"What did you do this time?" Peinaire envelopes her body with her hands. Cirrus sneers and laughs, looking at Fa who is sitting in a pool chair, pouting his lips.
They gather around at the cabin, early in the morning, just like any other day. It's a ritual between the Sarin's third generation. Especially when they have an issue to tackle.
"How can he choose the Engineering? Does he even aware how tough the job is?" Fa sighs.
"So, you're telling me that becoming a doctor is easy?" asks Peinaire.
"Fine. It's hard as well... but still..."
Cirrus calmly stops Fa. "Let's take a look at the bright side. Nothing is wrong if he chose Engineering. He might be the next successor of our empire, along with you. You can manage the office, and Fa can take care of the factories. Beneficial."
"Did he pay you to choose his side, Cir?"
Peinaire almost threw her slippers at Fa. This crazy Golden Alpha can't even think at least ten years ahead when it comes to his possessive nature.
"I don't know if you guys are aware or not. But, a freshman in that faculty will have to attend the gathering; a.k.a the hazing..."
"Mr. Golden Alpha sir, every faculty conducts that. We called it the orientation week," Peinaire corrected Fa.
"No. You don't understand. Engineers; they are known to have such a brutal orientation week!" Fa argues.
"So, you think Ezra can't handle it?" asks Cirrus. "Or, are you afraid other Alphas might snatch him away?"
"Yes. About that too... I did some research last night—"
"Snooping. Stalking."
Fa gives Peinaire a sharp glare. The female Alpha scoffs and shuts her mouth.
"89% of the engineering students in TechNex are Alphas. From that 11%, only 2% are Omegas. The rest are Betas..." Fa puts up his index and middle fingers. "Only two percent. Two!"
"Well, that sounds okay to me. At the very least, Ezra will have an Omega classmate. And he can always befriend Betas, if you insist on restraining him away from Alphas," Cirrus makes his conclusion, but his calm demeanor and understanding make Fa gush in emotional pain.
"I don't want him to get near any Alphas!!"
"That means your father is included as well. That's not fair..."
Fa whines out loud, channeling his frustration to the silent forest instead of Ezra. He can't get mad at the Omega, because he already hurt him once. So, he has no choice but to release the anger out loud like this.
"I wish I could mark him! Ugh, why does he need to be born four years later than me!"
"He's definitely crazy..." Peinaire stirs the space next to her head. Cirrus laughs the sinister joke away, calmly sipping his coffee at ease.
***
Two weeks later.
The cold war between Fa and Ezra has not ended yet. That young Omega kept dodging Fa, refused to accept his apology. During formal family dinners, he would sit next to Fa, but didn't even glance at him.
The fight seems to be a good entertainment for some; Peinaire and Cirrus. They always found this young pair to be cute while sulking. No one ever cared to ask or offer to be a mediator because they knew, this would be temporary.
Ezra shakes the umbrella before entering the mansion through the back door. He just came back from Peinaire's cabin, visiting Caspian. Omega is having a cold, and Ezra is generous enough to cook a chicken soup for him. Peinaire is out of town for the day. She needs to deal with the food supplier of the horse ranch.
The house is quiet. Fa is at the college, and Cirrus has a meeting regarding the new branch of the Sarin Hotel in X Nation. Even though he was reluctant to go because Tul is in his third trimester, the opening will take place in less than a month. So, he has a lot to do. The Sarins' elders were on a Caribbean Island for Cabot's family gathering.
So, it's just three Omegas and Beta helpers who run the mansion.
"Ezra..." Tul comes out of his room with his not-so-big belly. He crinkles his nose, feeling uncomfortable all day. Ezra quickly grabs a soft pillow and places it on the chair for Tul.
"Do you want something to eat?"
"I don't feel like eating now. My belly hurts..."
"Should I call the gynecologist?"
Tul shakes his head faintly. He sips plain water before slowly rising from the table in the kitchen. He tries to step slowly to the toilet when he suddenly slips on the floor and cries in pain.
"Tul!" Ezra runs towards the Omega in panic. Tul is crying in pain, and there's blood coming from his lower body.
"No..." Ezra grits his teeth. "Beta helpers! Help!" the young Omega screams his lungs out. Three Beta helpers immediately run towards them, all in panic as well.
"Call the gynecologist's office! Now!" Ezra hands his phone to one of them. He checks on Tul one more time before leaning closer to him.
"Tul, can you stand up? We need to go to the bedroom now..."
"I think I can!" Tul grits his teeth, and with the remaining energy, he lifts his body. The Beta helpers make a way for the Omega to the room.
"Prepare the bathtub..." Tul manages to ask the Beta helper to prepare for the birth.
"Why bathtub?" asks Ezra.
"It will be less painful. The water calms the body so it can soothe Omega Tul during the labor," the Beta helper answers.
"Is Omega Tul in labor?!" Ezra stares at them in shock.
"Actually, Omega Tul has another ten days from his due date..."
That's bad! Ezra yelps inside.
Tul cries in pain while lying in bed. The bathtub has been filled with lukewarm water. The Beta helpers light the aromatherapy candles to help calm that Omega. They then help Tul change into something more comfortable and slowly bring him into the bathtub.
"Is Tul in labor?" Caspian comes in, his face is calm but his eyes are not. He senses the strong smell of zesty lemon mixed with spearmint from the mansion all through the cabin. That's when he knew Tul was in pain.
"Yes. But, it's too early..." Ezra replies. Caspian comes out of the room in a hurry, before he comes back with a bunch of towels in his hand.
"Tul, can you hear me? Grab my hand, here..." Caspian squeezes Tul's hand tight and luckily the Omega responds.
A faint smell of calendula wanders inside the bathroom. Caspian just released his pheromone to help Tul regain his energy to give birth.
Ezra immediately knelt next to the tub, holding Tul's hand tight. He tries his best to channel his pheromone as well.
"Call Cir... please..." Tul cries for his mate.
"We did. But, the call wasn't connected..."
"How long until the gynecologist arrives?" asks Caspian.
"We're not sure, Omega Caspi. There's a storm out there!"
Caspian turns his head and looks at Ezra. The young Omega is working hard, channeling his pheromone to Tul.
"I think, I need to step in—" before Caspian dunks his leg into the tub, he suddenly feels dizzy and sick. He grabs the sink, trying to balance himself from falling.
"Beta helpers, help Omega Caspian!" Ezra calls for help. They rush in and immediately rush him to the bed. Caspian is too weak to help, he forgot that he's sick.
Ezra is lost now. The Beta helpers are busy, trying to reach out to everyone. Cirrus is nowhere to be reached, Fa perhaps on his way home by now with Peinaire. The storm outside makes things even worse for them.
Tul suddenly feels the strong contraction. He cries out loud, calling Cirrus while bracing himself. Ezra feels sorry and worries about the Omega. He grabs Tul's hand tightly.
"Hold up, Tul! Fa is on his way!"
"I can't! I can't!"
Ezra stutters in horror. The water turns bloody within a minute. "There's blood..."
"Someone needs to check whether I can start pushing by now!" Tul shrieks in pain.
Ezra goes pale. There's no one in that bathroom except for him. He slowly releases Tul's hand.
"Let me do it."
"You have to go in with your finger," says Tul. Ezra nods, mustering all his courage, and joins Tul in the bathtub. He softly inserts his fingers into the birth canal, checking if it's ready or not.
"I think, you're ready to go..." says Ezra in panic. Tul nods in silence. While grabbing Cirrus's favorite sweater, he starts pushing. The room is almost shaking from the power that the Omega holds. He is pushing while controlling his pheromone from leaking out. It's a two-time job, harder and gruesome.
Two pushes in a span of five to ten minutes and now, Tul is getting tired. He keeps chanting Cirrus's name, crying his eyes out.
"No! Don't stop Tul! The baby is coming!" Ezra tries to encourage the Omega to continue. But Tul is too weak to respond. Ezra is almost going crazy.
"Omega Tul! Wake up!" Ezra slaps Tul's cheek. The Omega gasps for air, holding his hand tight. His eyes were asking for help.
Ezra nods faintly, getting the signal. He scoots to the middle space between Tul's legs. He dunks his hands into the water and checks the canal again.
"Push! One more time, push!" Ezra yells at Tul. The Omega pushes with his whole energy, and with the help of Ezra, the baby comes out perfectly fine.
"Ezra! Tul!" Fa appears at the door. He is sweating and panting while looking at Ezra; who is kneeling silently. He is holding the crying cub; stoic like a statue.
The gynecologist comes from behind and checks on Tul. The Omega is fine, and he sheepishly laughs at Ezra who is holding the baby while in a deep shock. A Beta helper comes in, takes the baby from Ezra, and hands it to Tul.
"Ezra... hey..." Fa softly calls his name. Ezra blinks his eyes, slowly turns his head, and looks at Fa.
"Seriously, this is the scariest moment I've ever had. I swear to God, I don't wanna be a doctor! Never!"
Fa grabs Ezra's hands. They are shaking so badly. Obviously, the Omega is scared.
"Fine then. Let's go for aeronautic engineering..."