and he is getting ready, a make-up artist is working with him. He can’t believe he’s really getting married today. He closed his eyes and sighed, allowing the make-up artist, a beta girl, to work on his eyeshadow.

He can still clearly remember it. The day he signed his self to an alpha for the sake of his company.

“So, the rumors are true?” Wade said, looking straight at him. “I thought it was all bullshit. But it seems true, seeing you now here, huh, Mr. Taylor?”

Klyde fiddled on his fingers. He can sit on the visitor’s chair in front of Wade’s huge table but he doesn’t want to be even more close to the man. Wade didn’t even bother invite him to sit either. He just stood in the middle of the spacious office, can’t even bring himself to meet the man’s eyes.

“I need your help,” Klyde said. He is unconsciously making himself look small, but his voice is still steady with practiced ease from thousands of conferences and media interviews he’s been through throughout his entire career.

“Apparently. What do you suggest?”

The silence was loud. His eyes darted from every corner of the room, determined to not meet the man’s eyes. He eventually sighed, taking the courage to meet his eyes. Then—

“Marry me,” Wade said. His pretty face is a blank mask, eyes void of emotion. He looks powerful just sitting there, the floor to ceiling window behind him giving a clear view of the city below them. His scent is coating the whole office, oddly enough, it doesn’t make Klyde want to throw up.

“What?” Klyde asked, eyes wide and clearly dumbfounded. That’s not what he asked.

Wade merely cocked an eyebrow at him, challenging.

“Marry me,” he repeated.

“Can’t you just help—”

“And what do I get by helping you? Tell me, Mr. Taylor,” Wade asked, eyes piercing. His knees felt weak at the sudden urge to submit. For some reason, he suddenly looks much more intimidating. He smirked when Klyde remained silent, eyes downcast. He was used to seeing the omega always with his head held high, be it in a business party or conferences. Seeing him so submissive like the omega that he should be is definitely a first. “I heard your own people decided to screw you. What do we get from that?”

Silence.

“You handle chains of hotels, right? I must say that’s impressive. You managed to make your company grow over the years,” Wade said, licking his lips. His posture is too relaxed for Klyde’s liking. “Our companies would do great if merged. I handle hotels and travel agencies too after all. I’ve been looking to merge actually; this is a perfect timing. You’ll benefit a lot too. You’ll have an alpha beside you. They will no longer look down on you. So, what do you say?”

Klyde bit his lip, contemplating. Although it’s very clear he does not have much to really think about. The alpha is right. Fuck, he is so right.

“I need your answer quick, Mr. Taylor. There will be a contract of course,” Wade said, impatience coloring his tone. “Two years. The marriage will last for two years. This will make our companies merge.”

“Fine. Two years then. After that we’re done.”

Everything was utter chaos after that. Their “engagement” was the headline of every publication there is for months. Their faces on the front page of every newspaper. Of course, who wouldn’t be curious about the sudden engagement of the two top businessmen in the world right? The media camped in front of their houses and only left when police came to disperse them. People are curious too, how they managed to keep their relationship a secret. Klyde thinks it’s fairly easy, especially when there is no relationship to hide in the first place.

The make-up artist’s voice pulled him back from his thoughts.

“You’re done,” she said, her voice quiet. She’s a beta. Blissfully unaware of his growing anxiety. “I’ll touch it up before the reception if needed.”

Right. The reception. Some members of the media will be there, so they need to act to convince them.

She left the room after that. Now Klyde is left with his thoughts.

Wade and him never really talked after that day. Wade’s secretary contacted him for details of the wedding though. They did not bother to discuss about the wedding themes and that bullshit, it’s not a matter of importance anyway. His subordinates processed it for them, and now here they are three months later. They will sign the contract after the wedding and he is already dreading it. They obviously will not mate, what with the nature of their marriage, but he’s still nervous. If someone was in the room with him right now, they would be suffocated with how his scent has turned sour from anxiety. He slowly inhaled in hopes of calming his nerves but the anxiety only grew.

A knock resounded in the small room before the door opened revealing his secretary.

“We should go.”

He exhaled a shuddering breath. This is it. The independence he worked on for the past years will just end in a snap today. He swears to find the people who screwed him over once he manages to regain his company’s financial capabilities, he will make sure to make them suffer. But first, he has to save it.

The clicking of the heels of the boots he is wearing is loud in his ear. He is quiet the whole ride to the church. He is also quiet as he stood behind the closed doors of the church. He looked at his secretary who stood beside him. She is handing him a bouquet of flowers, a variation of flowers he could not name as his mind is too busy swimming in thoughts to register their appearances. He quickly fixed the blazer of his navy-blue suit jacket before reaching for the bouquet. Preparing himself for the show he is about to step on, he released a heavy sigh for the last time, plastered a what he hopes is a convincing smile before the door finally opened.

Flashes of maybe hundreds of cameras greeted him. He is sure a music is playing in the background but he is too busy listening to his own heartbeat to care. He cannot even appreciate how pretty they decorated the church. 

He slowly met the eyes of the people standing to watch him. He knows most of them, some he got acquainted with in a business party, some are family friends and some he assumes are Wade’s business partners. Family. Funny, his parents would have applauded him for “securing the bag” for this one. But he cut them off years ago, when they tried to marry him off to some rich alpha. Too much for cutting them off when he is basically doing what they wanted to do before right now. But this is for the sake of his company. He repeats it in his head again and again. For the company.

When he finally reached the altar, Wade reached out his right hand to him. Klyde looked at his hand and suddenly, he is bombarded by the reality of the situation. He is actually getting married today, there are more than a hundred of people watching their every move and he is giving away his independence for the sake of his beloved company. He felt a lump in his throat and tears stung at the back of his eyes. Wade must have seen his struggle as his eyes turned soft for a split second Klyde thinks he might have imagined it with how desperate he feels at the moment. Wade pursed his lips and gently took his right hand. His hand is warm compared to his almost icy one. He stood beside him, eyes in front as the officiator began to say things to start the ceremony. 

The ceremony flew by with his mind somewhere else. He became too busy drawing steadying breathes so he won’t come down with a panic attack in the middle of his wedding. He can excuse his scent as anxiousness, everyone gets nervous for their wedding, but not a literal panic attack. That would be embarrassing and the media would catch up with the true nature of their situation.

He was pulled off of his thoughts when he felt Wade gently squeeze his hand.

“Klyde Rehan, do you take Wade Ashton to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love and cherish him, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him, for so long as you both shall live?

The heavy beating of his heart was loud in his ears. 

His eyes met Wade’s for a brief second before he looked ahead. This is it.

“I do.”