Rafael was not happy.
This was, in itself, not unusual. Rafael was often not happy. But this time, the irritation had sharpened into something far more dangerous: strategic resentment.
Yes, technically, it was his fault. He had told Gregoris to "handle it" when the topic of marriage had come up, back when his brain had been on fire with pregnancy, politics, and his mother's impending social warfare. And yes, in hindsight, telling the Emperor's Bloodhound, Duke of half the Shadows, dominant alpha with a lifelong habit of solving problems permanently, to "handle it" had been… optimistic.
But Rafael had not actually believed Gregoris would want marriage.
Gregoris was a commander and a weapon. A dominant alpha whose very biology allowed him more than one omega mate if he so chose. A man bred and trained for war, hierarchy, and possession. Stability, domesticity, legal bonds, ceremonial vows - those belonged to gentler alphas, to politicians, to men who liked soft futures.
