Cursed Love (The Vallaverse)

15. Amel

Amel

My fingers twist the knobs, the water heating up as steam rises, curling around us in the cool air of the bathroom. I reach for the oils sitting on the counter, choosing one that smells faintly of lavender. A few drops into the water, followed by some bubbles, and the surface starts to shimmer. Perfect. A lesser man would think it’s odd that I was prepared for a morning like this but we’ve been wishing for our Omega far longer than Koa will ever truly understand.

Besides, she needs this. Hell, after last night, we all do. I’m sore in places I didn’t even know could ache—being on the receiving end of a good hard fuck from the St. Clair brothers will do that to you—but I can’t imagine how she’s feeling.

I glance over my shoulder and there it is—that sweet smile tugging at her lips. But there’s hesitation too, a flicker of uncertainty in her expression that I was expecting but still hate to see. The haze of her heat spike has cleared and now the reality of what happened is settling in. I can see the wheels turning in her head, the doubt creeping in, and I hate it. She doesn’t need to question this. To question us.

I don’t push, though. Instead, I wait until the tub is full before turning back to her. “Bath’s ready,” I say softly, stepping toward her and crouching down so I’m at eye level.

Her cheeks flush as I reach for the edge of the sheet, my hands careful, slow, giving her every chance to stop me. She doesn’t, but I can see the nervousness in her eyes as I gently unravel the fabric, letting it fall away to reveal her bare skin. I force myself to keep my gaze steady, to focus on her face, and not let my eyes roam because that’s the last thing she needs right now.

Koa’s eyes search my face as I help her into the bath, our beautiful Omega settling into the water with a soft sigh. Her body sinks beneath the bubbles, a flicker of satisfaction settling in my chest at the way she relaxes almost immediately. Her shoulders drop, her head leaning back slightly, and for the first time since last night, she looks peaceful.

I step into the tub behind her, the water sloshing slightly as I sink down and pull her flush against my chest. Her back is warm against me, her hair dampening where it brushes my skin, and my arms settle around her waist, holding her close. She doesn’t tense up, doesn’t pull away. Instead, she leans into me, her head resting just under my chin. My purr starts up instinctively, low and steady, vibrating through both of us as I press my lips softly against her temple.

Then she does something that I’m not ready for—she tilts her neck to the side, unconsciously baring it to me. It’s subtle, a small movement, but it sends a bolt of primal need straight through me. I fight the urge to bury my teeth in her skin, to claim her right here and now because that’s not what this is about. This is about her. About making her feel safe, cared for, and wanted.

And yet, we still have to talk about the one man I’d rather forget. I don’t want to push but the longer we go without saying something, the harder it’s going to be to let her go if it comes up that she was never ours to have in the beginning. “Koa,” I start, hating myself for having to ask. “Who is Damien to you?”

She stiffens in my arms, the trembling growing worse, and for a moment, I think she’s going to shut down completely. But then she exhales, her breath shaky as she leans further into me, like she needs the support to get the words out.

“He’s my brother,” she says finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “My older brother. He’s... he’s the Alpha that runs our family. Took over after my mom passed away.”

Her words are clipped, hesitant, like she’s afraid to say too much. My hands keep moving, the soap lathering over her arms in soothing motions. The pieces from last night start to make sense but I let her continue, hoping she’ll explain the rest on her own.

“I hated it there,” she admits, her voice cracking slightly. “I hated having to pretend. To act like I was the perfect Omega. Like I was okay. Especially after... after everything that happened.”

My hands still, the soap forgotten as her words sink in. A low growl rumbling starts up in the back of my throat before I can stop it. “After what happened?” I demand, a sharp, possessive edge to my tone.

She shakes her head quickly, her wet hair brushing against my chest. “No, no” she murmurs, her voice shaky. “I don’t want to talk about that. Please don’t make me.”

The broken desperate whine that follows forces me to pull back and let the question drop. She’s not ready and I’m not about to push her into something she’s not ready to face. Instead, I lean down, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. “It’s okay, sweet girl. You don’t have to tell me. Not until you’re ready.”

She relaxes slightly, her body sinking deeper into the water, but the tension in her shoulders doesn’t fully ease. Her voice is quieter now, almost like she’s ashamed. “I’m sorry for using you,” she says, her fingers playing with the bubbles on the surface of the water. “I didn’t know what else to do. The only other option was going home, and... and I would’ve ended up mated to someone I didn’t… who wouldn’t…” She trails off, not finishing her sentence.

I let out a soft exhale, my hands resuming their slow motions over her arms. “Sweet girl, I would’ve let you come home with us a thousand more times if it meant you were safe. You don’t have to apologize for that.”

She’s quiet for a long time, Koa relaxing further against my chest as time passes but when she speaks, her voice cuts through the quiet like a blade. “If I were to stay, I wouldn’t be a kept Omega. I wouldn’t stay at home and cook and clean,” she says, her tone growing stronger, more certain. “I want to learn. I want to explore. I want to figure things out for myself.”

The confidence in her voice catches me off guard but in the best way. It takes a strong Omega to ask for things like that in this society, to stand up and demand more in a world that expects them to be nothing but soft and submissive. She’s stronger than she realizes. I press a kiss to her temple, my purr humming against her skin, but I don’t interrupt.

“Even if you don’t… love or cherish me,” she continues, her voice faltering slightly, “so long as I have my freedom, I’ll be fine.”

Her words have me frowning. “Why don’t you think you deserve to be loved?” How she could ever think that tells me that there are people in her life that have poisoned her self-confidence.

She stiffens slightly in my arms, but she doesn’t pull away. I noticed it last night too, in the way she spoke, the way she carried herself—like she thought she was lesser. Like she believed she didn’t deserve the things everyone else takes for granted.

I hold her tighter against me, my hand moving to cup her cheek as I tilt her face up toward mine. Her eyes meet mine, wide and hesitant, and for a moment, I just look at her, letting the silence stretch between us. Then, slowly, I lean in and press a soft kiss to her lips. She melts against me, her body softening as she responds. It’s a gentle embrace but it lingers just long enough to make her shiver before I pull back, resting my forehead against hers.

“Sweet girl, I can guarantee that anyone who told you your worth is determined by what you can give them is wrong. You are worth everything, Koa. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.” Her breath catches, her eyes searching mine, and I press another kiss to her lips before continuing. “You won’t be stuck here. That’s not what we want of an Omega, either. But it’s not a mutually exclusive situation, sweet girl. You can have freedom and love if you choose it.”

Her lips part, like she wants to say something, but she doesn’t. Instead, she just curls up in my arms, her lids falling shut and that’s the strongest evidence of trust from an Omega I’ll ever get. Koa might not yet believe what we can offer her but I’m going to prove it to her every damn day.