Chapter 13

thirteen

KITANIA

A blast of cool air hit me as we stepped into Gio’s “sanctuary.” Huge displays of men and women doing various sports were plastered on the walls, and base-filled music thumped in the background. The clothing was an explosion of colors and patterns. I marveled at the sleek designs, excited about the array of silky, soft, stretchy fabrics.

The hard edges of Gio’s features seemed to relax and I could tell he was infinitely more comfortable here than he’d been in the last place. In truth, so was I.

Interlacing our fingers, he led me through aisles of athletic wear while his brothers trailed after us.

“See anything you like?” he asked, his gravelly voice tinged with a hint of excitement.

Honestly, this store was much more my speed, and some of my tension eased as I glanced around.

“I like a lot of things,” I told him, not even sure where to start.

I peeked through the racks, nervously gnawing on my lip while discreetly glancing at price tags, worried about the considerable amount of money they’d already spent on me. Because I knew they were watching, despite pretending to browse, I picked out a few items that were less expensive.

Gio held up a vibrant blue set that included yoga pants and a matching sports bra. “This would look amazing on you.”

I skimmed my fingers over the fabric, liking it instantly. “It’s nice.”

“Want me to put all this in a dressing room for you?” he offered, motioning toward the few items in my hand.

The idea of trying on more clothes zapped my enthusiasm, but I plastered on a weak smile, not wanting to dampen his spirit.

“Um, I guess?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pulsing music.

Gio’s face fell slightly, and guilt gnawed at my insides. I was letting him down. I had to try harder.

I blinked up at him, forcing my lips to curve wider at the edges. “Sorry, I mean... the outfit’s really pretty,” I amended quickly, reaching to take the hanger from his hands. “And yes, we can go to the dressing rooms.”

He assessed me with that all-seeing stare. “You don’t have to try it on if you don’t like it.”

“It’s not that…”

He read my hesitation wrong, head cocked, as he worked to evaluate what the problem was. “You’re worried about a repeat of what happened at Maison’s.”

Perhaps it was cowardly to let him think that rather than giving him the real reason, but I didn’t correct him.

“Why don’t we just buy shit and she can try it on at home,” Marco suggested. “It’s not like we can’t return whatever doesn’t fit.”

As absolutely glorious as that sounded, I balked, not wanting to be that much of a bother. “No! I’ll try—”

“Done,” Gio interrupted, sending me a look that said arguing with him would be a waste of breath.

Within the hour, we’d checked out, overloaded with bags of clothing. An excited Tommas took my hand, pulling me down the row of shops toward a home goods store. I tried to keep up with him, but my movements were sluggish. My legs felt like lead, and my feet dragged as I struggled to match his longer strides.

“Just one more stop,” Marco assured me, his touch on the small of my back guiding me through the door and into… wonderland .

Air fled my lungs in a whoosh at the sight of plush pillows and blankets, and cushy chairs and beds. This place was a sensory overload of soft, fluffy things.

“Pick out anything you want,” Tommas urged, gesturing to the endless shelves, and for the first time since we’d begun shopping, I was tempted to do just that—money be damned.

A dreamy sigh left my lips when I ran my fingers along a plush throw, imagining how it would feel to wrap up in it. An arm reached over my shoulder and plucked it off the shelf. Eyes wide, I turned quickly enough to spot Gio tossing it into the cart he was wheeling through the store. Seeing the big, scary mountain of a man looking so damn domestic almost made me laugh.

My lips twitched.

“You can’t just buy everything I touch…” I tried to argue, but Gio simply crossed his arms over his chest.

“Watch me, Dolcezza.”

This time, my sigh sounded exasperated. But since walking felt like trudging through molasses, I didn’t have the extra energy to fight with him.

I picked out a few more blankets, sticking with my favorite colors—deep greens and teals—before moving on to pillows. “This is nice,” I murmured, running my hand over a large body pillow that I could cuddle up with at night.

“Great choice,” Marco said, adding it to our overflowing cart.

My vision blurred as I daydreamed about making a makeshift nest in my room. I’d never had one before. The closest I’d ever gotten were the eight blankets I used to keep on my bed at the OMA, but they were a far cry from the plush bedding surrounding me now. Since I didn’t have any money to my name, I’d had to make do with the government issued throws that came standard for all Omegas.

I’d never gotten to shop like this in my life.

Nothing I’d ever owned could compare to the possibilities the mountain of cozy blankets around me provided. An Omega could create any type of nest she wanted. The options here were endless—cushiony mattresses that covered the floors, soft wall panels to create a den-like environment, and covers in more colors than I could have possibly imagined. There were various lighting choices, from string lights to fiber optics, and shelves upon shelves of bedding and pillows.

Being inside this store was like living in a rainbow. Or a cloud, given the fluffy factor. Either way, this place was a dream, and all I wanted was to burrow into that softness and disappear.

I wavered on my feet, grabbing onto the cart to keep myself upright.

“Kitania?” Dimitri’s concern broke through my haze as he strode up to our group with a second wagon already half full. “Are you alright?”

I nodded automatically, my throat too tight to speak. The fingers of my free hand clutched at the edge of the shelf next to me, seeking an anchor in the sea of exhaustion threatening to pull me under.

Trying to hide how weak and dizzy I felt, I improvised. Pretending to shop, I grabbed the closest blanket, a shaggy blue monstrosity that looked like someone had skinned Cookie-Monster.

“Maybe this?” I held it out, my lips quivering as I tried to hold a small smile.

Dimitri arched a brow, perceptive enough to recognize the throw didn’t match my other choices. Wordlessly, he took it and added it to the cart anyway.

I cringed and instantly began plotting how to sneak the awful blanket back onto the shelf so they wouldn’t waste their money on the ugly thing.

“We should head home,” he murmured to his brothers. “I think we’ve accomplished enough for today.”

Relief washed over me, mixed with a twinge of disappointment in myself. They were being so kind, and I couldn’t even keep pace to shop with them.

As we made our way to the checkout, the guys added more blankets and pillows as we went. I wanted to argue that I didn’t need the exorbitant amount of stuff they were buying for me, but my head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and the edges of my vision were blurring. I stumbled slightly, and Marco reached out to steady me.

“Whoa there,” he said, voice laced with worry.

“S-Sorry. Tripped.” I waved at the void behind me, pretending I hadn’t just fallen over my own feet.

The world wavered as they checked out, the numbers on the screen fading in and out of focus. I saw enough, however, to want to protest when they whipped out their sleek black card and paid for everything. My lips parted, but all I could manage was a weak whimper that was drowned out by the praise of the woman at the checkout telling the guys what good choices we’d made.

Shuffling the bags between them, they bantered as they ushered me out of the store and back toward their sleek SUV.

The sun blinded me even as black dots coalesced in front of my eyes. Without the cart to lean on, I stumbled, feeling as though the ground was roiling beneath my feet.

Hold it together , I begged and pleaded with myself, but it was no use.

Dizziness swamped me. Their voices faded into a distant hum, and the world tilted sideways.

The last thing I felt was a powerful pair of arms catching me before everything went dark.