Chapter 2
Vincent
I hadn’t known what I’d find. But it wasn’t this.
Not the boy kneeling in the center of the room like something fragile pretending to be obedient.
Delicate frame. Back straight. Head bowed in silence that felt rehearsed.
Each breath barely moved him, yet he held himself with unnerving control, like stillness was the only thing keeping him from unraveling.
Brown hair slicked neatly off his face, revealing high cheekbones and a softness that didn’t belong in this room.
Beautiful.
And wrong.
I saw the way my presence hit. A flicker in his throat. A pause in his breath.
He didn’t look up as I stepped closer.
I could feel the tension in him, like a wire pulled tight.
I stepped close enough to feel the edge of his breath against my cloth-covered legs. His body heat easily seeped into mine, causing me to know that my being here wasn’t just fate.
“Did they tell you I’d be kind?” I had wanted the boy to know not to fear me. I wasn’t here for that. I didn’t get off on fear, nor did I want to evoke such feelings.
His shoulders twitched. Just once.
“I wonder what that means to you.” I tilted my head to the side, watching for every reaction, watching every emotion that may or may not run across his face.
Still no eye contact. But I saw the way his fingers curled slightly against his thighs, as though he had to force himself to stay in the moment.
“I don’t need you to speak,” I said, voice low. “Not yet.” I paused, letting the words settle. “But I do want you to listen.”
He nodded. Barely. And that was enough. For now.
I could touch him. The thought came uninvited.
One hand beneath his chin. A single lift. Just enough to see what lived behind those lowered eyes.
I held myself back. Barely. Because the moment was still forming, and I didn’t want to break it.
He was kneeling, yes. But not offering. Not surrendering.
He was surviving. And that made him interesting.
I watched the way his breath tried to stay even. He was trying to disappear without moving.
And now here he was wrapped in silence, dressed in restraint, waiting for something he couldn’t name.
This boy was everything and more, and I hadn’t even been in the same room as him for more than a handful of minutes.
Maybe my friends were right. Not about this place, because any housing that Omegas were sent to was cruel and inhumane.
But they were right that this boy kneeling before me would be the perfect match.
Even if I laughed off their ideas, I still ended up right here, despite all the grumbling I did for days.
All this because of a simple thought spoken aloud.
“I think I need some company.”
I never meant the uttered words to be followed through. Sure, I was lonely, but that was normal for anyone of my age who wasn’t mated. But, I did have friends. Pushy friends, but friends all the same.
I wanted to blame them for my being here, now. They set this up. They were the ones to find the perfect boy for me to meet and take home for a few days to test the waters.
I detested that saying, but it was true.
How could I possibly know if I wanted an Omega in my home if I didn’t at least do a test run?
“What shall I do with you?” I asked the question, knowing there’d be no verbal answer. But physically, I watched as the boy’s breath hitched in his chest and his eyes widened just slightly.
I already knew the answer. The deal was sealed. The payment has been made.
I’d take him. Because now, he was mine for the next five days.
I put space between us, just a few inches, by stepping backward. I shoved my hands into my front pockets, tempted more and more by each minute to reach out and touch him.
“My needs are simple,” I explained, voice low, steady. “And you’ll meet them. When I ask.” I let the silence breathe between us. “I’m gentle,” I added, almost like a promise. “Unless you choose not to be.”
He didn’t flinch. But something in me knew he wouldn’t test that boundary.
“I don’t ask twice,” I went on, voice barely above a whisper. “You’ll meet my needs the moment they surface. I’m patient,” I added, almost tender. “Until you make me prove otherwise.”
He glanced up to meet my gaze. It was less than a flicker, but there as quick as a passing fly. In that look, there was understanding and a quiet decision not to test me. But also, haunted brown eyes that didn’t trust a single soul he’d met.
“While you are in my care, boy,” the word tasted sour on my tongue, “I won’t go easy on disobedience.”
He nodded once. Hard and to the point.
“Good. Now,” I stepped sideways towards the door, pressing the button to call the front desk.
Why they didn’t already have him prepared to go would be something I’d bring up later.
If the people who ran this place wanted everyone to play by their rules, then they needed to follow them themselves. “Let’s get you ready to go home.”