Mason was late.

Bear checked his watch for what felt like the hundredth time before shaking his head at the alpha's tardiness.

The omega placed his straw between his lips and felt his insides dance at the decadent taste of chocolate on his tongue.

"I'm so sorry."

Bear shifted his attention away from his milkshake and to his former lover.

Mason was dressed in black skinny jeans and an oversized hoody with morning slippers.

Bear raised a brow at the man's outfit. Mason never dressed like that, Mason was all about looking classy and elegant at all times of the day. He loved his suit and tie,or his fitted pants and formal sweaters,and his watches. The man had a watch collection to die for. Mason did not dress casual or lazy and so his outfit raised a question mark.

But Bear stayed silent and watched the man sit down and motion for a waitress to come and take his order.

"Can I please get a chocolate milkshake and some spicy chicken wings?"

The waitress nodded with a smile before walking away.

"Hi."

Bear smiled and returned the greeting.

"You look good. Marriage seems to be your thing, you're glowing."

Mason was being truthful. Bear looked happy and even though his rejection of the alpha at his wedding had hurt him, it was the right decision. Bear was happy, happier than he had ever been with Mason and that's all the man had ever wanted for the omega.

"I'm surprised that you're still in town."

Mason had been in town for two weeks, he had one week left before his vacation days were up and he wasn't planning on leaving the town before then. Something or rather someone was keeping him anchored in the small town of Louisville, and Mason was not complaining. He was rather comfortable, he felt at home.

"Well...." Mason blushed at the thought of the Priest that he was meeting up with later.

It wasn't a date, he was just going to hang out with him at his place and get a home cooked meal from the Beta. Mason couldn't wait, he was excited to meet up with the man as he had been preoccupied for the past few days. This had resulted in the alpha staying cooped up in his hotel room, which sucked.

So when he got his text that morning right after he had made plans with Bear to meet up for a morning drink, he had jumped out of bed in excitement and had found himself giggling like a teenage girl whose crush had just asked her out.

Mason was being pathetic, he was 29 but yet acting like a lovestruck babe, how humiliating.

"You met someone?"

Bear knew from that twinkle in his eyes and that smile on his lips. Mason had met a guy who was making him glow and come out of his shell, out of his comfort zone. And the red hoodie he wore could attest to that.

"Yeah, it's nothing... This is weird."

Bear cocked his head to the side.

"You're my ex and you're married and here we are three weeks after our break up,meeting up for milkshakes like best friends. And discussing my possible love interest. It's really odd."

Bear let out a soft laugh.

"Mason I don't hold grudges. Plus you already apologised at my wedding and you deserve a second chance, but not as my lover."

Mason let out a groan at the memory of what he had done at the ceremony, he still felt embarrassed.

"Don't remind me of that day. I totally embarrassed myself-"

"No, you were honest. And I appreciated it. In that moment I saw why I had been attracted to you in the first place. You are brave, courageous and caring. You just lost it halfway through our relationship. And I guess it's because we weren't meant to be. If you hadn't hurt me and left me I wouldn't have met Titus and gotten married to him. And you wouldn't have met this mystery guy of yours. I think it was fate."

Bear placed his hand over Mason's.

"But don't ever make someone feel insecure of the way they look. Or how they act. If you love someone you love and respect each and every part of them. Don't let your insecurities and society's expectations and views ruin your relationship, whether it be romantic or platonic. Don't make that same mistake again Mason."

Mason nodded and wiped away the stray tears from his face before letting out a laugh at the waitress' confused face as she set down his food.

"So tell me about Titus, how's the alpha treating you?" Asked the alpha steering the topic away from him and towards Bear and his new life.

°•°•

Bear was nesting.

It had been two weeks since their mating ceremony and exactly three days before their big extravagant white wedding.

Bear wanted something small and intimate but his mate was of Royal blood and deserved a big royal wedding, a wedding for the history books.

And so Bear found himself agreeing to things he thought were a bit outrageous such as a 10 tiered cake with smaller cakes that would be joined with a bridge or something like that to the main cake.

The food, the decor, everything had been blown out of proportion by his dear mother-in-law, Bear was over trying to be nice to her.

He wanted to strangle her but he couldn't, she was his husband's mother and well Titus would not take that well.

And now with Tanner in the picture things had gotten worse. The woman kept comparing him to his younger brother. Titan and Tanner had only known each other for two weeks but seemed like a couple that had been together for years.

Bear was certain that they were heading for marriage and he was excited. It warmed his heart to see his brother happy and being treated with so much love. He deserved it and so much more.

Bear let out a soft purr like sound as he buried his head in the mountain of materials that decorated their queen sized bed.

The bed smelt like him and Titus. Bear rolled over to his alpha's side of the bed and moaned as his musky scent traveled through his nose.

"Bear I -"

Titus' voice trailed off as he caught sight of his omega. The man had a silly smile on his face and was surrounded by Titus' hoodies which decorated the bed like plush cushions.

"Bear?"

Bear's eyes fluttered open and his lips parted into a smile at the sight of his husband.

He sat up.

"Yes?"

"Are you hungry?"

Bear shook his head and motioned for the man to come nearer. Titus obeyed and found himself laying on the bed with his submissive's head on his chest and feet tangled with his.

"I feel sleepy."

Bear yawned and fell asleep with last one inhale of the dominant's scent.

Titus simply smiled and pulled his mate closer. The past two weeks had been filled with getting to know each other and making up for their failed nuptial night.

Bear had informed his alpha of his reservations regarding intimacy in their marriage, and of course Titus had understood his omegas decision.

Sex was great but sex between two people who were emotionally connected was greater. They needed to create a bond of intimacy between them that would make their relationship stronger.

Titus gently shifted his mate off of him and placed a blanket over the male before walking out of the room.

He hoped that Bear wouldn't go into heat before their wedding or even worse during the ceremony. He knew the male was on supplements and was confused as to why he was behaving like an omega in preheat.

He had become more affectionate and needy. The previous night he had stayed up until 3am waiting for Titus to come back home just so that he could inhale his scent and hold him as he fell asleep.

Of course his alpha had laughed but complied with his lover's wishes. He couldn't say no to Bear, Dańte made him do things that he never thought he would do for anyone.

Like washing dishes, the alpha could cook. He was a diploma away from being a culinary master. But he loathed washing dirty dishes, but Dańte made it known to him on their fourth day as a married couple that he would have to suck it up and deal with it.

Titus' phone rang and he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Titus brother I'm in trouble."

Titus poured himself a glass of water as he listened to his brother ramble about how their parents were going to murder him but not before David and Alex castrated him.

"Wait hold on for a second... castrate you?" Asked the alpha as he sat down on the couch and placed his laptop on his lap.

"Tanner's pregnant."

And Titus did what any older brother by exactly 3 minutes and 15 seconds would do, he laughed.