I took a bath hurriedly, scrubbing my skin until it felt raw, as if I could wash away everything that had happened to me in the last few months. The water steamed up the bathroom, fogging the mirror, and for a moment I let myself stand there under the spray, eyes closed, breathing slowly. The house was too quiet, too big, too unfamiliar. Even after sleeping in a clean bed and waking up without fear clawing at my chest, my body still felt like it was bracing for something bad to happen.
I dried myself quickly and threw on the clothes Soren had left for. That alone felt like luxury.
As I stepped out of the room and began walking down the stairs, I heard voices drifting up from below. Laughter. Warm, casual conversation. There was someone else there.
My steps slowed.
I wrapped my arms around myself without realizing it, suddenly self-conscious. I didn't know who else lived here or who was allowed inside this house. For all I knew, I was about to meet someone important. someone who would look at me and immediately see that I didn't belong.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, the smell hit me first.
Food.
It smelled rich, warm, and comforting. My stomach reacted instantly, tightening and then growling softly.
I followed the sound of voices into the dining area.
That was when I saw her.
She was standing near the long dining table, her back half-turned toward me, talking animatedly with Jamie while Soren leaned against the counter nearby. She was older, clearly, older than both of them but there was something gentle and lively about her.
She was short, barely reaching Jamie's shoulder, with soft curls framing her face and warm eyes that crinkled when she smiled. An omega, unmistakably so, with that comforting presence that made the room feel warmer just by existing in it.
The moment she turned and saw me, she froze.
"Oh my," she exclaimed.
Jamie and Soren turned at the same time, their attention snapping to me.
Before I could even say hello, the woman crossed the room in quick steps and stopped directly in front of me. She looked me up and down with an expression that made my skin prickle.
Then, without asking, she reached out and gently turned me around, examining me from every angle.
"He's so thin," she said softly, her voice low and filled with something that sounded dangerously close to grief.
"Yes," Jamie and Soren replied together.
"Very thin," Jamie added, nodding seriously.
I felt heat creep up my neck.
"I've always been thin," I said, as if that would somehow make it better.
It didn't.
"This isn't healthy," she said firmly, turning me back to face her.
"I just lost a little weight," I tried again, pulling away from her hands. Who was she, anyway?
"Believe me when I say he has added a lot more weight," Soren said calmly. "You should have seen him when he woke up in the hospital. I could see his bones."
"They are still visible," the woman replied, frowning. "Hospital food is nothing. Nothing at all."
Before I could protest, she grabbed my wrist not roughly, but with undeniable determination and dragged me toward the dining table.
"Sit," she ordered.
I obeyed before my brain could catch up.
She pulled out a chair for me and practically pushed me into it, then immediately began loading my plate with food. rice, vegetables, meat and more things I didn't even recognize but smelled incredible.
She paused every now and then to ask questions.
"Do you like spinach?"
"Yes," I replied.
Spinach landed on my plate.
"Chicken?"
"Yes."
More food.
"Spicy?"
"Uh—yes?"
Even more food.
At some point she stopped waiting for answers altogether. Food just kept appearing. My plate went from reasonably full to absolutely ridiculous in a matter of minutes.
I turned helplessly to Jamie and Soren, silently begging them to save me.
They both smiled.
Traitors.
"I can't finish this much food," I said carefully, trying to sound polite rather than panicked.
"Yes, you can," she replied immediately, not even looking at me as she added another scoop of something steaming and fragrant.
I stared at my plate like it was a threat.
Eating used to be simple. Eat when there's food. Stop when it's gone. Hunger was something you lived with, something you ignored until it stopped hurting so much. This felt overwhelming.
I started eating anyway.
And gods, it was good.
Too good.
Every bite was warm and filling, flavors bursting in my mouth in ways I wasn't used to. I ate slowly at first, then faster as my body realized it was safe to take what was being offered.
By the time I finally stopped, I felt like I might actually burst.
"Please," I said weakly. "I can't eat anymore."
She studied me for a long moment, then finally nodded.
"Alright," she said reluctantly. "For now."
For now.
I barely managed to stand before my legs gave out again, so I shuffled into the sitting room and collapsed onto the couch, staring up at the ceiling and breathing shallowly.
I had never eaten that much in my life.
"You okay?" Jamie asked as he and Soren walked in after a few minutes.
"I think I'm going to die from all that food," I replied honestly.
"I thought you were going to die before," Soren said dryly, handing me a warm cup. "Janette never knows when to stop."
"So her name is Janette," I muttered.
"She's your employee," Jamie said to Soren.
"And she doesn't listen to me," Soren replied. "She doesn't listen to anyone."
"But she means no harm," Jamie added fondly.
I looked down at the cup in my hands. Steam curled up toward my face, carrying a fresh, soothing scent.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Peppermint tea," Jamie said. "It helps with digestion."
I took a careful sip.
The warmth spread through my chest, easing the tight and uncomfortable pressure in my stomach. I leaned back into the couch, closing my eyes.
We spent the whole night chatting and talking about everything and anything as we drank tea.