Chapter 63: Chapter 63

Millan is happy.

Has never been happier really.

So, where is this expending ball of nerves in his chest coming from?

The pregnancy?

No. It can’t be.

When he thinks of having pups with Weston, all he can feel is endless joy and excitement especially since he can feel the same emotions coming from Weston’s side of their bond.

So no, it’s not that.

But something is pulling him down.

No matter how much he tries to put it aside, to ignore it, he feels it as his omega ogles Weston’s back while he cooks.

He feels it as Weston deposits an enormous plate of spaghetti in front of him, feels it when Weston smiles at him, when his Alpha squeezes his knee under the table affectionately.

There’s a threat looming over them, over this newfound bliss.

And Millan knows what it is, once he really allows his thoughts to go there. And once he does, he can’t think of anything else.

It’s nagging at him, laughing at the comfort he’s been lulled in for the past three days, laughing at its fragility.

*****

Weston knows something is wrong.

It’s evident in every little affectionate gesture he makes towards Millan, in the calming waves he sends in their bond, trying to sooth his agitated omega.

He doesn’t push though, trusting that Millan will talk about it once he’s ready.

The Head Alpha doesn’t expect it to come so soon.

“I want to see my father.” Millan blurts out, halfway through their dinner.

Weston pauses fork midair.

“Mill…” Weston begins, but Millan doesn’t leave him time to object.

“I know you won’t approve. But I need to do this, Weston. I need…” Millan trails off.

“Closure?” Weston suggests, and Millan nods.

“I don’t know if it’s such a good idea. Last time you confronted him, it didn’t go so well.”

Millan hates to cause his mate so much worry, but he knows the anxiety will never go away if he doesn’t do anything about it.

“This time will be different.” Millan says with more confidence than he feels.

“How so?”

Millan thinks of the growing pups in his belly, of the mark on Weston’s neck, of his own mark on his own neck, of his new understanding about compassion and kindness, of what it means to be a good pack leader.

“This time, I don’t feel as small as I did. I feel… worthy.”

Weston’s frown dissipates in favor of a tender smile.

“That’s because you are.”

Millan smiles back and they share a silent moment of understanding before Weston sighs in defeat.

“If that’s what you feel you need to do, I’ll support you.”

“Thank you, Wes-”

“Millan!”

Millan cringes at the loud scream coming from the dining room entryway.

Amir bolts in seconds after, Max, Andy and Jace in tow and nodding at them in acknowledgment, the two brothers going to their designated workplaces after taking a handful of food, and leaving Max smirking at his omega’s giddiness.

“Look!” Amir shoves a hand in Millan's face, and he has to lean his head back to see what Amir wants to show him. And it’s…

“A ring?” Millan tilts his head in confusion.

Amir rolls his eyes, “My idiot proposed, silly!”

Millan can’t help but grin at Amir’s contagious happiness, but he’s still a little confused by the situation.

“Aren’t Jace and Andy against it?” Millan asks, genuinely curious.

“Yes, they were. But they talked it out before and they actually had no choice now since we’re already getting married.” Amir says matter-of-factly.

“Isn’t that a human thing?” Millan cringes at his own inquiry, thinking his reaction might be considered rude.

“It’s an anybody-who-wants-to-do-it thing.” Amir deadpans.

“Right.” Millan tries to hide his perplexity with a smile, no doubt failing miserably.

Max kindly asks, “Was that another conservative idea from the Caelan Pack?”

“Yeah.” Millan worries his bottom lip with his teeth before continuing, “We weren’t supposed to abide by human traditions.”

At everybody’s surprise, Millan chuckles. He wonders if he’ll stop learning new differences between his old pack and his new one.

“But it was evidently bullshit like most of the rules in that pack.” Millan says easily, “I’m really happy for you, Amir! And Max too! We should go celebrate!”

Amir’s eyes light up, “Yes! Let’s get smashed in the city! We can invite Maddie! But no alphas. Just the three of us!”

“Amir… Bring at least one alpha with you, yeah? Weston could come too, no?” Max suggests, eyebrows knit with concern.

Amir sighs dramatically, “All right then, Weston can come.”

Max visibly relax.

“Gee, thanks, dude. I feel very special.” Weston jokes.

“Oh shush, you cry baby.” Amir says, giggling.

Millan smiles at his omega friend as Amir recounts the night of the proposal, unable to stop part of his mind to anxiously go through what he wants to say to his father.

*****

“Oh. My. Gosh. What is that?”

They’re getting their drinks at the bar, Millan looking around the area as Weston orders him a cocktail and bringing it back to their table when Amir sees it.

Surprisingly, it took Amir a whole day before noticing the red bite mark on Weston’s neck.

A mark Millan is proud to see on display for anyone to see, his Alpha not bothering to cover it up.

The fact that it took so long for Amir of all people to notice it was peculiar. But then again, Weston and Millan had a habit of leaving different kinds of evidence on the other’s neck and it was unheard of for an omega to leave a permanent mark on their alpha.

“Ah! Jesus, Amir! It’s still fresh.”

Amir retracts his hand hastily, mouth agape, gazing at the imprint with open curiosity.

“A mating mark? But this one seems smaller, though. How the hell did you manage that, Mill?” Madelyn asks, eyes never leaving Weston’s neck, just like Amir’s.

“I-“ Millan starts, but his friends cut him off at the same time.

“I can’t believe this…” Madelyn murmurs to herself.

“Does it hurt?” Amir asks, frowning.

“For an omega to make a mark, he must have bitten down really hard… I’ve never heard of that before.” Madelyn offers.

In their investigation, they’re both leaning closer and closer to Weston’s neck to get a better view of the curious mark.

Millan grows tense, uneasy with their proximity to his Alpha.

“All right, just give the man room to breathe, yeah?” Millan tries to sound nonchalant, but Madelyn and Amir almost have their noses touching his claim and his omega is clawing its way out of Millan's skin and-

“I said, back off!” Millan growls.

Madelyn and Amir freeze and finally turn away from a stunned Weston.

As soon as they back away in favor of paying for their drinks, Weston pulls him closer reassuringly. The tension in Millan's body dissipates immediately leaving guilt in its place.

He feels silly for raising his voice for such a small reason. Fortunately, both Madelyn and Amir don’t seem offended, but rather amused.

“Sorry about that, Mill.” Amir chuckles as they carry their drinks to a free table.

“Yeah, sorry,” Madelyn adds with a knowing smirk.

“No, I’M sorry, it’s just…” Millan trails off.

What was that really?

He never thought of himself as jealous or possessive.

“It’s fine, Mill. It’s a fresh mark. It’s normal.” Amir reassures him once he sees the worry in Millan's demeanor.

Eventually, the tension dissipates, and Millan is able to enjoy his night a lot more. Weston’s hand on his knee and the calm he infuses in their bond helping greatly. Eventually, Millan relaxes completely and puts his omega at rest.

Enough so that he isn’t bothered when Weston joins his sister on the dancing floor because apparently, ‘They’re playing her song’. And because both omegas doesn’t feel like going to the dance floor. Besides, it was an upbeat song that doesn’t require any closeness or touching.

He chats with Amir, laughing at Weston and Madelyn’s goofy moves and eyeing Amir’s beer longingly.

“So, what is it that you’re not telling me?” Amir asks after a while, making Millan choke on his plain soda.

“What?”

“You’re nervous about telling something to me.” Amir states confidently.

Millan narrows his eyes, “It’s creepy how you do that.”

“Is it that you’re pregnant?”

“How did you-?”

“Please. Weston’s been ordering virgin cocktails for you all night. Also, you haven’t touched a drop of the pint I bought when you hogged it all for yourself last time.”

“I didn’t hog the pint!”

“You did. Drank more than half for sure.”

“No way!”

“That’s not the point. The point is, you’re pregnant, it’s obvious, I’m happy for you two and I have no idea why you’re nervous about telling me.”

“Well, we do think I’m pregnant, but it’s not for certain yet. We’re waiting for tests. So just… you know…”

“Yeah, I’ll keep it to myself, don’t worry. It’s good though, right?” Amir asks, unsure.

“Yeah.” Millan smiles, “Yes, it’s good.”

“So, why are you so nervous?” Amir frowns, taking a sip of his beer.

“I need to talk to you about our deal. I learned something and I don’t know if I can teach to disobey Alpha Commands.”

“Oh?” Amir’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, obviously not expecting the conversation to go there at all.

“I…uh… well…” Millan's mind provides him with his father’s voice.

“You’re a freak, you disgust me.”

But then, it provides him with Weston’s voice, telling him that he’s amazing and worth it, of Nara’s serene acceptance.

Surely, Amir wouldn’t think of him as a freak, would he?

Did Millan read him wrong?

Amir is frowning in worry now, patiently waiting for Millan to continue.

“I was born an alpha as well as an omega. I think maybe that’s why I can ignore Alpha Commands. I don’t know for sure, though… I just thought you should know. I don’t want you beating yourself up about it if you can’t do it.”

“Ah, so that’s what you were nervous about. Mill, I don’t care about that. I don’t care what secondary gender, or rather genders, you were born with. It doesn’t change who I’ve come to appreciate as a good friend already.”

“Thank you, Amir.”

“Of course. And regarding our lessons, I still want to try.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I felt like I made a little bit of progress last time and I want to see how far I can push it. But I’m glad you told me. That way, I won’t take it too personally if it doesn’t work out. That’s what you were nervous about?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, Mill.”