Alaric arrived in Vareth again just as the sun began lowering behind the distant treeline, gilding the small village in amber. His heart pounded harder with every step, the same anxious thought chasing itself in circles:
What if Rin had vanished again?
He approached the small wooden house and knocked firmly on the door. No answer.
He knocked again—louder this time—but the house remained silent.
His chest tightened.
Not again. Not without a trace.
The thought of Rin disappearing as he had four years ago, slipping out of his life without a goodbye, knifed him with unexpected fear. If Rin ran this time… he truly might never find him again.
Before he could spiral further, small footsteps pattered behind him.
"Huh? Mister Al! You're finally back!"
Alaric turned to see the twins, wide-eyed and smiling brightly.
"We missed you!" they chorused together.
The tension in his body loosened instantly, and Alaric couldn't suppress the soft smile tugging at his lips. Just hearing their voices made him feel grounded again.
"I brought something for you," he said, finally handing them the carefully chosen gifts he had carried with him the whole way.
The twins lit up like festival lanterns as they each hugged their box, immediately eager to open them.
"Where have you two come from?" Alaric asked.
"We went to Mister Thomas' house," Riven answered.
"He got injured, and Papa is the only herbalist in the village," the Rhen continued.
So that was why Rin wasn't home.
"And where is he now?" Alaric asked, trying not to sound too desperate—but the twins were too excited by their new presents to notice the edge in his voice.
Before they could answer, a voice cut across the small farm path.
"What are you doing here… your highness?"
Alaric's heart stopped for a beat.
Rin stood there, the wind tugging lightly at his brown hair, his expression cool and composed—except for the slight flush betraying how flustered he truly was.
"I thought you wouldn't come back," Rin said sharply. "After you found out about me—about what I am—I assumed you were disgusted like how you are with everyone else."
Why do I sound like an upset housewife? Rin thought, mortified.
Alaric blinked, then stared at him like he had spoken nonsense.
"Disgusted? When did I ever say that?"
Rin scoffed, turning away.
"You didn't need to say it. You left without a word. That alone tells me what I needed to know."
Alaric let out a slow breath, and then a faint, amused smirk curved his lips.
"…Are you angry because I didn't stay beside you?" he asked in a low tone that carried far more teasing than apology.
Rin's eye twitched.
"That is not the point, your highness!"
His voice rose before he could stop it.
"You are NOT allowed to enter! Rhen, Riven—come inside and return those gifts to Mister Al!"
The twins froze mid-unwrapping, eyes darting between the shiny gifts and their father's stern face.
With deep, tragic expressions, they trudged back to the door. Before entering, they leaned close to Alaric and whispered,
"Whatever you did, Mister Al… you should apologize sincerely. If you want to win Papa's heart."
Then the door shut.
Alaric blinked, stunned.
Even the children were sharp enough to see what he could barely admit to himself.
_____________________
Hours passed.
The sun faded.
Clouds gathered, and rain began to fall—first a drizzle, then a persistent downpour.
In the warm, lamplight interior of the house, the twins peered through the window anxiously.
"Papa… he's still there."
Rin, tying bundles of herbs, barely looked up.
"That's his choice."
"He must be cold… and hungry," Riven mumbled. "And the gift…"
Rin finally chuckled and set the herbs aside.
"You two—are you worried about him, or about losing your gifts?"
"Umm… both?" they admitted with matching mischievous grins.
Rin sighed and shook his head.
Where did they even get that personality? Certainly not him.
"No, I'm not letting him in. He can go home if he wants to. And even if it's raining, he can certainly find a roof elsewhere. Now, to bed—you both want to grow taller, right?"
The twins groaned dramatically but obeyed.
When the cottage grew quiet, Rin finally allowed himself a moment to lean back and exhale.
Why was he irritated?
Why did it bother him so much that Alaric had vanished that morning?
"He's the one who should feel abandoned, not me…" he muttered to himself, annoyed and confused.
He blew out the lamp and went to sleep unaware that outside, under the pounding rain, Alaric still stood waiting—drenched but unmoving.
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Rin woke to the sound of his aunt shouting outside, frantic.
Frowning, he hurried into his feet and stepped outside—only to see his heart drop to his stomach.
There on the ground lay Alaric, collapsed beside the doorstep, soaked through and pale from the cold.
His aunt was already kneeling beside the unconscious Alpha.
"Rin! I found this man collapsed this morning.It seems he was standing here all night! In that storm!What the hecks going on?" she cried.
For a moment, Rin could only stare—shock and guilt flooding into him all at once.
He really stayed… the entire night?
Rin's hands trembled before he forced himself to kneel down beside Alaric, rain-soaked hair hanging in his eyes.
"Idiot…" he whispered under his breath.
"You stubborn, stupid… idiot."
But despite the insult, his voice shook, and he pressed trembling fingers to Alaric's throat, desperate to feel a pulse.
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