6. ELIAS

A fellow sweet tooth.

Valiant was going to hate it.

I watched in amusement as Daisy drowned her pancakes in syrup, but the amusement faded when my eyes darted up to her face.

Her eyes were still red-rimmed from crying after I scared her.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized again. “I really didn’t know that you were there.”

Daisy slowly lowered the bottle to the table before she looked up at me. “You didn’t smell me?”

Unease gripped me for a moment, but I instantly pushed it aside. I had nothing to feel uncomfortable about.

I cleared my throat and took a sip of my coffee before I answered her.

“I have no sense of smell,” I told her softly. “After the…” I trailed off, pointing at my face. “My vision was damaged but managed to be repaired, but they couldn’t do the same to my…smell. I’m also half deaf in my left ear.”

“How did it happen?” she asked, eyes darting to my scar for a second.

I saw nothing but curiosity in her eyes.

“Let’s play a game,” I said. “I answer your questions, and you answer mine.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why? I won’t be staying for long.”

“You have a lot of faith in your stepfather,” I muttered.

When she didn’t reply, I turned my attention to the plate in front of me. I grabbed the syrup and poured some onto the pancakes before I cut a piece off and started eating.

I was hyper-aware of her eyes burning into my skin even though I was trying my best to ignore it.

“Why do you want to know about me?” she asked, breaking the silence between us.

“Because I’m curious, and I would rather get to know you by talking than reading the file about you.”

Her lips parted with a gasp. “You have a file about me?”

“Not yet.” I took another bite and slowly chewed. “I will by tonight.”

Daisy stared at me. “Why?”

I smiled. “I’m very protective of my pack Daisy. I need to know about every person they allow into our home, especially you.”

“Why me?”

“You’re John’s stepdaughter.”

She placed her fork down and crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed until she was attempting to glare at me. It wasn’t intimidating. In fact, she looked really fucking cute.

“What does that have to do with anything? My mother is married to him. I just live in his house and do my best to avoid him and his bitch of a daughter.”

“Do you know what he does for a living?” I asked her, tilting my head to the side when she frowned.

“He owns a business.”

“What type of business?”

A loud sigh fell from her hip. “I don’t know, okay? I know he’s rich, and that’s why Mom married him. He’s also an asshole who thinks his money can buy him everything.”

I studied her silently. “How much are you getting out of this?”

“Excuse me?” she gasped. “What the hell are you implying?”

“I’m just trying to figure out what you’re getting for staying with us,” I told her. “Excuse me for being so straightforward. No omega will just pack her bags and go live with strangers.”

Daisy pursed her lips. Her eyes darted around the cozy cafe. There weren’t a lot of people and those who sat a table or two away weren’t paying any attention to us.

“She didn’t give me a choice,” Daisy whispered. “It was either I go willingly or she’d drag me kicking and screaming.”

“Why the fuck would she do that?” I growled.

She jerked, instantly lowering her eyes. “Mother would do anything for him. In her eyes, he’s the perfect husband that can do nothing wrong.”

“I’m sorry your mother is such a bitch.”

My words made her smile. I started eating again and after a few minutes, she picked up her fork and stuffed a piece of pancake into her mouth. I stayed silent until she finished half of her plate.

“I use to be a police detective,” I told her. “I was working on a case. When we finally solved it, things went…bad. There was an explosion. It’s how I got the scar.”

“Detective Walker?” Daisy croaked.

“Yeah. You must have read about it or heard about it on the news.”

“I－” She broke off, swallowing a few times. “I n-need to use the bathroom.”

I nodded, watching her hurry toward the bathroom with a frown. It was not the reaction I usually got from someone when I told him how I got my scar.

Downing the last of my coffee, I signaled the waiter for another cup. The cup of coffee arrived a minute later but Daisy didn’t return. I waited, getting more restless as the seconds passed.

How long does it take to go to the bathroom?

When two full minutes passed, I got up, unable to wait any longer, and headed to the bathrooms. I knocked on the door, but there was no reply.

“Daisy?” I called out. “Daisy, are you still in here?”

I knocked again.

Had she snuck out the back?

I turned, eyes darting around, in search of a back entrance, but there was none within close distance.

If she snuck out of the back, I would have seen her.

“Daisy?”

I gripped the handle, hesitated a moment, and then slowly pushed the door open. My heartbeat increased, and my stomach twisted with nerves as I pushed the door wider and stepped inside.

“Daisy?”

A whimper answered me.

I hurried forward, uncaring of the other women who might be inside. All the stall doors were open, except for one. I knocked on it, making it creak as it opened.

My stomach dropped to the floor when my eyes locked on her.

Forcing myself through the small gap in the door, I pushed it closed and crouched.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked her, but she didn’t reply.

Tear-filled eyes locked with mine. The helplessness tearing at my heartstrings.

Another whimper fell from her lips.

I had no fucking idea what to do. I had been faced with many things in my line of work, but this wasn’t one of them.

Taking a seat next to her, I pulled her onto my lap and hugged her to my chest.

“It’s okay,” I whispered. “You’re okay.”

I pressed my cheek to hers and started purring.

My arms tightened around her when she whimpered. I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how.  

Her body slowly relaxed and a few seconds later, her breathing started to slow. I bent my head to get a better look at her face. She was pale.

“Do you want me to get you a glass of water?” I asked her softly.

She shook her head and surprised me when she got off my lap and moved to sit against the door. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them.

“The explosion…I w-was kidnapped after my mother married John and held for ransom. You… Detective Walker was working on the case. The kidnappers mentioned you a lot.”

Daisy swallowed loudly. She hesitated a moment and then moved closer. Sitting on her knees, she raised her hand and pressed shaky fingers to the scar on my face. I sucked in a breath as she traced the jagged line.

“It’s my fault,” Daisy croaked. “I was the reason for the e-explosion.”

I frowned at her. “Flower, it’s a coincidence. There are millions of people with the same name. Explosions are common with police work.”

She shook her head as I talked. “No.”

“Daisy－”

“I saw you,” she interrupted. “I was at the hospital. I snuck out of the room to find you because nobody would tell me if you…” A sob fell from her lips. “I’m sorry Elias. I’m so sorry.”

I reached for her.

I was certain that it was just a coincidence. There was no way that life would be so cruel to bring us together in such a way. I still had nightmares which was why I was up so early in the mornings. I remembered it like it was yesterday. The fear, the adrenaline, the pain.

My brows dipped into a frown as I racked my brain for the names of the family.

There had been a lot of people affected by the blast, not just me.

“What’s your last name?”

“Valent.”

My blood ran cold as everything clicked into place. I took a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart. “Tell me why you think it was your fault.”

Daisy looked up at me. “You remember?”

I nodded.

Her eyes lowered in shame. “I listened to them talking with you, negotiating on my release and the money John had to pay them. They threatened you with the bomb. I thought they were lying.” Daisy paused, pressing her hand to her trembling lips for a few seconds. “When they turned their backs, I made a run for it. I was almost there…just a few steps away from freedom when…when…” She broke off, shaking her head.

Reaching up, I cupped her cheek and turned her face to mine. I waited until her eyes locked with mine before I spoke.

“You were just a kid, Daisy. A scared little girl who wanted to go home. Maybe it was your fault, maybe it wasn’t. We don’t know and we’ll never know, but it’s no reason for you to hold onto this guilt. What happened happened and nothing is going to change that.” I smiled. “I’ll tell you to forget about it, but I know that it won’t be that easy.”

“Don’t you hate me?” she asked so softly I almost didn’t hear her.

“Hate you?” I leaned closer. “Flower, I don’t hate you and I never will.”

Her eyes darted over my face, searching for something. It seemed like she found what she was searching for because she nodded.

“Good.” Without thinking, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her tear-stained cheek.

The taste of her salty tears was doing something strange to me, but I forced the emotions aside. I’ll try to make sense of it all once I was alone.