What's Wrong With Being An Omega Nanny?-Chapter 75: Suspicious Scholarship!

Chapter 75: Suspicious Scholarship!
The two days at the health centre passed in a blur of long hours, endless patients, and stifling exhaustion. Elias could hardly believe he’d made it through without his heat flaring up again.
As the students piled onto the bus back to campus on the third day, their chatter was a mix of relief and fatigue; everyone was eager to return to the familiarity of their dorms or homes, hot showers, and uninterrupted sleep.
Elias, in particular, was itching to get home... not just to rest, but to see his sister.
The bus was getting crowded as Elias scanned the seats, hoping for a spot alone, but his eyes landed on Jace and Rowan, already settled in a row near the back. They’d left the middle seat open, clearly for him, their expressions expectant. Elias hesitated, his bag slung over his shoulder.
’I could find another seat,’
he thought, but a quick glance confirmed every other spot was taken or claimed by bags and jackets. With a sigh, he shuffled down the aisle and slid into the middle seat, his school bag resting on his lap like a shield.
Rowan leaned forward, his elbow brushing Elias’s arm.
"Glad you weren’t kidnapped or anything during your time here," he said, his tone light but his eyes serious.
Elias glanced at him, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Yeah, me too," he said, his voice dry. He adjusted his bag, trying to get comfortable in the cramped space. The bus rumbled to life after the other students entered. It pulled out of the hotel parking lot.
After a moment of silence, Elias spoke up, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Hey, Rowan," he said, keeping his voice low. "What’s with all those stories about omegas getting kidnapped? Why’s it happening?"
The question hung in the air, and Rowan’s easy grin faded. He leaned back, his eyes distant, staring at the seat in front of them. Jace, on Elias’s other side, stiffened, his gaze flicking to Rowan with a mix of concern and curiosity. For a moment, Rowan didn’t answer, his jaw tight, and Elias regretted asking.
"You don’t have to..." he started, but Rowan cut him off with a small shake of his head.
"Nah, it’s fine," Rowan said, his voice quieter than usual. He rubbed the back of his neck, his expression heavy. "I’m not sure why it’s happening, but... my brother got taken. It happened a year ago and I still don’t know if he’s alive."
Elias’s heart sank, his stomach twisting with guilt for bringing it up.
"I’m sorry," he said softly, his eyes dropping to his lap. "I didn’t mean to..."
"It’s okay," Rowan said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "You didn’t know." He took a deep breath, his voice steady but laced with pain. "It was right after he graduated high school. He was heading to evening classes to prep for university exams. I was with him, just walking, you know? Then these guys came out of nowhere... they were armed, masked, the whole deal. I thought they were after me at first. I was kind of a punk back then, always getting into trouble."
Jace snorted softly, his tone dry.
"Kind of?"
Rowan shot him a look but continued, his voice growing quieter.
"One of them said, ’Take the omega, kill the other guy.’ I tried to fight them off, protect him, but..." He trailed off, his hand clenching into a fist. "They stabbed me. I went down, and when I woke up, I was in the hospital. My brother was gone. They dragged him into a van and just... drove off."
Elias’s throat tightened, his chest aching for Rowan. He wanted to say something... anything, but words felt useless.
"I’m so sorry," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "That’s awful."
Rowan shrugged, his expression guarded.
"Yeah, well, it messed me up for a while. I looked everywhere for him, asked around, followed every lead. Then I heard it wasn’t just him... other omegas were disappearing too. No one knows why, not really. Some say it’s trafficking, others think it’s something bigger. I just... I couldn’t forgive myself for not stopping them."
The bus was quiet for a moment, the hum of the engine the only sound. Jace shifted uncomfortably, his usual confidence replaced by a rare softness. "You couldn’t have done more, Rowan," he said, his voice low. "You got stabbed. You almost died."
Rowan’s lips twitched into a bitter smile.
"Doesn’t make it easier." He glanced at Elias, his expression softening, and before Elias could react, Rowan reached out and ruffled his hair like he was a kid. "Don’t worry about it, okay? It’s in the past."
Elias flinched, his cheeks flushing as he swatted Rowan’s hand away. "Don’t do that," he muttered, smoothing his hair down. He wanted to snap at Rowan, to tell him to stop treating him like some fragile thing, but the weight of Rowan’s story held him back. Instead, he just sighed, sinking lower in his seat.
Rowan chuckled, but his eyes lingered on his hand, a strange intensity in his gaze. Elias’s hair was soft, too soft, and the brief touch had sent a jolt through him.
’He felt like a cat,’
he thought, his heart racing. He wanted to touch it again, to feel that softness, but he shoved the urge down, glancing out the window to hide the flush creeping up his neck.
Jace, watching the exchange, leaned forward, his tone protective.
"I’ll make sure no one tries that crap with you, Elias," he said, his voice firm. "No one’s taking you anywhere."
Elias managed a small smile, grateful but overwhelmed. "Thanks, Jace," he said, his voice quiet. "I’ll figure out a way to keep myself safe too." His mind drifted to Dr Patel’s offer from the health centre... a government protection program for dominant omegas, one that could shield him from threats like kidnappers... or even Viktor. The idea was tempting, not because he was scared of Viktor... he’d learned Viktor wasn’t after his life... but because it promised a kind of freedom he hadn’t felt in years.
Still, the thought of facing Viktor again, or the twins he’d once cared for, made his chest tighten.
’Maybe I should apologise first. I’m not sure the twins would ever forgive me,’
he thought, then shook his head, trying to clear his mind.
’No. Stop thinking about them.’
Rowan noticed Elias shaking his head, his brows lifting.
"You sleepy?" he asked, his tone teasing but gentle.
Elias frowned, caught off guard.
"What? No," he said, his voice sharp. He opened his mouth to protest further, but Rowan cut him off, gently guiding Elias’s head to rest on his shoulder.
"Just sleep," Rowan said, his voice soft. "It’s a long ride back to campus. You look like you need it."
Elias froze, his body stiffening, but the warmth of Rowan’s shoulder and the steady rhythm of the bus were oddly comforting. He wanted to argue, to pull away, but exhaustion won out.
"Fine," he muttered, closing his eyes, his bag still clutched tightly in his lap.
Rowan smiled, a small, satisfied grin, but his expression faltered when he met Jace’s cold glare across Elias. Jace’s eyes were narrowed, his jaw tight, and Rowan’s smirk returned, a silent challenge. He looked away, focusing on the window, but his mind was racing. He knew Jace too well.
He knew the way he got obsessive, especially when it came to things he always wanted to have. Growing up, they’d never been true friends, more like rivals who couldn’t stand each other’s choices. If Rowan wanted right, Jace always went left, their arguments a constant tug-of-war. Now, with Elias between them, that old tension was flaring up again.
Rowan glanced at Elias, his head still resting on his shoulder, his breathing slow and steady.
’Jace is gonna get too attached,’
Rowan thought, his jaw tightening. ’He’s the last kid of the Voss family... spoiled, possessive. If he gets obsessed with Elias, he’ll end up hurting him.’ Rowan wasn’t from a wealthy family like Jace, but he’d known him since they were kids, and he’d seen how Jace clung to things... people... he wanted to keep.
’I won’t let him do that to Elias,’
Rowan vowed silently.
’Not if I can stop it.’
Jace, meanwhile, was fuming, his hands clenched in his lap. He hated how Rowan acted so casually, so protective, like he had some claim over Elias.
’He’s not your brother,’
Jace thought, his eyes narrowing.
’Back off.’
He wanted to say it out loud, but Elias was asleep, and the last thing Jace wanted was to wake him. Instead, he leaned back, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, his mind racing with ways to keep Elias close... without letting Rowan interfere.
.
.
The bus ride stretched on, till they got back to campus. When the bus finally pulled into the campus parking lot, it was already late in the afternoon.
Rowan gently nudged Elias awake.
"Hey, we’re here," he said, his voice soft.
Elias blinked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, his neck stiff from the awkward position.
"Already?" he mumbled, looking around. The other students were stretching and grabbing their bags, their chatter louder now that they were back on familiar ground.
"Yeah," Rowan said, grinning. "You slept through most of it. It must have been comfy."
Elias shot him a look, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Don’t get used to it," he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He glanced at Jace, who was already standing, his expression unreadable. "Thanks for saving the seat," Elias added, his voice quieter.
Jace nodded, his eyes softening.
"Anytime," he said, but his tone held an edge that Elias didn’t miss. He didn’t have the energy to unpack it, though, so he just followed the group off the bus.
Dr Harris stood at the front, clipboard in hand, checking names as the students disembarked. "Alright, everyone," she called, her voice carrying over the noise. "Last attendance check. Make sure you’ve got all your stuff." She marked off names, her expression tired but satisfied.
When everyone was accounted for, she set the clipboard down and addressed the group.
"You all did great on this trip. It was tough, but you stepped up. I got a message from the university this morning... the total of three students from the various field trip groups will be awarded scholarships for outstanding contributions. I’m hoping at least one of you in my group gets picked."
The students erupted into cheers, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Elias’s heart lifted, a spark of hope igniting. A scholarship could change everything. Receiving help with tuition could ease the pressure on him and Lila.
’I probably won’t get it,’
he thought, but the idea lingered, tempting him. However he kept thinking...
’Why now?’
he wondered.
’Why announce scholarships right after the trip?’
It felt... convenient, almost calculated, but he couldn’t place why it bothered him.