17. Elera
Chapter seventeen
Elera
“Elera, dear,” Farah said as she hooked her arm with mine as we made our way to the dining room. “Tell me, how are things really?” Her smile was tight, and I knew she wanted a level of gossip I could never give her. Whatever she was thinking was far from the truth.
“I’m elated, Farah. I would have been happy with My Mistress alone, but Hazelle completes us more than I thought possible.” I watched as Hazelle took her seat next to Nyla with a bright smile on her face as she watched Lettie squeal with joy. “She’s the best present I could have ever been given. I mean it, Farah.” I stopped walking and looked up into her eyes that reminded me too much of her daughter’s. “Really, I love her, and just as My Mistress said, she is ours. Don’t go poking and cause problems where there aren’t any. Watch her. Watch us. You’ll see what I mean.” I let go of her arm after one last glance. I doubted she fully believed me, knowing I would do anything to protect My Mistress, even lie to our parents, Alphas or not. But I spoke the truth and hoped she would do as I had said.
“Well done, my pet,” My Mistress whispered into my ear as she walked by before taking her seat.
The small amount of tension that had built up in my shoulders released at her approval. Farah would never really try anything, not when her daughter was involved and definitely not when My Mistress and Adira were here. There was a time they would sweep things under the rug and ignore it, but not when it came to their loved ones, the ones they chose to love above all others.
The table filled up quickly. Adira, Nyla, and Hazelle took up one side with Raylan and My
Mistress sitting at the ends. I sat beside My Mistress with Roe beside me and Farah beside him. It was very natural how we all migrated to those we knew best, but I had hoped Farah would have been by Hazelle. Once she got to know her, see how much we adored her, there’d be no issues there. I was secure. I was happy. She had to see that for herself.
The meal was served immediately, starting with a chipotle leek and potato soup which was one of my favorites. It warmed my entire body but the hint of lime made it refreshing, battling the heaviness of the potatoes. Whenever I was sick, My Mistress had it made for me, but Oscar added in extra ingredients to help move the sickness along.
We all slurped in relative silence, small conversations happening here and there. Hazelle took small bites, eating more than she had a week ago but keeping in mind that this was only the beginning.
“Is it not to your liking, Hazelle?” Farah asked as she pulled another spoonful to her mouth.
Hazelle nearly dropped her spoon at the sudden attention but took a deep breath before replying, keeping her composure. I smiled at her encouragingly.
“Um, well, I’m still getting used to eating this often.” She set down her spoon and looked at Farah, waiting for her reaction.
“Your last Alpha didn’t feed you?” It was half question and half disbelief, because even if Alphas were cruel to their owned Betas and Omegas, they were still property to be cared for. Their bubble was small, and sometimes I wondered how they were so wealthy and in such good standing without knowing all of this. It saddened me knowing how much of a blind eye that turned to the world.
“Sometimes not for a week and then only a little. He forgot about me.” Hazelle looked at My Mistress, worry lines forming on her brow. Our Alpha placed her hand on the table, palm up, encouraging Hazelle to take it. She did, and My Mistress squeezed her hand lovingly.
“I see. I’m sorry you were not taken care of. How someone could buy an Omega, infertile or not, and not take care of their property is beyond me. What’s the point if you’re going to throw them away like nothing more than old cattle?” Because that’s what we were to most of the world. Cattle. To be bought and sold on a whim. Used as our owners wished. And only cared for if we were lucky enough to find an Alpha like My Mistress or stay under our caring parents’ wings like Roe.
“It’s how the world works. You know this. Those Alphas are not the odd ones. We are. Even Raylan is nicer than most, and that’s saying something.” My Mistress winked at him, jokingly. “I wish there was more we could do, but even we do not have the funds to save every broken down Omega and Beta.”
“But we do what we can, Bella. And given the Omegas we found… I’d say the universe is pleased with our efforts.” Adira’s eyes fell on Nyla with adoration.
I was so pleased when we found out about Adira finding her true mate. It was rare, and I never dreamed of it happening to me. Even if I did, I’d always choose My Mistress. A fated mate didn’t automatically make them a caring individual.
“This generation… I never know what to think of you.” Raylan sighed, sitting back in his chair as the servants took away our soup bowls and refilled our drinks.
Hazelle, Nyla, and I had lemonade. The Alphas had red wine, and pineapple mojitos were always Roe’s first choice. Farah always cut him off after three though. Otherwise, he got sloppy and started hitting on everyone. My Mistress had locked him up a few times to make sure he didn’t hump the wrong person.
The main course was a pan fried salmon over creamy lemon orzo and a side of perfectly crisp asparagus. This isn’t a combination I had had before, but it looked delicious.
Everyone seemed pleased as they dug in, and a high chair was brought over for Lettie so she could enjoy some of the food as well. She was given broken up salmon, orzo, and asparagus specially prepared for her in bite sized pieces. More than anyone else, she seemed to enjoy the meal, devouring what she was given and demanding more.
We all laughed, enjoying having a little bit of amusement at the dinner table.
“She’s doing marvelously well it seems,” Farah said, smiling at Lettie and Nyla.
“You should see how fast she crawls when we tell her dinner is ready. Nothing will stop her from getting to her food.” Adira sighed, and it always reminded me of her father. She might not want to admit it, but she was a little like him. Although far more like her Omega parent, Samina, I’m told.
Samina passed away when she was young, and although I knew Adira had Beta and Omega siblings out there, she was the only Alpha child, so everything fell on her. Maybe that was why Raylan was trying so hard to change and be kind to Nyla and Lettie. Farah was different. After Harrison passed away while giving birth to Bellamira and Francis gave her Roe nearly ten years later, she was done. Francis was a kind man and loved spending his time at home in his garden. I wasn’t at all surprised he wasn’t here today, and that was why My Mistress didn’t mention him, but I knew Hazelle would love him immediately.
“Ah!” Raylan cut in. “I have a video of the little Alpha slamming open a door when her plate was set down.” He patted his chest and legs, searching for his phone before pulling it out and finding the video.
He shared it with all of us, and it was just as he said. Lettie crawled across the room and shoved open the dining room door that was ajar before trying to climb up into her high chair, nearly knocking it and the food over. Adira ran over just in time to prevent a big mess and possibly a hurt baby.
Over the speaker, you could hear her and Nyla laughing as Lettie was placed in her chair and dug in before they could wrap a bib around her neck. “Please have an Omega next,” Adira joked in the video before Raylan turned it off.
“I still mean that. I don’t know how anyone handles an Alpha child with that much will in their body. Nyla is a saint, handling her all day. I would have hired multiple nannies by now…”
Everyone started to chuckle, but Hazelle let out a snort and turned bright red when we all turned to look at her.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t—” She waved her hands in front of her body. “I, um, was just imagining
Mistress Belle and Adira as children together.”
“And that’s funny, my pet?” Mistress Belle squinted at Hazelle, their hands still joined.
“No? No, it’s—”
“Yes, it is. I was there for the teen years, but I’ve heard stories about when they were younger. Caera made sure I was well prepared before being sold to My Mistress.” I plastered a giant smile on my face as My Mistress and Adira glared at me. “Blame, Caera.” I shrugged. They should have known better. My sister knew them better than most people, even their parents.
“Oh, I do, and she will be hearing from me.” Mistress Belle rolled her eyes.
“Perhaps we make a surprise visit and make sure her Omega knows all the stories about her past as well.” Adira cocked her head while Nyla rolled her eyes much like My Mistress.
“We all know Caera is the blabbermouth of the bunch. I’d bet Winnie knows more about Caera and you two than anyone else.”
My Mistress and Adira’s nostrils flared, knowing what Farah said was beyond true. Where they were loud when needed and always protective and straightforward, Caera rarely stopped talking and couldn’t keep a secret. Actually the only person she didn’t spill about was Winnie unless she was gushing about how much she loved him or how proud she was of her Omega. She was the sunshine to his quiet broodiness. An anomaly in our world, but Caera was just as protective and it was far less expected when she started the fight.
“I’ll never understand her.” Adira took the last bite of her salmon and finished off her second glass of wine.
“She’s my best friend, and I don’t. There’s no hope for the rest of you. Besides maybe Elera.”
I only smiled. She was my sister. Of course I understood her like no one else would, but just as everyone else, I would never know her the best.
The plates were taken once again, but this time, so were our drinks. We were served coffee or tea with our dessert which was a rich, creamy, and tangy passion fruit and white chocolate cheesecake. No one said a word throughout dessert, and I didn’t blame them. Oscar truly outdid himself.
Adira, Nyla, and Lettie adjourned to a guest room where they set up a baby monitor and crib to put Lettie to sleep while the rest of us went downstairs to a freshly deep cleaned entertainment room to play some card games. If they only knew what had gone on in most of the rooms. I was sure they assumed, but knowing was entirely different.
Farah sat between Hazelle and me with Roe on her other side, then Raylan and My Mistress next to me. The others would be some time while they finished feeding Lettie and getting her down after a bath.
“What shall we play this time?” Raylan asked as he shuffled a deck of cards, bridging them at the end perfectly. “Rummy? Spite and Malice? Bullshit?”
Hazelle blinked at him, and Roe leaned into her. “Haven’t heard of any of them, have you?” She shook her head. “How about a round of Bullshit, and you can be on my team. You don’t seem the type to want to lie anyway. Am I right?”
Hazelle blushed and scrunched her nose.
“I’d try,” she whispered.
“Oh, even to Elera and Bellamira?” Roe joked and nudged her with his elbow, and she bit her lip. “Didn’t think so.” He laughed and addressed the group. “Is that fine with everyone? Bella?”
“I’m fine with this,” she said, but her eyes screamed that he knew too well what she’d do if he did anything to Hazelle that she didn’t approve of.
Everyone agreed, and it was a good game to begin with, easing us into the gaming headspace.
Raylan shuffled once more, cut the deck, and dealt. “Let the games begin.”