Ashvin didn't expect everything to turn out this way. He was ready to get thrashed after telling the truth and also imagined the scenario of Arik not believing him at all.
Nevertheless, the scene in front of him was different. He got punched by the Alpha yet the one who was hurt most by it was Arik himself and his Omega.
It was different from his and Eugene's situation. He felt envious of the couple in front of him.
Arik never felt the happiness he was experiencing at present. Hael staring into his eyes with a loving expression, caressing his cheek, complimenting the scar he thought made him afraid was the most beautiful moment in his life that he would underline with golden sparkly lines again and again.
The Alpha thought his wait was worth it to feel such warmth from the Omega's stare. That was how much he ached for Hael's one glance.
All the anger, tiredness, insecurities, and everything that weighed him down till now melted like the snow when the winter's sunlight shone its rays upon it.
Hael was lost in those gleaming eyes of the Alpha directed at him as he continued gently stroking Arik's scar.
Everyone present in the hall could get the whiff of the Alpha's musky Gardenia scent that he released in delight but only Arik could sense the sensuous honeysuckle scent blending with his pheromones in the air.
A light golden aureole surrounded both of them shocking the other three in the room.
"What's that...?" Irwin held Maven's arm with mouth agape.
Maven shook his head in response, "I have no idea."
Ashvin was also clueless. He was always interested in and researched the genetics of werewolves to know the mysteries of the mate bond and pheromones. He encountered many puzzling phenomena but this strange occurrence happening in front of him was the most mind-boggling one.
...
"Selene, where the hell are you?" Nyxia, the night Goddess sensing the divine light from the planet Lunette her sister ruled over came running to her.
"Sister Nyxia, do you remember me now?" Selene, the Moon Goddess was happy to see her after a long time and pouted.
Nyxia gave her a light finger flick, "It's not the time for your whining. Are they awakening now? Isn't it too soon?"
Selene became perplexed hearing her question, "Awakening, who?"
"Them..." Nyxia snapped her fingers and showed the scene of Hael and Arik surrounded by the celestial ring.
The Moon Goddess's eyes popped out watching the scene, "That's impossible. They aren't aware of their identities yet. Just this morning I talked with Hael and he didn't even like the idea of Arik being his soulmate."
"Then why? Something must be wrong, we can't let this happen otherwise it will obstruct the tribulations which could lead to the calamity we always feared," Nyxia showed a concerned expression.
"We must report this to the higher deities immediately, Sister Nyxia. Let's go," Selene grabbed the Night Goddess's hand and they vanished together leaving behind the smog.
...
The deathly eternal carmine irises of Morana widened in terror as she got up from her seat sensing something.
"What happened, little viper?" The head of the Verena household, Orpheus Verena clasped her wrist with worried eyes.
"A celestial being... in Sigor?" Morana muttered, her curly long thick eyelashes trembled for the first time as she looked at her lover, terrified.
Orpheus pulled her into his arms and rubbed her long long silky loose black hair, "I will not let anything happen to you in my presence, you know that little viper."
Morana nodded her head burying further on his nape yet her frightened cold-blooded non-beating heart couldn't calm down that easily.
"We must hurry and leave here as planned, Alpha. Show no mercy and kill whoever interferes. I will call the 'Dead Ringers' to smooth out our objective." Morana broke the hug.
"Is it necessary to call those wicked scoundrels? We can't let them loose in Sigor. Even though Ivalo Lowell isn't here now, his son Irwin is keeping everything in check. Dead Ringers listen to no one and they will wreak havoc everywhere and ruin everything, it's dangerous." Orpheus brushed her hair.
"It's inevitable, Alpha. We need to finish everything soon. If the presence I sensed in Sigor knows about our existence..." Morana had a fearful look, "...you know what'll happen."
Orpheus Verena fell silent for a minute thinking through everything and sighed, "Alright, do as you wish. But tell those vile bastards to keep it low until the project bidding. Lowells mustn't know anything before we disappear from Sigor, got it?"
"Of course, my Alpha. I will keep them on a leash, you don't worry," Morana smirked as she placed her cold lips on Orpheus's warm ones.
...
"What's with the light?" Ashvin's voice was loud enough making Hael and Arik come out of their trance.
The golden aureole dissipated into thin air as if it never appeared.
"Hm, what light?" Hael queried, dumbfounded removing his hand and distancing himself a little away from the Alpha, dumbfounded why he was even touching Arik.
>>>What the fuck was I doing just now...???
>>>It was like a few minutes became blank in my head.
>>>What happened?
Hael felt a slight headache, he rubbed his temple. Arik too got up with a dazed expression on his face.
>>>What was that just now? I felt a... ugh!!!
Arik too held his head tightly feeling immense pain, he squeezed his eyes shut.
"Um?" Ashvin who questioned before had a question mark on his face.
"Didn't you ask something?" Hael looked up at the confused Alpha
"I did?" Ashvin asked back.
"He didn't ask anything, Hael. Why are you holding your head, is it hurting?" Irwin sat beside him totally forgetting about the golden light.
"Hm, is your head hurting too at the same time, Arik?" Maven went to his friend with a frown feeling that he forgot something important.
"Yeah, I don't know why. It's suddenly aching..." Arik sat down on the couch.
The memory of the miracle they witnessed was completely obliterated from the minds of the five.
"Brother Irwin, can I get some strong coffee?" Arik gave him a pleading look.
Irwin got up nodding his head, "I will go make some for you both." He started heading to the kitchen with that but Hael, "Brother Irwin, no coffee for me, I want a choco latte."
The Beta smiled giving him a thumbs up and walked away.
Arik looked at Ashvin's swollen cheek and bleeding corner on his lips. He recalled punching him and then promising Hael that he would never get angry in front of him again but then after that, it was all expunged.
Every time he tried to remember the ache in his head increased so he calmed himself down.
Rubbing his forehead, "Ashvin Ender, I hope you're going to take responsibility for the deed you did." Arik glowered at him.
"Of course, I will. That's what I intended to do from the very start but that's not the problem. I came to you because Eugene... he did everything deliberately," Ashvin released a sigh.
"Senior, why are you blaming him?" Maven furrowed his brows.
"Listen to me first before getting enraged again, okay?" Ashvin requested and continued, "On his birthday, he confessed to me. I am his professor. It is inappropriate to have such feelings towards a student. So, I rejected him as gently as possible thinking that it's natural for teenagers to get easily attracted and he will forget it soon."
"Right, teenagers these days have like crush on anyone they find attractive." Hael shook his head forgetting again that now he was a teenager too.
The three Alphas blinked their eyes and didn't say anything back to him.
"So you are telling me he schemed everything on the day of celebration in university to mate with you?" Arik raised his right brow.
"Precisely," Ashvin responded, honestly without any fear. Seeing his sincere eyes Arik stopped doubting him.
"I know he is your younger brother and trusting me who is a total stranger isn't easy. But I am telling the truth, Eugene didn't drink the holy wine. He plotted it with his friends drugged my drink and made me go into the room he was in. He went into heat and I mated him under the influence. I never thought I would lose my control like that..."
Ashvin had a guilty displeased look on his face.
"He thinks the same too," Maven commented pointing at his friend who sent daggers at him with his eyes making him zip his mouth.
"The next morning-"
"Did he run away?" Hael asked getting curious.
"Like you?" Arik questioned him back.
Hael poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue becoming silent.
"No, he didn't instead he blackmailed me," Ashvin replied.
"Blackmailed you?" Arik and Maven chroused at the same time.
"Yes. He threatened that if I didn't mark him and form the mate bond with him he would report to the authorities of the cathedral that I stole his holy wine making him go into heat and then forced myself upon him, taking the chance," Ashvin facepalmed.
"That's such a believable story. Arik, your younger brother Eugene is so smart and cunning," Hael commented.
Arik helplessly smiled at the Omega not knowing how to respond to that.
"You didn't mark him too?" Maven queried and muttered in his friend's ear, "Your brother-in-law shares the same brain cells as you, Arik."
"Shut up, Mav!" Arik pushed him away.
"I fucking don't know what I did under the drug effect. I never thought of not taking responsibility, I swear but Eugene didn't listen to a word I told him. He became so insecure that when my mother called me to come back home for my sister's birthday he thought I was leaving him and made a big scene blackmailing me again."
Irwin put the tray on the table and handed them the drinks he brought. He heard everything from the kitchen and was surprised.
Ashvin took a sip of coffee and grunted, "I assured him I would mark him but before that, I asked him to let me meet his family so that I could get permission from them. I didn't know back then that he lived with his uncle and he hated his family."
Arik's face became gloomy at that.
"Later I got to know through his friends and I decided not to poke more into his family background cause he was feeling insecure about it. I suggested him that we should at least meet his uncle but for some reason, he refused and accused me that I am dilly-dallying by coming up with nonsensical conditions to reject him."
Ashvin groaned letting everything out that he couldn't share with anyone till now and continued,
"What's more frustrating was after seeing my plane tickets to Sigor he thought I was trying to leave him and made a big scene not knowing I was coming here to attend my sister's presenting ceremony. I already missed her birthday and my parents were angry at me calling me every hour and asking me when I was coming home but I didn't know how to make Eugene understand. I had no idea how to make him trust me."
"Then, how did you...?" Arik knitted his brows.
"I lied to him that something urgent came up at home and promised him I would return in a day. He agreed yet warned me, he would go to the cathedral to file a complaint against me if I didn't return that's why I must leave tomorrow morning," Ashvin answered understanding the other's question, and added,
"I came here to tell my parents about Eugene and ask them to reach his family to get their permission but never thought I would meet you at the cathedral. So I thought telling you everything would be a good idea."
Arik found everything strange. Why was his brother so desperate to mate with Ashvin and so insecure?
Hael had his circumstances for drugging him so if Eugene was also in such a predicament then he could understand why his younger brother refused to let Ashvin meet his uncle.
"Thank you for informing me about this, Ashvin, and I am sorry for hitting you," Arik apologized.
"It's okay. I understand and actually, I think I deserve it. How can I mate Eugene who is almost ten years younger than me... between a student and professor such a relationship is forbidden and considered as a sin," Ashvin voiced out feeling ashamed of himself.
With that expression, the four of them got to know Ashvin was such a gentleman and reliable person.
...
"Thank goodness, we reported it immediately and the higher deity erased their memories in time," Nyxia, the Night Goddess breathed a sigh of relief.
"If you didn't inform me... oh lord, I don't know what would I have done, sister Nyxia," Selene remarked leaning on her sister's shoulder feeling relaxed.
"Anyway, we prevented a disaster from happening. From now on stay alert and keep an eye on them. Arik mustn't awaken before the fixed time or else..." Nyxia paused.
"I know, sister Nyxia. I will be careful," Selene reassured her.
"Also keep that female Vrykolaka who sensed their presence in check and not let her harm them," Nyxia advised.
"Her... she won't do anything, sister Nyxia. Vrykolakas fear the celestial beings and she is no different still I will make sure no one will interfere between them this time," Selene had a determined look.
****