Chapter Text
As the night grew into the next morning, Asami stirred awake early as usual. This time she was surprised to find herself wrapped up in the tangle of Korra’s arms. The cradle of the alpha’s hips slotted over the curve of her backside with an insistent press. They fit so perfectly together. As if they were two pieces of a puzzle. Trying to dislodge herself out of Korra’s caress seemed impossible. Sorely tempted to roll her hips back, Asami bit back a whimper with indecision.
Slowly and reluctantly, she slipped out of the bed with care not to wake up the sleeping woman. Asami pulled her hair up in a messy bun and opened the door a crack, peeking out into the hallway to make sure no one was around. The hallway was quiet and empty. Cautiously, she slipped out of the room, alone and unprotected.
Asami was smelling the bacon before she arrived at the kitchen and was pleased to find Senna getting started on the family’s breakfast. She made eyes with another woman. One she’s never seen before sitting at the breakfast bar of the massive kitchen.
“Good morning,” the woman greeted with kind blue eyes. She was older than Senna, perhaps in her late fifties. Long matted dreads of silver cascaded over her shoulders, decorated with shiny beads. Asami sniffed at her subtly, unable to define her dynamic within an odor of burning incense fuming from long azure robes and white fur.
“Morning…” Asami said slowly, unsure what to make of this character at this first impression. Senna turned from the stove with a bright smile and a platter of piping hot morsels.
“Asami, this is Kya. She’s a family friend,” she explained while placing the batch of buckwheat pancakes on the counter. One of them was snatched up in a flash by Kya’s swiping paws. Not even a blink when Senna swatted at her.
“Wait until everyone else is up!” Senna scolded her with a pointed finger and a sharp look.
“Don’t get your britches in a tangle,” the older woman gruffed as she took a bite. “Lin never really took to your cooking lessons. Can’t you tell I’m wasting away?”
“You know how to cook just fine,” Senna reminded as she pulled the plate out of Kya’s reach. “You’re just lazy.”
“No, I’m busy,” Kya corrected while brushing stray crumbs off the front of her tribal robes. “Do you know how many times I have to make home visits? There are a lot of ‘haunted’ huts around here.”
“Shamanism is really hard work,” Senna said sarcastically, beckoning the younger omega over to the coffee pot. She knew exactly what Asami was here for. “Dressing up in feathers and chanting must really work up an appetite.”
Asami poured herself a mug, cracking a small smile to the sisterly bicker. The coffee was hot. Evenly balanced with roasted nutty sweetness. A beautiful salvation to promised energy. And by the engineering gods did she need it. She wasn’t prepared to socialize so early in the morning.
“I’ll be calling on the spirits to replace your sugar with salt.” Kya mumbled, shoving the rest of the pancake in her chops. She didn’t even wait to swallow before speaking again. “Rour onna make meh fat.” Senna rolled her eyes up with a sigh and went back to cooking. Asami watched her while sipping, enamored at how she moved with confidence in the kitchen.
“I can’t cook worth a damn,” she said slowly feeling a bit more awake now. "You must really enjoy cooking to do it do frequently instead of hiring full time kitchen staff.”
"I certainly do," Senna answered with a smile. "I was a chef in my early days working in a dumpling shop. If I didn’t volunteer for the community center, I would be cooking three times a day.”
"What's Korra's favorite thing to eat?" Senna gave her another smile as she flipped a cooking cake with a jerk of the pan in a flawless motion.
"Oh, she'll eat anything," she said. "That girl is a bottomless pit like her father. But I'm sure her favorite thing to eat is seaweed noodles with grilled eel."
"Can you teach me how to make it?" Asami asked. She wanted to be able to at least make one edible meal in case she needed to cook again.
"It's simple to make," the older omega said with a knowing smirk. "But if I teach you how, I fear Korra would visit me less after you are wed."
Asami laughed unable to hide her blush. She certainly can just hire a chef to teach her. But she knows each chef has their own take on certain dishes. She needed Senna’s recipe to win Korra over. The one built on love and nurture. Now she found herself negotiating. “At least teach me how to make something edible. I need to have at least one thing I can pull off. I almost killed Korra last time when you were at your book club.”
Senna laughed beautifully at that. She looked at Asami with an affectionate smile and nodded. “You are so sweet to my daughter. Thank you.” A lump of emotion got caught in Asami’s throat. Now she was thinking about her own mother. How she missed her. She saw her mother in Senna’s eyes, warm and compassionate.
"Speaking of Korra," Kya chimed in. "Why isn't she here with you?"
"Uhhh…" Asami cleared her throat. "She had a rough night… so I'm letting her sleep in a little while longer."
"Not too long, I hope. The others will be getting up soon…" Kya's stare intensified. "Wouldn't want to get caught without her… smelling like you do.”
“Kya, please.” Senna darted a sharp glare to her friend. “That’s rude, you know.”
“Are you not concerned about it?” Kya’s face melted into a sneer, addressing the elephant in the room.
“Well…” Senna’s eyes touched Asami’s gaze. “I had noticed that your scent haven’t really much since your last heat… It’s rather distracting even for me.”
Asami eyed Kya in hesitation.
“I’m a mated beta,” she clarified in knowing what the young omega was silently wondering. “I don’t mean to pry, but this isn’t normal. This could be dangerous.” Asami sighed, placing the mug on the counter.
“Alright,” she started. “I have a rare medical condition. It causes me to go into heat frequently and because of that, my scent is always projecting. When I first came here I was wearing a blocking lotion. I stopped using it to see if how Korra reacted. She was going to find out one way or another… Anyways, the lotion got thrown out. I didn’t know that other alphas were going to be in the house.”
“I understand,” Senna said, pausing to gather her thoughts for a moment. “Asami, please tell me. Did Korra agree to the arrangement because of Unalaq and his children being here?”
“Yes…” Asami’s eyes drew low, full of guilt. “She’s warming up to me, but she’s still not truly on board with the arrangement yet. It’ll take some time. But for now, we are just sharing the room so I don’t get caught without her.”
“Smart move, this explains why Unalaq isn’t staying at the hotel this time.” Kya nodded, fingering her chin in thought. “I doubt that he is foolish enough to try anything. He’s always been cautious of Korra ever since she challenged Eska a few years back.”
“Oh," Senna rang. “I almost forgot about that. Poor sweet Bolin. Eska went crazy over him."
"Bolin and Eska?" Well that is certainly interesting, she thought. Asami couldn't imagine Eska being interested in courting Bolin. They were completely different people. Imagining such a match gave her pity over the omega she briefly met before. Poor Bolin, certainly. He is way too sweet to suffer Eska's conquest.
“If you count forcing him to be her personal slave as a courting, then yes,” Kya sighed with equal pity. “Korra flipped out after Eska forced a collar on him.” Before getting too carried away with storytelling, the elder shook her head. “We’ve wasted too much time. Go to her and keep her close.”
Asami gave Kya a brief nod, agreeing that she's been there long enough. She should go wake Korra before the others emerge. Before she left, she poured a second cup of coffee.
With two mugs in tow, Asami left the kitchen with haste, skipping lightly down the hallway. She heard the hinges creak from a door she passed. A tingle zipped up the nape of her neck, causing her jaw to clench with a cling of an other's chi. It was one of the twins. The quiet one. She easily shook the silent jerk for her attention.
"Wait."
She refused to stop when Desna growled after her. He started to follow her. Her feet picked up pace. Just a few more steps and she’ll be at Korra’s door.
“Wait!” Desna called after her again. “I need to speak to you.”
Asami finally reached Korra’s door, only to fumble and curse trying to cradle one of the mugs to her chest so she could open the thing. The hairs on the back of Asami’s neck stood on end when Desna’s hand covered the door knob just as she was starting to grab it.
“Wait, I said.” His voice felt close enough to touch her shoulder. She turned, curling up her lip on edge, being ready to throw hot coffee in his face if he tried anything. Despite them being the same height, he towered over her. His wide icy stare shone full of a crazed urgency.
“What do you want?” Asami asked in a rude tone. She wanted nothing to do with other alphas. Being around one alpha all the time was strenuous enough.
“Your concept of conducting electrical feedback to chakra points is ingenious. But have you solved the overload surcharge issue?”
Asami’s eyes rounded in surprise, frozen while her brain flipped the reboot switch.
“You… went in my room,” Asami noted, narrowing her stare. “Why were you going through my things?”
“You left them there,” He stepped back to give her space with an involuntary snort. His eyes darted to her neck. She could tell he was trying not to look why the way he was fidgeting. “N-nevermind that, I want to know if you found the proper material for buffering the surcharge. It would cause the main unit to burn out with an alpha’s aura without it. You need a special crystal with the right chemical components.”
Why Desna was interested in this was beyond her, but it was a problem she had been mulling over most of the previous day. Asami was a master at mechanical engineering, but lacked knowledge on biochemical energy and chakra behavior. She finally softened her defensive posture, looking at him with intrigue.
“You are correct,” she relaxed just a little, keeping her eyes on him even though the omega in her didn’t wish for the contact. “I’ll need to do some testing of various specimens…”
“I have an interest in what you are doing,” he proclaimed and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his skinny jeans. “I’ve been studying the various attributes of crystals. Each type responds differently to certain forms of energy from each chakra. New Age medicine may mostly be built on spiritual hearsay, but there is some truth that crystals offer a place in both technology and medicine when applied correctly.”
A flag flipped up in Asami's brain. This might be a way to fully test her idea. Not only was Desna knowledgeable about crystals in different energy fields, but he was an alpha. A perfect test subject for the first prototype.
“I’ll contact you when I’m ready to build.” Desna nodded and presented his mobile to log her contact information. When the exchange was done, he left without a farewell, floating like a ghost back to his room. Well, that was certainly interesting…
The door drew open by her careful maneuvering, and she found Korra still sleeping in as always. She looked so beautiful, so at ease in her sleep that Asami always felt a little guilty for making her wake up. She placed the coffee on the nightstand and sat on the edge, leaning over and brushing Korra’s hair out of her face.
“Korra,” she called out. “It’s time to get up.” The alpha only responded with a little pout, otherwise still clinging on her slumber. A tingling sensation flooded over her. Asami drew her eyes to the alpha’s lips wanting to kiss them.
Testing the waters, the omega leaned down further, brushing her lips across Korra’s cheek ever so gently. “Wake up, Korra… or I’m going to kiss you.” A small groan answered her, but Korra didn’t wake and so Asami kissed the corners of her mouth feeling her heart flutter with every peck. She stayed on the alpha’s cheeks, smooching her face more aggressively to rouse her.
“Mmmm?” Korra finally started to stir, twisting her brow but still refused to open her eyes. “Omega… let me sleep.”
“Not a chance.” Asami giggled against her face, sighing and nuzzling the side of Korra’s face before finally diving in.
***
Korra murmured her protests, knowing Asami was trying to wake her up. The bed was so comfortable, it had been a while since she slept in it and she missed it. She didn’t want to wake up. She didn’t want to go to the festival and entertain the locals. She wanted to stay here in the bubble she and Asami were in to hide from the world. She was good at hiding.
Korra whimpered at the soft mouth pressing against her lips. Asami’s lips were the softness things she’s ever known to touch and she pressed her mouth back for more. The world’s most beautiful moan rang in her ears when she did, it was soft and full of pleasant surprise.
I shouldn’t be doing this… Korra knew she was just stringing the girl on, but she had no control over the cravings for Asami’s attention. It felt good to be the center of the omega’s world right now. Korra couldn’t remember the last time she felt good about herself. She wanted to be selfish when it came to Asami.
Asami started to pull away from her, but she wasn’t letting her. Korra’s hands wrapped around the back of the heiress’s neck and pressed her mouth harder, earning another delicious moan that shook her center. They parted for just a second until Asami’s teeth tugged on her bottom lip, pulling it into her mouth to suckle. Shit…
Asami released her lip with a soft pop, grinning like a champion at her success. “Good morning to you,” she panted against her mouth. “I brought you some coffee.” Korra had to stifle a groan when the omega pulled away freely this time, twisting and placing the warm mug in her hands.
“Thanks…” Korra took a swig, hoping that the caffeine will kick in fast to cure her sleepiness. Normally, she couldn’t stomach black coffee but over the past few days she’d been starting to like it. Asami brought her a change of clothes before starting to undress again with her back to her. Korra shook off the temptation to watch the omega peel her bottoms off and focused on pulling her shirt off for a fresh one.
Co-existing like this was strange to her. Sharing her room and her bed with Asami brought on a relaxed atmosphere of daily regime. It was intimate. And Korra wondered if she would ever be able to get used to it. Wait… used to it? Why was she considering that? She didn’t want to think about it. Asami would be going back to her room when her uncle and cousins retreat back to the north. It was as simple as that, no need to get carried away.
The two of them joined the rest of Korra’s family for a casual breakfast. Korra brightened at the sight of Kya and allowed the older beta to hug her. She called her Aunt Kya even though the weren’t blood related. She was Katara’s daughter and the old doctor had always been like a grandma to her. Kya had pursued a calling of shamanship, and even though it didn’t matter, she was happy to know that she had offered to host the betrothal ritual.
“Look at you, champ.” Kya smiled down to her with an affectionate gleam. “You look like you’ve been hitting the gym.”
“Yeah,” Korra couldn’t help but smile, stretching her hand over her neck. Last time Kya saw her she was a thin bag of bones until she learned how to feed herself again. When she noticed that she was gaining weight from eating so much, Korra started working out a year ago. It was her only active hobby and she did it regularly to occupy her time.
That is until recently.
Now Korra was thinking about Asami and how she had stolen most of her attention. Maybe a workout would help her reduce some of the stress she has been under, but she wasn’t sure how she would feel about having the omega there watching her, or yet… joining her. The smell alone would drive her insane. No, that was definitely not an option. Not when her family was in town.
“Well, it certainly shows.” Kya glanced up towards the omega at her side and gave a wink. Korra wanted to die just then. Everyone was communing in the kitchen, self serving and talking, musing about the festival activities that were going on today. Korra took a moment to just watch the scene, seeing how so many people were here because of her engagement to Asami. It was like a family reunion and it was all based on a lie.
She kept thinking about how she needed to get out of this. About how this was all a huge mistake and she knew she would disappoint them… well at least half of them. But she would break off the engagement after her uncle and cousins left. Korra was hoping that they would leave after the ritual, because she wasn’t sure if they would be convinced. She wasn’t sure if she was convincing enough.
Korra kept mulling all of this in her head on the ride to the festival, staring out at the window and watching the scrolling white mountains. When they arrived, Korra’s eyes scanned over the huts and tents in the main street. Music and laughter filled her ears making her feel a bit nostalgic. It had been a while since she attended one of these things. It was a nice change of pace.
Everyone had split off into different directions. Tonraq and Unalaq had a political duty to meet the organizers of the festival. Kya and Senna went to the bakery contest. Korra didn’t know where Desna and Eska went, but she didn’t care as long as they were out of sight.
Korra followed closely behind Asami. She wandered around the shopping tents, looking at all sorts of handmade wares for sale. She watched the omega’s face light up at the sight of a plush baby seal in passing then paused at a table selling novelty jewelry.
“Oh, man,” Asami picked a ring up and turned to her with a grin. It was a mood ring. “I haven’t seen these since middle school. Maybe I should buy you one so I’d know what you are thinking. You’ve been awfully quiet today.”
Korra looked at her with skepticism, then down to the ring. “They don’t tell you what you are thinking. They are supposed to tell what the person is feeling by color.” She plucked the ring out of Asami’s fingers and pressed it in her hand for a few seconds.
“I knew that already.” Asami picked up another one and closed her fingers around it. Korra opened her hand and took a look at the color. It was pink. She didn’t remember what that color meant. But she remembered the color that Asami had. Her stone was black, a sign of stress and nervousness.
“It says pink is meant for happiness,” Asami announced as she read off the color chart. “I’m not sure if these things are very accurate.” She replaced the ring back on the table and thanked the vendor for the gander before moving on. Korra replaced her own sample, staring down at the ring’s clinging pink color. She remained there for a moment until she found that she could no longer see Asami among the crowd.
A sharp ping of anxiety birthed in her chest while scanning through the mass of bodies. Asami shouldn’t be without an escort and Korra had let her wander off. It was hard to see while being shorter than everyone else and she couldn’t move very fast through the crowd. Luckily, Asami had a strong scent and she kept on her trail, following it around the corner to the attractions.
She finally caught sight of her again, making her sigh in relief. “Hey! Don’t run off without me,” Korra announced making the omega turn to her with an apologetic smile. Then her eyes caught an attraction a few yards down the walkway. She gasped and took off, doing exactly what Korra had told her not to do.
“Asami!” Korra groaned and wheeled after her. Then she saw why she ran off. It was a go-kart race track, but not just any ordinary setup. The banner read: “Future Industries Mini Indy” The omega leapt over the railing illegally and trotted up to a man she knew. Korra watched Asami embrace her father, grinning with surprised joy. Hiroshi’s own eyes were lit up with love, stroking his daughter’s hair as they spoke. Korra waited patiently, just watching the reunion from behind the metal fence until Asami took her father’s hand and lead him over to her.
“Good to see you again, Korra,” Hiroshi greeted. “It seems my daughter has kept well in your care.”
“I wasn’t aware that you’d be here, Mr. Sato.” Korra nodded and shook his hand politely.
“Neither did I,” Asami confessed wrapping a hold around Hiroshi’s arm, clearly happy to see him. “He snuck in to surprise me.”
“Aye, when I heard the wonderful news, I canceled all my appointments for the week.” He gestured his hand over to the race track. “Take it as an early betrothal present.” Asami couldn’t hold in her excitement, she bounced up on her toes with a kiss to her father’s cheek.
“Thank you, Daddy!” She slathered on the sweetness, making Korra cringe on the inside a little. Seeing how Asami really was a Daddy’s girl was a little unnerving because the omega had prided herself on being more independent. Korra knew she shouldn’t be jealous, but she couldn’t help it. Even if Hiroshi was her father, he was an alpha she was close to. An alpha she belonged to. It only made Korra want her more.
Asami was acting like a little kid in a candy shop. She ran off to the carts, inspecting them one by one while Korra had to suffer at the presence of the CEO of Future Industries. Hiroshi gifted her a polite smile, awkwardly carrying on a silence until finding something to say.
“I’ve met Lord Unalaq briefly this morning,” he mentioned. “He was telling me about a ritual that is happening between you and my daughter tonight. I’m rather shocked to not be notified about it until now. How long were you planning this?”
“It just so happens that the arrangement was agreed upon around a spiritual holiday. So it was a last minute spur. I would rather wait a bit longer, but the traditions of my family are rather sacred. Bond rites are performed as soon as possible, so everyone will know that the omega belongs to an alpha while they wait for the final ceremony.”
“I see,” Hiroshi rubbed his chin, giving her a skeptical look. “I was aware about the ritual, but I didn’t know that it was supposed to be done as soon as possible. I thought it was a religious form of an engagement party.”
“It’s a little more substantial than that,” Korra nervously rubbed at her neck. Having this conversation felt extremely odd. She didn’t think that Hiroshi wouldn’t just hand his daughter to anyone without performing a thorough background check. Asami was worth more than all the yuans of the world. “I could really care less… It’s just really important to my family. Traditions are hardwired into our blood through generations.”
“As I’m starting to become aware of,” Hiroshi gave her a once over, drawing his hands behind his back.
“It’s just a necklace.” Korra added, unsure why she felt the need to try to ease any confliction in this man’s mind. In fact, she should be doing the opposite. She puffed out her chest to try to correct herself. “Asami has been eager to learn about our traditional culture. I’m looking forward to teaching her how to be a real omega.”
The business man threw his head back in a laugh, taking Korra by surprise. The man held up a hand as he tried to compose himself and took a breath. “I look forward to the results!” Korra sat agape as Hiroshi promptly excused himself, crying as he walked away.
Of course he would laugh at me… Korra drew her hands into fists on her lap, staring down at her lap. She would never be the alpha she once was. And soon, they would know.
They would know that the only heir to the Southern Chieftain throne was sterile. Her father would have to consider giving up his bloodline and relinquish the control of the nation to the North. Everything would go wrong. Everything always did...
“Korra!” Asami ran up to the railing with a big smile and a black round helmet on her head. “This one is a two seater! Wanna go for a spin?” Korra blinked looking down at the second helmet that was offered with an eager stretched out hand. She met with the omega’s shining eyes, full of pleading excitement.
Korra forced a smile and took it.
“I can’t do this,” she said out loud over the roaring engines of the go-karts, parked now at the pit before a sputtering mini race car. Asami turned to her with fists on her hips.
“Oh, no you don’t,” she shouted back then went to work unstrapping Korra from her chair. “You’re already here so you might as well get in.” The alpha’s eyes rounded when Asami lugged her into the passenger side of the stuttering mini contraption of hard metal and plastic. Korra didn’t breathe when the omega crawled over her lap to the driver’s seat. She even let Asami fasten her seatbelt as if she was a child before securing her own.
Korra could feel the loud roll of the engine vibrate the cart and smell the gasoline leaking from the exhaust pipe. The look on Asami’s face told Korra that she was in the omega’s world now. A world of thrill and grime underneath the poise and aristocratic smirk.
When the horn blew and the light turned green, Asami floored the gas. Tires squealed against the salted asphalt. Korra swung with the sharp momentum, making her heart jump with adrenaline and her stomach churn. Asami laughed and howled at each hard pull on the wheel with every turn ahead, making the cart drift like she was the next star of the Fast and Furious film series.
For another moment, Asami made her forget about her impending doom. Just as she always did. She stole away those thoughts time and time again. And Korra was starting to notice it now.
Asami made her feel special, more comfortable in her own skin.
Korra was buzzing with endorphins from the ride when Asami parked at the pit. She rolled her head to look at the omega, who was leaning one arm on the steering wheel with a loopy smile. When she observed the poofy mass of Asami’s mane she laughed at the sight. As funny as it was to see the primped heiress in a disheveled tableau, she was still so breathtaking beautiful.
They took another run with the next race, having way too much fun drifting with the curve of the road. When they had to get off the track, Korra rolled after her through the exit, watching the sway of Asami’s hips up the ramp. She imagined curling her fingers over them.
The rest of the day went in a haze, pretty soon the news of the two of them being at the festival, had citizens starting to notice. They started to stare. Oh how the beautiful Asami Sato was there in Harbor City with Korra Winters, the chief's daughter. Korra wondered how long it would take for the arrangement to make it in the various news outlets including celebrity vloggers. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered when she got to stare hypothetically at Asami’s smiles while thinking about the necklace in her pocket.
The sun was already setting, painting the sky with beautiful auroras of every color. They were touring around a large display of ice sculptures in the town courtyard. Animal shaped prisms filtered the lights of the sky, glowing with an array of greens, pinks and blue on the snow. It was beautiful, but not as beautiful as Asami’s eyes that beheld them.
Everytime those eyes found her, Korra looked away bashfully, feeling the omega’s smile force one out of her. Asami turned away from her, dipping behind a leg of a giant polar bear statue. Korra went after her, looking around the pillar of ice and seeing the omega’s teasing smirk before she moved out of sight again. This time behind a snow hare.
Now it was becoming a game. Korra drifted around each turn the omega made, urgently trying to keep her in her sight. Asami laughed out when Korra cut her off to the next statue, wheels skidding uncontrollably on the icy ground.
“What are you doing?” Korra asked her, trying not to grin to the infectious pair of red lips. Instead of an answer, Asami evaded her sight again. And when Korra caught her around a ice family of elk, a snowball smashed into her face.
She’s perfect.
Korra grumbled, shaking the snow off her shoulders while Asami laughed and ducked away again. The alpha bent low, reaching with strain to scoop up a large amount snow off the side of the path. She packed it into a mountain of snowy ammo on her lap, then went on to pursue her target.
Asami squealed when Korra found her. The first throws of snowballs missed her, so the alpha had to roll faster to get to a closer range. Asami wasn’t making it easy for her. She weaved and bobbed through the artistic displays but Korra was faster on wheels. She saw that the omega was moving around an ice penguin and went to cut her off.
The tires of the chair glided over the slush of ice and at the right moment, the next snowball exploded against Asami’s face. The heiress flew back on the impact, landing in a pile of snow that was plowed earlier.
“Oh, shit. Are you okay?” Korra had to jerk hard to get through the thicker layers of snow, but she made it. Asami groaned in ache while sitting up, shaking her head in a tizzy.
“You got quite an arm!” Another laugh filled Korra’s heart. Asami looked up at her with a smile and started to brush off the snow from her hair. “I’m fine, but my pride is wounded a little.” Korra outstretched a hand and pulled the omega back onto her feet. She even helped brushing off the snow off of Asami’s jacket and legs.
“How’s my butt?” She asked, turning around for Korra to inspect. It was covered in snow and the alpha groaned in embarrassment while brushing it off of her with a nervous laugh. “There… good as new.”
“Are you sure?” Asami asked with a giggle, sticking her backside out more while looking back. “I don’t want it to be cold.” Korra grumbled behind her and plastered her eyes on the shape underneath thick jeans.
“It’s fine.” Korra choked on a plume of omega scent. Asami was driving her crazy. And she still didn’t move her tantalizing rump from Korra’s direct line of sight. The alpha drew her hand up, so tempted to smack it away, or for just for the pleasure of it. Instead she drew her hand into a fist and pressed it into her mouth with confliction.
Asami hummed and straightened up, fluffy her hair and composing herself.
“Are you two done being idiots?” Eska asked sharply, startling the both of them. She was standing downwind of the pair, keeping her presence a secret until now. “Father says that it’s time to select a collar for your omega.”
“You can tell your father that I already have a betrothal necklace.” Korra’s lips drew into a snarl as she moved in between her cousin and her caretaker. She could bet her money that Eska was tailing the two of them most of the day, being how Desna wasn’t with her. The twins were always together. Eska was doing this to gain some headway over her identical counterpart. “I will escort my omega to the shaman’s hut.”
Her cousin glared down to her, angry and stinking of aggression. “Of course…” seething through clenched teeth, Eska’s eyes were nearly all pupil. “I will inform him… and meet you there.”
“You are not attending,” Korra bristled, flaring up her chi with anger. “I don’t want your stink spoiling the moment.”
“What are you going to do? Run me over?” Her cousin’s sneer contorted with a smile. The answering snarl made her step back in slight caution. She finally broke eye contact, looking around at the gathering crowd of bystanders. Common sense finally settled in and Eska retreated with a growl. “Very well… I will go inform him.”
Korra let out a sigh of relief after her cousin disappeared into the wandering crowds. Now all was left was to get the ritual over with safely.
***
Each step felt heavier than the next. All too soon, Korra and Asami had arrived promptly on time in front of Kya’s spirit hut. Asami was terrified about the ritual. Terrified that she would go into heat when Korra collared her. She tried to dampen the prospect, telling herself it was just a necklace. She had worn necklaces before. It was no big deal...
Seeing her father there waiting with Korra’s family was somehow worse for her. Him being there was a good thing. He could offer her more protection if something went wrong. But Asami would be mortified if she became a needy mess in front of him. He wouldn’t respect her after seeing how desperate for Korra she was. And Spirits she was.
She could feel the itch. The kind that made her want to claw out of her skin. She was almost annoyed at how noble Korra was acting because it was only fueling her inner fire. She counted back from twenty in her head, trying to find some ground to stable her wobbly knees. Her practice was interrupted by a sudden surge of angry alpha energy, steering her attention to the conversation she was spacing on.
"You... made one yourself?" Unalaq's jaw squared more than usual, looking down at his niece with quiet anger. "That's… admirable."
"That's really sweet of you, Korra," Senna told her with a soft smile, hooking her arm into the crook of Tonraq's elbow. "I can't wait to see it."
"Yes, let us see this handmade necklace," her uncle pressed in with a polite gesture, but Korra shook her head.
"Not yet, if it's alright with everyone else, I think Asami and I should do this in private." Korra was pissing her uncle off even more judging from the fiery look in his steel gaze. Asami’s slow acting brain finally caught up. She had thoroughly researched enough to know that a handmade betrothal necklace done by high ranking alphas was a true sign of affection. Indicating that this alpha wanted the omega’s bite. In Korra’s culture, elite alphas rarely let their omega mark them. They looked upon it as a display of weakness.
"As a spirit master, I should witness the collaring," Unalaq declared, tilting his chin up to make himself look even taller. Fear shivered up Asami’s spine. Her thickening scent must be driving all these the alphas dumb with lust. If she went into heat now, there would be a bloodbath. Her head was swimming with every pulse of subtle aggression filling her nose.
Korra snarled at him, baring her teeth with seething anger. "This is my omega, Uncle. I will have the final say on our journey.”
"Ha!" Unalaq tossed his braids with a flick of his wrist. "This is preposterous! I think the omega’s scent has messed with your brain.”
"I could say the same about you!" Korra growl dampened when Asami found the strength to place a hand on her shoulder. She felt horrible that she was the cause of all this. Korra was still stiff with tension as she spoke in a quieter voice. "You've never stayed in the mansion with us for more than a night. It's obvious what's really going on."
“You are mistaken,” Unalaq declared with a chest raise. “Have you not considered my joy for you? That such an omega is willing to be with you considering such… limitations? I’m here to give you my blessing, Korra. That is all. Would you really think that I would betray the family and cause a war over Mr. Sato’s daughter?”
“Her name is Asami.” Korra’s chi flared. “She’s a person! Not just an omega! Stop talking like she’s not here!” If Asami wasn’t in love with Korra before, she was certainly done for now. Korra was her knight in shining armor. How in the world did she get so lucky to find such an elite alpha who looked upon omegas as an equal counterpart? She tried to quiet the whimper rising in her throat. She tried not to think about how her bones ached to be with her. How such a thought could send all the moisture in her body southward.
“Alright, that’s enough!” Tonraq stepped in between his daughter and brother. “Korra wants to give Asami the necklace in private. We need to honor her decision.”
“I agree with Tonraq,” Hiroshi said while eyeing the northerner with a sense of caution. “This arrangement is a delicate process. We need to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible. I am not comfortable with her being in a small space with other unmated alphas present.”
“I, for one, am glad to not witness this sad affair.” Eska adjusted the fur collar of her thick coat. “I’m officially bored with this place and wish to retire. Come, brother. Let us leave these fools to their business.” Desna bobbed his head in submission as he followed after his sister like a puppy. Something told Asami that he was suffering from being in her shadow by the look of solemn on his face. She started to pity him.
“Very well.” Unalaq cleared his throat and started to dig for something in his pocket. “I see that I’m not entirely welcome here until the omega is claimed.” A shiney gold card was plucked from his pocket and promptly handed to the CEO of Future Industries. “If you need any more business, you can contact me directly. I’m open to allow drilling for oil along the Northern shores. In any case, I will look forward to seeing you at the rehearsal banquet.”
Asami watched her father’s brows rise with interest. Great. Now she would have to see this man on business terms in the future. Hiroshi wouldn’t turn away a business opportunity if the price was right. That was the one thing she didn’t like about her father. If he ever lost his patience, Asami wondered if he would consider handing her off to the highest bidder and train a successor instead. She shivered again.
“If you don’t mind,” Asami curled her arms around the only thing that kept her grounded. “We will be going inside now.” Korra’s back was pressed against her chest. She could feel the alpha tremble in her hold like a leaf in the autumn wind. She was nervous, too. And that was making her feel slightly better. Whatever lied waiting for them in the hut, they would be facing it together in the safest circumstances as possible.