Chapter 222: Longing
Felix stood behind one of the stone pillars of the Remiro estate, concealed in the shadows as he watched the scene unfold in the garden. The late afternoon sun cast golden hues over the vast, meticulously maintained grounds, illuminating the field where Thorne, Noelle, and their daughter, little Mimi, played together.
Lush greenery surrounded them—towering oak trees providing ample shade, the trimmed hedges forming an elegant labyrinth of nature, and flower beds bursting with color. The soft scent of blooming roses lingered in the air, carried gently by the breeze. It was an idyllic scene, one that should have felt like nothing more than another moment in the life of the Remiro estate.
And yet, Felix couldn’t help but feel an unfamiliar, unwelcome emotion tighten around his chest. A feeling he hadn’t allowed himself in years.
Envy.
He had always despised his omega nature. It had been a burden, an anchor that tethered him to the whims of stronger, crueler alphas in his youth. In the village where he was born, his designation had meant one thing—subjugation. He was not a person. He was a thing to be owned, controlled. And when the truth of his suffering became unbearable, he had done what he did best—he took control.
He poisoned them.
One by one.
And then he fled, leaving behind the horror of his past, carving a new life for himself where no one would ever see him as prey again.
Joining Thorne had been a calculated decision. A necessary one. The war-ravaged world had no place for weaklings, and Felix had never been one, no matter what biology dictated. The sentinels had taken him in, not as an omega, but as a warrior, a poisoner, an invaluable asset to their ranks. They had respected him, relied on him—not as a breeding stock, but as a fellow soldier.
It had been everything he had ever wanted.
Until one night, during his first heat in years, he had broken his own rules.