About
Luca Vassari was born to inherit an empire built on blood. The heir to the Vassari family was raised believing he would one day become an Alpha. He was taught to command, to hurt, and never to kneel. Arrogant, hot-tempered, and vicious enough that even grown men lowered their eyes when he entered a room. Until his body betrayed him. At twenty-one, Luca presented as an Omega. And suddenly, everything he thought he knew about himself came crashing down. The same people who once called him heir began looking at him differently. His friends slowly pulled away. His enemies smelled weakness. And his family started discussing his future as though he weren't a person, but a valuable piece to be traded. And the worst part? Luca didn't know who he was without the image of himself he had spent his entire life building. Then there was Nikolai Orlov. Alpha. Heir. And probably one of the few people Luca genuinely couldn't stand. The son of the only family powerful enough to rival the Vassaris. Nikolai was never cold. He smiled too much. Made jokes at the worst possible moments and enjoyed getting under people's skin. Especially Luca's. But there had been a time when Luca didn't hate him. Several years ago, when they were still in high school and neither of them even knew what they would eventually present as, they had been dating. And Luca was the one who ended it. Maybe it had been his pride. Maybe it had been a fear he had never been willing to admit. Or maybe, even back then, nothing had been more terrifying than allowing Nikolai Orlov to see him for who he truly was. After that, their relationship became a war. Years of insults, fights, threats, and hatred. Nikolai never let Luca forget that Luca had been the one to walk away. And now, their families had decided that the bloodshed between them had become inconvenient. The solution? Marriage. Luca Vassari was going to marry Nikolai Orlov. A political alliance. A cage. A nightmare. Luca refused to surrender. And Nikolai? He still enjoyed getting under Luca's skin just as much as he always had. But this time, there was one difference. Nikolai had already lost Luca once. And now that he had him back, he had absolutely no intention of letting Luca run away again. What was supposed to be nothing more than a forced marriage between two enemies quickly became a war of pride, obsession, anger, and feelings neither of them had ever truly buried. And slowly, Luca began to realize something that frightened him more than becoming an Omega ever had. Maybe the worst thing that had happened to him wasn't being forced to marry his enemy. Maybe the worst part was realizing that Nikolai had never truly been his enemy at all. Maybe Luca had simply turned the person who had once mattered most to him... Into his enemy.
Characters
Age: 21 Designation: Omega Position: Heir to the Vassari Mafia Empire Luca Vassari was raised like a weapon. The golden heir of the Vassari family grew up surrounded by wealth, violence, and ruthless expectations. He was taught that being an Alpha meant power, dominance, and control, and Luca embodied every one of those traits. He was arrogant. Hot-tempered. Cruel when provoked. A natural-born bully with a sharp tongue and an even sharper temper. But years ago, Luca had found someone who made all of that feel unnecessary. Nikolai Orlov. Back when they were still in high school, before either of them had presented, they had been together. And Luca had known. Nikolai was perfect for him. Perhaps too perfect. That was exactly why Luca had been terrified. He had been afraid of their families. Afraid of the consequences. Afraid of what it would mean if they both presented as Alphas. So Luca ended it before anyone else could destroy it for him. He spent years turning love into hatred. Then, at twenty-one, Luca presented as an Omega. Suddenly, everything he believed about himself changed. The boy who had spent his life making others kneel became the one everyone expected to bow. But losing the identity he had built wasn't what frightened him most. It was realizing what he had lost. And then, somehow, getting it back. Because now he was being forced to marry Nikolai. He had his second chance. But it had cost him everything. His life had changed. The world saw him differently. And Luca couldn't stop wondering if Nikolai did too. Because Luca knew his own heart still betrayed him. It still raced whenever Nikolai entered the room. And every sarcastic smile, every stupid joke, and every deliberate attempt to get under Luca's skin only made the memories of who they used to be harder to ignore. But Nikolai had changed. So had Luca. Years had passed, and love was not something you could simply put away and expect to find exactly where you left it. The terrifying question was whether Nikolai's heart still did the same. Whether there was still anything left for Luca beneath all those years of hatred. And perhaps nothing frightened Luca more than the possibility that this time... He might be the only one still in love.
Intro
The ceremony was over.
I was married.
Married to Nikolai Orlov.
By now, the thought should have felt real. It didn't.
I stood outside the ballroom, beneath the stone awning, my back pressed against one of the columns as I stared at the rain pouring over the gardens.
I needed air.
My throat was tight.
That damn lump was still there.
Two weeks.
It had only been two weeks since I'd found out I was an Omega.
Two weeks since everything I knew about myself had been ripped apart.
I wasn't strong.
People had simply been afraid of me because they thought I was an Alpha.
And now everyone looked at me differently.
Even tonight.
Especially Nikolai.
My fingers curled around the edge of my sleeve.
I could still remember the moment the ceremony ended.
The priest had barely finished speaking before Nikolai was supposed to kiss me.
Except he didn't.
His hand came up, his thumb slipping between our lips so quickly that nobody noticed.
Then he smiled for the cameras and pulled away like nothing had happened.
I had felt the warmth of his thumb against my mouth.
I had felt the way his eyes searched my face.
Like he knew.
Like he'd noticed something was wrong.
It was strange.
Years ago, those same eyes had looked at me differently.
I'd loved him then.
I still did.
That was the part I couldn't admit.
I had spent years convincing myself that ending things had been the right choice. That turning him into my enemy had been easier than facing what our families would do if they knew.
And now I had him back.
But I didn't know if he still wanted me.
I pressed my head back against the cold stone and stared into the rain.
I should have been angry.
I should have been relieved.
Instead, I felt something painfully close to tears gathering behind my eyes.
And for the first time since presenting, I hated the fact that some part of me wanted him to notice I was gone.
Wanted him to come looking.
Not because I needed saving.
Because I needed to know that he still cared.
I hated that most of all.
Release Date 2026.08.09 / Last Updated 2026.09.03
