Chapter Twenty-One
Silas
I toss and turn, the sheets tangling around me like snares, as if the bed itself wants to keep me from escaping my thoughts. No matter how hard I try, I can’t shake her from my mind.
Danae. Her face those questioning green eyes, that soft curve of her form, won’t leave me. It’s maddening.
The clock blinks 4:30 a.m. I glare at it as if it’s the culprit. A whole night wasted, another hour lost to this unbearable restlessness.
Why can’t I stop thinking about her? Why does she…this Omega occupy every corner of my mind? I’ve fought against this with everything I have, but it feels like fighting a wildfire with a bucket of water. The harder I push, the brighter the flames burn.
My chest tightens. “I…I can’t deny it anymore,” I whisper to the darkness, the words slipping out of me, raw and bare. “It’s there. It’s real.”
I sit up, the decision made before I can second guess it. I have to talk to her. Maybe if I say it aloud, maybe if I face her, I can make sense of these feelings. I swing my legs out of bed, my movements quiet and careful. The last thing I need is to wake anyone else.
I shut my door softly behind me and step into the dimly lit hallway. My pulse quickens slightly as I approach her room, every step feeling heavier than the last. But just then…
“Well, look who’s moving around like a thief in the night.”
The voice almost makes me jump. I spin around, my pulse spiking, only to see Adriel leaning casually against the door frame to the kitchen, a smirk playing on his lips. He’s holding a plate, probably a snack he scrounged up from the fridge, and his blue eyes gleam with mischief.
“Adriel,” I say, exhaling sharply. “What are you doing up?”
He shrugs, taking a bite of whatever is on his plate. “Could ask you the same thing, brother.” He chews thoughtfully, his eyes moving ahead, looking in the direction I was walking towards. I can tell he works out that I was heading to Danae’s room because he turns back to me and grins. “Funny how you’re sneaking around in your own house to get to your fiancée’s room.”
I feel a flush of embarrassment creep up my neck. “I wasn’t sneaking,” I mutter.
“Sure, sure,” he teases, waving his fork at me. “Because you always tiptoe around like this. Face it, Silas…you’ve got it bad for her.”
“Adriel…”
“No, no, hear me out.” He sets his plate on the counter, his smirk fading into something more serious. “Don’t you think it’s time to stop pretending? You’re falling in love with her. It’s written all over your face. Hell, it’s been obvious for a while now.”
His words hit me like a hammer, and for a moment, I can’t respond.
“You’ve spent so much time hating Omegas,” he continues, his tone gentler now. “But Danae’s not just any Omega, is she? She’s your perfect match, Silas. Maybe it’s time to stop fighting it and let yourself feel what you already do.”
I nod slowly, the truth settling heavily on my shoulders. I can feel Adriel watching me, and when I glance at him, his smirk has returned. I know he means well, but he’s enjoying seeing me this drawn to her a bit too much. And it’s not like I’m the only one she has on a string here.
“What about you, Adriel?” I say, a challenge creeping into my voice. “I don’t think I’m the only one with something to accept here. You’ve been running away from home for years. And now, suddenly, you’re back. Doesn’t seem like you’re in a hurry to leave. I wonder why?”
Adriel chuckles, his shoulders shaking as he leans back against the counter. “Hell, at least I’m not denying it. I’m not running from how I feel.”
I snort. “I’m not surprised. You’ve always been that way. Never able to commit. We all figured you’d never settle down.” I smirk, my tone turning sharp. “So I guess it’s no surprise that you can’t find your own mate and want to share mine.”
For a moment, the air between us crackles with tension. Like two outlaws in a stand off as Adriel’s features harden.
But then he bursts out laughing, the sound loud and carefree. Despite myself, I find my lips twitching into a smile.
Damn. We haven’t done this in so long.
When we were younger, we’d always tease each other like this. Adriel was the rebellious one, always running off to live among the humans, while I stayed behind, the dutiful son. Back then, I’d always tease him about how he would never be able to find a mate on his own and he’d eventually have to be in a family unit with me. Somewhere along the way, we drifted apart. He is in the city, me buried in responsibility. But now, with this bit of banter, it feels like old times.
The irony isn’t lost on me. To think Danae might be the reason my brother and I find common ground again.
I turn back toward her door, my resolve hardening. Adriel follows, curiosity evident in his steps. But as we approach, I freeze.
A sound. Faint but unmistakable.
My stomach drops as I hear it.
Are those moans I hear?
Danae’s voice, soft and breathless. But she’s not alone.
Adriel stiffens beside me, his smirk vanishing. “What the hell?” he mutters.
Then her scent hits me, sweet and overwhelming, filling the air like a drug. My body reacts instantly, a primal need surging through me.
“Is she in heat?” Adriel says, his voice tinged with the same urge that’s coursing through me. It’s clear her pheromones are hitting him hard too.
The word sends a jolt through me, memories flashing like lightning. A younger me, a desperate Omega, a moment that left scars I thought I’d buried.
No. She wouldn’t
The thought of Danae, vulnerable and in heat, throwing herself at someone random fuels a surge of anger I can’t contain. Without thinking, I push the door open.
The scene before me stops me cold.
Danae is on the bed, her wrists bound, her body writhing. And Joseph, my best friend, leaps off the bed and stands frozen as I come in, his eyes wide with shock.
Silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating.
“Silas,” Danae whispers, her voice trembling, her eyes locking onto mine.
My anger wavers, confusion taking its place. Joseph? Something about it being him makes the rage within me subside. But I can’t stop thinking if she’s only doing this in an uncontrolled frenzy.
Did she just grab him because of her heat?
The pheromones in the room grow stronger, wrapping around me, pulling me toward her. I can feel my own body responding, the bond between us, surely the pull of a perfect match, tightening like a noose.
Adriel steps in behind me, his gaze sweeping over the scene. “Oh, fuck,” he says, his voice low. “That’s hot.”
I shoot him a sharp look, but his words barely register. My focus is entirely on her…on Danae, who’s staring at me with desperation in her eyes.
“Silas,” she pleads, her voice breaking. “I need you…”
My heart pounds in my chest, the sound deafening in my ears. She’s so fucking sexy, bound, bare, vulnerable, calling out to me desperately in a way I can’t ignore.
I turn to the door and lock it with a decisive click.
Facing Adriel and Joseph, I say, my voice low and firm, “We’re going to make her feel good together.”