Chapter 26
Charlie
I wasn’t sure if I was more amused or concerned as I sat on the bed, legs crossed, watching Adrian pace around the room.
True to his words, he showed up way too early this morning. Well, technically, it wasn’t early but I was still asleep.
I needed to get back on my sleeping schedule, now that I was feeling better. I was still sore, and any type of pressure against my back caused me agony. But I could get back to my duties. If only my only duty for the day was to hang out with Adrian.
Did Alpha Harr- Vincent – know how difficult that was going to be? I never just hung out with anyone. I was to be useful, ready to do whatever needed to be done.
Surely the Alpha of the house would want me to clean, cook, or….something, anything, for him. Not just sit around watching my friend try to figure out how to use the TV.
I was no help. TVs weren’t something I touched. At Lockswell, the small TV in the public space was on at certain times, preprogrammed to play only certain shows or movies. We were never allowed to turn the volume or change the show.
“Darn it.” Adrian huffed, almost stomping his foot. “I didn’t want to bother Vincent.”
“I’m not allowed to leave this room.” Well, I made that a rule, I guess. Maybe? Vincent said I didn’t need to be at his beck and call today.
“Fine. I’ll be right back.”
Seeing Adrian so free, not fearing consequences from saying or doing something was going to take me a bit to get used to. He was happy.
Not that he ever hated life. He always saw the best in every day, even on the bad days. Now was no different.
It was refreshing.
Having the room to myself, for like five minutes it’d take him to track down whatever he was trying to find, I let my mind wander.
I didn’t remember falling asleep last night.
I remembered the bath, enjoying it more than I thought I could.
Vincent had been so gentle as he washed my body.
He didn’t touch me more than he needed to, and he didn’t rush me through it.
He was there, supporting me without wanting a single thing in return.
If he kept up the niceness, I could get used to it. Used to being here with him.
Adrian came back in, stepped fast, making a dash to the night table on the other side of the bed. When he found a black remote, he held it up in triumph.
Then—because only he could make it look natural—he launched himself onto the bed, landing on his knees with a thud before spinning around and pulling up something on the TV like it was second nature.
“Do you remember those PE drills?” he asked, eyes flicking toward me. “The ones where we had to hold a position for way too long?”
I didn’t answer right away. There were too many times to count.
“Which one?” I said Finally. We did that often. Especially when an Omega was being used to make a point. To remind the rest of us what happened when you stepped out of line.
“The one I couldn’t stop giggling at.”
Oh, that one.
I shook my head, still surprised and thinking he was stupid for not having better control. It was one of the few times he got the case of the giggles, finding simple things so funny he just couldn’t help himself.
I didn’t remember what had possibly set him off that time, but I remembered his humor was contagious to a few of the other Omegas that day.
“You made us all run until we were puking.” Not the best end of a lesson. I hated running and didn’t make it very far. On the other hand, Adrian had ended up running like three miles before he was hunched over, spilling his guts.
“I mentioned it to Moore the other day, and now he wants me to start morning runs with him. Can you believe he can be so cruel?”
“You like running.”
“Yeah, but not till I puke.” He rolled his eyes. “Not that Moore would make me go to that extent. But now I have to exercise three days out of the week with him.”
I tilted my head. Looking at Adrian, he didn’t seem upset about it at all. If anything, he almost glowed.
“I’m not running with you.” To make sure he understood I wasn’t going to be dragged along with his…whatever it was. His ideas?
He stuck his tongue out at me, then finally found whatever he was looking at on the TV for. He pressed play, and the screen changed to some show that was written in red letters.
“You have six months of catching up on shows with me. We're gonna do this as often as possible.” Adrian settled against the headboard, a pillow along his lower back. “Moore likes game nights, and now that Vincent has you…”
“Uh…” game nights?
“It’s where we play card or board games.
Like Uno, or Sorry. Sometimes it’s Mario Kart.
” He went on when I had nothing to reply with.
“It’s fun. Moore is big on friends and family.
And Vincent is like his brother. We’ve done a few game nights, but it’ll be so much more fun now that you’ll be there. ”
I doubted it, but instead of answering, I lay down, facing the TV, letting whatever show it was pull me in.
***
Adrian fell asleep. A light snore passed his lips as he lay beside me, arms resting over his stomach.
The show he had picked wasn’t at all appealing. There was action, but the music was too loud.
Sighing, slightly bored, which was out of the norm, I carefully left the bed. Adrian didn’t stir as I used the bathroom before venturing out of the room.
I knew Vincent was in the house somewhere; he’d said he’d be near. Something about working while I spent time with my friend.
In the hallway, the table caught my attention.
The bunny was still there, so out of place with everything else. It was well-loved, and I wondered if it was Vincent’s from his childhood.
What I knew, his upbringing wasn’t any better than my own. He had parents, but they controlled everything. He at least got to know love, though. Got to feel how it wrapped around him, taking all the worries away for a bit.
I didn’t get that. Nor would I.
Love wasn’t something I would ever have. Give or take. It wasn’t possible. It didn't stop me from wondering what it’d be like, though, to feel such an emotion.
Maybe Adrian knew. He seemed happy with his Alpha. Content, even.
Was that love? Or was it just respect between two people who happened to live together?
“Hello.”
I flinched, instinct kicking in before I could stop it, and took a step back as Vincent climbed the stairs.
He slowed as he reached the top, hands tucked casually into his front pockets.
Gone was the sleepwear. In its place were black slacks, a dark red button-up with the sleeves rolled to his forearms. His glasses were perched neatly on his nose again, framing his eyes in a way that made it hard to look away.
“Hi, Sir.” My voice worked, barely.
My chest was tight, my heart was thudding too fast. Partly because he’d appeared without warning. And partly because of how he looked. Put together. Calm. Like nothing could touch him. And I didn’t know whether that made me feel safer or more exposed.
“I wasn’t expecting you out here.” There wasn’t an order, just observations.
“I was….stretching. Adrian fell asleep.”
“I did tell Moore to keep the boy home today, but he’s a sucker for the Omega. What Adrian wants, he usually gets.”
The word spoiled slipped into my mind.
“Did you need something?”
I shook my head, finally pulling my eyes away from him. For some reason, I wanted to keep looking at him, my gut pulling me towards him even though my brain told me to get as far away as possible.
My eyes landed back on the table.
“The bunny. Was it yours?”
Vincent picked it up, touching it like he remembered things that he didn’t exactly want to recall.
“It was Micha’s,” he said, voice low. “The morning he left, I took it. Hid it in my closet for years, knowing Father would throw it out with everything else that belonged to him.”
His fingers brushed mine as he passed it over.
“I just… needed to keep something. It was his favorite.”
I let the fabric settle into my palms. Once, it must’ve been soft, fur plush, stuffing even. Now it was worn thin, the seams tired, the filling clumped and stiff. But it had been held. Held tight by a boy who wouldn’t get the chance to hold it again.
“I hope to find him someday, but I know it’s unlikely to happen. There are other places other than Lockswell where Omegas are sent.”
“I’ve heard of such places.” Not good things. No place was that housed Omegas was placed for shelter.
“I’m hoping when Micha turns eighteen, I can track him down. But I don’t need Adrian finding out.”
“Don’t want me to know what?” Adrian spoke, his words muffled through a yawn.
“Your birthday present. Sneaky Omega boys don’t get to know that.” Vincent was quick to say and set the bear back on the table after I handed it over.
“But that’s like three months away. Charlie’s is exactly a week before mine.”
“Oh, really?” Vincent’s gaze landed on me, brows drawn like he was trying to place the date. And maybe he didn’t know. Given everything, I wouldn’t blame him. “Good to know,” he said softly.
Birthdays weren’t something to know. Not really. They weren’t for celebrating. They were for testing. And if an Omega failed, punishment followed, swift, deliberate, and unforgettable.
I must’ve flinched. Or maybe my expression gave too much away. His voice was quiet. Sad. And I hated how true it was. Because Vincent was suddenly in front of me, hands resting gently on my shoulders, voice low.
“What’s wrong?”
Adrian answered before I could.
“Birthdays at Lockswell aren’t… they aren’t good days.” His voice was quiet. Sad. And I hated how true it was.
My last birthday had been the worst of all others.
It had been a horrible day to begin with, having woken up slightly under the weather with a stuffed nose and sore throat.
I may have had a fever, too. But from the start of testing, I had made mistake after mistake.
I couldn’t hold my poses. I couldn’t keep eye contact well enough.
I couldn’t take a plastic cock down my throat without choking.
The punishment for failing was horrible.
Hours of retraining. Hours of yelling. Hours of kneeling to prove I was obedient.
The basement had been cold, water dripping somewhere in the dark depths that I couldn’t see.
It hadn’t helped my cold, that was for sure.
But I came out alive with a reminder to always serve. I came out less of a human, though.
Maybe that’s where I began to break.
“That won’t happen here, I promise.” Vincent leaned down to meet my dry eyes. “No punishments on birthdays here. Ever. It’s a day to celebrate. Pizza, and a movie, and maybe, if you're up to it, a few gifts from the people who care about you.”
“That's us and Moore, by the way.” Adrian pressed up against my side, whispering in my ear. “It’ll be different now.”
I could only take their word for it.
“And,” Vincent added, a glint in his eye. “You get to pick one reasonable thing you want that isn’t a need.”
I blinked.
Blinked again.
And again.
“I think you broke him.”
I didn’t know what to say, what to think.
“Books. I want to read.” To learn. To soak up new things if I were allowed.
“Books? Why am I not surprised by that? You can have as many books as you want on your birthday.”
“Okay.” Would he follow through? Or would it be a cruel joke to put me in my broken place?
Whatever he saw on my face made him give me a small smile, face relaxed. “You are too sweet, Charlie.”
I blushed, feeling weirdly shy at that comment.