EVANGELINE.
âI. may I go to the shops with Lucia?â I asked as he walked over to me and circled me as he did earlier.
âWho?â
âPrince Ch-Chasynâs Omega.â I explained, my heart thumping when he stopped behind me.
I gasped when he ran his knuckles down my back, tracing his mark. âDo you want to go?â
âYes, Alistair said I could do with more clothes⦠and other items. So if I could please go-â
âFine.â His hand suddenly left my back, and he walked over to his desk. Opening the drawer, he took out a black wallet. âTake my card.â
I looked up at him as he took out a single card and held it out to me. I hesitated for a moment before slowly taking it from him. Perhaps I could get those oils instead of waiting for Alistair and the online request to get them.
I wished I could earn my own money⦠I didnât want to rely on him forever. Was this how life was going to be?
Me asking him for money every time I needed it?
The code is 6363.â He narrowed his eyes as he observed me intently when I didnât reply. âIâm warning you, Little Omega, if you try to run⦠I will hunt you down.â
I shook my head, âNo. I wasnât thinking of leaving. I promised not to run again.. I was just wondering if perhaps I could do something to earn money.â I braced myself, readying for his wrath as I squinted my eyes shut, only for silence to greet me. I cracked open an eye, peering at him, my heart thumping, only to find him watching me with a sharp, calculating look.
âWhy? When Iâm offering you money?â
I looked down for a moment before taking a breath. He hated when I stuttered. âBecause I donât want to mooch off others. When I lived with the Welhavens, I did a lot of extra jobs to earn a little extraâ¦â
âLike what?â He asked, sitting down in his seat, his long legs stretched out in front of him.
Like what? âWell, nothing big, but I tutored some pups, I babysat.. and I even worked in the café in the city centre one summer, too.â
He scoffed. âYouâre mine now. You donât need to do such measly jobs.â
I guess that was a no. âOh okâ¦âI turned away, pausing, and looked back at him. âI-I could do something in the palace? Maybe help in the kitchen or library?â
He raised his eyebrow, and I felt a wave of anger roll off him. âYou belong to me, Little Mouse, not the castle, and I would prefer it if you remember thatâ He growled.
âYeah.. I know⦠Iâm sorry for askingâ I replied quietly. I walked to the door and when I looked back at him, a thought came to my mind. He had claimed me⦠but did he even know my name?
âSpit it out.â He snarled, making me flinch. I guess I had wasted enough of his time.
âI wanted to say⦠My name is Evangeline⦠Evangeline Rose, N-not Little M-mouse or Little Omega.â Why did he call me little? There was nothing little about me.
He simply smirked coldly but said nothing and so I left the room, hurrying downstairs as I slipped the card into my pocket.
Oh, I should have asked him how much I was allowed to spend! Oh well, âIl be sensible.
I just hoped Lucia was waiting for me. What if she had left already?
I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw her by the door with two guards.
âYou came! Great!â
âYes.â I responded with a smile.
Maybe I had more than one friend here.. Lucia was nice.
It was an hour later, and we were in the town centre.
Lucia was shopping, but I realised she wasnât buying clothes in her own size, but I didnât ask why or who they were for. I looked at the tag on a few items, with those prices, but none called to me. Nothing was worth that price!
âThis would suit you,â Lucia said, holding out a long red dress.
âBackless tooâ¦â I murmured, but I didnât want it. Just being out here in the fresh air was enough, walking along these streets.
What exactly did I even want to buy anyway? Hmm, I couldnât remember.
Oh, I missed being here⦠the last time I was here was with Sinclair..
âAh, I need those nightdresses..â Lucia murmured, pointing to a rather raunchy lingerie store.
Or more like a s*x store! Goddess, must I go in there!
Yes, I must because Lucia was pulling me along whilst the guards decided to wait outside, for the first time not following us inside. Thank the goddess for that, at least!
âLucia sh-shall I stay outside with the guards?â I wasnât sure it was a good idea, after all, outside a shop like this with men? No. no. no!
âNo, no, I will pick out an item for you too.â
With no room to argue, I was suddenly surrounded by the flimsiest, s3xiest lingerie I had ever seen. Just envisioning myself in this stuff was making my face burn. I saw Lucia caress a pale blue slip, a sad gentle smile on her face. âThis oneâs perfect.â
I looked at it, realising it was not her size once again and I was unable to stop myself from asking her. âWho are you shopping for?â
She looked up from her basket where she had carefully folded the night slip into. âOh, Alpha Prince Chasynâs mate â
I stared at her in shock, not expecting that answer.
Celiaâs words about Omegas having sloppy seconds came to the front of my mind and I found myself frowning. I get that I should be ok with that⦠but it didnât sit right with me. How are Omegas and even chosen Lunas meant to be ok with this?
âDoes it hurt?â I asked softly.
She smiled gently and shook her head, but her eyes and face said otherwise. âIâm used to it, when Prince Chasyn found his mate⦠he stopped being int!mate with me because he didnât want to hurt his Luna.. but he still visits me, and we talk⦠he tells me his troubles and I listen⦠Sometimes he falls asleep in my quarters ⦠This bond we have is far more beautiful than before..
But you will die alone.. without even being able to find your own love. Yearning for a man who will never come to you. His selfish claim tied Lucia to him and now he would just cast her aside? This wasnât the life I wanted.
âHere, now go try this on, Iâm sure Prince Zedkiel would love it.â She didnât give me a chance to reply, gently nudging me towards the changing room.
âLucia I really donât think that-â
âPlease, for me?â
I couldnât refuse her and when she pushed me into the small cubicle and shut the door, I was about to sigh when I froze, realising that I wasnât alone in here. The shadow of a man merged with mine against the white wall and I spun around, my heart thumping in fear.
But when I laid eyes on the person before me, my heart skipped a beat, unsure of what to think or how to react.
A flicker of excitement and happiness rushed through me, yet it was mixed with panic and fear of being caught.
âAngel.â
âS-Sinclairâ¦â