Chapter 101: Two sticks in a bed

Noah’s POV

We should be acting lovey-dovey and staring at each other with bright eyes.

I quietly shut the door behind me and rest against it.

I don’t know what’s worse; my Dad wanting to see me and Elias is standing in the way or Damien wanting to use me to bring my father down because of false rumors.

Do they casually address people as random sacrifice?

"Goddess...I’m really stupid" I whisper, rubbing at my temple. I’m starting to have a headache. I shouldn’t have eavesdropped but staying away from Elias was impossible.

I only wanted to be around him; I didn’t expect to walk into their conversation. They want to bring Winslow into a modern-day omega slavery?

No.

Absolutely not.

I won’t stand back and watch Elias do this to me. At the same time, how can I confront him without risking exposure and getting killed?

"What do I do?" I ask the empty air as I hit my head against the door in frustration and anger.

I feel dumb for ever thinking that Elias cared about me.

"Stupid Noah, you’re so stupid" I whisper and I freeze when I hear footsteps approaching the door. I’m scared of getting caught, so I immediately jump to the bed, fold myself into a ball and shut my eyes.

If I pretend to be asleep, the person will leave me alone, and I really hope it’s not Elias. I don’t want to breathe the same air as him right now.

The door opens and I shut my eyes tighter.

The smell of his pheromones announces his arrival, and it makes me want to roll over. It makes me want to open my eyes and tell him everything I heard.

The alpha walks to the bed silently and I feel the dip in the mattress as he sits on the edge.

I am completely rigid. I’m listening to his steady breathing and taking in his scent while cursing him out in my heart.

How dare he matter to me this much and how dare he hurt me this much?

I feel his fingers brushing hair off my face. It hurts me to admit it, but I soften into the sheets, still clenching my fist and shutting my eyes.

"Hmm..." he hums.

"I know you’re awake Noah" he says and I stay still, refusing to give myself away to him again.

"And I know you overheard the conversations" he says quietly.

"I didn’t hear anything" I lie.

"You’re in bed with your shoes on and you’re still covered in sand, those are clear telltale signs" he says, taking his hand off me and waiting for me to give up my acting.

"Am I really just a tool to you?" I ask and he sighs.

"It depends" the alpha says and I turn around to look at him. His eyes are red rimmed and there’s a vein sticking out in his temple.

He’s stressed as much as I am, but he isn’t suffering as much as I am. I’m the one who was stolen from his home and the one who enjoys sleeping with his father’s enemy.

"Depends on what?" I ask and he doesn’t give me an answer, his fingers trace the curve of my cheek and I blink.

"Elias? Am I still an ’it’ to you?" I ask and he looks conflicted.

"I don’t know what else to...I don’t know how else to classify you" he says and he sounds like he needs me to understand his point of view.

"I know what to class you as" I say softly.

I want to tell him I’m his cherry blossom boy and that I’m in love with him, but what good will come from telling a man who sees me like an object something as important as that?

"But it doesn’t matter. Will you let me see my dad?" I ask and his lips pull downwards in a frown.

"I’ll let you, only if I will be there to monitor you" he says and I scoff.

"Whatever dirt you’re looking to find on my dad...it doesn’t exist" I say and he raises a brow.

"Do we have an agreement?" he asks to shut me up.

"I agree" I breathe out and his jaw ticks. "You will see him, but if I ask you to come, you fucking come to me. Do you understand?" he asks and I nod.

"Good night, Noah" Elias says curtly and gets up.

"You’re not sleeping here?" I blurt the question and he blinks twice. "It’s better I finish my treatment in the other room" he says.

"But I want you here" I say in a stupidly sad tone and he sighs.

"Go wash up. Take off your shoes too, and we’ll sleep here together" he says and I nod, getting off the bed and heading for the bathroom.

My shower happens so fast that I’m sure I left sand in some parts of me.

I feel like a kid whose parents asked them to go pick up their shoes in the room.

’Go on, we’ll wait for you’ the child’s parents would say, but when the child returns, their parents are gone.

I rush out of the bathroom in Elias’s clothes and boxers to see if he’s still there.

He’s here.

I breathe a sigh of relief and fake an ’I don’t care’ look before heading for the bed. I lie down and Elias lies next to me.

We’re really awkward for people who just did the dirty deed less than an hour ago.

Like two sticks, we lay side by side without touching each other, and I relax in the bed. I guess having his scent is enough for me even though I’m mad at him.

I fall asleep and morning comes quickly. The day passes even faster, and by nighttime, we’re in front of a high-end restaurant.

I take an eager step forward and Elias pulls me back. The alpha presses his back to my front and lowers his lips to my mouth.

"The entire place has been booked for tonight, Noah. One misstep, just one mistake...and I’ll put a bullet through your father’s brain" Elias says and steps back from me.

I gulp and we walk into the building together.

I immediately spot dad sitting with a guest at a table, and I start to smile. Their backs are turned, so they don’t see me yet.

The person with my dad turns his head to look at the door and my smile grows even wider.

It’s my godfather.

"UNCLE JULIAN!" I call out happily, completely unaware of the alpha that has frozen in his tracks behind me.