21. Mila

Chapter twenty-one

Mila

"M ila, open up. It's Oliver."

I wipe the tears from my eyes, not wanting him to see me like this.

"No, go away. Please… I just want to be alone…"

"No. I can't stand the thought of you in there crying alone. I just want to talk and make it better. Gryphon is too stubborn to apologize, so I will."

I hold back another sob at the memory of Gryphon's enraged face, at the shame and humiliation of almost entering Oliver's nest without permission.

I had no right.

"But aren't you mad at me? I almost went into your nest, Oliver."

He pauses for a moment. But then he speaks again, louder and clearer this time, and to my surprise, he isn't angry. At all.

If that were me, I would be furious if another Omega went inside my nest.

No, I would be murderous…

That nest would be my sanctuary. A place where my mates and I can lose ourselves in each other's bodies, giving in to the throes of my heat.

But it's not as if I'm an Omega or anything.

"I don't care about that, Mila. It's just a bunch of blankets and pillows. Now come on, open up."

I bite my lower lip, jumping up to my feet quickly to check my face in the mirror. My eyes are all puffy, but there's nothing more I can do about that.

It appears I have become a crier now of all things, so I am going to have to get used to the puffy, red eyes.

And the mood swings.

So, I let Oliver inside, holding my breath when he steps into the room. His honeycomb scent catches me off guard, and I move back, keeping a respectable distance between us.

It may be my room, but it is still his house.

A place he forged with his Alphas.

It's Oliver's home. Not mine.

He points at my bed. "Am I okay to sit?"

What? He is asking me for permission to sit on my bed? A bed inside his house?

He really is full of surprises, this Omega.

I nod. "Sure."

Oliver takes his place on the bed, and now he glances around the room, sadly.

I still keep my distance.

"You don't have much in here, do you?"

No. I don't.

I never had much in the way of belongings.

All that sits on my nightstand is a couple of photographs of Mom and Dad. That's it.

No pretty, shiny things, no jewelry, no nothing.

I never had anyone to buy me that stuff.

All I have are the things I need. Not the things I want.

That's how it is for a Beta soldier. A Beta pawn.

Oliver glances up, apologizing quickly. "I didn't mean to be rude. I'm sorry. But I'm sure we can give this room a more personal touch. What colors do you like?"

I have no idea how to answer. Instead, I hug myself, feeling vulnerable for the first time in years.

Ever since I started at the academy, I have had to be strong and tough.

I had to be the best.

But since moving in with the pack, I feel… small, helpless. It's hard to explain.

It's the longest I have ever been away from home, and maybe I'm not the soldier I thought I was after all.

"I like blue…"

Oliver smiles. "Blue? Good choice. How about we get you some blue curtains and blue bedsheets? How does that sound?"

I stare at him, shocked. He is not acting at all like an Omega should—an Omega who almost had his nest violated by a Beta stranger.

Instead, he is genial and friendly.

I don't understand. Why isn't he more… territorial? Feisty?

Why isn't he scratching my eyes out?

He does not harbor any ill feelings for me whatsoever.

Not even when his Alphas look my way.

Not even when Lachlan brings me flowers, or when Barret gives me that mischievous, one-dimpled smirk.

Oliver is an odd creature, I have decided.

Odd he may be, he still makes me weak in the knees.

I still maintain my distance. After all, he is Gryphon's Omega, and that Alpha hates me enough as it is.

I must show respect.

Oliver pats the bedsheets beside him. "Sit down, Mila. I don't bite."

The word bite makes me blush, and I peer away, hoping he doesn't see the color my cheeks have turned.

Oliver falters, realizing his mistake. But I don't miss the change in his perfume.

It becomes stronger, more potent, like an Alpha's, and the more I blush, the stronger it grows.

Finally, I take my place on the bed, and the two of us sit in awkward silence.

Our fingers almost brush, and I gasp, yanking my arm away. "S-sorry…"

Oliver breathes a little harder than he did before, and I'm pretty sure he felt the spark that ignited when our fingers brushed.

"It's… okay, Mila. It's your bed, after all…"

Yes. It is.

And Oliver is sitting on it.

My heart thumps faster, and I get a silly notion of never wanting to wash these bedsheets ever again now that they have his scent all over them.

Oliver's eyes fall on my nightstand. "Are they your parents?"

I look at the photographs. "Yeah…"

"Are they back at home waiting for you?"

"Yes, but only my dad. My mother died."

Silence drifts between us, and all I want to do is break the vast distance between us and get to know him.

Why is he here? And where is Gryphon? Does he not object to his Omega being alone in a room with me?

We've already had to keep our movie date a secret from him.

That Alpha doesn't like us being alone together.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mila."

"Don't be. It happened a long time ago."

Another quiet spell, but truth be told, Oliver doesn't have to talk much to make me feel better. Just having him here has cheered me up already.

He really is trying, despite everything.

Oliver has every right to hate my guts, yet he reaches out to me, talking to me when I am sad.

He makes me feel seen.

"I once had a sister…"

Okay, I didn't expect him to say that.

I look up. "What happened to her?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. She just… vanished one day. We think she was…"

He doesn't finish his sentence, peering down at his hands. They're shaking.

It's obvious he doesn't like to talk about his sister. It's not hard to imagine why.

Losing someone is hard. But at least I know that my mother is at peace. I watched as she died peacefully.

I held her hand.

Poor Oliver has no idea if his sister is even alive, or if she is safe or happy.

I couldn't even fathom what that would feel like.

I do the unthinkable next. I move my hand across the bed, taking his fingers in my own.

Oliver's eyes widen, and now he looks up at me in surprise. Then a small smile takes over his face, and my eyes are trained on his dimples.

He has two of them, one on each cheek, and they're deep and pronounced.

Barret can eat his heart out…

His honey scent blooms around us, mixed with a hint of cedar wood, and I think my own strengthens a little too.

Thank goodness I dowsed myself with desensitizer.

That way, my dirty little secret will remain my own.

"So, we friends again?" he asks.

When were we ever not? This Omega…

I return his smile. "Friends."

Well, maybe life with the pack won't be so unbearable after all.

Oliver isn't mad at me for going near his nest, and he wants to maintain a friendship with me.

It's more than I deserve, but I will take all the happiness I can get in this world.

After all, the world can be a very dark place.