Chapter 140 CHAPTER 140

Chapter 140 CHAPTER 140
The morning light filters through the curtains of the master bedroom, but Soren has absolutely no desire to open his eyes.

His entire body feels like it has been run over by a freight train. His lower back aches, his thighs are sore, and there are dull, throbbing marks on every inch of his skin. Last night’s madness in the front seat of Reign’s sports car had left him completely drained.

Suddenly, a small, persistent hand shakes his shoulder, followed by a soft whisper right beside his ear. "Ren. Ren, wake up."

Soren groans, pulling the duvet over his head. "Five more minutes, Iris... please. Your brother is currently dead."

"You can't be dead. The sun is already up," Iris giggles, lightly tugging at the edge of the blanket. "And my stomach is making loud noises. Come on, Ren! I'm hungry."

Soren finally relents, blinking his eyes open and instantly squinting against the bright light, finding his little sister standing beside the massive bed, already dressed for the day.

He slowly pushes himself up onto his elbows, wincing as an ache shoots up his spine. The first thing he notices is the space beside him, and it's completely empty, with the sheets cold.

"Where is Reign?" Soren asks, his voice raspy with sleep.

"Mr. Montgomery already left for work," Iris answers, sitting on the edge of the bed. "He said he had a very important meeting and told me not to wake you up, but... I got hungry."

Soren lets out a sigh, a fond smile tugging at his lips. Of course Reign had let him sleep in.

"Alright, alright. Give me five minutes to brush my teeth, and I'll make you the biggest breakfast you've ever seen," Soren promises, ruffling her hair before slowly dragging his battered body out of the bed.

~~~

The quietness of the bathroom almost echoes loudly in Soren's head as he leans against the sink.

He stares at his reflection in the mirror, his face flushed. His neck, collarbones, and chest are covered in dark purple and red marks. Reign had been entirely ruthless last night, marking his territory with the fierce, possessive instincts of an Enigma.

Soren opens the top drawer of the vanity and pulls out his unmarked bottle of pills—his suppressants.

Soren shakes a single pill into his palm and stares at it for a moment, a frown forming on his face. Ever since he refilled the prescription, the pills have looked slightly chalkier than usual. Should he take the syringe instead?

With a shrug, he pops the pill into his mouth and swallows it down with a handful of tap water. Soren coughs, his face twisting in disgust. It tastes different, he notes for the nth time this week. It lacks the usual burn he is accustomed to.

But he shakes his head, pushing the anxiety away. As long as they do their work, it doesn't matter what they taste like, he rationalizes. He doesn't have the luxury of being picky.

After throwing on a pair of Reign's sweatpants and an oversized hoodie to hide the bite marks on his neck, Soren walks out to the kitchen.

Iris is already sitting at the kitchen island, swinging her legs happily.

"Pancakes or eggs?" Soren asks, pulling open the refrigerator.

"Pancakes! With extra syrup, please," Iris beams.

Soren nods and gets to work. “Are you excited about going back to school?”

Iris nods her head eagerly, her eyes shining. “I get to make friends; it's so exciting.”

Soren grins at her and reaches out to ruffle her hair, but Iris tilts her head, staring at her older brother. “You still don't have your natural scent. I kind of miss it.”

Soren's shoulder tenses up immediately. For a moment, he glances around, a surge of panic in his veins that only lasts for a second, knowing there are no staff passing by. He turns fully to her. “Don't say those words again; betas are not supposed to have scent, got it?”

The little eyes widen for a second as she suddenly seems to recall. “Sorry,” she murmurs.

"Eat up," Soren says, sliding a stack of pancakes onto her plate and drowning them in syrup minutes later. "We're going shopping later. You'll be the prettiest girl in school.”

The girl nods her head eagerly and digs into her pancakes.

Soren smiles, but his eyes go totally blank. He needs to remind Iris of what and what not to say around here. He can't afford a slip. It won't end well for both of them.

~~

The sun has completely set by the time Reign's car pulls up at the mansion, and he steps out of the car, his coat draped over his shoulders and black gloves in place

Reign steps inside, shedding his coat just as an excited voice comes buzzing in his ear across the room.

"Welcome home."

Reign looks up to find Soren standing there with a big smile on his face. Reign’s tense expression immediately softens, and immediately, he crosses the distance between them, reaching out to wrap his large hands around Soren's waist and pulling him flush against his chest. He buries his face in the crook of Soren's neck, inhaling deeply.

Soren's stomach churns at the gesture, and his thoughts turn dark for a second. Will Reign still do this if he knows he’s an Omega?

"I missed you," Reign murmurs against his skin.

"You were gone all day," Soren replies, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind and running his fingers soothingly through Reign's hair, ruining it. "You look tense. Come on."

"Where are we going?" Reign asks, though he willingly lets Soren grab his hand and pulls him along.

"To the bathroom. I am going to help you relax.” Soren dictates firmly.

Fifteen minutes later, the massive bathtub is completely filled with hot water and foam. Soren has stripped them both down without hesitation, while the enigma lets him do whatever he wants, staring down at him with an intense look in his eyes that makes the butterflies in his stomach sing loudly.

Reign leans back against the edge of the tub, contented groans escaping his lips as the hot water soothes his muscles, while Soren sits directly in front of him, resting entirely between the enigma's legs, and his arms wrap securely around Soren's waist under the water, pulling his back flush against his chest.

"Better?" Soren asks softly, leaning his head back against Reign's shoulder.

"Much," Reign rumbles and buries his nose in Soren's damp hair. "What did you and the little one do today?"

"Shopping," Soren chuckles, picking up a handful of foam and blowing it off his palm. "I bought her enough clothes to last until next winter. She was completely exhausted by the time we got back. She’s already asleep in her room. She's excited to return to school."

Reign, hmm, in response, his thumbs draw slow circles over Soren’s hip bones beneath the foamy water, and a comfortable silence settles over them for a few minutes.

"Soren," Reign calls suddenly, his tone shifting slightly into a more serious one.

"Hmm?"
"Do you want to go to college?"

Soren freezes instantly, his hands dropping beneath the water, and his heart gives a tug against his ribs. He shifts slightly, trying to turn his head to look at Reign, but the Enigma just tightens his grip, holding him in place.

"College? Where is this coming from?" Soren echoes, letting out a nervous laugh. “What? You think I'm not good enough for you because I didn't go to college?” he asserts with no bite behind his words. He knows that's not what Reign means. If he cared about educational background, he wouldn't have picked an underground boxer to play his fiancée.

"I was thinking about you. Iris is settled. You have nothing more to worry about,” Reign replies.

Now that Soren thinks about it, his life is almost too perfect. He has a man who loves him, his mother is out of the picture, and his sister is right where he can watch her. Isn't this what they call a happily ever after? But does Soren deserve the man's kindness and love? Well, he's always been greedy.

Soren stares at the bubbles floating on the surface of the water, a knot forming in his throat. "Reign, I can't go to college; I'm twenty-two years old. I'm entirely too old for school,” he murmurs, insecurity behind his words.

"You are twenty-two, Soren. You are practically a child," Reign corrects him.

"I didn't even graduate high school!" Soren blurts out, the ugly, shameful truth completely spilling from his lips. He wraps his arms around his own waist, suddenly feeling very small and vulnerable. "When my mother started drinking heavily... Someone had to pay the rent and make sure Iris didn't starve. So, I dropped out. I took every terrible job I could find. I don't have a diploma, and I don't have the grades. I have nothing on paper that says I am smart enough to go to a university."

After he dropped out of high school, he never thought about going back to school. The only thing he cared about was taking care of Iris, but now that Iris is safe and healthy, what next?

Reign doesn't say anything for a long moment; he just holds Soren closer, his body providing a fortress of warmth.

"You sacrificed your own education; that doesn't make you stupid, Soren. All you have to do is tell me what you want; I'll make it happen.”

Soren bites his lower lip hard, fighting back the hot tears suddenly prickling at the corners of his eyes.

Reign brushes his lips against his sensitive earlobe. Soren suddenly turns and cups Reign's face, moving in to press a kiss at the corner of his mouth and pulling back.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

Reign's hand moves to the back of his head and smashes their lips together.