Chapter 82
Chapter Eighty-Two
FOUR WEEKS LATER
~Harlow~
I am finally showing, though I suspect I should be much larger than I am now.
I don't bother to get up when I hear the door open as someone sets my food on the top step.
I haven't seen anyone other than Thane for a few days now.
I know they all had a huge fight, ending with Thane smashing the place up when he refused to let them down here.
I also heard the housekeeper talking to the gardener while I sat on the step the next day, eating my lunch. She asked him if they should call Thane to let him know Rhen packed up a bag and left the house.
And I haven't heard from or seen him since. The house is awfully quiet, and I hear Raidon arguing on the phone with who I think is his mother. He tells her she needs to stop calling Thane and that she is making things worse. Raidon and Thane got into a huge fight, which resulted in him leaving, but I think he came back because Thane refused to let Leon leave, saying he’s too dangerous since he isn't feeding.
He refuses the Omega feeder and refuses to feed on me.
However, when Raidon returned, they only fought more, and when Thane came down that night to do the washing, he had a split lip and a bruised cheek, which makes me wonder what condition Raidon was in.
But this morning I heard Rhen's voice when he returned; I have yet to lay eyes on him. Not that I care to. I don't care about much anymore at all. I ignore the stink of the porridge and toast on the steps. My appetite is entirely gone, and I am too exhausted to climb the stairs.
When lunchtime comes around, I hear Thane curse before swapping the trays over. I remember opening my eyes at the noise before closing them again. Nothing entices me out of bed. I couldn't care less. What is the point of waking, if only to stare at the ceiling all day?
The Kindle keeps glitching because there is hardly any wifi reception down here, so I quickly gave up on it. I read both baby books back to front and am sure I can recite each page word for word if I tried because I read them so much.
The lights turning on, however many hours later, have me yawning and squinting. I am about to go turn them off when I hear footsteps. Sitting up, I see Thane coming down the stairs. I wonder if it is laundry day, but I think it is tomorrow.
"You have slept all day," he says, stopping at the side of the pitted Den.
I say nothing. What else could I possibly be doing? Sure, I could go for a short stroll to the stairs and back. Yeah, I’ll pass on that.
"You should eat. Maybe read. You can't spend your entire day asleep; you haven't even drunk anything today," he says.
My brows furrow, and I peer over my shoulder at him. He points at the busted light under the stairs.
"That isn’t a light; I can see you down here. Now get up. You need to eat or fix your Den." he says.
And what use would that be? After reading those baby books, I know Omegas are supposed to go through some bizarre nesting stage where they will destroy every part of their Den only to rebuild it. Well, I, for one, can't be bothered.
I snuggle further under the blanket and bury my head under a pillow. Thane growls and wanders back upstairs. I go back to sleep. I hear him set dinner on the step. Still, I remain in bed, even when he returns to pick up the untouched plate.
The following day, I wake to hands touching me. I jolt to find Leon staring at me, his hands on my belly. I must have been in a deep sleep because I didn't hear him come in. I can see Thane doing laundry behind him.
Seeing it is only Leon, and I knowing he won't hurt me, I roll back onto my side. His hands are warm as he rubs the sides of my growing belly, sparks rushing across my skin. The tiniest of movements prod at his hands, making him giddy beside me as he tries to feel for it again.
"Does it feel strange?" Leon asks me. I shrug, kind of used to it now, though it felt odd at the beginning. I am trying not to get too attached. The baby is never going to be mine.
"Thane, come and feel," Leon says, stopping abruptly as he instantly regrets the words. He glances down at me, obviously realizing I do not want Thane’s hands on me.
"Never mind, sorry," Leon whispers.
"Come on, Leon. You saw her, and I am done here."
"Maybe she can come up for a while?" Leon asks, but I shove his hand off me. I already know the answer, so why would he ask?
"Leon, now."
Leon's eyes darken, turning a deep crimson red as his fangs protrude and his face twists in anger while he kneels beside me.
"This is bullshit, Thane. You don't get to decide for all of us," Leon spits at him.
"Yes, I do. That is why I am Alpha. Now get out before I make you," Thane snaps at him.
I swallow, recognizing that deadly tone in his voice. He means every word. Not wanting to see Leon hurt, I roll over and away from him.
"Rhen’s right. You don't deserve to be Alpha—not anymore," Leon snarls as he gets up and climbs out of the Den. He stomps up the steps. I feel Thane's deadly aura and know Leon is in for it when Thane gets up there. However, I pay no attention, tuning out my surroundings as I go back to sleep.
The sound of the washing machine wakes me a short time later, and his scent, before the sparks rush over my skin. I think it is Leon with him who is touching me, yet when I open my eyes, it is Thane hovering over me.
His hand is on my belly. "You need to eat, if not for you, then for this baby," he tells me before sighing.
I can tell he wants to feel the same movement Leon felt earlier, but he is touching the wrong spot.
His brows pinch together. Rolling my eyes, I grab his hand, and he freezes as I move it to the right place and press down on his hand.
He chuffs. "You need to eat, Harlow. Don't punish this baby for your mistakes," he says. I ignore him, reaching for my pillow. Thane growls and rises to his feet.
"You have an ultrasound next week," he tells me. I turn my head to look at him. That means I get to leave this place.
"Eat, please. I'll make you whatever you want," Thane says before climbing out of my Den.
He climbs the stairs as the wheels turn in my head over the ways I can work this to my advantage.
I am mostly excited for fresh air and light, real light.
He leaves and shuts the door. I wonder if he means what he said about me being able to pick my own food.
Testing that theory, I climb up, searching for my pen.
I have to tear a piece of the cardboard box off to write on.
I scribble on it; I have been craving pancakes and Allen's candy snakes. And that pasta thing he made once, but I don't know what it is called. So, I write pasta spirals with the white sauce. Climbing the stairs, I stuff it under the door before I hear someone pick it up.
I try to peer under the gap, wondering if I will get anything off the list. I know better than to get my hopes up.
It’s probably just a trick to make me get up.
Sniffing myself, I realize how terrible I smell, so I wander back down the stairs and head to the shower.
I wash my hair and it takes me half an hour before I get all the tangles out.
Hearing the door open, I step out of the bathroom in my towel to see Thane carrying a tray down. Sniffing the air, my mouth waters. He sets the tray on the table before turning to pull the stuff out of the dryer.
Before I realize it, I follow my nose to find everything I asked for on the tray.
I inhale my food, not even caring that I am eating pancakes and pasta simultaneously.
To me, it tastes good. Better than the crap he's been making me eat.
Thane raises an eyebrow at me and goes to grab the basket off the table as I finish.
When his hand moves toward my empty plate, I snatch the bag of suckers off the tray before he takes them.
"I was going to leave them; I’m not taking them from you," he says at the savage snarl that I don't expect to escape from my lips.
I clutch my suckers to my chest, intending to savor and ration them, in case he doesn't give me any more. I’ve had a wicked sweet tooth lately, and I never get anything sweet, other than the horrible green apples he recently added to my breakfasts. Although they are more sour than sweet.
I take my suckers, hiding them in my Den, but not before taking a blue one from the bag. Covered in sauce and pancake syrup, I nestle back under my blankets, naked. I bite the snake’s head and sigh. For once, the cravings will not drive me mad all night.