Chapter 94: Birthday present I

Noah’s POV

I’m still giddy from this morning with Elias.

Just like the people in those rom-coms, I’ve been flopping around on the bed, giggling and kicking my feet.

My birthday used to be an eventful day back at home.

My dad and I would eat breakfast together, he’d spend most of the day with me, and then he’d give me nice gifts.

Last year, my birthday gift was a modern lexicon. He wanted to encourage me to keep being the smartest omega in Winslow.

I bet he’d be disappointed in me now.

I used to be pretty smart, but staying here with the Deus family makes me question everything I call smart.

Elias makes it especially difficult for me to maintain the ’smart guy’ status.

With a sigh, I change my position and lie on my back. It’s crazy that I miss having him and his intimidating presence in this room.

I hope he gets better soon.

"Noah" a male’s voice booms as the door bursts open and my heart flies to my throat.

"I didn’t do anything!" I yell and I sit up immediately to defend myself.

"Uh-uh...I’m sure you didn’t" Damien says as he steps into the room and gives me a funny look for my response.

Phew.

I thought Siren or Lucas already found out about my rule breaking act of sneaking out at midnight.

"What are you doing here?" I ask with a scowl and he smirks at me, tugging up his shirt’s collar to fix it.

"I..." Damen starts his sentence loudly and theatrically. "...came to reclaim my title as your favorite brother-in-law" he says, and I make a face at him.

"You’re not my favorite brother-in-law" I say.

"I’m sure Kai isn’t your favorite either" he says with a haughty tone and I scoff, crossing my arms over my chest.

I have a good answer for him, but before I can give a response, he holds his hand up to silence me.

"Moving on" he says and walks over to the door with a hand in his pocket. He walks like a runway model, and it makes me want to throw a pair of slippers at him.

"I brought you a birthday gift out of the goodness of my heart. Your present is washed, fed, and dressed" he says and claps twice.

"You brought your dogs?" I ask him in fear, as I fold into myself on the bed, and he looks at me with offense in his eyes.

"Say thank you, Damien" he says and yanks the door open. When he does, Zane stumbles into the room, and I rise to my feet.

"Zane?" I ask and Damien smirks.

"The one and only" my husband’s brother says and I throw myself into my best friend’s arms.

"ZANE" I yell his name and hug his weak body like this would be the last time I would see him.

"Zane, it’s really you" I cry and he laughs into my neck, voice muffled, but tone happy.

"Happy birthday, brother" he whispers in a small voice, and I feel the tears of happiness flood my eyes.

Damien really brought Zane to me. I can’t believe this. I lift my head to look at the alpha, but I find him leaving the room.

He looks less smug as he leaves us.

I really can’t believe I get to hug and be hugged by my best friend like this.

"You look...wow" I say in awe as I break our hug to look at him. I can barely see through the hot tears, but I stare at him with admiration.

He looks so much better than the last time I saw him.

He’s still skinny and looks starving, but he looks more human now. He’s even dressed in an outfit that looks like something taken out of a royal family’s wardrobe.

He’s wearing a black outfit that has a veil. His black hair is trimmed and falling over his face. He’s wearing a pretty pair of golden earrings and he looks absolutely stunning.

"You’re so pretty" I whisper in awe and he looks down at himself in disgust.

"That bastard, Damien, gave me these" he says with anger in his tone, and I look at his outfit again.

There’s nothing wrong with his clothes, but since I know Zane’s past, I can tell he’s feeling insulted.

"Come on, since you’re here, can you cuddle with me for my birthday gift?" I ask him in order to distract him from his clothes, and he looks around the room.

"Is this...your prison?" he asks and I blush.

"It’s the room I share with Elias" I say and Zane’s look of irritation returns.

"He’s forcing you to sleep in his room? What else is he doing?" he spits out fiercely and I bite my lip in guilt.

"He’s not forcing me, well...we’re married so..." my voice trails off.

"Why do you sound like you wanted it?" he asks and I open my mouth to say something in protest, but I decide against it.

This was not how I expected a meeting with Zane to go.

"I didn’t want it at first, but right now, I’m starting to like him...romantically" I say shyly and Zane scowls like I just betrayed him.

"I never expected them to successfully influence you" he says with a heartbreaking tone.

"I swear he’s not as bad as we’ve heard" I say and he puts some distance between our bodies.

"Zane, please listen to me. I was doing it to keep you alive too" I plead with him and he shakes his head.

"Can’t you see? He coerced you with my life and death, how is he a good person, Noah?" Zane asks the very logical question and I have no answer.

"Open your eyes, those bastards are known to play with people’s mind. They fuck your mind up and make you think like them" Zane starts to rant and I briefly disassociate.

Is he also like Freya? Does he only care about me because of a gain?

"Are you going to walk out on me for wanting the forbidden?" I ask quietly and he stops his angry rant.

"What? No, of course not" he blinks thrice as he says those words.

"Then why are you all the way over there?" I ask with frustration in my voice and he closes the distance between us.

Zane cups my face and looks at me with pain.

"You’re my best friend and brother; how can I possibly walk away from you?" he asks and rests his forehead against mine.

The contact between us calms me and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"I can’t handle anymore betrayals" I say and he whimpers softly like a mother omega soothing his pup.

"I’ll never betray you, but I’m still going to get you out of here and I’m still going to take revenge on the Deus" he says.

Zane has no idea what he’s trying to fight against.

"Can you just cuddle me" I ask and we lay on the bed. I let Zane wrap his arms around me, and I shut my eyes to forget the conversation we just had.

My best friend is here with me, that’s all that matters.

Somehow, I fall asleep during our cuddle, and when I wake up, I see Zane kissing me goodbye on the cheek.

"Zane?" I call his name groggily.

"Damien is here to take me back, I’m glad I got to spend time with you" he says and I nod, holding back my pathetic sob.

"I’ll find a way to come see you again, okay?" I say and it’s his turn to nod while holding back a sob.

"Bye" he whispers and slips out of the room like a dark shadow.

With my best friend out of the room, I flop back on the bed and cover my face with my palms.

Well, there goes the birthday happiness. Why did time fly by us so fast?

I hear the door creak open, and I don’t bother looking up. I’m sure it’s Lucas this time.

I sigh in expectation of his playful yell, but when there’s nothing, I take my hands off my face and prop myself up on my elbow.

It’s not Lucas.

It’s my husband.

"Hello, Angel" Elias says and my heart forgets how to beat properly for a second.

The alpha leans against the wall, tilts his head, and folds his arms with a small smile on his face.

"Get dressed. I snuck out for you" he says.