Like hell he was going to accept an arranged mating.

Jackson Colt sat in the study of his family's two story suburban mansion, looking down at the file of the omega his mother had set up for him in two days. He couldn't resist an eyeroll at all the garbage that was basically copy and pasted out of a historical romance.

Denmark Addington was prime omega material. He was intelligent, well-versed, proper, polite. His photos displayed a fair-haired man with high cheekbones, creamy soft skin, rosy cheeks, and a straight up fucking sweater vest. Like, if you went to Google, and looked up sweater vest stock photo, this guy's photo was probably the first image.

Jackson sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose before closing the file and turning his head to look out the window at the rain that pelted the diamond glass panes gently. He could smell the cut grass from the gardner yesterday, the rain soaking into it and the heat outside making everything steamy.

He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be in the study, going over an omega's marriage proposal for the hundredth time. He wanted to... fuck, he had no idea what he wanted to do. He wanted a breath of fresh air. He wanted something to put a kink in this mundane routine he was forced to live. His entire life could be written down on a single sheet of notebook paper. One day after the next, every day the same. It was a boredom so intense that he frankly was starting to get depressed. He wondered why he bothered to get up in the morning. Why he bothered to go to work at his family's hospital as a surgical resident.

Maybe it was because this life wasn't his, was it?

Now that he thought about it, his entire life was a schedule his parents had set up for him years ago. His mother, the city's beloved humanitarian, Aurora Colt, had vowed to find her sons the perfect mates after Jackson's father had left her-- again. She'd done her part well so far. Jackson's brothers all had their perfect mates.

Ethan, the eldest Colt brother, had happily married his wife, Irene, and the two had three beautiful children that were honestly the only enjoyment Jackson was getting out of his life right now. The meeting had been arranged and turned out just the way his mother had hoped.

Then there was Darren, the second eldest. Darren was a difficult one to pin down. Aurora had spent months looking for the proper mate and Darren had shot down every single one of them. Darren had always been their wild card. He could never do things the easy way. No, he'd found his mate through a series of unfortunately made choices and an accidental pregnancy that turned into a miscarriage that brought him and his fated pair together; Darren had married Ezra, an omega male. Despite having lost their child, somehow, the relationship had remained strong. Even if Ezra was the most disagreeable omega Jackson had ever had the displeasure of knowing.

Unlike most omegas, who tended to be more reserved, Ezra was a fucking spitfire and let everyone know it. He had a silver tongue, a quick temper, and he never put up with Darren's bullshit. Nor was he afraid to go after the guy when he did something offensive. Jackson really didn't like the guy, quite frankly, but holy shit, did their mother absolutely adore him. Thus meaning, should the two ever fight, Darren was run out of the house and Ezra sat for hours crying with Aurora, who always took his side.

The thought made Jackson smirk nostalgically before it faded and he thought of the third brother.

Jacob was probably the only one that didn't quite fit in with the family. It wasn't that he was a black sheep or anything; no, that was Jackson's job. It was the fact that Jacob's mate had died. A hunting accident had left Jacob's mate, Gregory, in a vegetative state before he'd been forced to pull the plug. Since then, Jacob had become somehow of a recluse and tended to haunt the mansion when he wasn't locked away at the research facility that was part of their family's hospital.

Now Jackson was left antsily waiting for a mate.

Except, he didn't want any of these omegas. Not a single one of them had made his heart jump, barely even his cock. They were all the same. Hell, if they didn't have photos, he wouldn't have been able to tell them apart. All of them were smart, high-class, came from wealthy families, and, of course, most of them had medical backgrounds. From nurse practitioners to hospital administrators. Anyone to make his mother happy, honestly.

And he felt a bit guilty for the thought. He loved his mother, he truly did. She was more than just his mother, more than just a good person. She was his friend. If he could confide in anyone, it was her.

Except for this one thing. And just keeping it from her felt like a betrayal.

He sighed once more and gave up on reading through the proposal again to find something interesting. He tossed it on the glass end table by the silk sofa, heading through the main foyer. The sound of his shoes clicked on the marble flooring as he made his way to the kitchen, smelling rich spices and rice in the cooker.

"Mary-Beth," he greeted their maid. The beta looked up with a bright cheery smile, her blonde curls bouncing as she looked up from the stove.

"Good afternoon, Jackson. You've been awfully quiet today. Are you alright?" She asked. Jackson fought a smile to no avail. She was always so good at picking up on his moods.

"Just... tired," he said after a moment. Mary-Beth nodded in understanding as she stirred a pot on the stove before covering it once more. He inhaled deeply, almost purring at the smell of cumin, paprika, bay leaves, and other spices that made up Mary-Beth's curry dish. He could eat it for the rest of his life.

"Well, hopefully dinner cheers you up tonight. I'm making my curry with some coconut-lime basmati rice. I must know, though, what are we thinking for proteins today? I asked Darren, but he suggested salmon," she said with a deadpan tone. Jackson barked a laugh.

"Yeah, no, let's stick with seitan. Mom's still on her health kick. And do me a favor? Try not to spit in Darren's food," he said, making his way for the dining room. Mary-Beth gave him a cheeky smile.

"I shall resist as best I can, but no promises," she said, touching a finger to her lips. Jackson shook his head at her teasing before departing to head to his room upstairs. He was halfway up the stairs when his phone went off and he sighed, taking it out.

"Aaron, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me, but to text--"

"Is this Jackson Colt?" A stern female voice demanded. Jackson frowned, coming to a full stop on the stairs. Yeah, this definitely wasn't his college buddy.

"Ah, yes? And who is this?"

"This is Officer Rita DeVries of the Sterling City Police Department. May I ask where you are currently?"

"I'm at home. What is this about?"

"I'd like to ask you to find some privacy, if you can."

"I'm alone, now what's going on?"

"My deepest apologies, Mr. Colt, but I'm afraid something's happened to your mother..."

"What?" Jackson only heard his ears ringing as he grabbed the railing of the stairs, looking down into the foyer to see Mary-Beth walking out to look up at him, looking ashen. He gripped the railing so hard his knuckles turned white. Mary-Beth's lips trembled, her hands clasped together tightly, and happened to notice that she was clutching her own phone in her hand so hard, it was a miracle it didn't shatter.

"Mr. Colt? Mr. Colt, are you still there? I apologize for having to deliver this news via phone, but a general consensus was that we not contact you personally--"

"What's happening? What's going on?"

Jackson could barely hear the officer now. Her voice was muffled, as if... yes, the phone had fallen from his grasp, hit the carpeted steps and was bouncing down the stairs with a soft bump bump bump. He could see Mary-Beth's lips moving, her own phone slipping through her fingers and hitting the marble floor, the screen cracking into a thousand pieces. She was running for the stairs and suddenly, he realized his phone wasn't the only thing that was falling.

He hit the step he was on with his knees, his hands grabbing onto the railing as he looked through them and stared down at the foyer, but not quite seeing it. All he could see was his mother's face. Her beautiful smile, her thick dark hair falling in fat curls down her back, her warm chocolate eyes pleading with him to behave while she went out, while she looked into another possible match.

Dead.

His mother was dead.