Chapter Text
"Oh it's you again. Blonde boy why are you here?"
The young Icelandic boy asks the taller pale blonde boy, his face has no features. And he does not look like anyone he knows.
"I thought I escaped the north. Did I not?"
"You definitely tried! but you can't exactly run away from your problems. Can you?"
Problems?—
What Proble—
Jodie's body jolted awake, his eyes widened.
A dream.. Jodie concludes, as he sits up in his bed. His eyes, once dry before he went to bed, now brimming with near fallen tears.
He rubs neck with a low groan, feeling a painful throb... Probably from his sleeping position. Carefully, he rubs the tears from his eyes. Letting them soak into the sleeves of his tunic, the cloth chilling his warm skin...
Finally, he decides to sit up properly.
Looking out the window balcony beside his bed, he can see the large ball of sun brightening up the blue sky. It's at least morning. Well.. of course it was. Jodie just hopes that maybe.. he could've slept a little longer..
But, he digresses and begins to slowly clamber out of his bed. He let his feet touch the warm carpet beneath, soft on his feet. Gods.. he can still remember the cold of the Icelandic winters.. having to sleep with no heathe when it would be blown out from the heavy wind...
He is a little grateful they moved to this.. god awful city of.. Lutcoyt. Luitcoyte.. Luitcoyt..
Whatever..
He lifts himself into his legs, slowly stretching out his arms over his head. A low yawn escaping him mouth. Jodie had been waking up pretty early recently.. all due to that same nightmare.. an ominous tall blonde figure who would stare at him with no face, no eyes no mouth. But he could feel the stare. He could still hear the rather concerning threats he would shoot at him.
And everytime, he woke up, crying and not even remember what happened.
He wondered why. Wondered who on earth that man even was.
But. There's no dwelling on dreams that didn't mean anything... He strides over to his dressing room, letting out a soft sigh as he looked around.
He was a very picky person.. of course he was, with so many clothes his mother insists she buy for him. Few being gowns and dresses.. but he's never cared nor touched them.
He instead reaches for a white undershirt, blue vest, a darkish brown trousers and white socks.
He would most definitely look boring.. but it's just breakfast. He'll change later.. probably.
But, before he can even strip out of his clothes, a knock echoes from the door.
He let out a low growl of agitation, grumbling something about no privacy..
Unsurprisingly. It was Jobe. Of course it was, the younger alpha always insisted on waking up those who were late.
It appears as though.. Jodie is running late.
"Oh finally! I have knocked on your door for hours!" The young alpha says with his arms crossed, looking down at him with a teasing expression. He looks.. dressed up. Much more than usual, perhaps a special occasion.
Jodie rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Oh hush, you're too impatient to knock for hours..” he leans against the door, tugging at his sleeping shirt. “Why are you knocking anyway? Jude get in a fight?” He asks, a small yawn escaping him once more. By the shocked look on Jobe’s face, he definitely said something unreal.
”what? Did i oversleep for an event i dont know about?” He asks confused, shrugging like he isn't aware of what he's supposed to know.
"It's your eighteenth! You're supposed to be picking an alpha! Did you forget your own birthday??" Jobe asks exasperated, his eyes wide. His arms flailing as he spoke, almost in awe at Jodie forgetting his own birthday.
"Oh!— right.. right right.. you're right.. my eighteenth birthday.. how could I ever forget..." He mutters with an awkward chuckle, glancing up at the younger alpha. Noting the knowing expression on his face, making him sigh.
"Alright I forgot— i just.. I just- kind of ignored it.. because I just don't want to do this whole.. find an alpha thing.. alright B? Getting arranged to marry someone sucks.. unless your Jude.. I guess... Either way.. I'll get ready— tell my mother I'll be down in like.. however long.. don't rush me. Please." He says while shooing the English boy from his door way, ignoring his protests.
Before he closed and locks the door. Finally allowing him peace.. well he could still hear Jobe grumbling on the other side of the door while he stomps away.
Jodie couldn't help the small chuckle that leaves him, he always found the young alpha charming and fun. He really respects him, especially when he shows his maturity. Despite being the youngest in the castle, he definitely could make better decisions than any of the adults.
though now.. he has to change from his clothes.. being his birthday. He had to dress up at least a little.. lord knows his mother would likely beat his ass if he came down in just a tunic and trousers..
So he returned to his dressing room and laid his earlier clothes on a stack. Choosing new and more presentable clothing.
A cream tunic with pearl buttons, his favourite vest, dark blue trousers that fit to his legs and shoes that made him a little taller. He had decided to change while he picked his clothes, so that he can be ready quicker.
Once he is all dressed up, he needs to focus on his hair.. an absolute mess it was. Long to his shoulders, a darker chestnut colour, that did seem to shine in the morning light. Perhaps because he hasn't washed it in a few days.. but besides that.
He needs to brush through it, making sure there were absolutely no knots in his hair. Soon enough he'd have to get a knot anyway.. alright enough—
His hair looks.. presentable. It wasn't flying off in different directions.
Slowly, he lays down the brush and begins to make his way down the stairs. He has surely taken at least another hour getting himself ready. He can't help that he needs to look perfect. Even if he wasn't playing on looking perfect.
With a heavy sigh and thoughts of regrets and anger towards his future husband he finally leaves his room.
The hallway is lined with paintings and doors, the two doors across from him being those of his two eldest brothers. Both of which are alphas. Lucky them.. but regardless he still enjoys them. Sometimes.
Taking a left, he walks past the two Bellingham brothers room. Both of which are also alphas. Oh how nice for them.. but he does enjoy their presences more than his brother's. Across from their rooms is their parents room, their mother being an omega and their father being an alpha. At least Jodie has another omega to be with.
Finally, since Jodie is basically roaming lazily to where he knows he is being summoned. He picks up the pace and chooses to sit on the railing of the stairwell, sliding down it with a small grin. The only person to witness him being a butler, he glares at the man, watching as the servant panics and turns around, trying to pretend he didn't see what happened.
Satisfied, he strolls through the marble hallway, looking up at the large paintings. Most were family portraits or portraits of the land. A few single portraits. His favourite of course being the one of him and his closest friends that he managed to convince the painter to allow in. It did—
"Jodie! Enough with your lazy feet and join the feast! It is your 18th birthday yet your as slow as when you learned to walk!"
Looking down the corridor, Jodie freezes when he realises it was his mother. She looks very annoyed, but more so that he was taking so long. He gives an awkward smile and quickly picks up his feet, basically sprinting towards her.
"Yes mum- I'm sorry. I wasn't awakened by anyone. And I.. did kind of forget that today was my birthday.." he admits, his head down. He winces when his mother's scent sours, her usual floral and sweet tea scent, now smells like coal. A scent from her past of being an alpha.
"That is no excuse. Because you were awakened, I had sent two servants to your room and each time they came down with no luck of waking you. So than Jobe volunteered to wake you." His mother scolds him with a shake of her head, her feet moving with a pace that Jodie struggles to catch a few time before finally falling into pace with her.
"I'm sorry mum! I just overslept. Besides. I don't even want to celebrate. I have to choose an alpha- and once again I won't choose any of the—"
"You won't be choosing. We have already arranged an alpha for you." His mother suddenly cuts him off, shocking Jodie freezing him in place.
He watches as his mother walks in front of him, processing what she had just said to him. "You.. you did— you did what!?" He immediately finds his feet and runs towards his mother, walking beside her.
"Y-you can't be serious! Have I met him?- is it one of the alphas I didn't connect with? How old is he? Who is he? Did you make a deal?-" he keeps asking, but recieving no answers when his mother finally stopped and enters two large doors to the dinner hall.
He stands in front of the door, watching it close in front of him. He was still in absolute disbelief. His parents had promised they would allow him to choose the Alpha he would marry, they had shown many different princes from across Britain. Princes from other European countries as well. But he turned down them all, giving a maybe chance to a few than immediately rejecting them.
Sure he was extremely picky when it came to his Alpha, especially growing up surrounded by alphas as the only omega, he knew how Alphas could be and should be. And when the Princes weren't that, he would reject them.
But his parents just arranging him into a marriage without his knowledge and seemingly without him even knowing the alpha just sent anger and betrayal through him. He didn't even hear the mentions of his name behind him.
"Jodie..? You alright mate?" The voice was familiar, being Jude.
Jodie turns around to the alpha, letting out a distressed sigh while shaking his head. "It's fine.. just— I just—" he groans and shakes his head once more. "Let's just join breakfast.."
Jude nods unsure beside him, opening the doors and entering them alongside Jodie.
Jodie ignored the looks from his family, sitting down beside his eldest brother, Alexander Jr. Or as he calls himself, Alex.
He immediately could see the pure anger and fury radiating off his younger brother like waves. And does the smart thing to not mention it. Despite being an Omega, Jodie has a very short temper and sour attitude.
Jodie keeps his eyes on his plate, refusing to look at anyone, even the Bellingham family, just completely furious.
The anger was pretty visible on him, considering his scent was heavy and sharp, the smell of burnt incense and charcoal. Had the others around him uncomfortable, but he was no where near giving a fuck.
"Um— so.. it is.. the eighteenth of.. Jodie. And uh." His father's voice finally broke the heavy silence among the room, obviously unsure how he's supposed to lighten the mood with the birthday boy looking like he was close to strangling someone.
"We have.. prepared a feast.. and— a ball for tonight. Where- you will.. meet. Your future.. husband." That was the straw that finally broke the camel's back.
Jodie jolted up, slamming his hands on the table, making Jude who was sitting beside him jump. Even the others flinched around him.
"Are you serious!? You just arranged me with a someone I don't even know!? What happened to allowing me to choose the person I marry!" He shouts across the table, his chest heaving.
"We gave you enough time Jodie. But you just won't pick an alpha no matter their wealth—" his mother spoke frustrated before being cut off by Jodie once more.
"I don't care about wealth! Do you think I'll marry an alpha just for his riches?! Who do you think I am! I want an alpha that will be a good man to me! I won't marry a man because of his stature!" His voice boomed across the room, echoing off the walls.
"Jodie, you will stop raising your voice at me! I am your mother and I am the one that decides your future! You are not going to marry someone pathetic. Our name is better than that!" His mother slams her hand on the table, her alpha peeking through in her fit of anger.
Jodie laughs humorless, "you are the one to decide how you wish to bury me! I won't marry whoever prick you chose!" He steps back, his chair falling to the floor behind him as he storms to the door.
"Jodie don't you dare walk away young woman!—" the last word he hears before Jodie slams the door and begins to speed walk towards the garden. Tears welling up in his eyes, his heart broken.
He rams his shoulder against the glass door leading to the outside, disappearing into the large garden and behind the trees.
“you told him about the marriage before his celebration?” Alexander, Jodie’s father finally spoke up after the heavy silence that fell among the table. His voice gruff, he turns to his wife, his eyes searching for answers. "After we decided that telling him before would not end well?"
The poor Bellinghams who were sitting opposite of the large table, glancing at each other awkwardly. Alexander and Mariana argued at the head of the table, their opinions on the whole situation appearing very.. different.
Jude glances at his younger brother across from him, who gives him an awkward shrug back. The older alphas lets out a sigh and just shakes his head.
The two brothers were both irritated, Alex having just gotten up to leave instead of sticking around. While the other brother, Marcello, tries his best to converse with Denise, to distract them from.. his parents currently shouting at one another.
Alex hadn't gone after Jodie, he knows his younger brother is capable enough of himself. Even if the protective wolf inside of him tries to encourage him to go after his youngest brother, he refuses. He knows he probably won't make the situation better. Either way, he needs to go to the ballroom to help set up for the ball after breakfast. But he cannot go back to finish eating..
Jude and Jobe gave each other a look and both also decide to leave, instead making their way to the ballroom after Alex.
Outside, the air is cooler than the inside of his home. No fireplace nor candle to warm him.
Jodie just walks and walks through the castle's garden, tears prickling his eyes. He's known for years that once he becomes of age he would have to get married to an alpha, to become bonded with him. And eventually move to the Alpha's respective kingdom.
It had always been that way, his mother would tell him. The Omega is like a trophy for the Alpha, to be taken back to their homeland, shown like a prize and barely really looked at. He always hated the idea and protested, but his mother was a stubborn wall that refused to listen to him no matter what.
She tells him that, she gave up her family in the eastern part of Europe after she married his father and left to live in Luitcoyt. Telling stories of how the Omegas of her family would move to the home of the alpha to start the new life.
But when has Jodie ever followed tradition? He decided at a young age he is a boy, he decided he wouldn't let himself be seen as weak because he was an Omega. And he sure as hell did not allow anyone nor his own parents from forcing him to conform. He played rough with his brothers, screamed back at his mother, punched alphas who would mistaken him for a bitch and covers his chest to make sure people saw him as a man.
Jodie barely even registers that he's under overhead of large trees, still following after the path to his safe space. A large clearing with a picnic blanket resting on the grass, still crumpled slightly from when he was here yesterday with his friends.
Carefully, he sits down. Pulling out a piece of bread he had took from the breakfast, hungrily stuffing it into his mouth. Angrily chewing the warm piece of bread, while he finally allows his tears to stream down his cheeks.
One might assume he would be happy, he obviously doesn't enjoy his home, especially his mother and father. But the thought of leaving his brothers, the Bellingham brothers, who he basically sees as brothers and the Bellingham parents. He loves Denise and Mark as though they were his parents. And worst of all.. he would deeply miss his two best friends.
The ones who were there for every event of his lifes they met young, at least 4 years old. And we're inseparable whenever they saw one another. Of course, being commoners, his father told him that he mustn't connect with them. Or they may just steal him from all his riches... They really don't know anything about his life.
As Jodie lays back on his blanket, he decides he is going to stay here until night. Hopefully noone comes to search for him, he would much rather speak with his mother than join the ball... That was a lie.. he loves balls, it was the fact he would meet his alpha there that was the problem.
What is he to do.. he was just an Omega. Clearly.. he has no choice in his life. No matter how desperately he wants it. How desperately he yearns for the freedom.
Tonight, would decide if he would live the rest of his life in resentment or.. maybe something. Domestic with feelings...
Only time will tell him.