Chapter 9

nine

KITANIA

The scent of freshly cooked bacon wafted through the air, stirring my long-forgotten hunger. I stared down at the plate in front of me, the fluffy eggs and crisp meat beckoning even as my stomach churned uneasily.

Tentatively, I took a small bite, chewing slowly, savoring the flavors that danced across my taste-buds. The buttery pancake melted on my tongue, the maple syrup mixing with the bacon until I was practically moaning from the combination of sweet and savory. It had been so long since I’d tasted anything this delectable.

All the while, the brothers conversed around me as they deliberated on where to take me for a shopping spree, their deep voices rumbling like low rolling thunder. The longer they talked, the more I squirmed as their conversation shifted from needs to indulgences.

“What about exploring that boutique on Luxe? They have exquisite dresses,” Dimitri suggested.

Giovanni nodded in agreement, adding, “Then we could check out FierceFit downtown. Kitania might like something athletic and comfortable, too.”

I wanted to tell them I’d be fine with a thrift store where I could pick up the essentials, but the words were stuck in my throat; partly because I wasn’t very good at speaking up for myself, but mostly because I could already picture the look of shocked outrage on their faces if I suggested something so far below their obvious lifestyle.

Embarrassment set in again. Were they sure I was the Omega they wanted to hitch their cart to? We were from vastly different backgrounds. While I had a hunch these men were on the dubious side of the law, it was clear they were filthy stinking rich, while I was the girl from the wrong part of town. I’d done what I had to do in my life to get by. I wasn’t an angel, as Marco liked to call me, but my crimes had been born of necessity and a will to survive.

Being surrounded by such luxury was an unfamiliar experience.

Hell, the OMA had felt like the Ritz and it was equivalent to sharing a college dorm room.

Spending money on myself had never been an option.

It wasn’t that I was averse to new things—I’d never met an Omega who didn’t love presents—but I never wanted to take advantage of their generosity. Already they’d saved me from the shittiest situation and given me a safe place to stay.

The more plans they made, the more I chewed on the corner of my bottom lip. In addition to the money problem, I couldn’t help but glance nervously towards the towering windows. The world beyond seemed to loom, filled with uncertain danger.

Swallowing hard, I turned to Dimitri, my voice barely audible. “Are you sure it’s safe to go outside?”

His piercing gaze settled upon me, and I fought the urge to shrink back.

“You don’t need to worry, Kitten,” he murmured, that gravely tone already becoming familiar. Oddly, something about it soothed my jangled nerves. “We’re deep within our territory. The Valentinos won’t dare come for you here. Especially after we decimated their forces. I’ve got my best men keeping watch. Besides, you’ll have four protective Alphas watching your every move. You’re the safest you’ve ever been.”

The conviction in his words slowly eased the tension in my shoulders, and I nodded

“I really don’t need much. I’m used to making do with very little.” Two or three pairs of underwear, a bra, some yoga pants, and a handful of comfortable t-shirts and I’d be fine.

The air went positively still. The sugar turned sour on my tongue as I blinked around the room at the statuesque Alphas. My fingers twisted in the fabric of my borrowed t-shirt.

Giovanni’s eyes narrowed as he squeezed my hip and drew my attention, his intense gaze pinning me in place. “You’re one of us now, little Omega. We’ll provide you with everything you need and more.” His deep baritone sliced through the tension, leaving no room for argument.

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly as dry as chalk. “I… I don’t want to be a burden or take advantage.”

Tommas barked out a laugh, the sound shattering the heaviness. “Sweetheart, you could max out every platinum card we own and it wouldn’t make a dent. Let us spoil you for once.” His crooked grin made my heart flutter traitorously.

Marco crossed his arm and leaned back against the counter as he leveled me with a lazy smirk. “The boys are right, Angel. We’ve got more money than God at this point. We can afford to give you the finer things.”

My gaze dropped to the elegant hardwood beneath my bare feet. Part of me still rebelled at the thought of such indulgence after a lifetime of barely being able to scrape together enough for food every night.

But the larger part of me—the Omega that had been gradually awakening—wanted to give in. To finally let someone else take control. I was exhausted from holding all the fragments of my life together like a broken puzzle that needed to be reassembled but was always missing pieces.

It was as fruitless as trying to grasp smoke.

Slowly, I nodded. “Okay.”

Gio’s low rumble of approval gave me butterflies. “Good girl,” he praised, and I nearly panted. “Now eat up.” He gestured to the plate in front of me, still piled high with food.

My mouth watered, but my stomach already felt stretched from the few bites I’d taken. I hadn’t eaten a full meal in… God; I didn’t even know how long. But the thought of disappointing Gio, of him looking at me with that subtle crease between his brows again, was enough motivation.

Tentatively, I speared a forkful of the scrambled eggs. They were so fluffy and perfect, and I had to stifle a moan. Before I could second guess myself, I shoveled in another bite, and another, suddenly ravenous. I didn’t want to waste a single crumb.

“There ya go, sweetness,” Gio chuckled, his deep timbre washing over me. “Marco’s an excellent cook, isn’t he?”

I instantly flushed, embarrassed by my lack of decorum, but nodded my agreement. Marco definitely knew his way around the kitchen. Here I was, practically inhaling my breakfast. I forced myself to slow down, but the flavors were just so divine after subsisting on stale bread and leftover scraps of meat for so long. Each bite was like a revelation, like tasting food for the very first time.

A tiny, involuntary moan slipped past my lips as the sweetness of the syrup-drenched pancakes hit my tongue. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the guys shifting where they stood, Tommas’ gaze darkening.

The heat creeping up my neck grew hotter, deeper.

I ate more carefully then, trying to contain my reactions. It didn’t take long until I was full to bursting. Despite my body’s growing protests, my instincts drove me to keep eating until Gio’s approving nod finally appeased my Omega and allowed me to stop. I sat back, stomach straining uncomfortably, but a warm sense of accomplishment bloomed in my chest. I had pleased my… my Alphas.

This time, the flutter in my belly had nothing to do with being overstuffed. There was a longing there, a yearning for connection I hadn’t dared to feel in far too long.

With my hunger overly sated, Marco reached across the island. “Let me take that for you.”

As he pulled the plate away, I heard a sorrowful whine and realized Beretta was lying obediently beside my chair. The enormous beast was staring up at me with soulful brown eyes, as though he were a starving puppy in one of those commercials that tugged at your heartstrings.

Although he was perfectly healthy with nary a pointy bone in sight, I couldn’t help but sympathize with his pleading gaze. I knew what it was like to dream of a simple scrap of food, to have your entire world narrow to that single craving. Without a second thought, I stole an uneaten strip of crispy bacon from my plate before Marco had fully retreated.

Then tentatively offered it to the giant dog.

Beretta’s nub started wagging enthusiastically as I leaned down, cautiously holding out the morsel. His warm tongue lapped the meat before he gently took it from between my fingers, his sharp teeth not seeming so monstrous when he wasn’t baring them at me.

A small smile tugged at my lips as I straightened, briefly meeting Tommas’ intense stare. There was a warmth in his expression that made my breath hitch.

“You’re stuck with him forever now, you know that, right? Bacon is his love language.” He grinned roguishly, not even attempting to mask the double meaning behind his words. “In fact…” He leaned in conspiratorially, the faint spice in his scent making my head spin. “Pretty sure you’re stuck with all of us.”

My pulse kicked up as our gazes locked, the weight of his statement sending my stomach somersaulting. “Oh, am I?” I breathed, surprising myself with the airy, flirtatious tone.

Tommas’ grin stretched into a deliciously wicked smirk. “You agreed to be ours. No take backs, Butterfly.” He winked at me then, the dimple in his cheek doing absolutely sinful things to the suddenly aching spot between my thighs.

Heat flooded my face as my traitorous imagination supplied all sorts of delectable images of what being “stuck” with these men could entail one day.

Before I knew what was happening, a burst of my perfume lifted into the air, making me jerk upright. “Oh God, I’m sorry.”

Four distinct groans sounded through the room, but none of them lunged for me, demanded I drop to my knees or present. Instead, they shocked me once again by remaining stock still. “You’re alright, Dolcezza ,” Giovanni’s gruff voice cut through the heated moment.

“You smell fuckin’ edible,” Tommas groaned, eyes dark and hooded. But even he stayed where he was. “It’s amazing.”

“Why don’t we all go get ready and meet in the foyer in ten minutes?” Dimitri ordered, and I knew it was an attempt to give us all a little space to recompose ourselves.

I was grateful for the break. Between my overactive perfume and my protesting stomach, I needed a minute to gather myself.

“There should be some scent-canceling lotion in the bathroom, Angel. I love scenting you, but that smell? That perfume? That’s just for us,” Marco said, low and possessive, and his rumbling baritone sent another wave of my signature rising.

I squeezed my thighs together, hoping to mask the majority of it. Mentally, I added scent-blocking panties to my list of essentials. The undergarments were new and experimental, but they were all the rage at the OMA before…

Well, just before .

Tommas pushed away from the counter, threw me a reassuring wink, then followed Marco up the stairs to get ready for our excursion into the city. Giovanni brushed a hand over my shoulder, making sure I was alright, then trailed after them.

I couldn’t seem to catch my breath as I looked between the now empty barstool and Dimitri’s molten stare. Being around these men made me feel off-kilter in the most disconcerting way. It was as though my world had tilted on its axis and I didn’t know up from down.

Swallowing hard, I forced myself to stand on wobbly legs, smoothing down the soft cotton t-shirt that hung loose on my frame. The oversized sweats pooled around my bare feet as I took a hesitant step forward, and my gaze flicked to Dimitri’s as anxiety set in.

“Am I… okay like this?” I asked, my fingers toying with the worn hem of the shirt. I looked like an absolute frump compared to him. “I have nothing else to wear.”

His heavy stare raked over me again, and I resisted the urge to shrink under the onslaught of his attention. Especially because there was a clash of heat, understanding, and softness in his expression as he drank me in.

“Kitten…” His voice was velvet covered gruffness that resonated straight through me. “You could wear a trash bag and you’d still be the most beautiful woman in the world.”

The sincerity in his words was breathtaking. I could only stare back at him, completely disarmed by his affection. There was something in his eyes that made me feel… cherished.

Wanted.

Like maybe I wasn’t as broken and ruined as I felt.

For a fleeting moment, I allowed that tiny spark of hope to burn a little brighter in my chest.