Chapter 40

Elara

The whispers began almost immediately. Rather than helping me climb to my feet or taking the vase from my hands, the onlookers turned to each other, not even bothering to hide their cruel words.

“Is that the Omega who became the Donovan Luna?” someone murmured.

“Why wasn’t Alpha Alaric by her side?”

Another whispered, “Is that Alaric’s missing daughter who got swapped at birth?”

“She’s so unruly for an Alpha’s daughter,” one older woman scoffed. “I wonder if it has anything to do with her Omega upbringing…”

The last one hit harder than I cared to admit, and I clenched my teeth against the swell of emotion threatening to choke me. Zoe, now clinging to my skirt, was trembling too, her wide eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she looked up at me.

I crouched down to her level, smoothing her hair and murmuring, “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re okay. Everything’s okay. Are you hurt?”

Zoe shook her head, although her lower lip was trembling now, giant tears threatening to spill over.

Before I could say anything else, Alaric suddenly appeared. He had been talking to someone across the way, but he now crossed the room in long, purposeful strides with Ella by his side, his dark eyes scanning me and Zoe for any sign of injury.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, dropping to a crouch beside Zoe.

I shook my head quickly. “We’re both fine. Really.”

But Zoe wasn’t fine. Not emotionally, at least. As Alaric crouched to her level and gently reached for her, the first tear slipped down her cheek. And then another, and another, until she was openly wailing loud enough for everyone to fall silent again.

“Zoe,” Alaric said softly, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. “It’s okay. You’re not in trouble, see?” He gestured to the unbroken vase, now properly back in its place on the table. “No harm done.”

“But they were saying… mean things,” she hiccuped, rubbing her red eyes. “I didn’t mean to be bad, Daddy! I didn’t mean to ruin everything!”

Alaric didn’t hesitate. He scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest as he stood. “You didn’t ruin anything,” he said firmly, then turned to me and lowered his voice. “Let’s find a quiet place, alright?”

I nodded, grateful for his quick thinking. I grabbed Ella’s hand and together, the four of us made our way out of the crowded hall. The murmurs gradually faded as we turned a corner and found a private lounge that was blissfully empty.

Once we were inside, Alaric settled Zoe on a plush sofa and dropped to one knee in front of her, brushing her tears away from her cheeks with his thumbs.

“Do you want me to stay?” he asked, glancing between Zoe and me.

I hesitated, looking at Zoe’s tear-streaked face but then at Ella, who was nervously fidgeting with the hem of her skirt by the door. “I’ll stay with Zoe,” I said, shaking my head. “You should go back to the event with Ella. The auction is starting soon, anyway.”

Alaric’s jaw tightened as if considering my words, but he nodded, seemingly understanding my implication: I wanted to be alone with my daughter.

He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Zoe’s temple. “I’ll come check on you soon, okay?” he said gently.

Zoe sniffled and nodded, her hands still curled around the fabric of my dress. Alaric left with Ella, who cast us a worried glance over her shoulder. I offered her a reassuring smile before the door closed behind them.

Once we were alone, Zoe’s hiccups turned back into sobs. “I’m sorry, Mommy!” she wailed, her whole body trembling. “G-Grandma is gonna yell at me!”

The thought of my daughter being scared of that woman yelling at her made my blood boil, but I kept my expression neutral and instead focused on Zoe.

“Zoe,” I murmured, sitting beside her and pulling her into my lap, “it’s really okay, sweetie. You’re not bad. You’re not in trouble. Your grandmother isn’t here, and she won’t hurt you. Not now, and not ever.”

Zoe’s lower lip trembled. “But I’m naughty,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I’m not a good daughter for Daddy.”

My eyes widened. “What makes you say that, honey?”

“B-Because the other people s-said I was unruly,” she choked out. “B-Because I’m an O-Omega.”

The ache in my chest became unbearable when I heard that. Tears pricked at my eyes as I held her closer, stroking her hair.

“Zoe, that’s not true. None of those people know anything,” I said gently. “You are the best daughter anyone could ever ask for. And Daddy loves you so much. I love you so much. Ella loves you, too. And it doesn’t matter whether you were raised as an Omega or not. What matters is in here.” I poked her chest with my finger, right over her heart.

Sniffling, she buried her face in my shoulder and wrapped her small arms around my neck. “Promise you won’t leave me, Mommy,” she sobbed into my dress. “Please don’t leave me.”

My tears spilled over, streaking silently down my cheeks. I pressed a kiss to her hair, my voice thick with tears as I whispered, “I promise, Zoe. Everything will be okay. I’ll never leave you.”

It felt like a lie. A cruel, desperate lie, because in six months, I would have to let her go. I would still see her, but not full-time, and that wasn’t going to go over well for anyone.

But in that moment, with her fragile heart in my hands, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the truth.

As Zoe’s sobs quieted, I began to hum softly, an old lullaby my mother used to sing to me when I was a child. I had often sung it to Zoe as well. The familiar melody soothed both of us as her sobs quieted. Her breathing slowed, and she nestled against me, her tiny body finally relaxing.

“Are you feeling better now?” I asked gently, rubbing her back in slow circles.

Zoe nodded and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”

“Shh,” I said, pressing another kiss to her hair. “You don’t need to be sorry. Everything’s okay.”

She pulled back slightly, looking up at me with her big, tearful eyes. “Can I go find Daddy now?”

I smiled and brushed a stray, tear-soaked strand of hair back from her face. “Of course, sweetheart. Go on and get yourself a treat from the buffet, too. I’ll catch up in a minute, okay?”

Zoe nodded and slid off my lap, rushing over to the door. She paused in the doorway, turning back to give me a small, hopeful smile before slipping out of the room disappearing down the hall.

As the door gently swung shut behind her, I leaned back on the sofa, tilting my head back against the cushions.

I stayed where I was for a moment, letting out a shaky breath as I tried to collect myself. The tears hadn’t stopped completely, so after breathing for a moment, I made my way to the bathroom to splash a little cold water on my face. The coolness helped, although my reflection still looked weary as I stared back at it.

After a few more moments, I dried my face and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. The auction was in full swing by now, the auctioneer’s voice echoing down the corridor. I straightened my dress, took a deep breath, and began to make my way back toward the event.

But before I could take more than a few steps, a strong hand clamped over my mouth, silencing my startled gasp. An acrid smell filled my nostrils, and the hallway began to fade around me.

I didn’t even have a chance to react before everything went black.