Page 9 of In Bellamira's Chains

Hazelle

Dinner was delicious. I hadn’t expected them to bring so many varieties of fruit. I would have been happy with some strawberries or oranges. Besides those, they gave me mango, kiwi, blackberries, and star fruit. They also made me the best grilled cheese I had ever tasted, and I would happily eat one every day.

I pushed it, though, and was now in pain. I wasn’t used to eating so much, and my stomach hurt. I curled in on myself as we sat on the floor in front of the table by the fireplace.

In reality, I didn't eat that much. I had a piece or two of each fruit and maybe a fourth of the grilled cheese. For anyone else, that would have been a snack. For me, it was a day’s worth of food at times.

Elera had been watching me and warned me to not eat too much, but I didn’t even know my limits. I tried to eat slowly, but even then, it wasn’t enough.

“Hazelle?” Elera kneeled beside me, gripping my shoulder. “Did you eat too much? Do you need to lie down?”

I nodded, and that small motion made it worse.

“Okay, let’s get you into bed, then.” With Elera’s help—her carrying me from my spot on the floor to the bed—I was able to crawl in under the covers and curl into myself even more.

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but eventually, Elera slid in behind me and rubbed my back until my body relaxed, and I fell asleep.

This was unlike anything I could have dreamt for myself, and if I didn’t feel her skin on mine, I would assume it was all a mirage, my mind playing a mean trick on me, but thankfully, it was real, and it was mine.

The next morning came all too quickly. I started to stretch but felt someone behind me. I gasped, then everything from last night came back to me, and I realized it was Elera. Her arm was slung over my middle, and her entire front was smashed into my back. I felt her soft breath tickling the nape of my neck and settled back down, letting my body relax once again.

This room was similar to Mistress Belle’s, but everything was in shades of gray and blue with hints of green and yellow. It was so calming and reminded me of Elera. Both of the rooms were very much like their owners, and I wondered what mine would look like.

Elera’s presence was helping me come back to who I was, but I never had the freedoms that she seemed to have. Even with my parents, I was to be seen and not heard, wasn’t allowed to cause a ruckus or have too much fun, and I was trained to be a good Omega, which meant my Alpha owner’s opinion was law and my thoughts were pointless and useless.

How was I to fully decide what I liked? I knew what I didn’t, so at least that was a start. I liked green because of Elera’s eyes, and the blue in here was pretty too, but was it me? Could I have Eleradecide for me? Maybe we should wait until I knew myself more, knew what I liked instead of simply what I didn’t.

Elera stirred behind me, hugging me closer to her warm body. Her arm wound around and slid under my side, holding me hostage. Her nose nuzzled into my neck, and she sighed, but I didn’t think she was awake yet.

I felt the blush coat my cheeks and tried to keep my pheromones in check, but I was never very good at that.

“Hazelle?” Elera asked groggily as she pushed up onto her elbow and looked down at me. I knew the room smelled of a mix of lust and anxiety.

“I’m okay.” My voice was quiet as I pulled a pillow over my head to hide.

“Hazelle…” Elera set her chin on my shoulder and waited.

“I’m okay. Just embarrassed.” My voice was muffled by the pillow, but I hoped she heard me.

“Embarrassed about what?”

“My pheromones.” It was easier to confess things if I didn’t have to look her in the eye. It was as if I was speaking to an empty room if I couldn’t see her.

“They seem to be working fine. Do you not like others to know how you’re feeling?” Elera sat up and crawled over me so she was in front of me now. “It’s just me, Hazelle. Did you think I’d be upset that I could smell your lust?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be. Would you be upset if you smelled mine?”

I tugged the pillow up and looked at her like she was crazy, her mess of curly hair all out of sorts. “Of course not!”

She raised a brow at me and smiled. “So why would it be any different for you?”

I sat up, hugging the pillow. “I’ve never been good at controlling it, but it’s gotten worse.”

Elera harumphed. “That’s because you weren’t taken care of. Either way, you won’t get in trouble for it here. Plus, I think I like the idea of knowing when you want me or our mistress. I’m sure she will think the same.” She leaned forward and kissed me.

I gasped as she pulled away with a bright smile on her lips. The blush crept back into place. “Would you like me to kiss you some more?”