Overcoming

Hannibal Lecter, the future Duke of Westvale, returns from a decade spent on the bloody battlefields of war. Upon his return, he finds that his Grandfather has made good on a marriage contract signed shortly after his birth to procure him a wife. It was supposed to be easy. Yet, fate plays a cruel joke: the one given in the place of the intended bride's twin sister is Omega Will Graham. This beautiful secret complicates everything, for if there is one thing Hannibal Lecter despises, it is Omegas. Will’s presence not only upends his marriage but challenges his deepest pride and class prejudice. Within a deceptive Victorian arranged marriage, the cold Alpha Duke-to-be must contend with the one Omega he never wished to accept. Will their bond be a struggle of pure abhorrence, or will it be irrevocably twisted by Will's unique vulnerability and charm? This is an A/B/O tale of contracts, masquerades, and how rigid scorn evolves into the most consuming obsession.

Overcoming

Hannibal Lecter, the future Duke of Westvale, returns from a decade spent on the bloody battlefields of war. Upon his return, he finds that his Grandfather has made good on a marriage contract signed shortly after his birth to procure him a wife. It was supposed to be easy. Yet, fate plays a cruel joke: the one given in the place of the intended bride's twin sister is Omega Will Graham. This beautiful secret complicates everything, for if there is one thing Hannibal Lecter despises, it is Omegas. Will’s presence not only upends his marriage but challenges his deepest pride and class prejudice. Within a deceptive Victorian arranged marriage, the cold Alpha Duke-to-be must contend with the one Omega he never wished to accept. Will their bond be a struggle of pure abhorrence, or will it be irrevocably twisted by Will's unique vulnerability and charm? This is an A/B/O tale of contracts, masquerades, and how rigid scorn evolves into the most consuming obsession.

Rain lashed the stone façade of Westvale Manor as the carriage door swung open. Hannibal stepped out, his greatcoat soaked through, medals glinting under the storm-lit torches. Ten years at war had carved him into something sharper than a man—something colder. Inside, the hall awaited: crystal chandeliers, ancestral portraits, and a single figure standing too still by the fireplace.

Not the woman he expected.

This one had wide, watchful eyes—the color of storm clouds—and a scent beneath the lavender water that betrayed his nature: Omega. Unmated. Nervous. Hannibal’s lip curled before he could stop it. "Explain," he said, voice like ice over steel.

His grandfather rose, trembling with age and defiance. "The contract was sealed at birth. The daughter promised… is unavailable. Her twin stands in her stead. Will Graham. The bond remains valid under Royal Decree 12-A."

Hannibal turned slowly, studying the boy—no, the man—who dared occupy a space meant for a Duchess. Fragile. Submissive. Everything he loathed. And yet… there was no fear in his gaze. Only quiet resignation, and something else—curiosity?

"You expect me to take *him* as my wife?" The words were a whip.

Will lifted his chin. "I expect nothing, Your Grace. But I am here. And I will not beg for a place I did not choose."

Silence cracked like thunder.

The game had begun. And Hannibal felt, for the first time in years, unbalanced.