Page 13 of Let It Snow (Eden’s Omegaverse #7)

I stay quiet for a moment, thoughtful. I also feel a faint shadow of hope. If he could go through that kind of suffering and still end up with a beautiful, fulfilled life, maybe I can move past my own history too?

That perspective gives me a measure of peace.

For exactly ten seconds.

And as quickly as it appears, it dissolves.

Because I’m not him.

I carry a burden he never had; people want things from me. My power. So all I can do now is envy him. I want to have the kind of life he has: normal family life, surrounded by children, with a loving husband. He still seems to be the true heart of this family, even though his sons have left home.

But these dreams seem a million miles away. They’re just not my reality. I’m a damn sorcerer, living in secrecy, isolated, with a tangled, dark past.

Still, I give him a small nod, and Lake’s face brightens again.

"I’d like you to stay with us as long as you want, even forever, Summer. We’ll keep you safe, though from what I’ve heard about your power from Sun, you’re probably the one who could protect us rather than the other way around." He smiles, teasing a little.

What can I say? Something stirs at the back of my mind, but it’s not time to dig into it yet. I leave it for later.

"Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to the store? Just you and me?"

Well… I hesitate, then suddenly decide. A plunge into the deep end? I’m not a fan of crowds, and this time it’s the middle of the day, not night like before, but there are a few things I want.

It may sound vain, but I just don’t want to walk around in old T-shirts and sweatpants. I don’t want harsh, soapy toiletries, or plain white underwear. Maybe I want to look… good. For myself, not for a certain someone, of course.

Which means I have to push through the stress.

Slowly, I nod.

His smile widens again. I have to admit I like his energy; it really helps. When I’m near him, it feels like stepping into a sphere of soft pink light.

"Then go get changed, and I’ll meet you in the living room in fifteen minutes."

As he leaves, a wave of anxiety rises inside me. I step into the bathroom, braid my hair, and wrap it into a crown around my head. Once again, I put on Nathaniel’s baseball cap.

From the clothes Lake brought me, I pick a dark lilac T-shirt and black sweatpants.

They’re a little too long, but the cuffs at the ankles make them manageable.

His shoes are two sizes too big, but that’s fine.

I’ll get new ones. After all, I’m starting from scratch, rebuilding everything from the ruins and blurry shadows.

I glance at my reflection. An oval face with delicate features stares back at me, eyes mismatched: one silver, one gold. My caramel hair frames it, slightly shadowed by the cap. They have a color similar to fudge candy.

For a moment I try making funny faces, smiling, frowning, but the signals from my brain reach my muscles sluggishly, like wading through mud. Eventually I give up, step out of the bathroom, and feel my heart speed up as I brace myself for being around more people.

Luckily, for now the living room isn’t too crowded.

Besides Lake, only two others are there: the beta, Jordan, and… Snow.

Our eyes meet. He’s dressed all in dark, his hair falling loosely around his face, the pale strands contrasting with his graphite-colored shirt.

The long-sleeve clings to the muscles of his arms, and I can’t resist sneaking a glance at his abs, their definition perfectly visible even through the fabric.

Wow, he’s sexy without even trying.

And he smiles when he sees me. Just subtly, almost unconsciously.

Heat rushes through my body. I freeze at the bottom of the stairs, but Lake notices and calls out immediately.

"Come here, sweetheart. Want a bite before we go?"

I slowly shake my head.

Lake glances toward Snow.

"Summer, you haven’t been officially introduced to my son just yet. This is Snow, my third son, and the oldest of the alphas."

How awkward. Such a formal introduction, almost like a bit of a celebration. Obviously Lake either doesn't know or pretends not to know that we already… met, more than once.

I notice a very slight tension about him, when his gaze jumps between me and Snow, and he makes a tiny, teasing smile.

Yep, he did it on purpose; now I’m sure of it.

I shift on my feet and look away, not daring to meet Snow's eyes under such intense scrutiny from Lake and even Jordan. They seem to be trying to gauge my reaction to him, so I try not to show anything significant.

And just then, through the glass patio doors, I see my brother Ragnar approaching, holding Sun’s hand.

Ugh, even more people! Wanting to make myself less visible, I slip into one of the dining chairs.

But my brother doesn’t fall for it; he beams at me.

"I’m glad you came out, Summer!"

"We’re going shopping with Summer," Lake announces.

Ragnar raises his brows and nods, and Sun smiles widely.

My brother pulls something from his pocket.

"Perfect timing. My gift for you just came. A phone! You can use it for payments too."

Wow, a really thoughtful present, that's for sure.

My brother shows me the screen. "From what our parents said, your account was with West Bank. I already downloaded the banking app for you. You can log in."

For a moment my brain freezes as I stare at the phone, wondering what happened to the old one. Did Anzo Ferro seize it?

My fingers slide over the screen as I strain to recall my password. Luckily, I once set it to a combination of my birthday, Moon’s, and Ragnar’s. That familiar pattern makes it easier to retrieve through the fog.

Ragnar sits beside me as we watch the app log in.

I blink in shock when the account balance appears.

Twenty million dollars.

What? Wow. I’m rich. How come?

"Holy shit," Ragnar mutters. "Has Anzo been depositing money into your account all this time?"

He leans closer. "Looks like it. These are regular transfers coming in."

I stay silent. I don’t remember my husband, the mafia boss, Anzo Ferro. Damn, even the word alone sounds crazy. This man is like a shadow flickering in the darkest corners of my mind. A face in a photograph I saw on the net.

Ragnar glances at Sun, who also stares wide-eyed.

But what I’m most afraid of is checking Snow’s reaction, even though I want to know it.

How does it all look? Strange, for sure. Maybe he thinks I’m some trashy mafia fanboy who agreed to marry a mobster and was paid for sex?

Ragnar studies the transfer history along with Sun.

"Summer is still legally married to him. It really looks like Anzo’s been sending part of his income. I’m not sure why, but maybe there was a prenup involved."

They both glance at me, but I don’t answer. I don’t even remember being married, and surely nothing about a prenup.

Sun sighs, crossing his arms.

"After everything Summer went through, that bastard should pay him a lot more. But either way, twenty million is still a solid sum. A small compensation for everything he’s endured." He says it, addressing it mostly to Lake and Snow, who stand nearby, as I stubbornly stare at the screen.

I'm tempted to ask Sun about the details of my abuse, but at the same time, I don’t want him to say too much in front of Snow. Some horrible details that could turn him away…

My fingers rise instinctively to my neck, slip under the collar of my T-shirt, and find the rough patch on my chest, the scars left by the electric collar, the mark of the shocks.

But that’s not all. While I was in the shower, I also discovered a network of scars on my back, looking like whip marks. That’s definitely not something to ask about in front of the Nolans.

So, I just swallow hard and stay silent.

Ragnar turns his head toward me.

"You’ve got mobile payments set up, Summer. You can buy whatever you need just by tapping your phone."

I keep staring at the display, strangely hypnotized by the number.

The man who kidnapped me and forced me into marriage has transferred money to my account? For what purpose? It doesn’t seem real. But I have no idea what the original circumstances were. I can only assume something at the start made him decide to send me part of his money. Did I resist? Who knows.

Ragnar stands up and stretches. He leans to Sun and pulls him close with a soft gesture, and I catch the look they share, a spark of passion flickering between them.

Only after a moment does he turn back to me and say,

"To sum it up, it’s not the worst news. At least you won’t have to ask anyone for money. You can get in a car you buy yourself and drive to the other side of the world whenever you want."

He smiles to himself, as if the idea of setting out for the other side of the world sounds especially tempting. To me it feels unsettling, and I instinctively glance at Snow.

He’s been watching us this whole time. He’s leaning against the table, arms folded, the shape of his biceps bulging under his shirt. He looks completely relaxed, like none of this conversation stirred any kind of reaction in him. Or does he just mask it?

Our eyes meet. I can’t even name what it does to me.

A strange shiver runs through my spine, and I want either to keep staring or crawl under the table.

Instead I scold myself silently: Have some dignity, Summer.

There's no way around it, you have to face it all, take it all in. You can’t escape your past.

Lake steps closer, like he’s been waiting for the conversation to end.

"Summer and I are heading to the mall downtown, so we should get going if we want to make it before the worst traffic," he says, looking at me but addressing the others.

I can tell he's stopping himself from slipping an arm around me. He must have noticed that the only touch I accept is the kind I start myself, so instead he just makes a small motion toward the door.

I get up, head lowered, and follow him out of the room, aware of Sun’s, Ragnar’s, and Snow’s eyes on me as I leave.