unspoken secrets.

He grit his teeth together, pushing Sadie's hips backwards and forwards, in little circles, making her grind down on him. "D-Do you... think I care... what your mom wants?" He gasped, sinking his fingers into her hips before he slammed up into her, one last time. Stephen's calves clenched as he came, filling Sadie completely. If he really wanted to be cruel, he knew he could force her to take his knot, but he decided against it. If things progressed, he figured she'd be scarred enough by what she'd find out about him.

Panting, he dropped his hands to the couch as Sadie slumped against him. Her scent souring as she cried, if he had to guess, feeling completely humiliated. Stephen's eyes rolled up to the ceiling before he ran his hands up her back, "Omega..." He sighed, instantly being reminded of how he could easily silence her, like he had so many others, but a part of him actually cared about her. His fingers ran up into her hair, his fingers twisting around the strands as he tried to steady his breathing. "I love you," he panted, kissing her forehead, "and I'm going to take care of you, I promise."

Forcing her to sit up and look him in the eye, his face hardened again and he fixed her with a cold look. "But you are going to call your mom and tell her you're spending the night with someone. I don't care if you lie to keep out of trouble, but you're staying here tonight. With me, omega. Or else I'll make sure your mom never makes it home to begin with." Stephen's voice was serious and quiet, and the look in his eye was enough to dare her to test him.

@ castle.

"I-I'll be i-" Sadie had never thought that Stephen would care about what her mother wanted but she had been foolish enough to think that Stephen would want to keep her from getting in trouble. She could only shrug her shoulders before Stephen finished. Her cheeks tinged a deep red as she whimpered. She sagged against him, feeling completely humiliated and defeated. Before she had left her home this morning, Sadie had been so excited to spend the day with Stephen.

Sadie didn't so much as respond to his confession of loving her and planning to take care of her. She was exhausted and she just wanted to go home. All she could picture was her nest where she could be safe. Surely not even Stephen would bother her there. You weren't supposed to upset an omega's nest and she was sure that even with what he had just done to her, he wouldn't dare go that far. Right? Sadie tried to convince herself that.

Stephen forced her to sit up and she whimpered, feeling his cum leaking from her. Sadie shrank away from Stephen when he started speaking, the colour draining from her face as Stephen threatened her mother. It was a veiled threat but it was obvious that he would hurt her mother if she didn't do what he said. Her eyes were locked on his as she let out a small whine. "O-Okay," she stuttered, nodding her head. She hated how easily she folded to what Stephen wanted but what other choice did she have?

Sadie reached up, wiping away her tears as they fell. "C-Can I.. go.. clean up?" Sadie hated that she was even asking him permission to do something so normal but she felt like if she didn't, she would only end up upsetting Stephen even more.

Stephen knew the best way to make her obey wouldn't be to hurt her or threaten her, but if he threatened those closest to her, like her mother... He knew he'd have better results. His thumbs rubbed gentle circles into her hips as he leaned forward to miss away a few of the tears she had missed. "Of course, omega." Stephen gently squeezed her hips and helped her off of him. Up until this point, Stephen had only shown one side of himself. He was always gentle, with a bright smile on his face and ready to help or cheer up anyone. And that truly was him... to an extent. Even now, now that he had gotten what he wanted from Sadie, he just wanted to make her feel better.

Grabbing her hand, he gently played with her fingers and led her down the hall towards his bathroom. Every room in his apartment was over the top nice, his mother had made sure if that when they were picking out the right place for him. Opening the door for her, he turned on the light and half expected the fancy bath to brighten her face. "I'll get you some comfy clothes to sleep in, okay?" Stephen slid his arm around her waist and pressed another soft kiss to her cheek as he left there alone.

He knew Sadie had to be second guessing their relationship, wishing there was someway to get away from him. But as long as his bite decorated her neck, there was no getting away from him. Stepping into his bedroom, he headed for his dresser and pulled out a pair of his old basketball shorts and his high school track shirt. They'd hang off of her, but she'd be comfortable at least. Returning them to the restroom, Stephen knocked once before entering. "These should do." He laid them down on the sink, before turning to look towards Sadie. He sighed, hating the want to make her feel better. Stephen leaned against the sink and looked up into the mirror at his reflection, peering into his own blue eyes, feeling regret. No, couldn't be.

"I know you didn't want to, omega, but you did a good job taking care of your alpha," he whispered, knowing his praise wouldn't help her.

@ castle.

Sadie wanted to reject Stephen's help when he pulled her to her feet. She kept her head lowered, her body tensing in a rhythmic pattern each time that his fingers brushed against her hips. She knew that he was trying to comfort her and some form of her was grateful for the attempt but all she could think about was the fact that the first alpha she had trusted enough to call her boyfriend had done this to her. Sadie had heard horror stories of what alphas could do to omegas when they wanted to but she had never thought it would happen to her.

Tiptoeing after Stephen, Sadie kept her head lowered as she sniffled. She hated how she felt naked even as she wore her panties, their combined fluids causing a wet spot to form. Sadie felt absolutely humiliated as she stood in front of him, refusing to lift her head even as Stephen headed off to get comfortable clothes for her. She felt like she was going through the movements without even thinking about them as she turned the shower on as hot as she could bare before peeling off her underwear. Sadie was quick to climb under the spray of the water,

Sadie hung her head, letting out a small sob as she felt her knees shake. She wanted to curl into a ball and just completely break down but she was afraid of how Stephen would react. Before they, she had trusted him and now, she was completely clueless as to if she could. He had just stripped everything from her. Sadie's eyes widened as fear shot through her at the sound of the knock at the door. Her hands shot to her face and she covered her mouth with her hands, not wanting Stephen to realize she was crying. Even if he probably could figure it out from her scent alone.

Her face scrunched as she looked at the bottle of body wash sitting on the edge of the tub. No, she didn't want to wash herself with that because the thought of smelling even more like Stephen made her stomach churn. Instead, she just stood beneath the spray, just trying to keep her composure.

It was eerie how quiet the bathroom was, between his words and the water beating down in the shower. He could see Sadie through the glass, her back turned to him and her hands up to her face. It didn't quite make sense to him why she was so upset. It hadn't been that big of a deal, she was fine and he was here to help her. Why couldn't they go back to normal? Why was it so hard to give him what he needed?

"Take your time, omega," he sighed, letting his shoulders fall as he left the bathroom. Up until now he had been able to give Sadie all the time in the world, he could be a patient man for her because whenever he had an urge, he would kill. He hadn't been able to do that tonight and her scent was so potent, he couldn't leave her. They only got to see each other on the weekends, due to her mother's stupid rules and his classes. He saw all of that changing in the near future though, now that he had claimed her. That was something else he had wanted to wait on, but after forcing himself on her, he had to do something to ensure she stayed with him.

Making his way back into the kitchen, Stephen put on a kettle and made the two of them some chamomile tea. He hoped it was just a little extra thing that could bring Sadie some comfort. And, hopefully it would help her sleep. Adding a bit of honey, Stephen grabbed the two mugs and brought them into his bedroom, carefully sitting them down on his end table. Running his hands over his face, Stephen continued to badger himself, asking what he would do if Sadie never trusted him again. Grabbing sleep clothes for himself, he changed quickly and left the bedroom door open so Sadie would know where he was.

@ castle.

Eventually Sadie realized that she couldn't stay in the shower forever. Stephen lived in an apartment so it was no surprise that the hot water would last forever. She let out a disappointed sigh as her shoulders sagged, chewing on the inside of her lip as she turned off the water. Sadie wiped away her tears, wincing at how red and puffy her eyes were. She was exhausted and she wanted nothing more than to go home and wrap herself up in her nest.

Stephen pulled on the clothes that Stephen offered her, her face scrunching as the clothes dwarfed her. She hated it because she could smell a bit of Stephen's scent, there was no escaping it. No matter how much she wanted to. Sadie tiptoed out of the bathroom, her head lowered. It wasn't until she realized that Stephen was in his bedroom that she lifted her head, glancing toward the front door that was on the other side of the apartment. Could she leave without him realizing it? But what if he followed through on his threat and he hurt her mom?

Sadie had to bite back a whimper as she made her way back into the living room. As much as she wanted to make a run for it, she couldn't. She plucked her phone from the coffee table and sent her mom a quick text, telling her she was staying at a friend's house before she set the phone back down and turned the television off. Sadie knew that her mother would figure out she was claimed, sooner rather than later. There was no escaping that, Stephen's claim on her neck.

She exhaled as she made her way into Stephen's room, her head still lowered, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Sadie wanted nothing more than to disappear, wishing that she could just sink into the floor beneath her feet. "M-My.. mom i-is.. she'll want to.. m-meet you since.. I'm.. y-you.. claimed me," she forced the words out, wincing at how she continued to stutter. She hated it because she was almost sure that it would somehow serve to upset Stephen.

He had noticed the second the water in the bathroom shut off. He had sat on his bed, legs crossed as he waited for her. Hearing her tiptoe around his apartment sent shivers down his spine. He was always alone here that hearing someone else moving about had him on edge, even if he knew it was Sadie. Another part of him liked it, not being so alone. He wished she could stay foreverr, but he knew she wouldn't want to.

His eyes lifted from his hands when she finally appeared in the door way of his room. Quickly pulling himself to his feet, Stephen stood up straight and grabbed one of the mugs of tea for her. "That's alright, I'd be thrilled to meet your mom." Stephen was trying to make sure Sadie understood that even though he had forced himself on her, he still planned on doing everything a good alpha was supposed to. He'd still take care of her, that he had promised. Stopping in front of her, Stephen held the tea out to her and grabbed her hand with his free one and forced her to take it.

"Chamomile. It'll help you calm down." Stephen intended on meeting Sadie's mom sooner rather than later. If he was going to threaten someone, he needed to know exactly who they were after all. Sliding his arm around her waist, Stephen felt his heart jump. It might not have been under the best for circumstances, but Sadie was here, in his bedroom, wearing his clothes... Over the course of the month they'd been dating, he had been dreaming of the first night they'd stay together like a real couple.

@ castle.

Sadie felt a wave of panic that washed over her when Stephen agreed to meet her mom. She didn't like the idea of him seeing her or having a conversation with her mom because she had no idea what Stephen was capable of now. She had to protect her mom, she couldn't let anything happen to her. Not when her mom had been working so hard to care for her, without an alpha around to help. It was rare for an omega to raise a pup alone but Sadie had to give it to her mom. Her mom had done a helluva job.

She visibly flinched when Stephe grabbed her hand but still, she found herself looking up to meet Stephen's gaze. Sadie's shoulders curled in, trying to make herself appear as small as possible. "T-Thank you," she forced herself to speak, biting down on the inside of her lip. She followed Stephen over to the bed and hesitated for a moment before she sat, pulling her knees up to her chest as she held her drink in her hands.

"A-Am I.. am I going.. home tomorrow? I just wan to let my mom know so she's not..worried," Sadie explained lowly, not wanting to push Stephen ad let him think she was trying to upset him in any way. Sadie still remembered the way that he had threatened to hurt her earlier and she was sure that would roll into now if she upset him bad enough.

His hands fell from her side when he sunk down on his bed. Ignoring her constant stammer, Stephen was just relieved she had stopped crying for the most part. Sadie seemed to be calming down and he hoped by tomorrow, she'd be over what he had done to her tonight. He ran his fingers through her hair and moved to sit down next to her. "I'll take you home after breakfast," he assured her, reaching over to grab his own hot mug. Stephen wasn't worried in the slightest about her trying to ditch him. His claim was on her now, no other alpha would mess with her unless they were looking for trouble. He knew where she lived and where her mother worked, unless Stephen wanted to let Sadie go, she was stuck with him. No one could come between them.

Bringing his tea to his lips, he took a large sip, enjoying the aroma as the hot liquid warmed his throat. Sighing, Stephen dropped the mug back to his lap and looked up at Sadie. "but there's no reason for your momma to worry anyway, little thing. No harm will come to pass while I'm around." Stephen reached out to stroke a piece of hair away from her face, his thumb caressing down her cheek. Sadie was still an omega, she'd have to come around to him eventually, he hoped anyway. "Drink up," he motioned towards the mug, bringing his back to his lips.

The second Sadie was finished with her tea, Stephen took her cup and placed it back next to his by the bed. "Come here," he whispered once he turned back to her. Leaning towards her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her up against his chest. Settling against the pillows, Stephen pulled the cover up over them, before nestling his arms around his omega, hoping she was somewhat comfortable with him. "If you need anything, anything at all throughout the night, just wake me up, 'kay?" His voice was hushed as he pressed a kiss to the side of her face.

@ castle.

Sadie couldn't decide if she was relieved to be going home after breakfast or not. On one hand, at least she was going home and she could be away from Stephen but she would have to explain the truth to her mother. She would have to explain how she ended up claimed because there would be no way to avoid it, Stephen's scent would be all over her. But she was sure that Stephen would expect her to cook for him and what would happen if she didn't cook a good enough meal? Sadie knew she had never been a very good cook, no matter how hard she tried.

---

Sadie had blocked Stephen's phone number the moment that she had gotten inside her front door. She wanted no part in speaking to Stephen ever again. The thought of Stephen hurting her mom had been there but she knew there was no way that he could. How would he? If Stephen couldn't text her or call her, Sadie was convinced that she was safe. Surely, he wouldn't come to her school or anything ridiculous like that.

Since she was a senior, Sadie was able to leave the school for her lunch break. She had packed herself a sandwich and some grapes to eat while she relaxed under the tree in front of the school. Sadie had been wearing scarves since she got home, not wanting to show her mom the mark. She knew her mom had figured it out but she didn't want to even talk about it. Eventually the mark would fade and she could forget Stephen even existed.

Stephen sat outside of Sadie's school, his hands still tightly gripping the steering wheel. So harshly, his knuckles were turning white. His car was parked, there was no need to be wringing the steering wheel so hard, but he couldn't let go. Sadie had been ignoring his calls all weekend, sending them straight to voicemail and she hadn't answered a single text message. It wasn't about the fact that he was fearful she would get away, he knew that was impossible. He was more pissed over the fact that he didn't believe she could be so stupid.

Catching a hint of her scent, Stephen looked up to see her walked across the courtyard to take a seat under one of the large oak trees. Enjoying her lunch with a small smile on her face like nothing was wrong. He wanted to strangle her. Over the weekend, he had killed two different women, solely out of anger that was Sadie was ignoring him. And he didn't care to make her the next.

Stepping out of his car, he slammed the door and shoved his fists into his jacket pockets. He crossed the parking lot, but stopped right at the edge of the grass. He waited there for a moment, wondering if she could feel the lurking sense of danger. "Sadie," Stephen finally called, bringing his hands out of his pockets to cross over his chest. He could see how her body froze, how her scent was quickly overpowered by her fear, turning the sweet scent sour. "Had me worried," he gritted his teeth as his eyes remained fixed on her.

He saw the look in her eye. She kept looking between him and the school and he knew she was thinking about running. "Don't you dare," his voice lowered, his gaze narrowing. Barely glancing back towards his car over his shoulder, he ordered her to pack her lunch up. "Go get in the car, omega."

@ castle.

Sadie had managed to convince herself that she was safe from Stephen, that there was no way that he would come find her at school or at home. Those were the only two places she went now, not wanting to give Stephen any opportunity to find her. But she heard Stephen call her name moments after she sat down beneath the oak tree. Fear filled her as her fingers froze, digging around the little bag of grapes. Her heart skipped a beat before it began to race, tears filling her eyes as she shook her head. She pushed back against the tree as if she could disappear into it, as if she thought that Stephen would just turn around and leave her alone.

"B-But.. I.." Sadie whined, her eyes trained on the entrance of the school. If she could just reach them, she'd be safe. She knew that. But then Stephen was speaking and her blood ran cold because she knew she couldn't tell him no. When his voice dipped like that, she had to listen to him. "I have.. c-class," she tried to reason, even as she began to pack up her lunch.

Sadie raised to his feet, more and more dread filling her with dread as she neared Stephen's truck. She took a deep. breath before she climbed into the passenger seat, her bag clutched to her chest as if it would somehow protect her from Stephen's wrath. She pressed herself against the passenger door, trying to back as far from him as she could. Sadie knew she had messed up, there was no use in trying to hide from that fact.

She whimpered as Stephen climbed in, flinching at just how loud he had slammed the door.

Alone in his truck, Stephen found himself silent as he started the engine and threw it in drive. He couldn't recall ever feeling so angry. Keeping both hands on the steering wheel now served a purpose, it was keeping Sadie safe. Stephen fought the urge to reach out and grab her by her throat and strangle the life out of her, for embarrassing him, for thinking she could leave him... All because he took what he was owed. Leaving the parking lot, Stephen barely glanced back at the high school in his rearview.

"So," he finally spoke once the school was no longer in sight. "what made you think ignoring me was a good idea, hmm?" He hesitated for a second, but not long enough to let her answer. "Did you forget you're my omega?" Stephen glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, wanting to make sure she never forgot who she belonged to again. Scowling, he turned his attention back to the road, noticing a sign for the hospital. If a lightbulb could've appeared above his head, it would've. Stephen needed to scare Sadie. He thought threatening her mother would've been enough to make her behave, but no, he apparently needed to make her realize he was serious.

"Even after you told me I had to meet your mom..." He sighed, as if his feelings were really hurt. "I was looking forward to that Sadie..." Turning his head to glance at her for another second, his eyes fell on her scarf and he couldn't help the growl that quickly tore through his throat. He reached up and grabbed the hellish thing and ripped it from her neck, refusing to let her conceal his mark. "Maybe we should go give her a little visit, take her a coffee and a donut for her break. That sounds sweet right?" He tossed the scarf in the back seat before taking a left towards a little coffee shop.

@ castle.

If Sadie hadn't been freaked out before, Stephen's continued silence did her in. She hung her head, trying like hell not to completely break down. A few tears managed to escape despite her efforts. She sniffled and reached up to wipe the tears each time that they fell. She lifted her head for a brief moment when Stephen finally spoke before she dropped her head back down. She wasn't brave enough to look at him, Stephen's sent completely charred. Sadie didn't think she had ever been around someone as angry as Stephen was at that moment and it had her completely terrified. of what was about to happen. "N-No.. I-I.. I just..." Sadie whimpered, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"I-I.. needed t-time," Sadie tried to explain. "T-To get used to.. I'm sorry," Sadie's voice broke as she let out a strangled sob. She turned, looking out the window. Her attention was dragged toward Stephen when he ripped her scarf away from her neck. Her head snapped around, her eyes widening at his suggestion. "N-No!" It came out as a yelp, her eyes as wide as saucers as she stared at him.

Sadie was scrambling to come up with a reason that they couldn't go to the hospital that Stephen would accept. Was there anything that would even work? She didn't know but she had to try, wanting to keep Stephen as far from her mother as she could. "I-I.. didn't tell my mom! She had to work overtime so she wasn't home and I.. I had to be up early to go to school today. That's why I didn't get to talk to her. That's all. P-Please.. I just don't w-want to.. stress her out while she's at work, y'know?"

"Stress her out?" Stephen cut Sadie off as he pulled into the drive thru for the coffee. His foot pressing down on the brake, he turned his body so he was almost completely facing her. "To me, it seems more like you were trying to get away from me," he reached up to cup her cheek, a gentle touch that might almost make Sadie think that Stephen planned on controlling himself. "What'd you need time for? To get used to what, Sadie?" The more they spoke the more he could feel his anger spike, the heavier his scent hung in the car, burnt and unpleasant. "Need time to get used to what you're meant for?" He snapped the words at her before he pulled up in the drive thru.

Rolling his window down, he ordered a large iced coffee and a plain glazed donut, to aggravated to ask Sadie what her mom would prefer. And frankly, he didn't care. After getting the donut from the window, Stephen sat her drink down in the cup holder and the food bag between them, before he headed towards the hospital.

"So I've decided, if claiming you won't keep you loyal to me, then the next best thing is bringing me home to your mom, right?" A mischievous smile appeared on his face as he focused on the road. "That's a serious step, meeting the parents. Next you'll have to meet mine." That wasn't Stephen's exact plan, he could care less if Sadie's move approved of him or not. What he really intended to do, was scare the shit out of Sadie and so far, he seemed to be doing just that. "Did you forget what I said?" Stephen looked at her from the corner of his eye, the deviant smile falling from his face. "I will kill her, Sadie."

@ castle.

Sadie jumped at Stephen's outburst, her gaze dropping to her lap. She smoothed out the material of her shirt with shaking hands, only for her head to snap up so that she could look at him when he cupped her cheek. Her bottom lip wobbled as she whimpered, shrugging before she found the courage to actually answer him. "N-No.. I just wasn't... I wasn't ready to be claimed. That's all. It was j-just.. just a shock, alpha. Not.. not anything else," she explained lowly, her fear only growing as Stephen's scent turned. She wanted nothing more than to disappear, turning away from him when he ordered the coffee and donut for her mother. She wondered what the people in the drive-thru thought, knowing their scents would be more than evident. It would likely be an omega at the window, who probably felt some sort of sorry for Sadie because the situation was more than clear.

She had started to nod at the suggestion of meeting his parents. It wasn't something that Sadie had ever really thought of but she knew objecting at this point was useless. What she hadn't been prepared for was the threat that fell from his lips. The blood drained from her features, her breath catching in the back of her throat. She could only stare at him in disbelief, the look on his face was enough to solidify his threat. As far as she knew, Stephen had never actually killed before but Friday night, he had shown a different side of him. She had no way or knowing what he could or would do.

"P-Please. Don't.. Don't," she paused, swallowing thickly. "Do that. I'll do whatever you want, alpha. You're my alpha, of course I'm going to listen to you," she murmured, trying like hell to say whatever she thought that Stephen could possibly want to hear. If it meant keeping her mother safe, Sadie would do it. "I want to make you happy. I just.. I needed time to digest being claimed because it just.. it happened so suddenly. That's all. I swear," Sadie tried to explain, clasping her hands together in front of her.

Stephen rolled his eyes, continuing to listen to her lying until he couldn't handle it anymore. It was obvious she was just trying to say every thing he wanted to hear, but he wasn't an idiot. If Sadie had her way, she'd never see him again and he knew that. He had hoped empty threats would've been enough to keep her in line, keep her submissive, but it was clear to him Sadie would try to run any chance she got. So he needed to make sure she understood that her actions had consequences.

"If you're going to keep lying to me, just shut up, Sadie." This wasn't the relationship he wanted for them. Her crying and trying to run from him all the time, giving him migraines and forcing him to do things like this, where he had to come track her down. Stephen knew taking what he wanted from her that night would've scared her, but he didn't expect it to be this dramatic. Didn't she have any feelings for him at all? How could they have all just disappeared in one night.

Parking at the hospital, Stephen turned towards Sadie and gave her one final warning. "Dry those tears. You give anyone in this hospital, especially your mom, a reason to think you're in danger and you will regret it, omega. I want a smile on that face. Do you understand?" Forcing himself to relax, he knew their scents would give them away, so he took deep breaths to bring himself back under control. Reaching across the seats, Stephen scented the air and ran his fingers through Sadie's hair, an attempt to help her relax. Omegas were always so emotional, he knew it'd be hard for her to calm down. "This is a happy moment, were getting more serious. I'm meeting your mom," he smiled, trying to spin the situation around, even a little bit. Just for his omega.

Pressing a kiss to the side of her head, Stephen grabbed the bag and the coffee and jumped out of his truck, slamming the door shut behind him.

@ castle.

Sadie went quiet when Stephen told her to shut up, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. She reached her hand up, wiping at her tears in an effort to calm down. It seemed that despite her efforts, Stephen was still going to insist on meeting her mother and she didn't want her mother to worry, at all. When Stephen parked, Sadie only nodded her head at his words. She squeezed her eyes shut and took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She knew that the moment she stepped into the hospital if her scent betrayed how afraid she was, everyone would be swarming her. Her mother was a well-loved nurse and by extension, the staff would be protective of her. The doctors that her mother worked closely with were alphas and if they realized what was going on, they'd never let her leave with Stephen.

Stephen reaching across and scenting the air around her did wonders to help her calm. She nuzzled into his hand, wincing at just how pathetic it made her feel. She hated that she was letting Stephen calm her so ell but there was nothing that Sadie could do to stop her instincts from letting her relax. Stephen would always have control over her, whether she wanted it or not. Right now, it was important for her to give in because she was afraid for her mother's safety.

Sadie sniffled as she looked up to him, giving him a tight smile as she nodded her head. She climbed out of the trunk and was quick to smooth down the material of her shirt before she stepped up beside Stephen. she dragged in a deep breath before reaching to take his free hand. She had to look like she was happy right now, Sadie was doing her best to put on the show. "C'mon. My mom's on the labor and delivery unit," she murmured, something she was so grateful for. She hoped that all the new pups' scent would help disguise any part of their scents that hadn't calmed.

The hospital seemed pretty busy and that was another blessing Stephen would count. The more people buzzing around them, the less likely it would be for anyone to pick up on Sadie's scent. Following her through the halls, and into one of the elevators, Stephen leaned in the corner and ran his hands down his face. He was missing one of his own classes right now because he had been so pissed off and worried over Sadie that he knew it'd be impossible to focus if he went. It was imperative that he made Sadie understand sooner rather than later that she had to listen to him. He couldn't be chasing her around all the time and letting his grades suffer because of it. How would he explain to his parents he was failing because of an omega? He wouldn't let it come to that.

Perking back up when the elevator doors opened, he took Sadie's arm and gestured for her to lead them. The moment they walked by the desk, a middle age woman looked up and exclaimed for Sadie and Stephen could only guess it was her mother.

"Why aren't you in school, Sadie?" Her mom lifted to her feet and came around from the desk. Stephen could immediately see the look of worry on Sadie's face, she always so terrified of being in trouble.

Stepping up, Stephen offered the iced coffee and the donut to her mom with a brilliant smile. He sure knew how to dial up the charm and he was positive by the time they left here, her mom would adore him. "It's her lunch hour, ma'am. I picked her up from school to get her some lunch and I figured you'd probably like a pick-me-up." He dug his hands into his pockets as he looked her mom over. Sadie was almost a spitting image of the woman. "I'll have her back before her next period, promise. I'm Stephen, by the way. I've heard a lot about you."

Her mom looked down at the coffee and donut and a light blush ran across her face. She was a little shocked, having never been surprised like this before. "Oh! So you're the alpha whose been taking my daughter out!" Her mom preened, smiling because she believed everything had been going swimmingly between the two.

@ castle.

The colour drained from Sadie's face when her mother pointed out that she should have been in school. She hated the idea of being in trouble or of disappointing her mother. Skipping school would manage to do both of those things, Sadie knew so she was more than relieved when Stephen stepped in for her. A smile split her lips, leaning against Stephen's side even as he spoke to her mother. "Yeah, Stephen insisted on bringing you something since the hospital coffee is... well," Sadie tried to joke, knowing full well that her mother hated the coffee at the hospital. But when you worked twelve hours shifts that often got extended, that was all you had to rely on.

Sadie cleared her throat, reaching up to brush her fingers against her bond mark. If her mother hadn't noticed it before, she certainly would now. She knew what she was about to say could land her in trouble with Stephen if he wasn't happy with the idea but she didn't have time to discuss it with him. But if it meant putting space between her mother and Stephen, then Sadie would stomach it. "But we came by because there was something important that I needed to tell you, so.." Sadie paused to clear her throat before finishing, "I'm going to move in with Stephen. But I'm only like... twenty minutes away so I'm always going to be around," she explained, tugging her bottom lip through her teeth. She was nervous and she knew her scent was souring but of course, it would, she was telling her mother she was moving out. There was a decent reason she could use to explain away her changing scent.

"And I'll still come around for Tuesday morning pancakes," Sadie added with a firm nod of her head. Her mother and she had a long-standing tradition of pancakes on Tuesday mornings because her mom always had the day off and her first class that day was a spare so she didn't have to be to the building until later than normal.

---

When they left the hospital, Sadie fell silent. He head hung low as she followed Stephen to his truck. She was more than afraid of what he would say and do, especially given her trying to move in without even discussing it with him. Shoving her hands into her pockets, Sadie was quiet even as she climbed into the passenger side of his truck.