The Mafia Don's Omega

Chapter 4: O-16

I tossed and turned on the bed, grateful but unfamiliar with its soft texture. The lights were off now, but there was still some illumination from the glass window.

Giving up on sleep, I got up from the bed and walked over to the window. Outside, a huge circular object was high in the night sky, bathing everything in soft blue hues.

Beautiful. I couldn't remember when I last saw the moon or how I even recognized it. My memories were still blurry, the constant pain occupying most of my mind. But as my eyes devoured the sight, I felt the familiar tug in my chest. My hand hovered above my heart, and I silently prayed to whoever might be listening to guide me on this new path.

***

Clinking glasses and silverware filled the room as a servant rolled the food tray outside. I had just finished lunch and was silently lounging in the room.

It had been a week already since I last saw Alistair and his brothers. It was another privilege that I regained, knowing the time and days. I believed they needed something from me based on the abundance of their questions, and I thought I would meet them soon. But surprisingly, I was left alone, aside from Annetta's company.

Annetta introduced herself as my maid attendant, although I had no idea what that meant. She simply explained that she would help me with anything that I would need. For the most part, I just listen to her stories.

"The Don is a very powerful alpha. He once defeated a whole rival pack by himself!" Annetha gushed while recounting another one of Alistair's feats.

I found her tales helpful in getting to know the people who retrieved me from The Shadow. However, with every story Annetta told, I grew somber and dejected. For some reason, I yearned for their presence. I tried to blame it for my lack of social interaction for the past several years.

'Is Alistair good with his people?' I wrote on the notepad Annetta provided for me and showed it to her.

Annetta looked up as if thinking over her answer. "That depends. He can be ruthless if needed, but you have nothing to worry about as long as you don't cause any trouble."

My brows furrowed in concern. I might have already caused trouble for Alistair.

'Then I should worry about my safety.' I wrote again. Then, on second thought, I added a question mark to my statement.

Laughing, Annetta patted my arm affectionately. "Silly! You? Worried about safety? Honestly, you're the safest person in this whole pack."

'Why?' I asked her.

"It's because you're their-"

Annetta's sentence was cut off when the door suddenly opened. The man with the fiery red hair swaggered inside the room. Ezio smiled at Annetta, and I noticed the distinctive malice shining in his eyes.

"Such a talkative little bird. Should I pluck your feathers with my claws, Annetta?" Ezio asked, his casual tone belying his intentions.

Annetta blanched and shook her head. "I apologize, consigliere."

"You may leave."

Annetta shot me one last look with a reassuring smile, but I could see it was forced. She quickly left the room and closed the door behind her. Ezio folded his arms over his chest and remained staring at me while I tried my best to look anywhere but his eyes.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Did you miss us?" Ezio smirked. His words sounded fond, but his behavior showed otherwise.

I played with the pen and thought of a proper answer, but it seemed Ezio's patience had run out. He turned around and opened the door.

"Follow me." He said over his shoulder.

I debated whether to obey him or not, eventually choosing the former out of fear of the consequences of disobedience.

***

The mansion was huge, and our footfalls echoed throughout the cavernous hallway. Paintings of various motifs hang on the walls, and crystal chandeliers cover the entire space with sparkling lights. The furniture and fixtures looked old but well-maintained: an immortalization of family heritage.

Breathing hard, I tried to keep pace with Ezio. He was much taller than me and walked much faster. It had been a long time since I'd done much physical activity, and I was starting to tire out.

Ezio huffed when he noticed me lagging behind. Thankfully, he slowed down the rest of the way, although his foul mood didn't change.

We crossed an archway and walked to a beautifully manicured garden outside the mansion. It was like an oasis amidst the man-made structures encircling it. The air was so fresh, and the flowers were in full bloom. I could even see some butterflies fluttering in between the flora.

Ezio led me deeper into the garden until we reached a hedge maze. From there, we walked until we reached the middle, where a fountain of leaping dolphins proudly stood. Four benches were placed in each hedge corner surrounding it.

Ezio sat down on one of the benches while I tried to be inconspicuous and looked around.

"You can sit, too," he said with an eyebrow raised. I hurried to follow his implied command and bowed my head.

Silence stretched between us, broken only by the intermittent water bubbling from the fountain. Subconsciously, I began scribbling the numbers that I started counting on the paper.

I had reached a hundred when Ezio spoke. "Why do you always count?"

I flipped the notepad to write on a clean page. 'To keep track of time.'

"That can't be accurate."

'That's all I can do.'

There was another length of silence, and then Ezio cleared his throat. "O-16. Is it really all your name is?"

I nodded. That was what The Shadow had always called me.

"You should pick a new one. Your current name is ugly," Ezio said as he propped his elbow on the bench's backrest.

'Can I just change my name?'

"Yeah, sure, why not?"

I followed Ezio's gaze and noticed a butterfly perched on a flower. It had the most saturated color of petals among the others, and I was quickly drawn to it.

'Violet. Is that okay?'

Ezio read what I had written, then shrugged. "Eh, much better than O-16." Then he looked at me. "It matches the colors of your eyes, too."

Feeling that Ezio was in a giving mood, I wondered if I could try my luck in asking him questions. I glanced at Ezio, thinking if he would answer me. Our eyes met briefly once more, and I quickly looked away.

"Dammit. I won't bite. Why do you have to be so flighty?" I heard him muttering. "Whatever it is, just ask."

Feeling that my courage wouldn't last, I hastily wrote, 'Why did you get me out of the darkroom?'

"Would you rather stay there?"

I quickly shook my head. I was still unsure of my place here, but I would never willingly go back to that room of darkness.

Ezio shrugged. "I'll tell you why when you've earned the answer. Any other questions?"

My shoulders slumped when I heard his reply, but I tried to regain my composure. It was expected, anyway. Thinking about what my next question could be, I remembered another name they called me. 'Omega' was a new one, but I also didn't know what it meant. 'What is an omega?'

Ezio's face crumpled in annoyance, and I thought he would ignore my question, but he eventually answered. "It's a pack designation. Omegas are the only ones who can bear an alpha's child. Do you know anything about wolf shifters?"

I shook my head.

Rolling his eyes, Ezio further slouched on the bench, his eyes trained on the fountain. "Wolf shifters are grouped by packs, and each pack has an omega. Ideally, a pack will be matched by its fated mate, but omegas are becoming rare. Packs now usually just accept any omega, fated or not."

Ezio turned to look at me, and I rapidly blinked my eyes as I processed the onslaught of information. He gave me a blank look. "You're welcome for the crash course."

"Well, then, Violet," Ezio said, and my eyes lighted up at hearing my new name. He noticed it, and a ghost of a grin touched his lips. "I didn't bring you here for no reason."

I gave Ezio a questioning look. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flask, opened it, and drank. A burnished brown droplet of liquid stained his lips before his tongue licked it clean. After that, he offered the flask to me.

'What is this?'

"Liquid courage. Let's see what you have. Maybe it'll help with the memories. Maybe not."

I accepted the flask and looked down at the swirling liquid inside of it.

"Either way, this will be hella fun. And entertaining." Ezio smiled and jutted his chin towards me. "Drink, omega."