[BL] Alpha, You've Got the Wrong Mate!

His loud footsteps echoed through the empty hallways, his breath uneven and heavy as he hurried toward the room where Raniel was being kept.

When Ilyan had heard that his lover had lost consciousness, he had staggered backward, his knees almost giving out beneath him. For a moment, his mind had gone completely blank, unable to process what he had just been told.

However, he had quickly snapped out of it.

He had to find his Ren before anyone could harm him. After all, the entire Temple was against them and their relationship. What if someone had purposely caused Raniel’s health to deteriorate?

Ilyan had been left guessing until he finally pushed the doors open.

The silver-haired man lay on the bed, his skin as pale as a vampire’s. But certainly, Raniel wasn’t one.

It was only then that another thought crossed the alpha’s mind.

Raniel was human—so how was it that he hadn’t aged over the years? He appeared no older than twenty-three or twenty-four.

"Ah, there you are. We have been waiting for you."

When Ilyan heard High Priest I’s voice, his gaze finally shifted to his right. He hadn’t noticed the group of people at all when he entered, his eyes having focused only on the sole person he cared about—the sole person he wanted to see at that moment.

"I had to come. What happened to him?" Ilyan asked, his voice slightly sharp and cold.

His tone didn’t surprise the High Priests. Not at all. Lately, the couple had grown quite rebellious, and they had to find a way to stop them from breaking free from their clutches.

The child... But of course!

A smirk spread across High Priestess II’s lips as she stepped forward, gently pushing High Priest I behind her with one arm.

"Well, it appears you both have knotted."

Chills ran down Ilyan’s spine.

Knotting was among the countless forbidden things. He had been warned that, under no circumstances, should Raniel be knotted with. But the last time both of their rut and heat had broken at the same moment, they hadn’t been able to hold back and had allowed their instincts to take control. They had made love to each other while embracing one another like beasts.

The alpha’s jaw tightened as he scanned the group standing before him.

What were they going to tell him? And how did they even know?

The only possibility...

"Indeed, he is with a child," High Priestess II said, voicing his exact thoughts.

Ilyan’s eyes widened. His green gaze held shock, surprise, joy, and excitement all at once, yet he was unsure which emotion he should allow himself to feel.

A child.

His and Raniel’s child.

The thought alone made his heart race.

But before he could say anything, a faint movement caught his attention.

Raniel stirred. His fingers twitched against the sheets, and his brows slowly drew together as though he were trying to wake himself from a deep sleep. His breathing became uneven, and after a few moments, his crimson eyes finally fluttered open.

"Ren?"

Ilyan immediately moved closer.

Raniel blinked several times, his gaze slowly adjusting to the room. His eyes eventually settled on Ilyan, and for a moment, the omega looked relieved.

Then he noticed the others. His expression changed instantly.

"What... happened?" His voice was weak, barely above a whisper.

Ilyan opened his mouth, but before he could answer, High Priestess II spoke.

"You fainted during training. It seems your body has been under too much strain."

Raniel frowned, still trying to gather his thoughts.

Then she continued, "You are carrying a child."

The room went completely silent.

Raniel stared at her, his eyes widening.

"A... child?" The words barely left his lips. He slowly looked down at his stomach, his hands trembling as they rested against it.

A child?

How could he...?

How could he, of all people, give life to another?

His breathing became faster. "No..."

Ilyan immediately noticed the change in his expression.

"Ren?"

Raniel shook his head, his eyes beginning to fill with tears. "No, no, that’s not..." He couldn’t finish the sentence.

The High Priests exchanged glances. High Priestess II watched him carefully, seemingly studying his reaction. Then, after a moment, she turned toward the others.

"Leave them."

The High Priests slowly walked out of the room, the doors closing behind them.

Only then did Ilyan turn his full attention toward Raniel.

"Ren, look at me."

The omega didn’t respond. His hands were still trembling, his gaze fixed downward.

"A child?" he whispered again, almost as though he couldn’t believe the words himself. "How could I..." He looked at his partner, his eyes teary.

Ilyan sat beside him and gently reached for his hand.

"Raniel."

The omega bit his lip while tears rolled down his cheeks. "What if..." His voice cracked. "What if I’m not a good dad, Ilyan? I’ve never known what a mother or father is like." Raniel’s voice trembled as he struggled to speak through his tears. "I don’t know how I’m supposed to raise a child. I don’t even know what parents are supposed to do." He clenched his fingers around Ilyan’s hand. "I am so cursed that I took my own parents’ lives." His voice broke completely. "I killed them before I even knew what they were to me. How could someone like me possibly become a father?"

Ilyan’s expression softened. He stared at him for a moment before a soft laugh escaped his lips.

Raniel blinked at him through his tears, looking almost offended. A frown formed on his face.

"How silly of you, my love." The other man gently wiped the tears from his cheeks with his thumb. "You don’t have to know everything right away. Neither of us does actually."

Raniel sniffled, his eyes still wet.

"I will be right here, by your side, to guide you." Ilyan smiled warmly. "We’ll learn together, Ren. You don’t have to become the perfect father overnight, and you certainly don’t have to be like the people who raised you." His fingers intertwined with Raniel’s.

"You already know what it feels like to grow up without love. You know what it feels like to be afraid of the people who were supposed to protect you." He gently squeezed his hand. "So you already know one thing."

Raniel remained quiet, listening attentively.

"You know exactly what you don’t want your child to experience."

The omega’s lips trembled.

"And that is already more than enough to begin with."

Another sob escaped Raniel despite himself. He placed his forehead against the alpha’s chest, crying.

Ilyan’s arms were the only place where he could allow himself to cry, to be weak, without the need for pretence. And his heart was Raniel’s entire palace, something that truly belonged to him and him alone.