Chapter-18: The True Identity Of Beta Irwin Lowell

"Uh... Sigor is controlled by three influential families just like how Lucians and Esmerays are in Frostburgh. The Ender family we met in the cathedral is one among them," Irwin started slowly and continued,

"The mysterious Veranas and the most powerful of the three, the Lowells..." The Beta paused trying to see the reaction of his younger brother but the Omega was silent with a nonchalant expression.

"Lowells... are the kings of the underworld controlling the Coldbourne. My father, Ivalo Lowell is the present mafia king and I am the sole successor of him. So, of course, no one dares to do anything against us, hehe~" Irwin finished with a silly smile plastered on his lips.

"Ah... so you are telling me you will be the next mafia king, right brother Irwin?" Hael questioned with triviality chewing the sandwich.

"Yes, I have to continue my Father's legacy, right? It's my responsibility as his only son," Irwin answered feeling cold sweats forming on his forehead seeing the Omega so calm about it.

"Um, you're right, brother Irwin. You must be a dutiful child," Hael finished the sandwich and dusted off his hands getting up.

The three of them stood up in an instant feeling something wrong with the serene atmosphere.

"I too must pack my bags and leave here as a sensible mother," Hael declared, his tone relaxed but his face had a fake smile.

"What, no Hael listen to me," Irwin held the Omega's hands.

"Haha, I listened to you just now and I fucking got to know you are a damn mafia king's son. What more are you going to say that's gonna make me lose my mind, huh?" Hael shouted grabbing Irwin's collar.

"No, I didn't mean to hide it from you. It's just we never happened to talk about it-" Irwin was cut off.

"When I first saw all those tattoos on your back didn't you remember me asking if you are a gangster or something like that? Didn't you brush it off laughing as if it's impossible? You should have said it to me at that time," Hael yelled again tightening his grip on his collar.

"I... um... that's because I am not a gangster. Mafia gangs and local thugs are not the same-"

"How would I know such things, brother Irwin? Is that your justification for not telling me the truth all this time?" Hael cut him off again and continued,

"This guy casually mentions he and my step-brother are the founders of Riken Finances as if it is some normal thing and you have been hiding it from me these whole three months that you fucking belong to the mafia, if I didn't lose my mind today then I must have gone insane previously." 

Hael pushed away Irwin gasping for air after shouting too much keeping his hands on his waist.

"It's not like I am watching the climax of a drama that reveals so many plot twists all at once, ah, damn what the hell is wrong with this world?" 

"Hael, calm down. It isn't good for you to exasperate yourself like this," Arik tried to cool him.

"I just want to live a normal life with my babies. I had enough of this shit," Hael plopped on the couch holding his head.

Irwin sat beside him slowly taking his hand in his, "I am sorry, Hael. It was never my intention to keep it a secret from you. Trust me, please, and don't be mad at me."

Hael gave him a side eye, "...Is that why those Alphas that night three months back ran away in fear even though you are just a Beta?"

Irwin nodded, "Those Alphas belong to a local gang after seeing me they didn't want to lose their lives so..."

"Is there anything else you are hiding from me, Brother Irwin? Spit it all at once, I am not going to spare you if I find anything else later." The Omega gave him a warning look.

"Uh, the Bar and Restaurant has a hidden underground area where the mafia meetings take place. Remember once you asked me what's the extra button below G1 in the elevator but I said it's just a storage room..." Irwin tried to make him remember.

"Ah, yes. So, if I pressed that, it would have taken me to the hidden place in the underground?" Hael inquired.

"Yes, also all the workers except you are all mafia members in cover," Irwin simpered.

"Oh," Hael nodded, "That's it I should just leave here." The Omega was about to get up but Irwin stopped him again.

"Sorry, Hael. Please forgive your brother, Irwin, hm? Just this once." The Beta showed off his puppy eyes.

"Why are you sorry, Brother Irwin? I am such a fool thinking that you trust me just like I did but you never thought of me reliable enough to be honest with me, right?" Hael had a disappointed look on his face.

"That's not the truth, Hael. I just didn't want to scare you away. I wanted to be a brother you can trust not the heir of the mafia whom you might end up fearing." Irwin hugged the smaller almost on the verge of crying.

"I didn't want to lose you, Hael."

Hael hugged the elder back and patted him, "Brother Irwin, I will never be scared of you. You were the one who saved me and was there for me in my weakest times when I had no one by my side and being the powerful heir of the mafia you never behaved like that with me. You always treated me like your younger brother and worried for me every day. It's just... everything was too sudden for me to gulp it down."

Irwin broke the hug and held the Omega's shoulders, "So are you not mad at me anymore?"

"I dare not, brother Irwin," Hael made a fake frightened expression.

"Ugh, don't be like that Hael. Hit me and scold me like you always do," Irwin whined side-hugging the Omega like a koala.

Hael giggled, "So I hit you and scold you all the time, huh? You must get beatings for keeping everything hidden." 

The Omega gave a few punches on his shoulder lightly smiling and hugging back the big koala.

Arik and Maven grinned seeing the both of them solving their misunderstanding but soon they scrunched their noses getting a burnt smell.

"Win, the meat..." Maven shouted.

"Ah, shit!" Irwin got up instantly, "I forgot I kept them on the pan and came here, ugh." The Beta ran to the kitchen to save his dying dish.

After a while the four of them had dinner peacefully for the first time and sat on the couches in the hall.

"Brother Irwin, will the temporary marking hurt?" Hael asked leaning on the Beta's shoulder and eating the ice cream.

"It will just hurt a bit when he bites on your scent gland, Hael. After that you won't feel any pain," Irwin responded.

"I promise, I will try to make it as painless as possible, Hael," Arik assured.

"Hm," Hael hummed enjoying his mint chocolate chip which Arik hated the most.

"Didn't you once tell me you will never like a person who eats mint chocolate ice cream and will stay far away from the species who likes to eat it? Should I tell Hael about it, hm?" Maven whisper-asked, pulling his friend's leg.

Arik smiled through his clenched jaw, pinching Maven's thigh, making him scream.

"Ahhhh!" 

"Why, what happened?" Irwin and Hael asked at the same time, confused.

"Ah, nothing. I was reminding Arik that senior Ashvin wanted to meet him to talk about Eugene but he is not ready to leave. Win, tell him it's the only chance to know about his step-brother," Maven voiced out giving a smug smile to his friend knowing fully that his boyfriend was going to scold him.

"Right, why don't you text him to come here? I too want to know what he wants to talk about Eugene. It's been seven years since we last saw him, Arik. How can you be heartless, aren't you the one who cared for him the most?" Irwin reprimanded as Maven expected.

Seeing the winning smile on Maven's face Arik shook his head face-palming mentally, "But, brother Irwin I can meet him outside. Won't it disturb, Hael if I meet him here?"

"No, of course not. Let's hear all the plot twists at once, it's safe for my heart that way. After listening to the half story how can you expect me to sit quietly without knowing what's next? I am curious how Ashivin Ender met your step-brother Eugene, what if it's an interesting love story and that Alpha wants your blessings for their marriage?" Hael jiggled his eyebrows.

"That's not possible. He is the same as your age, Hael. His eighteenth birthday is on October thirteenth, so he must have recently got his second gender certificate." Arik crossed out the possibility.

"What's not possible? Aren't I pregnant even before I attended the presenting ceremony?" Hael shrugged.

"Oh, what if Hael's words became true, Arik? If Ashvin is your brother's boyfriend will you accept their relationship?" Maven also joined in to tease the Alpha.

Arik was composed, and their words didn't affect him at all, "Let's not assume things before we hear anything. I will text him to come here and all of us will know what he has to say, okay?"

The other three nodded like puppies getting excited.

...

Meanwhile, at Ender's mansion...

Ayla was chirping happily as her post of second gender certificate of being Alpha female attracted lots of buzz online and her followers were congratulating her heartily.

She was on cloud nine and her parents who expected this just shook their heads. They always wanted an Omega in their family but all three of their children turned out to be Alphas.

Roderic after the baptizing ceremony vanished to practice his rapping with his bandmates. Viltarin and Levena were discussing throwing a party in celebration of their daughter's presenting ceremony.

All the family was busy with their own things but Ashvin was pacing here and there on the lawn waiting for Arik's text.

Ashvin had no idea that he would meet his student Eugene Esmeray's family member in Coldbourne.

He didn't attend his sister's birthday party because of Eugene and the incident that happened between them turned his world upside down.

He had no one to talk about and Eugene was not at all listening to him. His only guardian, his uncle was away on a business trip and he had no clue when he would come back.

He couldn't come home these past days because Eugene didn't let him leave and he had to tell some lies that something serious happened at his home and he had to come to Coldbourne.

Ashvin needed some space away from Eugene to sort out his thoughts and make a decision that he wouldn't regret in the future.

Just as he was about to call Arik first he got the text message from the Alpha he waiting for desperately.

He immediately drove his car to the sent location at high speed with turbulent thoughts running inside his head.

*****