Page 34 of Consider The Lilies

I look him in the eye before making my promise, “I won’t.”

“You can be done with your breakfast,” Stanley calls back at Stefan. His dark gaze drops to the omega’s nearly empty plate. “You’ve done well, and I expect you to eat well at lunch and dinner too.”

Stefan nods, keeping his head bowed. “Yes, alpha,” he says slowly, almost as if he’s scared Stanley might jump across the table and attack him.

Seemingly pleased with his response, my pack alpha turns and marches off. “Don’t fuck this up,” he snarls as he passes me.

I nod, waiting for him to turn the corner. The second he does, a rush of excitement grips me, and I step into the dining room. “Well,” I look between Lucy and Stefan, “what would you like to do today?”

Lucy bites her plump bottom lip, thinking, while Stefan pushes his plate away with a thankful sigh. “We can start with a tour of the house,” she offers, and I nod. It’s as good an idea as any. “Um,” her brows pull together, “what part of the house should I show him?”

I instantly know why she’s asking.

This house is filled with alphas. Many people, both friends and strangers, come and go throughout the day and night. Sometimes close friends stay in a guest room; sometimes random alphas drop by looking for work, but mostly, this house is a central location for us to talk business…and we don’t exactly work with friendly people.

“I guess we should show Stefan the places he’s allowed to go,” I say, going over the safe rooms within the house—the kitchen, a few guest rooms that are rarely occupied, and a few bathrooms. We technically have a library too, but Yuki turned it into a sparring room. She removed all the books, leaving it as one big open room with empty bookshelves along the walls.

“Okay.” Lucy frowns, clearly unsure of where that might be. And honestly, I don’t have a clue either.

A few hours later,the three of us are standing on the porch, looking over the vast backyard. There wasn’t much to show Stefan in the house. I wasn’t comfortable taking him to the areas where other alphas hang out…which is pretty much everywhere. I’ll need to talk to Stanley about that. It isn’t safe to have a bunch of unknown alphas in the house with Stefan in our care.

“I don’t think I’ve ever noticed how overgrown the backyard is,” Lucy says, looking out at the enormous cut of land. She’s right. The grass is at least knee-high, and heavy vines twist and turn over every tree, bush, and rock. It’s a mess.

“It’s wonderful,” Stefan says, inhaling deeply. “It smells good too.”

Scenting the air, I take in the aroma of rotted wood and murky dirt. It’s not a great smell. But Stefan seems to love it. He even closes his eyes as the wind rustles his curly hair, lifting it off his forehead. He looks so happy and sweet. I admire his full form, taking in everything from his pretty neck to his pale legs. Every inch of him is perfect, even his swollen little belly.He did eat a lot at breakfast.

“This is so nice.” Stefan admires the stone walls around us. The house forms a U shape around the porch, blocking us from the wind. “It’s like a cubby.”

“It always reminded me of a courtyard at a palace.” Lucy takes a deep breath as if savoring the air. I know neither can smell things as deeply as I do, but surely they realize how stale everything is out here. “It’s still early spring,” she continues, “but once the wildflowers bloom, it feels kind of like a fairytale.”

I glance up at the house on either side of us, trying to see whatever it is they like so much. But the porch is just a simple square of worn wood overlooking an overgrown patch of dirt.

“What’s over there?” Stefan points to a far corner of the yard as the wind rustles his hair over his forehead. I can’t help but wonder if it’s as soft as it looks.

Lucy squints, trying to see what he’s looking at, but I can see them perfectly. Small pink and white flowers float on a flooded patch of land. The ground dips in that part of the yard, creating pretty deep pools of water. Sometime last year, it filled up after a bad rainstorm and never drained. It’s slowly become a permanent fixture.

“Are you talking about the flowers?” she asks, and Stefan nods. “I think they’re water lilies. It’s kind of a pond,” she tries to describe it. “Do you want to go and see it?”

Stefan eagerly nods, making me smile. He’s such a happy omega. I was worried he’d be deeply distressed after those meds wore off, but he’s acclimated well. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Happy omegas are known for easily adapting to the different environments their alphas expose them to. All they need is a little affection, lots of food, and a nest.

A nest. Fuck!

He doesn’t have a nest.

“Hold my hand.” Stefan curls his fingers around Lucy’s. “The ground is a little uneven.” A pang of jealousy hits me, but I try to ignore it.I’m not allowed to touch him.

Walking slowly, I follow the pair down the few steps and through the overgrown yard. Stefan stumbles a few times, but he manages to keep from falling over. I hate that he’s barefoot. He needs a good pair of shoes. I know his kind don’t like the way they feel, but I’m sure there are some good omega-approved brands out there.

“Maybe we should go back up to the house,” I say, worried that he’ll fall and hurt himself.

“Do we have to go back?” Stefan looks at me with those big green eyes, and I immediately buckle.

“Just be careful,” I say. “Pick up your feet a little more.” He beams at me, and Lucy quickly smiles too. She looks so happy to be out here with the omega. They say there are some betas who are made to care for omegas. They’re naturals with the more sensitive creatures, and Lucy seems to be one of them.

“So pretty,” Stefan hums as we cut around a thick mess of bushes. I can’t help but smile at his happiness. After seeing how broken he was at the Morder, I’m thrilled I’m able to give him even a little bit of joy.

“They really are.” Lucy looks at the omega like he’s the cutest thing she’s ever seen. And I have to agree. His innocence is so endearing.

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