Chapter 11
11
O nce the door to Sebastian’s domain shuts behind us, I turn to Damien. “So, um, what are the plans now? Is there a lot more of the estate to see?”
Damien chuckles, a warm rumble in his chest. “We haven’t even seen a quarter of it yet, but I think it’s time we head back to our suite.”
Relief washes over me at his words, even as a pang of regret goes through me. I enjoyed playing that beautiful piano, letting the music transport me away for a brief time. But the prospect of returning to the quiet safety of our rooms is more appealing.
I pull the blanket higher on my shoulders so it doesn’t tangle with my legs as we walk down the ornate hall. “What will we do when we get back?”
Damien’s steps slow, and he turns to face me. “Well, the therapist gave us the green light to continue forward with our relationship. So, I suppose we can do whatever you want, Seven.”
My breath catches. Whatever I want? The possibilities both thrill and terrify me. A million thoughts swirl in my mind. Will he want to touch me again? Kiss me? Do…more? Am I ready for him to see all of me?
Heat rises to my cheeks. “Oh.”
We resume walking down the long corridor in silence, our footsteps echoing off the polished marble floors. The air sizzles between us, heavy with unspoken desires and fears.
Damien would never force me into anything. He’s been so patient, so gentle, despite how much I’ve noticed I affect him. He never tries to hide his desire for me, but he’s been following the therapist’s suggestions to the letter, which leaves me feeling so cherished. Like he meant it when he said he wants me to stay here with him forever.
I steal a glance at his handsome profile, and a tentative warmth unfurls in my chest.
The words tumble from my lips before I can lose my nerve. “Does that mean…kissing?”
At the question, a deep rumble rises from his chest, and his dark brown eyes smolder with restrained hunger. My skin prickles at his obvious desire, and butterflies take flight in my stomach.
Before he can reply, though, we round the curve of the hallway, and Damien freezes.
In one swift motion, he shoves me behind his broad back, shielding me from view. “What are you doing here?”
Fear spikes through my veins at the sharp question, and I cling to the back of his shirt. Heart hammering, I peek around his muscular frame.
Whatever I expected, it’s not the most stunning Omega I’ve ever seen standing in the center of the hall ahead of us. Fiery red hair frames a face of porcelain perfection, crystal blue eyes flashing with annoyance. He stands with his arms crossed over his chest, accentuating his slender yet toned physique.
“Don’t play dumb.” Irritation laces the Omega’s melodic voice. “Three weeks is long enough. You can’t avoid this forever.”
Damien’s muscles tense beneath my fingertips as he snaps, “I already said no.”
Unfazed by his anger, the gorgeous Omega stalks forward, hips swaying with feline grace until he stands toe-to-toe with Damien. With a perfectly manicured nail, he jabs at Damien’s chest. “Then you’ll have to say it to his face this time, because I am not going to be the one to make Leo cry again . Got it?”
I shrink back behind Damien, my mind reeling. Who is this Omega? Why does he want Damien to visit this Leo?
The stranger’s attention shifts to me, and his scowl morphs into a gentle smile so fast it gives me whiplash. He sidesteps Damien with surprising agility and leans in close as he coos. “Well, hello, sweet pea. I’m Milo, Damien’s future brother-in-law and mate to Liam, his oldest brother.”
Damien moves to put himself between us, a growl rumbling in his chest. “Back off.”
Milo’s expression sours as he focuses on Damien again, a smile like a knife’s edge curving his lips. “Careful, Damien. Liam told me all your dirty little secrets. Wouldn’t want your precious bride here finding out, now would we?”
He examines his nails. “So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to march your ass down to the library, have a civilized cup of tea with Leo, and let him fawn over your little love muffin for a few minutes. Then you can scamper back off to your love nest and play house. Understand?”
The muscle in Damien’s jaw jumps as he clenches and unclenches his teeth. “You are such a little asshole, you know that?”
Milo inspects his cuticles. “Don’t think I won’t bust your nuts again.”
“Your training with Caleb has made you more violent.” With a muttered curse, Damien turns to me, his expression softening. “Are you up for meeting my cousin-in-law, Leo, before we head back to the suite? If not, I’ll tell him no.”
I worry the corner of the blanket between my fingers. Part of me wants to beg Damien to take me away from here, to hide in our room until I can stop shaking. But I need to start being brave, and if I want to stay here with him, that means meeting more of his family.
I tug on Damien’s shirt. “Why…why will Leo cry if we don’t have tea with him?”
“Because Leo cries over everything, sweet pea,” Milo chimes in with a dramatic sigh. “It’s the pregnancy hormones. He’s an emotional mess.”
Oh. Relief crashes over me like a wave, so strong my knees threaten to buckle. Leo isn’t competition. He’s family. And from the sound of it, he needs some company and cheering up.
I raise the blanket to cover the anxious quiver of my lips. “I don’t want to be the reason he’s sad. If…if he really wants to meet me, I can do tea. J-just for a little while, though, right?”
“Wonderful.” Milo claps his hands together, startling me. “And don’t worry, Leo is an angel. He’s just a bit demanding in his current state and way too excited to have another Omega in the family, and the doctor said we need to try not to excite him.”
The last bit he delivers with a glare aimed at Damien.
Damien wraps an arm around me. “Well, we’ve also been following the doctor’s orders, so fuck off.”
Milo’s middle fingers pop up, displaying a set of expensive diamond rings. “You’re my least favorite Kane brother.”
Damien snorts. “You’re banging one and drooling over the other’s gun collection, so my feelings aren’t hurt at all. Are you going out in the field now that…”
When he trails off, I look up at him in confusion, and Milo glances away.
“Not unless I have to.” He pulls out his phone and reads a message on the screen. “ Ooh , a strategy session. Getting to organize the hits is so much more fun than pulling the trigger. Too many body fluids.”
He shudders and tucks his phone away. “A pleasure meeting you, Seven. I’ll join you for tea next time.”
“What, you’re not coming with us?” Damien calls as Milo heads down the hall in the direction we came from.
“Too tempting to stab you.” He lifts a hand and waves. “See ya.”
“You sure about this, sweetheart?” Damien asks for my ears alone. “Now that he’s gone, we can go straight to the elevator.”
My nerves rattle, but I say, “No, I’m fine to do tea.”
Maybe I’ll even walk away from this with a friend? Is that raising my hopes too high?
We walk down the hall, Damien’s arm a comforting weight around my shoulders.
“Remember to breathe, and if you feel overwhelmed, do the counting method Dr. Foster taught you.” Damien stops us in front of a pair of tall, wooden doors. “If it doesn’t work, tap my leg, and I’ll get you out of there, okay?”
I take a deep breath to brace myself. “Okay.”
Damien swings open one side of the library doors, revealing walls covered in bookcases crammed with leather-bound books. In the center, a loveseat and a set of matching chairs sit facing each other, with a small desk at the back that holds a chess set.
And nestled in one of the chairs sits the most ethereal creature I’ve ever seen. Golden hair frames a heart-shaped face, warm brown eyes inviting. His belly swells with new life, straining the soft fabric of his sweater.
“Leo, this is Seven.” Damien’s hand settles on the small of my back. “Seven, meet my soon-to-be cousin-in-law, Leo.”
Leo beams, struggling to heave himself out of the chair. “Seven! Oh, it’s so wonderful to finally meet you!” He waddles forward, hands on his belly. “Were you playing the piano earlier? It was so lovely.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I duck my head. “I-I hope it didn’t disturb anyone.”
“Nonsense!” Leo dismisses my concerns with a laugh. “You’d think, with all the money they grew up with, at least one of them would have taken music lessons. No one in this house plays, though! It’s such a waste of a good instrument.”
Damien leans in, his breath tickling the shell of my ear. “Leo abhors waste of any kind. It’s a bit of a thing with him.”
A giggle bubbles up my throat, surprising me with its suddenness.
Something like wonder flickers across Damien’s face, and a flush of pleasure floods my cheeks to cause that expression.
Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
As we settle onto the plush couch, the door swings open, admitting an older woman carrying a silver service tray laden with steaming teacups and a plate of delicate finger sandwiches.
Damien rises to take it from her, a warm smile on his face. “Thank you.”
As he sets the tray on the desk and disperses the tea, the older woman’s eyes flicker to me.
Anxious under her scrutiny, I fidget. Does she think I don’t belong here? That I’m not good enough for this grand house and the people in it?
My shoulders hunch, and I clutch the blanket tighter around me, trying to keep my breathing slow and even.
Damien clears his throat, drawing her attention back to him. “Thank you for the tea. We can take it from here.”
“Right.” Blinking quickly, she turns to go, but spins back, her face creased with desperation. “Jade.”
I flinch as fresh guilt slams into me that I couldn’t save him.
“How was he?” She wrings her hands as she steps forward, despite Damien’s warning glare. “The last time you saw him, how was my boy?”
Oh, god, this is his mom . The famous Mrs. Bustly.
My eyes burn, blurring my vision. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Leo gasps and waddles over, though he doesn’t offer to take my hand or touch me. Damien must have warned everyone not to scare me. “Oh, sweetie, no. It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”
He starts crying, too, giant crocodile tears that do nothing to mar his pretty face. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it. Whenever I see someone else cry, I just…” He gestures helplessly, a watery blubber escaping him.
“I apologize.” Mrs. Bustly steps closer. “And Leo’s right, no one blames you. Thank you for coming here to give us news. It’s just, my boy’s never been one to keep his head down, and I know he’s strong. Stronger than any mother could dare to hope for her child. It’s just…he’s been gone for over a month now…”
“He was holding up when I last saw him.” I wipe my cheeks with the corner of my blanket and offer Leo the other corner. “You’re right that he’s strong. I’ve never seen someone so resourceful.”
“Thank you.” Tears shimmer in her eyes, and she bobs her head. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”
She turns to go but pauses at the door. “Oh, and Damien?”
In the process of handing me a cup of tea, he straightens. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Speak to me like that again, and I’ll short your sheets for the rest of your life.” She smiles at me. “It won’t affect someone of your height, sweetie.”
With a last glare for Damien, she sweeps from the room.
“Never get on Mrs. Bustly’s bad side. She runs the entire estate. I can’t believe Damien tried to dismiss her.” Leo waddles over to grab two sandwiches for himself. “Lucky for us, she has a soft spot for Omegas after helping to raise nine Alpha boys.”
“We can always buy our own place like Caleb did.” Damien settles on the couch beside me, one arm across the back. “How would you like to spend the evening house shopping?”
I gape at him. “What?”
“We could get a penthouse in a high-security building.” His fingers slip under the blanket and brush the back of my neck. “Or buy our own estate?”
Leo swats him with half a sandwich. “Stop trying to run away before Seven and I become friends.”
Damien scoffs. “You have a townhouse you’ll return to after the baby is born. The only reason you live here right now is because stairs are dangerous, and we have Dr. Walton on speed dial.”
Leo purses his lips. “Give me time. With Milo living here, it would be nice to be surrounded by family when the baby comes in a couple of months.”
Shocked, I stare at his enormous stomach. A couple of months ? Is he going to grow bigger ?
My hand covers the concave hollow of my stomach. Is that normal ? My eyes shift to Damien’s lap. Will my stomach get that big if we… Warmth suffuses my body.
Leo settles into the chair opposite us with his sandwiches. “So, Seven, how are you settling in?”
Dismayed, I return my attention to the other Omega. How long do we need to sip tea before I can tap out and return to our suite? How long before it’s just Damien and me?
Alone.
With no restrictions.