CHAPTER 95: CUDDLING WITH SILAS

Silas kept spoiling Lucien with warm food and sweets, and the omega loved it so much that he went limp and lazy on the bed like a pampered cat.

It helped that Silas refused to let him walk unless it was to stretch or go to the toilet. Even then, the alpha hovered behind him in the bathroom doorway, watching like Lucien was one slippery tile away from a tragic obituary.

It reminded him of visiting his grandpa’s house when his Nana was still alive. She used to spoil him to the point of madness, stuffing him with food until he thought he would roll instead of walk.

This was what a vacation was supposed to feel like.

"Here. Eat this pumpkin soup, Lucien. It is warm and it will make you feel comfortable."

Silas appeared with a trolley piled with soup, bread, chamomile tea, and even a small bowl of fruit he had peeled himself.

Lucien set his Nintendo aside and sat up. "Oh wow. It smells so good." He clapped his hands as Silas placed the little table in front of him.

He reached for the spoon, but Silas grabbed it first. "I will feed you."

"Oh great. You really are my Nana." Lucien shook his head.

"I will take that as a compliment." Silas scooped the soup and brought it to Lucien’s lips.

Lucien tasted it and hummed in delight. "You really can cook," he said, narrowing his eyes. "It is actually you who made this, right?"

"Of course. I am good at everything." Silas pushed his sleeve up, and Lucien spotted a snake eating its own tail tattoo winding along his arm.

He knew that symbol. Ouroboros. A group in Blackshore known for its discreet services. Assassins and problem fixers. People whispered that if you paid enough, they could do anything.

’So the Twinster really did end up with them after Lucero thought they were dead,’ Lucien thought.

He wanted to ask what happened, but the question sat heavy on his tongue. Whatever they lived through must have been part of their darkest years. A reputation like theirs never came without scars.

"What is it, Lucien? Is your stomach hurting? Are you getting cold again?" Silas pressed his forehead to Lucien’s, checking his temperature.

Their faces were close enough that Lucien could count every faint line age had carved into Silas’ features.

He noticed how the alpha had changed. His face had sharpened with time, hardened by experience, yet still handsome in a way that made Lucien’s chest feel annoyingly warm.

Lucien sighed softly. "I think I want to lie down with you. Let us cuddle."

Silas froze. He looked genuinely startled, as if Lucien had just confessed a federal crime. Lucien was usually sharp and prideful, allergic to showing softness.

The word "cuddle" didn’t fit his mouth at all, and Silas looked like he couldn’t believe he heard it.

"It must be because of the cold," Silas whispered to himself.

"What did you say?" Lucien crossed his arms. "So you do not want to cuddle?"

Silas laughed quietly, the sound warm and fond. "You are just like a cat." He brushed a hand through Lucien’s hair and smiled. "Of course I want to cuddle with you."

Silas slid the table aside, setting the dishes on the trolley, and lay down beside Lucien. The moment their bodies met, something in his chest swelled so hard he almost felt dizzy.

Happiness like this wasn’t something he knew how to name. It was too bright and crushed his heart in a good way.

Lucien curled against him without hesitation. The "big brother" who used to tower over both twins now felt small in his arms.

His body was lean, shorter, and his hair was still that same soft, fluffy mess Silas remembered. It was surreal. As if their roles had quietly traded places.

Lucien used to sleep in the middle when they were kids, hugging both him and Adrian like they were his plush toys. Back then, Lucien felt huge, warm, and impossibly safe.

Now Silas could wrap an entire arm around him and cover his whole body with ease.

He lowered his face to Lucien’s hair and breathed in the floral shampoo mixed with the omega’s pheromone. It calmed him instantly.

Lucien huffed a chuckle."Why is your heart beating so fast? And look at your face. You’re flushed." he poked his cheek.

"You know you did way more shameful and deranged things to me in that BDSM dungeon."

"Yeah, you’re right," Silas murmured, voice shaky. "But this is different. You can have sex with anyone, Lucien. But hearts only lead to one."

Lucien blinked at him. "You really think people can’t love more than one person?"

"I don’t know," Silas admitted. "I only know mine wants you. And I don’t think I can fall in love with anyone else anymore."

Lucien let out a soft laugh, hiding his own embarrassment behind it. "That’s cheesy. And dangerous. Your heart might shatter if the one person you love doesn’t love you back."

Silas froze. The words hit him hard. It sounded too close to a rejection.

Lucien added quietly, "It’s just a thought. I can’t give my whole heart, life, and devotion to someone. Doesn’t mean I can’t love."

Silas let out a long breath of relief. "Maybe you just haven’t felt a love strong enough to make you feel like you can’t exist without them. When you do, you’ll understand."

"Doesn’t that irritate you?" Lucien asked, "Because I don’t love you the same?"

The question lingered, heavy... but Silas answered instantly.

"You lying beside me is already enough. The only thing that terrifies me is the thought of never seeing you again."

His fingers traced Lucien’s spine. "I felt that once. I am not feeling it again."

Lucien frowned. "You’re too selfless. Be more like Edmund."

"Oh, believe me," Silas replied with a low laugh, "you don’t want me to be egoistic. If I became like that, I wouldn’t only destroy the people around you. I would destroy you too. So it’s better this way."

His arms tightened around Lucien, and the omega stiffened slightly.

There was a warning hidden inside Silas’ gentle voice. A quiet threat from something darker beneath the softness. Hot and dangerous. The kind of darkness Lucien never wanted to see unleashed.

Peace felt good. Peace felt safe. Especially with Silas.

Lucien closed his eyes and let the alpha hold him, praying he would never push the man into becoming the monster he hinted at.

Because the patient ones—the silent, gentle ones—were always the ones with the deepest shadows.