Noah’s POV
My body is shaking. The dead leaves covered floor under me feels damp. Something is crawling over my body.
A spider?
I brush it off with a quiet whine, folding myself into the familiar fetal position. I’m so cold.
I shouldn’t be this cold.
I should be lying in a warm bed, covered up with the blanket Elias wrapped me in...where am I?
I open my eyes, and instead of finding Elias Deus looking at me from his seat, I find a row of drying trees.
The world feels fuzzy, and when I stare at my hands, I find that they’re smaller, pinker and they have no scabs.
’Where am I?’ I ask loudly, turning around to check my surrounding.
There’s a white weeping angel statue, it’s clean and pristine. It’s very beautiful, but it scares me, I press my lips together to hold back a scream.
I want to run from it.
’Dad?’ I call out, slapping a hand over my mouth when my voice comes out small and high pitched.
It sounds the exact same way I used to sound when I was younger. I’m even dressed in pink like I used to dress. I’m wearing a pink shirt and a pair of white pants.
What’s going on?
’Dad, I’m scared, please come get me’ I cry out again.
I’m still myself, but different. I’m still Noah Goldsmith, but younger...maybe eight years old?
’DAD!’ I scream and everything changes.
My eyes snap open, my body shoots up and I’m sitting up in my enemy’s bed. My chest is aching from how hard my heart is pounding.
"Just a dream...just a dream..." I tell myself, placing my hand over my chest to calm my racing heart.
I bow my body forward in a position that should help my heart.
Crouched like that, my eyes search the room for Elias Deus. When I don’t find him, a small part of me feels disappointed.
Disappointed? Should I be disappointed or happy he’s gone?
Goddess, something is wrong with me. This man told me he would break me last night, why am I looking for him?
’It’s only because he’s the only person I’ve gotten familiar with...’ I tell myself, dropping myself back into the bed.
It’s only logical I feel disappointed that the only person that has been ’looking after me’ isn’t here.
I blink twice to come out the dream. Everything in me tells me that it’s more than a dream, I’m sure it’s a memory, but I really can’t remember anything like it.
I turn on my side and stare at Elias’s large wardrobe.
His scent is heavy in the room. The domination of his pheromones is so rich that it almost feels like he purposefully scented the place before leaving.
I finally sit up, and as soon as I do, the door swings open.
My first instinct is to fold into myself...this was how the Deus brothers raided my home. I was asleep in my room, suddenly one of their men opened the door, forced his way in, called his partners and dragged me down to the dining room.
"Good morning, Mr. Deus" Lucas comes into the room.
"Lucas" I breathe with relief, still protecting myself, but feeling less tense.
"Where’s Elias?" I ask immediately.
"They had business to attend to" Lucas informs me, casually going to the wardrobe to pick out some clothes.
"Business" I repeat the word.
I don’t bother asking more questions about it. I’m sure the so-called business involves ruining another person’s home...maybe he’ll bring back another omega and call them his new possession.
"You’re told to wear this and not leave my sight" Lucas holds up a black hoodie and a pair of black jeans.
I eye the clothes suspiciously. Elias and I are almost the same size. He’s only a bit taller than myself and slightly more built.
"And if I don’t do that?" I question.
"It’s advisable you don’t disobey, Mr. Deus" Lucas says simply.
Of course.
Even while he’s away, I’m supposed to do what he wants. The perfectly groomed omega in me accepts, but my angry brain rejects.
I get out of the bed and snatch the clothes from him.
"Is there an order on how much air I can breathe in too? Or how many times I should blink?" I snap and Lucas chuckles.
I really don’t see why he should be amused by my outburst.
"No, Mr. Deus, you’re free to do anything you want except killing yourself, running away or taking Elias’s scent off you" Lucas lists.
"He mentioned something about a Zane, but didn’t say more" Lucas adds and all the fight leaves me again.
Goddess, I’m married against my will to a mentally ill person.
I don’t argue with Lucas. I just go into the bathroom, prepare for the day, and then change into Elias’s clothes.
The smell of the alpha’s pheromones is heavy on the clothes.
I bring it up to my nose to take a whiff. Goddess, he smells just the way he feels. Cold. I should pull the cloth away, but I don’t...I press it closer take a deeper breath.
He smell exotic like a unique mix of black pepper and mint.
I breathe in again and my omega stirrs inside of my chest.
He also smells earthy, like the way rich soils smell...
What am I doing?
I drop the hoodie and adjust it over my body. The fabric feels well worn, like it’s something he uses well. Maybe this is own method of marking me when he’s away.
He away from me and is still being possessive of my life.
I hate it. I hate him.
"Mr. Deus?" Lucas calls from outside.
His voice reminds me that I don’t own myself. That my life is being programmed by a possessive monster who sees people as things and not as humans.
"I’m alive" I step out of the bathroom and Lucas nods grimly.
"You are to have breakfast in the next three minutes" Lucas says and I wince.
He sounds awfully like the watch obsessed Elias Deus.
"Why can I eat here, I’m all alone after all, right?" I say and he shakes his head.
"Wrong"
"Wrong?" I ask.
"The Luna is home and he hates to eat alone"
"L-luna?" I stutter, suddenly losing my voice at the thought of eating with someone I don’t know.
It’s not just about eating with a stranger, I get along with strangers well, but who knows what a stranger from Gotteigen will be like.
"Why is there a Luna?" I ask and Lucas gives me a funny look.
"Siren is the Luna"
Oh no.
I’d rather eat with a stranger than eat with that omega...that man is the mother of the mad trio.