Kintsukuroi_Chapter-2

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CHAPTER-2

 “You summoned, Alpha?” The warrior with the large, blood-splattered metallic shield asked as he bowed before the pack Alpha.

“Yes,” Her father-in-law answered imperiously, “In light of today’s events, Jayna here has proposed returning to her home in the city with Ben- to protect my Heir and herself. Clearly my heir’s life is not safe in these lands...”

“I apologise for the lapse, Alpha.” The warrior conceded, appearing genuinely contrite as he continued in a measured  voice: “Those responsible for Heir-Adam’s death have been brought to justice-”

“But that does not bring me my son back!” The alpha roared.

The warrior flinched slightly at that, but did not protest.

“Due to this lapse on your team’s part, I can no longer trust you to protect my grandson,” The pack-alpha continued with a scowl, “and so I have agreed to send my Heir back to the city with the omega.  You are to accompany them.”

The naked man glanced towards Jayna at that and the omega shrank back from his blatant nudity. Apparently understanding the problem, the alpha swiftly moved his shield to protect his modesty before bowing to Jayna, and announced formally, “I shall protect the Heir-Adam’s omega and the Alpha-Heir to my dying breath.”

Jayna had not risen from her kneeling position on the floor from bargaining with the Alpha earlier- having thought it prudent to act as unctuously as possible and now she shuffled awkwardly as she nodded and climbed to her feet, holding still when the warrior bent forward to take her hand and press a kiss on its back to seal his vow.

“You better,” The older alpha scoffed, “If anything happens to them on your watch, death will be a mercy for you.”

“I shall not let you down, Alpha.” The warrior reiterated.

“Good,” The older man agreed with a curt nod, “Now, I need you to remain with them till it’s time for their return to the packlands.”

The man’s brow furrowed, “Alpha, if I may ask... how-how would I know that it was time to-?”

“I shall tell you,” Jayna interrupted.

The warrior’s eyes widened at her words and Jayna was taken aback by how green they were; surprise evident in the man’s expression that an omega would dare to speak when alphas were, but he held back from objecting and simply inclined his head in deference. Jayna, already uncertain about her decision to allow this brute to accompany her and Ben smiled in satisfaction at the obvious rank she held over this warrior.

The Pack alpha’s soft laughter broke the moment and she glanced askance at the man, noting from her peripheral vision as the naked alpha did the same.

“Jayna was raised in the city, Janardan; her ways are different than ours.”

The alpha inclined his head in understanding, “I shall treat Heir-Adam’s mate with the deference she deserves.”

The older man smiled, “I know, which is why I chose you to accompany them and no other. … but keep in mind that she is your better and if you ever forget that, you can consider your life forfeit.”

“You honour me, Alpha.” The warrior wisely ignored the threat as he responded to the obscure compliment with a proud thump of his chest whose impact looked firm enough to make Jayna wince.

The Alpha nodded curtly, “They leave tomorrow morning, and I expect you shall want to get your affairs in order to prepare for your departure.”

And with that the warrior was obviously dismissed. The man also obviously took the words as a discharge because he bowed once again and then strode to the door. However, instead of leaving, he took up position near the door and Jayna furrowed her brows in confusion.

“He’s waiting for you,” His alpha-in-law explained as he caught Jayna’s furrowed brows.

Jayna glanced back up at the older man in surprise, “What? Why?!”

“The warriors here take their missions very seriously, Omega. He’s been tasked with protecting you, Jayna. He will tail you like a shadow till he’s dismissed or dies.”

“Oh,”

The man smiled, “You’ll be safe with him.”

Jayna nodded uneasily- having an alpha shadow her was not something she was comfortable with but till they reached the city, she had no option but to comply. She would play along for now, but once they were home... She forced a tiny smile to her lips, “Thank you... Really ...  and umm, I guess I too should go and begin packing-”

“Yes,” The Pack Alpha smiled, “And protect my Heir, won’t you? Raise him like my son would’ve wanted?”

“Of course, Papa.” Jayna managed a tremulous smile and barely kept from clicking her heels to mimic the way the warrior had- she had a feeling her joke would not be appreciated. God, she missed Adam and the way he laughed at her smart alec responses. She kept her head lowered as she hurried out- she had to keep her head for a few more hours, she would be free soon enough. She paused when the alpha followed after her but then remembered her silent promise to herself and continued undeterred.

Jayna frowned when the warrior moved behind her as promised- like her literal shadow, his shield still held in front, ostensibly in deference of Jayna’s more delicate sensibilities. She couldn’t stop her inarticulate grumble when the man entered their room without invite and the alpha had the courtesy to look remorseful.

“I apologise, Omega.” And then the words seemed to register and the alpha blushed, lowering his head. “Uh, I mean...” He trailed off helplessly.

“You can call me Jayna.”

The man saluted smartly as though she was his superior officer, “Omega-heir.”

She frowned and shook his head as she repeated, “Jayna.”

“Jayna?” The alpha repeated doubtfully, looking like he’d swallowed a lemon.

The omega smiled in mild amusement at the reaction before realizing the shield had been moved to accommodate the proper salute and looked pointedly down. The warrior scrambled to cover himself and ducked his head in embarrassment.

The moment was broken by approaching footsteps and the alpha reacted instantly, stepping forward and in front of Jayna as they both spun towards the door. Jayna was a little taken aback by the extreme reaction- its not like she’d ever had a body-guard before- but she couldn’t help but admire the man’s dedication. Besides, the view wasn’t exactly bad; Jayna thought to herself as she took in the sculpted physique- the numerous scar’s marring the clean lines of the warrior’s back did nothing to detract from their fearsome beauty and his muscular legs revealed the strength in them. She half-turned her face to mutter her observations to Adam before remembering the recent loss of her mate anew and almost immediately her appreciation for the warrior’s form faded away. She couldn’t help the guilt that swamped her as she realized that she had been checking out another alpha, and that too so soon after Adam’s death. It felt like she was betraying Adam’s memory and Jayna felt her lips turn downwards even as her eyes filled. The alpha apparently took that second to glance back because the man turned crimson and awkwardly twisted his left hand behind himself to splay his hand over his butt, shielding it to the best of his abilities  given his limited resources. And even in the midst of her sorrow, the action warmed something in her heart because though taciturn, the warrior was working towards accommodating Jayna’s sensibilities and quickly becoming someone Jayna couldn’t help but respect in this backward pack.

The wariness on their part was apparently unnecessary as it was just her omega-in-law returning a tuckered out Ben. The alpha nodded a wordless greeting to her and moved aside to allow Jayna to reach out and pull her son back into her arms before carefully lowering him on the bed. And while she hadn’t done it for a few years now, Jayna was still raw over the loss of her mate and thought it prudent to make a pillow fort so that Ben didn’t roll off the bed in his sleep- after all, if ever there was a cause for thrashing nightmares, losing one of your parents was it. Once assured of her son’s safety, Jayna began gathering their things and Janardan took up position in an unobtrusive corner of the room.  She wondered how long the man was going to stand there rigidly at attention, but when the hour passed and she was done with his packing, and the alpha was still holding his position, Jayna began to get uneasy. Realising she would have to be the one to ask, she approached the man, “Uhm... how long are you going to stand there?”

The alpha looked taken aback by the question.

So she hurried to clarify, “Don’t you want to freshen up or...I don’t know? Ummm, sleep?... and I guess you’ll also need to pack your things if you are to accompany us…?”

“I sleep where you sleep, Ome... uhm. ... Omega-Heir.”

Jayna’s nose wrinkled, “You’ll be spending the night here?”

The man nodded.

“Uhm, okay... but I uh... well, I’m not sleeping in these clothes. So...?”

The alpha blinked uncomprehendingly.

“Ugh!” Jayna sighed, resisting the urge to stomp her foot like a petulant toddler, “Fine! Stay here and watch over Ben, alright? I’ll just change into my nightwear and come back.”

“No.”

Jayna paused from where she was gathering her toiletries to glare back at the man, “What do you mean ‘no’?”

“I cannot leave you unsupervised. I’ll come with.”

“And what happens to Ben?”

The man seemed stumped momentarily before brightening, “I’ll carry him.”

“You-!” Jayna started then paused, “What is your name anyway?”

The alpha’s eyes narrowed in annoyance, reminding Jayna that she was still in a very traditional pack and it was probably unheard of for an omega to demand an alpha’s name. Oh well...

“Janardan, Maalik.” Was the stilted reply.

“Janardan Mullik,” Jayna began, noting the dangerous glint to the man’s eyes and faltering.

 Apparently her momentary fear was not as well-hidden as she’d assumed because the alpha’s expression softened in response to her fear-scent. “It’s just Janardan, maalik means...” he waved his hand briefly as he searched for the word, “ ummm... Sir?”

 “Oh! Ummm, sorry, I guess ... I-... we’re in pack-grounds. And I’m just heading to the bathroom... please, lemme go?”

“It’s not safe!”

“So wha- are you planning on watching me while I take a leak?”

The warrior’s nose wrinkled in disgust.

“That’s what I thought.” Jayna responded smugly.

“I’ll wait outside,” was the growled response and then the alpha was gathering Ben up in his arms before Jayna could protest.

Jayna’s eyes widened.

“Let’s go.”

She hurriedly picked up her kit and mutely followed the alpha- hating the fact that the guest room did not have an en-suite bathroom. She blushed as the man stopped at the door to the toilet and made her wait as he peeked inside to confirm it was safe before allowing her in. She hurried through her ablutions and cursed the lack of a robe as she opened the door. Ben was still fast asleep on the alpha’s shoulder, but the man had been joined by three others and Jayna turned crimson as she caught the speculative gaze of the men. Something about their gaze had her wrapping her arms around herself and lowering her head.

“Omega- Heir, these are my teammates- Kishan, Mangal and Sehgal. They will stand watch while I... uhm... is this acceptable to you?”

Jayna took in the three hulking alphas accompanying Janardan and swallowed. While Janardan was easily the taller and most powerfully built member of the group- and was the only one still naked and covered in blood, there was still something quietly reassuring about his presence that lacked in the other three. She looked back at the relatively more familiar green eyes, “Are they going to be inside my room?”

“No.” Janardan shook his head, “They shall stand guard outside.”

“Okay, then. I guess?”

She opened her arms to take a sleeping Ben, but smiled when the warrior wordlessly assured her that he had the child. She waited till Janardan followed her inside to return Ben to his pillow fort before voicing her doubts. “Uh... Janardan? You trust these men, don’t you?”

The alpha paused and looked at her, “You feel unsafe with them? I don’t have to go-”

And Jayna flushed, it felt stupid- and cruel- to make the man stay naked. “It’s fine. … just Papa trusted you and not them-”

“They have saved my life countless times, Omega-heir… you will be safe with them. However, if you feel uncomfortable with them, I shall hurry.” Janardan promised before striding out.

Jayna watched him go for a moment before pulling the door to her room closed. It was unsettling how little it had bothered her to have a naked Janardan inside the room, but she was freaking out over others standing outside. Sighing, she carefully got up on the bed and curled around Ben’s pillow fort, missing Adam like a lost limb. There was a sharp knock on the door not ten minutes later and Jayna opened it to find Janardan on the other side. The alpha was panting lightly and carrying a small, well-worn duffel in one hand and a bowl of steaming broth in his other. His teammates were no longer at the door.

Jayna offered a tremulous smile and moved aside, watching as the man placed his bag in one corner of the room so that Jayna- and Ben- were not inconvenienced and then carefully lowered himself to the floor, “You can sleep, Omega-Heir. I shall keep watch.”

“Switch off the lights once you’re done?” Jayna ventured. “Ben tends to wake up if there are lights in the room.”

Janardan didn’t respond verbally, but leaned over and switched the single halogen bulb off.

Jayna felt guilty, “You could’ve waited till you finished you meal...”

“It’s fine,” Janardan assured, “Go to sleep.”

Jayna padded over to the bed in the near-darkness and curled around her son, finally giving in to the grief that had bubbled just under the surface all day. She sobbed soundlessly, muffling her sounds with the pillow; not wanting to wake Ben.  It felt like hours before her tears finally dried. Remembering the alpha in the room, Jayna raised her head, peering towards the corner she had last seen Janardan in and was startled by the distinctively non-human dark shadow on the floor. The iridescent green that was usually noticed in cat-eyes peered steadily back at her from one end of the shadow for a moment before being hidden away and Jayna shut her eyes, tightening her hold around her son. Her sleep was uneasy, but given the circumstances, it was a miracle she’d been able to sleep at all.

When dawn came, Janardan was back to humanoid shape and Jayna only hesitated briefly; the presence of the strange alpha reminding her of everything she had lost. She battled with her grief for a few silent seconds before deliberately focussing on the positive. The moment she made herself look at the silver lining though, she found herself smiling because they were finally heading home.

Jayna hustled Ben out of bed and got him ready for the day; studiously ignoring his cries and calls for ‘daddy’. Janardan was a silent shadow, never obtrusive but always present and it took a laughably short hour for Jayna to grow immunised to the hulking alpha’s quiet presence.  She was at a loss once Ben was ready for departure because normally Adam and her had taken turns watching over the energetic child while the other got dressed and with her mate gone, Jayna didn’t know how she was supposed to take care of the kid alone. She found himself questioning whether she was making the wrong decision by choosing to leave because here atleast there were Adam’s parents to watch over the kid while she was otherwise occupied... but then thoughts of the chauvinistic attitude she had encountered here and firmed her resolve.  Maybe she could take Ben into the bath with her- set him up with a bucket and some bath toys? Kid was too young to remember/ be traumatised by having to Jayna bathing next to him, wasn’t he?

“May I?”

Jayna blinked. Janardan was standing with his hands open and extended to accept the child. Her instinctive response was to shield the child from the brutish warrior, but then logic won over and she reminded herself that despite how he had appeared at their introduction, the alpha had been nothing but kind.  Sighing, Jayna reluctantly passed a sweetly cuddly Ben (as he usually got after his bath) to Janardan.

She watched as the large man cradled the infant like he was something precious and felt an irrational pulse of jealousy when she heard Ben’s happy gurgling laugh.

“We leave in less than an hour, Omega-Heir.” Janardan reminded softly, eyes still locked on the child in his arms and somehow that broke the spell. Jayna hurried to the bathroom and rushed through at record speed. She hurried out and froze when neither Janardan, nor Ben were anywhere in sight where she had left them on the open terrace between the bathroom and the guest quarters. She spotted one of the alphas Janardan had set up guarding the room during his absence last night from her peripheral vision, but panic had her hurrying to their room. She was vaguely aware of the warrior shadowing her steps, but the alpha kept a healthy distance and Jayna was too preoccupied readying herself to scream up a storm if she found the room empty to be bothered. Therefore, the absurd sight that greeted her when she stepped into their room had her freezing. She had been ready to scream for help but instead found herself muffling incredulous laugher when she found Janardan sprawled on the floor in his wolf form while Ben sat astride him, a cowboy hat (and heaven knew where that had come from) perched at an angle on his head which he tossed into the air as he made horse-riding actions. She sneaked a quick click on the polaroid camera (that she’d forgotten to pack and left on the table by the door) Adam had purchased for this trip. She watched as the massive wolf tossed his head a few times in response to the boy’s ‘giddy-up’ sounds, clearly involved in the game before freezing at the sound of the camera’s shutter and quickly unseating the child and curling around him protectively, a low thrumming filling the room as it bared it’s fangs and faced off with the intruder. Jayna could see the second the wolf identified her because the threatening snarl turned sheepish and the wolf was uncurling from around the child.

Janardan shifted to his usual humanoid form easily and Jayna felt a brief curl of envy at the ease with which the alpha transformed.

“I apologise for not staying out on the roof, Omega-heir… but Chotey Maalik was turning pink from the heat so I thought it best to move him indoors. I apologize if I overstepped.” Janardan explained before she could say anything. [Chotey Maalik = Young master]

Jayna nodded, but before she could contemplate more on it, Ben’s grandparents were there and Janardan was hurriedly covering his nudity by hastily pulling on his clothes. Jayna could only offer a watery smile as her omega-in-law hugged her grandson, tears reddening the older omega’s eyes and smearing the kohl as she bravely tried to keep from crying. Jayna was vaguely aware of her alpha-in-law speaking to Janardan privately, but she chose to ignore the two men in favour of gathering her and Ben’s stuff in preparation for departure. They were finally on their way home!

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Chapter-3

MasterPost

Earlier Parts: Prologue - Chapter 1

Author's Note-

Image for the child playing with 'wolf' sourced from Shutterstock.715708657 and the room background is from Aico-villa-valencia's bedroom collection..