12. Riley
RILEY
I lifted my freshly-painted nails up to the light, watching the ticking clock behind them. Any second now.
Anticipation rose inside me, my pulse throbbing as I craned my ears to listen. I’d been waiting and, for the first time, hoping Zander would leave tonight.
“I’ll be back in the morning, my love.” The lock clicked over on his bedroom door as he called out to say goodbye.
“I’ll be waiting,” I called back, the lie spilling so easy from my lips. I could go so far to say that it was, in the very least, a partial truth. I did enjoy his company and looked forward to spending time with him, but I wouldn’t be waiting on him at all.
Not tonight.
I strained my ears, eyeing myself in the floor-length mirror, waiting to hear the telltale ding of the elevator that indicated his full departure from our apartment. For some reason, I still wanted to look nice tonight. To impress, just not for our Supreme.
The corners of my lips tipped up.
Five minutes flew by as I waited patiently to confirm he hadn’t forgotten anything. He rarely did, but caution with Zander was always best.
I moved quickly and threw on some more casual attire than I was typically allowed to wear when in the apartment. A few of the guards had already seen me wearing it, so I figured it wouldn’t be a monstrous issue to wear it again: black tights, a black singlet, and some low black sneakers. The furthest colours from the purity that white embodied in the eyes of Zander, even if colours were mostly symbolic and for a show in front of the residents he led. This is what you will never be . Pure. Whole. Perfect. That was what it meant.
Somehow, the black felt fitting, given my plans for the night. I had a test of my own to deliver.
As I drew my thick, wavy hair back, my stomach began to flutter in excitement, a rush I hadn’t felt in such a long time. An adventure, no matter how small.
I unlocked my door and walked briskly over to the elevator, tapping the down button before ducking off to the side and out of sight. When I allowed my head to fall against the wall, I spied out the window and saw the silhouette of Zander striding forward between two guards in the direction of Benefactor Mitchell’s house. Likely another night of big gambling. They always did this the night before our shield thinned for the first time of the year.
The doors opened, and I quickly peeped around, scanning for any guards.
I waited one breath, my heart pounding in my chest.
But this, too, was clear.
I edged forward, hesitantly at first, and then with more purpose as I pressed the button for the ground floor. Soft music played in the background, doing little to calm me, though I still found myself humming along to conquer my nerves.
Movement ceased, and the doors opened to a waiting Sly, who was standing at the door to exit the building with a triumphant grin.
“It’s a good feeling to know you came to see me,” he teased, moving forward to stand directly in front of me.
I looked him up and down, feigning judgement. “You flatter yourself, guard.”
A small smile lifted his lips. “Is that a joke I hear, sweet Rose?”
My mood lifted higher within his company, his response causing my lips to tip up.
He held out his arm towards me, encouraging me to take it, and I gladly met him, wrapping my fingers tightly around his forearm, inhaling that salty ocean scent of his deep into my lungs.
“Wouldn’t you like to see what I can offer you?” he murmured, the tone honeyed and deep. It didn’t take an idiot to understand its duplicitous meaning, more so when he quirked that thick black brow at me in invitation.
I turned to him, surprised that he had the confidence to speak to me so casually with no care for consequence.
He winked at me, fully aware of his words and tone. Shockingly, a flare of something pulsed inside me in response to him. Perhaps, given the night, I could acknowledge I enjoyed his obvious want, and more than that, I could acknowledge that a rebellious part I’d locked away selfishly wanted more of it. He was the only other male outside of Zander who had ever dared to show me any sort of interest since I rose in the ranks.
But what did I know of this Omega who knew so much of me?
I was aware Sly had been within the guard for a year now, having risen through the ranks quickly based on his skill and leadership qualities alone. I also knew that over the past year, Zander had put him through his paces to prove himself in many ways and, most importantly, to gain his trust.
But the past two nights were the only times I had ever been alone with him. Usually, I was in the apartment when Zander left. I had never bothered to interact with the guards, and they had never truly bothered with me, likely out of fear. Except for this male beside me.
Because of his guilt.
Even though it could never venture further than this, I couldn’t squash the excitement growing inside me at the attention he gave me. It didn’t hurt that he was incredibly attractive, perhaps comparable to Zander in my eyes, though he possessed a lightness that didn’t always come so naturally to the Omega I lived with.
Lost in thought, I barely noticed that Sly had already moved us through half the garden until he lightly squeezed my hand and dropped my arm. Insects chirped loudly in the background as the aroma and colours of thousands of roses flooded my senses. I breathed in through my nose deeply, relishing the floral scent. Even if this was all I got to experience for tonight, it was worth it. Zander wasn’t breathing down my neck, and I could just be.
Sly walked on ahead, glancing back once, flicking his head forward down a path I had not yet followed.
Wordlessly, I trailed along behind him, keeping my steps light on the cobblestone path. The entire atmosphere of the garden was ambient and serene, with the low glow of strategically placed lamps to illuminate the paths between rose plants and hedges. It was both grand and grounding.
I could get lost in a place like this.
I turned the last corner and stepped into the most beautiful white wooden alcove with trailing rose vines and a large pond next to a light stone bench.
I could give credit to Zander for his eye for detail and his skills in designing beautiful places and things that could embody an experience.
Here, I felt peace and maybe a little more hope.
I walked forward and sat next to Sly with a sigh of bliss.
“This is wonderful,” I expressed, clasping my hands in my lap. There was nothing truer in this world right now.
“It is,” he acknowledged, his expression thoughtful.
“But it is not what I am offering you.”
I hardened my features to mask my disappointment. Shadows cast across his face harshly, highlighting a more sinister expression.
My body flushed cold as I fought to repress my confusion despite the heat of the air licking at my skin. My heartbeat thundered in my head, almost echoing the frantic energy now pulsing through me. Everyone is cunning, Riley. They will always want to either be you or take from you. Zander’s words of warning repeated in my mind from the day before he had asked me to be his partner.
I’d get in trouble for being here, but I would scream if he dared to do something I didn’t like.
“Relax, Riley,” he whispered with a soothing lilt to his voice. He reached his hand across to touch my leg, and my instincts kicked in reflexively.
I snatched his hand in the air, crushing his fingers within my own.
“Do not touch me,” I commanded, squeezing his fingers tighter.
His eyes widened, a hiss of pain escaping him.
“Wait, no. You don’t understand. I want to offer you a chance to leave tonight. Or at least, I did, until you crushed my fucking hand.”
I released my grip and jolted away from him in distress. No. No. No. I’d failed already.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. Please don’t tell him. I’ll go back upstairs, and we will never speak of this again.” I stammered the words out, getting up and walking backwards to the entrance of the alcove. Something like a guard reporting me would destroy everything.
“Wait,” he pleaded. He leaned forward to reach out a hand, as if to grab me, but pulled back abruptly, looking down at the ground, suddenly unsure of himself.
He held up the hand I’d moments ago crushed, turning it front and back for me to see.
“It’s fine. See? I was just joking around with you. I like to joke. This place is too serious. I mean, you are strong but not that strong, you know?”
I stayed still, observing his movements, assessing for the lie.
His grin faded when I didn’t respond as he exhaled a heavy breath and rubbed his forehead.
“I understand this is a trust experiment. I understand you are cautious. But let me ask you this: do you want to spend the rest of your life in the ivory tower, allowing the Haven to morph you into the icon they need? Or do you want to choose who you become, Riley?” His turquoise-blue eyes rippled with sincerity, his voice raw.
I pondered on that for a moment. I wanted to choose with everything I had. It was why I was here. It was why I was sacrificing so much. But there was a risk here, so much risk, just as we spoke of last night.
My pulse throbbed. I’d already come so far. I’d already made it out of that ivory tower tonight.
Maybe right now, there was room for both: the Rose in public and Riley in private. Maybe I didn’t need Zander to approve all my decisions if he never knew about them, especially if they weren’t harmful. Maybe the male before me could give me an opportunity to change things my way.
“I’ve always been in control of myself. You just need to look a little closer.” I steeled my gaze as I stared at the Omega before me, daring him to challenge me.
He tilted his head to the side, that same thoughtful look on his face from moments ago, as if I was a puzzle he intended to crack. “Hmm, maybe I do need to look a little closer.”
I looked at him, someone who felt so familiar to me, despite having spoken to him properly only a few days ago. Maybe our Goddess did favour me, sending this Omega to give me some semblance of peace.
I nodded once. “A trust experiment it is.”
He smiled at that and moved to a nearby hedge, showing me to the small gap in the corner, big enough for me to slip through but entirely invisible from the pathways.
“There is a reason I guard this side. It is an easier access point and therefore a risk to show you this place, but you won’t be harmed with me around. No one knows about it, not even Zander. I haven’t reported it to him. The break in the hedge has its uses, as you will soon learn.”
He was offering me a secret, and I took it gladly, moving forward to the hidden gap between the growths.
I peered through, scanning the streets with Sly’s breath on my back. “I’ve ensured no guards are marking this side. Stick to the shadows and go where you need. I’m trusting you because it is my life on the line if you don’t return.”
I nodded to confirm I understood, knowing I was only venturing far enough to hide and watch him, just to confirm he was as loyal as he insisted he was. So, I wrenched myself forward, twigs catching in my ponytail, leaves hitting my face as I passed.
I was almost out to the other side when a calloused hand gripped my bicep from behind.
Unable to turn my head to see him, his words reached my ears just as I breached the other side, shirking his grip.
“Stop allowing others to treat you as a princess, Riley. Princesses never get to make the big decisions. Maybe it’s time you started acting like a queen.”
My skin pebbled under his touch, the words echoing right down to the seat of my soul.
If a queen is what I needed to be.
Then a queen is exactly what I’d become.