Chapter-10: Rituals Of Presenting Ceremony And The Drug Incident

"Win got pretty fired up yesterday night. My old man really is such a spectacle, what the hell was he even thinking, not taking Hael to the cathedral for the presenting ceremony? Ah, I don't even know how to face Hael now, Arik. What should I do?" 

Maven was pretty bummed walking beside his friend who was trying to control his anger after knowing that Hael wasn't baptized.

Getting baptized in the annual presenting ceremony organized by the Cathedrals in every city and town despite being big or small for celebrating the second gender reveal of the wolves was a must for everyone to attend on turning eighteen along with their family.

The ceremony usually transpired in December. It would be celebrated for a month long.

The wolves whose eighteenth birthdays was before December would schedule a day from the start of the last month and those who had their birthdays in the same month would schedule the day right after.

But the downside was wolves celebrating their birthdays on the first day of the new year or in January had to wait till December again to get baptized, in such cases the Cathedral would provide them with a vial of holy wine in case they go into heat or rut before the ceremony.

The second gender would be revealed when the eighteen-year-old wolves soak in holy water springs usually located on the backside of Cathedrals.

An Alpha would gleam red for a minute after soaking in the holy water. A Beta would be yellow and an Omega green.

Thus, the genders were revealed though mostly everyone could guess their second gender from their fifteenth birthday onwards cause their bodies would start changing as their pheromones increase to form scent glands.

However in rare cases, their guesses would go wrong such as common stereotypes of masculine men or women would turn out to be Alpha or Beta and skinny, curvy men or women would be Omega.

Yet, they turn out to be the total opposite.  Masculine men or women may turn out to be Omegas and feminine ones may turn out to be Alphas or Betas.

Physical appearance alone won't be enough to know their second gender sometimes.

The ceremony would last till the thirty-first and on the day of the new year everyone celebrated it in the Cathedral after praying for the Moon Goddess.

At that time, the premises of the Cathedrals would be buzzing with people, street vendors from all over the city set up stalls, gaming booths, arts and crafts booths, bookstalls, selling varieties of foods, and many more.

Saying that annual presenting ceremonies have been celebrated as big festivals was no exaggeration.

It was such an important occasion to everyone but to think Hael didn't even know about it made Arik's blood boil in rage.

Arik even wanted to hit Maven for being ignorant of how his family treated Hael but he knew his friend was in fact too busy along with him trying to establish a company together to break free from the clutches of their families and become independent.

He saw how much hard work Maven put into the company they founded. He used to not sleep a wink in the early stages and would just doze off for an hour or more all cramped on the couch.

So, he couldn't blame Maven for anything. His friend was indeed occupied with work to care for his step-brother. He, himself didn't have the time to stop a horrid conspiracy that occurred to his stepmother which made his step-brother he adored, Eugene leave their family.

He still regretted it and that was why he could understand how Maven was feeling right now.

Irwin and Hael were having breakfast when Arik and Maven arrived.

Hael gave a slight glance at Arik and immediately looked at Irwin asking with his eyes why the Alpha was here.

The Omega was yet embarrassed how he went into a panic just at the mere touch of Arik and cried rivers until he lost consciousness.

Well, it wasn't in his control. At that time his emotions were all messed up due to the dream he had.

After experiencing an existential crisis for the first time in his life he tried to be mindful by calming his inner self. 

Last night, he gathered all his thoughts and concluded that he should focus on the present and his babies first rather than dwelling on the past.

He at first surmised that he had transmigrated into his favorite manga but after knowing the truth he comprehended that this was the real world and everything was not set in stone.

Therefore, there was no need to be wary of the main characters and their storyline. He could decide his own fate.

He was not a weak Omega Villain anymore. He lived thirty-two years on earth, independently. From his experience, he could live well off here too, and take care of his babies.

But the problem was it was hard for an unmarked Omega to live in the society all alone though the conditions had improved for them if he compared to ancient times when they used to live in packs and Omegas were considered of lowest rank at that time and underwent so many inhuman abuses.

Now, everyone was equal. Marked and mated Omegas were living well off but the problem was unmarked Omegas like him just like the human females on earth who were not safe because of some illbred people who only think through their lower halves.

Even after the punishment was made severe not everyone would be caught for their crime so incidents happened and it became unsafe for unmarked Omegas.

Hael was also thinking of his babies cause without the mate mark it would be tough for him to give birth safely and he couldn't take any chances in this life after losing them once.

Therefore, the Omega was in a dilemma. Should he give a chance to Arik if the Alpha begged him? Or not... cause his first life experience with him was too bitter to forget and forgive.

Irwin got up, "Why did you bring him with you?" 

"He is also family, right? He is the father of my nephews or nieces or maybe both," Maven replied.

"Hael didn't agree to that... not yet," Irwin's voice was cold he didn't want his younger brother to face any difficulties anymore even if Arik was his cousin he decided not to show any favouritism.

Arik immediately went over and kneeled in front of Hael, "I am sorry, please forgive me, Hael. I shouldn't have touched you without your permission."

Hael was a little surprised to see the Alpha on his knees and apologizing to him. It wasn't the Alpha's fault but was because of the trauma that he faced in the prison even now he shuddered in fear recalling it.

Though indirectly it was Arik's fault for sending him to prison after divorcing him which was the cause for him to experience such things.

However, the Arik in front of him didn't do it and according to him he even searched for him these three months.

Hael's brain heated up just thinking about everything as it was too complex for him to make a decision. 

"You... get up first.," he sighed.

"I won't until you forgive me," Arik insisted.

"For what?" Irwin was the one to get fired up first.

"Win," Maven tried to stop his boyfriend but Irwin pushed him away a little.

"I didn't remember it yesterday with everything that happened but after listening to the story you said Hael ran away right after the morning you mated with him, right?" 

"Brother Irwin, why are you bringing that up now?" Hael whisper-asked feeling embarrassed.

"You wait Hael. You Arik!" Irwin pointed at the Alpha all riled up.

"Yes, brother Irwin..." Arik responded instantly.

"How dare you hurt him so badly? Do you know how much Hael suffered for almost a whole week? He had a high fever and his whole body was in immense pain. I didn't know then why he was in such a state but now I know it was because you mated him so cruelly," Irwin gritted his teeth.

"He was under drug influence, brother Irwin," Hael tried to say though he experienced that pain twice.

In his first life, it was the worst he had a high fever and had no strength but there was no one to take care of him, he quivered on the bed hugging himself to sleep but he couldn't as he was traumatized by how the Alpha choked him next day, his crimson eyes became a nightmare for him.

Hael became a little emotional due to his pheromonal imbalance remembering how he spent those days in pain. However, in this life he had Irwin to take care of him so he felt much better. 

Seeing Hael's eyes becoming red and wet Arik felt like trash. He was already guilty for his behavior that night, now he became angry at himself for losing control and hurting the Omega so badly.

"I... have no excuse for my barbaric behavior that night. If only I know the fucker who drugged me-" 

Arik was cut off, "Don't curse... it was me who drugged you."

"WHAT????!" The Beta and two Alphas screamed in shock.

Just yesterday they were making up theories about someone scheming and threatening Hael but to think it was Omega himself... they were shocked was an understatement.

"Yes, it was me... I... did it because..." Hael paused for a moment to check their expressions and bit his lower lips seeing them befuddled.

He inhaled and exhaled deeply, "Because Mr. and Mrs. Lucian were trying to sell me to an old pervert for some property exchange that's why I thought if I become Alpha Arik's mate I can escape from becoming a plaything."

Hael downcasted as he continued, "I know I was wrong to drug him like that but I had no other choice cause no one cared about me and no one would have known what happened to me after I was sold. So, even though I was inexperienced I tried to gain Alpha Arik's attention but he too always ignored me so I took one last extreme step to save myself but after that night..."

The little Omega's tears blurred his vision and his voice became stuck in his throat as he again recalled everything that happened to him.

"I thought one day my family would care for me, love me, and recognise me but they... never wanted me, they just want to get rid of me. I became fully aware on that night after perceiving I was the one who drugged Alpha Arik, he too will never want me. He will never agree to be my mate also at that time I believed that he was in love with Mr. Maven. I got my senses back I realised I am not needed by anyone so I thought it was best for me to walk away from their lives, anyway no one cared if I lived or died. Even after I run away no one will search for me, I was sure of that."

Hael didn't want to cry but because of his mood swings due to pregnancy he couldn't control himself, he tried to wipe off his tears when Arik who was kneeling till now got up and hugged the Omega in a second.

The Alpha didn't know Hael was in such a helpless predicament to seek out such a method to save himself.

Arik clenched his jaw he couldn't even fathom the things Hael went through all this time without anyone by his side.

"I am sorry for hurting you. I am sorry for ignoring you, I am sorry for everything, I have never not wanted you. Hael... I am sorry, I..." Arik teared up yet again for the second time in his life.

Maven was infuriated to think about what his parents had done to Hael. He was already upset that his father didn't take him to the presenting ceremony but now to think that they tried to sell him in exchange for something made him feel repulsed.

"How can they..." Maven closed his mouth with his palm feeling sick inside his stomach.

He knew his parents were money-minded but to think they went to such an extent he was speechless and now he understood why his father didn't take Hael to the Cathedral.

Cause if Hael was soaked in holy water and was given holy wine then he wouldn't go into heat for three years as twenty-one was the legal age for mating and marriage in Coldbourne.

They didn't want that to happen and waited for Hael to go into heat so that they could send him off to that old pervert and make money.

Fortunately, Hael was mated by his friend Arik and then he ran away. 

If he didn't mate he could have gone into heat cause when pregnant, Omega's heat cycles stop occurring so he was safe after coming to Sigor.

He should have expected this from his parents who for money and power wanted him to marry another Alpha, if they did this to their own child then Hael was illegitimate and had no one to protect him.

Maven lost his balance feeling heartbroken and dejected but Irwin supported him at the right time and rubbed circles on his back.

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