The audience’s silence was torn apart. Everyone began gasping and muttering and gossiping amongst themselves. The other omegas on stage — the ones hand-picked by the king — were gaping in horrified awe. How could the prince have chosenthatomega?
“This is not the time for jokes,” the king spat.
Killian narrowed his eyes. “Good thing I’m not joking.”
The king was at a loss for words. He stared at his son, then at the omega cowering behind him. Killian had chosenhim? Out of all the possible omegas?
“I won’t let you kill him, father,” Killian snarled. “In fact, he’s coming home with me tonight, and that’s final.”
The crowd looked on in shock as the scene played out before them. The other omegas and the guards stepped back, as if the tension between the two royal wolves was physically pushing them away.
Scout’s heart raced. All this commotion was over him. The king and the prince were fighting because of him. What had he done?
“Very well,” the king ground out slowly. He stalked up to Scout, who was gripping Killian for dear life. “You’ve avoided death today, omega. You’re lucky.”
The hairs on the back of Killian’s neck rose.
“Is that a threat?” he snapped.
The king lifted a hand to call off the guards.
“Come,” he called to his guards. “Everyone else is dismissed. This event is over.”
The wealthy omegas, humiliated from having a social nobody stand them up, huffed and walked off. Although some pack members hung back to rubberneck, the crowd slowly dispersed until the arena was entirely empty except for Killian and Scout.
Scout finally let out the breath he’d been holding. “Thank you, your highness.”
“I told you not to call me that,” Killian growled, his wolf still riled. “Just Killian is fine.”
Scout flushed and shook his head. “But that’s so informal. You — you’re the crown prince.”
Killian rolled his eyes. “Unless you have some kind of royalty kink, just call me Killian. Okay?”
Royalty kink?“Okay, um, Killian.”
The prince smiled at him. Scout’s heart rate sped up.
“Come,” Killian said. “I’ll show you my quarters and where you’ll be staying.”
Scout swallowed. “Okay.”
Scout wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’tthis.
The ceiling soared high above his head. Killian’s bedroom was easily twice as high and wide as Scout’s entire apartment. A huge window let the moonlight spill inside as the thin lace curtains shifted slightly in the evening breeze.
“Um. Wow.”
“Like what you see?” Killian asked. When Scout didn’t reply — he was too busy gaping in awe — Killian strode to his side and slipped an arm around the shorter wolf shifter’s shoulder. “You okay?”
“Yes,” Scout said quietly. “I’m just a little… overwhelmed.”
“Oh, yeah. You’ll get used to it,” Killian said. “This is your home now, too, after all.”
Killian suddenly stopped walking and paused. In a lower voice, he said, “Something came over me. I picked you because I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone hurting you. I know that sounds weird, since we’re basically strangers…”
“O-oh,” Scout said. He stared at the floor. “So you protected me out of obligation…?”
“What? No,” Killian said, shaking his head. “I likeyou.It’s just a feeling I had since the moment I saw you, almost like I’d known you my whole life.”
