Ashvin didn't expect the address to be the home of Irwin Lowell and was a little taken aback to see the other three besides Arik.
He thought they were going to have a private chat at some cafe or somewhere like that but he never predicted such a situation where all the curious gazes surrounded him as he sat in the middle, nervously.
Who didn't know Irwin Lowell, the sole heir to the 'Crimson Lunars' mafia gang also known by their nickname 'bloody lunatics' that controls the entire underworld of Coldbourne?
As a native to Sigor Ashvin was very well aware of his identity. He became anxious to spit the truth in front of him when there was a ninety-nine percent chance of Irwin killing him on the spot after listening to him.
Ashvin's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he wiped off his sweat bead sliding down his temple with his handkerchief, "I thought it would be just the two of us," he remarked glancing at Arik.
"They're family and worried about Eugene. There is no need to fret, tell me what is this about? First of all, how do you know him? Is he okay?" Arik queried, his appealing tone encouraged the other hesitant Alpha to speak up.
"He is doing well, nothing to be anxious about. But..."
Ashvin sighed accepting his fate, to tell the truth, admist the danger he could face after that however recalling the incidents that happened between him and Eugene he decided his disclosure was a must.
Arik observed the contemplation in his eyes quietly.
"Alpha Arik, you might know I am working as a biotechnology professor at the Valoldour University of Arts and Science. Eugene attends my class though he is from the arts group. He became my student that way," Ashvin disclosed.
"So, it's a parent-teaching meeting? I thought he was gonna reveal some juicy gossip, brother Irwin," Hael murmured in the Beta's ear.
Irwin shook his head rubbing the Omega's shoulder, "Shhh."
"Why did he take your science class when he is an art student, senior Ashvin?" Maven was baffled.
"I have no idea. I teach whoever is present in the class cause every student comes from a different major and I don't ask questions unrelated to my subject. I thought he was from the science stream as he was so enthusiastic about learning," Ashvin answered with a frustrated expression.
Arik noticed it, "Mr. Ashvin, tell me straight what's wrong? Did he cause trouble to you?"
"Trouble? It's a disaster," Ashvin sighed holding his forehead, "I don't know how you are all going to react after I tell you this but I am not trying to slander him or anything. I don't have any beef against him. He was one of my students, I have no reason to show hostility, right?"
"Stop beating around the bush and tell us what it is, Mr. Ashvin. If he really caused a problem for you I will compensate for it. Though he left home years back he is still an Esmeray and as his elder brother I have the responsibility to correct his mistakes," Arik's voice was composed yet at the same dominating enough.
Ashvin took a deep breath before he replied, "A month back, there was a farewell celebration at the university and I along with other professors was invited to it. I never expected that night would overturn my life."
Hael's wolfy ears became itchy as he heard that. He was lying back on the couch uninterested thinking that it was a parent-teacher meeting but now he sat straight with excited eyes getting curious, his tail appeared and wagged.
"Eugene..." Ashvin gritted his teeth, "...that brat, I thought he was just an immature teenager but turned out he is such a scheming fox. That night I who never gets tipsy even after twenty shots of the strongest vodka became strangely drunk and was led to a room."
Arik and Maven glanced at each other with furrowed brows slightly realizing where the topic was heading to. Irwin was dead silent listening to him.
"Eugene, he was in heat in that room and it was locked after I entered it... " Ashvin closed his eyes clenching his jaw, "...I never lost my control but that night I did-"
"Why do I feel like I heard this story somewhere recently?" Irwin muttered beside Hael.
"Isn't it mine and your cousin's story, Brother Irwin?" Hael remarked.
"Right, it's the same," Irwin's eyes expanded.
Arik's pheromones got sour, his eyes turned crimson as he stood up pulling Ashvin by grabbing his collar, "You, how dare you?"
The blue-blooded Alpha punched Ashvin hard making the corner of his lips bleed as he stumbled to stand holding his cheek.
Irwin, Maven, and Hael jumped up from their seats seeing that.
"Arik," Maven immediately held him back, "Let go of me, Mav. I will kill this bastard today. Little Orange just turned eighteen, how could he?"
Ashvin had already expected this so he was unfazed and stood straight wiping off the blood from his mouth, "Are you hearing yourself, Alpha Arik? You made the eighteen-year-old Omega pregnant."
"It wasn't his intention, he was drugged," Irwin tried to back up his cousin.
Hael who was jovial till now became too silent, his legs gave in as he plopped on the couch. His body trembled witnessing Arik's crimson eyes again after a long time. The nightmare of those furious eyes that tortured him all those nights after he slept with the Alpha in his first life.
The Omega forgot how scary Arik could get when angry because he had been too gentle with him from the time he met him in this life. Begging, crying, and apologizing to him continuously so he was brave enough to talk back to him.
Though Hael was strong enough to face him now the corner of his heart which locked up his fears towards the Alpha opened again seeing those spine-chilling crimson red eyes of the Alpha.
Irwin was staring at Ashvin while Maven was grasping the blue-blooded Alpha, they didn't see Hael's fear-stricken expression.
Arik came back to his senses when his nose was hit with the burnt honeysuckle-scented pheromones. Only he could scent it as Hael was carrying his children.
His eyes turned back normal as pushed away Maven freeing himself and knelt in front of Hael in an instant.
Hael flinched seeing the Alpha.
"I am sorry, Hael," Arik apologized grabbing his hands tightly, squeezing them. He released his soothing pheromones to calm the Omega.
It worked and Hael became normal. He thought he had forgotten everything from his first life and moved on but to think the fear of the Alpha's nightmarish eyes was deeply carved inside his heart made him realize he just covered up his inner wounds with his new flamboyant personality he gained in his second life.
He never released them but held them tightly in a corner of his heart not letting them out for anyone to take advantage of his weakness.
Hael thought it was because of his pregnancy making his pheromones imbalance which caused him to become sensitive and it might be true to a certain extent but it was not one hundred percent all the time he became emotional.
At present, he has two personalities in him. They both belong to him. But he was brainwashing himself that the first life wasn't his and never happened to him. The second life in which he lived the life he always dreamt of was the core of his actual existence.
Nonetheless, it wasn't the truth. If he had to face the people who tortured him in prison in his first life he would shudder in horror and lose his composure in a second.
Unlike Hael Argyris who for sure would brutally punch and kick them until they wanted to go back into their mother's wombs.
Physical wounds could heal with time but those of mental might never. One could just bury them forever with the happy memories they make as they move on in their life but no one has that much strength within to get rid of them, permanently.
Without him knowing tears slipped down Hael's eyes, "I... don't like..." his voice cracked as he added, "...your crimson eyes..."
Arik who was holding his breath listening to the Omega, exhaled deeply and embraced him right away rubbing circles on his back, gently.
Even Alphas get suffocated by the blue-blooded Alpha's dominating anger-filled pheromones making them cough up blood.
Arik could comprehend that the Omega must have felt extreme terror seeing his outraged appearance.
After seeing the Omega fear him when he touched him carelessly the other day he met him, made him feel like shit. He never cared about his outward looks but only he knew how much he loathed the hideous cut on his right eye which he bore proudly before as the battle-scar at the moment.
The Alpha felt insecure and thought the reason Hael was frightened by him was because of it as the scar made him look like a ferocious monster when his eyes turned crimson.
Arik with his other hand covered his right eye trying to control the tears that brimmed in his eyes.
"I... will never get angry in front of you ever again. I promise, Hael. I am sorry for scaring you..."
Irwin and Maven saw Arik covering his right eye and knew right away what he was thinking at that time.
They knew how much that blue-blooded Alpha suffered in his childhood and how he got that scar. As a teenager, Arik never liked anyone talking about it but after he became an adult he healed his inner wound and accepted the cut as a part of his body.
Seeing Arik like that now they knew the Alpha was going down that road again and they must stop him.
Irwin knelt beside Arik who was hugging the Omega and patted his shoulder, "Arik, it's not what you're thinking. He never saw you angry that's why he was a little startled, right Hael?"
With that question, Hael slapped himself out of his sensitive self and broke the hug. Arik was downcasting still covering his scar.
That was when Hael realized what the Alpha was thinking. He was aware of how Arik got the scar and what the Alpha felt about it as he read the backstory in the manga.
The Omega wiped off his tears immediately. To him, if Arik was the cruel husband of his first life then he was also his favorite character in the manga of his second life.
He recalled why Hael loved Alpha Arik's character so much. All this time he overlooked it and treated him with the preconception of his first life unconsciously.
Hael lifted Arik's face making him look at him removing the palm covering his right eye, "I am not scared of your scar, Arik, trust me. I hate the crimson eyes of every Alpha..."
The Omega lied through his teeth to make Arik feel better. He didn't even care about other Alphas' angry eyes cause he only witnessed that terror because of the blue-blooded Alpha right after the morning he drugged him and slept with him.
Arik felt his nose sting as he grabbed the Omega's hands on his face, gulping his pain, "Isn't it hideous and appalling?"
"No, it's beautiful," with his thumb Hael caressed the scar with a pleasant smile on his face.
These were the words he yelled his lungs out when he read the backstory of Arik's scar in the manga and whenever the Alpha was in pain because of it in the story.
But now he said it to him directly.
*****