Chapter 59: Thirty minutes of perfection

Noah’s POV

"Roman" I call his name loudly but he’s already heading for the halls.

Roman isn’t a violent person.

He’s the perfect definition of a kind-hearted man and husband material. Someone like him shouldn’t be facing the Deus family off.

A fairy against Gods wouldn’t end up fair.

"Roman!" I shout his name and he stops.

He turns around slowly and he’s heaving as he looks at me. My first love takes a few steps forward and takes my face in his hands.

His face looks completely conflicted and it hurts me.

"Can you please...just listen to me for a few minutes?" I ask and he breathes out.

’Moon goddess, please, don’t let his scent cling to me. Elias would kill him, and I’m sure you need at least one good person on earth’ I say the prayer in my head, and Roman sighs.

"I hate this. I hate them so much, look at you, Noah" he says with sadness and I give him a small smile.

"I promise, I’m okay" I whisper.

"This is unfair. He’s abusing you, hurting you, taking you away from your family..." Roman says with that same sad expression.

’Freeing me’ I add mentally, but I dare not say it out loud.

He’ll probably tie me up and have me washed clean in his family temple. Or he’ll ask me to be taken to a psych ward.

"I promise you, I’m okay" I repeat myself.

His scent is starting to swell, and I can tell he’s trying to scent me.

He smells nice, but he’s not what I want to smell like.

"Don’t scent me" I take his hand off my cheeks as I step away from him to give us some space.

"But you smell like that man...you smell like death, and it’s not right for you, Noah" Roman says and I laugh before I can catch myself.

Why does this laughter sound so much like Elias’s dry and condescending one?

"What is right for me, Ro?" I ask and he searches my face with those blue eyes.

"Perfection. Happiness. A home with an alpha who can provide for you. A home where you can be an omega who’s taken care of" he says and I laugh again.

I sound delighted, but I know what his words are doing to me.

My skin is crawling with irritation from the sweet picture he’s painting.

This is Winslow’s textbook definition of an omega’s life, but why am I hating it?

"You’ll get your own room...carry many pretty babies, wear the ring of an alpha who deserves it..."

"What if that’s not what I want?" I interrupt him.

"Why wouldn’t it be what you want, Noah? That’s the life of a perfect omega" he says, taking my face in his hands again.

His palms are so warm and they’re nothing like Elias’s colder ones.

Roman’s fingers rub against my skin and I frown as something dawns on me.

Elias has small fingers.

It’s so funny that I’m here and I’m just realizing that Elias has smaller fingers. That alpha sure uses them as if they’re bigger than every other person’s fingers.

"Noah?" Roman calls my name with softness and I blink, bringing myself back to the hallway we’re in.

Right; we’re at Stiles mansion.

The decoration of this place is similar to my home; they’re both golden and expensive from top to bottom.

It’s nothing like the Deus mansion. That place is half-heaven half-hell, but at least you know what you’re walking into.

"What’s a perfect omega, Roman?" I ask.

"A perfect omega?" he asks, laughing with that same softness.

"Yeah."

"It’s you, Noah. You’re the perfect omega"

Of course, the illusion and imagery.

"You’re beautiful, educated, sweet, pure....and just like now, you’re defending my life while putting yourself in danger" he says, rubbing his thumb over my cheek bones and I grab his hands to put them down.

Why do I feel hurt?

He’s saying the sweetest things and I feel hurt.

’We let Elias see us last night and he didn’t judge’ my omega says and I sigh.

I guess I better do my business and leave this place before I get more hurt.

"You shouldn’t attack the Deus brothers, Roman. It would be a stupid risk of your life"

"This is politics we’re talking about. I know you stay around the table, but politics is deeper than I can explain right now" Roman says and I press my lips together.

I don’t want to fight with my first love.

"I think I understand enough to know that you should give in to whatever they want, Roman" I say and Roman looks at me with disbelief.

"I don’t think you understand what we’re doing here, Noah. Come sit" he says and I follow him into the dining room.

Dining room and violence might as well become one word to me.

"Darius Deus is a mad man. He had a ship full of people, different men and even women, and he called them slaves"

"He has a reason for it" I say.

"Noah, what have they done to you? Are you listening to yourself?" Roman asks as he goes on his knees.

"Your family shouldn’t have interfered in it" I insist.

"They don’t know about it. I did it all by myself, Noah. I saved those men so I can ask them to help me save you" Roman says and I get up from the seat so fast that it topples over.

"Give them back to Darius, Roman. I know you’re being sweet, but...I don’t want to lose you. Nothing you do against the Deus will work" my eyes fill with tears and Roman looks even more conflicted.

"They’re just men, they’re not really gods, Noah"

He’s right, they’re just men...men who can choose to play the role of gods and get away with it.

"Roman, will you do anything I ask?" I ask him tiredly and he nods, still on his knees.

"You know I’ll do anything for you" the alpha whispers.

"Then let it go, let them have the slaves. If you want to save me...do it another way" I say and the door bursts open.

"Okay! Times up, am I shooting yet?" Damien asks, gun raised and splatters of blood on his face.

Kai looks completely calm, and Lucas is grinning manically.

Elias looks at the position Roman and I are taking, and his eyes grow cold. So cold that they almost seem black.

Thirty minutes is up?