Evander let out a low laugh, the kind that rumbled in his chest. It was a sound like what a mother would give her child when he misbehaved but did it in a cute way.
“Punishments here are going to be different from what you’ve known. They’re not about hurting you or correcting you. They’re about taking care of what you need. If something isn’t being met, then I’ll make sure it is. Like giving you a bath when your body’s aching.”
His words settled over me slowly, unfamiliar and heavy in a way that made me entire tighten up.
I didn’t look up. I couldn’t. My eyes stayed fixed on the edge of the couch.
“My wish for you to please me, is by letting me take care of you. Let me meet the needs that pop up. Let me shower you with gifts when you are my good boy. And let me just…care.”
Could it be that easy? Could it be that easy to cave and let him justcareabout me?
“Okay.” I cleared my throat before looking up at him through wet lashes. “I’ll…try?”
“That’s all I ask, Kasey.”
Chapter 27
Kasey
True to Evander’s words, I took a bath. Alone. Completely, alone.
He’d set everything up before I even stepped inside. The water was a little warmer than I was used to, but somehow it was still perfect. It was scented with something sharp and calming that eased the ache in my muscles the moment I sank in. The warmth seeped into my muscles slowly, loosening knots that I hadn’t even realized were there. I let myself sink a little deeper, the water lapping on my shoulders.
A few candles flickered around the room, casting soft light across the tiles and from the small speaker on the counter came quiet, steady music meant to help me relax.
It was more than I expected. More than I knew what to do with. And for the first time in my entire life, the silence didn’t feel like a punishment.
It felt strange being alone. I was used to quick showers. There was never any time, any leeway, for any of us Omegas to just relax for a few minutes under a warm spray of water. We were to wash and get out.
If we even thought of taking a single extra minute, then we were forced to take cold showers for weeks on end.
The music helped too, filling the silence. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the sound settle in my chest. It felt almost indulgent, like I was doing something I wasn’t supposed to do.
But Evander had set it up. He told me to take a bath. He’d made it clear this was allowed. That wasa punishmentfor something I had done.
Still, the thought lingered at the back of my head. That this much comfort had to be a mistake. Something I’d misinterpreted. Something I’d pay for later.
I tried to shake it off, sinking deeper until the water brushed my chin.
For the first time in a long time, my body didn’t feel like it was bracing for the next demand. The next order. The next punishment. It just…rested.
Resting my head against the tub, my mind loosened, thoughts floating freely through my sluggish mind. I didn’t mean to drift. I didn’t mean to remember anything at all.
But a soft memory surfaced anyways.
I was small, maybe six, if that. I remember sitting on a backstep somewhere, sun warmed wood under my legs with the smell of grass thick in the air. Someone, an old Omega, maybe a caretaker or house nanny, pressed a cold popsicle into my hand. Cherry red. It dripped down my wrist before I even took a bite.
“You’re making a mess,” they’d laughed, but it wasn’t sharp. It wasn’t scolding. It was warm and teasing and kind.
I remembered the sound of it more than the words. They were soft. Safe.
I remembered swinging my legs, sticky fingers, and the sun on my face. I remember feeling light. Like nothing bad could reach me for those few minutes.
The memory was so gentle it almost hurt.
Then, it was gone as I blinked back into the present.
I couldn’t help but wonder who the Omega had been. I couldn’t pull her face back into focus, either.
