26. End The Chivilary
End The Chivilary
~NATHANíEL~
“ I ’M BLAIR!”
How familiar those eyes look now that they’re heightened with burning rage.
They portray a layer of anger that stems from the constant cycle of uncertainty and disappointment. It’s so easy to see it all, to grasp the level of emotions running through her in this heightened moment of despair.
Suzy showed me this side of her.
Before she was forced to marry the pack who killed her.
The pack that my brother signed the contract for her retrieval.
The one who tossed the blame on me to save his career.
“It’s ME! Blair Vesper! Multi-millionaire lyricist who can’t even show who the fuck SHE is because our society sucks!”
My poor Rebel.
All the signs are crystal clear.
When you reach that breaking point where nothing seems to make sense, and the agony of desperation stabs you with its final blow.
All that’s left is waiting for its victim to crumble.
I won’t allow it.
Not a second time.
The silence around us intensifies, leaving me to focus on how her breath struggles to get out. The way those flushed cheeks only grow redder while her face is far too pale. Wide eyes filled with fear and angst, and those parted lips with bruised skin that bleeds with that droplet of blood.
All my Alpha instincts cry out for me to react, but I know my role is different this time around. My instincts last time were too rash. Cold. Stemmed from my need to disassociate from the world and made it seem as if I didn’t care that my little sister was castaway to a group of strangers over a bit of money that would “catapult” my brother’s career.
As if the funeral funds raised weren’t enough for this fucker.
The mere idea of witnessing the life leaving these stunning blue eyes makes me move into action, my movement more calculating than ever as I pack aside my drastic yearning to make amends for this situation by ruining anyone who dares stress my Omega.
My hands glide into her shot locks, stilling her head as my palms press along her jawline.
She stills at my touch, confusion and dismay washing over those alluring features that make her so mesmerizing to look at, near or far, but I don’t give her the privilege to question my motives.
Words won’t register in my Omega’s mind right now.
What will is touch—my touch.
My touch. My lips. My silent promise that despite the revelation she’s bestowed upon me through her anger, I’m not going anywhere.
That’s exactly what I do as my lips claim hers, but instead of taking the lead, I allow my lips to remain still against hers.
Waiting for what she wants to do with this initiated move.
She could push me away. She could also accept the kiss and take the lead. I’m giving her the choice to do either.
I was giving her a glimpse of the control she’s earning in the heat of the moment.
Yes, this is a distraction from the spiraling dilemma she’s in, and no, it won’t stop us from facing the elephant in the room, but this will give her a taste of control.
This will remind her that she has the power to take the reins and steer this horse called life into the pathway she wholeheartedly yearns for.
I’m simply a commodity that’s essential in helping her along the way due to the hierarchy of power dynamics in our cruel world.
If I have to wait forever for her to react, I’ll stay right here, waiting for her command—whether acceptance or rejection.
I won’t run away like a coward, frightened to face the heading storm.
Relief fills me when those soft, bruised lips come to light. She presses them firmly against mine, moving with swiftness to kiss me as though it’s our last.
It sets off a wave of protective possessiveness through me, making it extra hard to be submissive to my Omega. Yet, the idea of tainting this moment for her holds me back.
I feel how her tongue tempts to slip into my mouth. How I don’t hesitate to give her what she heartily desires—my lips parting enough for her to have an opportunity for access.
Experiencing a woman taking the lead in a passionate lock of lips is a sensation I’m not used to, but I don’t oppose it. Heck… maybe I like it? It’s territory I’m not used to entering, but despite these circumstances, it’s something the Alpha part of me is willing to try.
To further empower our Omega once we’ve gotten through this hurdle of distress.
Despite how my lungs burn for air, I don’t pull away. I’d rather pass out due to lack of oxygen than destroy this swirling moment of redemption. Nothing can change the past and what happened to my baby sister, Suzy, but I can prevent the past from repeating itself with the Omega who rocked our world with her abrupt ascension into our lives.
Her gasp ignites mine, the two of us panting heavily for air while our faces are flushed with color. I can’t grasp my expression amid my Rebel’s eyes but admire the trinkets of realization that form in her gaze.
“Why…”
“Aren’t I running away?” I offer in return, watching as she slowly nods her head while fighting off her tears. “Why would I do that, Rebel?” My voice is as uplifting as it possibly can be, making her eyes widen further.
I can see it now.
That tiny twinkle of hope.
“Does running from our problems save us from the battle ahead?” I offer the question to her.
“No,” she quietly admits.
“Then, why would we run from this, Rebel?” I offer the question to her, allowing the chance to soak in my words and acknowledge the truth within her.
The truth beneath the bubbling layers of fear and rage.
“Because…” She works on blinking her tears. “I’m scared of losing. I… never win these challenges.”
“If that was true, would you be a multi-millionaire lyricist waiting for the right moment to walk into the spotlight and reveal what a badass, rebellious Omega you are?”
When I say those words, that spark of hope began to grow.
Blossom into a blooming sensation that makes my heart skip in glee.
“No,” she admits, agreeing with my words. “I can’t figure a way out of this.”
“Then why don’t you ask for help from those who can use their power, money, and connections in your favor?” I inquire. “And when the time is right, the money, power, and connection you carry in this vast industry will come back to aid you when you least expect it.”
It may sound too good to be true for many Omegas in this devasting world where Omegas seem to be at the bottom of the food chain, but I can see the threads of truth that begin to intertwine to build a foundation of hope within my Rebel.
“I…” I know she’s struggling to admit it, but I give her a nod of encouragement, hoping it’s the supportive push she needs to accept I’m not going anywhere.
I’m positive the others won’t leave, either.
Those in my pack, at least.
“I need help,” she squeaks the admission. “Please, Alpha?”
Even though her voice is laced with whimpering hope, the way she begs me has my cock twitching to life.
Fuck. I’m gonna need her to beg like that in bed…
“Then I’ll help you,” I vow and lean in to press a kiss to her forehead. “And when everything is all said and done, you get your control back. You don’t need to deal with us meddling in any of your affairs unless you ask us, okay?” I have to ensure she understands that this will be temporary, and that control will return to her fingertips when the timing is right.
“Okay,” she whispers in shock. It’s as if she registered how easy it could be to ask for a helping hand from an Alpha who isn’t confirmed to be hers.
Reaching to grip her chin, I gently kiss her lips as a sort of reminder that I’m walking this path with her. She may know me the least, but one thing I never fight is my Alpha instincts.
Those warning bells tell me Rebel is the prize worth fighting for.
That’s why we’re not giving in without a fight.
“My Rebel could use a nap, though,” I note with a hint of worry, realizing how sick she looks. Since she’s not warning me of feeling dizzy or lightheaded, I can assume she just needs to rest it off for an hour or two. “C’mon. You can sleep in the corner of the studio. There’s a nice little nest there. They deep clean it after every session to avoid imprinting scents on the furniture.
“Nap,” she repeats. “Yeah. That would be nice, honestly.”
I can see the hint of weary lines forming on her forehead, but I stop them from completely brewing as I grip her face once more and kiss her.
She moans at my touch, the sound lost in the hollows of my mouth but not forgotten. My mind keeps hold of that sound as if it’s a secret passcode to all my hidden secrets, my cock twitching and hoping to ignite that sound out of her again and again.
“We’ll work things out and make sure nothing is set in stone,” I reassure her and quietly add, “Except you being our Omega permanently.”
“You’d… want that?” she asks in surprise. “Even though you barely know me, and your younger brother hates me?”
“My younger brother hates everyone,” he acknowledges what must be the truth in regard to Nathaniel Jr. “As for barely knowing you, that’s any relationship that transpires the first time. We’re all strangers, coming together at various ages of life and celebrating the coexistence we share with another individual who was once an unknown stranger until our paths crossed.”
I wipe away what seems like the last set of tears to grace her beautiful cheeks before pulling her into a hug and rubbing her back. The embrace calms her instantly—such a simple action of comfort can make her melt into my hold that serves as protection.
We stay still for a little longer before we head to the studio. I offer my hand to her, which has her looking down at it in confusion.
“Phone,” I encourage.
She doesn’t ask questions. She just offered me the device after opening the code.
I scroll through her contacts, find who I want to call, and look back at her to see whether she’ll let me do what my instincts are begging me to uphold. The level of trust in her gaze tells me whatever I do now, she’ll go along with it. Whether that’s calling her mother to say fuck off or blocking her entirely.
I have a different plan instead.
Pressing the chosen number of my decree, it rings three times before someone picks it up.
“Astraea?” The rumble of a voice makes me a bit intimidated by the thick power of Alpha laced in the stated name, but I stand my ground. “Is there an emergency? You rarely call me.”
“Did you know your wife is trying to sell off your daughter to a pack of fuckers for money?”
I see the realization form on Astraea’s face as her eyes widen like saucers. She can’t say a word because my other finger presses on her lips, encouraging her to stay silent for me to let my plan play out.
There’s a moment of silence before the authoritative voice further depends.
“Who the fuck is this?”
“Nathaníel Morelli. The Alpha who’s going to do every rebellious thing to ensure your daughter remains my Omega and no stranger Alphas steal her from my pack,” I boldly declare with as much authority as I can muster.
I wouldn’t say I have a strong Alpha presence, especially when compared to Icarus, but it tips me over the edge enough, and my anger can do miraculous things in this power-dynamic society.
“So, I’m calling you as a warning, seeing as your wife is set in her ways in making Astraea feel like a trapped mouse with no way fucking out,” I growl. “So, pick your poison. Either you figure shit out and deal with your Omega or face the consequences of never talking to your daughter again.”
“Y-You dare to threaten me?” he barks.
“I’ll threaten every single fucking person who’s going to sit back, intentionally or not, and watch the Omega catapulted into our lives for the better get hurt,” I vow. “Because unlike you, I know what sleezebag money shark Alphas do to the Omegas who have no family to shield them from the harsh reality of our society. I know the way they abuse and destroy the light of purity in the depths of their eyes.
“The daughter you’re worried about would be better six feet under than in the clutches of bastards who will give a pinch of money and cut your wife off the moment they’re out of the fucking country. So, I’m giving you the choice now. Fix it, or you’ll lose the right to ever be in your Omega daughter’s life again.”
“You could be bluffing.”
“Oh, you know I’m not bluffing,” I vouch in mockery. “But want to hear a glimpse for yourself? Fine.”
After putting the phone on speaker, I offer it to Astraea, hovering it close to her ear while lowering my finger to her lips. We share a look before I nod in encouragement, hoping she’ll follow my lead.
“Dad?” her voice quivers with sadness, which makes it obvious she’d been crying.
“Baby girl?” The growl in the Alpha’s voice shifts entirely. The threatening depths are nonexistent, as if his whole demeanor has wholly softened. “Hey, my little star.”
“Hey, Dad,” she struggles to greet him, already fighting tears. “Mom… Mom… she’s… going to sell me away.”
“She. Is. Not,” he declares immediately. We can hear rumbling in the background. “Are you safe?”
“Yes,” she whispers. “I’m on a tour with Nathaníel and a few other Alphas in the band.” She swallows the lump in her throat while working on wiping away the tears of relief running down her flushed cheeks. “I read the text messages… and didn’t know what to do. Mom… always gets what she wants, even if it hurts me in the process.”
“Baby girl… do you believe that?” her dad sounds heartbroken.
“She sent you guys away. Banished you like you guys weren’t important outside of money, and look what that did? That put you eons away from me. Left me to defend on my own in life. I’ve had to face survival all on my own because of her decisions and actions. Or else you’d be right here when I need you.”
Her dad can’t gather the words to fight against the truth in hers.
I take that as the sign to end this call.
Pulling the phone away, my hand is already cupping Astraea’s cheek, my thumb wiping away the tear that escapes her glassy eyes. Her gaze is on me as I turn the speaker off and press the phone to my ear.
“So, now my pack and I are going to step in to ensure whatever foolishness your Omega is trying to plot against her child doesn’t prosper,” I boldly declare. “This is your chance to fix this shit before anyone gets hurt.”
“You like to spew threats, boy,” he growls.
“No. I like to prevent catastrophes,” I sternly declare before daring to admit something I haven’t revealed in a long time. “You know my youngest sister was murdered? She wasn’t a chosen target for some killer menace with a body count. She hadn’t been a horrible person in this dangerous world, at the wrong place and time. Nope. She was simply an Omega. Just like your daughter.”
I can’t help but stare into Astraea’s eyes as she realizes what I’m revealing.
“The day came when my youngest brother was given the opportunity to become famous. The chance to catapult into this industry that has never had favorites for long. This luck would help him go on a two-year journey of building a band to which they would become a global sensation. However, there was a catch. There’s always a catch,” I reveal. “He needed funds that would be used for the initial blowup. Tons of money that we’ve never seen hit our bank accounts as the normal American family. So, what would be best to help him in achieving his goal?”
I can see the threads of realization begin to form on Astraea’s face, the depths of horror blooming in those blue eyes of hers.
“Sell my sister to the highest bidding pack,” I confess. “So, behind our backs, he did exactly that. Going far and wide until he found the highest bidder. The moment he arranged things, he made my parents believe the pack was genuinely interested in my sister and there was no hidden agenda. It wasn’t until official documents were signed and our sister was taken to her new pack’s home did I began to realize the layers of deception caused by my little brother’s desperation for fame.”
I don’t realize the tear that’s running down my face until Astraea brushes it away.
“Then it happened. Only a few short weeks. While my little brother rode the waves of popularity and soaring charts, using my sample audition voice to trend the charts of the music industry, our baby sister was raped, abused, and beaten… day in and out. She was a prisoner in her own home until she escaped, barely breathing, while the place that should have been called home burned up in flames.”
I struggle to say the next bit, recalling everything that went down.
“By the time we got there, it was too late. My little sis could barely get words out, but I promised I’d take care of everything behind. That I’d be merciful enough to protect the boy who was too obsessed with his own success that the sacrifices were nothing but miscalculations,” I whisper.
“My sister died in my arms that day, after weeks of brutal torture, and the root of her agony was more focused on selling records and creating a band that would be loyal to him long enough to get what he thought he’d earned.”
He listens quietly on the line, and I’m sure the rest of his pack is present as well.
“Now, I have parents so mentally shocked that they pretend our sister never perished. So fucked up by the truth that they rather live in a lie and blame the eldest for trying to hurt their feelings. Then there’s the culprit of it all, living his dream and having the power to make it impossible for me to get a job in the country I was born in.” Saying it out loud makes me lowly chuckle as I shake my head. “Murderers don’t deserve opportunities. Yet, he forgot he wasn’t looking into a fucking mirror. He was looking at his older brother.”
“Nathaníel…” Astraea’s voice is full of dread. “Nate… got your sister killed…and you can’t do anything?” She seems so baffled by it all, but I can see the hint of understanding in her gaze.
She gets this industry.
“When you’re a trending new star, making millions in the grand scheme of it all, suddenly, a lot of people rely on you. Companies. Workers. Full salaries and wages depend on your trending success,” I whisper. “Family doesn’t matter when you can just send them out of America and pretend they no longer exist.”
“You took the blame…” Astraea quietly whispers. “And Nate painted you like a villain for your sister’s death when he arranged it all?”
My Sweet Rebel is a quick one.
“What’s the best way of getting out of a situation where you’ll lose everything?” I offer to her in return, knowing her dad is overhearing our words. “Shift the blame. What better way to do that than by throwing it on the eldest twin brother and exiling him eons away so my existence doesn’t disturb his.” I smile at that.
“But I’m still useful because my voice is the one playing on the radio. My talent is what’s bringing further income in this maddening industry, and now, thanks to a certain Omega punching my little bro in the nose and balls and breaking his finger, I can finally get revenge to ensure that doesn’t happen again.”
With a sigh of resolve, I get back to the point.
“What did this story prove?” I offer to Astraea’s Dad. “It proves Alphas will go to any length to get what they want. When offered a priceless deal, they’ll ensure to uphold that bargain and remind those who created the opportunity for the consequences of their actions. If your Omega thinks she can have our Rebel Princess, she’ll need a slap from reality because that just isn’t going down,” I affirm. “And if these Alphas want to fight against what’s already written in stone, they can enjoy getting through us the hard way.”
“Rebel Princess,” he mutters, clearly focusing on that title than probably anything else I said. “You barely know my baby girl. You wouldn’t lay your life over her.”
“You’re right,” I begin. “I may have just met your baby girl. In fact, I’m late to the party compared to the rest of the pack, and the only intimacy I’ve had with her is the kiss I initiated after watching her stare devastatingly at her phone screen, thinking her whole world was shattering around her,” I portray the honest truth.
Staring back at Astraea as her curious eyes meet mine, I continue my truth.
“But I’ve watched the last few weeks go by and witnessed the way your daughter has not only brightened the Alphas in my pack but has created a new dynamic between us that’s beginning to blossom to full bloom. How her presence has lit a creative seed in each of us,” I unveil.
“Icarus hasn’t been this driven in the talent business since he first began years ago. Kenji isn’t just smiling and acting happy because he doesn’t want to bother the world with his problems. His joy is a real reflection of his feelings, and he doesn’t hesitate to show when he’s upset, nervous, or depressed in your daughter’s presence. He’s even taking therapy and meeting his family when he would never ask for a helping hand. Instead of carrying the burden of his emotions by himself, he’s relying on his pack to get him through the mental funks he struggles with daily.
“As for Kai, the one everyone enjoys labeling as a mute, he’s talking voluntarily, striking conversations, and daring to tap into hobbies and commitments he lost interest in because he feels safe. He feels secure. He feels loved by those around him.”
Astraea is speechless as she stares at me with an agape expression.
I’m sure she’s wondering how I would observe so much when I’ve only been around a similar length as she is with my pack of friends. She doesn’t know our history and how I used to be as close to them as Nate was.
How we were all best friends, striving toward our futures.
None of us expect life to turn so… dark.
For us to drift apart.
All because of one person.
An individual striving for their own goals… at the expense of all of ours.
“Your daughter made me realize who the villain in our story really is. How my lack of giving a fuck and making a change because of my fear of losing anyone else I carried a bit of importance for led to encouraging the distance between those I care about. Maybe having an Omega isn’t all about the pleasure and primitive direction we need as Alphas, but to help us realize what we want in our dynamics and life itself,” I admit. “And everyone’s experience will be different. Will be altered or changed based on the influence that Omega has on her pack’s dynamic.”
I take a deep breath and let it out.
“Regardless of what you deal with in your dynamic with your Omega, I know what dynamic your daughter brings to ours. I know the positive influence she’s ignited in our world, and I’m not going to wait for her flame to flicker out before acknowledging how important she is to us,” I affirm. “To me.”
Taking another nervous breath, I decide that’s enough of the vulnerable lecturing.
“So, I leave the power in your hands as her father, but know that our pack has already claimed ownership of Astraea, and no group of desperate rich fuckers are going to change that. If this has to get ugly, so be it, but we won’t give her up. Over our dead bodies.” I lean over to purposely knock loudly on the wall. “And if death is in the end result of protecting who we want, so fucking be it. I’d die for this woman before me rather than let her suffer at the hands of a bunch of bastards who only want to ruin her.”
“Nathaníel,” Astraea hisses. “Don’t put that out there like that!”
I simply shrug.
“I’m hanging up,” I announce. “Your daughter is safe with us. You can make the final call in all of this, but if your decision doesn’t benefit our Omega, know this will be the last time you speak to her.”
I mean it.
No difference to how I stopped talking to my parents the moment Suzy was buried.
Why keep connections with those who never gave it their all to protect the people they love?
With that, I press the screen to hang up and watch Astraea give me a flabbergasted expression.
“You did not just hang up on my dad.”
“I did,” I say in a nonchalant tone. “Bite me.”
She pouts her lips while I smirk in return. Reaching for her hand, I wrap my fingers around hers and tug her to follow me.
“N-Nathaníel, where are we going?”
“Remember? Studio nest.”
“But… won’t we be interrupting their meeting?”
“Good.”
“But… I thought Nate Jr was here.”
“If he is, even better.”
She tugs on my hand, forcing me to pause in my strides so I can look back at her. I’m expecting her worrisome expression, but that’s not exactly what I see on her face.
It’s pretty blank in general, but I never read the lines on someone’s face because expressions can be forged.
The depth of emotion in one’s eyes can’t easily be manipulated.
That’s why Rebel’s eyes tell me she’s not only shocked, but there are sparks of thankfulness.
“No Alpha has ever stood up for me. No male… figure in my life has taken the initiative to protect me. I’ve always had to stand on my own business, and when I was too young to do so, it was… difficult for my dad to step into the authoritative space I needed him to be in. Sometimes, he did. When things were so uncomfortable, it was visibly obvious I was upset, but unless I showed a dramatic enough response, I was always overlooked,” she confesses.
“I stopped showing how hard things were on me because that wasn’t the type of protection I yearned for. I didn’t want to be protected only when I was shedding tears and looking weak in other eyes. I craved to be protected all the time. For those who loved me to acknowledge the wrong happening before their eyes and step in to shut it down entirely.”
Hearing her perspective and envisioning what she probably went through as an Omega child growing up in these instances makes it easy to understand her point of view.
“So… for you to just do that. For you to speak with my dad and verbally defend me…” She gives me a thankful smile that makes her eyes twinkle alluringly. “Thank you, Nathaníel.”
Turning back to face her, I lift her hand to my lips, kissing the palm before gripping it even tighter.
“You deserve to be loved. Just as you deserve to be protected,” I reaffirm, so she realizes whatever she dealt with in the past would no longer repeat in this future where we’re involved in her life. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in life. I’ve taken the liberty of standing back and accepting the wrongs done to me as a form of fate… because I couldn’t find the drive to care. Yet, things have changed now.”
I smile at my own words before turning away and squeezing her hand in my grasp comfortingly.
“I guess it’s crazy to say I’m thankful for this Knot Their Omega movement.”
“You are?” she quietly questions.
“Wouldn’t have left the comfortable oasis of running away from my problems to come back here and meet the Omega I yearn to have a life with.”
I tug her along while my conviction becomes clearer with each step.
“So, yeah. Thanks to this movement, we’re not only going to have an Omega, but we’re finally going to fix this elephant in the room,” I boldly declare, knowing I’ll hold myself accountable for what I’m about to ensue.
No more running away.