"You've made yourself right at home, haven't you?"
The voice, sharp as glass, cut through the quiet just as the maid set a simple glass of milk in front of Eren. Dinner had ended minutes ago—lavish courses, silver cutlery, and chatter he couldn't stomach. The rich food turned his insides, so he'd asked for something plain. Something safe. Milk.
Of course, that was the moment James strolled in with Tyler at his side.
Eren turned, shoulders tensing. It wasn't surprising—they were a couple. Tyler showing up wasn't new. But the timing? Icy.
"So you really skipped dinner," James drawled, eyes cold. "You know how much Grandpa Bernard hates that. Family meals are sacred, but you decided your comfort mattered more?"
"I didn't mean to—" Eren started, voice faltering.
"Oh, look at that. Playing innocent," Tyler cut in, his heels clicking against the marble floor like a countdown. "You think being Adriel's wife gives you status? Please. If you hadn't gotten pregnant, would he even have noticed you? Adriel Ulrick, chasing you? Don't flatter yourself."
Eren's grip tightened around the glass. He pressed his lips into a thin line, forcing himself to swallow the words clawing at his throat. Silence burned, but speaking would only give them more to tear apart.
James smirked. "By the way—have you met Claude yet? He is the new Chief Designer, running the competition. Adriel's ex-fiancée, in case he forgot to mention."
He paused, watching Eren's face, then twisted the knife. "He's was his first love. The real one. And no one forgets their first."
"I saw her earlier," Tyler added, voice honeyed with venom. "He's stunning. World-class. A ballerino everyone admires. You?" His eyes flicked over Eren with deliberate disdain. "You don't even come close."
James folded his arms, the final strike cutting deep. "Aside from your flashy red hair, what do you have? No name. No status. No chance against someone like Claude."
"I never said I belonged," he said coolly. His gaze sharpened like a blade. "I know exactly what I am to Adriel. And unlike you three, I don't need to lie about my place here."
For a heartbeat, silence pressed down—broken only by Claude's low chuckle.
"Brave," Claude murmured, stepping closer, his Alpha scent pressing against the room like a warning. "But bravery doesn't keep you safe. Not here. Not against me."
Eren's lips curled in a thin smile. "Oh, I know my place. The question is—do you know yours?"
His eyes locked on Tyler first. "Because last I checked, you're just James's boyfriend. No ring. No name. No standing. Actually—" he tilted his head, voice laced with venom—"maybe you do have a title. Leech. Everyone knows what you're after. Not James. Adriel. He's the better catch, isn't he? Unlike your boyfriend, who can't even manage his job without screwing it up."
James stiffened, fury flashing in his eyes. Tyler blinked, stunned. Claude's expression iced over. They had never seen Eren like this—an Omega spitting venom back at three Alphas.
"You've got some nerve—" Tyler snarled, stepping forward and grabbing Eren's wrist.
Eren tore free like the touch burned. His voice rang fierce, unshaken.
"Know your place. Adriel may not love me. But I am still his husband. Legally. Which means between all of us, I'm the one who actually has the right to cause a scene."
He reached for the glass of milk, lifted it, and drank every drop. His hand was steady despite the pain tearing through him. When he set it down, the soft clink on the table was louder than any insult they'd thrown.
And then he turned, walking out with his back straight, each step defiance itself.
"That bastard," Tyler muttered, seething.
Claude's lips curved into a cold smile. "Let him posture. Reality will crush him soon enough. Rings don't last forever."
James's jaw was tight, voice bitter. "Claude's right. He's nothing but a mistake Adriel hasn't corrected yet. And once Claude decides to take back what's his? That Omega won't stand a chance."
Down the hall, Eren pressed a trembling hand to his stomach, whispering under his breath as if the child could hear him:
"It's okay, little one. Papa's here. I won't let them touch you."
Eren's stomach had finally eased, the ache fading to a dull throb. The tension had loosened its grip on his muscles, but his heart still wrestled with a storm he couldn't name.
"I know, I know… you're worried," he whispered, forcing a small laugh that didn't reach his eyes. His hand rested over the slight swell of his belly. "But your papa's no pushover. I'm stronger than I look, promise."
The digital clock glowed on the nightstand. Still nothing. No text. No call. No word from Adriel. Not even from Roen. Eren's mind spun with questions. Did he go back to the office just to avoid me? Did Roen see him? Why won't anyone say anything?
A sudden creak splintered the silence. The door swung open.
Eren jolted upright, heart leaping—then faltering as soon as his eyes met Adriel's. Surprise flickered between them. But something was wrong.
That smell.
He didn't need to ask. The alcohol hit him before the words did, drifting in thick and heavy, like fog before a storm.
"You're still awake?" Adriel's voice was low, weighted with something cold. "What, you don't ever sleep?"
He didn't wait for an answer. Just walked past, his scent sharp with brandy and bitterness, the bond between them throbbing faint and sour.
"I—uh… I was waiting," Eren said, his voice trailing after him like a candle flame in the wind.
But Adriel didn't stop. Didn't glance back. He vanished into the bathroom and shut the door. Not loud, not violent. Just firm. Final.
The sound rang louder than any shout.
Eren stood frozen, chest tightening until it hurt to breathe. Why does this feel worse than anger?
He changed slowly, pulling on pajamas in the walk-in closet, his hands stiff, his movements mechanical. When he returned to the bed, the bathroom door was still closed.
Minutes bled into an hour. Then two. Three.
Each tick of the clock pressed against his chest like stone.
Finally, he went to the door and knocked, soft enough to keep from disturbing the house. "Adriel? Hey… are you okay?"
Silence.
He pressed his ear against the wood, heart pounding. Is he asleep? Passed out? Did something happen?
He knocked again, louder this time. "Adriel?"
Nothing.
His fingertips trembled against the door, every nerve in his body aching with the strain of the bond, the pull toward an Alpha who refused to answer. This wasn't just silence. It was distance. And it wasn't only about tonight.
Eren drew in a shaking breath, his palm resting flat against the door as if the bond could reach through it.
"Don't shut me out," he whispered, voice breaking.