It’s not what you think,” I blurted out the words desperately, hoping to appease Riley even for the moment.

The thought of him rushing out the door and becoming a dream in my memory panged me and I hated the concept.

Riley was angry, visibly shaking with fury as he balled his fists, clinched them and looked as if he wanted to punch me or knock a hole through the drywall in my loft living room.

He didn’t liberate me with an answer at first. He just kept pacing, over and over again, making me cringe. My heart pounded in my chest. I was undoubtedly nervous and tense…on edge for having pissed off an Alpha I’d been having constant sex with over the course of the entire weekend.

“Look…I know you are angry.” I shifted my weight uncomfortably and held out my hands defensively. “If you will just give me a chance to explain myself…”

He cut me off, interrupted me mid-sentence. “I’m leaving,” he roared with the powerful blaze of Alpha aggression.

“I’m sorry,” I said and cursed myself in bitter annoyance as fresh tears stung my eyes. I was a true Omega though, inside and out.

“Don’t be,” he grunted and walked towards the door to grab his shoes. “It was a nice weekend, but apparently that’s all it can ever be.”

His voice dripped with a sort of finality that crushed my spirit and collapsed my heart. I continued to plead with him because I didn’t want to lose him now.

I was in too deep. My asshole trembled and pulsed with desire at the mere thought of how he’d knotted inside of me twice after sex.

That didn’t just happen all the time. I knew we had something special to offer each other and I wasn’t ready to call it quits and throw in the towel yet.

Riley paced around as if he didn’t really want to leave and was searching for any excuse, no matter how broad the scope was in order to stick around.

“Please,” I begged, following him into my bedroom as he gathered up his wallet and keys and shoved them in a huff into the back pocket of his jeans.

Riley spun around, his eyes flashing with heat and anger, daring me to take even one inch step closer to him without receiving some kind of animosity and backlash.

“What do you want from me?” he grumbled. “These things sometimes don’t work out. Obviously, this is one of those times where it’s not meant to be.”

He turned around again, his back facing away from me. Before he did though, I saw the pain and suffering in his eyes, tinged with longing and a compassion that reflected through his soul even though he probably didn’t want me to recognize that fact.

I’d always had a gift when it came to reading people’s emotions and true intentions. I felt like in my heart, Riley was worth fighting for.

“It’s not what you think,” I whimpered again, needing resolution and the ability to plead my case.

“Then what is it?” he said gruffly and began walking back toward my front door.

This time, he picked up his shoes and brought them over to my sad, grey couch that had definitely seen better days. I was in desperate need for new furniture all around.

Riley plopped down on the couch with a dramatic and labored sigh. He picked up his right loafer and placed it on his foot.

He reached for the left one, but I stopped him.

“Wait!” I charged forward and boldly held his hand.

He glared at me, but the chemistry between us as our skin touched was electrical…thrilling even.

Riley didn’t flinch or swipe his hand away, which I took to be a step in the right direction or a good omen of sorts.

“Why do you care so much if I leave?” Riley said. “You are engaged, remember?” He smirked at me with dry sarcasm that pelted my self-esteem like hail falling from the sky.

“I believe we have something special,” I squeaked.

My statement hashed the very same reaction I was expecting to get, but I winced anyway.

Riley’s laugh barreled through the room with scorn and bitter contempt. “That’s the most ridiculous assumption I’ve ever heard in my life. Who do you think you are speaking to, Omega?”

His tone was condescending, but I expected that much to occur. I tried to let the sting and lashing remarks roll off my back so that this Alpha couldn’t squirm away.

I knew he was exasperated, on a short fuse. I knew I didn’t have ample amounts of time to convince him to stay…but I also knew I had to give it my best shot.

“Fine,” he groaned with a roll of his eyes. He glanced up at me with his dark, handsome eyes. “You have seconds to tell me what is going on or I’m walking out that door. You’ll never see me again.”

I knew his threat was durable and truth. I nodded my head with shameful yet sound understanding. “Okay,” I told him. “I’m going to tell you the truth.”

“The truth about everything,” he hissed, glaring with domineering eyes.

“Yes,” I said and inhaled a heavy breath of oxygen.

“So, start talking Omega,” he fired.

“Well...” I stated and wrung my hands together. “First of all, I just want to start off by saying I want you to stick around because the flirting, the foreplay, the sex…all of it…was…magical.”

A lightning bolt of recognition shot through Riley’s face and I knew he felt the same way. I was on the right track, but not home free just yet. He didn’t respond and soon his stare became blank and expressionless again.

“The arrangement is a sham,” I blurted out.

“The arrangement?” Riley raised an eyebrow.

“My engagement,” I scratched my temple and cleared my throat. “It’s an um, a joke…just pretend.”

Riley shook his head in dumbfounded confusion. “Why would you pretend to be engaged to be married to a girl?”

“It’s not exactly…by choice,” I revealed.

“Your pack is forcing you to do this?” Riley’s voice was high and protective.

“Yes,” I said and pointed at him. “Exactly.”

Riley’s face contorted into fresh anger. “Why would an Omega pack do something like that?”

I stood up and began pacing the room. “It’s complicated.”

“I have all the time in the world.” Riley leaned into the couch, reclining his back into the pillows and placed his feet up on the coffee table. He glanced at me with a smug expression.

“The whole asinine situation was orchestrated by my pack…the Post’s, and my female fiancée’s pack, the Clover’s.”

“I’ve never heard of them.” Riley’s eyes stared through me with vacancy.

“Yes well…” I trailed off, knowing that his revelation was beside the point.

“I’m still not understanding why you have to be forced into an arranged marriage,” he said.

“I don’t know that we’ll necessarily have to ever go through the whole marriage ceremony thing…but it’s what the pack leaders want.”

“Why?” Riley hissed with impatience and I knew that time was running out.

I stammered. “Because…my pack wants to move to Siberia.”

Riley scoffed, poking fun of this admittance. “Siberia? What the hell is in Siberia?”

I licked my lips nervously. “My pack wants to move to Siberia because they think that the Alaskan shifter community has become too crowded.”

Riley wrinkled his nose at this confession. “That’s insane. There’s plenty of room left still.”

“Maybe for the Alpha’s,” I whispered so quietly under my breath that I thought Riley might not have even heard me.

Riley glanced up at me. I was standing across from him, keeping my distance, but he remained seated on the couch.

“I still don’t know why this means you have to be engaged to a…girl.” He spit the word from his tongue as if it left a sour taste in his mouth.

“I need the visa to represent my pack, and if I get one then I will be able to move to Siberia along with my pack. I’m basically the one they chose to represent themselves.”

Riley became flushed, fuming once again. “Why are you the chosen one?”

“Do you mean, what makes me so special?” I laughed coyly, hoping my feeble attempt at landing a joke would be well received by Riley who didn’t so much as flinch or smile. He wasn’t forthcoming with a token reaction that I could decipher.

“I just don’t think it’s fair.” Riley’s eyes narrowed and darkened even further than they naturally were. He was still fascinatingly handsome in my viewpoint.

I was under his spell, and I couldn’t lose him now, not ever. I knew I was getting somewhere with him, I just needed to gain a little more time.

I tossed a light and barefooted kick at the coffee table and glanced down. “Yeah well…life isn’t fair. Right?” I glanced back up at him with a cynical chuckle.

Riley grumbled and squared out his jaw. He was ruggedly handsome.

“How did you come to be the one chosen?” he asked.

I took a deep breath. “Well, they took a vote, actually.”

“A vote?” Riley quizzed.

I nodded. “Yep. Lucky me, right?”

Riley stared at me blankly. At least he wasn’t charging for the door anymore, even though he was still only wearing the one shoe on his right foot.

If the situation we were in right now wasn’t so stressful, I might actually find that comically worth chuckling over or pointing out.

Granted, we were in a mess right now and the responsibility to fix it fell on my shoulders.

“So they didn’t even draw names, they just voted?” Riley pressed, needing further clarification.

“Yes, that’s right,” I confessed.

Riley’s face was pensive. “Were you present at this vote?” He used air quotes to deflate the pack’s decision.

“I was there.” I nodded somberly.

“Did you get to vote?” he asked.

“I did. Obviously, I didn’t vote for myself.” I chuckled.

Riley sighed and rubbed his temples as if he were gearing up for a massive migraine. I knew the feeling, all too well unfortunately.

I approached him and sat beside him on the couch. “There was no contest. The vote was a blow out. I knew it would be pointless to whine, snivel and try to weasel my way out of it. At the time I thought it was best to just keep my head down and take one for the team.”

Riley glanced over at me. “How very diplomatic of you,” he droned sarcastically.

I shrugged. “My charm and lighthearted nature was ultimately my downfall.” I laughed at the irony of it all. “They chose me because I am the most approachable and kind one of the pack.”

“Well it’s unfavorable timing.” Riley shook his head and glanced down at the floor.

“You can say that much, yes.” I chuckled and took it upon myself to squeeze Riley’s arm affectionately.

“So, what now?” Riley’s eyes burned through mine, piercing my soul.

“I am not used to offering up advice to an Alpha,” I said.

It was true, it tore me apart, ripped me from the seams to have to explain all this to Riley. If any of this had happened after I’d already met him, I could refuse them under the assumption that I’d be taken care of by an Alpha.

“Hmm…” Riley trailed off and I could see the gears brainstorming in his mind.

“I want something more with you,” I confessed. “Like I said before, I feel like we have something remarkable…special even.”

“The sex was incredible,” Riley admits.

“My hands are tied,” I sighed and leaned back hopelessly into the couch cushions. “I don’t know a way out of this mess.”

Riley looked up at me. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

I smiled at him and allowed my shoulders to relax slightly. “I hope you are right.”