Heats were a miserable experience for an omega who had to spend it alone. And it was even worse than normal for an omega like Anabella, surrounded by alpha pheromones most of the time.
She tried not to 'stink the house' with her omega pheromones if she could help it, but it was her instinct to release pheromones when she felt tense.
As a result, both Daniel and James released more pheromones to try and cover up her pheromones.
Her stepson was an abnormality, having presented so soon. It was something to marvel about on paper, but it made Anabella's life miserable.
The young alpha pheromones were usually filled with discomfort and dislike when James was with Anabella, making it incredibly difficult for Anabella not to react back.
And when she did unconsciously repel the heavy alpha pheromones, she was called out for it as being a 'bad' mother.
There was nothing Anabella could do at this point but endure this. She had no one on her side to help her out, either.
'It's fine! Don't think negative thoughts, and just go to sleep! I can do this! I can fall asleep.'
Anabella closed her eyes to force her body to shut down, but it did not help much! The second she closed her eyes, they snapped open, and her body hurt.
What was worse, there was no food or water in the room. Anabella was in danger of dehydration, and no one would know until it was too late. When James was with Anabella, the young alpha pheromones were usually filled with discomfort and dislike, making it incredibly difficult for Anabella not to react
'I-I need water! No one is in the house. I can go and grab water-!'
She made it to the door, but just as Anabella had intended, the door did not open.
The passage of time had no meaning for Anabella. She was stuck in her misery, and she could only lament about her discomfort as she slid down the door and pulled her legs toward her.
"I-It will be fine! Take a deep breath, and let's try again."
Anabella encouraged herself as she pushed her body up on shaky legs.
She grabbed the door when it shook from the other side. It startled the heat-ridden omega, and she took a step back.
"Hey, are you alright? This place smells weird, and you did not eat dinner. Do you want me to slip you anything? I promise I will not tell father about it."
James's voice sounded young when he spoke.
He sounded worried for Anabella, and it made her way to reach out and grab him. An alpha pup could be held through an omega in heat, and Anabella could build a nest for him-!
'Stop it! That pup is not yours, so you need to get a hold of yourself. You cannot keep mistaking that pup as your own, no matter what!'
Anabella's instincts cried out at the injustice of what was happening. They wanted her to grab the pup and soothe herself.
But even in such a state, Anabella had just enough decency left to not take her instincts up on that offer.
She suffered because of her mistake of trusting her mother and her food. Anabella should have known better than to expect anything from her mother.
"Excuse me, but do you need help-!"
James asked in a small voice as it grew fainter. The smell of her pheromones ridden with extra-stickiness must be too much for his young senses.
"It's fine! I am just sick, and I will grab anything I need. You should not bother with me. Ask your father to stay away as well for the time being. He can get sick as well if he visits me."
Anabella informed James, and there was a small pause when nothing happened.
Then, she heard someone walking away from her, and Anabella breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, she was able to get rid of the kid she had been trying to protect all this time. She felt ashamed that the biggest enemy she could think of at the moment was herself. She was the reason behind everything that was happening.
It did not take Anabella to collapse, and the medicine finally kicked in. She slept away for the remainder of the pseudo-heat she was under, and Anabella felt much fresher when she opened her eyes the next morning.
Her body protested as she stretched her arms and tried to get up. But Anabella paid no attention as she got up and walked around.
There was just a hint of pain left in Anabella's shoulder, and she massaged it away before walking out of the room.
It was early enough for her not to have anything on her schedule, but it was also late enough that she would not run into anyone.
Anabella expected a solo breakfast in her room where she would not have to see her housekeeper's face, but luck was not on her side.
As soon as she stepped into the room, her eyes fell on her husband eating his breakfast a little later than usual.
His body was covered in bite and scratch marks, clear evidence of what he had been up to recently. But it was much less outrageous than the omega scent he had all over his body, marking it up.
The man only missed an omega's bite mark that bonded the pair. And until the alpha got that mark, Anabella wouldn't have any legal ground against him to file a divorce…no, that her stepmother would let her do that.
It was awkwardly silent as Anabella sat down to eat her food. She did not look at the alpha she had married or face the housekeeper.
She also kept a neutral face when she looked at her food.
'Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches? This housekeeper is taking every step to kill me off.'
Anabella pushed the plate away from her before she stood up to grab an apple and eat it. As Anabella walked past her, she heard the housekeeper comment about being 'ungrateful' and 'spoilt.'
It was easy to ignore the housekeeper when the alternative was to put her life in danger by falling for her provocations.
Anabella had almost finished eating her apple when Daniel spoke up.
His voice startled Anabella since it had been a while since she last heard it.
"Are you not going to eat those sandwiches? Our housekeeper makes them well."
The alpha sounded awkward as he tried to strike up a conversation. It was odd, and Anabella could tell that her father-in-law and Grandfather-in-law had a hand in it.
They must have scolded Daniel and gotten him fed up with their talk so that he could try.
And since he tried to talk, Anabella kept her answer as small and casual as possible.
"Can't! Allergies to peanuts."
A deadly silence spread across the room, and Anabella made the mistake of looking at the housekeeper.
The older lady went red at those words. It was even more humiliating for her because she had been handed a list of Anabella's allergies in front of Daniel and his family.
"Wasn't the food past few days-"
Daniel started to speak but then paused. By now, even he had realized that the breakfast had peanuts and other things Anabella was allergic to on purpose.
"Aunty, cook a separate breakfast for Anabella when you cook foods like that. Her father might fire a lawsuit if anything were to happen to her."
Daniel almost tried to make a joke, but the tightness around his eyes betrayed him.
Anabella's father was a tough man. If anything were to happen to her, he would file a lawsuit, even two, despite her mother-in-law's interference. Anabella was sure of this.
But not because he cared for her so much—that was secondary (and not likely true)—but because he could get a lot out of it.
Her father-in-law and grandfather-in-law were kind to Anabella and felt sorry for her. They would feel guilty beyond measure if anything were to happen to her.
The awkward silence continued for much longer until Daniel looked at the time and stood up.
"I should get going now. I won't be having dinner at home tonight, Aunty. But James would be here. Make sure he eats and sleeps on time. He has an important day coming up at school tomorrow."
With those words said, Daniel left the house.
The housekeeper kept a smile on her face all this time, but as soon as her master was gone. That smile was gone as well.