Page 22 of The Other Omega

“How did you sleep?” She took the tray from Lysa and gestured for her to leave us.

“Much better, actually,” I said, watching her set the tray on the bed. It held a tea set with a kettle of herbal tea, along with nuts and fruit.

“Any pain?”

Yes.

“No.”

She smiled and squeezed my hand. “I’m so pleased to hear that.”

“But no memories yet,” I told her before she could ask.

Something sad flickered in her eyes, and her scent changed slightly. Since waking up, I’d developed what I could only describe as a supernatural sense of smell.

“I’m all right. It’s just a mild headache. I don’t know what it is, but I keep smelling things.” I stopped, realising how that sounded. “Not sniffing, more like⁠—”

“Scenting,” Nora had said.

“Yes! That’s it. Everything smells so strong now. All sorts of smells too.”

Eleanor had cried and hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe. “It’s an Omega trait, Elowen. It becomes acute after presenting, but you’ll learn to live with it.”

“I’m sorry, Mum. I know how much you want me to remember. I wish I could too.”

“No, Elowen. There’s no need to apologise. I’m only glad that you’re well now.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Seeing that you no longer believe your delusions are real means far more to me than recovering your memory. You’ve found your way back to us, and that’s all that matters.”

“Thank you, Mum.” I swallowed. “I just wish I could take it all back. That I could just—” I sighed and gave her a sad smile. “Go back in time and never do whatever I did to make myself like this. The delusions felt so real at the time. There was so much detail…” I shook my head. “I still can’t believe it.”

“Your fathers and I have wondered about that too. The level of detail was extraordinary, but then you’ve always excelled at everything you do.”

I laughed. “Thanks?”

She laughed too, then handed me a small plate filled with nuts and pineapple. “Now, in other matters, Mireya will be coming today for a follow-up examination.”

I kept my face calm, but I couldn’t stop my scent turning slightly acrid. The change was small, but it was there.

“You mustn’t worry, my sweetling.” Eleanor cupped my face, and I leaned into her hand without thinking, just as I would have with Mum.

“I can’t help it. What if I never remember?” I swallowed. “I’m so angry at myself. Why would I do something like this? I feel like I’ve disappointed everyone.”

“You haven’t disappointed us, Elowen. You never could. If anything, I bear some of the blame. I should have known.” Her thumb moved gently across my cheek. “Poor thing. You must have been so frightened to do something like this.”

“Frightened of what, though?”

She straightened. “That’s nothing you need to concern yourself with at present. Your recovery must come first.”

Agreed. One thing at a time, please.

I nodded. “I know I probably shouldn’t ask, but… did Mireya ever figure out what I did exactly?”

Eleanor took a sip of her tea, then set down the cup and saucer. “She suspects you took underground suppressants. There’s no way to know what they contained, but clearly your body reacted very poorly to them.”

I nodded slowly. “I’m sorry, Mum. For what I did. Will you ever forgive me?”

“Elowen…” She took both my hands in hers. “I have nothing to forgive. I should be the one asking for forgiveness. I disregarded your concerns. You’ve been sheltered your whole life, and I should have understood how frightened you were.”

“What about Fathers?” My voice broke, and tears ran down my cheeks. “I feel like I’ve disappointed them too. I’m so ashamed.”