**Omega**
The room was dark as I sat in the corner with my knees to my chest, I had no idea what time it was, but the only thing that crossed my mind was the fact.
Iggy was not home yet.
As soon as he left the house, I returned to the room that was claimed as mine and I hadn't left.
How could I?
I barely knew the grownups.
But what I did know was that they were really nice.
It scared me because I've never been used to something as nice as this.
Mr. Montoya wouldn't allow that sort of thing, and I think that's why I'm scared to get used to this life.
What if they find me?
Will those grownups really fight to keep me here?
Will I lose Iggy as my brother if I'm taken away again?
I hugged my knees closer to my chest as my brows began to knit and the tears started to form.
I wasn't sure what it was like to have a real family.
That first family who found me turned out to be really nice, and now this family was also really nice.
Iggy treated me like a person for the first time in my life and it made me happy.
Or at least I think it did..?
I looked to the window that was closed as the dark clouds hung above the sky, I guess another storm would be coming.
That's something I've always been afraid of.
Storms.
There was nothing good about them.
They were loud, scary and at times.
Murderous.
Now that I'm looking around, I don't see a real good hiding spot to get into in case the thunder gets loud.
Will the grownups get mad if I scream over the sound of lightning?
I know Iggy said they were my parents now.
But I was scared of upsetting them.
It's all I was used to.
Was being this huge upset with nothing more than a name tag.
Eve.
Mr. Montoya and his followers never addressed me as Omega, not once, I was strictly and only Eve to them like some kind of prized jewel.
It hurt knowing I was nothing more than that.
And I think that's when they showed their true colors, that I was nothing more than some object they would use when I got older..
It sent chills up and down my body as my nails dug into the sides of my arms sitting in the corner.
I wanted to know what it was like to feel loved and held like Iggy's talked about.
He likes hugging me and it scares me, but I like the feeling it brings.
He's really nice..
My eyes fell to the window again as I sat there.
If I stay here, I'll only bring these nice people trouble, Mr. Montoya will hurt them and it will be all because of me.
Slowly, I got to my feet and made my way to the window.
All of my life, I've wanted to know what freedom felt like.
How the sun would warm my skin and how the snow would freeze me in seconds.
How ice cream tasted or how much milk I could drink without getting sick.
These were all silly thoughts I know.
But they were what made me, me.
My fingers pressed against the glass of the window as I stood there with knitted brows.
I can't stay here.
Trouble will only come and I don't want to see anyone else get hurt over me.
I wasn't worth it.
"Omega?"
My blood ran cold as the light came on in the bedroom and there the grownup stood.
I think this one was Moxie, Iggy said to call him dad and the other one papa.
But it made me nervous even considering that being an option for someone like me.
"What are you doing?" He casually asked looking at me as I stood at the window, my brows were knit as the tears reformed.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked him and it was like the question caught him off guard.
Because his hazel blue eyes grew wide looking at me.
It made him blink before he looked over his shoulder then to me with a soft smile.
"Come step away from the window, I'll make us some hot chocolate and then I'll answer that question." He told me, motioning for me to follow him out of the room I felt most comfortable being in.
I was hesitant and he could sense that based on me not moving yet.
For now, I'll call him Moxie, until I'm ready to give him the dad name like Iggy suggested.
Moxie stood there with the most patient look in his eyes.
"When you're ready to come out of the room, I'll be in the kitchen making our drinks, but only when you're ready." He told me, hesitating before he slowly turned and stepped back out of the room.
Leaving me alone.
My heart began to race from the kindness of his voice, it made my legs move as I made my way to the bedroom door.
Is this okay for me to do?
Can I really stay here and try to live a normal life with this family while knowing Mr. Montoya was out there, searching for me?
I felt like part of me deserved a break for once.
To actually see what having a family felt like.
And if Mr. Montoya can't find me.
I could be happy and I might be able to breathe again.
Hesitating, I pulled the bedroom door open and turned the light off.
Stepping out, I looked down the hallway and debated on just returning to the bedroom and ignoring the invite to hear Moxie's side on why they brought me here.
I really didn't need to know.
But I wanted to.
Frowning softly, my fingers curled into the palms of my hands as I made myself walk down the hallway and into the kitchen.
Moxie was at the stove with a kettle sitting on top of it.
He turned to me and that kind smile of his returned as well.
"Decided to take me up on the hot coco invite?" He asked.
I stared before nodding and it made him smile more.
He really was a nice guy.
"Well sit down." Moxie said taking a seat at the table as I nodded sitting across from the blond haired omega.
"You asked me why we brought you here, and the answer is simple." Moxie looked at me.
"Because we wanted to, call it a gut instinct, Magna, my mate picked it up first and that was why he said you would return here with us." He looked at me as I stared at him.
"But you don't even know me." I pointed out.
Moxie smiled softly.
"You're absolutely right, we don't know you, but we know what you are and it's exactly what Iggy is." He looked at me as I frowned softly looking away.
"Am I only here because I'm an Eve like your son?" I asked him.
Moxie frowned at that and I think it was the first time I've seen someone look as hurt as he did.
I knew the question was cruel and I didn't intend for it to come out to be.
But it was a fair question for me to ask.
"Is that what you think?" He questioned looking at me before getting to his feet to grab the kettle off the stove.
I watched him.
"Eve's are seen as nothing but objects, we're not created to live happy lives, we're created to make more of us. At least, that's what Mr. Montoya and his followers told me." I was hesitant on my words now sitting there as I watched him pour the hot milk into two glasses.
"From the day I was born, I was in that house, or at least I think I was." I looked away as Moxie walked back over, sitting a glass down in front of me with small marshmallows sitting on top of the steaming drink.
"I wasn't allowed to have a life, I was ordered to obey and to accept my role in this life." The tears returned sitting there as I stared at my drink that was melting the marshmallows.
"Mr. Montoya said I was born special but that I wasn't special." The tears slipped sitting there as I frowned.
"So I don't understand how life works." I looked at him as more tears slid past my eyes.
"I don't understand how to feel happy, or why I'm over emotional from something as silly as running out of marshmallows, but its the small things that really hurt me because up until now, I've been told to deal with it and to get over the pain I feel." I looked back at my drink frowning.
"I've never been shown kindness except through Mitchie, and he's dead now." I said that part more coldly than I wanted but it was true.
"He was my first and only friend, he would sneak me snacks late at night, just to get found out and hurt the next day." I frowned softly.
"But he always had a smile on his face when he was around me." I looked at Moxie.
"He was kind, like you and your family are, and I'm terrified you're all going to get hurt because I managed to escape." I looked away as more tears fell.
"I feel like I'm suffocating from not being able to express how I feel and it's because I've been shut up for my whole life." I frowned softly looking out the kitchen window.
"You asked me if we brought you here only because you were an Eve like Iggy." Moxie looked at me as I made myself look at him.
"I can answer that question because it's so simple Omega, especially after hearing that." Moxie smiled softly.
"We didn't bring you here because of what you are, we brought you here because every child deserves a real chance at life, and that's exactly what you are. I can't promise we will always be this picture perfect family, every family has its ups and downs but that's reality." He took a sip of his drink.
"Growing up, I've never cared about fame, reputation or having something that screamed attention because it was never me. I wanted to live my life the way I wanted to, and because I chose my own road to walk down. I found my mate, I found real happiness and we had a beautiful son together, I've always wanted to give Iggy more than he deserves because he means that much to us." Moxie smiled softly.
"He's always wanted more siblings, pets and just whatever grabs his attention, you know a typical boy." He smiled at me as I tilted my head looking at him.
"You couldn't give him more siblings?"
There was this sadness that appeared in Moxie's eyes as he looked away for a moment.
"We could, but a lot happened during the time I was pregnant with him and after he was born, more things happened. I won't share that story right now, because I'm not ready to say it out loud." He looked at me.
"But we've always been ready to adopt kids, we just haven't made any kind of special trips like the one we just recently made for Iggy to get away from Crossroads, so you are technically our first adopted child." He smiled softly looking at me.
"And I don't have a single regret bringing you into my home and claiming you as my son, you'll always be Iggy's first brother and I really think that makes him happy." He told me.
It made my heart race hearing that.
"What will happen if Mr. Montoya returns here for me, or tries to hurt Iggy to get to me? You'll surrender me to him to keep Iggy safe right?" It was the hardest question I never wanted to ask, but I needed to know the answer.
Moxie was quiet as he sat there, he took a second drink before his eyes fell off of me and behind where I was sitting.
"What will happen, Magna?" Moxie asked as my blood ran cold turning around and found Magna standing there with two other guys with him.
One was an inch shorter with brown hair and blue eyes, while the other was taller than both with blond hair and green eyes.
"If that man were to return here in demand of having you handed over, or if he threatens my family which includes you now in anyway?" Magna smirked softly walking into the room with his arms crossed.
"He'll be dealt with just as our last problems were dealt with, no one will come here. I don't tolerate threats, not then and most certainly not now. I honestly don't know what the three of us walked in on just now, but I want you to know." Magna walked right up to me, kneeling down in front of me with the same kindness in his green eyes.
"You'll always be safe here Omega, you are family, my second son. You, Iggy and Moxie will always come before my needs and my wants, your safety will always be my top priority, that is what being family means. Putting your loved ones before everything else as long as it means keeping them safe." He smiled softly looking at me.
"Until the time comes and that's if it even does, I want you to live your life here with us and once you're ready. You can start going to school with Iggy, so you can work on a social life and actually enjoy things better. No one in my family is giving you up without a fight, our friends won't either, so I want you to promise me going forward." He reached up and brushed his fingers through the front of my hair.
"That you'll start trying to live your own life, you're still a kid with a lot of growing up to do." He smirked softly.
"And you have to start somewhere." He told me.
"Even if it's drinking hot coco with your dad while the skies about to fall." He said.
I stared at him frowning softly.
"Can you promise me that, Omega?" Magna smiled softly tilting his head looking at me.
It was such an easy answer.
The tears slipped and for the first time in forever.
I managed to smile.
"I promise."