Kintsukuroi_ Chapter-5

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Chapter-5

“I want Daddy!” Ben protested as Jayna ushered him to bed that night.

“Daddy’s not here, Benny,” Jayna whispered past the lump in her throat and perched carefully on the edge of the boy’s bed, gently tucking the Toy Story themed blanket around her son. Ben watched her curiously for a few minutes as though waiting for her to change her mind and when Jayna stayed silent, repeated his demand.

Jayna shook her head, hating the traitorous tears that sprang to her eyes at the mention of ‘daddy’, “I miss him too, Benny.”

“Wheys he gone?!” Ben demanded, his slight lisp more pronounced now that he was distressed.

“To heaven, sweetheart. Daddy’s gone to heaven,” And Jayna couldn’t stop the sob that erupted at that confession.

“Hey-en?” Ben repeated, tiny brows furrowed in confusion.

“Heaven,” Jayna agreed, “He’s an angel now, Benny.”

And though he had been trying so hard and had nearly succeeded in kicking the habit when they left for their holiday in Adam’s pack at the start of the summer, Ben popped his thumb in his mouth and began sucking earnestly as he peered at Jayna with disbelieving eyes. It felt to Jayna as though her son was judging her for her inability to save his Daddy. Jayna gathered the child in her arms, not having the heart to scold him for his thumb-sucking. Even as she cuddled her baby, she felt eyes on them and twisted to glance back, finding Janardan a silent presence at the door, watching them. She scowled and narrowed her eyes, glaring at the alpha for intruding in this private moment. The alpha seemed to take the hint and retreated from the room. The minute the alpha’s shadow disappeared from the door,  Jayna broke down; sobbing soundlessly into Ben’s sweet-smelling hair.

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The next day, Janardan made no reference to witnessing Jayna’s breakdown the previous night and the omega heaved a sigh of relief. She avoided the alpha as much as she could and kept Ben with her. She did not know what Janardan did when she and Ben were otherwise occupied, but made no attempts to find out either, just happy to have no one interfering. However, as the hours passed, she realized that she needed to give Ben more space than she had been giving the child ever since Adam’s demise, too afraid of losing her reason for living. Besides, as entertaining as the five (going-on six) year old was, the child was not conducive to productive work. Sighing, she decided to let Ben romp around in their yard as she settled on the porch with her books to prepare her work-plan for the upcoming session- bereaved or not, the university was going to expect her to be on top of her work. Immersed in her work, she lost track of the world around her, grateful for the reprieve. She jolted at the harsh sound of a car’s horn breaking the peace of the quiet neighbourhood and raised her head only to watch in horror as a yellow Beetle screeched for all it was worth as it sped towards her boy. A large brown blur hurled in between the child and the car at the last possible second even as Jayna rushed down the steps to gather Ben up.

“What the hell were you thinking?!” She demanded from the young pimpled teen driving the vehicle once she had her child safely in her arms, “Going at that speed inside the neighbourhood?!”

The teenager looked suitably chastised but being an alpha argued back, “Your kid was the one to walk into the street, Omega.  As if the road’s any place to play! Why don’t you teach your brat manners before-”

A low growl from behind Jayna had the boy paling and Jayna turned on instinct, only to find Janardan standing behind her, his scarred chest on display as he crossed his arms in ripple of impressive muscle and glared at the boy.

“I-uh.... Sorry!” The boy stuttered out before jumping back into his car and doing a hasty U-turn to speed away the way he had arrived in the first place.

Jayna scowled,  tightening her hold on Ben as she glowered at the alpha, “I don’t need you fighting my battles for me!”

And despite having intimidated another alpha only seconds before, Janardan subsided immediately at the censure, “I’m sorry, Omega-Heir. That was not my intent. Please accept my apologies.”

“Hey, you okay?” Miles shouted from over the fence.

“Yeah, Ben’s fine; thank heavens!” Jayna answered her friend.

“That’s great,” The pharmacologist returned with a smile and pointed somewhere over Jayna’s shoulder, “But I was actually asking him,”

She glanced behind herself at where Miles was pointing only to find Janardan and threw a betrayed look at her friend.

“What?!”  The beta huffed with raised palms, “I get that you don’t like him, but a car rammed into him, dude! I can’t enquire if he’s alright?”

Jayna’s eyes widened at the disclosure and she spun back to look at the alpha, only then noticing the pinkish-purple bruise blooming along his right bicep and part of his shoulders only to snake down his back. She swallowed convulsively as she realized that the car would’ve hit Ben if Janardan hadn’t acted as a buffer between the child and the mobile pile of metal. Her mouth opened without permission: “Thank you,”

Janardan smiled softly, waiving away her gratitude, “It’s my job, Omega-Heir. You don’t have to thank me.”

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 It was late that evening when Jayna realized she hadn’t seen the warrior for awhile. Curious, she opened the door and froze at the sight of the large wolf sprawled out on their front yard.

“Janardan?!”

Green eyes startled open at the call and the alpha shifted instantly, automatically reaching for the threadbare towel that he’d placed next to him apparently for this very purpose and wrapping it around his waist, “Yes, Omega heir?”

“Get inside!” Jayna growled, embarrassment colouring her face a vibrant red. The man nodded and obeyed; walking inside without protest and then waited for Jayna.

“You’re absolutely shameless, aren’t you?!” The omega raged the minute the door had closed behind her, “Displaying yourself like that?! Tch!”

The alpha stared at her with wide-eyed confusion, “I’m sorry, ‘mega-heir; I didn’t mean to-! I don’t understand wha-”

“Oh you never ‘mean to’!” Jayna interrupted, “And yet you do it every time, don’t you? Gawar!” [Gawar= Villager (technically, but occasionally it’s also used as an insult – as in this instance, then it is used as a descriptive for a ‘backward/ uncultured person’)]

The alpha’s face coloured.

“How many times do I have to tell you that out here you do not shift at your will! No one wants to see your disgusting dangly bits or your hideous furry butt!” Jayna fumed. A tiny voice in her head  reminded her that she had technically never told Janardan any of this before but she ruthlessly quashed it. This wasn’t the packlands and people simply didn’t shift into their wolf-forms outside of their homes- and the sooner Janardan learned that the better for everyone concerned.

Janardan’s whole body was radiating shame- everything, right from his throat to the tips of his ears was flushed a deep scarlet and Jayna suspected she saw a hint of wetness in the warrior’s lowered gaze but steeled herself against the instinct to apologise to the man for her irrational rant.

“I-... I’m sorry.” The man reiterated, not voicing the wrongness of the blame being heaped upon him.

Jayna huffed and ignored soft apology to attend to Ben.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapter-6

MasterPost

Earlier Parts: Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter-3- Chapter 4

Author's Note-

Voting for August’s story-theme is now open!  So if you want a story in the genre of YOUR CHOICE, be sure to vote in the poll for next month’s theme. Click HERE to vote now!

As always, comments and critique is welcome :-)