CHAPTER 11: PLEASE... SHUT UP!

Elias drifted in and out of consciousness, his body limp in the arms of the man who’d saved him from the alley. The world blurred, but he felt safe, cradled against a strong chest. Gunshots still echoed in his ears as the man barked orders.

"Catch those bastards who ran," he growled to his men. "Kill them all."

Elias’s eyes fluttered shut, too exhausted to speak. The man carried him to a black SUV, sliding him into the backseat. The driver glanced back, his voice hesitant. "Boss, the Drago estate?"

Luka Drago smirked, brushing a strand of Elias’s hair from his face. "Let’s head to the hotel first," he said, his tone low. "We’ll head there tomorrow."

The driver nodded, pulling away. Elias’s head lolled, darkness swallowing him.

.

.

Elias woke with a start, his heart racing. He was in a huge, fancy room... plush carpet, dark curtains, a bed bigger than his entire apartment. The windows were shut, the room dim, but he knew this wasn’t the Drago estate.

He sat up fast, checking his body. His torn sweater was gone, replaced by a soft, expensive shirt and pants.

No alpha scent clung to him, no signs of violation. Relief washed over him, but his mind spun. He tried to remember what happened yesterday. He had seen grey eyes, dark hair... Viktor. But Viktor wouldn’t bring him to a hotel which left him wondering...

’Who was that man?’

His eyes landed on a table. His wallet, keys, and the broken orange bottle of pills sat there, the shards glinting. His stomach sank... his omega secret was at risk without those pills. He grabbed one unbroken capsule, swallowing it dry, and stuffed his wallet in his pocket. His old, torn clothes were neatly folded nearby, but he left them, slipping on his shoes and sneaking out. Dawn was breaking, the sky was grey, and he had to get back before Viktor noticed he was gone.

Elias hurried to the estate, his heart pounding as he rehearsed excuses in the cab. He hoped Viktor was still asleep.

He alighted from the cab and walked towards the gate. Just as he was about to twist the handle open, a hand grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the back door. "Gerald," Elias gasped, his voice shaky.

Gerald’s face was stern, his eyes scanning Elias’s new clothes.

"Why are you sneaking in at this hour?" he asked, his voice low. "Why didn’t you return last night?"

"I... I was..." Elias’s eyes stung, tears spilling over. He lowered his head, unable to speak. Gerald’s gaze softened, piecing it together.

"Something happened," he said, not a question. "You okay?"

Elias shook his head, wiping his face. "I’m fine. Nothing really... happened. I just need to get to my room."

Gerald sighed, gripping his shoulder. "Use the back stairs. And stay quiet."

Elias nodded, whispering, "Thanks, Gerald." He immediately rushed upstairs through the back door.

Gerald groaned softly as he muttered to himself, "How’d an omega sneak into this house? Hope he doesn’t get caught."

He slipped into his room, his legs trembling, and collapsed onto his bed. The new clothes felt too nice, too expensive, but he couldn’t sleep. His mind raced with today’s schedule... school, the twins, and so on. He had to act normal just to keep his secret safe and make sure no one found out.

He showered, keeping the new clothes on... they felt good, despite everything. He hurried to the kitchen, whipping up pancakes and packing lunches for the twins, who’d missed school yesterday for Clara’s visit. He knocked on their door, his voice soft. "Dante, Dario, time to get up."

The twins stumbled out, rubbing their eyes. Dante grinned, spotting Elias’s outfit. "Nice threads, nanny. Where’d you get those?"

"Yeah," Dario said, smirking. "You robbed a store last night or what?"

Elias forced a smile. He just helped them into their school uniforms after their shower.

"Well, I don’t know. Just... found them."

"Liar," Dante said, rolling his eyes. "Spill the truth."

"I’m not lying," Elias said, his voice quiet. He really didn’t know where the clothes came from, but he couldn’t tell them about the alley.

.

At breakfast, the twins dug into their pancakes, teasing Elias about his cooking. Viktor walked in, his black shirt unbuttoned at the collar, his cedar scent hitting Elias like a wave. Elias’s heart skipped, but he kept his eyes down as Viktor kissed the twins’ cheeks. "Morning, you two," he said, his voice warm.

Dario grinned, pointing at Elias. "Kiss him too, Dad. Don’t leave him out."

Elias froze, his face burning. Viktor’s eyes flicked to him, his jaw tight.

"Don’t make stupid jokes," he said, his tone sharp. He turned to Elias. "I’m heading to the company for a meeting. But, I’ll be back before the kids are home from school."

Elias nodded, his voice small. "Yes, sir."

The twins frowned but nodded.

"We’re picking Elias up from school first," Dante said, his tone firm.

Viktor paused, his eyes narrowing. "School? You’re in college?"

Elias swallowed, his hands trembling. "Yeah. Part-time."

Viktor just nodded, his smile tight, and left. The twins hurried to finish eating, grabbing their lunches. Marco, the driver, dropped them at school, and the twins turned back, grinning.

"Since Dad didn’t kiss you," Dario said, planting a quick kiss on Elias’s cheek.

"Yeah," Dante added, kissing his other cheek. "There you have it. A Compensation."

Elias laughed, his face red. "Thanks, guys,"

They folded their hands. "Don’t get used to it."

"Yeah, don’t! You got two kisses!" Dario grumbled. "We only got one each."

Elias leaned forward, kissing their foreheads before they could complete their complaints. The twins flinched, their faces red, stuttering as they bolted into school. Marco laughed from the car. "Those kids," he said, shaking his head. "No one’d guess they’re mafia brats since you showed up, Elias."

Elias smiled, his chest warm. "That’s so good to know."

.

He headed to college, barely making it to class on time. As he entered, the professor called his name, his voice sharp. "Mr. Kane, late again?"

"Sorry," Elias mumbled, his face hot as all eyes turned to him. He found a seat, his hands shaky as he pulled out his notebook. The professor droned on, then mentioned a group project, saying the teams would be posted in the class group chat.

Elias’s stomach sank... he wasn’t in the group chat. He’d never been good at talking to classmates, always keeping to himself.

As class ended, he stood to leave for his next lecture, but someone blocked his path. He looked up, freezing. It was Jace, the familiar-looking leader of the group, who’d bullied him for years... He stood tall, with a smirk that made Elias’s heart race with fear.

"Move," Elias said, his voice quiet but firm.

Jace raised a brow. "Chill. Gimme your phone."

Elias frowned, clutching it. "Why?"

"Just do it," Jace said, his tone sharp. Elias hesitated, then handed it over, bracing for trouble.

Jace scrolled through it, snorting. "One number? ’Hospital’? Man, your life’s boring." He typed something, scanned a code, and handed it back. "Added you to the class group chats. Official and the fun one. Check the official for the project teams."

Elias blinked, stunned. "You... added me?"

Jace shrugged, looking away. "Yeah. Don’t make a big deal out of it." He paused, his cheeks pink. "You should get to your next class."

Elias smiled, a real one, the kind he hadn’t shown in years. "Thanks."

Jace scratched his head, muttering,

*Whatever. Go. Go. Go." As Elias left, Jace leaned against the wall, whispering to himself, "Stop thinking about him, idiot. He’s the guy you bullied."

Elias’s classes dragged, but he felt lighter... Jace’s unexpected gesture was small but it meant something. After school, the twins were waiting at the gate, just like they’d promised, their driver idling nearby. "Told you we’d come," Dante said, grinning.

"Yeah," Dario added. "Let’s go, nanny."

Elias laughed, climbing into the car. The drive home was filled with the twins’ chatter about school, and Elias’s heart felt full. For once, things seemed okay.

But when they pulled up to the estate, Elias’s smile faded. Viktor stood in the driveway, his arms crossed, talking to a man who looked almost identical... dark hair, grey eyes, a scar on his eyebrow. The twins shouted...

"Uncle Luka!" and ran to hug him, but Viktor’s face was cold, like he didn’t want the visitor even if he was his brother. It wasn’t definitely because his kids hugged his brother instead of him first.

Elias froze, his heart pounding. Luka? The man from the alley. The one who’d saved him, who knew his omega secret. He knew he was familiar since he looked almost like Viktor. Luka’s eyes locked onto Elias, a grin spreading across his face.

"Huh," he said, snapping his fingers. "Aren’t you the...?"

’Fuck!’

Elias’s eyes widened, his breath catching. He shook his head slightly, pleading silently. If Luka said anything about last night, about his scent, Viktor would know everything.