"Here, I will leave you some clothes to change into once you are done with your shower…. don't you need to pick it up? Your phone has been going off for some time now."
Charon had an uncomfortable look while she looked at Rika's buzzing phone.
It had been ringing nonstop for the past 10 minutes, and Rika debated whether she should turn it off for the time being.
She already knew that Mark was calling her because Rika had not told him about spending a night out.
Thankfully, she had saved his name as 'Brother' so no one would know who the caller was.
"It's fine! You can ignore that call. I do it all the time."
Rika assured Charon, but the older female still looked doubtful about Rika's assurance.
"Alright! I will… go back for now. Dinner will be ready in half an hour, so you can come down once you are done."
Charon finally left, but that uncomfortable look on her face remained.
When Rika was finally left alone, she picked up the phone to talk to her brother. It would be a tough call, so Rika wanted to finish it before her shower.
"Hell-"
"Where the hell are you? Mother told me that you went for your academy tour and application. Didn't we agree that you would postpone it?"
Mark was eerily calm right now. His low voice and subdued attitude could mean one of two things - he was either pissed off enough to erupt, or Suzie was sleeping nearby, and he did not want to interrupt her sleep.
Rika felt a stab of annoyance as soon as she heard his voice.
"I cannot cancel my joining date whenever I want to. There are rules and regulations in place, and I want to abide by them. Besides, I can take care of myself just fine. It would be best if you focused on Suzie. How was her doctor's visit?"
"Rika, stop trying to change the subject here. This is not about Suzie-!"
"And it is not about me, either. I am an adult and can stay out if I want to. I already talked with my mother about this, so I do not need your permission."
She might be getting too emotional, but Rika felt like venting her heart to Mark.
Rika could tell that her words were making Mark angry, but she could not help but speak up.
Being in this beta-only dorm gave Rika some courage to speak up.
"Fuck! It is not safe out there for you. Where are you staying right now? A hotel? Which one? Tell me, and I will come and get you right now-!"
"I just wanted to let you know I don't need your concern. I am at a safe place for tonight; that is all you need to know. I will return tomorrow, and then we can talk…maybe."
For the first time in forever, Rika cut the call first. She did not want to extend this call and risk Mark coming after her.
When Rika finished her call, she called her mother to mitigate the damage.
Her mother picked up the call in a single ring, and she did not seem surprised to see Rika calling her.
"I take it you are not coming back home tonight. Are you in a safe place?"
Rika relaxed as soon as she heard her mother's calming voice. All the tension left her body, and she felt much better.
"You found out about it already? Did Mark come to complain to you already?"
No matter what anyone said, Mark was Rika's family member, and she knew him well. That was why she was sure Mark must be causing a problem by yelling and flying everywhere.
Her mother chuckled at Rika's concerned voice.
"Mark has not reached my room to complain yet, but I can hear him heading here and cursing. He must be quite angry to be making such a scene."
Rika sighed in relief at her mother's calm and airy tone.
It meant that she was not concerned about Mark's wellbeing.
"I must have wounded his alpha pride when I refused to tell him where I was. I hope you will handle him for me, Mother. I must go now. Dinner is about to start."
"Rika, you…. never mind. Just have a good time outside."
There was a pause before her mother replied to her words. There was hesitation, and Rika felt her mother biting her words to avoid saying anything unnecessary.
But in the end, she did say what she wanted to, and Rika was left hanging.
She stared at her phone, not realising what she was doing until the water hit her feet due to the bucket overflowing.
'Ah, I was going to bathe before I decided to call home. I should finish what I started.'
It turned out to be a much shorter bath than Rika expected. She felt refreshed once she exited the bathroom and toward the dining hall.
Rika paused before heading inside, her feet not moving an inch. Her stiffening was habitual at this point.
Since Rika could not smell pheromones, she often could not get rid of them properly after her shower.
As a result, she made the others around her uncomfortable and made her mother and Mark snap at her for making her father and Suzie uncomfortable.
Even if this was not her home, that habit was too deeply rooted in Rika to be rid of.
She stood at the door, waiting to be noticed and let inside the dining room by someone.
Luckily, Charon noticed her standing in the doorway and sighed frustratedly.
"So, how was the bath? Do you feel better than before? And would you like to stand there? Hurry up! Food will get cold."
Charon's annoyance was an act that could be easily looked past.
It made Rika feel lighter, and she was thankful for the distraction. It made breathing easier for Rika.
The food was mediocre, but the atmosphere more than made up for it. It was easier for Rika to adapt to these people who did not know her.
It was safe to say that Rika got the best sleep that day compared to the past few years of her life.
She did not want to get up even when the sun was bright in the sky, or someone entered the room.
But years of being polite and following a schedule caused Rika to wake up and not be able to fall asleep.
Charon was asleep on the other side of the room, and she looked pretty comfy, buried under all her pillows and blankets.
It was not cold enough to be warped in all those layers, but the older female did not seem to mind. She looked pretty cosy and comfortable.
Looking at her being warped in all that fluff made Rika want to do the same.
'It looks fluffy! But isn't that something omegas prefer? Mark made fun of me when I told him I wanted fluffy blankets since Suzie was also buying some. And neither Damian nor Emily has any interest in these things either.'
Maybe it had not been such a big deal for Rika to want fluffy things, but her experience with Mark had scared her.
"Ughhhh, do you want to get into bed with me? I don't mind, but be careful not to stain anything. I spent a hefty amount of money on these blankets."
Charon suddenly called out to Rika, and it caused Rika to take a quick step back in shock.
She had not realised that she was looking at Charon (or that she had zoned out), which caused Rika to slip. She had to flail around to catch her balance.
*thud*
The fall made a loud noise, and Rika felt more embarrassed than she was hurt because of it.
At least the noise instantly awakened Charon, and she looked at Rika worriedly.
"Hey, are you alright? Would you please let me know if it's anything else? That was a nasty fall. Is your back alright?"
Charon asked in a concerned voice as she looked at Rika.
It made Rika want to look away from that concerned look. People hardly ever looked at her that way.
Rika tried to avoid embarrassment, but standing was challenging. When she put pressure on her calf, a spike of pain went up.
"I am fine! That fall was nothing…I will adapt to it soon."
Rika assured the older female. But Charon's concerned look made Rika immediately look away from her gaze.
"Alright, maybe I am not fine right now, but I will recover quickly. I often get hurt like this when I fight with my alpha brother. This much is nothing."
Rika spoke these words hoping to lighten the mood, but they caused Charon to look worried when she looked at Rika.
"Hey, be serious with me, but you are not being abused at home, right? This could be a serious issue if you don't find courage and speak now."
Those words caused Rika to choke on her saliva and give Charon a startled expression.
But Charon's serious expression told Rika that she had not heard wrong.
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I'll reupload it in Cupid Quill on the 1st, so please support me there as well. Until then, I will continue to upload it here every day. I hope you will keep reading as well.