THE FATED OMEGA MATE

Chapter 13:Elias

The next morning, I dragged myself out of bed, still groggy but strangely light. I hadn’t slept this well in months. My body felt unburdened, my head clearer. The fog of constant worry that usually clung to me was gone, if only for a moment.

I couldn’t remember how I had gotten into bed, but deep down, I already knew the answer. Damian. My cheeks warmed at the thought, even as I told myself not to linger on it. When I stood, I realized I wasn’t wearing the same clothes I had on last night. Someone had changed me, and considering I had been out cold, it didn’t take much to guess who it had been.

A nervous knot formed in my stomach. I must have been truly exhausted not to notice. The thought of Damian’s hands. Gentle, deliberate helping me out of my clothes was enough to make my pulse quicken, though I shook it off quickly. I couldn’t think about that. Not now.

I showered, letting the warm water ground me before dressing for work. I chose a crisp white button down shirt tucked neatly into slim black trousers. My tie was a muted navy, understated but professional. I slipped on polished black shoes and a light gray blazer, the kind of outfit Damian liked me in. Noormal, tidy, presentable at his side. The kind of outfit that said assistant before it said Elias.

By the time I walked downstairs, breakfast was already set. Damian was in his usual place at the long dining table, newspaper in one hand, coffee cup in the other. He looked every bit the picture of control, of authority. But even sitting there, his presence filled the room, commanding attention without a word.

“Good morning,” I said softly as I slid into the seat opposite him.

George, ever efficient, set a plate before me without a word. He nodded once but didn’t linger. The man rarely did. Still, I was grateful. Breakfast in this house never failed to surprise me. Always tailored, always with my favorites. Today was no different. Fresh croissants, soft scrambled eggs, and a touch of honey on the side. Little details that made me feel seen, even if no one admitted to arranging them.

Damian set his paper aside and looked at me. Not with annoyance. Not with that sharp, impatient gaze I had grown accustomed to. This was different. Calm, steady, almost concerned.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

The words caught me off guard. I blinked at him, my fork halfway to my mouth. He wasn’t the kind of man to ask such things lightly. For a moment, I wondered if I had heard him wrong.

Before I could answer, he added, voice low but firm, “From now on, take your suppressant every day.”

My brows furrowed. But I do. The thought rang loudly in my head, though I didn’t say it aloud. His added words felt unnecessary, and yet they made my heart beat faster under his gaze. There was weight in them, weight I couldn’t quite name.

I forced a small smile. “Yes, Mr. Blackwell.”

He leaned back in his chair, studying me for a moment longer, then sighed softly. He picked up his fork without another word, as though the subject was closed. Since he didn’t mention last night’s incident, I decided not to either. If Damian wanted it erased, I would erase it. Pretend nothing had happened. Pretend he hadn’t saved me.

I picked up my fork as well, eating quietly, though my eyes betrayed me. I kept sneaking glances at him, noticing the faint tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders seemed heavier than usual. Damian Blackwell, overwhelmed? The thought alone unsettled me.

“Sir,” I said finally, unable to hold my silence. My voice was tentative. “I wanted to ask...”

But I didn’t get to finish.

“Don’t mention it again,” he cut me off, his voice even but carrying an unmistakable edge. He didn’t meet my eyes when he said it, his gaze instead fixed on the plate before him.

I bit back the rest of my words, my throat tightening. He finished his meal without another glance at me, then rose, collected as ever. Without so much as a backward look, he left the room.

I sat there, muttering under my breath, “I should have taken the medicine.”

George entered again, as if on cue. He handed me a small packet, a new suppressant. “Take this with you, Elias,” he said, his tone flat.

I smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

His reply was abrupt. “I am only doing my job.”

The smile slipped, but I nodded, pocketing the pills.

When I finished breakfast, George returned to clear the plates and hand me my laptop bag. “Mr. Blackwell is waiting for you at the entrance,” he said.

I thanked him again, though he didn’t respond. Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I walked toward the front door. Damian was already ahead, his long strides carrying him toward the car with his usual command of the world around him.

I followed quickly, slipping inside beside him. The air between us was quiet, heavy, but not uncomfortable. I pulled out my iPad, readying his schedule for the day. If nothing else, work was something I could control.

Something predictable.

Even if Damian Blackwell never was.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The day was moving along well enough, my head buried in reports and emails, when the door to my office opened without warning. Amira slipped inside, her bright smile immediately softening the stiffness of the room.

“Hi, Elias,” she said cheerfully.

I blinked up at her from my desk, surprised by her sudden appearance. “Something to report?” I asked, watching as she crossed the room with a confidence that never wavered.

“It’s lunch time, Elias,” she said gently. “I was wondering if there was anything I could help you with. "You have been working a lot these days.”

Her voice carried that same mixture of warmth and insistence that always managed to cut through my defenses. For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t wrong. i had been locked in my office more often than not, my world narrowing to four walls and the shadow of Damian always nearby. The truth was, I hadn’t dared venture much into the other parts of the building. The thought alone made a shiver creep down my spine. The memory of that panic attack. how small and broken I had felt without Damian there. it still clung to me.

I cleared my throat, trying to keep my tone light. “Not for now. How about the secretary’s office? Any pending work there?”

Amira nodded eagerly. “About that,I already called in the orders you gave this morning. No interruptions, everything’s in place.”

I felt a flicker of relief. The tabloids had been vicious earlier, another fire to put out, and I had leaned on Amira to help me calm things down. Yesterday too, I had asked her to organize the work for the secretarial office and make sure everything was delivered properly. It had become part of a routine I could barely keep up with. My days were consumed by shadowing Damian at endless meetings, events, and luncheons. I simply couldn’t do everything alone.

“You have been a sweetheart,” I admitted softly. “I might be annoying, piling this extra work on you, but I really couldn’t manage without your help.”

Amira’s smile brightened, her eyes crinkling in that way that always reminded me of an old friend. “It’s my job, Elias,” she said simply.

I smiled back. “Thank you, Amira.”

She started to turn toward the door but paused, her body hesitating as though caught in indecision. I frowned slightly. “If you have something to say, you can tell me,” I encouraged.

Her cheeks flushed pink, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It just, I think you haven’t been eating well these days.”

The words hit me like a small dart of guilt. She wasn’t wrong. More often than not, I skipped lunch altogether, forgetting to pack something for myself. On the days George remembered, I usually forgot to pick it up in my rush. Today had been no different. I had considered calling him to drop it off, but the thought of adding more to his endless responsibilities had stopped me.

I lowered my gaze, ashamed. “I...”

“Don’t worry about it,” she cut in quickly, her tone soft and reassuring. “I only said it because we are friends.”

Her kindness chipped at the walls I kept so carefully around me. I offered her a small, grateful smile. “Thank you.”

Amira nodded slightly, then stepped forward to place a lunch box on my desk. Just as she turned back toward the door, we both froze.

Damian was there.

He leaned casually against the doorframe, hands buried lazily in his pockets, his long legs crossed slightly at the ankles. He looked as though he had been standing there for some time, watching, listening. My heart lurched into my throat. He was supposed to be in a meeting.

My eyes darted to him nervously, searching for some flicker of his mood, but his face was blank. Too blank. That alone sent a chill through me.

“Mr. Blackwell,” I said quickly, rising to my feet. My voice betrayed me, shaky as I set the lunch box Amira had given me back down on the desk.

That was when I noticed it. The shift in the air. His pheromones. They rolled through the room like a storm, darker, heavier than before, and my knees weakened beneath the weight of it. My body sank back into the chair before I even realized I had moved, powerless against the pull of his presence.

Amira seemed to sense it too. Her smile faltered, and she kept her gaze on the ground. “Iwill be going now, Mr. Blackwell. Elias.” Her voice was softer than before, almost careful.

“See you later,” I added quickly, trying to mask the trembling in my hands as I looked down at the lunch box.

She slipped out of the room without another word, leaving me alone with him.

And the air between us thickened.