As soon as the door shut behind his adoptive parents, Elias let out a slow breath. He remained seated, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the rough grain of the wooden table. Their visit hadn't unsettled him in the way they probably intended—it wasn't fear that lingered in his chest, but unease.
They had come for a reason.
And it wasn't because they cared.
Elias closed his eyes, replaying their words in his mind. His father's sharp, searching gaze. His mother's false concern. Their carefully chosen questions.
They hadn't asked if he was happy. They hadn't even tried to take him back.
They had only wanted to confirm something.
But before he could unravel their motives further, a sharp knock startled him.
He barely had time to register it before the door swung open.
He expected a soldier. Maybe even one of the guards stationed outside his room.
But instead, it was the Alpha.
Elias stiffened instinctively, lowering his gaze as if caught doing something he shouldn't have been. The Alpha didn't speak right away, but his presence filled the room, heavy and commanding.
"They were in a hurry to leave," the Alpha finally said.
Elias swallowed and nodded slowly. "Yes."
"They didn't ask to take you back."
Elias hesitated, then shook his head. "No."
The Alpha exhaled, as if unsurprised. He took a step closer, his gaze never leaving Elias. "You're smart enough to know why they came."
Elias kept his face blank. "I… I think they just wanted to check on me."
The Alpha scoffed, crossing his arms. "They wanted to see if you were still worth keeping alive."
Elias didn't react, but his heart pounded at how close the Alpha was to the truth.
The Alpha studied him for a long moment, then pushed off the table and turned toward the door. Elias thought he was about to leave when—
"Elias."
The sound of his name, spoken in the Alpha's voice, sent a jolt through him.
It was the first time.
Until now, the Alpha had never addressed him directly by name. It was always "the Omega," "him," or nothing at all.
Elias looked up, startled despite himself.
The Alpha smirked slightly, as if he had noticed the reaction. "Get some rest."
And then he was gone.
Elias exhaled slowly, still feeling the weight of his own name in the air. It was a small thing. A single word.
But coming from the Alpha, it felt like a warning.
Or worse—like acknowledgment.
And that was dangerous