CHAPTER 1
Jessabella
“Jessabella, could you come into the study?” my Alpha Edgar asked me as I sat in the big sunroom of Koval Manor. “We want to talk to you.”
I hopped up hastily, dropping the painting I was working on.
Modeling jobs had been far and few between in the last few years, so I’d thrown myself into art, taking painting and sculpture classes, loving the process of bringing beauty into the world, but Edgar, Penn, and Brand weren’t particularly impressed. But maybe with enough practice I’d be good enough to make something that would please them.
“Should I change into any particular lingerie? Or can I get you anything?” I asked, following Edgar into the dark-paneled room where my Alphas liked to sit after dinner and relax, sip cups of brandy or fine wines and talk about court politics or the management of their estates.
I usually pleasured them after dinner and then retired to my own quarters, sothiswas unusual.
They were the guardians of the ancient and venerable Koval Manor, keeping it efficiently-run and prosperous while the 25-year-old Duke of Koval lived mostly abroad, as young Alphas often did who didn’t have an Omega yet.
And that was a good thing for me. . .
A crackling fire burned, sending warm flickers of light across the soft carpets. I had first come as an Omega bride to Koval Manor, fifteen years ago, and it still astonished me sometimes with the centuries of Alpha power it represented. The Duke of Koval was heir to centuries of wealth, and I tried to remember that I was only a guest here, even though I loved the soft stone walls and comfortable rooms that had been designed for both hospitality and a cozy home comfort.
The rest of my Pack was seated in front of the fire watching it crackle. Edgar, Penn, and Brand Bartos, all broad-chested and solid men with serious, sober faces and dark, salt-and-pepper beards. They had been chosen for their ability to carefully manage the Koval estate while the Duke himself went to boarding school abroad.
As was typical for Alphas, they loomed over me, even while sitting. Men who took their responsibilities seriously and expected Omega comfort to be available when they needed to decompress.
But what could this be about? Their faces were so stern.
Maybe it was something about Duke Alexei’s return.
Rumor had it that he was finally coming back to Winter Haven permanently after years of sporadic visits. What would that mean for us? Would he still want Edgar, Penn, and Brant managing his estates?
I had met the Duke for the first time on his 18th birthday and he rarely visited. But he was now at the age most Alphas wanted to settle down.
And he was going to havenoproblem finding an Omega. A young man like him? Drop-dread gorgeous, killer smile, charismatic, talented, kind to everyone? Not to mention his chosen Packmate looked like a movie star too. They were goingto have Omegas lined up down the block for the chance to become a Duchess.
He had never been particularly friendly tome, but he seemed kind to the servants, which raised him a lot in my esteem. I would regret leaving Koval Manor, but I had always reminded myself it was never trulyours.
Straightening my neat blue skirt, I took a deep breath and entered the room. My Alphas liked for me to look my best, and wouldn’t appreciate a wrinkle in my skirt or flyaway curls.
After all, Omegas were designed to serve and give comfort to their Alphas, weren’t they? That’s what I had been taught ever since I arrived in Winter Haven from the countryside, a shy, nervous Omega summoned to the capital to be all that was sweetness and comfort. What else was a more important purpose than that?
Their eyes rested on me, and I hoped they did not find me lacking. There were a few signs of my age I couldn’t quite hide these days–maybe a little thicker around the belly, some fine lines around my eyes and mouth.
My hands drifted to the silver tea kettle nearby. Thinking of their care and comfort came almost automatically to me now, although it had taken a few years. Perhaps I had been a bit conceited as a new bride, or maybe it was that my late parents hadn’t been of high status, so I didn’t know Alpha desires always came first.
“Would anyone like a cup?”
I prided myself on my hospitality, and I always had fragrant herbal tea beside me, usually made with lavender and honey from our massive gardens.
“Not now,” Edgar said firmly, holding his hand up. “This is something quite serious and I’m afraid it’s going to be upsetting. Please listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
My heart began to pound in confusion.
“What is it?” I cried. “Is anyone sick? Did something happen? Did we get news about the Duke’s return?”
I looked anxiously from one face to the next, those handsome, respected faces that had become so familiar in the last fifteen years.
“It’s about our mate bond,” Edgar said. “There’s been a change in circumstances. Mate bonds are not necessarily meant to be permanent.”
“They aren’t?” I cried out in confusion. “Whatcircumstances have changed?”
