Omega Ascension System[BL] Chapter 9: Surprise!

Elian’s POV

*****

He walked out of the palace, navigating his way into the night.

So guests from the Mating Ceremony — still ongoing despite the royal family’s absence — lingered in the courtyard, casting glances at him.

He hugged himself when the night wind hit his body, his mind trailing back to everything that had happened in the past thirty minutes or so.

[Actually, it’s been exactly fifty minutes since you found out Lucian is your mate. And if you would kindly look at his possessiveness ter...]

A translucent blue screen flickered in front of Elian as the system spoke in his head, displaying the stats it ntioned.

There was a bar with Lucian’s na above it. The number on the bar showed 10%... Lucian’s possessiveness had already increased by two per cent since he left.

Elian’s eyebrows furrowed as the system continued talking.

[Yeah, and you have exactly two hours to push it to 20%. Honestly... If my calculations are right—and let’s be honest, they are— you could have that ter well past 20% before the ti elapses. Hopefully.]

The fuck?

"Why then did you say your calculations are right and then turn around and say..." Elian was about to argue with the system but then paused when he walked past a line of guards leading into one of the palace gardens.

The guards, dressed in silver and gold armour, wore stoic expressions — but their eyes brimd with silent judgnt.

Elian’s face heated up as he awkwardly nodded at the guards, but none of them acknowledged him or even blinked, their eyes still following him.

[Awkward...]

Elian gritted his teeth.

The system had embarrassed him way too many tis tonight and it’s been barely an hour.

Finally, Elian got into the garden and sat on a stone platform close to one of the fountains. The fountain in question was a beautiful statue of a maiden wearing robes, holding a bowl that was raised to the sky.

The water sprinkled out of the bowl, cascading in beautiful shimrs that were illuminated by the moon’s light.

[You know, instead of talking out loud when speaking to you could always speak to ntally. Like when you’re thinking. Most werewolves do that with their wolves... Which you’d know if you had a wolf.]

Unbelievable...

Elian scoffed under his breath. "Whatever, bitch. I just want to finish this damn mission so I can focus on surviving Estella. Because we both know she’s definitely cooking up sothing to—"

[I think you’d want to tone down your voice.]

Elian raised an eyebrow, rolling his eyes before using his right hand to splash at the waters of the fountain.

"Why? Because I called you a bitch? Well, maybe you should stop acting like one and I’ll stop." Elian snapped, not taking the system seriously. "Besides, I ca to this garden because it’s the quietest part of the palace grounds. There’s no one here so—"

[ALERT: Mate #1 incoming.]

Elian froze, his nose catching a scent that sent shivers down his spine at the sa mont that the system’s notification ca in.

Mate one? Was that Beta Axel or...?

"Who are you talking to?" A deep voice asked with confusion and what sounded like irritation behind him just then.

An all too familiar deep voice. One that Elian hoped he wouldn’t have to hear for the rest of the night... But he had to if he wanted to complete the system’s mission.

Lucian...

Elian let out a sigh, but he neither moved a muscle nor said anything in response, splashing around with the water instead.

’You couldn’t warn on ti that he was coming?’ Elian managed to ask the system ntally.

[Oh, so NOW you’re capable of speaking ntally?]

The sarcasm in the system’s voice sounded so sentient that Elian almost expected it to manifest as a sassy aunty or sothing.

[Also, I did try warning you. Not my fault that you were too daft to understand why I told you to tone down your voice.]

Goddess...

"I believe I just asked soone a question." Lucian’s voice echoed behind him again, this ti sounding closer. "Who were you talking to, Elian? The witch who made your mate, perhaps?"

Elian clicked his tongue, his jaw tightening.

"I don’t owe you an answer, Your Highness," he muttered, still not looking back. "Didn’t you already get your royal tantrum quota filled for the night?"

He suddenly heard footsteps — slow, deliberate ones — crunching over gravel and grass behind him.

"Don’t test , Elian," Lucian growled dangerously.

"I wouldn’t dream of it." Elian finally stood and turned to face Lucian fully. "After all, I’m just the lowly Oga mate you hate so much. Surely, you’ve got better things to do than chase after soone so beneath you."

Lucian’s lips twitched into a dangerous smirk, but his eyes... his eyes burned with sothing more complicated than rage.

Possession. Confusion.

... Hunger?

"You left the palace," Lucian said. "My parents seek your presence for dinner. Or have you forgotten whose mate you are?"

Elian blinked, unable to believe his ears.

Was this man being for real right now?

"First off, YOU made leave my room, rember?" Elian asked, tilting his head slightly. "Secondly, now you’re acknowledging as your mate? What changed?"

Lucian scoffed, looking away briefly as if he were ashad of the fact. "You’re my mate and that’s it. Stop trying to search for—"

"You rejected ." Elian interrupted, his voice dripping with disdain but also so lingering hurt.

Lucian’s nostrils flared as he locked his gaze on him. "I didn’t say I was letting you go."

Elian laughed... a cold and humourless sound. "You think you can have it both ways? You think you can shove into a wall one minute, insult my existence the next, then follow into a moonlit garden like so tortured soul with a superiority complex?"

Lucian stepped forward as soon as those words left his mouth, causing his breath to hitch slightly.

[Ouuu, keep pushing it, fruit cake.]

The bond pulsed between them like a growing storm, thick in the air.

"You bit ," Lucian growled, his eyes flashing with a faint glow as his black hair blew into the air. "You drew blood."

"And you kissed without asking!" Elian snapped.

"You kissed back."

Elian’s eyes narrowed. "And then you grabbed my wrists so hard I felt like my arms would break. What? Are we here to take a trip down mory lane?"

Lucian’s mouth opened, but no words ca out.

"You don’t get to play the victim," Elian went on, his voice steady. "You don’t get to pretend you’re in control just because you’re the prince. The bond doesn’t care about bloodlines or palaces. You’re just as trapped in it as I am."

Lucian said nothing for a long second.

Then, quietly, like an admission he couldn’t believe he was making, he muttered. "You’re wrong."

"You sure?" Elian took a step closer, testing the line. "Because right now, your eyes are saying sothing else. And your scent—"

He inhaled slowly, taking in Lucian’s addictive pheromones and then breathing out in a way that visibly agitated him.

"... says you want more than you want control."

Lucian’s jaw clenched. "Don’t push , Elian."

"I’m not pushing. I’m proving a point."

Lucian reached out suddenly, grabbing his wrist—not violently, not possessively. Just enough to stop him from walking away.

Their gazes locked in that mont as Elian parted his lips, blinking uncontrollably.

The bond surged.

A heat rolled through Elian’s chest. His wrist tingled where Lucian touched him. His knees wobbled slightly. It felt like sothing clicked into place — like a key turning in a lock.

Suddenly, a soft ding sounded in his head.

[Ding! Lucian’s Possessiveness ter: 22%!]

[System Update Unlocked...]

[Congratulations! Prince Lucian’s possessiveness has surpassed the 20% threshold. Way to go, fruitcake! You’ve officially flushed out the last of your past life’s poison.]

[New Feature Available: Seduction ter! 1 added to all of Host’s current stats, as promised...]

There was a short pause after that and then...

[External Mate Detection loading...]

Wait... What?

[ALERT: Additional Mate Detected.]

[Status: Unknown. Designation: Mate #3.]

[Power Class: Alpha Sovereign and Rogue. Estimated Threat Level: Lethal.]

[Current Location: Unidentified.]

Elian’s breath caught in his throat in that mont as he blinked while Lucian stared at him with confusion.

A THIRD MATE?!

[Yeah, so... um. Surprise.]