Chapter 21: 21. An ancestorial saint omega heritage
AT THE SAME TIME
MICHAEL
Charlie didn’t just ignore them, he floated past them. Like Adrian’s honeyed smile wasn’t worth a single blink, like Terrence’s storm didn’t even ruffle his curls, like Xavier’s sharp little chess-player stare was nothing but background noise. He walked right up to me again. Me. His soft curls swaying, his golden eyes locked on me, as if I were the only person in the room. And it wasn’t the shy, hesitant kind of approach that an omega usually made. No, this was deliberate. Bright. Practically smug. I took a step back. Instinct. Bad idea. Charlie just stepped closer.
"Why are you-" My voice cracked halfway through, heat flaring up my neck.
"Because you’re interesting." Charlie chirped, rocking on his heels. "Everyone else just says what they think I want to hear. But you-" He pointed at me, grinning. "-growled at them. You actually said something. You didn’t try to impress me."
I blinked at him, heart pounding.
"I wasn’t trying to impress you!"I said.
"Exactly!" He clapped his hands once, delighted. "That’s why I like you!"
Zavier’s growl rumbled so low it felt like the stones under my boots shook. Adrian’s face tightened, polite smile fracturing just enough to show the irritation underneath. Terrence’s arms crossed over his chest, his storm grey eyes flashing like he was seconds away from slamming someone into a wall. Xavier... Xavier looked like he was trying to hold back a full assassination attempt with sheer willpower. And me? My ears were burning. My wolf was losing its mind. My brain was screaming, ’WHAT IS HAPPENING?’ Rose, however, she was eating this up. Her smirk was nearly feral now, emerald eyes darting between me, Charlie, and Zavier like she’d been served front row tickets to the best play in the realm.
"This is adorable." She said at last, leaning her chin on her hand, voice practically purring. "Charlie, you do have good taste."
Charlie beamed.
"I know, right? He’s like a cranky little moonbeam. All growly on the outside, all shiny underneath."Charlie said annoyed.
I spluttered, jaw dropping.
"Moonbeam?! I am not-"I said worriedly.
Selene’s chair scraped back with an angry screech that cut the air. Her eyes glowed sharp silver, her voice rising.
"This is not why you were brought here!" She snapped, pointing at Charlie like he’d just committed divine treason. "You’re supposed to guide the others, not, not dote on the wrong one!"
Charlie just tilted his head, completely unfazed, curls bouncing.
"But he’s fun. And he’s family."Charlie smirked.
"Family?!" I yelped, pointing at myself.
"Yes!" Charlie laughed, stepping close enough to poke my chest. "I can feel it! You feel like a brother."
I actually staggered backward at that, nearly tripping over Zavier’s boot. My wolf yipped in protest, confusion spinning through me so hard my knees went weak. Rose? Rose laughed. Like, actual head back, delighted laugh.
"Oh, Selene, you should see your face right now. This is the best thing that’s happened all month."Rose said.
Selene looked two seconds from smiting someone on the spot. Adrian swore under his breath. Terrence groaned, muttering something about this being ’a disaster.’ Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose like he was physically holding back a migraine. And me? I did the only thing my brain could come up with, I pretended to faint.
Except the second I let myself flop dramatically toward Zavier, my knees actually gave out. The world spun for real, heat roaring in my ears, my wolf going very, very quiet.
"Oh, oh no he’s really doing it-" Rose gasped between laughing fits.
"Michael?!" Zavier’s voice boomed, sharp with panic, and suddenly I was scooped up like I weighed nothing. His scent hit me like a wave, warm cedar, sharp winter grounding, but I couldn’t get my body to move.
"Is he breathing?!" Adrian shouted, suddenly right there.
"He’s fine." Zavier snapped, but his voice was shaking just enough to betray the fact he was two seconds from losing his mind.
"Fine?" Terrence growled, already checking my pulse like I was a dying soldier. "He’s ice cold-"
"Oh, he’s just overwhelmed." Charlie chirped, crouching next to us with zero urgency. "He’ll wake up. Probably."
Rose was grinning so hard she looked like a cat who’d found the cream.
"Charlie, you’re going to kill him if you keep teasing him like this."Rose said.
"I’m not teasing!" Charlie pouted. "I’m bonding! He’s my brother now!"
I groaned softly against Zavier’s chest. If this is bonding, I want a refund. I woke up to chaos. Not the normal, ’three alphas are glaring at each other over breakfast’ kind of chaos. No, this was loud. Rose was laughing, Terrence was pacing, Adrian and Xavier were arguing in low hisses like their lives depended on it, and through it all, Zavier’s scent was everywhere. Because I was still in his arms. Still, like, bridal style still.
"Put me down!" I squeaked, smacking his chest weakly.
"No." Zavier’s voice was low, firm, silver eyes glowing with something far too possessive for my heart to handle.
"I can walk!"I said.
"You fainted. You stay here."Zavier said.
"That was, that was fake fainting!" I blurted.
Everyone froze for half a second.
"Fake fainting?" Adrian repeated flatly.
"It wasn’t fake fainting." Terrence growled. "You actually went out. You stopped breathing for two seconds-"
"I WAS BEING DRAMATIC!" I shouted, ears burning, kicking my legs uselessly.
Zavier only tightened his hold.
"Dramatic or not, you stay right here."He said.
My wolf purred. Loudly. Traitor. And then, before I could yell at it too, Charlie gasped dramatically like he’d just remembered something crucial.
"Oh!" He nearly bounced in place, digging around in the little pouch at his hip. "I almost forgot to show you!"
"Show, wait, what are you doing?" I asked, already regretting the question.
Charlie’s grin nearly split his face. He pulled out a delicate chain of silver and gold, the light catching on a small, glowing pendant. My stomach dropped instantly.
"This!" Charlie announced proudly, holding it up high like it was a royal decree. "This belonged to Michael’s ancestor, the saint omega before me!"
The room went dead silent. Then chaos. Adrian blinked. "I’m sorry, what?"Adrian asked.
Terrence actually swore out loud. Xavier’s head whipped toward me so fast I thought he’d break his neck. Rose’s grin turned positively feral. And Selene? Selene’s face went from annoyed to murderous to panicked in the span of three seconds.
"He’s what?!" Selene snapped, slamming her hands on the table. "You can’t just announce something like that without-"
"But it’s true!" Charlie said happily, completely ignoring her. He trotted right over to Zavier and me and dangled the necklace an inch from my nose. "See? It even glows when he’s near it!"
The pendant did, in fact, glow. Brightly. Like, moonlight brightly. I groaned and buried my face in Zavier’s chest.
"I hate this. I hate all of this."Zavier said.
"Ohhh this is delicious." Rose purred, leaning back in her chair with both hands clasped like she was watching a scandalous play. "Selene, you really didn’t tell them? No wonder the Goddess likes him so much."
Selene’s eye twitched.
"This is supposed to be about Charlie-"She started.
Charlie giggled.
"It is! But also about him." He poked me in the shoulder. "He’s my brother now. Saint omega siblings!"Charlie grinned.
"I AM NOT YOUR BROTHER!" I yelped, face burning so hot I thought I’d combust.
"You kind of are, though." Charlie said, beaming. "Moon Goddess said so!"
"Moon Goddess says a lot of things." I grumbled, tugging Zavier’s shirt over my face to hide.
"She also said you’d be cranky about it." Charlie added cheerfully.
Rose nearly fell out of her chair laughing.
"Oh, this is the best day of my life."Rose smirked.
Terrence groaned.
"This is a nightmare."He frowned.
Adrian rubbed his temples like he’d aged five years.
"The Moon Goddess is laughing at us right now."Adrian said.
Xavier said nothing, just stared at me with the expression of a man mentally revising an entire battle strategy because the enemy suddenly turned into a dragon. And Zavier? Zavier just shifted me higher in his arms, his lips brushing dangerously close to my ear.
"Let them talk." His voice was low, steady, and almost smug. "You’re still mine."
My wolf howled in triumph. Charlie, naturally, squealed. "Oh my gosh, that was so romantic! Do it again!"He said.
I nearly passed out again.