CHAPTER 43: SELFISH REASONS

Rhea exhaled through her nose, a small smile playing on her lips. "When I said I needed a well-cooked meal..." she said, stretching the words with mock grandeur, "I didn’t think that big-headed Alpha would actually take me seriously."

Jason chuckled under his breath. Tavian’s lips twitched, trying and failing to hide his amusement.

"Now," Rhea said, picking up a spoon with a theatrical flourish, "let’s dig in before it gets cold."

She dug her spoon into a bowl of creamy stew, the steam rising in lazy curls. She scooped a mix of tender meat, soft potatoes, and thick broth, the warmth blooming against her tongue. The silverware clinked softly as she moved to taste everything at once, meat, and a bit of whatever else caught her eye.

Tavian and Jason watched from their seats nervously, half-smiling, half-unsure. They still couldn’t quite believe they were sitting with her.

Rhea chewed, eyes half-closed. "Damn," she said between bites. "This is good."

Jason chuckled softly and exchanged an amused look with Tavian.

Then Rhea reached for a skewer of roasted meat, bit into it, and let out a muffled hum. "You guys really live fine here," she said through a full mouth. "Ribs, lamb chops, salmon, prawns, honey wings, are you sure this isn’t heaven?"

That earned a real laugh from Tavian and Jason.

Rhea glanced at them and frowned when she noticed they hadn’t touched a single dish. "Why aren’t you two eating?" she asked, her tone sharp but without a real bite.

Tavian hesitated, glancing at Jason before murmuring, "We’re... not supposed to eat before the Alphas or Betas."

Rhea arched a brow, her playful glare pinning them both in place. "Well, lucky for you, I’m not one of them," she said, grabbing a platter and sliding it toward them. "Now pick something before I feed you myself."

The two exchanged uncertain looks, then slowly reached for the food. For them, this was entirely new, Omegas didn’t eat before the Alpha, his Beta, or even the sub-alphas and sub-betas. But here they were, eating beside someone chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. Even if she was an Omega like them, none could compare to her now.

Rhea nodded in approval at the sight of them eating, a faint smile touching her lips before she returned to her own meal, scooping another spoonful of stew...

Rhea strolled into the Beta’s sitting area with one hand pressed lightly to her stomach, her steps unhurried and her face the picture of someone who had eaten far too much. She sank into the couch with a deep, satisfied sigh, sprawling like a queen who had just conquered a feast.

Behind her, Tavian and Jason trailed in quietly, both looking equally full but unsure of where to stand. They lingered awkwardly near the doorway, glancing at each other before finally fixing their gaze on Rhea.

She noticed their hesitation and frowned, leaning forward slightly, elbows on her knees. "Is this going to be a thing?"

They blinked, confused.

Rhea tilted her head. "This whole... waiting-for-permission thing." Her tone sharpened slightly. "Is this how we’re going to roll? You two standing there until I tell you when to breathe?"

The two omegas stiffened, panic flickering across their faces. "No...no, we just..." Tavian began.

"We didn’t mean..." Jason added quickly.

"Oh, for crying out loud, stop apologizing," Rhea cut in, waving her hand dismissively. "Sit down. Both of you. And if you really want to roll with me, treat me like a friend, not some high-ranking royal wolf or something like that."

They froze again. Then, slowly, they obeyed, moving to sit on the couch opposite her, backs straight and movements stiff.

Rhea arched a brow. "You sure you want to sit like that? Because if this is how you plan to relax, I might just ask you to stand back up."

Tavian’s lips twitched nervously. "We’ll sit... normally," he muttered.

"Good choice," Rhea said dryly, leaning back and rubbing her stomach. "Now tell me, would you rather be free around me, or should I make sure you never come near me again?"

"The first one!" Jason blurted out. Tavian nodded rapidly beside him.

"That’s what I thought." Rhea smirked, sinking further into the couch. Her gaze softened slightly as she watched them. How the hell are Omegas really treated here? she wondered. If they flinch this much just sitting down, things must be worse than I thought.

Rhea’s thoughts darkened. So it wasn’t just Rhea Ulric who got treated like trash... but even then, none of them had it as bad as her.

"So," she said suddenly, breaking the silence, "don’t you two have your own rooms?"

Both omegas exchanged confused glances.

"Yes, we do," Jason said slowly. "Every pack member gets a room in the house when they turn eighteen."

Rhea nodded, eyes narrowing as she sized Jason up. "And you? You sure you’re eighteen?"

Jason smiled awkwardly. "I’ll be nineteen next week."

Rhea blinked, jaw dropping slightly. "Nineteen? You look fifteen... sixteen at best."

Jason grinned sheepishly. "Everyone says that. Guess I just age slow."

"Or they’re feeding you air," Rhea muttered under her breath. Then she turned to Tavian. "And you?"

"I’m twenty," Tavian said.

Rhea’s brows shot up. "Twenty? What are they feeding you people? You both look like nothing like your age. "

Jason chuckled weakly. "Maybe it’s the werewolf genes."

Rhea snorted. "Maybe."

She leaned forward slightly, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "Then why’d you two follow me here if you have your own rooms? Don’t tell me you’ve got no families or something."

Her words came out faster than intended, and she quickly added, "Not that I mind your company. I’m just curious."

Tavian’s smile faltered. He looked down at his hands. "I don’t have any family," he said quietly. "They’re gone. That’s why it’s easy for people like Roff to target me. He and the others... they only go after omegas who don’t have anyone to protect them."

Rhea’s jaw tightened.

Tavian looked up, his tone firming slightly. "I’m indebted to you, Rhea. You saved me. And you’re the only one who’s ever spoken up about the way omegas are treated. I’m not planning to stay away from you now."

Rhea studied him for a moment, then asked evenly, "So you’re following me for protection?"

Tavian hesitated, shame flickering in his eyes. "Yes."

Rhea’s lips curved slightly. "Well, I like your honesty," she said, stretching her arms. "But as you can see, I’m staying here for now, with the Beta. And I doubt he’ll let you two stay here too."

Tavian shook his head. "I’m not asking to stay. Just being on good terms with you is enough to make people think twice before bothering me."

Rhea let out a low laugh. "So I’ve become your walking deterrent, huh?"

Tavian smiled faintly. "If that’s what it takes, I’ll take it."

Rhea nodded approvingly, then shifted her gaze to Jason. "And what about you? If I remember correctly, you were in the kitchen when I stormed in earlier."

Jason chuckled nervously. "Yeah. I was also the one Marta sent to report you..."

Rhea snapped her fingers. "Right! That was you."

Jason panicked, words tumbling out. "I swear I wouldn’t have done it if Marta hadn’t sent me! If I refused, she would’ve punished me."

Rhea tilted her head. "And she won’t punish you for being here now? Won’t abandoning your kitchen duty earn you another round?"

Jason scratched his neck. "Technically, I was supposed to be off today. But Marta’s my aunt, and she likes to... overwork me. Says it builds character." He grimaced. "Mostly it just builds resentment."

Rhea chuckled. "So basically, you’re with me for the same reason as Tavian."

Jason’s face turned red as he nodded, mumbling, "Pretty much."

Rhea slumped back dramatically against the couch, pretending to sigh in disappointment. "And here I thought I’d made legit friends."

Jason and Tavian froze, glancing at each other until Rhea broke into a grin. "Relax, I’m just kidding."

Both of them exhaled at once, shoulders dropping as if a weight had been lifted off. Jason even laughed quietly in relief.

"Although..." Rhea leaned back against the couch, tapping her fingers on her stomach. "I wouldn’t mind real friends in this world."

Tavian’s eyes widened slightly. "We can be your friends, if you want," he said quickly, almost too eagerly.

Jason nodded, his tone gentler. "That’s if you’ll want us to be. It’d be an honor, actually."

Rhea looked between them, lips twitching into an amused smile. "You two sure you can handle being friends with me? I attract chaos like bees to honey."

Jason grinned. "We’ll take our chances."

Tavian nodded so fast it almost made Rhea laugh.

"Alright then," she said, pretending to sigh as if they’d just roped her into something huge. "Friends it is."

The two boys beamed, their earlier stiffness melting away completely.

"Thank you," Tavian said sincerely. "Really."

Jason added quickly, "Yeah, thank you, Rhea."