Claiming their Omega (Suzi de Beer) novel Chapter 16

16. ELIAS

I still felt sick but it didn’t feel like the walls were closing in on me again. To see that video again after years…it made me realize that I should have looked at it when they asked me to. There had been weeks after I woke up in the hospital where they asked me the same questions over and over again, where they had forced me to look at that video. When it was over, I swore to myself that I would never set eyes on it again because the trauma was too much.

But it was all different now.

Not only was Daisy a grown woman, but she was living with us and her story was once again being shown all over the news channels.

It might seem as if she didn’t care about it, but I saw right through her facade. The fear was there in the slight tremble of her hands and the way she chewed on her lip. Or the way her eyes darted around the room every few seconds to make sure that somebody wasn’t going to sneak up on her.

Valiant was still on the phone, making calls to a few of his contacts to see if they could make the videos. disappear. Alex was sitting at the island, typing on his laptop.

I had also made a few calls to some buddies I still had at the precinct, but they couldn’t do anything. The media was doing nothing wrong by running this story.

My eyes darted to the TV and lingered there.

They were showing a video of Alex carrying Daisy into our old apartment building.

I sighed. Leaning forward, I grabbed the remote from the coffee table and switched it to a movie channel.

“No, I understand. Thank you.” Valiant ended the call and dropped his phone onto the counter. “They can’t help unless the reporters start stalking us or actually invade our privacy. Sorry, petal.”

Daisy shrugged but she clutched the pillow tighter to her chest.

“I have an interview at Channel 4 in two hours,” Alex announced.

I frowned at him. “And what are you going to tell them?”

He slammed his laptop closed and stood. Alex ran a hand through his hair and muttered something under his breath. For a moment his eyes lingered on Daisy.

“I’ll tell them that I met an omega that was in distress and I offered to drive her home. I don’t know, I’ll think of something on the way there.”

“Let’s hope John isn’t stupid enough to say anything about Daisy staying here,” I commented.

“He won’t,” Daisy said softly, eyes locking with mine for a few seconds. “He warned me to stay away from you.”

Valiant scoffed. “Of course he did. Come on, you go get ready. I’ll work on something for you to say on our way to there.”

Alex nodded, following him down the hall to his bedroom. With them gone, Daisy threw the pillow aside and leaned forward to drop her face into her hands.

1/4

“I don’t suppose you want me to make you breakfast?” I asked her.

She shook her head.

Standing, I closed the space between us and took a seat on the edge of the couch next to her. I hesitated a moment before I pressed my hand against the small of her back.

“It’s going to be okay, flower.”

“No, it won’t.” Daisy raised her head and looked at me with eyes brimming with unshed tears. “It’s my fault. I should never have agreed to meet my mother in public. If I had gone to the house, I would never have been spotted with Alexander.”

“This is not your fault,” I instantly argued. “This could have happened to anyone.”

“Liar.” She swallowed loudly.

“Daisy-”

“I’m scared, Elias,” she interrupted me. “I’m scared that it will happen again.”

My hand slid up to grip the back of her neck gently as I leaned closer. “It won’t. We have everything we need right here. If there’s something we need to get, we’ll send Val or Alex to go get it. You and me, we will be invisible to the public eyes until this thing blows over.”

Her lips twitched but all I got was a sad smile that faded a second later. Daisy closed her eyes and pressed her cheek to mine. She sat still, sucking in deep breaths.

“You won’t be able to hide forever,” I whispered.

“I managed for eleven years.”

“You did.”

I didn’t know what else to say because I was doing exactly the same as her. Hiding and letting my fear control me. Fear was what made me retire. It was what was keeping me locked in the apartment, cooking, and cleaning, and doing shit that wasn’t important.

I loved my job, but it all changed when that bomb went off. I woke up in that hospital with a bandage covering half my face, and I lost the will to go back to work. I thought I had falled Dalsy but found out later that she was alive and doing great, but even that good news hadn’t changed the way I felt.

“What do you usually do when you’re scared or worried?” I asked Daisy.

She pulled away and frowned at me. “I read or take a bath or just listen to music.”

“I cook.” I stood and cracked a smile for her. “So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to make us breakfast.”

Entering the kitchen, I grabbed the notepad and pen we kept in the kitchen and then started writing down a list.

“I’m going to take a bath,” she said softly.

“Okay,” I muttered.

2/4

+25 Bonus

She hovered for a few seconds before she made her way to her bedroom. I looked up, watching her. Daisy entered her room and turned to close the door, but she paused, hesitating. Her eyes locked with mine. I could almost see the gears turning in her head.

In the end, she left her bedroom door slightly afar.

When I was finished writing everything down, I placed the plece of paper aside and started making breakfast. I kept it small and light because I knew that nobody was really going to cat a thing.

Half an hour later, Vallant entered the kitchen.

“I need you to get me some things,” I told him, sliding the list towards him.

“A security system?” He frowned. “What’s wrong with the security system the building has?”

“Nothing. This is for the penthouse.”

“Elias, you need a code to come up here.”

“Just get me the fucking stuff!” I growled at him. “If you don’t want to then I’ll go buy it myself.”

I reached for the paper but he snatched it up and stuffed it into his pocket. His frown deepened but he said nothing.

Alex walked into the kitchen, fixing his tie. My eyes darted over him, taking in his crisp white shirt and wrinkle- free suit. He paused, eyes darting to the spot Daisy sat in before.

“Make sure that you’re not being followed when you’re on your way back,” I told them.

Alex nodded. “We will,”

Dread settled in the bit of my stomach as I watched them walk away. I wanted to call them back and demand that they stay. But I pursed my lips and turned my focus back to the breakfast.

When the door clicked shut behind them, my shoulders slumped. I stared at the bacon I had finished frying and then at the eggs I removed from the fridge.

“Is he mad at me?”

My head snapped up, eyes locking on Daisy. “What?”

“Is Alexander mad at me?”

“No, Alex isn’t mad at you.” I turned towards her. “I don’t know how you like your eggs.

“I’m not hungry,” she said softly.

“Why don’t you call him Alex like the rest of us?” I asked her as I started putting everything away.

“I don’t know.”

I placed the plate of bacon in the microwave.

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” I asked.

3/4

Licking my lips, I glanced around. Watching a movie was the only thing I could think of to distract her from the shit happening. But Daisy shook her head.

“Alexander…Alex…made a suggestion yesterday and thinking about that makes me stop thinking about what’s going on.”

“She shifted from foot to foot, making my eyes lower.

“I thought you were going to take a bath?”

Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip.

“What did he suggest?” I asked her when it was clear that she wasn’t going to say anymore.

“That we make the best of me staying here.”

That suggestion.

Daisy’s shoulders slumped. She turned away but I grabbed her arm to stop her.

When I found out that she was a virgin, I thought that she was saving herself for her bondmate, but I knew better now.

“Are you sure about this flower? This isn’t something to take lightly.”

She nodded. “I’ve thought about it and I want you to be my first.”

D