ONLY FANGS

Vincent had never seen an Omega in heat in his twenty-six years of life, until now. The intensity of it overcame him, and he felt an urge rising within him to pounce on Elliot, to claim him. It required all of his strength to remain grounded, and his mother's firm hold on his arm was the only thing that brought him back to reality.

Even now, the sight of Elliot so vulnerable stirred something deep inside him. Vincent had to suppress his instincts in an effort to recover control. He willed himself to revert to some form of normalcy as he dismissed his wolf ears and tail with great effort. 

Vincent losing control that easily was totally out of character. He had always taken immense pride in treating everyone with respect, whether they were Alpha, Beta, or Omega. He believed in maintaining composure and treating everyone with the same dignity. But this... this was different. The pull of his instincts was overwhelming, and resisting it felt like a battle he wasn't sure he could win.

Elliot's scent was intoxicating, sweet, fruity, and floral. The air around him was heavy with the rich aroma of ripe raspberries, with a hint of peony and a soft trace of white musk. It was an alluring and unquestionably soothing scent. 

His mother had locked him in his room, clearly afraid he might act out of character, driven by instincts he couldn't control. Vincent couldn't blame her for protecting Elliot from him. 

In an attempt to focus on anything other than the overpowering sweetness of Elliot's scent that persisted in his thoughts, he paced restlessly. The struggle to regain control felt like an endless battle, each step a reminder of how fragile his composure truly was.

Vincent hadn't even realized how much time had passed since he was locked in his room, lost in his own thoughts and attempts to regain control. He didn't return to reality until there was a knock on the door. The voice of his mother came next. 

He opened the door, his gaze instinctively avoiding hers, a deep sense of embarrassment settling in from his behavior in the dance hall. "Elliot is fine now," his mother reassured him gently, sensing his unease.

At the sound of her words, Vincent's posture shifted. The relief that came from knowing Elliot was safe caused his body to relax a little. 

Elliot might be a brat, often disrespectful, but he was still Vincent's future partner. It was more than his pride or his battle to restrain his instincts; it was the realization that he couldn't ignore Elliot's vulnerability at that exact moment.

Despite their differences, Vincent couldn't shake the feeling that he had to protect him.

Before he could reply to his mother, Elliot arrived, his butler tailing behind him. "I'm fine," Elliot said, his voice steady, though he glanced between Vincent and his mother. It was clear he was about to call him "Whitehall," but instead, he chose to address him more personally, perhaps to avoid the confusion with the two Whitehalls in the room. "Vincent."

"I'll be back tomorrow for the next round of preparations," Elliot continued, his tone dismissive. He seemed to be avoiding the scene from earlier like it was not a big deal. 

He bid them farewell. 

Vincent felt a sense of relief that Elliot appeared to be his usual self, unaffected by the earlier events. Still, a lingering unease gnawed at him, the memory of almost losing control was hard to shake, and no matter how much he tried to push it aside, the tension remained.

His mother stepped into his room, guiding him gently to sit beside her on the bed. "I know what you experienced earlier was overwhelming," she said, her tone soft with understanding as she patted his head, as if to soothe him. "An Omega's scent is hard to resist for an unmated Alpha."

"I know," Vincent replied, his voice quiet but firm as he caught her hand before it could pat his head again. He stopped her gently, feeling the need to assert himself. "I just didn't expect it to be that strong."

"Well, soon you'll be his mate, and his scent won't affect you as much," his mother reassured him, her tone matter of fact.

Vincent hummed, his mind still preoccupied with the wedding plans. He had been so focused on the ceremony itself that he hadn't really considered what would come after. Since it was a political marriage, he assumed the queen wouldn't expect them to have children right away. "I hadn't really thought of that," he admitted, the weight of the realization settling over him.

"That's a conversation for you and Elliot to have," she said with a gentle tone. 

After his mother left, Vincent was left alone with his thoughts, which quickly spiraled back to his reaction to Elliot's heat.

The fourth day of wedding preparations arrived, and to Vincent's surprise, Elliot seemed to be fully engaged, even enjoying himself. Today's task was food tasting, and Elliot was in his element, critiquing dishes and recommending which meals and desserts should be served. His mother, equally pleased, agreed with each of his suggestions. For the first time in all these preparations, it felt as though they had found some common ground, both of them working together for once.

Vincent nonchalantly picked up a tiny raspberry tart from the assortment of dessert samples popping it into his mouth in a single bite. The burst of sweetness and fruitiness took him by surprise, instantly reminding him of Elliot. 

"The preparations are finally done!" his mother exclaimed gleefully, a bright smile on her face.

Vincent slumped back in his chair, feeling the weight of the past few days settle on him. He hadn't been much help in the preparations, he had simply been there because he had to be. After all, it was his wedding. The thought made him feel useless, and the lingering shame from the previous day's events only added to his frustration.

His gaze met Elliot's, and to his surprise, Elliot was watching him. With a smirk, Elliot quipped, "Oh, Vincent, stop moping around. You're not the only miserable one here."

Vincent rolled his eyes, unable to suppress a bitter chuckle. "Very funny, Elliot."

After that, Elliot completely ignored him. In fact, Vincent couldn't help but notice how effortlessly Elliot seemed to shut him out, especially after throwing an insult his way. It was almost impressive how easily he could dismiss Vincent's presence.

Vincent stood and approached his mother, informing her that he would be leaving for the time being and to call him if anything else was needed. Now that the preparations were finally complete, he figured it was time to take a break and have some time to himself. As he made his way towards the door, he glanced at Elliot, who was happily indulging in the desserts. Elliot caught his eye, and without missing a beat, shot him a sharp glare in response.

Vincent sighed deeply as he exited the room. 

In an attempt to clear his mind, he decided to head to the training room. He hadn't been keeping up with his usual routine, having sacrificed it for the sake of the wedding preparations. It was time to get back into shape, not only to relieve some stress but also to make sure he looked his best when the Kingdom of Bestia turned its attention to him and Elliot. He was certain all eyes would be on them. 

Imagine this, two of the most famous noble families, long known for their disdain toward each other, suddenly having their children marry, with the queen herself in attendance. It almost seems unreal.

He quickly changed into more relaxed attire before starting a shadow boxing session. Just seeing his fists pounding something was the ideal way to relieve the tension that was growing inside of him.

Vincent didn't realize Elliot had entered the room until he spoke out since he was too preoccupied with his shadow boxing. "So this is how you stay fit?" Elliot glanced around, taking in the sight of the equipment scattered throughout the space.

Vincent paused, wiping the sweat from his brow, his shirt sticking to his skin. "You're pretty good at sneaking around," he muttered, still trying to catch his breath.

Elliot approached him, making a face as he grimaced at the sight of Vincent's sweat soaked body.

Vincent couldn't help but notice the scent in the air, a faint trace of raspberries. Without thinking, he moved a little closer to Elliot. Elliot took a step back and held up his hands as though to fend him off. His tone was a mixture of mild disdain and frustration as he said, "Go away, you're sweaty."

"Did you take your suppressants?" Vincent asked, his voice laced with concern. Instinctively, he moved away from Elliot and shielded his nose.

"Yeah," Elliot replied, his annoyance evident in his tone. "I'm leaving." He pivoted on his heel, almost running out of the room.