“I’ve looked into it for years. That’s why I chose this field of study. Alphas in our family usually go to business school.”
“Have you really discovered a solution?” Eric said breathlessly, pulling back to look Hugh in the eye. “The articles I’ve read about your divorce were contradictory. Some say your bond just dissolved on its own; others say you’ve discovered a method to break the bond that you just haven’t shared with anyone.”
A strange expression flickered over Hugh’s face. “No,” he said, brushing his thumb over Eric’s cheek. “Our bond didn’t dissolve on its own. And all my research was futile.”
Eric frowned. “I don’t understand. Then how did you break the bond?”
Hugh was silent for a long time before saying quietly, “We didn’t.”
Eric stared at him.
“What?” he whispered. “You’re still bonded?”
Hugh nodded with a grim look in his eyes.
“But…” Eric swallowed, his throat achingly tight and his stomach a painful knot. “I don’t understand. How were you allowed to get a divorce, then?”
“Money talks,” Hugh said. “Officially we’re divorced, but we’re still bonded. That’s why I’m never getting another mate. I can’t.”
It felt like the world around him was blurry. Unsteady. “That’s why you’re on such strong suppressants. To suppress your bond to her.”
It was a statement, not a question, but Hugh gave another clipped nod. “I can’t smell like a mated alpha, or the lies we told to get a divorce would be discovered.”
“The Ritoven suppressant is particularly good for suppressing mating markers,” Eric said tonelessly. How had he not connected the dots? They’d been there all along. Or had he turned a blind eye because he didn’t want to see the truth?
“Yes,” Hugh said, stepping away from him. “We should return to the gala.”
“Was it worth it?” Eric said. “The fraudulent divorce? The constant lying?”
Hugh’s jaw clenched as he averted his gaze. “Yes. I’d do it all over again.” He left the bathroom without looking at him.
Eric stared blankly at the door as it closed after him, seeing nothing.
Rationally, he knew he shouldn’t have felt so upset. It wasn’t as though he’d seriously thought that he and Hugh could have been… could have been something. Hugh was ridiculously out of his league. He clearly didn’t see Eric that way. But…
But.
There had been a small, stupid part of him that had hoped that their natural compatibility, Hugh’s affection for him, his attention, his protectiveness, meant something. Something other than familial, friendly feelings.
But that hope was now obliterated.
Hugh was bonded. Bonded to another omega for life. He might be divorced, but divorce was just a piece of paper that effectively meant nothing. If Hugh were to go off his suppressants, he’d long for his mate—his mate who wasn’t Eric, would never be Eric. Could never be Eric.
His vision was suddenly blurry, and Eric wiped at his eyes furiously. He wasn’t going to cry. It was stupid to cry over this anyway. Hugh had never promised him anything. It was fucking stupid to be so upset over this. He should act like a mature, independent adult, not a besotted kid.
He could act like that.
Because he wasn’t besotted.
He could be an adult about it. He could.
He could, damn it.
To his surprise, Eric found Hugh just outside, standing by the window of the lounge room. Eric had thought he’d left.
“Was your marriage that bad?” Eric said quietly. Although the mere idea made him faintly ill, he thought it would have made sense if Hugh and his mate had tried to make the best out of the bad situation and attempt to build a life together instead of resorting to fraud and bribery to get divorced.
Hugh’s wide shoulders tensed. “We were poisoning each other’s lives,” he said at last, his voice clipped. “She slept around, flaunting her lovers in public, and I wasn’t a saint, either. We both were miserable assholes with mutual resentment. There wasn’t a day we didn’t have ugly fights. It was a miracle we didn’t kill each other.” Hugh snorted. “It’s proof that mating compatibility means nothing. We couldn’t stand being in the same room. We were forced to spend some of our heats and ruts together, but even they were intolerable, full of screaming matches and tears. I grew to dread the full moons over the decade of our marriage.” Hugh turned to him, his gaze somber. “I’m not proud of the fraud, Eric. But we were destroying each other and ourselves. She was as eager to get rid of our marriage as I was.”
“What about your brother?” Eric said.
Sighing, Hugh ran a hand though his chestnut hair, the light catching the red strands and making them glow golden. He was so mouthwateringly handsome, it was fucking unfair. Eric didn’t understand Nadine. Had he had this man as his alpha, he would have never, ever let go. Eric would have made Hugh fall in love with him. He would have ridden his cock until Hugh was addicted to fucking him, whether he liked it or not.