Chapter 06
Ethan
It was night when I actually woke up, Andrey was with me, which I found strange right away. Yes, I had sex with him, but he hadn”t been around me since I got here, the one who had done that was Javier.
- How it feels? — His question was accompanied by a gentle hand on my face.
— Painful... — was all I could say.
To tell the truth, I didn”t know how to classify my feelings, I was embarrassed and at the same time feeling dirty.
— When you reached the peak of heat, there was no one at home and when you slept, we cleaned everything and disguised the smell that had remained in the air, it”s easy to get confused, relax, no one will know what happened, just the three of us. — Andrey kissed my hand. — I loved having sex with you.
Would it be too much to ask for lightning to strike my head?
Andrey noticed my embarrassment and left me alone, he left saying he would return with my dinner and to everyone in the house I had fallen down the stairs and as I was not an experienced wolf, I had not been able to recover.
It was a staircase… Of course it was.
Javier returned with my dinner and that worried look intrigued me.
— Has the heat already passed? — he asked and smelled the air. — I need to ask, we use a special essence to mask the smell and I have no way of knowing.
— I don”t feel that way anymore, so I believe it”s gone. — my speech was nothing more than a low mumble.
— I don”t want you to feel bad about this, it”s normal and luckily we were there to calm you down, in the worst case scenario, your smell could have attracted a stranger. — he sighed. — Only an alpha calms an omega.
I picked up the plate and started eating, I wasn”t hungry, but it was better than having to face Javier. If I were cooler and given to certain things I wouldn”t feel this way.
A thousand things went through my head. He was a shapeshifter, someone who transformed into an animal, a wolf.
The mystical city, everyone here is wolves and the clans are separated by the color of their coats, but that doesn”t mean that a black wolf can”t have relationships with white people. This is all too new, as I said before.
As I ate, I felt Javier”s dark gaze, I had never had a relationship with anyone before, I had no way of knowing what that look meant.
— There”s something I”d like to talk to you about. — Javier cut the silence.
— What thing?
— It was your heat, it never happens the first time, but it could happen that you get pregnant, I want you to know that as a responsible alpha I will take care of the offspring. — His look changed from affectionate to arrogant.
— The alphas keep the offspring… — I looked at him with disgust. — Are you telling me that even if we are living in the same house you won”t let me take care of my children?
— It”s the laws, but if your father allows us to be together, we can raise him.
My head was spinning, had Javier done it on purpose, just to force my father to accept our romance? That was it?
I released the plate from my hands and started to shake, I didn”t know what to think or how to act, I just knew that I didn”t want to see Javier in front of me for a long time.
—Leave the room… —I murmured.
— Ethan, it won”t change anything how we feel, it”s the laws, we can”t make an exception. — He held my hand.
I pulled my hand away violently and when he insisted I hit him in the face.
— Get out of my sight!! — I shouted
— You can”t do that. You are an omega and the only right you will have over your offspring is to give them life, when you understand your place in our world, we will talk again... — He stopped talking and looked at me with hatred, then slapped me hard on the face. — I will teach you to respect your alpha. — He turned and left.
Javier”s slap echoed through the room, a crash that reverberated in my chest like thunder, shattering the fragile fragments of my heart. Tears welled up in my eyes, hot and salty, running down my cheeks like a river of pain. With each drop that fell, I felt torn apart, with each drop a piece of me dissolved into the abyss of humiliation.
My shoulders shook, wracked with sobs that ripped through my throat like daggers. The physical pain was bearable, but the agony that consumed my being was infinitely more cruel. The betrayal of Javier, the alpha I admired and respected so much, was a wound that bled endlessly.
The promise to take care of our offspring, the fruit of our forbidden love, turned into an ice-cold dagger stuck in my heart. The law, merciless and immutable, forced him to take the child for himself.
My knees gave way under the weight of my anguish, and I fell to the cold bedroom floor, curling up like a wounded animal. The physical pain of the fall was insignificant compared to the storm of emotions that consumed me. Anger, frustration, despair... a whirlwind of feelings that drowned me in a sea of ??suffering.
In the midst of the darkness, I clung to the only thing I had left: the memory of Javier”s soft touch, the warmth of his body against mine, the promise of a future that would never come true. The memories, like lighthouses in the midst of a storm, gave me a glimmer of hope, a reason to keep breathing, even if each breath was a puff of pain.
I got up with wobbly legs, a sore body and a torn soul. With every step I took, I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.
If there was someone who could help me, it was my father, although he was the leader, I let myself be carried away by the hope that with his son he would act differently.
With a broken heart and a shattered soul, I headed to my father”s office, the safe haven he always provided me in the most difficult moments of my life. Upon entering, I found him sitting at his desk, his serious face buried in a sea of ??papers.
— Dad — I murmured, my voice choked with emotion — I need to talk to you.
He raised his head, his yellow eyes looking at me with concern.
—What happened, my son? — he asked, his voice calm and comforting.
— In the morning I felt really sick, I went into heat — I stopped talking, seeing him narrow his gaze.
— Ethan…
— Javier was at home and smelled it. I was fine with the idea, but this evening he told me that if I get pregnant, he will take the child away from me — I swear I didn”t want to look weak and cry, but I couldn”t help it.
“It”s the law, Ethan,” my father said, his voice firm and serious. — If you get pregnant, he will have to take care of you until the child is born and then he will keep the child.
My father saw my despair and felt sorry for a moment. He walked calmly towards me and sat next to me on the chair.
— In the beginning, omegas were tormented by heat. The alphas did what they wanted with them and then abandoned them with the child in their womb. We made this law so that the omega would not be alone with a child in his arms, a child who was the result of an accident.
— I could deny it…
— I couldn”t, Ethan. The heat would never let you refuse the alpha. Let”s hide the pregnancy and find a decent marriage arrangement. Javier acted like an inexperienced alpha when he took advantage of her first heat. I don”t want him near you.
“Father, I don”t want to give the child to him,” I sobbed, tears finally welling up in my eyes.
“It”ll work, Ethan,” my father said, his voice firm and unwavering. — I won”t allow you to ruin your future because of heat. Let”s find a way and when the child is born, I will send Javier away from this house.
His words hit me like a punch in the stomach. I knew he was right. I needed to be strong for my son. But the pain of Javier”s betrayal and imminent separation consumed me inside.
— And Javier? I asked, my voice weak and defeated. — Will he accept this?
“He”s going to have to accept it, Ethan,” my father said firmly. — The law is on our side. And he won”t want to put the child at risk.
I got up from the chair, my legs were wobbly and my heart was broken. I knew my father was right. I needed to be strong. But with every step I took away from the office, I felt like I was moving away from everything.
Andrey looked at me seriously in the hallway, I hadn”t even seen him at first.
— Ethan…
— Don”t say anything, I don”t want to know, in fact I want to pretend that day didn”t happen. — I threw out the words, still choked up.
He came over and hugged me and at that moment I understood that being an omega was shit, his smell calmed me down in a very intense way.
— I want to go back to civilization, I hate this place, these laws… — I complained.
— You can”t, you”ve already gone through the transformation, you”re the son of a leader, you need to stay and fulfill your role. Ethan, even though the puppy is mine, I”m going to have to take him, I”m sorry.
— Are you going to hit me like he did? — I asked, my eyes filling with tears.
— No, he lost his mind, Javier is a man of the law.
— He did it to force my father, didn”t he?
— Yes, I was actually the one who acted on instinct, he was much more aware of what he was doing. — He held me in his embrace. — Everything will be fine, when the offspring reaches a certain age, the omega is given the right to have him in his life, believe me, everything will be fine.
I moved away from his embrace and his smell seemed to have permeated my clothes.
— I don”t understand or know your laws, but can I go for a walk alone?
— Yes, your smell should be back to normal by now, so I don”t think there will be any problems along the way.
I smiled weakly and walked away. I wanted to put my ideas in order, I went downstairs and ignored the looks in my direction, I just did what I felt like.
The snow fell in thick flakes, silencing the forest under a blanket of pristine white. It was the perfect setting for my introspective walk, seeking clarity amidst the icy vastness. I walked aimlessly, my thoughts spinning in a whirlwind of doubts and uncertainties.
Suddenly my eyes fell on a lone figure on the side of the trail. A man, perhaps in his forties, emanated an aura of serenity and wisdom. His black hair, interspersed with silver strands like the snow that surrounded him, framed a face marked by time, but with a penetrating blue gaze that overflowed with peace and understanding.
It was as if he was in perfect harmony with the nature around him, an ethereal figure emerging from the forest itself. Without realizing it, I stopped my steps, fascinated by his presence. His eyes, fixed on the horizon, seemed to contain ancient secrets, stories from the distant past and invaluable life lessons. — ok, I had a nice trip.
In his elegant posture, there was a touch of melancholy, as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. But, at the same time, he emanated an unshakable inner strength, a resilience that allowed him to face any challenge.
I stood there, watching him silently, as if I were facing a mentor, a guide who could help me navigate the mists of my own existence. I felt a deep connection with him, as if our spirits communicated on a plane beyond words.
At that moment, something inside me calmed down. The storm of doubts that plagued my mind dissipated, giving way to a feeling of peace and clarity. It was as if the mysterious man had imparted his wisdom to me. — ok, I traveled again.
An enigmatic smile appeared on his lips, and he approached, holding a lamp similar to mine. Golden light bathed his face, revealing wrinkles that told stories of life and experiences.
— Good evening, young man. — His voice was deep and calming, like a whisper of the wind through the trees.
- Goodnight. — I replied, feeling butterflies in my stomach that weren”t from the cold. — My name is Ethan.
— Ethan, a name that matches the beauty of this night. — His eyes fixed on mine as he spoke. — My name is Vulture.
Vulture? A strange name, but one that suited the enigmatic aura that emanated from him.
— An unusual name. — I commented, curious.
— Vulture, the symbol of cleansing and renewal. — He explained, a playful smile on his lips. — Just like the snow that covers the earth, life needs to be renewed from time to time.
I sat down on a fallen log, invited by a gesture from the Vulture. The lamp in our hands cast a circle of light around us, creating an intimate and cozy space.
—What brings you to this forest on this cold night? Vulture asked, his voice soft like a hug.
— I was looking for clarity, inner peace. — I confessed, feeling an inexplicable trust in this man I barely knew.
— The forest is a good place to find these things. — He said, his eyes contemplating the darkness around him. — Here, nature teaches us about the simplicity of life, about the importance of balance and harmony.
I got lost in thoughts, when he spoke, it was as if arrows were being launched into my heart, each word was soft and his velvety voice left me trembling. I”ve never felt this in my life.
Throughout the night, I felt the inexplicable connection with Vulture grow even more. It was as if we had known each other for a long time, as if our souls had met in this forest under the blanket of stars.
When it was time to leave, I felt a deep sadness. Vulture followed me to the trail, the light of his lamp illuminating my path.
— I hope our paths cross again, Ethan. — He said, his eyes shining with a mysterious light.
— I hope so too, Vulture. — I replied, my heart beating with an unknown emotion.
I said goodbye to him with a firm handshake and a shy smile. I walked along the trail, the snow rustling beneath my feet, as Vulture”s figure faded into the darkness of the forest.