I slowly regained consciousness, my eyes fluttering open to the warm glow of the healer's hut. As my surroundings came into focus, the events of the previous night flooded back, making my cheeks flush with embarrassment. I couldn't believe I had gone into heat unexpectedly, putting myself in such a vulnerable position.
Just as I was starting to gather my thoughts, Ethan walked into the hut. His concerned expression softened as he saw me awake. "Hey, Kai. How are you feeling?"
I averted my gaze, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm fine, thanks. Just a little embarrassed."
Ethan's brow furrowed, and he pulled up a stool to sit beside me. "You don't need to be embarrassed, Kai. We all have our struggles, our secrets. But why didn't you tell me you were an omega? I thought we were friends, that we could trust each other."
As Ethan sat down next to me, a mix of concern and frustration painted his features. His voice was calm but firm as he asked, "Kai, why didn't you ever mention that you were an omega? Do you realize the danger you put yourself in by hiding such an important aspect of your identity?"
I needed to tell him now since he was making that silly puppy dog face so I took a deep breath, meeting his gaze with a hint of sadness in my eyes. "Ethan, I didn't mention it because I've always been bullied and mistreated for being different because despite being a male I look like a girl with frail looks. People didn't know I was an omega, and I didn't want to make things worse by revealing that I'm a male omega. It's already challenging enough being an omega in a society that expects omegas to be female and male omegas are treated like a myth."
He listened attentively, his eyes filled with a mix of understanding and concern. "But Kai, keeping something like this hidden can be dangerous. You saw what happened with Ramon. He went into a rut, and it triggered your heat. If we had known you were an omega, we could have taken precautions to protect you."
I nodded a hint of regret in my voice. "I'm sorry I would have mentioned it but I dint want that omega face where I am treated differently because of my body please try to understand me but I understand what you are saying now, Ethan. I never experienced heat before or produced strong pheromones so I never took it seriously. The healer, Eric, who you met yesterday has been giving me herbs since I was little to regulate my body. I didn't know how my heart would manifest or when it would happen. I thought it wouldn't be serious." He should give me a break but hold up ethan carried an omega in heat and didn't go crazy at least that's what I remember
Ethan sighed, his expression softening. "I can't imagine the pain you've gone through, Kai. But please understand that I am here for you. I'm your friend, and I want to protect you. Keeping this part of your identity hidden only puts you at greater risk. You don't have to face everything alone."
Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized the truth in his words. "I'm sorry, Ethan. I didn't mean to put myself or others in danger. I was just so used to hiding and protecting myself. I didn't want to burden anyone with my struggles."
He reached out and gently placed a hand on mine, his voice filled with compassion. "Kai, you're not a burden. I care about you, and I want to support you. We're going to figure this out together, okay? From now on, let me help you."
I got rid of the waterworks that were about to happen "Now ethan is an alpha" I didn't finish when ethan caught me off
"Uhm kai where did you get the idea that I'm an alpha, pfft, hahaha"
"Wait you are not, I'm sorry, differentiating isn't my specialty, just like the way my pheromones are weak I can hardly pick up pheromones" I know this well but Ramon's pheromones I can smell them from a mile only his that I have picked so well
"Dot worry about that, I'm a beta that's why I didn't try anything dumb with you last night"
"Duh, I know that if you were not an alpha what else could you have been?" I ask sarcastically
"Whatever, glad to see you well and sassy as ever, now rest up and get well, I wanna talk to Elvis and see when you can go home" but before he could finish Grandma burst right in
My heart skipped a beat as Grandma burst into the healer's hut, her eyes wide with worry and anger. She hurried towards me, her voice filled with concern. "Kai, what happened? Why did you go into heat? And don't you dare lie to me, I thought you didn't go into heat, but I should have known. You're an omega, and omegas go into heat."
I looked down, feeling a mixture of shame and vulnerability. Grandma had always known my secret, but it didn't make it any easier to face her at this moment. "I'm sorry, Grandma," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean for this to happen. It caught me off guard."
Grandma's expression softened as she reached out and gently cupped my face. "Oh, my dear Kai," she said, her voice filled with a mix of love and concern. "You've always been special. I've known that since the day you differentiated. But you must be careful. Heat can be a dangerous time for an omega. I'm glad you had Ethan by your side."
"Yes Grandma, I was really lucky"
The healer, Eric, gently cleared his throat, drawing our attention to him. His presence commanded respect, and we turned to listen to his words. "I appreciate the concern, but Kai needs to rest now. He has been through a lot, and his body needs time to recover. Grandma, you can scold him later. Right now, he needs rest and care."
Grandma nodded, her expression softening with understanding. "You're right, Eric. Kai, listen to the healer. Rest and regain your strength. We'll have plenty of time to talk later."
I nodded weakly, feeling a mix of relief and exhaustion. The events of the past few days had taken a toll on me, both physically and emotionally. I sank back into the pillows, allowing the weariness to wash over me.
Ethan approached the bed, concern etched on his face. "I'll stay here with you, Kai. You're not alone in this. We'll get through it together."
A small smile played on my lips as I reached out and clasped Ethan's hand. "Thank you, Ethan. Your presence means more to me than you know."
As I closed my eyes, surrendering to the healing power of sleep, I could hear the soft murmurs of conversation between Grandma, Ethan, and Eric.