I lock the door behind me and sit on the edge of the tub. I rub my hands over my face, feeling so tired.
My heart hurts. It’s aching like it’s going to burst, and I don’t know how to make it better.
I put my head in my hands and close my eyes.
I wish that things could go back to normal. I wish I didn’t have to fight for his attention. I wish that he’d tell me that he loves me.
I wish I wasn’t such a fragile Omega. I wish I could be strong enough for him. I wish I wasn’t afraid all the time.
I sit there for a moment, breathing through my tears. I try to remind myself of all the good things in my life, but my mind keeps going back to my heartache.
The door to the bathroom opens, and my husband walks in. He sits on the floor next to me, pulling me into his arms.
I let out a sob and grab him tight. I press my face into his chest and cry into his shirt.
“Tell me what’s wrong, baby girl,” he whispers. “Let me make it okay.”
“I just feel so... I feel so lonely,” I whisper back, my voice cracking.
He pulls me tighter. “You’re not alone, Allie.”
“I feel like I am.”
He kisses the top of my head. “Baby girl, you’re not alone. I’m here.”
I sob harder into his chest. “You sleep with her. She wants you so badly. She loves you.”
He’s silent for a moment, holding me close.
“Allie, I don’t sleep with her.”
I push him away, wiping my eyes. “I know you do!”
“No!” he growls, cupping my cheek. “I sleep with you. I have never slept with her. She goes to the couch every night, and we come to bed together. I won’t ever let her have my body like that.”
“But she loves you,” I whisper. I shake my head, feeling embarrassed. “And I do, too.”
“I love you,” he says, looking at me sternly. “You’re my Omega, my baby girl. I love you.”
I sniffle, wiping my tears away. I look up into his eyes, trying to see the truth.
I want him to tell me he loves me. I want him to say that he wants me, but I’m afraid of what will happen.
“Do you love her?”
He’s silent for a long time. I feel his heart pounding beneath his chest as he thinks, and my gut twists with nerves.
I feel like I could throw up. I feel so sick and scared, like I’m falling apart.
“Allie,” he finally whispers, cupping my cheeks. “Look at me.”
I do. I look into his eyes and try to see the truth, try to make sense of his expression.
He smiles softly, his thumbs rubbing my cheeks.
“I do love her. And I know you’re upset. But we will work this out, together. I promise you that.”
I nod, feeling a fresh wave of tears come over me. “Okay.”
He holds me close to him, and we sit there for a long time.
I don’t know what the future will bring, but all I know is that my Alpha has his arms around me.
And as long as he’s holding me, then maybe everything will turn out okay after all. Maybe this all will be worth it, and maybe our bond will be stronger because of it.
Maybe he’ll truly love me, and I won’t have to feel like his secondhand Omega anymore. Maybe I’ll be enough for him after all.
Maybe tomorrow will be better than today. And maybe it will be full of good things. Maybe it will be bright and hopeful, instead of dark and uncertain.
I close my eyes, letting my husband hold me close.
I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but as long as he’s here with me, I’ll always have hope.
My hands tighten into fists at my sides as Giorgio holds me in place against the kitchen counter, his strong arms wrapped around my torso. There’s a familiar scent wafting into the room and my entire body tenses.
He growls in my ear. “You can’t hurt her, Allie.”
I bite my lip and meet his eyes over my shoulder. They’re dark with lust, a stark reminder of what we were about to do when she interrupted us.
“Do you want her?” I whisper. He’d come to find me after she’d made her ridiculous proposition, but I’d wanted to put a stop to it all myself. To prove she doesn’t control me.
His snarl is instant and fierce. “I want you.”
The door swings open and Magdalene waltzes in, her long legs crossing the floor. She looks good, better than the last time I saw her. She has color in her cheeks and a shine in her hair. The shine that was always there for Giorgio when they were together.
My stomach rolls with disgust as I watch her pause to look at me and Giorgio before turning to the counter.
I thought she was gone. That I’d never see her face again, but here she is, invading every moment of my life.
“Go,” I say, pushing his hands off me. “Go talk to your little pet.”
He leans down and kisses my forehead, squeezing my hip. “Allie, I promise, she doesn’t mean anything.”
I jerk away from him and head for the door. “You need to talk to her about her proposition. I can’t believe you would consider it.” I turn to look back at him. “You’ll break the heart of a child, just like she did.”
His eyes flash with anger. “That’s not fair. You know nothing about it.”