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1018 Words
Kade king
I wheeled my cousin brother into his bedroom and gently helped him out of the wheelchair, easing him onto the bed and tucking the duvet around him.
A soft sigh escaped my lips as he relaxed, his eyes fixed on me.
“Kade?” He called quietly, now that we were alone. “You must trust her more than life itself to bring her here.”
For a while, I said nothing. I knew he was referring to Pearl Gem.
“I trust her,” I admitted.
“You love her?” He asked, making me swallow hard. The question itself felt like a sin.
“She is an Omega.”
“An Omega who has stolen an Alpha King’s heart.”
“I dare not agree to that, Zephan. You know what’s at stake.”
“The throne?”
“Much more than that. The gift comes once in a lifetime. Only one bears it and it took everything for my bloodline to get here. Your mother too. I can’t let them down.”
“Maybe you are the one making the stakes bigger than they are. Don’t you think it’s time the Omegas had their freedom?”
I swallowed but stayed silent. I’d thought about that too many times. But I couldn’t take the first step, not when I had someone to lose. The moment I declared that freedom, they’d come for my Omega. I might protect her once, even twice but maybe not the third time.
“It requires a careful approach, Zephan. For now… let’s just live.”
He nodded slowly, letting out another heavy sigh.
“You will be gone tomorrow before I wake, won’t you?”
“Right.”
I stood from the bed and turned to leave, but he caught my wrist. His gaze was soft as he offered one final piece of advice.
“All your life, you have lived as a king, a heavy burden. Just once, Kade, try living for yourself. Don’t think about the Majesty bloodline. Just think about you.”
His words pierced deeper than I expected, but I didn’t respond. I stepped out of the room and gently closed the door behind me.
I paused in the hallway, then walked over to Riven, who stood by the window, watching the night.
“Your Majesty,” He greeted quickly, stepping behind me respectfully.
“You said the doctor didn’t negotiate?” I asked.
“Yes. Doctor Sarou. He’s worked at the public hospital for a long time. He’s close to the Omegas, especially yours.”
“What tribe is the doctor from?”
“The Gammas.”
I nodded. The Gamma tribe were known warriors, unyielding and impossible to brainwash. That was good. Pearl’s father was safe in the hospital now.
“You should get some sleep. We leave early.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I moved away from the window and followed the sound of laughter echoing softly from the guest bedroom, the one I usually used when visiting. I was surprised to find Pearl and Lovemore deep in conversation, as if they’d known each other for years.
“You have got to be kidding. You can make shoes?”
“As an Omega, I can do most things. Anything that earns me a few coins, anything legal, of course,” Pearl replied with a grin. “But my dream job… is to be a florist. Like my mother. I love flowers.”
Her words made me pause at the doorway, watching the quiet longing play across her face. She wanted to be a florist, not my secretary.
“Working for His Majesty doesn’t sound like fun, does it?” Lovemore asked, her smile softening into something more serious.
“It’s no place for an Omega,” Pearl answered, her voice low.
“Maybe you are tthe one not seeing it from the bright side,” Lovemore said. “You have let the world’s bad impression of Omegas follow you around like a tolling bell, a stigma. I’m from the Beta tribe, and I believe all tribes should be treated equally. Only a respect for His Majesty but no chains. Wouldn’t that be lovely?”
Pearl nodded gently.
“How lovely it would be. To only bow for His Majesty.”
Sad silence fell between them, and I chose that moment to step inside the cozy bedroom. Lovemore rose from the bed as I entered.
“Zephan?”
“He’s resting. He’s fine,” I said softly, and she nodded. She turned to Pearl once more.
“Are you sure you don’t want dinner?”
“I’m fine. Just exhausted.”
“Then I will leave you both to rest. Good night.”
I kissed her forehead, and she smiled warmly at Pearl before leaving, gently closing the door behind her.
Alone now with my Omega, I saw her shift nervously on the bed as her eyes met mine. I could tell she had questions about where we were, why a couple lived in the middle of a mountain but I owed her no answers. Not yet.
I walked over to the sofa near the bed and lowered myself onto it.
“Give me a pillow,” I said quietly.
She blinked in surprise but complied.
“You… you will sleep on the sofa?” She asked.
I raised an eyebrow as I took the pillow from her.
“You want to sleep beside a man who’s ready to eat you raw in the same bed?”
Her eyes flickered at my words, but she didn’t answer.
“We leave in the morning. Good night,” I murmured as I lay down.
Moments later, I heard her settle into the bed, her back turned toward me. Silence stretched between us. Minutes passed. Then more. Thoughts ran wild in my mind. I closed my eyes, hoping for sleep but it didn’t come until much later in the night.
And when it did, it wasn’t peace that found me.
It was the nightmare again. And the pain in my heart felt far too real.
- Writer
