Seeing the stunned look on Simon's face and the horrified glances exchanged between the maids, I knew I wasn't the only one who thought this was completely insane.
Cassian didn't hesitate. He picked up a piece of fried chicken thigh with those godlike, sculpted hands of his and brought it toward my mouth, wearing the gleeful expression of a child unwrapping a long-awaited toy.
"Say 'ah,' Zane," he said, voice sweetened with mock affection.
I blinked, caught off guard.
Was this man serious?
Before I could muster a single word of protest, the piece of chicken was already brushing my lips. My stomach traitorous and hollow let out a loud, desperate growl. I swallowed hard, mouth watering. Without thinking, I opened my mouth on instinct.
Hunger was stronger than pride, at least for now.
I took a bite. The crispy skin gave way to tender, juicy meat that melted on my tongue. My eyes nearly rolled back from how good it tasted. One bite turned into another. Then another. I didn't even realize when I reached forward, snatched the entire bowl of chicken from his hands, and began devouring it like a man who had just received his death sentence and decided to die full.
"There you go," Cassian murmured, dabbing gently at my lips with a cloth napkin as if I were some fragile porcelain doll. "Good boy."
Good boy?
I nearly choked on the absurdity, not the food. I glared up at him, jaw tightening.
"Thanks but I can feed and clean my mouth," I rasped, brushing his hand away with a flick of my wrist.
Cassian only chuckled in response, the sound low and indulgent. "You will, eventually," he said, smiling with an infuriating calmness. "But for now, I enjoy this. You, needing me."
With that, he reached for the bowl in my hands. I clutched it tightly, desperate not to lose the one good thing in this godforsaken nightmare. But his grip was stronger, effortlessly so. He pulled it from my grasp like he was plucking a feather from a bird.
Why this motherfucker?! Why did he do that?!
It felt like he'd just stolen my entire world.
I almost cried. Almost.
My hand went to my stomach as it let out another pitiful growl. My mouth hung open slightly, as if mourning the stolen bowl.
Cassian's eyes gleamed not with sympathy, but with something darker. Possessiveness. Amusement. Hunger of a different kind. He was enjoying this, my struggle, my dependence.
He looked at me like I was some puppy.
A stray pet.
And he? The master with the leash, the treats, and the power.
How pathetic.
Me. A whole Zane, a world-famous actor and model on Earth. And now? I'm Just a lowly omega in this crazy world.
Cassian reached for another dish, this one a bowl of macaroni tossed in creamy mayonnaise, coated in generous layers of bubbling cheese. The scent alone made my stomach twist with longing.
Damn! They even have macaroni in this world.
He brought the bowl closer, the heat and aroma hitting me full force. Then, with exaggerated care, he scooped a spoonful, lifted it to his lips, and blew on it gently, eyes locked onto mine the entire time.
I believe he snatched the crispy fried chicken away from me earlier because I wanted to feed myself but this time around, I'll just let him feed me instead as I'm not willing to lose this Marconi mayonnaise this time around.
Just as Cassian finally extend the spoon toward my mouth, Simon, who had remained silent like some well-trained shadow against the wall, finally spoke up.
"Alpha Cassian," he said in an even tone, "perhaps something lighter would be easier on his stomach. That dish is quite rich. A soup, perhaps. Something warm. Broth-based is better. It'll be gentler on his system."
The spoon of macaroni mayonnaise which had been hovering at my lips only moments before was lowered. Cassian dropped the spoon into the bowl with a soft clink, and just like that, the tenderness in his expression vanished, replaced by a flicker of irritation.
Even I was furious.
I shot Simon a sharp, hateful glare.
What the hell does he mean by that?!
Cassian turned toward him slowly, the tension in his jaw barely contained. His voice was clipped and tight when he spoke.
"Did I ask for your opinion, Beta?"
Simon didn't flinch, didn't even blink. "You said you wanted him to recover. If that's true, then you should start with lighter meals to support his recovery."
A long, tense silence followed.
Cassian held Simon's gaze, the two staring each other down across the room. Then, with a lazy shrug and a scoff of annoyance, he set the bowl of macaroni aside and reached for another dish promting my eyes to widen open in shock and betrayal.
Vegetable soup?!
No meat. No fish. Not even a scrap of egg or chicken stock. Just boiled greens floating in watery broth.
I stared at it like it was a personal insult.
I wanted to stab Simon.
Vegetables? Like seriously?!
The same crap I ate constantly back on Earth, salads, bland broths, celery sticks. As a model, I skipped breakfast on most days, and when I was on set, fruits and vegetables were all I ever touched. Now, when I finally had the chance to eat real food without worrying about bloating or gaining fat on my face for a shoot, now when my body was half-dead and skeletal from whatever hell it had gone through, I was being denied food?
Cassian's voice cut through my spiraling frustration. "Open your mouth, Zane. You have to finish this. We'll listen to Simon, just for now."
I blinked, dragged back to reality. His tone was gentle, coaxing. A sad expression pulled at my face as my stomach whined. I parted my lips and let him feed me the first spoonful of bland, watery soup.
He watched me swallow, eyes narrowed in thought, and then muttered to himself but I could hear him and I'm sure Simon could too, "How long does he have to take only vegetables though? I can't help but think he won't gain much weight this way... and I need to claim him faster, before my brothers."
I choked.
Violently.
Coughing erupted from my chest like a storm. I doubled over, struggling for air, and Cassian immediately grabbed a glass of water, bringing it to my lips. I drank in desperate gulps, but the coughing didn't stop. His hand landed gently on my back, rubbing slow circles as he waited for it to pass.
Eventually, my lungs calmed, and I slumped back with a shuddering breath.
Now that I think about it… maybe vegetables were the better option. If staying skinny could keep this bastard away from claiming me, then so be it.