Page 103 of The Omega Archives: Part Two

Marko, not put off in the slightest by my overthinking silence, led me over to one of the free-standing punching bags as my mind had a workoutof its own.

I tried to sleep after last night to no avail. I couldn’t get the feeling that something was crawling out of my skin since I talked to them all and told them what had happened over the past seven years.

Before then.

I felt vulnerable andmorethan that, unsettled from dredging it all back up from the back of mymindwhere it wasalwaysconstantly trying to break out of.

And now I gave it a free pass.

There was nothing left of me now.

My chest ached when I sighed.

“Something bothering you?” Marko asked , acting like nothing at all was different than any other dayIcame down here to run terribly on the treadmill until my chest hurt, or punch the bag until my knuckles were close to bleeding, andheforcedto stop—taking care to rub lotion on the spots where my skin looked ready to split.

“You’re all just looking at menowI feel like,” Isaid,quietly, hating that I had to say anythingat all.

Marko’s brows creased.

I huffed again, not looking at him while I spoke. “I know you said that it wasn’t pity–”

“It’s not.”

“I just don’t want it to be because you’re all waiting for me to break now.”

“Never,” he said.

I peeked up a him.

There was only sureness in his tone. The rest of him was tense with the determination there too.

“We’re waiting…” Marko searched for words. “We’re waiting for you to bloom, little omega. Weonly hope thatyou’ll choose us to be the lucky bastards who get to watch when this is all said and done.”

“I want to.” A small smile curled along the edge of his lips. It felt like I was watching something miraculous. I whispered, “I do want you.”

“Well then.” Marko leaned in a little closer to me until all I could smell was histartsweet citrus scent that made my toes curl. “Say that a few more times. Then feel free to take us whenever you’re ready, little omega.”

We didn’t spend much of the rest of the time downstairs in the gym working out.

After another hour, I felt much better. All my worries were still in the back of my mind, but they were quieter than they were before. I nearly ran into a man just as large at the top of the stairs.

“Oh,” I startled, blinking up at Demetri. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

He shook his head. His eyes roamed over me as if looking for something else other than the gross amount of sweat I was sure to be putting off. “I apologize. I was just about to see if you twowere donedownstairs.”

“Right, well, I’m done working out,” I told him. “Marko just went to the shower a second ago.”

“Good. I just wanted to find you and check in.”

I nodded. “Alright.”

“How are you doing?”

I felt oddly like I was back being interrogated by the doctor they brought in at the beginning of my stay. I shrugged. “I’m fine. Been thinking a lot.”

“That’s to be expected. Please let me know from now on if you have anything else that is amiss orthat youneed to share.Your storyalongwith the evidence we hadfrom the papers you helped find…you have been remarkable, Ella,” said Demetri.

Right. I did helpthema lot. I was glad that I could. In a way, I wasgladI could repay them all for their kindness. Especially Demetri.

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