Chapter Twenty-Four
Joseph
I walk down the hall toward Silas’s office, my boots thudding softly against the floor. But the thoughts running through me are anything but soft. My mind is a storm of images, flashes of the night before spinning through my head. Danae, the sound of her moans, the warmth of her body, the way she looked at each of us with equal parts trust and longing…it was perfect. No, more than perfect. It was everything I didn’t even know I wanted.
And then Silas ruined it.
Adriel’s taken her out to cheer her up. I’m glad for that. She doesn’t deserve to sit around and be hurt because of Silas’ coldness. But it doesn’t change the fact that what he did this morning was unacceptable. I grit my teeth, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. This has gone on for too long. He needs to fix it, and he needs to fix it now.
The door to Silas’s office looms ahead, and I steel myself as I reach for the handle. But when I push it open, I’m a little thrown off by the presence of others in the space.
Silas isn’t alone.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jorg, are seated across from him, their postures relaxed, their voices warm with laughter. I freeze for a moment, unsure if I should interrupt, but Mrs. Jorg spots me and waves me in with her usual brightness.
“Oh, Joseph, good to see you!” she says, her smile wide and welcoming.
I nod politely and step inside, leaning casually against the wall. It feels wrong to intrude, but I’m already here, and I can’t exactly back out now.
Their conversation continues, and I can’t help but tune in, especially when it becomes clear to me that they are talking about Danae.
“She’s been wonderful,” Mrs. Jorg says, her voice tinged with laughter. “I have to say, I didn’t see this coming.”
I stiffen, my attention sharpening.
“I had my doubts as well,” Mr. Jorg admits, his tone thoughtful. “Naturally, with her being recessive and from another city. But she handled the test at the ceremony wonderfully.”
“And it’s not just that she’s the one who’s finally gotten our Silas to choose his Omega,” Mrs. Jorg adds, her smile teasing. “She’s brought Adriel back to us too. You can smell her on that boy everywhere he goes now.” She laughs again, clearly delighted.
I glance at Silas, but his expression remains unreadable, his gaze fixed on his desk.
“And him too,” Mr. Jorg says suddenly, gesturing toward me. “Her scent is just as thick on him.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “I know you boys used to do everything together but to think even this, it’s heartwarming.”
My face flushes, and my fingers move uncomfortably. I don’t know whether to feel embarrassed or happy.
Mr. Jorg leans in towards Silas slightly, his tone growing more serious. “So, Silas, do you want to make him a part of your family unit?”
Silas exhales sharply, clearly irritated. “Mom, Dad, that’s enough. You’re being a little too nosy.”
Mrs. Jorg laughs, unbothered by his tone. “How can we not be?”
Silas leans back in his chair, his face a look of mild exasperation. “There’s a lot of work on my plate today. I’m sure you both have things to do as well.”
“Alright, we’ll let you get to it,” Mr. Jorg says, rising to his feet.
Mrs. Jorg stands as well, her smile as bright as ever.
I step forward and hold the door open for them. Mr. Jorg claps me on the shoulder as he passes, and Mrs. Jorg gives me a look that’s equal parts knowing and mischievous.
The knowing look on their faces sends a bashfulness through me that I haven’t felt since I was a teenager. But then again, something about it being obvious that Danae and I share a bond makes a kind of joy sparkle within me.
Although I certainly cannot dwell on it now. Not with what I need to say to Silas, not with how I need to say it.
The door clicks shut behind them, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. It’s just me and Silas now. He hasn’t moved from his chair, his elbows propped on the desk, his hands loosely clasped. His expression is as stoic as ever, but his eyes…they give him away. He knows why I’m here, and he knows this conversation isn’t going to be easy.
I take a few deliberate steps forward, closing the space between us until I’m standing just a few inches away. Still, he doesn’t look at me. His gaze is fixed on the window, the light streaming in, making the tension in his jaw all the more obvious.
I inhale deeply, forcing the storm inside me into something manageable. I need to stay composed, even though the anger is still there—anger at the way he spoke to Danae, anger at him for letting his own pain dictate his actions, and most of all, anger at how he’s hurting her and himself in the process.
“Do you know she cried after you left this morning?” My voice cuts through the stillness, sharp but steady.
His nose twitches at my words, the slightest crack in his otherwise impenetrable exterior. I see the way his shoulders stiffen, the way his jaw tightens even more, but his gaze doesn’t leave the window. It’s like he’s determined not to face me—or the truth I’m forcing into the room.
I clench my fists at my sides, my voice rising slightly. “I have not come here to speak to you as your employee, Silas. I’m here as a friend. A brother. And I’ll put it to you straight and plain—the way you spoke to Danae this morning after everything that happened last night? It was absolute bullshit.”
His head snaps toward me then, his eyes locking onto mine. There’s a frown on his face, but it’s not the fury I’ve come to know from him over the years. It’s something else—something I can’t quite place. Regret? Confusion? A mix of both? Whatever it is, it doesn’t stop me.
“I know what you went through as a kid,” I say, my voice dropping lower, steady but firm. “I know it was traumatic. I know it shaped the way you see the world. The way you see Omegas.”
He flinches at the word, his gaze snapping away from mine. He stares out the window again, his posture rigid, as if the glass can protect him from the weight of what I’m saying. But I press on, my voice unwavering.
“But for crying out loud, Silas. You’ve got your perfect match standing right in front of you. Right there. And you’re going to let your past make you throw it all away? Really?”
The silence stretches, heavy and constricting. He doesn’t say a word, doesn’t even look at me. His eyes are still glued to the window, his profile carved from stone.
But I see it—the tiniest flicker in his expression, the smallest crack in the armor he’s built around himself. He may not respond, but I know my words have hit their mark. Whether or not he’ll do anything about it…well, that’s on him now.
I turn toward the door, my hand gripping the handle. But something stops me, a thought that refuses to be ignored. I glance back at him, my voice softer but no less firm. “Oh, and her heat? It started after we got together. Not before. She’s not some mindless animal being pulled around by pheromones, Silas.”
For a moment, his expression changes, just slightly. There’s a flicker of something in his eyes, something that looks like doubt or relief.
But I don’t wait for a response.
I step out, letting the door close behind me with a quiet click.
The anger still lingers, burning low in my chest. But there’s something else now, too. Hope. Hope that my words got through to him. Hope that he’ll finally stop running from what’s right in front of him.