A Few Days Later

Mari

I am bored out of my mind.

Each day is exactly like the last—I wake up in my nest, exhausted and sore after fighting and fucking Izan all night. I have breakfast with Everly, then we roam around the gardens all damn morning, while she asks me if I want a fucking nap. In the afternoon, we sit on the most luxurious nesting couch I’ve ever seen, while Everly chats endlessly about mindless shit like the weather or her hobbies—apparently she loves photography and crafts.

I can’t really complain, but my days are filled with both nothing and everything all at once.

It probably wouldn’t be so bad if I was able to sneak out of my room at night, but I can smell Hutch outside my door at night. I don’t know if he’s hanging around the hallway at night, or if he’s hoping to catch me doing something wrong. I need to do another internet search, but I noticed the tablet was missing the last time we were in the sitting room.

I’m going to have to come up with another plan to get my hands on a computer. I need to do a search on Cardis and where I might be able to find him. While it’s not likely, I’m hopeful that he’ll remember me and Stefan.

I slump in my chair, thankful that the last of my clothes arrived today. At least there’s something to actually do…or there would be if Everly let me help her put them away. Instead, I’m sitting on my uncomfortable desk chair, watching the beta hang everything up. I could probably sit on the fat cream-color couch or matching armchair, but they’re on the other side of the room, and I want to see what Everly is doing.

“How are the leggings?” Everly asks as she places the last of my shirts onto wooden hangers. “Is the waist too tight?”

“They’re perfect.” I smooth my hand over my middle. My new lilac shirt is especially soft. The thin fabric is loose, fluttering around my waist while still showing off the snug fit of my black pants.

“Let me know if you want to switch to a pair of joggers.” Everly holds up a pair of gray pants on a hanger. The ankles are fitted and the drawstring dangles.

“Will do,” I say as the beta disappears into my bathroom with an armload of my new clothes. Apparently, there’s a closet door on the other side of the bathroom.

“Do you need any help?” I ask, leaning forward in the desk chair. I wish it swiveled or turned or rocked, but it’s completely immobile, just like me. I’m restless.

“I’m almost done!” Everly yells out from the other room. “Just a few more things.” She pauses as if in the middle of something. “Oh! Where do you want your panties?” She steps out of the bathroom, carrying a handful of bunched up fabric. “Do you want them in your dresser?”

“Panties?” I pop up, sitting straight as an arrow. “You got me underwear ?”

“Well, yeah.” Everly lifts them up to show me. She has maybe five or six pairs, each one a different shade of red or blue. “They aren’t fancy or anything like that. They’re just regular slick-panties.” She holds one of them out, showing me the modest undergarment. I can see the thick padded gusset from here. They look so comfortable . “Don’t omegas need this kind of underwear when they’re out in public?”

A bitter snort leaps from my throat. “Are there packs that let their omegas leave the house?” I stand, walking toward the beta. “Did you buy more?” I take a pair of bright red underwear from her, feeling the plush cotton material. I can’t believe she bought these for me.

I wonder if I can convince her to buy me a bra.

“I only got a few pair,” Everly says with an apologetic scrunch of her nose. “Izan occasionally takes us to parties to meet potential business prospects. I figured slick-panties were a good idea. But I can order more,” she offers with a bright smile.

Parties?

A rush of excitement tickles my belly before I quickly tamp it down. I don’t plan on being here long enough to go to a party, but I am intrigued. I’ve never been to one before. I obviously had birthday parties as a youngin, but I’ve never been to a proper grown-up one.

“Should we put them away?” Everly’s gray eyes slip from my face to my hands, watching me squeeze and caress the cotton fabric.

“Yeah.” I force myself to hand them over. They’re so soft.

“You know.” Everly stares at the bright red fabric in her hand. “You can put on a pair if you want.” She lifts them a little higher, offering them back to me.

“I can wear them right now ?” I ask, shifting my gaze from Everly’s face to the underwear, then back again.

“Of course.” She grabs my hand, placing the panties in my palm. “These belong to you. You can wear them whenever you want.”

Thick emotion moves through me, making my face flash hot. And for a moment, I fear I’m going to cry. Ever since I started fucking Izan, I feel a little more emotional each day. I hate it.

“Mari?” Everly says my name. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I say, staring at the bright red fabric. I’m lost in a trance, consumed by the fact that I actually own something in this world. Something I didn’t have to fight for or steal.

“What are you thinking?” Everly’s voice is so gentle it’s almost impossible not to answer her.

“It’s weird owning things,” I say, lifting the panties to my face and sniffing them. They smell of nothing, waiting for me to scent them. “The few items of clothing I was given at Havenfield never felt like mine. They reeked of the staff and past omegas.” I frown, not sure why I shared that, but I feel compelled to say more. “It always felt like those clothes were on loan, something for me to wear while I waited to be claimed. But now, I have a whole closet bursting with soft leggings, flowing shirts, and pretty dresses.” My voice slips into a whisper, “It’s a little surreal.” I finally look up at Everly and immediately wince.

She looks so fucking sad for me. Her eyes pull in the corners and she has a hand pressed to her chest.

I should have kept my fucking mouth shut.

“I don’t want to wear them right now,” I say a little too forcefully, pushing the panties back at her.

“Oh.” Everly fumbles, almost dropping the garment. “Okay.” She gives me an awkward smile, before crossing the room to the dresser.

I wish Dassy was here to lighten the mood. There’s something about that alpha that makes the air a little easier to breathe.

“Dinner is in a few hours.” Everly changes the subject, and I push out a slow breath of relief, rubbing the back of my neck. The tension in my shoulders is almost unbearable . “I think Chef Andres is making a roast.” Everly folds my underwear into tiny squares, before slipping them into the top drawer. “Do you want to take a nap before dinner? We’ve had a rather big day, and you should probably rest.”

I swear this is the hundredth time she’s brought up a damn nap.

“I’m good,” I say, unable to stop myself from sounding flat and annoyed. I should try to be nicer, but I haven’t had a moment to myself since I arrived here. Between the constant chatter all day and Izan fucking me all night, I’m very overwhelmed.

“That’s okay.” Everly hangs her head, and I instantly feel like an asshole. I know she just wants to help me, but right now, my nerves are shot.

“There’s no way I can sleep right now,” I say, deciding to tell her the truth. “I’m still trying to get used to everything. And it’s a lot.” I hold my hands out, gesturing around the room. Her big eyes follow the motion of my hands, taking in all the new furniture and art. “I’m not used to the sights and smells of your home. And being around people that want to constantly talk or touch me is…” I let out a heavy sigh, already regretting everything I’ve said. “This is all very new to me.”

Everly’s gray eyes slip from my face to the pale pink carpet at her feet. I can’t tell if she’s upset or just thinking. “Okay.” She finally nods, her tone light and determined. “What else?” She leans in as if trying to hear a secret.

“What else?” I ask, confused by her question.

“You need breaks from people,” she says simply. “Less talking and less touching. What else do you need?”

I squint at her pretty face, not sure if she’s making fun of me or not. But honestly, that doesn't seem like her style. Everly is too sweet. Too proper. “Look,” I lick my lips, hoping like hell I don’t sound like a bitch. “Why do you care?”

Everly’s curious expression instantly falls, but it’s too late to take it back. “Well,” her eyes move across the pink carpet, thinking, “I care because I want you to be happy.” She looks crushed. Like I killed her favorite goldfish.

“Okay.” I pitch my voice a little higher, hoping it makes me sound more friendly. “But why do you care what I want? Or if I eat or nap?” I’m getting off-topic, but this is my chance to tell her to back off.

“I’m so sorry,” she mumbles, twisting her fingers together. “I just want to make sure you don’t get sick. I don’t mean to be pushy?—”

“That’s not what I meant,” I quickly say. “You’re not pushy.” She is, but I feel bad. “But I’m not sick. I feel fine.”

“I know.” Her shoulders tense and tears gather in her gray eyes. “Omegas are so fragile and sensitive,” she says as if remembering something awful. “They can be happy one second and at death’s door the next.”

All my fire instantly fades as curiosity takes hold. “Everly?” I reach for her hand. Her fingers are like ice. “Did you know an omega that got sick and died?”

The beta nods, the movements jerky. “Yes.” She sniffles loudly, and a few tears slip from under her glasses. “Her name was Brea.”

I wrap both of my hands around hers, letting her talk if she wants to.

“We didn’t have her long,” she says to her feet. “Only a few months. But she was here, happy as can be, and then she was gone.”

I tilt my head, trying to make sense of the tiny amount of information she just gave me. “We?” I glance around the room, taking in the pink carpet and framed flowers. “Everly?” I pray I’m wrong, and my next question is a ridiculous one. “Did your pack have an omega before me?”

Everly gives me the slightest nod and I release her hand.

Every basic instinct in my tired body screams to life. The urge to track Izan down and rage at him for touching another omega beats hard in my chest.

“I shouldn't have told you.” Everly hides her mouth with her hands. “I’m so sorry. Izan said that we needed to wait to tell you, but it just felt wrong keeping her a secret.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, nodding. “How did she die?” I ask, trying to calm my spiraling urges.

Everly wipes her face, making her glasses fall to the carpet with a soft thud.

I bend down and pick them up for her, before wiping the lenses off on my shirt.

“Brea came to us underfed and malnourished,” Everly says as I push her glasses back on her pretty face. “We didn’t even realize she was in chronic distress until it was too late.”

I wince at that, wondering what kind of institution would allow an omega to live in such horrible health, let alone be claimed like that.

“Izan did everything he could think of,” Everly continues. There’s a vacant look in her eyes, and her expression is slack. “He brought in the best doctors and followed all their advice. He even delayed rutting her, trying to give her physical body a chance to heal. But nothing helped.”

A rush of surprise hits me, and for a brief moment I feel something like respect for Izan.

“He didn’t touch her at all?” I ask just to be sure. I don't really care, but I have to make sure I’m not too impressed by the alpha.

“He didn’t,” Everly says with so much confidence I have to believe her.

There are many alphas out there that would happily fuck an omega as they took their dying breath. But to know that Izan didn’t mate that poor girl is admirable. It must have been near impossible for him not to claim an omega in his care.

Everly reaches for my hand. I let her hold it, feeling bad for making her talk about something so painful and raw. “Brea was a very sweet omega.” Everly lets out a longing breath. “She was very kind and obedient, but she was gone before any of us could properly bond with her.”

Quick relief hits me, followed by deep shame.

The Silva pack lost their omega, and I am feeling relief that they didn’t get a chance to bond with her. And I don’t even want them! It’s just stupid biology telling me that any other omega is a threat to both me and the alphas that crave me.

I’ve got to get out of here.

“That must have been a very hard time for you.” I squeeze Everly’s hands, trying to push all my sympathy into the room. I’m shit at soothing others—that was always Stefan’s strength—but I can at least try. “I’m so sorry.”

Everly gives me a watery smile, before raising her head. She clears her throat, and I know we’re done talking about Brea. I won’t bring her up again, unless Everly wants to. I know how painful the dead can be to even think about.

“Mari,” Everly’s voice comes out small and sad. “I promise I won’t ask you about taking a nap anymore. You are your own person, with your own needs, and I respect that.”

Shit .

I hate how much I like Everly.

She really is this bubbly ball of loving energy. The urge to stop her crying and make her happy is intense . I want to make her smile. I have to.

“I don’t like sitting in the garden,” I say, waiting to see how she reacts to that. “It’s boring.”

Everly’s eyes widen at my confession, both surprised and a little confused.

“You asked me what else I needed,” I remind her. “I don’t like sitting or napping.”

The beta’s energy instantly shifts as her back straightens and her eyes become bright. “Okay.” She gives me a firm nod, wiping the tears off of her face. The motion makes her glasses bounce upward, but this time they don’t fall. “No more sitting in the garden,” she says as if taking my order at a restaurant. “Would you rather sew or read? We have a grand library with?—”

“Fuck, no,” I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Everly’s brows shoot up at my outburst but she doesn’t scold me for my language. “Not a fan of books?” She smiles widely, letting out a very girlie laugh. The sound is pleasing. Bright and friendly. It makes some of the tension in my belly fall away.

“Yeah.” I smile back at her, unable to stop myself. “The only way I could escape the staff and the other patients at Havenfield was to hide in the library. I’d sit on a stiff couch staring at a dusty book, wishing I was doing anything else.”

Twin lines appear between the beta’s brows. “You didn’t read the books?” Her voice is light. Not judging me. But curious. “You just pretended to?”

“Yeah.” A breathy laugh jerks from my throat. “I just wanted to sit in silence and think.” I’m aware of how weird that sounds, but it’s the truth. And right now, I’m too tired for anything else.

“What did you think about?” Everly looks deep into my eyes, and for a second I consider telling her about Stefan. About how I saved him, kept him, and protected him for almost two full years. But then I’d have to admit to losing him. And I don’t want anyone to know that.

“I like going on walks,” I say, deciding to give Everly something she can plan for us to do. “I like hiking and looking at the mountains in the distance. But I hate being forced to sit in one place for hours on end.”

“We can go on walks.” Everly nods eagerly, obviously wanting to make me happy. It makes me feel bad for my attitude. “We can walk wherever you want.” She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

“I’d like to see the edge of the garden,” I say, leaning into her clean lavender aroma. “Maybe touch those trees.”

“We can definitely do that.” Everly clasps her hands together, practically bouncing on her toes. “We can even go down to the little stream on the west side of the property.”

I smile at Everly’s excitement, going over my mental checklist as she babbles about the sights around the property. I need to see if there are any cameras along the edge of the property or any trails that indicate that people walk frequently within the trees. I have a lot of planning to do and only three weeks before my heat-suppressor wears off. That’s not much time at all.

“Oh!” Everly’s eyes go wide as if remembering something. “There’s a little field of wildflowers that I’m sure you’ll love! The colors are amazing this time of year.”

“I love wildflowers,” I say, thinking about the colorful fields of blossoms that Stefan and I used to play in. There were little pink buds with feathery petals that looked more like a bush than a flower, but they were his favorite. I haven’t seen them since.

“Mari.” Everly’s voice drops to a hushed, loving tone as she takes my hand in hers. Her skin is so soft and surprisingly warm. “I just want you to find your place here. We all do.” The light overhead reflects in her lenses. “I want you to feel safe, and heard, and loved. And I never want you to do something you don’t want to do.”

The wild urge to fall into her arms and squeeze her tight is intense.

Stay strong, Mari, I think to myself. Don’t get too attached, because it will only make things harder when you have to leave.

“Omega?” Everly’s fingers wrap gently around my wrist. “Can I hug you?”

All reason falls from my head, and I nod.

And it's maybe the best hug I’ve ever had.

Warm.

Safe.

Loving.

Fuck .