Page 58 of The Omega Archives: Part Three

I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice amidst the chaos of emotions swirling inside me.

"Demetri," I finally managed to say, the sound barely more than a whisper in the empty hallway.

He took a step closer, the distance between us shrinking as he reached out a hand tentatively.

"Ella," his voice was soft, laced with a mixture of longing and regret. "I…

I bit my lip, feeling the weight of his words settles around us like a shroud.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

His fingers brushed against mine, a feather-light touch that sent shivers across my exposed skin. So much of it was exposed in this dress that fit Lidya but was a bit tighter on me in the middle.

“Demetri,” I breathed. I still couldn’t believe it. He was here.

He was here. Finally. He hadn’t forgotten me.

“You’re here,” I said.

“I’m here,” he said, but his words were harder, detached.

I just didn’t notice it at the time, so overwhelmed as I rushed up to him, breathing in his thick chocolate scent that already made my mouth water.

I threw myself against him and he caught me with a short, “Oof.”

“You’re here. You’re going to take me away right? Is that why you are here?” I finally let all my hopes and fears out in the open, unable to hold them back. Not now when I was in front of him. I was safe. “I told Lidya and her alphas that you’d come. I did.”

I can’t believe that I doubted it.

I wouldn't again. Not ever.

Demetri's arms wrapped around me, holding me close as if he was afraid I would slip away. His touch sent a jolt of familiarity and comfort through me, a sensation I had sorely missed since our forced separation.

But beneath the surface, there was a tension in his embrace that spoke of unspoken truths and hidden motives that I was only just starting to feel and want to ignore right away.

He’s here for me.

"Ella," he murmured against my hair, his voice tinged with a mixture of sadness and resolve. "I didn't come here to take you away."

A sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Confusion clouded my mind as I pulled away slightly to look up at him, searching his eyes for answers. What was going on?

Did I trip and whack my head on something at some point, because I swore that he just said… He wasn’t here for me?

"What do you mean?" I whispered, the words heavy with unspoken fears. They were already plastered on my face, unable to keep anything from him at this point.

Demetri's expression softened, regret flickering across his features.

He gently cupped my cheek in his hand. "I came here to see you, Ella. To make sure you were safe."

My heart plummeted at his words, the ground beneath me shifting as reality crashed down around me. I struggled to make sense of what he was saying, to reconcile the expectations I had built up with the harsh truth staring me in the face.

"But... why?" I managed to choke out, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

Demetri's gaze softened, regret swirling in the depths of his eyes. "There are things you don't understand, Ella. Things you shouldn't have to bear the burden of."

I felt a surge of frustration bubbled.

No, that wasn’t right.

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