CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

GREEK

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I approached the bed cautiously, my eyes scanning everything Demon had laid out on it. Sofia was already talking a mile a minute, her excitement spilling out as she took in the blankets and pillows. Her energy filled the room, but I couldn’t quite focus on her words. My attention was locked on the bed, on the details, on the thought Demon had put into this.

I reached out, my fingers brushing against one of the blankets, a soft fleece that felt almost too good to touch. The colors caught my eye: red, beige, and blue. The red reminded me of Sofia, vibrant and bold, while the beige mirrored my own pale hair. Then there was the blue, deep and striking. Demon’s color. His eyes.

I glanced over at him. He stood there, stiff, his hands shoved into his pockets, and his jaw clenched. His gaze flicked between me and Sofia, and his nerves were practically written across his face. The big alpha, all muscle and grit, looked almost... unsure of himself. It was a strange sight, seeing someone like him, an alpha, second-guessing himself.

Did he think he’d done something wrong? That we didn’t like what he’d picked out? My chest ached at the thought. This man, who could probably tear through an entire pack of enemies without breaking a sweat, was worried about whether we liked what he’d purchased us.

I let my fingers linger on the blue pillow, giving it a small squeeze. Soft, comforting. It felt like him, like safety. I glanced at him again, catching the way his gaze darted to the floor. He didn’t know what to do with himself. Demon, the terrifying rogue alpha, looked like he was about to bolt.

Sofia was still chattering, oblivious to his nerves. I stayed quiet, letting her fill the space. Demon’s tension, though, was unmistakable. I could see it in the way his shoulders stayed locked, the way his hands fisted inside his pockets. He wasn’t used to feeling this uncertain, this vulnerable. And I wasn’t sure he even knew how to handle it.

I wanted to tell him that he’d done a great job, but my attention was now caught on the red fleece that was almost buried down under the other fleeces. It needed to be up more. The red fleece called to me. The thought consumed me, clawing at my chest, demanding my attention. I couldn't ignore it.

My feet moved on their own, closing the distance to that side of the bed, my fingers brushing over the soft fabric. Lifting it in my hands, I hesitated. Its current position wasn’t right. It didn’t belong there. I glanced around the bed, trying to figure out where it belonged. The beige pillow caught my eye.

I moved around the bed and placed the red fleece closer to the beige pillow. That was better, but not perfect. A frustrated hum escaped me as I grabbed the pillow and wrapped the fleece around it, leaving just a bit of the beige peeking out. Still, something felt off. My chest tightened with the urge to fix it, to make it... perfect.

My eyes dropped to the blue fleece. My hands reached for it before I even registered the thought. I draped the blue fleece carefully around the red one, framing it in a way that finally settled the restless energy inside me. A small exhale escaped me. This felt... right. But the peace didn’t last long.

I scanned the bed again, the itch returning. The blankets, the pillows, they weren’t just objects. They were pieces of a bigger picture, something I needed to create, something I needed to be perfect. I began rearranging the bed, moving the pieces like they held some secret I could unlock if I just got them in the right order.

The beige pillow stayed nestled in the red fleece, framed by the blue. Another pillow found its home near the headboard, angled just so. The soft throws draped and folded until the colors blended into something warm and inviting. My hands didn’t stop until they’d created what felt like an oasis.

A space I could already imagine curling into with Sofia beside me, her warmth tucked against mine. A space where I could hold her, let her laughter fill the silence. A space for her and me and—

I stopped mid-thought, the silence crashing into me like a wave. Turning, I glanced over my shoulder, suddenly aware of how quiet the room had grown. Both Sofia and Demon were watching me, expressions of awe on their faces. My face grew hot, embarrassment prickling at the back of my neck.

“I... I just wanted it to look right,” I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper. My fingers curled into the fleece beneath them, gripping the soft fabric like it might anchor me. “What you had looked great, but I wanted them to be... more.” I didn’t know how to explain what I’d needed.

Sofia’s face softened, her lips quirking into a gentle smile. “Your nest looks perfect, Little Rabbit.”

My eyes widened. “My nest?” I whispered, gaze dropping to the bed.

Was that what this was? Back at the compound, I’d never been allowed to have a nest. I’d never been allowed to have anything soft. During my heats, I’d had the urge to feel soft things against my skin. I’d had the urge to have soft things in bed with me. Natalie and Nathan had simply given me their dirty laundry to cuddle up with.

And during my heat, I’d loved it. I’d rolled around in their dirty laundry, moving things this way and that way until I’d gotten comfortable. After my heat, I’d been disgusted by all of it. Disgusted by them. Disgusted with myself for having wanted them, even briefly. Disgusted by what I was: an omega who couldn’t survive without a knot, without an alpha. I hated them. I hated myself. I hated alphas. I hated...

“If you don’t like what I’ve purchased,” Demon’s deep voice filled the room. “Let me know.”

I blinked, glancing down at my hands only to realize that I was squeezing the blue pillow so tightly that I’d almost created a hole in it. I released it quickly, tears springing to my eyes. It had been perfect. And I... I’d ruined it. I ruined everything.

“I can provide more for you,” Demon told me, his voice rough but filled with something that made my heart ache.

Fear . He feared I didn’t like what he’d purchased, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I loved it. No one had ever done anything like this for me before. He rubbed his chin, his massive hands moving like he was trying to puzzle out a problem too big to solve.

“If what I’ve purchased isn’t good enough, I can get more,” he insisted, his tone growing more urgent. “The store’s closed, but I can break in and pay the owner for the damage later. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll take care of it. I swear. Tell me what to do to make you happy.”

I stared at him, my chest tightening painfully. This alpha was willing to break into a store for me. For me. Just to make me happy. My chest felt tight, and I blinked hard against the tears welling in my eyes. He looked genuinely worried, his eyes darting to me and then away like he was afraid of what I might say.

My throat burned as I tried to swallow the lump rising in it. A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it, but before I could wipe it away, I heard Sofia’s soft chuckle. I turned my head toward her, startled.

“I’ve got a feeling we’re all going to jail soon,” she mused before covering her mouth to keep from laughing, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Something about that made my lips twitch, and I felt the corners of my mouth lift in response. I guess it was possible that we’d all end up in jail if Demon broke into a store during a storm. Wouldn’t that be a sight to see? The three of us locked up simply because Demon wanted to get me more blankets and pillows.

Before I could stop myself, I was laughing too. It started small, just a shaky exhale, but then Sofia laughed harder, and it pulled something loose inside me. Demon stood there, stiff as a board, staring at us like we’d both gone completely insane. His frown deepened as he glanced between us, his expression a mix of frustration and confusion.

“What’s happening?” he asked, his voice a low rumble. “Do I need to break into the store or not?”

That just made us laugh harder. Sofia doubled over, clutching her stomach, and I wiped at my eyes as tears of laughter streamed down my cheeks. Laughter truly was medicine for the soul. It eased some of my worries and fears. Demon growled, raising his hands as if to physically stop our laughter.

Demon raised his hands and said, “Hold on. Quiet, both of you,” he growled. Sofia and I sobered up, staring at him, taking in his serious expression. “Tell me what’s going on. I’m not good at reading your signals yet,” Demon demanded.

Yet . He’d said yet. Those words were just like our laughter, easing even more of my worries. Yet implied that he planned to get good at reading my signals, our signals. Which meant he planned to be around us for a long time. I hoped.

“Are you sad or happy?” he asked me. “I honestly can’t tell.”

I hesitated, swallowing hard. How was I supposed to explain that I was both? His words and his actions had made me feel more seen and cared for than I’d ever felt in my life, but they also stirred up memories I didn’t want to think about.

“Just say what you’re feeling,” Sofia encouraged gently. “It’s just Demon and me here. We won’t judge you, and we won’t pity you. Right, big guy?”

Demon nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. “I just want to know if you’re okay,” he said, his tone softer now. “I need to know.”

His sincerity made the wall I’d built around my shameful memories crumble, and I dropped my gaze to the floor, unable to hold his stare any longer.

“Look at me,” Demon ordered, his voice low but firm.

There was no alpha command in it, no bark or growl to force me to obey. It was just a request, raw and honest. I hesitated, then slowly lifted my eyes to meet his. His expression wasn’t hard or demanding. It was patient, calm, so different from what I was used to.

“Why aren’t you using your alpha bark?” I whispered, the question tumbling out before I could stop it.

His brow furrowed, confusion flashing across his face. “I have no reason to,” he said simply.

“But you want answers from me,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “Don’t you?”

His frown deepened, anger flashing in his intense blue eyes. “Did your last alphas...”

“They weren’t my alphas!” I yelled, the words escaping me before I could think better of them.

My voice echoed in the room, sharp and raw. I winced, my shoulders curling inward as shame and anger battled for control. But I needed him to understand that those monsters were never mine, and I was never truly theirs. Pulling from a courage reserve I didn’t know I had, I spoke again.

Softer this time, I added, “They never claimed me. They just held me captive for years, waiting for me to become useful to them.”

Waiting for me to either get Natalie pregnant or turn more betas into omegas. Neither of which I was able to accomplish. But I couldn’t tell Sofia and Demon that. I wasn’t ready for them to think I was useless yet.

More dark memories threatened to surface, appalling and suffocating. I fought them back, swallowing hard against the lump rising in my throat. I couldn’t say more. Not now. Not with them looking at me like that. Demon’s jaw tightened, and I saw something flash in his eyes, something dark and dangerous.

“ That ,” he said, taking a slow step closer to me. “Is that what’s causing that look in your eyes?”

The intensity in his gaze was too much, too raw, and my body moved before my brain caught up. My feet took a step back, retreating from him like a skittish animal. The moment I moved, he froze, his entire body going still.

Why had I stepped back? Why did I always do this? My chest ached with the shame of it, but Demon didn’t say a word. He just stood there, waiting, his eyes locked on mine, giving me the space I didn’t want.

“You don’t have to tell me your story until you’re ready,” he told me, still keeping his distance.

Even Sofia was standing too far away from me. I knew that I was the cause of this chasm between us, and I didn’t want that. I stood there, my heart pounding against my ribs as I looked at Sofia and Demon.

The words hung on the tip of my tongue, teetering between staying buried and being released. I didn’t want to tell them. I didn’t want to relive it. I didn’t want them to think less of me. But I needed them to know, needed to say it out loud.

“I...” My voice caught, and I swallowed hard. My gaze darted between them, searching for any sign that it was okay to continue. Sofia’s warm smile was encouraging. Demon gave a small nod, his eyes unwavering as they held mine. That was all I needed.

I dropped my gaze to the floor, focusing on the scuffed wood beneath my feet as I began. “I’ll tell you some of it,” I murmured, the words feeling heavy as they left my mouth. “Not all of it, not yet, but... some.”

The room seemed to shrink as I spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. I told them about the day I’d been captured by the pack’s old alpha so I could one day become the omega of his twins, twins who used and abused me for years. I spared them the sordid details for my sanity and theirs.

“At the compound, the alphas who owned me didn’t love me. They didn’t even truly want me. I was just a possession to them. They... They kept me because of what I could do. I wasn’t important to them, not as a person, anyway. I was... useful. Or I was supposed to be.”

I paused, my hands finding the edges of a blue blanket on the bed. My fingers curled around the fabric, needing something, anything, to hold on to. Should I admit this next part or not? They needed to know. It was unfair not to tell them. But what would they do to me after I’d told them?

“I’m what you call a catalyst,” I continued, my voice trembling. “The alphas who owned me wanted me to change betas, turn them into omegas. They thought I was... special.”

A sharp gasp from Sofia broke through my words. My head snapped up, panic surging in my chest. Did she fear me now? Did she think I’d change her?

“But I’m not good at it!” I rushed to say, the words tumbling out in a desperate attempt to explain. “You don’t have to worry about that. I can’t do it. I don’t even know how. I did it once. But the beta I turned is only a part-time omega. Sometimes, she shifts from beta to omega, but it’s random and uncontrollable. She’s still a beta. A true beta. I’m not good at being an omega or even a catalyst. So don’t be afraid of me. I’m useless to you that way. I promise I’m no threat—”

Sofia cut me off, her voice soft but firm. “Greek, stop talking down about yourself right this minute. You’re breaking my damn heart, Little Rabbit.”

My breath hitched as her words sank in. She wasn’t upset with me. Her wide, expressive eyes shone with something else entirely. She was angry, but not at me.

“You’re not mad at me?” I whispered.

“So, you’re a catalyst. So what? You’re Greek. My Greek. And that’s all I care about,” she said, her tone fierce. “I’m angry that someone tried to use you to do something you didn’t want to do. No one should ever have that kind of power over you. No one.”

I blinked, my fingers still clutching the blanket as her words washed over me. I glanced at Demon, half-expecting him to say something about my abilities, about how they could be useful to him. He was an alpha, after all. And alphas needed omegas. The more, the merrier, according to Nathan.

But Demon didn’t comment on me being a catalyst. He just stood there, silent, his eyes locked on mine. There was no calculation in his gaze, no hidden motive. Relief hit me like a wave, and I exhaled shakily. My grip on the blanket loosened, and I let my hands fall to my sides.

“That’s all they wanted me for,” I admitted. “My ability to change others. But I couldn’t do what they wanted. I... I was a failure to them. I finally worked up the courage to escape, and I ended up in the bushes Demon found me in, clad in only my boxers because that was all they allowed me to wear. An omega didn’t need clothing, they told me.”

My confession hung in the air, heavy and raw. I couldn’t bring myself to look at them, couldn’t bear to see the pity or disappointment I feared might be there. I flinched slightly when Sofia’s movement caught my attention. She was walking toward me, her steps unhurried, as if she were waiting for me to tell her to stop.

I didn’t want her to stop. I wanted her beside me. Always. She stopped in front of me, so close that her scent wrapped around me like a comforting embrace. I held my breath, my body locking up as I waited to see what she would do. Would she touch me? Would she pull back, disgusted by everything I’d just told her?

I held my breath as she moved even closer. When her arms slid around me, pulling me into a warm, firm hug, I melted into her, relief coursing through me. And then I heard them, her soft sobs against my chest. She was crying. For me. My Little Fox was crying for me.

“Sofia...” My voice cracked as I spoke her name. “I’m fine,” I promised, my hands hovering uncertainly near her back. “I survived. Barely, but I’m here. I didn’t give up.” I swallowed hard, my throat tight with emotion. “I’m no longer as afraid as I was before. I want to live now. To experience life. And it’s because of you. You and Demon.”

My gaze lifted, searching for him. When my eyes met his, my breath caught. Demon stood there, his broad shoulders tense, his fists clenched at his sides. But it was his eyes that stopped me. There were tears swimming in them, threatening to spill over but held back by sheer force of will.

I couldn’t look away. Couldn’t do anything but meet his gaze and let him see everything I was too afraid to say. I was broken, damaged. I wasn’t a perfect omega. I wasn’t even a good omega.

But here I was, standing before them, bearing my soul, revealing my flaws, and they hadn’t turned away. They hadn’t rejected me. They didn’t know how important that was to me. How happy that made me.

How happy they made me.