Page 3 of The Runaway

“We’ve been trying to bond for nearly a year,” Niles protested. “We must be getting close by now.”

Antoine didn’t even blink. “And when you have succeeded, Baron Felix Bardet will affirm the bond, and after that, she’ll be allowed to sit at this table. Until then, she is your personal omega and nothing more.”

Niles opened his mouth to argue, but Antoine fixed him with a steely look and pointed his fork at him. “This is not an appropriate topic of conversation in front of our guest. Gabriel has had a long journey, and I’m sure he has no wish to listen to a squabble on internal family politics.”

Was Antoine trying to spare him the embarrassment, or was it because he didn’t want to share private matters with an outsider? Gabriel decided to test the waters, prepared to offer an apology if it became apparent he was out of line. “You’re attempting to bond with your personal omega?” he asked, trying to sound casual about it.

Niles smiled. “We’re trying to. It’s hard to know exactly how that’s supposed to work, though. No one really knows how a bonding happens.”

“I’d been led to believe it was something that happened by itself,” Gabriel said. “I’ve never heard of anyone deliberately attempting to manufacture a bond.”

“It’s not an exact science,” Antoine said. “But there are a number of criteria that make it more likely. Love and trust are vital, of course, but so is an exclusive mating relationship between the alpha and the omega. An alpha as young as Niles wouldn’t normally have a personal omega, but I decided to grant Adalene the position when Niles insisted he’d like to bond with her. He’s been quite taken with her ever since he presented as an alpha.” There was an indulgent smile on Antoine’s lips, and his tolerance of the idea was likely a product of his own bonding, a somewhat idealised view on what a relationship between an alpha and an omega could look like.

“That’s very generous of you,” Gabriel said. “And Adalene is in favour of bonding with Niles?”

As far as maintaining a politely casual façade, Gabriel knew immediately that he’d failed. Antoine set down his fork, fixing Gabriel with an unreadable look. “There aren’t many alphas in the world who are overly concerned with what an omega wants,” he said carefully. “I’m intrigued that that’s one of your first questions on the subject.”

Gabriel glanced at Dante, who was watching him with a wary curiosity. So far he’d said nothing during the meal, though he’d clearly been paying close attention to the conversation. Gabriel wondered how best to answer the question. The more he learned about Antoine, the more he respected him, but even so, his own views on the role of omegas in society might well be more extreme than even those of a bonded alpha.

“According to the rumours, a bonding can only occur if that love and respect is very much a mutual thing. It would be disappointing for Niles to put in so much effort if the omega in question wasn’t willing to be bonded.” It was a very middle-of-the-road sort of reply, Gabriel not quite willing to put all his cards on the table just yet.

Antoine nodded. “You’ll find out fairly quickly that we treat our omegas somewhat differently from the average estate. Which is something I’ve been meaning to discuss with you, actually, though I thought I’d let you rest for the afternoon. But there are a number of rules on the estate that you may find somewhat odd. My father believed that treating omegas with kindness and respect would earn him far more loyalty than maintaining discipline with strict rules and harsh punishments, and I’ve wholeheartedly attempted to continue that standpoint since I became master of the house. I take the time to listen to the omegas’ concerns, and as far as possible, to make sure they’re comfortable and well cared for. If any of the omegas is rude to you or refuses your instructions, I’d appreciate it if you’d bring the issue to me, rather than disciplining them yourself. All of our omegas are treated with a high level of respect. They are not to be struck for any reason, and I will not tolerate any of them being mated roughly. They are not to be taken more than twice in any given day, and if any of them expresses discomfort with a mating, I would encourage you to find a different partner. Any of them are available to be mated – aside from Dante and Adalene, of course – but even so, that does not give you free rein to do exactly as you wish, at any time.” The words were both polite and stern, and Gabriel took no offence to the implicit warning.

“To be honest, it’s a relief to hear you say that,” he said, meeting Antoine’s gaze directly. “The omegas in the army were treated harshly, and I have absolutely no desire to inflict any form of suffering on the ones on this estate.” What he didn’t go so far as to say was that he had no intention of mating with any of the omegas here, now or ever. The very idea of so much as touching an omega made him feel physically sick. But to say so would no doubt lead to some very pointed and unwelcome questions, so he decided to simply agree with Antoine’s conditions and leave the rest unsaid.

“Treated harshly how?” Dante asked, and Gabriel detected an undertone of anger in his voice. His gaze drifted to the scars on Dante’s face. Given his relationship with Antoine, Gabriel couldn’t believe for one moment that Antoine had inflicted them, which meant that someone else had, presumably before he’d been bought by this estate.

“In all the ways that an omega can be. I’m sure you’ve heard enough rumours to know what that might look like.” He felt a slight tremor run through his body, and he forcibly shut out the memories. Down that path lay madness. He concentrated on his meal, though he barely tasted the food he put in his mouth.

“How was your trip from Paris?” Antoine said. It was a blatant attempt at changing the subject, and one for which Gabriel was very grateful.

“It rained for the first day, which wasn’t ideal, since I was traveling in an open cart at the time. But after that, the weather fined up. But the further into the countryside you go, the worse the roads get. I thought my teeth were going to be shaken out of my skull at one point.” Did he have to sound so miserable about everything he said? “This part of the country is beautiful,” he added, trying to put a positive spin on things. “We stopped at a winery on our way through Montargis. I should have brought you a bottle. I’m sorry, I didn’t think of it at the time. But the wine was absolutely divine.”

“What’s Paris like?” Lucas asked, sounding excited. “It must be amazing, with so many nobles, and the carriages and the palace.” Young as he was, it was likely he’d never travelled further than the nearest major town.

“Paris is a blessing on the rich and famous and a curse on everyone else,” Gabriel said. “Where there’s wealth, there’s poverty. Dukes and barons store mountains of grain in their barns, while beggars starve in the streets. It’s a brutal fight to take as much as you can from everyone else, and then hold onto it, and never let them have anything back in return. If you want my advice, you’d do well to stay as far away from Paris as you can.” So much for having a positive outlook on life.

It had clearly not been the response Lucas was looking for. His face fell, and he frowned down at his plate. “Oh, well, I… Um… Oh.”

Gabriel glanced at Antoine, who seemed unsurprised by his description of the city, and then over to Dante again. A sly smile was on the omega’s face. Dante nudged Antoine. “I get the feeling Gabriel’s going to fit in here rather well,” he said.

“Shh,” Antoine admonished him. But there was the faintest of smiles on his face as he said it.

???

Lying in his bed that night, Gabriel sighed as sleep once more eluded him. The smooth cotton sheets felt odd against his bare skin, the mattress too soft for someone used to sleeping on hard ground. The evening meal sat heavily in his gut, and though he was grateful for the numbing effects of the wine he’d drunk, he would have needed far more than a single glass to silence the ghosts that haunted him.

He closed his eyes, then immediately opened them again, scenes of death and screams of pain assaulting him the instant he let his mind wander.

It all felt so… wrong. The spacious house, the luxurious bedroom, the staff so eager to wait on him. He didn’t deserve it. Any of it. He’d stood by and watched while omegas were slaughtered in their hundreds and this house was treating him like some damned hero. Carolyn had been studiously attentive, arranging a hot bath, taking his clothes away to be washed, offering him tea and biscuits. When he’d emerged from his bedroom in the late afternoon, he’d found an omega and asked where he might find Antoine, and instead of simply pointing him in the right direction, the omega – Henry was his name – had dropped what he was doing, taken him to the study, and then offered to bring him and Antoine an aperitif before dinner.

None of it made any sense.

Gabriel tossed the sheets off himself, staring up at the ceiling blankly. It was past midnight and he had yet to sleep a wink. If the rest of the night continued this way, he’d be a wreck in the morning. But sleeping in this room, in this bed, was not an option. The blankets were smothering him, the walls closing in around him.

He got up and dressed quietly in the darkness, then let himself out of the room, making his way down to the front door. He stepped outside, breathing in great gulps of the cool night air. It was better out here, the fresh air and the open space clearing his head a little. If only he could sleep out here. But the night would be cold, the last dregs of summer fading quickly, and the staff would be up early. They’d be horrified to find their guest asleep on the front step, no doubt blaming themselves for not providing a good enough bed or thinking they’d somehow failed to accommodate his needs.

But if he couldn’t sleep inside, then where could he go?