Chapter 55: 55. Mine and Yours (Liona & Erik)
"Is this why you didn't want to see me? You were seeing this pathetic little beta behind my back? Why would you even date someone so small and pathetic as him!"
"That's right, I'm seeing someone new! I never cheated on you though, you brainless tool! And for the record? Erik is ten times the man you'll ever be!" With that, Liona let her pissed off inner self out. She let her furious omega out of its cage and damned be the consequences. Her pheromones surged in her anger, going beyond what her inhibitors could handle. In a blind rage, she reached out to Erik and poured her feelings into her gaze. Everything she had been keeping under lock and key were now flaming in her eyes as she grabbed him and pulled him to her. Without thinking, she closed the distance between them and laid her claim.
The second that their lips met was like the whole world had exploded. Erik didn't know what hit him. One second, he was trying to get Liona to stop hurting her pretty hands and the next thing he knew, he was being pulled into the mesmerizing gaze of the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Then the world exploded, or he thought it had. There was this intense spark, his body felt like it was on fire, there was a roar in his ears, and all he could see was… His mate.
Liona gazed into the eyes of Erik as she kissed him without thinking. All she knew was that there was this intense feeling of everything being right in the world. Everything was perfect, her mate was here, right in front of her and her omega was telling her that they were meant to be. The sparks her mom and dad had talked about when you found your mate? They were so wrong. These weren't sparks. The spark may have been the light that was now an inferno of feelings and a medley of songs that played in her head as she gazed into the warm depths of the prettiest green eyes she had ever seen. These were the eyes of her mate. Erik was her mate, her fated mate and nothing could change that fact.
Breaking contact from the chaste kiss, since there had been no tongue involved, Liona came to her senses, she gasped as she realized what she had just done to Erik. No matter that she had found her mate, she had just forced herself onto him, letting her feelings overrule her sound mind. He was going to hate her! That was going to be the most awful thing in the world, seeing that hurt in his face. She couldn't look at him after breaking contact with him. She didn't know what she would do if he hadn't also felt the same way she now knew for sure, but that still didn't excuse her direct violation of her vow to not force her feelings on someone unwilling.
"Who's ready for cake!" Liona heard vaguely from the living room entrance. It was her dad announcing that it was time for her to blow out her candles.
She didn't know how she was going to face her mom and dad now that she had done something so wrong! She had been instilled with consent her whole life. It was the most important thing about entering into any relationship and beyond!
Erik was stunned as Liona broke the kiss with him. He didn't hate it. In fact, he was rather much needing a minute to calm down! He had quite enjoyed that spark of connection he felt to her in that moment, but it left him with a lot to think about. When the tall man, who he presumed was Liona's dad with their similar looks, announced cake, he was glad for the distraction away from the predicament that had threatened to salute to anyone and everyone, the more he thought about that remarkable kiss!
Liona, not wanting to deal with anything further from Jeffery and Brenda, signaled to her Aunt Yui to escort the unwanted guests out, as she followed her dad, with her heavy thoughts, to the dining room. It was back to what it should be with their beautiful mahogany table set up with her three-tier birthday cake, front and center, ready for her to blow out her candles. This was the first year that she dreaded standing in front of everyone with their accusatory eyes for what she had just done.
Going through the motions was at least something she could do well, so she pretended to be alright. Her dad set up her candles, all eighteen of them on her cake and lit them, one-by-one. As her classmates sang Happy Birthday to her, she took a moment to consider her wish carefully, she then blew out her candles in a single breath. She wasn't sure she could do it, but she somehow managed it.
As Erik followed everyone to the dining room, he was thankful no one questioned that display of angry cuteness Liona had just portrayed, which made him a little happy. It was a side of her that he hadn't really seen before, and he loved seeing all these different sides to her. Her absolute fury when she had practically laid claim to him was all for him to enjoy. As he absentmindedly joined in the ritual of singing to the birthday girl, he pondered what that kiss meant.
Was she his fated mate? Did he want her to be? He was certainly attracted to her, and he had already been feeling like he could fall in love with a girl like her. He already liked her a lot, but was it love? Could he love her? Was he allowed to love her? What about her family? What would they say about him? He hadn't been introduced to them properly yet, but that was just because he was still considered Liona's friend. If she were to introduce him as her fated mate, what would they say?
While Erik pondered these things, Liona was having an internal breakdown of a different type. She was so worried about what she had done and how much she was sure that Erik was hating her for forcing a kiss on him. No matter that they were fated and meant to be together, it was still the most horrible thing she could have done to him. She didn't even know how to ask him to forgive her. The more she thought about it, the more she was spiraling and not really paying attention to her body.
Erik really didn't know what was going on. There was this heat that had lingered in his body after that scorching kiss, but he hadn't thought anything of it. But it was just getting worse. He was sweating now and there was this distinctive rose perfume in the air that was driving his head wild. He didn't understand who would be crazy enough to wear such heavy perfume, but part of him recognized that cloying heavy scent wasn't a perfume.
"Liona, come on Princess, I need you to go upstairs and get your suppressant. You're giving off too much of your pheromones." Liona looked up at her dad, startled. Then it dawned on her what he was talking about. She gasped and then rushed out of the dining room, without giving her guests or her cake a second glance and headed up to her room. She was going into heat, and it wasn't time for her cycle yet!
"Son, are you okay? You look a little flushed. Do you have a suppressant? I suggest you use it. If Liona's pheromones are affecting you this much before they're cleared out, that might be for the best." Erik looked up at the kind face of Liona's dad. He seemed genuinely concerned. He looked around him and saw that the other guests were all administering their own suppressants. He didn't have suppressants, he hadn't presented yet, so he hadn't needed them.
Erik didn't have an answer for the kind looking man, so he shook his head. "I'll just leave. Sorry for causing a scene at Liona's party…" He looked toward the doorway where Liona had left through and sighed. He wanted to say goodbye but didn't think he was going to be welcome since he didn't have any suppressants. Not that he was going into a rut, since he hadn't presented, but he didn't think that would matter to the patriarch of this well-to-do family.
"If you need a suppressant, all you have to do is ask, son. We don't ask a guest to leave unless there's a good reason. I have a generic suppressant I can get you, but you have to tell me that you need it…" The man insisted, but he didn't need one.
He was just too warm with all these bodies in the same room as him. He felt a bit claustrophobic the more he thought about it. Was Liona surrounded by all these other alpha's all the time? How did she deal with this suffocating presence all around her? He didn't feel well and the more he pondered about things, the worse it got. He was better off going home. He didn't want to cause more of a scene by getting sick in front of all of these people.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone