Episode 81
"Are you okay?"
"I'm better"
Alex stood against the sink taking a breather while Zhuang stood by his back.
"Her pheromones are really one of a kind, normally alpha pheromones that don't carry alpha command make you go into heat, hers make you nauseous, it's like she only produces pheromones for one person and rejects the rest" Alex said rubbing his chest to calm the bloating feeling.
"Actually they were more concentrated than normal, even I could feel them" Zhuang responded "She looks calm on the surface but staying apart from Natsuro has really effected her both mentally and physically"
"It's been three days and more, I don't know if she's even slept or eaten, she looks horrible" Alex said "I'm also worried for Akio san ever since he found out"
"I don't think Kei san can keep back Akio now either, he's sat back for a while now because Kei asked him to put trust in Aoi but Akio isn't a patient person when it comes to his children" Zhuang told him.
"He has to, he must, otherwise he'll ruin everything we worked so hard for" Alex took a deep breath.
"How about you?" Zhuang asked "how are you holding up?"
"I'm strong, don't worry" Alex said and turned, though to his surprise, Zhuang hugged him, putting his arms around Alex's back whilst leaning in and resting his chin against Alex's shoulder.
"Don't lie" Zhuang whispered.
Alex's surprised gaze relaxed and he slid his arms up Zhuang's back.
"I just want to see my son, I feel like I'm a horrible parent, I disappear on him for days... I feel like he'd hate me soon" Alex spoke his mind
"I barely met my brothers and I'm already stripped apart from them, I know I'm strong enough to not give up but it's frustrating to be not able to do anything"
"We'll find your brother I promise and Adrian can never hate you, he's one of the sweetest and most understanding child ever, all you have to do is talk to him honestly, he might be tiny but he's more grown up than any of us" Zhuang consoled him.
"Hopefully" Alex parted from the hug, holding Zhuang's hands in his own.
He brought Zhuang's hand close to his lips and caressed it "thankyou, for everything"
"Hey, I love you, okay?" Zhuang said to Alex's surprise. Though he wasn't surprised for too long, it eventually turned into a smile.
"I love you too"
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"What are..you...doing..?"
The little boy turned towards the voice and spoke sweetly
"Uncle Kei" He said slowly climbing down the couch where he stood, looking out of the window of the apartment "Adi was looking if Papa and Daddy came to pick up"
"Don't..you want...to sleep...like Leah and Sia..? It's late.." Kei asked and came over sitting on the couch where little Adrian sat with his tiny legs protruding forward and his tiny hands holding his kneecaps.
"But, what if Adi is asleep and papa comes and Adi miss it" Adrian expressed his concerns.
Kei understood how badly he was missing his parents.
"Do you...want to call them...?" Kei asked, even though Alex had called just this evening.
"Uncle Akio said, brother Natsuro was taken by bad guys, papa go bring brother back, Papa is a hero" Little Adrian spoke with a tiny voice "I think if I make papa busy, papa can't find brother, I miss brother too"
"Adi chan...you're a very...good boy..." Kei said while patting little Adrian's head, though the patting had the opposite effect, the kid's face turned red and he started sniffling..
"Adi..is not ..a good boy" He started hiccuping "Adi can't say but miss papa and daddy"
"Who..said you...can't say it..." Kei gently patted the boy's head.
"Uncle Kei, papa say, to ask your permission" Adrian said to which Kei blinked in confusing
"Adi feel bad, can Adi hug you?"
Kei's surprise turned to a gentle smile "Adi chan...is very...considerate..." Kei stood up and lifted little Adrian in his arms resting his head on his shoulder and placing his hand gently on the kid's back as he sniffled silently on Kei's shoulder.
Kei carried him to the room where little Leah and Sia were asleep already.
Though, his eyes widened and he quickly walked to the bathroom carrying Adrian and opened the door; nothing.
He came out going to the kitchen, the living room, the extra bedroom...; nothing.
"Uncle Kei?" Little Adrian got worried from Kei moving around so fast.
"He's not...here..."
"Who Uncle Kei?"
"Akio san"
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Horrible....
It feels....horrible....
What are they doing....what's the point...of putting a child in heat everyday and leaving him tied up on his own....
"Today too"
Whose voice is it? Who's here? I thought those guys left already...
"What kind of weird omega is this?"
"Oh she's here!"
Who are they talking about? Who's here?
"Ms. Aiba, welcome!!!"
"Idiot you're not supposed to say her name!"
Aiba..? Where have I heard this name before.
"What is this? Didn't I tell you to put this kid in heat already???!! Why are you guys so fuking useless???!"
A female's voice scolded the two idiots.
"We did, but this omega is super weird, we put him in heat and go out but in less than ten minutes when we come to check, his heat is gone without doing anything" One of them spoke.
"If we keep giving him drugs over and over his kidneys would fail" the other one spoke.
"What kind of shitty joke is that? Give me the fukin injection and get the camera ready" She spat at them rudely.
"Ma'am we can't stay if he's in heat, even for us betas it's too much, he's young, he has strong pheromones"
"Don't you wanna see how his heat disappears in less than ten minutes? You never saw it with your own eyes did you?" She spoke mockingly.
What's happening....
"See, ya lazy liars, he's going in heat just fine-"
Her voice suddenly paused as if something had happened
It suddenly became overly silent.
What's going on?
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT???" One of them almost yelled.
"SHIT I'M HAVING A NOSEBLEED" The other one spoke as well.
What was what???!!! Oh gosh they are creeping me out!!!!!
I heard footsteps walking towards me and in a few seconds a stinging light hit my eyes, I couldn't open them, since I hadn't seen light in a long time.
My eyes watered up the more I tried to open them.
"Who are you?" She asked, the vague figure of a huge female appeared in front of me.
"Ma'am he's the hostage we told you about, Ms. Aoi's partner" one of them told her.
What's up with her?
"I heard Himari Aoi's partner was an omega, how did you just release such a powerful alpha command?"
She asked putting her hands on the arms of the chair and getting into my face.
Does she expect me to answer her bullsh-t with my mouth gagged or something?
"What do you mean ma'am?" One of them asked,
Wow, I thought he always sounds stupid but damn he looks stupid too.
"He's using the alpha command to suppress that kid's heat" The woman replied.
Say what bruh?
"Is that even possible????" The dumb looking one asked.
"I don't think so but I'm definitely sure, the surge of pheromones came from him, they were really strong" She replied "leave the kid, I'm more interested in this one now..."
"Wait no, ma'am we were given strict instructions about this one, we have to-" Though without letting him speak, the woman slapped him so hard that his other nostril started bleeding too.
His nose was already ugly, why'd you do that woman?
Wait, what does she mean, she's interested in me????
Can't you tell I'm expecting? I'm taken?
Wait...she didn't mention that, shouldn't normal alphas be able to tell apart a pregnant omega?
Does that mean...? No...I hope not...maybe she's just weak..? And besides her knowing I'm expecting will only make things worst, so it's better.
"But he's expecting!"
That fukin idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Oh??" The nasty woman leaned in sniffing me while I tried to move as back as possible.
"Now that you mentioned it, there's a very very faint scent on him...your baby must be really weak for the scent to be that faint"
Excuse me but did you just fukin insult my child?? B-tch!!!
My eyes went around the room now that I'd just adjusted my eyes to the light.
I'd imagined that I was in a warehouse like in one of those action movies but damn this looks like a motel room???
How come no one noticed?
My eyes went around and widened in horror as I saw little Lian tied on bed without clothes, injection marks all over his arms and hips, his eyes looked sunken in, he looked malnourished, his eyes were open even when he was asleep...his ribs were protruding and he was barely breathing....
WHAT THE HELL...THE KID'S LITERALLY DYING...
THE HELL HAVE YALL DONE TO HIM...
THE HELL...YOU...DARE....!
YOU FUKIN DARE.....
YOU...DARED.....
PROTECT....MUST PROTECT...
....PROTECT.....
PROT-
"What are you doing..?"
"What are these pheromones...?!!!!"
"Stop...stop...STOPPPPPPPP"
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"It's all my fault"
"What?"
"If only, I didn't make that many enemies, if only I played along...Lian wouldn't be in..."
Mari pulled the brake a little hard, hard enough for him to at least get a jerk despite the seatbelt.
"What was that for??!" Ian said being really surprised "You trying to get us killed??!"
"Do you remember the first day?" Mari carried on driving normally.
"What day?" Ian asked fixing his seat belt.
"When I first saw you" Mari responded.
"A...it was in the hospital..." Ian remembered.
"Thankyou for being there at that time" Mari replied.
Ian's face heated up a bit "Huh, why are you being all cringy out of sudden?"
"You might not know but that day you....." Mari paused to which Ian blinked in confusion, she didn't complete it though
"I'll make sure you can break through"
"What's the point though...me breaking through, only made my fears worst, I don't even know if I can protect Lian anymore..." Ian spoke while fiddling with his thumbs.
"I don't think you could have protected him for too long" Mari reminded him the obvious.
"I know..but maybe, if he was a little older" Ian spoke with a tensed tone.
"Don't imagine the worst" Mari told him.
"I can't help it, I don't know what I'll do without him, he's my family, I just can't help but feel so desperate and helpless, why did it have to be like this?" He held his head in both his hands trying to relax his lumping throat.
"Just stop thinking" Mari increased the speed of the car "we're almost there"
Ian took deep breaths giving out huge sighs.
"Is that?"
"What? What's up?" Mari pulled the brakes as they undid the seatbelts.
"It's the motel owned by Aiba" Ian said as they came out of the car.
"That little-" Mari said as she rushed in kicking open the door with a notice
*Motel temporarily closed for renovation and construction*
Ian also followed, the two came inside the main hall looking around.
"There's too many rooms" Mari spoke in a rush.
"I think I know which room" Ian took the stairs, rushing up to the room where he and Aiba used to meet.
He opened the room only to move back and throw up.
Mari paused too seeing him and slowly peaked in too see the gorey mess inside and moved back.
She took deep breaths and covered her mouth slowly turning to see the situation.
There were two bodies in the room near the bed. Two beta men all slaughtered really badly. The faces were completely destroyed beyond recognition, there were gruesome stab marks all over their bodies as if whoever did it didn't stop even after they died.
There was an empty chair on the opposite side with ripped off tapes and untied ropes. An empty bed with ropes and a running camera nearby pointing towards the bed.
Mari's phone rang, almost startling her. It was Aoi, she picked it up right away.
"Aoi...?"
"Call the cops, Mari"
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'Must...protect...'
'Must protect...'
Protect who?
'Protect him....'
'Protect him at all costs...'
'Don't listen to them...'
'Listen to me....'
Protect....
"Natsu, calm down"
Who are you? Stay away, don't come near him.
"Natsu, you need to let him go, they need to take him to the hospital"
"Aoi san please come back, it's dangerous!!!!"
Stay away!!! Don't come near him!!!
"Natsu it's me, Aoi, look at me"
"Aoi, move"
"Akio san? What are you doing here??"
No stay away...
Stay....
Awa.....
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"You didn't have to knock him out!!"
"Yeah and let you die???"
Akio took out a handkerchief and placed it on Aoi's nose pushing her head back, holding it with a hand on the back on her neck to stop her nosebleed.
"Keep your head up, crazy fukin girl" Akio said "You guys can come close!"
The paramedics who were staying a huge distance behind started to come forward as the huge gush of pheromones around Natsuro began to settle down after Akio knocked him out with a hit on the neck.
They parted Natsuro from little Lian whom he was holding really tightly not letting go, all holed up in an alley next to the motel like a stray cat protecting it's kittens while being cornered.
Both were laid on a stretcher before the paramedics started strapping them.
"Weren't you effected?" Aoi asked, lowering her head a little, to which Akio pulled it back by her hair, and kept the handkerchief pressed, showing no mercy.
"I could, but for some reason, they were gentle for me unlike everyone here" Akio told her.
"Do you think it's because you're expecting too?" Aoi asked.
"If that's the case, then this kid can control who to impact and who not to, seems like it already has a favorite parent and a grandparent" Akio said.
"Are you implying my kid doesn't like me?" Aoi frowned a bit.
Though Natsuro had already been fastened over the stretcher so Aoi broke free from Akio's grip rushing to him.
"Please take her with you and provide her medical aid too, I'll go with the child" Akio told the paramedics as he took the ambulance with Lian instead noticing there was no one with him.
"How's he?" Aoi asked as they entered the ambulance.
The medics were already using whatever was available to them.
"What?" Aoi asked noticing the exchange of glances by the two nurses.
"Tell me!"
"Ma'am.."
"Yeah?"
"There's no movement"