"Now," she turned towards the door, "get ready. You'll start your duties this evening."
Within a couple of minutes she sent another Omega to come and take her child.
Later that day, the evening sun filtered through the huge window of Alpha Zakes' house as I stirred the pot on the stove.
The aroma of the simmered stew, filled the room.
My thoughts kept changing as I moved around the kitchen. Apart from regretting why I had not left earlier in the morning, I began thinking about how much I used to enjoy cooking for Zakes.
It was different now. The warmth we once shared whenever I would look into his eyes, had now turned cold. But still, I couldn't help feeling a tug in my chest every time I saw him.
The door opened wide, and Zakes walked in. His eyes scanned the room before settling on me. He didn't greet me. He just headed straight to the table and sat down.
"Is it ready yet?" he asked, his tone sharp as usual.
"
Almost, just need a few more minutes." I responded.
He grunted, picked up a piece of bread from the table and bit into it.
I turned back to the pot, but I felt his look on me, watching every move that I made.
A soft knock on the door broke the awkward silence. I wiped my hands on my apron before I opened the door.
It was the Gamma of the pack, Jorin, that stood there with a friendly smile.
"Evening, Linah," his voice warm as usual. "I was wondering if you have any herbs left for that muscle strain I told you about."
I smiled back, "I do, give me a second."
As I turned to grab the pouch of herbs from my small bag, I heard Zakes' chair scrape loudly against the floor.
When I handed the herbs to Jorin, Zakes stood up with his arms crossed, looking intently.
"Anything else Jorin?" his voice daring him to ask for more.
Jorin, respectfully bowed his head, "No Alpha, that will be all."
I smiled, but as soon as the door closed, Zakes' irritation became noticeable.
"You're way too friendly with him," he muttered, taking a step towards me.
I turned to face him, frowning. "He needed help, Zakes. It's my job."
"It's not your job to flirt with every man who comes seeking your help," he snapped.
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "Flirting? You can't be serious."
His eyes darkened, and he stepped even closer, towering over me. "You think I didn't see the way he was looking at you?"
I couldn't help but let out a small laugh, shaking my head. "He was asking for herbs. That's all."
Zakes' hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You belong to me, Linah. Don't forget that."
His words angered me a bit, "Belong to you? You only remember that when someone else is around. The rest of the time, I'm just here to serve you and your sister."
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. His eyes shifted to look at the pot on the stove.
"Is the food done yet?"
I nodded and turned back to serve out some stew into a bowl. As I handed him the bowl, his fingers brushed against mine.
For a short moment, I felt something softer that was under his hard exterior. His touch dragged, just for a second too long.
"Don't talk to him again," he said softly.
I pulled my hand back, biting my lip. "Maybe if you treated me like more than a secret, you wouldn't have to worry about it."
Zakes' eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue. Instead, he took the bowl and sat down. We ate quietly.
"May I offer you and your sister one of my best herbal teas? It will really help you relax after such a long day." I calmly volunteered to make them soothing herbal tea.
He kept quiet and never looked at me, but I made the tea and served him as well as his sister.
As I walked on my way back to my cottage, I couldn't stop thinking about the way his jealousy flared, even after everything.
For the next couple of days as Zakes prepared for his twenty-first birthday, I kept performing my daily duties as well as preparing the herbal tea.
A week after my child had been taken from me, I wiped my hands on my apron as the scent of herbs filled my cottage. My heart pounded as I heard footsteps outside the door.
The door swang open. It was him. He always liked to come at this time, when the rest of the pack was asleep.
"I've been waiting," his voice filled with irritation. "You should've brought the herbs for the bonding ritual hours ago."
I swallowed hard, "I am still preparing them. They need time to work right."
His lips curled, and he crossed his arms.
"Excuses! I don't like the way you're slacking!"
I shook my head, "I'm doing the best I can, Zakes."
He stepped closer, towering over me, "You've always been slow," he muttered. "Just like when we were together. Can't get anything right, can you?"
"You didn't think about that when we were together," I finally said, my voice shaking. "when you held me. When you kissed me. When you made love to me."
His jaw clenched, "That was different," he turned away. "You knew the rules. This was never supposed to be... permanent." He paused, looking at the few clothes on the bed of our son that I had recently washed.
I felt my heart twist. "He's your son, Zakes."
"I know," he whispered, "But no one can know that. If the pack finds out that I have a child with someone like you—"
"Like me?" I interrupted, my voice rising. "Is that why you put me out here, at the edge of the pack, so no one sees me and knows the truth?"
He turned back to me, eyes hard. "I did it to protect you. And him."
"From what? From your pride?" My hands started shaking, "Or from the pack that looks down on me because I'm not like them? Because I'm not tall and strong? Because I'm a dwarf?"
Zakes fists clenched at his sides. "You think I wanted this?" His voice broke, "I'm the Alpha, and there are expectations. Traditions. If I show weakness, if they find out I've been with someone like you, they'll
question everything."
"And what about us?" I asked harshly. "What about what we had?"
His eyes softened for the briefest second, "I never wanted to hurt you."
"But you did," I replied, my voice trembling. "You still do."
He took a step towards me, his hand reaching out like he was going to touch me, but he stopped himself. He didn't say anything for a moment, just stood there, staring at me like he was searching for something.
Finally, he pulled back, his face hardened again. "Prepare the ritual. It's for the pack's future. And make sure you keep your head down. You know what's at stake if anyone finds out."
I watched him leave, the door closing with a heavy thud. The room felt empty without him, but at the same time, I felt relief.
The love we once had was still there, buried deep, but so was the pain. And as much as I wished things would be different, I knew they never would be.
Not as long as he was the Alpha, and I was just the Omega he had to hide.
The next day Zakes was always near me, watching me all day as I prepared for the ritual.
I also noticed something else. Elara was slipping. Her steps had become slower and her once cutting eyes were now dulled.
The calming tea I had been preparing for them, was starting to work….
Just one more cup today was all I needed for me to escape...
I prepared their evening tea as usual. I waited for a couple of hours and went back to Zakes' house.
My heart pounded as I crept through the dark hallway. The tea that I had given Zakes and his sister, would keep them asleep, but not for long.
I'd memorized their routines and listened carefully while they thought I was just serving tea and cleaning their rooms.
Now I knew where they hid him during the night.
I pushed the door open, relief washed over me. There he was, sleeping soundly, close to the oil lamp. As I lifted him into my arms, he began to whimper an
d his cry cut through the silence of the night.
Panic shot through me, if he cried any louder, they would wake up, and I would be trapped!