As the official letter from the House of Rothschild made its way to the imperial court, the ink still glistened with the promise of a marriage with the daughter of the count.
The parchment, embossed with the Rothschild crest, bore news that made the emperor angry: Vivianne, the illegitimate daughter of the late Count Rothschild, had wed Roxanne de Borgia, the Grand Duke of Borgia. And he will wed Liselotte de Rothschild, not Vivianne de Rothschild.
Dietrich, a man known for his brooding intensity and fierce ambition, sat in his throne, his brow furrowed as he read the letter. Each word struck him like a blow, igniting a fire of annoyance and rage within him.
His original intention had been to claim Vivianne as his mate—a goal he had nurtured for two long years. He had first laid eyes on her during a lavish banquet hosted by the imperial family, and the Rothschild family came to the banquet. Back then, when the previous count was still alive, Dietrich had been captivated by her beauty, her grace, and the aura of mystery that surrounded her.
Vivianne, with her lilac eyes and delicate features, was the embodiment of the exotic allure that had ensnared his heart. Yet, in the eyes of the nobility, she was merely the illegitimate offspring of a man who had rejected societal norms, a daughter born of passion but denied the legitimacy afforded to her siblings.
Despite her status, Dietrich had believed that her beauty and charm would captivate him enough to overlook her lineage. After all, even as the count had fathered two legitimate children, he had resisted the bonds of matrimony and marking his own wife, his heart forever tethered to the memory of Vivianne's mother, a woman whose beauty had been the talk of the nobility.
The realization that Vivianne had chosen another over him were thoughts that churned his gut with bitter resentment. "Check the church! And see if they tell the truth!" Dietrich's voice roared, echoing off the stone walls of his chamber.
His heart raced with disbelief. How could she marry another alpha? The current count, her half-brother, was supposed to bring his two sisters to the capital, allowing Dietrich the opportunity to choose Vivianne as his mate, despite the inevitable opposition he would face from his vassals.
"I thought she would never find a mate!" Dietrich grunted, his fists clenching in frustration.
The news had struck a blow to Dietrich's ego, shattering the grandiose vision he had carefully cultivated. Vivianne, with her ethereal beauty and captivating allure, was to be the crown jewel in his collection—the omega he would flaunt before the imperial court, cementing his status as a true alpha of influence and power.
Yet, fate had cruelly dashed those aspirations, binding the enchanting Vivianne to another. Dietrich's jaw tightened, his fingers curling into tight fists as he wrestled with the sting of wounded pride.
"She can't marry anyone else but me!" He muttered through gritted teeth, his gaze burning with a possessive intensity.
As he awaited the report from his men dispatched to the church, Dietrich's eyes narrowed with determination. If the marriage had indeed been consummated, then he would have to find other means to dismantle this alliance. His pride demanded no less than total victory, and he would be damned if he allowed anyone, not even the Grand Duke of Borgia, to stand in his way.
-
As the carriage rocked gently along the winding roads leading towards the Grand Duchy of Borgia, Vivianne fixed her new wife with a look of growing concern. Reaching out, she grasped Roxanne's hand, her lilac eyes alight with a hint of panic.
"We must consummate our marriage, and you must mark me," Vivianne said, her voice carrying an uncharacteristic urgency. "The Emperor will not rest until he finds a way to break our union."
Roxanne's brows arched in amusement at her wife's words, a rueful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Dietrich, hmm?" she mused, the Grand Duchess' typically stoic demeanor softening ever so slightly. "You're not wrong—that man does have a rather... a jealous side when it comes to me."
Roxanne's expression turned contemplative as she gave Vivianne's hand a gentle squeeze. "So that's why you're in such a rush to be wed to me—because you know Dietrich will try to claim you for himself," she mused, her voice tinged with a hint of amusement.
Vivianne nodded solemnly. "Yes."
A faint, unsettling smile tugged at the corners of Roxanne's lips. "I do love an honest omega," she purred, her piercing red eyes suddenly glowing with an unnatural, malevolent intensity. An eerie, otherworldly light cast stark shadows across her deathly pale features, lending her an aura of preternatural menace.
The sharp, angular contours of her face, with its high, pronounced cheekbones and ominous, curved horns, took on a predatory, almost feral quality. Roxanne's full lips curled into a faint, unsettling smirk, as if she reveled in the fear she inspired.
Vivianne couldn't help but feel a brief flicker of trepidation at the sight of her wife's demonic visage. Yet, she steeled her resolve, meeting Roxanne's gaze firmly. "I'm your mate, Roxanne. Even if you were to transform into a full demon, as the rumors and gossip suggest, it would change nothing. I flinch now because this is the first time I've seen you in this figure. Next time, I won't even flinch."
Roxanne's eyes widened slightly at Vivianne's words, a surge of giddiness rising within her. There was something different, something primal and possessive, stirring beneath the surface. With a fluid motion, she pulled Vivianne into her embrace, settling the omega onto her lap.
"You talk too much," Roxanne murmured, her voice low.
Without another word, she captured Vivianne's lips in a passionate, all-consuming kiss. The kiss deepened, Roxanne's strong hands caressing Vivianne's lithe frame as their mouths moved together in a primal, sensual dance.
Roxanne's tongue swept past Vivianne's parted lips, exploring the soft warmth of her mouth in a tantalizing display of dominance. She could feel the alpha within her raging, its primal instincts screaming for her to claim this sweet, pliant omega before her.
Vivianne melted into Roxanne's embrace, every nerve ending alight with electricity. She clung to her wife, fingers tangling in the dark tresses that framed Roxanne's face, her body thrumming with a growing, insatiable need. The omega inside her begged to be filled, to be taken, to be marked by the powerful alpha that held her captive.
Roxanne's intoxicating scent enveloped Vivianne, lulling her senses and overriding her rational mind. The omega in her begged to be filled with all the passion of the alpha in front of her. Vivianne felt herself surrendering completely—her will, her body, and her very soul now pledged to her wife.
A soft, barely restrained moan escaped Vivianne's throat, her inhibitions crumbling in the face of her wife's ardent affection. Roxanne's touch was searing, igniting a fire within her that threatened to consume them both. In that moment, Vivianne knew with certainty that she would gladly surrender herself, body and soul, to this captivating woman.
Roxanne's grip tightened possessively, her inner alpha rising to the surface. She nipped at Vivianne's lower lip, a feral growl rumbling in her chest. The carriage rocked gently with their movements, the muffled sounds of their passionate embrace mixing with the rhythmic clop of the horses' hooves.
Vivianne suddenly broke their passionate kiss, pulling away from Roxanne's touch. Roxanne stared at her in confusion, sensing a shift in her wife's demeanor. "There's something about me that you need to know," Vivianne said, her voice laced with trepidation.
"What is it?" Roxanne asked, her brow furrowing with concern.
"My pheromone—" Vivianne began, but Roxanne swiftly cut her off.
"I know. Your unique condition didn't work with us. Or rather, it only works on human alphas," Roxanne explained, her tone surprisingly calm and reassuring. "I can sense a sweeter scent and more potent pheromones from you than any other human omega. But it's not enough to drive me crazy, or any other mixed-blood like us in Borgia." As she spoke, Roxanne peppered Vivianne's neck with gentle, persistent kisses, the omega visibly relaxing in her arms.
"Oh..." Vivianne sighed, the tension leaving her body.
"We'll be stopping at the Blackwood viscounty before we reach the Dark Forest," Roxanne murmured, inhaling Vivianne's alluring scent. "I'll mark you there. I would rather not take your first time inside a carriage."
"Okay," Vivianne replied breathlessly, her pulse quickening at the thought.
"And then you can tell me why you're so afraid of being chosen by Dietrich," Roxanne added, her tone laced with a subtle undercurrent of protectiveness.
"Okay," Vivianne echoed.