After some time, all of them calmed down. Irwin held Hael's palm in his. Arik and Maven were sitting opposite them.
"I am sorry, Hael. I had no idea father and mother planned such things behind my back. I know they are selfish and greedy but I have never expected them to stoop this low. It's also my fault, I should have noticed... I am sorry for never being there for you."
Maven downcasted, his guilt stifled him.
Hael was silent. He was not going to deny what Maven said. Of course, it was his and his parent's culpability that made him live such a desolate life.
He would have been living a normal life without going to such an extent if the Lucians didn't try to sell him.
In his previous life, at least Arik showed his pure hatred towards him blatantly but Lucians... they acted as family members in front of everyone and when alone, it was like he never existed for them.
Which was more insufferable. If they were going to do that from the start then why pick him up from slums? It was like he was taken out of the frying pan to be thrown into the fire.
"Hael..." Irwin squeezed the Omega's palms.
"Brother Irwin, tell them I don't need their sorry. Anyway, I never expected them to be guilty for anything they did to me, if I didn't do what I did and ran away from there I bet no one of these two in front of me would ever care even if I was sold or dead," Hael was austere.
Arik felt his words gnaw at his heart, his pheromones became sour but the Omega didn't care.
After letting everything out his mind became clearer. He decided not to forgive any of them, neither Lucians nor Esmerays.
Absolutely not the father of his children. He would not accept their reasons and apologies.
Cause he was sure if the angel didn't give him another chance to live in the human world as a normal male. No matter how many times he was reborn in this werewolf world, be it real or a manga, his fate would end up the same way —loveless, broken, with a fate of villain suffering the tortures till the end.
His voice would be never heard by anyone. His fate could never be chosen by him. Because he was weak without anyone's support, he was going to be trampled on again and again.
So, why must he accept their apologies? Just because they were guilty now and didn't know what they had done to him in the past.
>>>Go to hell!
It was his efforts and struggles that made him strong to live independently until he was thirty-two years, as a bartender loved and envied by his peers.
Though, unfortunately, his wish to have his children again made him reincarnate in this fucked up world of werewolves he was resolute to have nothing to do with those so-called 'main leads' of the story.
If he was treated as a villain just because he was powerless and wanted to live a normal life with a family then he was ready to become as evil as he could get to show them what he was made up of now.
He was indeed a white lotus in his first life but not anymore, he became black-bellied after all the experiences he gained surviving alone in the human world.
However, him being an Omega and now a pregnant man who couldn't control his emotions at his will might become stumbling blocks to show his full potential.
Still, he was determined at least not to become a doormat to anyone this time.
"No, it's not like that Hael-" Maven was cut off when Hael showed his free hand.
"I understand you are in a relationship with Brother Irwin. I have no right to ask you to leave," Hael stared at Irwin, "Brother Irwin, can you look for a small house for me to rent?"
"What, no Hael. You are pregnant, you can't live alone. If them being here is troubling you, I will throw them out this instant, you will continue living with me," Irwin declared.
Arik stood up, "We can discuss this matter later, first let's go to the cathedral to get you baptized, Hael."
Hael frowned, "What baptizing? I am a Buddhist."
"Buddist? What's that?" Arik questioned in confusion, the other two too didn't know what the Omega meant.
In this world, which was strangely similar to Earth there were no religions. All of them follow and worship the Moon Goddess.
"Ah, nothing..." Hael remembered the setting of the manga, also a little about his past life and Irwin asked him yesterday why wasn't he baptized in the presenting ceremony.
He had no clue about presenting ceremony in his first life cause Lucians never took him to the cathedral and in school he never paid much attention.
Also, in the manga he read, there was no mention of it. Strangely enough, there were so many things different in this world from what he read which made him believe that the story he read might be a fanfic of a parallel world traveler.
"Why should I get baptized? According to what Brother Irwin said the other day, it should be done when I turn eighteen, right? But in a few days I turn nineteen, so what's the use?" Hael queried.
"Getting baptized has nothing to do with age, Hael. It should be done to avoid heat and rut cycles that occur every month after the eighteenth birthday until everyone reaches the eligible age of twenty-one to get married," Irwin elucidated.
"Yes, but because you are pregnant now heat cycles won't occur-"
"Then it's not necessary," Hael cut off Maven in the middle of his sentence.
"No. It's a must," Arik's voice was stern.
Hael gave a quick glare at the Alpha and glanced at the Beta, "Brother Irwin, why is it a must? I am not going to take anyone's orders just because they appeared out of nowhere claiming to take responsibility and then trying to assert dominance over me."
Arik sighed having a helpless expression on his face, "I am not trying to-"
"Brother Irwin, I am tired. I will go sleep," Hael stood up to walk to his room.
Irwin stopped him grabbing his wrist, "Hael, no one can force you to do anything you don't want in my presence. But listen to me first and then make your decision, hm?"
Hael nodded and sat back.
"Because of pregnancy your heat cycles won't occur but what about after giving birth? You need to take care of your pups but with the heat cycles happening every month you can't control your urges and even if you try, it will be quite painful. If you don't get baptized now, you have to wait till next December. Then for five months you will have to suffer and without mating with your partner you will become weak which is not good for a postpartum mother, you get what I am trying to say, right?"
Hael became lost in thoughts, "Fuck, all this troublesome shit-" he realized he said that out loud and saw the stunned expressions of the three and coughed clearing his throat and then rubbed his stomach gently whispering,
"Sorry, babies... I will try to not curse anymore."
"So, shall we go?" Maven's voice was uncertain.
Hael stared at the two Alphas, "Why are you coming along? I am going with Brother Irwin."
"Irwin can come but family members should be-" Maven was cut off again by Hael's snort.
"Are you hearing yourself, Mr. Maven? You must be kidding me. Family members and you both don't even go in one sentence. There was a time when I was desperate to hear that I have a family but not now... not anymore."
Hael paused as he gently caressed his belly with a smile on his face, "I have my family now. I don't need any pretentious people pretending to be my family members."
Maven felt the ache in his heart as he backed away. Arik was shocked to see this new side of the Omega.
To him, though Hael tried to get his attention before, he was weak, timid, and would get frightened just at his mere stare but now...
>>>He is so different...
Well, he wasn't wrong. Hael wasn't what he used to be anymore. His first life taught him a lesson for being submissive and defenseless and his second life gave him experience to tackle all the problems with the shrewd nature he cultivated along the way.
The other day due to overwhelming emotions Hael lost his composure resulting in his panic attack. Just before too because he let out what he kept inside for a life, he ended up crying.
Hael knew he couldn't control his emotions due to the pheromones even now he was feeling uncontrollable irritability seeing the two Alphas in front of him all dejected as if they were the victims.
"I don't want them to accompany me, brother Irwin. Tell them to go back," The Omega stated.
Irwin exhaled deeply, "Hael, I know you don't want to see them but for baptizing a blood relative must be present, so it's inevitable. Let them come and stay until the ceremony after that I promise I won't let them trouble you anymore."
Hael gave a side glance at the Alphas and whisper-asked in the Beta's ear, "Is it compulsory?"
"Hm, you believe me, right?" Irwin cupped the Omega's cheek.
"Of course, if I didn't trust you, brother Irwin, I wouldn't have followed you home three months back," Hael smiled, "You were there for me when everyone left me."
Irwin brushed the Omega's hair adoring his younger brother, "Then, don't worry. They will leave right after the ceremony."
"But Win-" Maven got a glower from his boyfriend and a sign to not speak anymore.
Today was not his day, Maven backed off silently. Arik became anxious seeing how much the Omega changed because of the unfair treatment he faced.
He didn't know how to speak with him anymore. This morning he was confident that he would beg Hael to let him in his life to take responsibility for his actions but now seeing how cold he was... he was not sure what to do.
...
"Levana, why isn't your eldest son home yet? The month is coming to an end, and Ayla has already postponed her presenting ceremony twice. What's so important that is holding him back from attending his younger sister's ceremony? He didn't even come to her birthday party, you know how upset she was, if he doesn't come today too, I don't know what havoc she'll wreck."
Mr. Vilatrin Ender, the head of the Ender family —one of the three powerful families in Sigor after Lowell and Verena, had a disappointed expression on his face.
"Dear, you know Ashvin. He isn't an irresponsible child. Maybe something important came up, that's why he is late," Mrs. Ender spoke trying to coax her husband.
"Levana, don't try to cover up for Ash. I know how he is but are you going to tell Ayla that something urgent came up? This time I am sure she will break all my invaluable art pieces in my office, last time I lost a hundred million swarnas cause she broke the jade pot in the hall, I brought it at an auction winning against that old Verena, ugh! If Ash won't come today too, then I am gonna charge him all the damage costs of his sister."
[One cent= One Vara, One dollar= One Swarna]
Viltarin, despite having a huge physique that could make anyone fear was whining like a child in front of his wife fearing his daughter.
Levena shook her head with a smile, "My dear Alpha, stop complaining like a kid. I told you when our children were young to be strict with them now see you're facing the karma for spoiling them rotten."
"But how can I when they were so cute? I didn't know back then they would grow up to become headaches," Viltarin held his head.
"Alright, you never listen anyway. I will call Ashvin and ask him when he is coming back-"
"Mother, Father, I am back," Ashvin Ender, working as the biotechnology professor in Valoldour chirped throwing his bag aside and spreading his arms to crush his mother with his embrace.
"Finally, my art pieces are safe, thank the Moon Goddess," Viltarin Ender sighed in relief.
"What?" Ashin Ender gave his father a confused look.
"My boy, you are dead meat, wait for Ayla she went shopping once she is back-" Before Viltarin could complete his sentence the door which was half opened was kicked wide open.
"ASHVIN ENDER!!!!!"
****