06. The First Scenting

ROSEANNE

I pulled Damian out of the hall, searching for a quiet place to talk privately. I needed to set things straight and make him understand that I absolutely did not agree with our marriage. He couldn't just claim me in front of everyone like that.

We stopped at the eastern side of the hall, which, fortunately, was empty. This gave me the freedom to say whatever I wanted.

I turned around and glared at Damian with fury. "Damian, you can't just randomly talk about marriage in front of everyone when I haven’t even agreed to this arranged marriage!"

I felt like I was about to explode at any moment. This man was driving me insane with anger. "And you can’t just say that I belong to you in front of all those people! Do you think you can claim me like an object?!"

Damian didn’t answer immediately, but I could feel his sharp gaze on me. It was as if I wasn’t the only one angry here—he was, too. Yet I hated how calm he looked as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than a trivial matter.

The next second, Damian leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I didn't expect you to be this foolish, Roseanne," he finally spoke.

My blood boiled instantly, and I glared at him with warning. "Watch your mouth, Damian!"

"I'm only stating the truth. Your grandfather has already agreed to this arrangement, which means we are getting married," Damian’s deep voice carried an air of possession that made my anger burn even hotter.

I clenched my teeth, my hands balling into fists. "I will not marry you, you bastard," I spat, emphasizing every word, my rage overflowing to the point that I couldn't control my words anymore.

Instead of looking bothered by my harsh words, Damian smirked. "I've already given you a suggestion before. If you truly want to break this marriage, your only option is to leave and abandon the Moonveil family. Can you do that?"

Of course, I couldn’t do that.

Aside from the fact that Grandpa would never allow it, leaving the Moonveil family would be a terrible decision. As an Omega, I wouldn’t be able to live peacefully if I were alone.

"As I expected, you can't do it." Damian sneered when I remained silent. "In the end, you won’t be able to refuse me because you’re nothing more than a puppet who follows Andreas Moonveil’s every command."

The moment Damian finished speaking, I slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed in the empty corridor.

"I am not my grandfather's puppet. Watch your mouth because you don’t know anything about me!"

Damian instantly grabbed my arm, squeezing it tightly until I winced in pain. A dark aura radiated from him, and I saw the flicker of emotion in his Alpha eyes.

"You dare to slap me," he muttered in a low voice that sent shivers through my body.

"L-Let me go!" I grimaced in pain, struggling to free myself from his grip.

Damian yanked me closer until my body collided with his chest, eliminating any space between us.

His dominant Alpha aura immediately surrounded me, weakening my body on instinct. My Omega side trembled under the sheer force of his dominance. I hated this—I despised the weakness that came with being an Omega. I hated how my body responded involuntarily to Damian’s overwhelming presence.

"Listen to me carefully, Roseanne." Damian lowered his head, his breath brushing against my ear. "You have no choice but to marry me. If you continue to resist, the consequences will be far worse. You could be seen as a traitor for rejecting the alliance Andreas and I built.

"So stop whining and accept the path that has been set for you. No matter what you try, you won’t be able to stop this marriage. From now on, you will stay by my side throughout this gathering, and you are not to speak to any other Alpha unless I allow it. Do you understand?"

Damian deliberately released his dominant Alpha aura to make me submit to his command. And the worst part? I couldn’t fight it. My Omega instincts naturally weakened under the force of his dominance, leaving me unable to resist.

"You're unfair," I hissed, my voice laced with anger and surrender.

"I'm only doing what I must to make you an obedient Omega," Damian replied.

I exhaled in frustration, realizing I had no strength left to fight him. "Fine, I will stay by your side for this gathering," I conceded.

Hearing my answer, Damian released his grip on my arm. But because my body had weakened under his Alpha dominance, I nearly collapsed. Fortunately, he quickly caught me, his strong arms wrapping securely around my waist.

A jolt of electricity ran through me when I felt his hands on my waist. My heartbeat sped up, and my body temperature began to rise. I suddenly felt warm from our closeness.

I stiffened when I felt Damian’s grip tighten around my waist. I also heard him let out a low growl as if he was struggling to hold something back. It seemed like I wasn’t the only one experiencing a strange reaction.

‘What is this? Why is my body reacting so strongly just from Damian’s touch?’ I thought to myself. This was unusual—I had never felt anything like this with any other Alpha before. ‘There’s no way I have feelings for him. I’m sure this reaction is just because of his dominance earlier. It must have affected my Omega instincts.’

I swallowed hard and averted my gaze. "Let me go now. We've been away from the gathering for too long," I reminded him, mostly because I wanted to escape this sudden intimacy.

"There’s still one more thing I must do," Damian said.

"What now? I already agreed to stay by your side tonight. Don’t make me change my mind," I said firmly.

"Then I need to scent you."

"What?! No!" I rejected him immediately. "I don’t want my scent mixed with yours."

"But we have to, Roseanne," Damian said seriously. Once again, he played dirty by releasing his Alpha aura, making me slightly afraid. "We need to make sure the werewolves believe in our marriage. No one should know that this union is just a strategic arrangement."

"And what exactly am I supposed to say if they ask?"

Damian’s expression was unreadable as he replied, "Tell them we love each other and want to get to know one another before finally deciding to marry."

"Are you insane?!"

God, I swear this man was testing my patience. Everything he said tonight was ridiculous, making me want to slap him again.

"No more arguing. You need to be an obedient Omega for me tonight."

With his firm grip still on me, Damian lowered his face until his lips touched the skin of my neck. "You need to carry my scent so they believe this is real."

"And I don’t want any other Alpha coming near you," he added.

Before I could protest again, Damian gently bit my neck, marking me with his scent while taking in mine for himself.

My breath hitched as I felt his grip on my waist tighten even further.

I knew this was more than just an act. This was a mark of possession.

But the worst part? I liked it.