CHAPTER 39: HAPPY ELIAS!

Elias hesitated, glancing at Jace for support. Jace gave him an encouraging nod.

"It’s quite... complicated," Elias said slowly. "My sister’s been sick, and we needed a safe place to stay while she gets better. Jace offered to help, and I didn’t have anywhere else to go."

Mrs Voss tilted her head, her gaze softening further. "You and Jace... are you two dating?"

Jace choked on air, coughing loudly. "Mom!"

Elias’s face turned red, and he shook his head quickly.

"No, we’re just friends. Jace is helping me and Lila, and I don’t want to be a burden to him. Someone like me... I can’t be with someone like him."

Jace opened his mouth to protest, his eyes wide. "Elias, that’s not..."

Ethan, who had been quiet until now, cut in, his tone sharp.

"What gender are you, Elias?"

Elias flinched, his hands clenching tighter. He took a deep breath, his voice low.

"I’m an omega."

The room went silent. Mr and Mrs Voss exchanged a glance, their eyes wide with surprise. Ethan leaned forward, his gaze intense.

"An omega? I can’t smell any pheromones on you."

Jace jumped in, his voice quick.

"He’s on pills to keep them under control."

Mrs Voss frowned, her expression shifting to concern.

"Pills? Elias, that’s not good for your health. I’m an omega myself, and I know how dangerous it is to suppress your pheromones for too long. You need to let them out."

Elias’s hand tightened around his own, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I... I can’t. It’s not safe."

Mrs Voss’s brow furrowed, and she leaned closer. "Not safe? Why not?"

.

Elias’s mind flashed back to high school, a memory he’d buried deep. He was in class, alone, everyone else at P.E. His heat had hit unexpectedly. It felt like a wave of warmth and panic that sent him scrambling through his desk for his pills. But they were gone... his classmates had hidden them, taunting him, saying he was lying about being a beta.

When the bell rang and students flooded back in, his scent filled the room. Their eyes changed, their voices softened, and they crowded around him, drawn to his pheromones like moths to a flame.

He couldn’t remember what happened after that, only waking up later, humiliated and terrified. When he returned to school, everyone was suddenly kind, their smiles fake, their intentions unclear. His scent had been a charm. Something dangerous that he couldn’t control.

.

He snapped out of the memory when Mrs Voss spoke again, her voice gentle but insistent.

"Have you ever spent your heat with someone, Elias?"

Elias’s head lowered, his silence answering for him. Mrs Voss stood, crossing the room to take his hand.

"You should do a matching test with Jace. If your compatibility is high, you could spend your heat together. It’s safer that way."

Jace’s face turned bright red. "Mom! Seriously?"

Elias’s eyes widened, his heart racing. "I... I don’t think..."

Mrs Voss smiled, patting his hand.

"It’s just a suggestion, dear. You’re in our home, and we want you to be safe. Think about it."

Elias nodded weakly, his mind spinning. He didn’t want to offend them since they were helping him and Lila... but the idea of a matching test with Jace made his stomach churn. He just had to hope the results would be low.

Mr Voss chuckled, clearly amused. "You’ve got a good heart, Jace. We’re proud of you for helping your friend."

Ethan, who had been silent, stood abruptly, his expression unreadable.

"I’m going to my room," he said, turning to leave. As he walked away, he muttered under his breath,

"Where have I seen that face before?"

Jace frowned, catching the words but not understanding them. He turned back to Elias, his voice low.

"You sure you’re okay? They didn’t scare you too much, did they?"

Elias managed a small smile. "I’m fine. Just... overwhelmed. Thanks for sticking up for me."

Jace grinned, nudging his shoulder. "Anytime. Let me take you to your room,"

.

.

The next morning, Elias woke in a guest room that felt like a palace compared to the small, plain room he’d had at the Drago estate. The bed was soft, the walls painted a calming cream, and sunlight streamed through a large window overlooking a garden.

For the first time in weeks, he felt a flicker of peace. He could see Lila every day, watch her get better. He brushed his teeth, took a hot shower, and slipped into one of his old T-shirts and jeans, the fabric worn but comfortable.

He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling out his bank card. He needed to go back to his old apartment to grab clothes for himself and Lila, and he’d have to pay the overdue rent before the landlord caused trouble. His fingers brushed the small bottle of pills in his bag, and he hesitated.

Mrs Voss’s words echoed in his mind: "It’s not good for you to keep suppressing your pheromones."

He’d taken a pill last night out of habit, but now, knowing the Voss family was aware of his omega status, he wondered if he could stop hiding.

’They know I’m an omega. Maybe I don’t need these here. I just have to make sure they don’t perceive my Pheromones too much,’

He set the bottle down, a wave of sadness washing over him. His thoughts drifted to Dante and Dario. He remembered how he left them yesterday.

’I wonder how they’re doing,’ he thought, his chest aching. He’d promised to come back, but he knew he couldn’t. Not with Viktor looking for him. He just couldn’t help but worry about the twins.

If they had woken up? If they had gotten ready for school? Did they argue about their tie or socks? Did they have breakfast made by Milo? Did Marco drive them to school? He couldn’t help but be worried. But, at least, they have their father with them and he has to be with his sister, who is his only family. Nothing could happen to them, right?

He was sure of that as a smile bloomed on his face.