*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Days slipped by, and before they knew it, a month had passed since their wedding. Communication between them was sparse. Louis still remained deeply upset with Harry, and from Louis's perspective, Harry seemed indifferent, making no effort to resolve the tension.

However, Louis's condition had been deteriorating. His bondmark throbbed more frequently and intensely, sometimes bringing him to tears. His inner wolf yearned for any form of contact with Harry, longing to be with him.

Yet, Louis's stubborn nature refused to let him give in.

Despite everything, Louis had grown surprisingly close to Anne. She was incredibly sweet, and they had met up several times for brunch.

It was a Monday morning, and Louis, still half-asleep, was struggling to get the kettle to work. He turned it on and off several times, unable to figure out the issue. Exhausted, he groaned in frustration.

"Please work," he begged the kettle.

"It'll work when you plug it in," came a voice. Harry's. He had finally broken his silence after a week and a half, causing Louis to flinch in surprise.

Louis turned to see, Harry, looking amused in a white button-down and black pants, leaning against the kitchen wall. Louis frowned in surprise. How long had Harry been there? Had he just been watching him?

Louis glared at Harry without saying a word before turning back to the kettle. Sure enough, it wasn't plugged in. His cheeks reddened in embarrassment, but he feigned nonchalance as he casually plugged it in and turned it on.

Harry walked to the fridge and took out an apple and some other fruits. Louis rolled his eyes; Harry's healthy diet annoyed him. Then, he watched as Harry made avocado toast, which Louis considered a disgusting choice for breakfast. Standing there in silence, Louis stared at Harry's meal, judging it. He had never wanted a divorce more.

Louis snapped out of his irritation when the kettle beeped, signaling the water had boiled. He quietly prepared his tea and left the kitchen without a word.

They finished their breakfasts and left one by one, first Harry, then Louis. Harry no longer dropped Louis off; that duty had been handed to Alfred, for which Louis was thankful. Alfred was pleasant company, unlike Harry, whose presence made Louis want to bash his head against a wall. The choice of who he preferred was clear.

The day at university went well, and Louis met up with Niall. They hung out after classes, which had become a routine, and Louis arrived at the penthouse around 6 pm.

He opened the door and walked in, humming a song, expecting to find nobody there since Harry didn't return until after midnight.

Louis yelped when he saw Harry sitting at the dining table, typing on his laptop.

Harry looked up, bemused, then returned to his work. He seemed to be studying rather than doing office work, Louis observed.

Louis made a beeline for his room, but Harry stopped him.

"Louis," Harry addressed him, looking up again.

Louis froze and stared at him.

"I have a work gala tomorrow. It's quite formal. You have to be there. It starts at 10 pm, so be ready." Harry stated.

Louis was essential for Harry's plans tomorrow, and Harry understood this. Enhancing his reputation meant presenting himself in a specific light, and attending the party without his husband could potentially stir unwanted rumors. The Pecilars were also attending, and they'd be with their omegas. It was crucial for Harry to have Louis by his side to avoid any perceived insult. Moreover, impressing his parents, who would be there aswell as his father was the CEO, was another layer of significance for Harry.

Louis could have simply walked away with a mere "okay" or chosen not to respond at all, but impulsively, he decided against that.

"Why do I have to go?" Louis asked.

Exasperation flickered across Harry's features as he looked up again. "Because it's a formal work event," he explained tersely. "I need to bring a plus one. And since we're married, that's you."

"I don't want to go to one of your boring work events. I'm not interested," Louis retorted stubbornly. His inner omega urged him to give in, to avoid angering their alpha, but he ignored it completely.

"If you haven't noticed, I don't give a fuck. You HAVE to go. I'm not requesting you," Harry stated firmly, his tone a final warning.

"I don't, though. I won't be ready tomorrow," Louis shrugged nonchalantly. Outwardly, he projected an air of indifference, as if the event simply didn't interest him enough to attend. But inwardly, his reluctance stemmed from a deeper pain. He knew that if he went, they would have to play the charade again-pretend they were a happy couple, pretend that Harry cared, only to return back to the penthouse to act like strangers again. The thought of enduring that facade, was too much to bear.

Harry stood abruptly, his jaw clenched and his eyes darkening with displeasure at Louis's tone.

"Can you stop being so immature?" Harry interjected sharply. "You knew what you were getting into when you married me. You knew about the events you'd have to attend-"

"I didn't!" Louis lied. Obviously, he did. He just wanted to talk back to Harry now.

Harry closed his eyes in deep annoyance, pinching the bridge of his nose. When he opened them again, his gaze was unamused, piercing Louis with dark intensity that made him shiver involuntarily.

"I wish I had married a smarter, more mature omega," Harry muttered almost childishly, his frustration evident.

Louis scoffed, unwilling to back down from their escalating argument. "No smart omega would've married an alpha like you."

"Exactly! So you agree?" Harry retorted, his tone suddenly mocking and condescendingly sweet.

"You sound so dumb when you talk like that. God-" Louis began, his hands gesturing in frustration.

"Enough! I have things to do, Louis. You'll be there, even if I have to drag you," Harry stated firmly, pointing a finger at Louis with finality.

"Will anyone I know be there?" Louis sighed, conceding defeat.

"Yes, Mum, Dad, and Xavier," Harry replied tersely.

Louis was quite happy with Anne being there and that made him want to go but he couldn't let Harry win so he played his pawn.

He smiled sweetly, "Oh, you should've mentioned earlier that Xavier will be there! In that case, I'll go," Louis declared, fully aware of how much his response would irk Harry. With a calculated move, he walked away

Louis had observed their competitive dynamic at dinner before and now, he deftly exploited it to his advantage.

He retreated to his room in peace, leaving Harry seething in the living room. Harry's fists and jaws were clenched so tightly they seemed on the verge of breaking, his eyes dark and intense enough to rival the night sky itself.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒚

At half past nine in the evening, Louis sat before his dresser, his hands moving through his hair with a certain aimless determination. He was trying to coax his unruly locks into a semblance of order, striving for a position that pleased him. After several attempts, the hair finally yielded, falling in a charming disarray with an endearing swirl.

He applied a light layer of lip gloss, imparting a subtle shine to his lips, and then sprayed himself with a perfume. Rising from his seat, he began to adjust his dress.

This particular dress, was a gift from the Styles before their wedding, and had presented him with a dilemma-whether to wear the dress or opt for pants. Ultimately, the promise of more compliments swayed his decision, and he chose the dress.

It was an elegant, floor-length black gown with a daring slit and an off-the-shoulder neckline.

The neckline exposed his bondmark and this fact filled him with dread. He could see the mark clearly, now slightly less red than before. The sight of it made him dizzy, yet he cherished it all the same. The mark evoked a fluttering in his stomach, a sensation so peculiar it defied description.

As he touched it lightly, it stung. Louis sighed, knowing it wouldn't heal properly as long as he and Harry continued to ignore each other. He was certain Harry's mark was perfectly fine, he thought, rolling his eyes. Omegas had it so much harder.

However, the dress looked gorgeous on him, accentuating his waist beautifully. He added a white bracelet, another gift from the Styles. With that, he was ready.

As he adjusted his dress one last time, he heard Harry's door open, followed by a knock at his own.

"Whenever you're ready, come to the living room, but be quick; we can't be late," Harry called from outside the door.

Louis was pleasantly surprised that Harry hadn't barged in like a heathen as he had the last time. It was nice to know he had some manners after all.

Instead of replying, Louis simply walked out of his room, already prepared. He found Harry standing nearby. As Louis closed his door, their eyes locked. Harry's gaze traveled from Louis's eyes to his nose, then to his lips, and finally to the bondmark exposed after so many days. The sight of it made Harry nearly feral, his stare claiming it-and Louis-as his own. The space between them quickly felt constricted by their reactions, a palpable tension now lingering in the air.

Their scents mingled in the close quarters, producing a fragrance reminiscent of their wedding night. This realization made both of them metaphorically clutch their pearls. Already intoxicated by each other's individual scents, the combined aroma was more potent than morphine. Louis gripped his hands tighter, feeling dazed by the overwhelming scent.

Harry's eyes finally left the bondmark and traveled down Louis's body, darkening to a shade between forest and bright green. Louis gulped, his gaze also taking in Harry. He wore a suit, looking as handsome as ever. Louis could never deny Harry's attractiveness.

"Black suits you," came Harry's deep voice. He looked startled at his own words, as if he hadn't meant to say them aloud, but was merely thinking them.

Louis's cheeks flushed crimson.

"Thank you," he whispered sweetly, lifting his doe-blue eyes to meet Harry's gaze. Harry had to take a deep breath to steady himself, trying to control the urge to do something foolish after his earlier slip. Louis's eyes, burning with an intensity that seemed ironic given their oceanic blue, always had this effect on him. The sheen of Louis's lips made Harry yearn to taste them. What was Louis doing to him today?

Harry had just managed to restrain himself when Louis spoke again.

"You look good in this suit," Louis said, offering a compliment in return. He genuinely meant it, finding Harry in a suit to be a fantasy come to life. His omega instincts were heightened today, perhaps due to the exposure of his bondmark.

Louis felt a deep, almost feral need to be close to Harry, sensing that his inner wolf could no longer tolerate the distance. His heightened sensitivity left him uncertain about how he would endure the night. As the realization sank in, Louis accepted that the evening might prove overwhelming, resigning himself to the possibility of being completely undone.

Harry, taken aback, cleared his throat before responding, "Thank you."

They stood in an awkward silence for a moment, their eyes-blue and green-locked in a gaze that hinted at unspoken desires neither could quite articulate.

"We should leave," Harry said abruptly, breaking the tension as he turned to walk away.

Louis followed him.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

After an excruciatingly awkward and tense drive, they finally arrived. Louis, feeling immense relief, silently thanked every god he knew as he escaped the car and breathed in the fresh air.

They were in the vicinity of a massive, yet not modern, mansion. It was an old brick structure-aged but beautiful. Louis marveled at how Harry could be so nonchalant about such a grand sight, while he himself couldn't stop admiring it. Harry was probably used to it, he figured.

Suddenly, Harry grabbed Louis's hand. Louis felt a jolt of electricity shoot through his entire being. He looked at Harry and instantly understood what this was. Pretend. This was all pretend. Again.

They began walking towards the inside of the mansion.

The night was cold and misty, with a thick fog hanging in the air. As they advanced, a man appeared to guide them. They soon found themselves in a beautifully decorated hall, adjacent to a lavishly adorned garden. Some guests mingled in the hall while others enjoyed the garden.

Soon, a group of people called Harry over. He smiled at them, finally releasing Louis's hand and placing it on the small of Louis's back, where Louis swore it burned. Harry motioned for Louis to come along, and they both approached the group.

Louis vaguely remembered them from the wedding. He realized this was Harry's circle of friends.

"Louis, this is Liam Payne, that's Sarah, Mia, and Zayn Malik," Harry introduced as they approached. "They've all been my friends since high school, and Zayn works with me now."

"Nice to see you all," Louis said with a slight smile.

"Wonderful to see you. You look beautiful tonight," Liam said.

Louis was about to respond when the others chimed in.

"God, I know, right? You are one gorgeous omega," Sarah said sweetly.

"Absolutely," Zayn agreed.

Mia nodded and smiled warmly at him.

Overwhelmed and blushing, Louis replied, "Thank you all. You look great as well."

"How's university going?" Zayn inquired politely.

"Quite well," Louis responded.

"What are you doing your bachelor's in?" Mia asked.

"Biotechnology," Louis replied.

The conversation soon shifted away from Louis and onto the others. He watched as they joked around, smiling or laughing when it seemed appropriate, like when Liam told a story about Harry in high school. Louis didn't speak much, feeling like an outsider among Harry's longtime friends. He thought it more polite to just stand there and observe.

Starting with Sarah, everyone gradually dispersed to greet others until only Louis, Harry, and Mia remained. Louis noticed that Mia was the only other omega and had wondered if she had a relationship with someone in the group. However, he quickly realized that wasn't the case, as everyone, even Harry, treated her more like a sister.

Mia looked at Louis mischievously and said, "It's a miracle you're still walking around after spending a month with him. We all know his reputation." She giggled.

Both of them blushed, but Louis turned especially red while Harry coughed awkwardly.

"Don't scandalize my omega, Mia," Harry said jokingly.

Mia raised her hands, laughing quietly. "Right, right."

Someone called Mia away, leaving Louis and Harry alone. Soon after, Louis felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to find Xavier.

"If it isn't my favorite Styles," Xavier said.

"Hello!" Louis replied happily. They then exchanged what Louis would call a 'polite upper-class hug,' not quite a hug but something close to it.

As Louis pulled away, Harry's hand returned to his waist, but this time his hold was firmer.

"How are you, man?" Xavier asked Harry.

"Good. And you?" Harry responded.

This sparked a round of polite conversation, with Louis participating equally. Soon, Harry's parents arrived, and they engaged in more rounds of polite conversation. Anne complimented Louis several times, adding to the pleasant exchanges.

Just when Louis thought he might finally get some time to relax and enjoy the food, Harry began leading him toward a new group of people. Louis groaned inwardly.

As they approached the new group, Louis felt a subtle unease and moved a little closer to Harry. There were two alphas and their omegas in the group.

Louis noticed that the greeting Harry exchanged with the alphas was more formal, suggesting they weren't particularly close friends. As usual, Harry greeted the omegas with his signature politeness, making them blush, which almost made Louis roll his eyes-almost.

Louis felt one of the alphas eyeing him up and down in a disconcerting way, prompting him to move even closer to Harry.

Soon, they were introduced to the Percalis, who were involved in business discussions with Harry. Louis paid little attention to the details but endured the conversation. A waiter then offered them champagne flutes, which everyone accepted.

Finally, Harry told him he was free to do as he wished, and the dread lifted as Louis made his way to the food.

There, he found Anne and couldn't help but laugh.

"You truly are my son-in-law. When Desmond is busy with business talks, I indulge," Anne said with a smile.

"I'm here for the same reason," Louis replied, giggling.

"Try the éclairs. They're fantastic," Anne suggested. Louis took a bite, moaning in delight and nodding, which made Anne laugh.

"Honestly, I only come to these events to eat," Anne admitted.

"I see my future in you," Louis said, laughing.

He and Anne chatted for a while, but Desmond called her away. Anne rolled her eyes, finishing the last bite of her cake.

"Excuse me, I have to go meet his university friends and endure their unfunny jokes," she sighed, pouting at Louis, who just laughed.

"Don't laugh at my pain. I'll be back soon," she said jokingly before walking away.

Louis smiled. He really liked Anne, but her leaving didn't bother him too much-he still had plenty of food left to try.

After just a few seconds of being alone, he felt an alpha approach. Initially, Louis thought he was simply there for the food, but when the alpha made no move toward the buffet and instead just stared at him, Louis finally decided to address him.

"Hello," Louis addressed the alpha with courtesy, noting his handsome features.

"Hi! I am Mathew," replied the alpha with a genial smile. "You must be Harry's husband?"

"Oh yes, that's me. My name's Louis," responded Louis with equal politeness.

"Lovely to meet you, Louis. You look exquisite," Mathew remarked, his gaze sweeping over Louis, lingering momentarily at the slit in his dress before traveling back up to his waist and face.

"Thank you," Louis replied with a light giggle, his eyes twinkling.

"Everyone's dancing now. What are you doing here all alone?" Mathew inquired softly, causing Louis to gulp. He nodded toward the center of the hall where most couples, including Des and Anne, were dancing.

"Oh, my husband's busy, so..." Louis shrugged. Honestly, he hadn't even realized that people were dancing.

"You could dance with me," Mathew suggested with a flirtatious smile.

Louis raised an eyebrow. "Do I know you?" he teased.

"The best experiences often come from strangers," Mathew replied, stepping closer to Louis.

"Do they?" Louis responded, his voice soft and inviting.

"Yes. And I'm sure Harry wouldn't mind you having a little harmless fun. So?" Mathew said, extending his hand.

"Well, I suppose he wouldn't," Louis replied, smiling. Louis suddenly really felt the need to dance and he knew Harry wouldn't dance with him, so why not? He was finally getting an alpha's attention.

Just as Louis was about to give his hand to Mathew, he felt a firm grip at his waist and was pulled back into someone he quickly recognized by scent-it was Harry. The burned notes in Harry's scent indicated he wasn't too pleased.