For Now and All Eternity

by Whistle_Mist

Summary:

The Twin Jades were destined to marry for the sake of ending wars and forging alliances between the various sects. This arrangement was designed to ensure peace and prevent further conflict and loss of life. Traditionally, the Elders selected the spouses for the Jades early on, then placed each Jade in seclusion with their chosen mate for a month, during which all contact with the outside world was forbidden.

One concern plaguing Lan Xichen was that his brother’s beloved had been chosen as his own Omega. Never having met this Omega, Lan Xichen resolved not to become intimate with him.

However, upon meeting the Omega, Lan Xichen realized the person was nothing like Lan Wangji’s description of Wei Wuxian. The Omega was small, with wide golden eyes that disarmed his reservations completely.

Meanwhile, Meng Yao found himself married to the Spare of the Lan Clan. To his surprise, the usually cold and reserved Twin Jade was unexpectedly gentle and frequently smiled.

Lan Qiren, accustomed to cleaning up after his brother’s mistakes, faced even higher stakes this time. Yet, knowing the pattern of his life, he expected that he would pay the price, as he always seemed to bear the consequences in the end.

Chapter 1

Everything was rushed.

In the span of twenty-four hours, Meng Yao, now renamed Jin Guangyao, was sitting on a Palanquin dressed in red robes that cost way more than anything in the entire Brothel he grew up in.

The jewels he was adorned with felt heavy, and the large collar on his neck was uncomfortable. It was too large for his tender neck, and it felt like it was choking him.

One of the people who had all but torn off his clothes and had people scrub him down had commented that it was too large, but they had to make do.

Gold with red rubies dotted all the way around it. He wanted to loosen it but was unsure if he’d tighten it by mistake. The warm bath he hadn’t been able to enjoy or even thought of because of how they handled him.

One day, he was at the brothel, doing the books to earn his keep, when he was summoned, only to see Jin Disciples appear. In minutes, they handed the Owner a large sum of money. He was all but grabbed, and never had he flown on a sword before, but the Alpha that scooped him upheld him tight, almost painfully, as they flew to Koi Tower.

It was a whirlwind of meeting his Father, who looked at him and spoke with him for less than half an hour, giving him a name, telling him he was to make the Jin Secet Proud, but he wasn’t sure what was happening but a chance to be able to do something, raise above that of being illegitimate bastard, he nodded in shock.

Stripped, washed, and moved roughly, he hissed when they yanked him around to get the wedding robes on. It hit him halfway done that they were wedding robes!

Nothing stopped them; the collar had him gagging, and he was told to stop misbehaving. Someone appeared, a woman dressed in royal robes. She looked angry and stood in front of him.

Meng Yao, now Jin Guangyao, bowed to her since the others were doing so, unsure of who she was. She grabbed his chin harshly, forcing him to look up. She glared at him, and then suddenly, she moved her hand back and used the back of it to slap him hard across the cheek.

Yelping in shocked pain, he turned to stare at her. “A son of a whore is the best we have?”

He froze, but he didn’t hear whatever was said because they yanked him back, held him still for makeup, and slipped silk belts and socks on. The shoes were so big that they rushed to find more, and the ones they did find were too small.

Meng Yao had always been a small Omega, but the shoes they got were a size too small—maybe children’s shoes. But that didn’t stop them from forcing him to wear them, even if he whimpered when they made him walk.

An outer robe was tossed over him, and someone told him not to mess up. He was confused, in pain, and feeling like a nightmare. Then, he was lifted again and flown away.

Once they landed, he was placed in the palanquin, and even though the curtain was opened, he felt something hook into the belt and realized they had chained him to the seat in case he tried to run.

A fan was handed to him, and a veil as someone snarled at him to cover his face with it; Meng Yao was dead, heart hammering harshly in his chest. Unsure of why he was in wedding robes, he still had no idea why he was in them?!

Someone was calling out to them. Peeking over the fan, even if his face was hidden by the veil, he saw another palanquin heading their way, this was adorn in purples, blacks and laic colors.

Yunmeng Jiang Clan?

His chest rose and fell in small, panicked breaths, and he was nervous until he saw an Omega Symbol on it. What was happening? Was there another Omega? Were they going to marry? He had never heard of a sect binding two Omegas together; that made no sense!

Instead, the Yunmeng Jiang Clan came up next to theirs. The person sitting down in it wore exquisite robes, which were made to show their power. A silver bell with purple on it hung from his hip.

He had no idea who this was. Their face was covered like his in a longer veil, and his long black hair flowed out. The person was looking at him, a title of the head, and Meng Yao bowed, unsure if he had the right to look at them, let alone be here!

Nothing was said as suddenly someone announced that the brides had arrived.

Meng Yao almost passed out when he saw the Symbol of where they were being carried. Slumping back into the chair, his body shook because this was not a small clan to overlook.

The Gusu Lan Clan.

--

Lan Wangji looked absolutely crushed.

He had come to age less than a year ago, his father and the Elders decided he had to marry. However, the person he wanted to marry, Wei Ying, had been promised to his brother.

On the other hand, Lan Xichen was trying to comfort his brother, feeling guilty about the situation. They weren’t twins, but many people lumped them together as such... Lan Xichen was a beta, and his brother was an Alpha.

The only reason he was to marry the Head Disciple of the Jinang Clan was because he was the eldest and heir. He had never seen Wei Wuxian before, having been away on his year-long hunting and venture to prove himself with Grand Uncle while his Uncle stayed behind to teach the next cultivators.

That didn’t change the fact that he was marrying the Omega his brother was in love with and that his brother was marrying someone from the Jin Sect.

Whoever that was.

They still weren’t sure, but the marriage was to form a binding alliance. The Wen Clan was growing, and the marriages would ensure enough to keep them in check. Even though Lan Xichen had attended a few meetings with the Sect Leader, he was sure one Wen Ruohan did not believe him capable of ruling.

After all, he kept asking to meet with Lan Qiren for each meeting, and Lan Xichen felt bad each time his Uncle agreed. But the odd thing was, maybe because his Uncle knew how to lead the Sect, Wen Ruohan always left in a good mood.

“I’m sorry, Wangji If I could change it…” It was eating him alive, but no one could deny how bad the balance between the five sects was and did not bode well. “Maybe I can talk to them again.”

Lan Wangji shook his head. “It won’t help; Father won't allow it.”

They tried for months. Lan Wangji even wrote Wei Ying a letter explaining what would happen. The letters he got back were a ton. Each one he read went off-topic, but most said it was all right.

He accepted that Wei Ying didn’t return his feelings and was okay with being married off to his brother. Although that broke his heart, he didn’t want to be like his Father, who had stolen and forced their Mother into a Lan-Furen.

No, Lan Wangji couldn’t do that.

Instead, he would do what was required of this marriage: build peace and live as a perfect Lan. When the doors opened, any words to be spoken were cut off.

Their Uncle walked in with some elders. They bowed to him, and their Uncle did the same. He looked irritated. He had been trying to get everyone to postpone the weddings, but his efforts had fallen on deaf ears.

The Twin Jades weren’t Omegas, and the Heir was a Beta. No one agreed to let the Heir get married, so they decided that an Omega was the solution.

Lan Qiren, an omega, was infertile, so these two were all they had. He raised the heir and the spare by himself. In time, they proved to be powerful cultivators; even the world couldn’t believe how high a Level Lan Xichen had become, a beta!

“They’ve arrived.” Lan Qiren took a deep sigh and looked at them. "Do you recall our discussion on how this works?”

“Yes, Uncle,” They said at the same time.

“Good,” Lan Qiren nodded. “You will do wonderfully… I am very proud of you, and I wish…”

He couldn’t say more; the Elders were present.

“You will wear veils. Once you are taken to yours with your new mates, you will begin your one-month seclusion. It will be just two of you so you can bond…  Thas to, including and ruts are already there; however, should you ever need medical or emergency help, there will be some flares.”

They went on. The houses were to be sealed up, and they could only move outside as far as the fence allowed. They had access to fresh water, and food was sent down the river. A long branch and rope kept the boat from floating away, but they were to send it on its way once it was empty.

Clothing, or other things could be requested by letter that would travel on the boat, no one would disturbe them. It continued until an Elder cleared their throat, and Lan Qiren started to repeat some things.

Stopping, Lan Qiren nodded.

“Put your veils on, it’s time.”

They looked at each other before doing so.

For the good of the Sect.

For the good of their Clan.

--

Lan Xichen bowed for a third time in front of Wei Wuxian, the Omega covered in many layers of robes, and Wei Wuxian bowed, too. He wished he had met him before because he wasn’t sure what to say once this was over.

Even if the guilt gnawed at him, his brother on the other side of a vast room completed his final bow to the Jin, whom Lan Xichen couldn’t place; he didn’t even know that the Jin had another child!

Sitting up, there were more announcements. Since this happened in the Lan Clan, no outright lavish partying existed. Instead, once they were sealed in their houses, he assumed that the clans would go outside the Cloud Recesses to do so.

They brought over a carriage, and Lan Xichen held out his hand as the Omega seemed to look at him even though he couldn’t see his face. Then, a warm small hand was in his.

Helping Wei Wuxian into the carriage, he followed. They said in silence; the scent of the Omega smelt nothing of worry and fear, even if he was trying to hide it; the new Lan Furen didn’t seem happy to be here, and he couldn’t blame him.

From what his brother told him about Wei Wuxian, it was clear that Wei Wuxian had returned his brother’s feelings. But now? Now that was… Lan Xichen turned away from him, feeling horrible. What good would it have been to be the Sect Leader if he couldn’t change this?

Rules.

Rules and his Uncle did try. Even if he had mentioned that he didn’t particularly like peeking out the window, he saw the other carriage heading to his brother’s house.

Somehow, he’d manage to fix this.

After all, he wouldn’t claim Wei Wuxian.

An Alpha could have two mates; even if he claimed two Omegas, at least they could be together. After making up his mind, Lan Xichen promised he wouldn’t touch or claim his brother’s true mate.

No, they’d emerge from this unbonded, and he would ensure that they could mate and be happy!

--

Lan Wangji said nothing as they were carried towards his home. He wasn’t sure what to do with this Omega. The heavy perfumes were too much. His nose hurt slightly, and he couldn’t pick up the Omega’s scent.

The Omega seemed excited, moving about and even doing a little sitting dance, and he wanted to tell him to stop because it was rude to those carrying their carriage.

When they got to the house, he got out, held out his hand, and was surprised at how easily it was taken. They walked towards the house, and he was unsure why this Jin was bouncing as they walked and why he was swinging their hands.

They got to the door, and once it closed, he felt the ripple of the spell take place. Lan Wangji frowned, then turned to pull off his veil and wanted to tell the Omega that he didn’t want to sleep with him or even want this marriage, but would respect him enough not to touch or harm him when the other had pretty much torn off their veil.

“Ahhhwaah!” Wei Wuxian shook his head, tossing the veil off. “I didn’t think that’d work!”

Lan Wangji stared in shock, mind faltering. “Wei Ying?!”

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian grinned, throwing his arms around the Alpha’s neck, pressing their foreheads together and purring loudly. “I can’t believe we're married! I could pick up your Sandalwood scent when we got up!”

Confused, Lan Wangji wrapped his arms around the Omega he had been dreaming of since they met. His heart was beating now in joy instead of dread, and he couldn’t figure out what had changed or why they had allowed him to marry Wei Ying.

“I don’t…” He was confused.

“Ah, don’t be too mad, Second Master Lan,” Wei Wuxian purred, moving back. “I just switched our names on our rooms!”

Indeed, Wei Wuxian had switched his name and Jin’s name on the doors, unaware that his plan, while working for the couple who wanted to be together, left two strangers who had no idea who the other was.

--

The two took off their veils and respectfully bowed to the Hanshi until they stood awkwardly.

Out of respect, Meng Yao shivered. “It’s… good to meet you, Husband.”

“It is good to meet you as well,” Lan Xichen paused. “Lan Furen.”

They didn’t use names.

Thus, they had no idea about who they married.

Chapter 2

Jin Guangyao's heart was hammering.

He was unsure what to do besides what he had been told before being swept into a room with many people from the Five Great Sects. He dared not look at some of them, even through the thick veil.

In his mind, he was still confused. His Father sent for him only to marry him off, which caused him to realize that he was a barging chip. From the setup, the people who came knew about this. Did this mean that his Father knew who he was before and just waited until the last second?

As he was in thought, he tensed when his Husband stood up. Hands gripping his robes, he swallowed. He never met anyone alone before. His previous collar was locked because the Owner of the brothel had planned on selling him to a high bidder. After all, he did have the blood of a Jin, even if he hadn’t been claimed then; some Alphas wanted a taste.

“That looks uncomfortable,” Lan Xichen looked at the Omega’s neck. The collar was entirely too big. It covered the entirety of his neck. “Um, do you want to take it off?”

“Will I get in trouble if I do?” He was going in blind. “Yes, um, is there another one?”

“No, no trouble. I think there is,” Lan Xichen looked around, seeing boxes. His own Collar was much smaller, maybe an inch in width. Being a Beta, he didn’t need to wear one, but his neck felt off when he was a child, and when he told his Uncle about it, Shushu got him one. It looked more like a necklace, and the Elders let it slide since it was hidden under his robes. “It must be in here… Ah, let me take this off first.”

Taking off the veil with his back to Wei Wuxian, the Beta started to open the boxes. Shuffling through them, he saw the new clothing, robes for innerwear, socks, slippers, and ribbons. He sighed happily, seeing one of his favorite robes neatly folded inside.

Shushu must have packed for him.

Smiling he took it out since they’d have to change out of their wedding robes, he paused when he heard no movement. Looking back, he saw the Omega still scared.

“You can take the collar off. I know we have new ones in here,” He turned back to look. “Sorry, just let me find it,”

“Thank you,” Jin Guangyao reached up, messing with the buckle for it to unlock, and he sighed as it slipped off with ease. He no longer felt like someone just had their hand around his neck. Rubbing it he set it aside, then took off his veil fully. He had been sweating because of how heavy the makeup was, the heat of either the robes or the fact he had been sweating since he arrived. “I’m going to take off my makeup,”

The Jin had put so much of it on, he was sure even the Omegas who worked in the brothels didn’t use this much in months. Carefully he stood when nothing was said to him but an ‘Alright,’ from the Alpha he walked to the kitchen area finding a towel and some water in a vase. Pouring it into the dish, he started to wash off his face.

If he had known there was a cinnamon bar between his eyes and had turned to the person he thought was Lan Wangji, they would have figured out that he wasn’t the Omega who was supposed to marry the Sect Leader. Or that, because of his nervousness, it was smudged just enough to be mistaken for a design or character instead of a dot.

Instead, Jin Guangyao quickly removed the makeup; its heaviness had helped. Draying his face, he patted it while his mind raced over what to do now.

“I found them!”

Them?

More than one? Well, that made sense. After all, there was the Lan Sect. He had heard they didn’t flaunt their wealth, but let no one forget they had plenty of treasures, money and if he heard once from someone passing by from the Nie Sect, they might have more than all the other Clan combined since they do not spend it on things they deem necessary.

Taking off his, Lan Xichen slipped the new one on. It was a bit fancier than he was used to, but the weight calmed his heart. Fixing his robe, he stood up and walked towards the Omega.

That thick one was strange.

He didn’t like it.

The Jin didn’t uphold the same rules as the Lans, but it looked more like a punishment than a collar.

Standing behind him a few feet, he waited while Wei Wuxian washed his face. He didn’t want to bother or rush him, but he felt awkward about what he was supposed to say or do.

Opting to wait, he took a small breath and then let it out slowly. He could handle a month alone, and as long as he avoided the heat-inducing teas, Wei Wuxian wouldn’t go into heat, and it wouldn’t trigger him to go into a mock heat or rut.

Taking the towel, Meng Yao dried his face, ready to finally feel slightly better, even if it was somewhat. After drying his face, he turned around, pausing. He saw the Alpha standing there, but he smelt off. Or maybe it was his nose? They had doused him in perfume.

“This is for you,” Lan Xichen held out the collar with a smile. “I know it’s not what you expected, but it’s a lot more comfortable than that one,”

“Thank you,” Reaching out, he took the collar looking at it. For a moment, his mind provided that he’d one day be wearing one with the Jin Sect Symbol. Now, it was the Lan Clan. He paused, looking at the smaller symbol under it. “This is…?”

“Ah, Lan Furen,” Nodding Lan Xichen rubbed the back of his neck. “It was passed down to me from my mother when I took a mate or one was arranged for me.”

“You would let me wear this?” Surprised, mainly because this was from the Alpha’s Mother! He missed and lingered to see or hug his own mother since her death, and he had learned that Lan Furen had died many years ago. “You’d allow me to wear this?”

“Yes, of course,” Lan Xichen smiled. “If it is uncomfortable, you do not have to wear it,”

“It’s your mother’s collar; I should’t be wearing such a wonderful gift,” He shouldn’t! That was personal, and how fondly his new husband talked about her in those few moments let him know that she was a wonderful mother. “She'd be a shame that someone like me would be wearing it,”

“Why would you say that?” Surprised Lan Xichen paused then held it out a little more. “She was a good mother, and she… she loved us very much I am sure that she would be happy if you were to wear it,”

Stepping forward slowly, he took it. It felt soft inside his hands. Gently examining it, he put it on slowly. However, the clicks in the back didn’t hook on. Frowning a little, he tried again, only to fail.

“Let me help,” Lan Xichen walked behind him, still a bit amused by the height of the Omega. From his brother’s words, he thought that Wei Wuxian was tall. Moving the hair out of the hair he frowned a little on how it felt a bit dry. Fitting the collar on, making sure it was loose enough to be comfortable, he moved back. “How that?”

“A lot better,” Smiling, Meng Yao couldn’t help the warmth spreading on his face. This was kinder than most Alphas had ever treated him. There wasn’t even a look of a sneer on the other’s face. “Thank you. Do you want me to do anything?”

“We can unpack our things?” Lan Xichen wanted a distraction, unsure of how he should approach them, trying to get him and his brother together. “I think the new robes are here,”

Nodding, Meng Yao went over to help pull out the clothes and socks. As they moved through them, he frowned. Sitting back, he frowned. All these clothes were too big!

“I think they got my measurements mixed up when made them,” Meng Yao pulled on, it was far to big and he laughed. “I could use it to sleep in,”

“I apologize,” He looked them over. “I can write them in a few days,”

“I can fix them if we have a sewing kit,” Meng Yao wanted to prove himself worthy. No, he should call himself Jin Guangyao now… but… it didn’t feel right, or at least like he earned it. Rummaging through the trunk, he found one. “Here it is,”

“Should I see if someone can help?”

“I thought no one would be by and we must send letters through the boats?”

“That’s true,” Sighing Lan Xichen got up walking towards the doors, he opened on, sliding it across and sure enough there was a boat. It was empty, and the polls were keeping it from leaving. Seeing a box in it, he took it out and walked back. “Paper and Ink, we can write them,”

“I think they forgot something,” Sighing Meng Yao sat back on his heels, frowning. “No scissors,”

“We can write to Uncle!” Happy to help in this unfortunate situation, he walked over to the desk and asked, “Anything else you need? Food or blankets?”

“Um, well,” Looking at the things they had, he saw plenty of stuff for nesting. But a lack of pillows. “More pillows?”

Lan Xichen set up his desk and wrote out a greeting to his uncle. After a few lines, they made it safely, introduced themselves, and explained why such an early letter was needed.

Pausing, he remembered what Lan Wangji had said about Wei Wuxian. He turned, seeing the Omega rolling up some of the robes, making makeshift lengths so he could walk in them. He remembered correctly that he liked spicy food.

“You want me to ask if we have some chili sauce?”

“Please?” Meng Yao was surprised that he asked. The last thing he had was some meat skewers before he was pretty much kidnapped. “Maybe some meat?”

“Eating Meat is prohibited,”

“What?” Meng Yao frowned. “It is?”

“They did not tell you?” Lan Xichen turned. “I thought… that you would know?”

Then again, he heard Wei Wuxian wasn’t the best student at listening and often had to write the rules of the Lan Clan. He was said to be carefree, wild, loud, and laughed.

At least that’s what he was told. In front of him, Wei Wuxian wasn’t loud; he spoke in a well-level voice; he seemed more like a typical submissive Omega than what was described.

“Do you have a changing screen?” Meng Yao wanted to get out of the robes. The perfume on it was starting to blind his nose. “And no, I don’t know much about them.”

He assumed it was mostly the same. Being polite and making rules were a given. After hearing all the rumors about the Gusu, he thought there might be more, but he heard they were strict.

“I can have Uncle send us a copy of the rules so you can study them?” Lan Xichen didn’t mean to phrase it as a question. After all, rules had to be learned. “I can help you learn them,”

“You will?” Meng Yao felt himself smile again. “I’d like that!”

“Wonderful!” Happy about this, Lan Xichen wrote a little fast, not too much, but maybe they could be friends until he could reunite the Omega with his brother, and the time would fly by. “I shall ask for books too of our clan.”

“Um, is there something…” Meng Yao knew he was pushing, but he couldn’t help himself but ask. “Are there some cultivation books I can… maybe read or study?”

“That is a good idea,” Lan Xichen added to the list of things. “It’s good to keep our minds sharp.”

Were they going to send for books?! With his heart almost bursting from his chest, Meng Yao stood up, carefully holding the indoor robes. Yikes, whoever made these thought he was way taller than he was!

“Oh, the changing screen?”

Lan Xichen knows where things should be pointed. “Right over… huh… that’s odd.”

The changing screen was missing. Turning back to the paper, he blushed, realizing why it might be missing. They were supposed to start their month-long Honeymoon and semi-seclusion.

“I won’t look,” He turned to the paper. “You have my word.”

Looking around, Meng Yao spotted a slight turn in the kitchen. Walking to it, he removed the robe, layer after layer, feeling lighter with each one gone.

The strong scent was leaving. He pulled on the inner robes, rolled them up, tied a ribbon to another robe, and worked until the indoor robes did not trip him while walking.

Picking them up carefully, he walked over, seeing the Alpha folding the letter in what must have been perfection. Blinking, he walked up next to him just as the Alpha stood.

Tensing, he moved back, bowing, but was stopped, hands gently touching his forearms, from doing so. This had never happened before, looking up curious he blinked slowly.

“Let’s send this off,” Lan Xichen smiled. His nose was starting to pick up the scent. It was still struggling from all the perfumes. Odd, some of the perfumes smelt like what the Jin Clan wore… a gift, maybe? It could be. He led them to where the boat was, placing the paper along with a rock to hold it. Pulling the pole up, he let the boat float away. “Uncle will be pleased to send us what we need soon.”

Meng Yao was curious and then moved to sit down next to his husband. Sitting next to an Alpha was nice, even if he felt a bit off. Something about the scent was matching up, but then again, his nose needed a break. He was sure that he'd be alright once everything aired out from the wedding.

Looking at the Second Jade who smiled at him, Meng Yao smiled back, then they looked little boat floating away, making it’s way down. Purring lightly, Meng Yao felt strange.

He hadn’t purred since his mother passed.

Chapter 3

“You disapprove,”

Lan Qiren side-eyed his brother before looking back ahead to where the clean-up of the wedding was taking place. It had been as planned; the only thing was the Jin’s lack of sending the Chosen Omega sooner. Instead, he carried on the day, and he only got to see the Omega for a few minutes.

The poor thing was tiny and unfed, and he had tried to get a chance to speak with him before there was a commotion. Soon, Lan Qiren rushed off to the loud sounds coming from Wei Wuxian’s room and reminded him of the rules of being too loud.

It took so much time that by the time he returned to the room, the Omega had been stopped by his brother, who insisted they take their place. A bitterness in the back of his mouth had Lan Qiren withhold a hiss, and he wanted to spit at Qingheng-Jun.

The whole ceremony between the three sects looked like a scene out of a play or a fairytale. Only Lan Qiren could tell how upset his nephews were. The political game his brother was playing forced Lan Xichen to marry Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji to marry what he was sure was one of Jin Guangshang’s illegitimate children.

For a Jin to be that small and scrawny, the fact that while they were pulling the robes on, Lan Qiren had gone to see him was because the Lan Robes that had been made were surely wrong considering the measurements.

“It does not matter what I do in the end.” Lan Qiren frowned. "You knew who Lan Wangji loved, and you knew that Lan Wangji did not wish to marry a stranger, yet it has happened, and it is over.”

“It was for the good of Sect.” The Alpha frowned. “And besides, with Nie Yuzu dead, we need stronger ties, and since you failed to bear any children, we’re lacking heirs.”

“Do not bring my marriage into this,” Lan Qiren hissed this time. “It was a proper marriage-”

“So, was this,”

“You forced them at least when I married Father  let me voice my words,”

“And where has that gotten you, Didi? Nowhere, but back where because even though you were married to the stronger Sect Leader, you failed to carry!” Qingheng-Jun growled, leaning closer, growling anger when his brother didn’t back down. “Remember, the only reason you were even allowed back here is because of your failed mating with Wen Ruohan, who, mind you, has two strong heirs from his consorts!”

Hissing darker, Lan Qiren's fingers twitched under his sleeves, feeling offended. At least he had a choice when he fell into the Lan Curse of only finding the person they loved once.

The only reason he left Wen Ruohan’s side was to  when he visited his nephews, they seemed worse off than they had been the last time. Finally, he would be staying months at a time, and his Alpha told him to return until things were settled.

A lot of uproar and while the entire world had just assumed they ended the marriage, Lan Qiren was still very much a mated Omega. He just didn’t seem to have a reason to speak to his brother about his personal life.

The plan behind closed doors was to ensure the Twin Jades reached adulthood and married, and Lan Qiren would return. Did his brother assume he would not see his Alpha when he left Gusu?

However, it was foolish to think that his brother would consider it. The Alpha married the Jades as soon as Lan Wangji had come to age, hoping to get an heir out of the Alpha. His brother wasn’t too pleased with Lan Xichen being an Beta and even mentioned that at least no Omegas were born while giving him a seething look.

“Are we done here?” Lan Qiren needed to get some air, walk, do something, anything then be here. When Qingheng-Jun said nothing he moved back bowed respectfully, even if he thought his brother did not deserve it, the Omega was about to leave. “Have a good day, Sect Leader,”

Letting out a scoff, Qingheng-Jun crossed his arms. “They’ll get used to it in time, Qiren, you’ll see. Even if I only got two children, at least I was able to secure heirs from my mate.”

“Madam Lan was not let you secure anymore than that,”

Lan Qiren knew he shouldn’t have said that. He knew that even though Madam Lan had ended her life years ago, it was still a spot that would enrage his brother.

So it was no surprise that by the time someone came to separate them after Qingheng-Jun lunged at him, they both got lectured by the elders, a few healers tending to their wounds.

It might have been a little petty, a headache coming on for how many rules he’d have to copy tomorrow along with the punishment he’d receive, but Lan Qiren wanted his brother to remember that no matter how much the Alpha thought trying to beat him into submission it was never going to work.

Luckily, most of the guests had gone into the towns to celebrate because he had to take time to explain to his mate why he had bruises on him. And cruse Qingheng-Jun for forcing his nephews to marry people they didn’t want.

With a swollen lip, Lan Qiren was in his room after being hit with the discipline rod when a knock was heard. Pausing, he looked back, picking up one of the servants' scents.

“Come in,”

“Grandmaster Lan,” They bowed to him. “A Letter from Zewu-Jun,”

Already?

“I shall tend to it,” Holding out his hand, he took the letter, opened it, seeing that his Nephew greeted him, assured him they arrived safely, and then asked for scissors because the robes were the wrong seizes. “Wrong size?”

Reading further, he saw the notes on asking for food. Of course, he couldn’t send them meat, but it seemed that Wei Wuxian could sew. Interesting, who would have thought?

Next, he saw that they were requesting paper and books to study. He had to commend them for wanting to study, but they were on their honeymoon. So, of course, Lan Qiren would send an appropriate amount of books to study.

Writing back a letter, giving instructions to the servants, and telling them to include some of the chili Jars the Jiang Clan had brought, he fixed himself up to leave for the town for the celebration.

Lan Qiren found it amusing that with all these people around, everyone who came and went, no one had even noticed that he and Wen Ruohan were still together. Either way, he was able to spend a night with his mate in an Inn, where he threatened to kill Qingheng-Jun once again.

--

Meng Yao did not want to take up so early.

He hadn’t known that the Lans woke at five a.m. every morning. His eyes were heavy with sleep. It had been day three of being here, and now that he had been able to cut and sew a few outfits together, he had been studying the books as long as he could, even well into the night, with a lamp to read them while Lan Wangji slept.

His Husband had tried to get him to sleep the first two nights, but the second he was asleep, Meng Yao was up and huddling by the boat to read until it got cold.

They came to a sort of truce: Meng Yao would slowly adjust to the sleeping schedule within the month. After all, he was too excited about the books, the papers, and soon, the chilis and Lan Xichen would help him study.

While he missed and craved meat, he found out they only ate meat when leaving the Clan’s homes. He admits he was excited to go into town with the idea of eating a lot of meat.

That being said, he yawned, curling back up in his bed while he heard his Alpha getting ready for the day. Cuddling a book, he purred softly, feeling warm and safe. The oddity was very calming.

A little too much because out of nowhere he would have an intense sense of dread and fear. It was maybe a few seconds long but each time he took comfort when his Alpha would rush to his side, hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I just forget I’m here sometimes,” True, because a warm bed, food, books, and an Alpha that didn’t try to touch or hit him was a blessing that he prayed thanks for almost constantly. “This one is sorry, please continue on,”

“Nothing to be sorry for, Lan Furen,” Lan Xichen smiled. “I know we ran out of prepared food. Are you hungry?”

And he was offering to cook?! Maybe Meng Yao was dead because this couldn’t be real. Mumbling out a ‘Yes, please,’ he was dozing back off into sleep when the scent of burnt rice hit his nose.

Jumping up, heart hammering, he turned, finding the issue. He rushed to grab the bowl of water that was set out and threw it into the rice, covering his nose.

Lan Xichen coughed as he moved back. Well, it seemed like cooking in the Forest was a little bit harder than he thought. His brother normally cooked their food because he always struggled, but he had sadly thought cooking inside would be easier for him.

“Open the windows!” Meng Yao coughed. “Hurry!”

“Right!” Pushing the door open, Lan Xichen moved to open the rest of the windows. When he turned back, he saw Omega looking at the burned food, and when he looked at him, he gave a weak smile. “Sorry, Um, I'm not much of a cook?”

“I can see that.” The second he heard the words he said with a smile, he gasped, covering his mouth. “I’m sorry, Husband. I shouldn’t have said that!”

Laughing, Lan Xichen blinked, confused. “Is it not true? I’m afraid we might starve before we get out of here,”

Slowly lowering his hand, Meng Yao stared. “You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad?” He was slightly embarrassed, if anything. “I burned the food and almost caused a fire,”

Blinking, Meng Yao started to laugh softly and then louder until he was in a fit of giggles, covering his mouth, trying not to be disrespectful, yet they both dissolved into laughter.

“Don’t worry, Husband, I know how to cook,” Meng Yao looked at the food they had left, all vegetables, fruits, and such, not meat, but he could make do. “Let me clean this up, and then I’ll cook you some food.”

“Let me help,” Happy to do something, he smiled, pausing and putting his hand on Wei Wuxian’s shoulder. “I know we’re here because we have to be… but do you think we can become friends?”

This Alpha was so respectful. It was odd, strange, yet nice. Meng Yao's nose had just begun to recover from all the Jin stuff that had dosed him in, but for an Alpha, the Lan was kind, and even if he struggled to pick up his full scent, it was pleasant.

“I’d like that.”

--

Lan Xichen was enjoying the food that Omega had made. He watched as he used the water outside to cool the fruits for later, as well as using the spare cooking pan to cook sticky rice. He added some veggies to the water, even added some seasonings to the water, and covered it.

He had been put on cutting the fruits, and he watched as the other moved almost flawlessly. Scurrying about the house, he did several things until he realized he was preparing food that would take a few days to make.

“I can help,” Lan Xichen felt bad enough burning their food. “Tell me what you want me to do,”

“Well, I do need you to mash the rice when I’m done.” With a smile, dimples showing, Meng Yao blinked at him. “Do you like tangyuan, my Lord?”

“I do,” Smiling Lan Xichen was excited. “Just tell me where you need me.”

--

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji lay in a mess of his nest—oh, it needed to be cleaned. Their mating was almost feral. The healing bond mark on his neck was pleasantly stinging as his Alpha licked over it, soothing the mark.

Purring Wei Wuxian was trying to catch his breath as the madness of the heat and Rut was loosening on them. The heat and rut-inducing tea were either too intense, or they were just too desperate for each other.

Unable to move, they were locked together, causing him to shiver each time the knot inside him slightly shifted. Reaching down between them feeling how swollen he was with his Alpha’s seed a thrill of excitement that it might have taken, well, why wouldn’t it, had him grinning.

“Lan Zhan,” He got out in a breath that was still trying to catch, but then again, he needed to quench a new thirst. “Can you reach the water?”

He hummed on his shoulder before his Alpha reached, carefully trying not to move them too much. Grabbing a jar, he helped his Omega drink first before drinking some.

They rested together. Lan Wangji had to shift them very slowly so his mate could rest on top of him while they waited for his knot to go down. The heat of their bodies nearly made it uncomfortably hot now that their three-day mating session had ended.

Wei Wuxian’s stomach growled, and he laughed loudly, nuzzling his Alpha neck, claiming he was hungry and that they should eat soon! After a short while, they could untangle each other, and Lan Wangji quickly got a bath.

Once washed and dried—and wow, no one told either of them how messy the clean-up would be—they set out the sheets to dry. The food was cooking, and Wei Wuxian set his chili jars aside, along with a few he had managed to smuggle in with his wedding clothes, on the table.

Walking to the trunks, he opened what should have been Omega’s other clothes and pulled out one. He paused, seeing how small it was. He laughed at it briefly, then paused and rushed to his Alpha, who was plating the table.

“Lan Zhan! I never got a look at the Omega from the Jin sect.”

“Hm?” Lan Wangji looked at him. “I did not either.”

“I know it’s not the peacock, but look!” Holding up the robe, he saw his husband pause, too. His stomach twisted, face falling before he looked at his Alpha. “It’s the size of the juniors.”

Frowning, Lan Wangji gripped his firsts, growling lowly.

“Lan Zhan, you don’t think the Jin’s sent a child bride, do you?”

They shared a look, and Wei Wexian looked down at the robes, feeling horrible. The Jin sending a child bride wasn’t out of the Sect Leader’s reach, but the size of the robes was concerning.

Did the Omega even eat?!

“My brother won’t harm him,”

“I don’t doubt that. I’m sure they figured out what happened by now, but… Lan Zhan, a child?”

They talked about it. Figuring out what to do would have to come after they exited a seclusion honeymoon. Hunger won out. Who knew mating could wear one out?!

Even with their Golden Core, they were starving! They sat to eat while Wei Wuxian chattered, adding almost an entire jar into his bowl while he ate. Even if they knew they’d have to face everyone.

For now, they would live in their own little world.

--

Lan Xichen enjoyed the food, eating it happily in perfect Lan Manner while the Omega watched him. On the third bite, he was curious why he wasn’t eating.

Setting his bowl down, he did not talk during meals but wondered if he had eaten too soon. Did they have different eating times for dinner? Or maybe they had a small tradition?

“Are you not hungry?” Lan Xichen asked. “Or did we need to wait on something?”

“Um, I was waiting for you to get done?”

“You do not wish to eat with me?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just, I thought you wouldn’t want to eat with me,”

“Why would you think that?” Lan Xichen frowned. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“No, you do not,” Meng Yao smiled, warmth spreading on his face and chest. “I’m not used to eating with someone as high status as one like you, Husband,”

That word was starting to sound nice. It did something to Lan Xichen that caused a funny, fuzzy feeling in his belly. Smiling a little silly, he reached over, taking Omega’s bowl and placing it in his hands.

“We eat together, as equals.” Picking up his own food once again, he took a moment to calm his heart since it seemed to be beating a little fast, maybe because of the food. “It’s prohibited to talk during meals, and I do not know if you remember.”

“I read some of the rules, I recall,” Nodding Meng Yao took a second then looked at the tea he had prepared, he had found some hiding away in one of the trunks. Thinking it might have been misplaced, he had made some since it seemed to be a wedding gift. “I will serve you tea, though. I made it fresh, of course,”

“That would be wonderful.”

They began to eat. Lan Xichen took the tea offered in silence, tapping the table in thanks. The tea and the food were wonderful, and he was glad they seemed to be getting along.

He didn’t know that the Omega had found the heat and rut-inducing tea. Since Lan Xichen hadn’t told him about it, assuming he had been aware of said tea, he just put it away.

Neither of them knew what was about to occur in the next twenty-four hours.

Notes:

Found out that Jin Ling is taller then Meng Yao at 14 and Meng Yao is only on inch taller then Lan Jingyi lol

Chapter 4

Meng Yao finished preparing food for the next few days. He was happily surprised when his Husband helped him with it. He quickly found out that there were things that he could not do.

Cooking and washing clothes were part of it. He tore a few pieces of clothes before Meng Yao had to step in to show him he was being too rough. For now, he would let him carry the tubs of water since he had to stitch up some clothes.

As the evening dipped into the night Meng Yao was feeling warm. It had been so calm the last few days that he had to use a few more blankets. Thich was surprising that it started to warm up.

Looked over at his Husband, who was sleeping; it was past nine, maybe a little over an hour soon, but he was peacefully sleeping. Fanning himself a little with his hand, Meng Yao stood up, walked to the window, and opened it before sitting back down to read.

Half an hour later, he was still a bit warm. A gift had been a fan from the Nie Sect, odd since it was among many armored things in there, including a saber, but the fan and a few art things were nice. Even a book of poems, which he was delighted by.

Fanning himself with the cooler in helped. Reading soon was harder for some reason. Maybe he was tired? He didn’t feel like it. Sighing, he put the book down, wondering why he felt off.

When he did, he caught a look at his bed. So far, it had been just as it had since the first night. Right now, it looked entirely too plain. Looking at it, he glanced at the trunk that had arrived with their wedding items: lots of pillows, blankets, and softer silken items from gifts. It was meant for his nest. Getting up, he opened it, looking in.

Most from the Jin Clan. His clan? He was recognized to a point but in the span of what was less than a day. He still forgot his new name Jin Guangyao. He couldn’t deny the messy mix of emotions that swarmed in his mind, but at the moment, he was reaching in to touch all various shades of gold and yellow items.

Pulling them out he set them on his bed. Arm full after arm full until he had each item out. Standing there for a minute, he scanned the pills on his bed before starting to rearrange them.

An hour later, he had what he assumed was an impressive nest. His own nests had never had so many blankets or pillows. Scenting each item, Meng Yao arranged them and rearranged them until he was happy with them.

Something was missing.

Laying down inside he tried to think. His belly warmed a bit more. Pushing himself up, he turned onto his side, holding his head. Nest. Nest. Nest. Missing. Missing. Missing.

Nose picking up his mate’s scent, which had become sharper, he frowned as he couldn’t pick it up stronger. Now that his nose was clear from the heavy perfumes, and the burnt food, he could pick up his Alpha’s scent, but… it was missing something to it.

Leaning out of his nest he stared at the other for a long moment until he realized that what he wanted was something of his mates. Without thinking he reached over grabbing the pillow under his head and slowly pulled it towards him even if the other opened his eyes feeling his pillow being stolen.

Lan Xichen sat up, his body feeling oddly warm. He arched his body, and his nose twitched, picking up a sweeter scent—not overly sweet. Looking at the Omega, he saw him stealing his pillow.

Blinking slowly, unsure of why, he felt a wave of heat in his body. No, not one he had felt before when Omegas were into heat. Being a Beta, this normally kicked him into a mock heat where he wanted to nest with Omegas, but since that was improper, he often spent it alone, sleeping it off.

He watched as the Omega seemed to just be openly stealing his bedding, including his favorite comforter his Uncle had packed him, slowly pulling it into his nest.

Another wave and Lan Xichen felt the heat not only coiling in his belly but also between his legs. He was horrified to find he was growing hard. Standing up quickly, he was going to rush outside. At least he could stand there when the heat hit his nose. His own scent mixed within the nest down almost had him doubling over.

In the nest , Meng Yao couldn’t get his scent on his husband’s bedding fast enough. He, at some point, got his robes open and was rubbing the blankets on his face, neck and even his chest.

Too hot.

It was getting to hot!

In his mind it struck him he was in heat. It might have been horrifying if he was trying to get his scent to stick to the bedding. Whimpering, Meng Yao sat back while he felt slick, starting to slowly run down his thighs.

Trying to fight the fog Lan Xichen grabbed his head. Shaking it, trying to clear the fog, his mind only telling him there was an Omega in heat next to him. He had to get out of the house one step, two, three! He couldn’t do this to his brother!

He heard about it of course, studied it embarrassingly for his wedding night because it was required, but the scent was almost unbearable. A whine had him tumble to his knees, holding his head.

Panting hard, Meng Yao had never had a heat that was this intense. For the first time, he found himself in pain, needing something inside of him. He spread his legs, rubbing himself more on the blankets in his arms, and he should be horrified that he shifted, closing them, and was rolling his hips into them, trying to get friction.

“Husband!” Meng Yao didn’t recognize his own voice, it didn’t even seem to be him as he whined needily. “Husband, please!”

Gritting his teeth, Lan Xichen held his head, shaking while battling everything in his mind. Had had fallen right outside the nest, shaking badly as he tried to resist the overwhelming scent. Repeating the rules wasn’t helping, as it seemed he couldn’t remember more than three at a time or even recall if they were correct.

His body screamed in pain to mate. He forced himself to sit up slightly, needing to attempt to crawl out of the house, at least to the boat, to stop himself from doing anything, when he felt a hand reach for him.

Meng Yao had been reaching out for his mate. His mind was too far gone; he needed his mate. But when his husband sat up, he had meant to tug at his robes to get his attention. The movement caused him to tug at his headband, which he wore to bed for some reason, and it fell off.

Their eyes locked intensely.

Lan Xichen lunged at him, their lips smashing, while they fell into the nest in a blue of heat madness, scents thick and heavy with need. Meng Yao cried out, wrapping his arms around the man’s neck, being pressed down, his Omega screamed in happiness.

And the Beta’s scent-

Beta.

Beta?!

His mind snapped out of it for a brief moment until his neck was being kissed heatedly, nibbled, and their hips being pressed together in grinding desperate gridding that scent shocks of pleasure thought out his body, and the thought vanished as clothes started to fly.

Chapter 5

Meng Yao had never slept with anyone before.

Sex had been one thing he tried to keep from happening. Growing up in the brothel, he knew his days were numbered because he was born an Omega.

The horror stories weren’t stories. He recalled hearing screams and cries, and depending on who was sold to whom there was, it could range from the first time being tortured, pain, and rare was the case where it was only discomfort.

There hadn’t been a time he recalled that anyone had their first time being pain-free. Even in the heat of madness, a twinge of worry ate his mind, and his husband’s hands ran down his body.

With their mouths locked together in a heated kiss, he was unsure if he was doing it correctly, but it felt really good to kiss someone. He gasped with those hands brushed against the sensitive nipples, causing him to arch, crying out and breaking the kiss.

Excitement flared throughout his body. The tingling sensation had Meng Yao whining for something. He reached up to run his hands over his mate’s back, enjoying the muscles he felt. This seemed to cause a reaction, with the other shivering.

Meng Yao felt his collar removed in the haze, hands clumsily trying to get it off. Once it was gone, his belly heated more, wanting to be claimed, bitten.

Tugging at the robes his mate wore, he almost cried when he suddenly moved back. He pushed himself up and noticed his mate was trying to get the robes off. Moving up, Meng Yao fought with his robes, wishing he could rip them because his mind wasn’t letting him untie its stupid belt, and he ended up pulling it up and over himself to get out of them.

Lan Xichen fought with his clothes for a second. His strength made it easier to rip them. The heat triggered his instincts so intensely that he didn’t care about them.

Now free from his clothing, he saw the Omega completely undressed, with a scrawny body. The scent filled his nose pleasantly as he pulled him close, and their mouths nearly slammed together again.

Something kicked into his mind to pin the Omega down; he listened, followed, and chased the urges, getting him under himself as Lan Xichen pushed his knees apart, almost crying in relief when the other willingly spread his arms, holding tight to his shoulders.

Heart hammering, he took himself into his hand; only this did he realize how hard he was, nearly painful, and he shook, feeling how his cock was throbbing, almost red.

Pressing against the wet entrance, he wanted nothing more than to thrust in, the heat just from the Omega’s entrance and slick almost too much, but the scent of underlying fear stopped him.

Looking into Golden's eyes, he realized, even for a few seconds, that he should not do that. Instead, they stared into each other eyes. Something passed, and the Omega nodded. Slowly, Lan Xichen pushed into the Omega, marveling at how hot and tight he felt. It took everything, not just to slam in. Chest heaving in breaths, he had to stop trying to gain control, some, just a little, and he let out a sound when his mate kissed his forehead, tugging at his shoulder to continue.

The pressure felt strange, new, and hot. He was dripping, he could tell, and it seemed to help. Curious, he rolled his hips, causing his husband to gasp and slide further in.

Mewling Meng Yao's head fell back. That felt good. Panting, he tugged a more at his mate, who moved until he was full and their hips met. Eyes closing, just feeling his mate, Meng Yao whimpered as he kissed, this time slower, more exploring, until the heat started to take over again.

Lan Xichen's vision was tunneling; all he could think of was the Omega, his Omega, his scent, voice, and sounds. How tight wet heat surrounded him, and he wasn’t sure if his cock was pulsing or if his mate’s heated flesh was throbbing around him.

It didn’t matter as he started to move; encouraging gasps and pleas drove him further into his instincts until he was lost to mating. Waves of pleasure flowed through him, his veins, eyes locking onto his Mate, who made noises that drove him further over the edge until his teeth ached.

Something was building, overwhelming, carnivore's need, eyes locking onto the Omega’s neck. Without a thought, he leaned down over the mating gland, opening his mouth. His teeth started to hurt and bite down, breaking the skin, and he gasped at his mate, who jumped, his sent jumping through the shock. No books could ever have prepared either of them for the onslaught of pleasure that followed a bonding, causing them to release together; Meng Yao felt himself being filled with hot warmth, his own release between them, and the world faded as they succumbed to the end of the mating ritual.

That would last until they woke, most matings lasting three days.

--

While Lan Wangji was good at cooking, sewing seemed to be one of the skill sets he and his mate weren’t the best at. Trying to get the robes they had wasn’t working, and while they didn’t need much, Wei Wuxian didn’t want to destroy the other Omega's clothes.

So, Lan Wangji, after a while, asked his Uncle if they could have a few more of his robes. That way Wei Wuxian could use them. Once the letter was written, a few requests for some fruits and candies were made, and it was set off on the little boat.

If there were one thing that Wei Wuxian would give the Jin clan, it would be that they had plenty of beef jerky hidden under some of the clothing. He had been enjoying it.

It was an odd workaround since it was forbidden, but it was a wedding gift, not his. they couldn’t just dump it, so it was agreed that letting food go to waste wasn’t an option, nor was it just throwing it.

Digging through the things that had been sent for the other Omega, he found a lot of snacks and items that were picked and made for the Omega to eat. Picking up a paper, it was instructed to go entirely against the Lan Clan’s rules about eating more than three bowls during meal time.

He was to eat these fattening foods whenever he could and sneak them if he had to. This letter sounded nothing like someone who was concerned that Omega wouldn’t eat or needed them for personal or medical reasons; they wanted Omega to gain weight fast.

Thinking back on the robes, Wei Wuxian wondered if that was to cover up how young the Omega was. They had picked someone who might have been underfed from the amount.

If he could leave the house, Wei Wuxian could at least be assured that it wasn’t a child bride, but the way the person in the letters talked to him made this unclear.

On a few more of the snacks, he tried not to eat too much of them, but they were so good! Sitting up, he hummed, reading over a few more letters hidden until he shot up, reading over a line that slammed into his head.

“Lan Zhan!” Scrambling over to his husband, who waits for the lunch boat to arrive. He turned, almost catching his Omega running at him, who held out a paper. “Look!”

Lan Wangji took the letter and read it over, frowning slightly. Then, his eyebrows knitted in anger. The letter threatened the Omega, now called Jin Guangyao, not to mention his mother, her past, or anything related to her. Promises of punishment were even described as basically torture.

The threats seemed to come from two people, as the writing differed, but Wei Wuxian recognized one of them since he had been raised in the Jiang Clan. He knew that Madam Yu’s best friend, Madam Jin, had similar tactics for small but painful torment ideas and even gave advice when he was being punished a few times!

They lacked information, unsure if the Omega was a child bride, was a Jin, where they had had him before, or if he needed medical assistance, a hundred questions, and they couldn’t leave the house to ask for the answers!

“We need to write Uncle.”

“I know, but…” Wei Wuxian wanted to tell him they should wait; yes, still, he was worried. “We should tell him we found it in the trunk and thought he should look at it,”

“Mn,”

They wrote a second letter, and the lunch boat arrived, lightly making a sound as it tapped the pole that kept it from leaving. Once they took out the food, they placed the letter on it and a few others they deemed that Lan Qiren should see.

--

“You’re making a face,” Wen Ruohan grinned. His Omega was in his lap. They had met up for lunch since he was passing by on business to the Nie Sect and stopped by Gusu. Lan Qiren was already in a bad mood when he showed up to meet him for lunch, and how he just sat in his lap and let him know it was mostly the same person who got under his mate’s skin. “What did that idiot do now?”

“Just some issues that could be easily solved if he’d listen, that’s all,” Lan Qiren closed his eyes, leaning back. “He causes me headaches more than the children I teach.”

“It’s been nearly two weeks since the marriage, and you would think that fool would be happy for once,”

“Ten days,” Lan Qiren mumbled. “I do not think he understands the pain he caused my nephews,”

“I still say you would have let me rough him up a bit,” Smirking Wen Ruohan lifted Lan Qiren’s chin to kiss him, pulling back slightly. “Unless you wished me to, I’d kill him for you,”

“Do not joke like that,” Lan Qiren melted into a small, returning the kiss, starting to relax now that he was with his mate. “Tell me how the kids are?”

The thing was, Wen Ruohan wasn’t joking. He doubted that the entire world knew that if Lan Qiren wanted him to burn down the world, he’d do it. He was still shocked he was able to secure a marriage to him, and the trials and courting rituals of the Lan Clan had nearly driven him insane. The kids he was referring to, his sons Wen Xu and Wen Chao, were back in the Wen Clan dealing with stuff he left behind.

“Their fine, though they miss you,”

“I miss them too,” Lan Qiren nodded. “Is Wen Chao behaving?”

“Well, yes, since you made him copy all our and Lan’s rules, I think it fears that more than the training I put him through.”

“It was only rewriting the rules. It was not that bad,” Lan Qiren defended. “Besides, he was too comfortable disregarding the lives of others,”

Laughing, Wen Ruohan pulled his Omega close and got another kiss before they ordered their food. His lovely mate had been away, living with the Lan Clan due to that idiot brother of his, but between then and going back between the sects for a while, he helped raise his sons.

They had found out quickly that Lan Qiren couldn’t bare children, and it took a while for them to realize he needed an heir. Unwilling to deny that it was required to do so, Wen Rohan took on two consorts, ones Lan Qiren had helped him pick out.

They found a pair of mated female Omegas who wanted to be together but had no means. An agreement that in exchange for bearing children, two, that’s all they would need, they would be free to live out their lives in a part of the palace for the rest of their lives.

The first time Wen Ruohan had slept with one of them, he had felt so guilty, even if they had all agreed on heat and rut-inducing teas and the Omegas taking high fertility herbs and foods.

Luckily, in that one mating session, she conceived. That didn’t stop Wen Ruohan from putting off sleeping with the other one. He wasn’t foolish enough to know this affected his Lan Qiren, even if they had an arrangement.

There was hurt that only he could see. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t tried all these herbs, foods, healers, and so on before for the Omega; it seemed the Gods had deemed that he could bear a child.

A few years later, they couldn’t put it off anymore, and Wen Chao came after three mating sessions. He swore that his youngest son was causing trouble because the brat didn’t want to be born.

He knew that Lan Qiren never wanted to overstep with the children; even as his mate, he had every right to do so. If it had been anyone but Lan Qiren, he was sure that they would have taken the babies from the birth mothers to be passed off as their own.

It was odd but not unwelcome to raise them with three Omegas. His children loved his mate, and they loved their mother. They did not like Lan Qiren putting his foot down, but Wen Ruohan had to back up his mate because he even had to admit they were becoming somewhat spoiled.

They ordered lunch.

Lan Qiren hoped to sort out the last issues with the Sect before he left. He wanted to make sure that Lan Xichen’s heir was secured and that his brother would be forced to step down so that he could finally be with his mate.

The lunch was enjoyable.

Eating meat outside the Cloud Recesses was one thing he enjoyed. While he still chose to eat in silence, his Alpha spoke about his travels while openly placing more food in his bowl.

He should have known that the peaceful meal would have ended when a disciple came looking for him. Signing, he bid farewell to this mate, promising to see him again when the Alpha traveled back from the Nie Sect.

They parted ways while Lan Qiren headed back home. Once there, he saw the letter sitting there waiting. It was from Lan Wangji. Opening it, he wondered what they would need. Before sending them certain foods or drinks, he paused, seeing that letters had been included.

On pastel yellow papers from the Jin Sect?

He recognized the handwriting, however.

Eyes snapping to Wangji’s letter, he read over the concerns about the contents in the letters and then apologized. Apologies for what? He thought it was the second it was answered because, in the end, Lan Wangji’s signature was only to find a note from…

“Wei Wuxian?!”

Mouth dropping, Lan Qiren scrambled to read over the letters they included as his mind raced. The more he read, the more he became disturbed by who they sent because he had gotten a glance at the Jin Omega.

If Wei Wuxian were with Lan Wangji, then Jin Guangyao would be with Lan Xichen. Another issue was if they were mixed up, he was no fool to think that they hadn’t mated already, everyone knew they had wanted to be together!

Twenty days until they were supposed to come back into the entire life of the clan. Reading the letters from Madam Jin and that slut Jing Guangshang were not only threatening bodily harm to who was now a member of the Lan Clan-

The Lan Clan.

The Heir to the Lan Clan was married to Jin Guangyao. That would mean all the contracts made, the agreements, the trades, and everything that led up to this double wedding were ruined.

Looking around his empty house, no one was near. Then, looking up at the ceiling, his eyes still wide, his jaw still open, he let out a disbelieving breath, uttering a shocking word he had never spoken, his arms dropping on the desk.

“Fuck.”

Chapter 6

Meng Yao woke up slowly.

It's almost like being lulled out of it. As he started to come back to himself, he felt sore. Oddly, in a good way. His body recalled the matting session, which made him slightly jerk up. Blinking, he looked around the nest. It was a mess.

Smacking his tongue because his mouth was dry, he slumped back against his mate's warm body. He hadn’t expected to go into heat, at least not that intensely.

Curling closer, he looked up at the other, still out. Eyes heavy, he nuzzled closer. He wasn’t sure if he was in love with him. Meng Yao had no idea what being in love with someone was.

But this?

This was… nice. He felt warm and safe, just slightly, if he dared to think. Love?

Unable to stay awake, he slipped back under purring.

Only to be jolted away when panic and fear flooded his nose, and his mate let out a yelp, moving away from him. Unsure of what was happening, he jumped up, thinking something terrible had happened or if they were in trouble or worse, if someone had shown up!

“What’s wrong?!” Meng Yao looked around, sleep slamming out of him, heart hammering. He didn’t pick up anyone else scent, nor did he pick up on anger that would put them in danger. “What’s happening?!”

“I’m sorry!” Lan Xichen felt sick. “I didn’t mean to; I swear, I should have controlled myself!”

What had he done?!

Confused, Meng Yao pulled a blanket around himself. “You didn’t hurt me,”

He was sore, yes, not in a bad way. He liked it, his cheeks pink in the back of his mind, wondering when they would mate again. His belly didn’t a little happy flip at the idea.

“I shouldn’t have slept with you,” He was going to throw up. How could he do this to Lan Wangji? To mate with the person his brother loved the most and, worse, to claim him! “Please forgive me. I couldn’t control myself!”

“It’s okay!” Meng Yao wasn’t sure why he was panicking, but he looked around and found another blanket, luckily saved, and threw it over the other, who had taken it. “Are you alright?”

“No!” Lan Xichen winced when the Omega flinched. “I’m… I ruined everything… I bit you. I… I bonded with you…”

His stomach twisted horribly. Worse because there was a small voice in the back of his head cheering that he had marked the Omega as his own; even if the mark faded, Beta Bonding marks had to be redone every couple of years, unlike Alpha’s that lasted forever unless another Alpha bonded to the Omega, changing over the bond in time.

“You didn’t want me?” Meng Yao moved back. “But… we’re married,”

“We’re married, yes, but my brother,” Lan Xichen looked down in shame. “I know he’s in love with you. I promised him I wouldn’t touch or sleep with you. That way, you can be together,”

“Your brother?” Meng Yao's mind swirled. The heir to the Clan was in love with him?! Why?! He had never met him nor his mate until he was kidnapped and sold off to be a bride. “Why would the Heir to Gusu be in love with me?”

“Because you two…” Lan Xichen paused. “What did you say?”

Blinking, Meng Yao repeated it. His husband stared at him for a long moment, looking away as if trying to think about the worst. Moving closer, Meng Yao sniffed the air. Now that their madness had left, scents were sharper, more potent.

“I thought so,” Meng Yao made himself smaller when the other turned back to him in a snap. “Sorry, it’s just… I thought you were an Alpha,”

“I’ve never been one,” Much to his Father’s shame. Lan Xichen frowned. “I don’t understand why you would say that, and why are you not upset? I bonded with you when my brother wanted to… I don’t know if he’ll forgive, though I hope that you can forgive me, Wei Wuxian,”

“Wei Wuxian?” Meng Yao repeated, then remembered someone yelling that name when he was getting forced into his wedding robes, some mumblings of the Jin sects talking about the other Omega. “This one is not called Wei Wuxian.”

They stared at each other in puzzlement.

“What?”

“Wait, you said you were never an Alpha?” Meng Yao asked; when the Beta nodded slowly, he started to understand what might have happened. “…Are you not my husband… Lan Wangji?”

“No!” Lan Xichen almost shouted. “Wait, then you are the Jin Bride?”

“I am Meng Yao.” He paused. “No, um, they call me Jin Guangyao now…”

There was a long stretch of silence until Lan Xichen's scent started to relax, releasing relief, slumping over as he let out a breath he was holding—hand over his chest that he hadn’t broken his brother’s heart or that of his Omega.

Meng Yao was sitting in shock because if he didn’t marry Lan Wangji, the spare of the Lan Clan, and there was only one other Twin Jade, that meant he was married to the next Leader of Gusu.

Oh… shit.

--

Lan Qiren was not running; he just was walking earnestly fast around his room. Around and around, his heart hammering. This mix-up wasn’t something to gloss over lightly.

No doubt, none whatsoever, still Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were already bonded. One part of him was happy for them; they had wanted to be married since they realized they loved each other at fifteen!

On the other hand, the fallout that was about to happen. These weren't simple marriages; his brother made it a spectacle. He used his nephews in a plan to get the Cultivation world to agree to routines, trades, and not only those teachings but several overlapping laws for everyone as a way to deal with each sect's Rules, Traditions, and Laws.

The treaties weren’t something to take lightly. The year-long plan had been complex for everyone; his nephews had asked him to try to stop it. Lan Qiren did what he could, but Qingheng-Jun wouldn’t listen or budge.

The Sect Leader was still Qingheng-Jun and Qiren was still an ignored Omega who was his spare.

Instead, when they went to the Sect Meeting with Jin Guangshang to see and speak about who the Jin Bride would be, the fool promised that they would send off their pick to be well prepared for the wedding.

Lan Qiren didn’t trust it. He had shared his concerns with Qingheng-Jun, who brushed him off, saying that as long as the Omega could carry children, that’s all that mattered.

They argued.

It ended with them constantly attacking each other.

Stopping to catch his breath, Lan Qiren had to put a hand on his chest, looking around the room. Why did the room feel tight? Was that even the word for it? He took some deep breaths, but the air does not seem to catch his breath.

This was a mess.

How was he going to untangle it?

There had to be a way before it got out.

And it would get out.

The cultivation world wouldn’t know who the Jin Omega was, as he was sure that the poor thing was one of the children Jin Guangshang had outside his marriage.

From the first glimpse, he thought he was too young. With the letters threatening him to gain weight, he wasn’t sure how bad Omega’s health was.

There was no choice.

He would have to go check on them.

Make sure he was healthy… and check to see if they had…

“Are you deaf?!”

Jerking from his stand, the shock of someone yelling at him jolted him out of his deep thoughts. Turning around, he saw his brother there. The Alpha looked aggravated.

“Qingheng-Jun,” Lan Qiren turned to him, bowing. “I did not know you were coming.”

“I’ve been calling you for nearly a minute.” He made a face. “There’s a meeting with the Elders. We’re going over the first trade with the Jiang Clan.”

Nodding, Lan Qiren followed him, only stopping to quickly put the papers away, hiding them in a hidden part of his desk. Assured they were safe, he walked towards the meeting room with his brother.

He needed to sort things out in his head. He knew it would be a disaster to tell his brother, Qingheng-Jun, about this. They had nearly no temperament between them.

Years of them growing up together had set them on a strained path. Because it got worse when they enter their adult years. Nothing could get them to be close, and with how his brother had stolen someone’s life, locked her away

Unable to help her escape, Lan Qiren was in charge of bringing her meals and teas. She had tried to escape several times with young disciples and twice with the Elderly.

Getting to the meeting room, he took his place a foot behind his brother. He thought back on how she begged and pleaded to leave. The thing was, he couldn’t help her leave.

Each escape attempt had tightened the spell, the hold, but he could help her with one thing. Each time he visited her, he slipped her anti-pregnancy herbs and medication.

She took them, hiding them away; sometimes, he’d bring more than needed in case he had to leave somewhere Night Hunts, and that lasted for a couple of years.

Lan Qiren had earned his title of Grandmaster at only the age of thirteen. Being an Omega impacted the Cultivation World, and Omega could achieve such a thing. It reached the other Sects, and soon, many sought him out.

Having no interest in betrothal, Lan Qiren had ignored all the gifts sent to him in favor of his hand when he had taken an interest in an Alpha who, instead of showering him with tons of gifts, had come from the far Kingdoms, where other Sects lived, far beyond where powerful Sect like them live and returned with several rare teas and books of the Fighting Arts that had new techniques for him to learn.

Wen Ruohan had noticed what he liked, and through the extreme lengths he had gone to, he was sure the Alpha would give up with the insanity that the Sect put him through for the courting rituals. He had never even seen anyone go through half of them.

His Alpha had not only done all of them but stolen his heart. Sometimes, he snuck into Gusu, would take his hand, and, despite his protest, would steal him away to see fireflies or specific stages of the moons.

Heartwarming, he longed to be with his mate again.

“What are you thinking of?” Qingheng-Jun looked at him with a frown. “You should be paying attention.”

“I am. They want to send the trade through one of their boats in three days' time, but as I mentioned before, there is a storm to be coming in two, which means the path they wish to use will flood, and the goods will wash away and worse someone could get hurt.”

Scoffing, the Alpha shook his head. “They have disciples, they’ll be fine.”

“That’s a lot of goods are going to be lost, and they would delay at least a day, safer if it is two days,”

“You enjoy making things difficult, don’t you?”

Looking at him and then back at the speaker, he favored listening fully to the conversation, highlighting the issues he would have to deal with before they became public.

He’d have to visit soon, alone, of course, but for now, he held his head up, listening to the negotiations. He put in his warning about the store, trying to ignore the glare his brother had given him.

After the meeting, he started planning to seek out Lan Xichen first. That way, when he went to see Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, he could help ease their concern about the Jin Omega.

No, his name was Jin Guangyao.

He deserved more respect than just being called Jin Omega, no, because if things went how he guessed, that was the head, Lan Furen. His stomach twisted on thoughts back to Madam Lan and how he could not help her other than herbs, and even that failed in the end.

“What is wrong with you?!”

Pain on his upper arm flared. Qingheng-Jun Gripped it harshly, yanking him to a stop. Hissing, Lan Qiren glared at him. They weren’t even far enough away from the Jiang Clan, and he was pulling this?!

"I am speaking to you and you ignore me?!"

“I told you what will happen,” He glared. “I’m not saying it because it’s something I made up. I’m saying it because of the storms and reports from the disciples who came with them,”

“You think you know better than me?!”

“The ship. Will sink.” He said in two words at a time. “You understand?”

Growling, Qingheng-Jun struck him. Hissing as he fell, Lan Qiren rolled to avoid getting stomped on and lunged at him. Clawing at his brother, who fought him.

This lasted a few minutes until many of the Clan members came rushing to pull them apart once again. Lan Qiren has rushed away, blood pouring from his nose, his headband torn, hanging off around his neck, and bruises that would need him to visit the Cold Springs.

Wiping some blood off his chin- he had a busted lip- headed towards the healers, slightly ashamed and grateful they seemed to already account for another one of their fights.

That didn’t excuse him from being punished for breaking several rules, and of course, his brother pushed him to be isolated for three days.

Wonderful… Wen Ruohan was heading back in three days.

Lan Qiren was adding that to the chain of events that were going to happen.

Chapter 7

The laughter was heard by the nearby animals.

Meng Yao was holding his stomach as Lan Xichen recounted his years trying to learn how to cook. That his Uncle had gotten many of the Lan Cooks to try to teach him only to fail.

“And when my Shushu got my report on my cooking again he showed up to take over,” Lan Xichen was nearly in tears as he walked about the Omega showing up teaching an entire class only for him to set the stove and kitchen on fire. “He said it was the only thing he’s ever failed at was teaching me how to cook!”

Laughing Meng Yao whipped his eyes. “What where you cooking?!”

“Rice!”

“That’s what you burned here!”

They fell into giggles.

Meng Yao shared his first time cooking and how he over cooked the meat. It was too chewy that no one could eat more then a few bites because they had to chew forever.

They talked about mishaps in the kitchen.

“I must admit that I rather failed at doing certain chores. I’m not to good at laundry,” Lan Xichen admitted, then looked at the nest. “Speaking of which…”

“Come on, I’ll teach you,” Getting up Meng Yao stretched. They had bathed after the shock of finding out they married the wrong person. Getting through the awkward hour they ended up talking which came smoothly. Grabbing a wash tub he waved. “Let’s get this place cleaned up.”

“You won’t be mad if I mess up?”

“It won’t be that bad, I promise.”

--

Lan Qiren sat in the room silent and alone. The seals had been put up leaving him alone with no sounds or anything. How wonderful his brother was angry enough to deny him the sound of nature.

Wasn’t enough to deny him enough to go to the cold springs, but his bruising  were settling. He wa not easily bruised by fights, but his brother was strong cultavatior. An Alpha that wanted his way, bending rules so far backwards Lan Qiren swore they’d snap one day.

He had seen himself while cleaning up. His upper cheek was bruised, maybe a black eye now, lip still busted, dried, and his left arm near his shoulder had a handprint bruise.

As much as he wanted to meditaite, make the time go by faster he had issues that he’d have to deal with. Those issues being cleaning up his brother’s mess.

The fool had been bragging about how he solved everything with these marriage. Had the gall to include raising the Twin Jades which had been met with several stares and that asshole was forced to admit ‘With help of my brother of course’ and others knew damn well that Lan Qiren had raised the children by himself.

Only thing the idiot did was traumatize his nephews. When he came back he almost went feral the first time he saw him hit them. Another reason he stayed. He had hoped now that they would be married, even if he was against what his brother did they'd find some happiness and he could return to the Sun Palace.

Sighing Lan Qiren looked the ceiling. His Alpha would be heading back by now. The current Sect Leader, the son of their late friend Nie Yuzu was getting used to fully controlling his Sect.

He wondered if Nie Mingjue was doing well since last meeting he seemed to be aggravated at anything and everything. Hopefully he hadn’t pissed of Wen Ruohan because his mate would push back.

Shifting to cross his legs he took some deep breathes. Enough thinking of what he couldn’t control. For now he would work out plans in his mind so once he was out he could fix it.

Two days if his brother was going to be enraged by the ship sinking.

Lan Qiren prayed for a moment that no lives would be lost.

--

Meng Yao laughed, then put his hand on the Beta’s shoulder. “I can fix it.”

Holding the torn shirt, Lan Xichen's cheeks reddened and embarrassed. He looked worried for a second, but Meng Yao took the shirt and started to wash it, showing him how to scrub the clothes gently.

“I’m sorry,”

“It’s all right, look,” Meng Yao held it up. “You scrubbing as hard as you can. Clothes can’t withstand a cultivator’s strength. I know, when you eat be as gentlewith the dishes as you arw tih clothes, try that.”

Scrubbing the next piece of clothing, this time easing up on the strength, it was getting clean. Smiling, he could adjust his strength until he kept up with Meng Yao.

Once the clothes were cleaned, they set up the lines to let them dry. By the time they finished it a lunch boat came by. They took the food, along with the new set of ingredients.

They ate silently.

Once done, they started to ask questions while they did the dishes.

It wasn’t until Lan Xichen asked Meng Yao where he grew up it went deadly silent.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“…No, um,” Meng Yao lowered his head. “I’m just… I’m afraid when I tell you then, you’ll hate me,”

“I wouldn’t,” Lan Xichen liked Meng Yao.very much. One might say more then he should a person he only met two weeks ago. Now that he knew he hadn’t stolen the love of his brother’s life, he had been able to relax. He enjoyed the Omega’s scent, and his company was tremendously welcomed. “And… we’re bonded. We should be able to talk to each other about things,”

Bonded yes.

He didn’t want to tell him at the moment he really wanted them to mate again. After all, they figured out that tea was the reason. Meng Yao had found it, thinking it was a gift, not knowing it was heat-inducing.

“If I tell you, then you’ll hate me and be disgusted by what we’ve done…”

“I won’t, I promise,” Lan Xichen leaned closer to him. “Lans don’t lie.”

Looking around Meng Yao wanted to lie. It would be easy, but Lan Xichen was kind to him. Even if he did, the truth would come out. It wasn’t like the Jin Clan had the same morals and values as the Lans.

“I grew up in a brothel,” He shivered. “My Mother… she was a worker there.”

There was a long stretch that no one said anything. His stomach dropped. Meng Yao wanted to run and vanish, but he couldn’t leave this house or the little yard where they set up their laundry.

“Oh,” Lan Xichen paused. “Is your mother still there?”

“No,”

“She should come live with us when we get out,”

“What?” Meng Yao looked at him. “…You know what a brothel is, yes?”

“I do. My Shushu taught us a lot of things, what places are and what happens in them. He believed that we should know that good and bad in the world and anything in between,” Lan Xichen nodded. “If you like, can we send for her?”

“I… no, she’s,” Meng Yao swallowed. “My mother died years back.”

“I’m sorry....  my condolences,”

“Aren’t you mad?!” Meng Yao couldn’t help it, his eyes stinging. “Or angry?!”

“No!” Lan Xichen reached out to put his hands on Meng Yao’s shoulders. “If anything, you should be. I know you had a year to prepare, and with the mix-up, there’s another burden you’ll have to endure because of me,”

“What year?”

“…Didn’t they get you a year ago?”

“They got me the day before the wedding,” Meng Yao explained how he was working; they came out of nowhere and tossed wealth, gold and he was grabbed, tossed into a carriage, then flew to Jin town where he was scrubbed and washed, before being yelled out by who he was still sure was his Father and Madam Jin had slapped him once they got to the dressing rooms in Gusu. “Next thing I knew, I was getting married.”

“They stole you,” Lan Xchen gasped softly. “And we… stole you,”

“I’ll admit this is much nicer,” Meng Yao smiled. “Food is nice, warm bed, and you treat me well,”

Lan Xichen blinked. He treated Meng Yao with human decency. Something his Shushu was insisted on. Smiling back, he hugged the Omega, who returned the embrace.

The scent in his nose pleasantly warmed his soul. He liked Meng Yao and hoped they could work this marriage out. If willing, he wanted to keep the omega for himself and not give him up.

“You really aren’t angry?”

“Never,” Purring Lan Xichen moved back with a smile. “Let’s get to know each other well,”

Purring as well, Meng Yao smiled, heart beating just a tad faster, feeling wanted for the first time in a long time.

--

Wen Ruohan stepped into Gusu, and his Jade Token allowed him to pass. He was stopped by some junior disciples who bowed to him. He could tell these were some of the young ones that had been following his mate around the last time he was in Recess.

When he requested a meeting with his mate, they informed him he was in seclusion. He raised an eyebrow, knowing they couldn’t say why, but there was a feeling.

“I’d like to see Sect Leader Qingheng-Jun,” He said. “Go fetch him for me,”

They bowed to him before leaving; one little one stayed behind, staring up at him. He raised an eyebrow, but the little boy smiled at him, waving. He hadn’t seen this one before. He must have been no more than three, pushing four. Looking up, the others were already gone. Dang, those kids could walk fast.

“Hellwo,”

Hellwo?

Adorable.

Sitting back on his heels, he looked at the child. “Hello, little one,”

“You’wer so twall,”

Unproper talk? Poor thing, he bet that Qingheng-Jun didn’t like this one. He had hate for anything less than perfect. Even his own children’s presentation of the older failing to be a Beta had set him in a bad mood.

“I am.” He patted the child. “Do you know where Grandmaster Lan Qiren is?”

“I do!” He smiled, and a little hand took his. Standing, he had to hunch while the little boy toddled his way into the main house. It was tedious, but hey, the kid was taking him to his mate. The little boy got to a door with seals on it, and the poor thing knocked on it. He was too small to reach the seals, but his little voice called out. “Gwandmaster, thweir somebwody ‘ere!”

No answer.

Not surprisingly, these were sealing and silencing talismans. Standing, he flicked his hand at the door, burning them off. Another flick ,and the door opened.

In the middle of the room was his Omega, who had his eyes closed. The little boy happily cried out his name, running towards him. The voice had Lan Qiren opening his eyes.

“Lan Jingyi,” Lan Qiren caught the running boy who jumped into his arms. He was going to remind him that running was against the rules, but his eyes saw that it wasn’t his brother standing there. “Ruohan,”

There was a frown on his face, a glare as he strode across the room with ease, kneeling on one knee to look over his mate. He was pissed seeing the bruises on his cheek and eye, and busted lip that had dried.

“Where is he?” Wen Ruohan growled.

“Being an idiot,” He sighed, reaching out to cup his mate’s cheek. “I’m fine, please don’t do anything I already have a mess on my plate.”

Gripping his fists, Wen Ruohan wanted to go snap Qingheng-Jun’s neck, and the rest of the world could be damned. The child in his Omega’s arm whimpered, and he had to pull back his rage because Lan Qiren’s scent was changing into protective mode.

He findways y to make life difficult for Qingheng-Jun later.

“Why are you in here?” He asked.

“Another fight.” he let himself be helped up, Shifting Lan Jingyi onto his hip and taking in a deep breath. “I need to speak with you on an important matter,”

“Here or in town?”

“In town should be alright,” Lan Qiren shook his head. “I need to change and bath.”

“Sect Leader Wen, Grandmaster Qiren,” The disciples that left came back bowing to them. “Sect Leader Lan had to leave to the Jiang Sect.”

“Report on the Jiang Ship.” Lan Qiren didn’t ask. He knew. “Did anyone die?”

“Yes, two,” The head disciple bowed deeper.

“You are dismissed, I will take care of the rest,” Lan Qiren paused. “When did my brother leave?”

“This morning, Grandmaster.”

That bastard!

How dare he leave without letting him free! Making a face he sent them on their way but kept Lan Jingyi with him. They made their way to his room so he could get ready.

When they left, he told one of the Elders he was taking Lan Jingyi to town. Besides, he felt the little boy had gotten mixed up in the wrong class again.

One of the Inns they use ordered food, but Wen Ruohan had to order some stronger wine for himself when Lan Qiren told him what happened and the mix-up of the brides.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Said Lan Qiren, sighing. He shook his head. “I’m trying to figure out what to do, but I have no idea what to do. I know the Jins are up to something; the threats aren’t something to gloss over. If… IF they bonded that could cause trouble for us.”

“Hmm, Wen Ruohan nodded. “I have to head back to my Sect, though if you need help in anything, I will take care of it,”

“I will have to speak with Jin Guangshang.” Rubbing his temples, feeling a migraine coming on, he sighed. “Now, if I can get a clear answer from him, that is the question.”

“I’m sure it'll be fine.”

“I do hope so,”

They spoke for a little while longer and spent time with Lan Jingyi, who Wen Ruohan could tell was attached to his mate, and he wasn’t sure if Lan Qiren had realized he is bonding with the little boy or not.

--

Lan Qiren, the next day, was heading out to speak with Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao.

Qingheng-Jun was dealing with Madam Yu, who, while an Alpha, was not the Sect Leader. He would rather deal with Jiang Fengmine because the Omega was easier to speak with.

Jin Guangshang was enjoying a leisurely breakfast in his room. He had decided to take the day off to relax and probably leave to find a warm body to spend the day with.

That was until a strong dangerous scent slammed into his nose and he had no time to run as his neck was gripped in a large hand, another hand gripped both wrists pushing them down keeping him immobile and trapped. He tensed, able to breathe but the whimper he tried to keep in escaped.

“Hello, Jin Guangshang,” Wen Ruohan spoke into his ear. “It’s been a while since we’ve spoken alone, hasn’t it?”

Fuck.

Fuck!

FUCK!

Chapter 8

Lan Qiren stood in front of the door.

Having made his way to his eldest nephew’s house first, he brought a bag filled with items he might need. Taking a few breaths, he tried to calm his racing heart.

Only a few people knew the two couples, his mate and him, obviously. That didn’t stop the anxiety that chose to follow him throughout his day as he had someone else take over his classes.

He told them he had a personal matter to attend to; luckily, no questions were asked. With his brother off trying to fix the failed route and the death of two of the Jiang disciples, Lan Qiren was able to slip away just after lunch.

That had been half an hour ago.

Standing in front of the door, he tried to think of what to say or what he was going to do. His mind started to make a plan until all the fallouts that could and would happen took over, leaving him fighting off the familiar feelings that sometimes left him gasping for air.

Those episodes were near fun. One healer called them Episodes, and another called them something else: Anxiety or panic attacks. There had been discussion about whether they were the same.

Lan Qiren didn’t care if they were the same or not. He was disappointed to find there was no cure for it, and taking medicine only helped to a point. Putting a hand on his chest, he willed his heart to calm and his lungs to catch air.

Lifting his hand, he knocked.

--

Lan Xichen could listen to A-Yao read forever.

They spent all their days together, talking about their lives and getting comfortable with each other. After a day, Lan Xichen was unable to think of anything except spending another night with A-Yao.

He asked if he wanted to sleep next to him in the same bed. It was a good idea. They were both awake for nearly an hour until their hands brushed. Fingers intertwined, Meng Yao whispered that he enjoyed… their time…

Mating without the haze of heat or carnal need was still pleasurable. Exploring and figuring out what they liked or didn’t had been fun. At that moment, Lan Xichen was listening to his mate’s voice.

Meng Yao, they should practice his new name, but for now, his Omega seemed to like his oringal name better, and he was reading old tales of the past from the Cultavation world.

Honey-silk voice was pleasant on his ears. Using A-Yao’s lap as a pillow, he purred as the tale went on. His mate’s purr was light, softer; his was deeper, considering he was a beta.

The sudden knock caused them to jump. Meng Yao wrapped his arms around Lan Xichen’s head, shaking his body. No one was supposed to be here!

Carefully untangling himself Lan Xichen exchanged a look with his mate, then stood up. Frowning, he wondered what had happened. Opening the door, he took a moment before smiling brightly.

“Shushu!” Lan Xichen purred happily. Moving back, he let him in as his Uncle walked in, then paused, his smile dropping. "Has something happened?”

“Yes,” Lan Qiren pushed down the humming that was starting to creep into his ears. “I need to speak with you and Jin Guangyao.”

Standing up, Meng Yao hurried over, bowing to the Grandmaster. He had heard of him, of course. It wasn’t every day that an Omega became a Grandmaster at such a young age. He even heard that Lan Qiren of Gusu, as the rumors had said, was not only the Spare of the clan, but no one believes an Omega could achieve such a thing, and even so, never at a young age.

“This one is humbled to meet you, Grandmaster,” Meng Yao bowed lower, wishing he had something ready. Their dinner was set aside to be cooked in a few hours, and they had finished their tea already. “If you are willing, this one will make you some tea.”

Lan Qiren locked onto the younger Omega. He cursed his brother for making him see how scrawny he was. The glimpse he had seen of him on the wedding day had been quick, but he hated to admit he looked better at the moment.

The two weeks starting tomorrow had done some favors. His skin didn’t look too sickly, and he had some color in his checks—not enough, but some. Walking up to him, Lan Qiren looked him over.

Even in house robes he wasn’t a fool to note how boney. There would have to be something scent to remedy this. A healer needed to be called in- but If he called in a healer they’d tell Qingheng-Jun.

Breath, he had to focus.

Tesning unsure Lan Xichen called him. “Shushu?”

Blinking, Lan Qiren looked at him. “I received letters from Wangji.”

“Is he alright?”

“Yes, but…” Shaking his head, he took in a few more slow breaths. “Will you prepare some tea for us, please?”

“Yes, right away!” Rushing to do so, Meng Yao gasped when the older Omega stopped him. He blinked nervously. “Did you need something from me?”

“No, you do not need to rush. It’s alright. I came unannounced; it is I who is in the wrong,” Lan Qiren assured. "You are right to take your time.”

Bowing again, Meng Yao was confused and happy. He went to make tea, setting up some snacks he had been saving for tomorrow, but tea needed some snacks, and he might have been eager now that he had someone to impress.

In his mind he was starting to think of ways he could please his Beta’s Shushu. He’d have to study him to know what he liked. Fixing the snacks perfectly, seeping the tea he could hear them speaking at the table.

Moving around, he soon had tea and snacks ready. Excited and hoping the other liked him, Meng Yao set the tray down and started to set the tea and snacks.

Lan Qiren was still looking over Meng Yao. When he leaned over, he could see part of the bonding bite mark on his neck and the familiar collar that once belonged to his nephew's mother.

He didn’t have to bring up if they had mated yet awkwardly. That was said and done. Now, he had to figure out how to handle three Sects' temper tantrums.

“I brought some things.” Lan Qiren pulled out the back he had brought, pulling out proper robes. Lan fashioned patterns of the clouds, the different shades of blues for their generation, and the main clan’s head ribbons. He stood up, holding them out. “I apologize that you did not have properly sized robes. I hope these will do.”

“For me?” Meng Yao reached out to touch them. The soft, new fabric was sturdy, and the patterns looked so artful he almost didn’t notice the clouds where embroidered; the threads were so fine they were practically invisible. He took the robes, face pinking. “Thank you.”

“You may change into them, and then we can speak on what has happened and how to handle it.”

--

Wen Ruohan could feel Jin Guangshang’s heart pounding. His arm snaked up between his chest to grip his neck. he could feel the pulse in his neck which indicated that Beta’s heart was trying to escape.

The scent of fear lingered in his nose.

Despite all these years of dealing with the others of the Five Great Sects he took enjoyment knowing that despite everything, even when they were young Jin Guangshang had a fear of him, doing  the most trying to never piss the Alpha off.

“Where is your Alpha?” He spoke it low, feeling the Beta tense. Ah, so she was nearby, then. Loosening his hand just a tad enough to get an answer, he spoke again. “Do I have to ask twice?”

“O-other room, “Jin Guangshang got out. He had no idea what pissed off the Alpha, but he wasn’t stupid. If Wen Ruohan had snuck it past every one of the guards and into the palace, this was personal. The thing was, he wasn’t sure if he had done something to set him off! “She’s c-coming back.”

The hand tightened again, having him struggling to get in air, so he had to breathe slowly. He whimpered when he was shaken lightly by the neck, closing his eyes.

“Where did the Omega you sent to the Gusu come from?”

What?!

This was about the little bastard they sent?!

Why?!

Lettig let out a strangled wheeze. He managed to gasp for air when the hand was loose enough to let him speak, but years of knowing how these conversations went, if he tried to call for help or anything else, he’d be choked.

“He’s recognized, and we got him from Yunmeng.” He took a quick breath, sweat starting to build up on his brow. “He’s recognized! We made sure!”

“How long?” When the answer didn’t come fast enough, he tightened his grip on the other’s wrists, causing him to cry out in pain. That was too loud, so he gripped his throat again. “Don’t get so loud, you’ll give me a headache, and when that happens, I’ll be in a bad mood.”

Was he not in a bad mood now?!

The sound was alert enough for Madam Jin, who had barely heard it while she was going over some papers for when that little bastard and her new son-in-law came to visit in a few weeks, got up to see what was going on.

What she wasn't expecting was to walk into her mate, who was being held hostage by Wen Rouhan. Her shoulders tensing, she paused, then growled, taking a few steps before his eyes locked onto her.

She froze. He was a powerful Alpha. She wasn’t fool enough to think she could take him on, but even if she fought with her mate, they were still bonded, and the Alpha in her screamed at her to get back what belonged to her.

“We’re having a conversation.” Wen Ruohan let the Beta breathe, hearing the coughing gasps. “Perhaps you can answer me some questions, Madam Jin, because there’s a storm coming, and if this was some sort of grab for power, well, we don’t want that, now do we?”

She gripped her teeth, and her nose scrunched up. She wanted to do nothing more than rip his throat out as the other Alpha forced her mate to nod, squeezing his face as he did so. She hated that idiot of hers who could never stand up to the Wen Sect Leader.

Most people didn’t.

Not with Nie Yuzu Dead; the only thing keeping the Alpha from over-running the world was that he was married to Lan Qiren. One of the reasons the Jin and Jiang Clans were desperate to get marriages from both sects.

One with the Jiang Clan. But when Madam Yu informed them that there had been a request for one of their own to be married to the next Heir to the Clan Leader, it opened a rare and small opportunity to appeal to Qingheng-Jun.

He offered the idea only if it was an Omega and not the nephew they had, who was a beta. With the entirety of the Sects, the Five Great and the smaller Sects, a discussion was made. It came out that the idea of them all having connections due to marriage was an ideal outcome.

The Nie Clan had close ties to the Lan Clan thanks to its friendship with the oldest Heir and was safe because that friendship was out-branched to the Wen via the Grandmaster's marriage.

It left the Jin clan open to anyone. Out of desperation, Jin Guangshang promised an Omega, thus the year-long plan to have a wedding.

Hearing that the request had been for Wei Wuxian, it had been assumed that the child of a Servant and Rouge Cultivator would be marrying the spare, since they two had been obviously in love with each other for years only for the announcement to come out that he’d be marrying Lan Xichen.

That made the search more manageable, but damn it all, most of the bastard children they found, and for each one she took her time beating her husband for, we’re betas.

Finally, they found an Omega in a damn brothel and she had paid an large amount of money to assure he wasn’t to be sold. Sending someone to spy on the bastard.

They planned on saving him until they found another one, because that little bitch was not only tiny, but he was also scrawny, son of prostitute, and it sickened her to know that thing was their best chance.

She regretted not having them put meat on his bones before they snagged him a day before the wedding, having failed to find anything better. Choosing someone who looked like them would never work, considering they would check to ensure the Jin Bride had Jin blood in him.

Did that little brat offend Lan Wangji that much that of all people to show up was Wen Rouhan? Only reasoned he’d be here was if the second born had informed Lan Qiren he was unhappy or found out the origin of that little bitch.

“See? I was invited, wasn’t I?”

“Y-Yes!” Allowed to breathe, Jin Guangshang took in some gasping gulps. “What has offended you, Sect Leader Wen, that way I can fix it?”

Invited or not, it didn’t matter.

“Let him go.” She narrowed her eyes. “We can speak on the matter, but you have no right to harm my mate!”

“Why? I’m just spending time with an old friend.” To mock them, he scented the side of the smaller Sect Leader’s temple. “We used to be good friends, why, before Nie Yuzu’s death, the five of us used to Night hunt as young adults, didn’t we?”

Growling Madman Jin almost reached for her sword. That was reserved for close friends or family, and she knew damn while it was a mockery of a time long passed.

Suddenly, Jin Guangshang was released, nearly pushed as he stumbled away and grabbed his neck, rubbing it and his wrists, burning. Standing up quickly, he turned back, and that deadly look shifted into a smile bordering a smirk.

“Well, tea, then,” Wen Ruohan sid as if he hadn't just been toying with them.

Not a question.

Rubbing his neck more, he summoned a servant to bring him tea. He had to figure out what set the Alpha off because if he didn’t find a way to fix it, he didn’t want to run to Lan Qiren.

Jin Guangshang had done that once, openly telling him what had happened. Well, during a night hunt, he almost died, and Wen Ruohan just so happened to be close by.

The Alpha had said it was a coincidence, but he didn’t do more because, at the time, Nie Yuzu was alive and was aware of how unstable Wen Ruohan became regarding his Omega. The Nie Alpha stepped in as one of the few who could and would go head to head with Wen Ruohan.

This was either a simple way to explain or not.

Either case, when the tea was brought, they’d have to endure a stressful tea time.

--

Rubbing his temples, Lan Qiren took in some air. He was fighting to keep the bubbling in his chest down. Lan Xichen asked him if he was all right.

“I’m alright, just thinking about explaining this to Qingheng-Jun.”

Smiling, Lan Xichen nodded slowly. “How furious do you think he’ll be?”

“I have no idea, but considering how my brother is?” Lan Qiren swore he felt his eyes twitching. “A disaster.”

As they discussed a few ideas on how to soften the surprise, Meng Yao was trying to put on the new clan robes properly. There were a few ties he was unsure of.

It took enough time for Lan Xichen to call him. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, just trying to get my robes on.” It wasn’t an insane amount of layers, unlike the Jin wedding robes that took forever to peel off, but he wasn’t sure where the few things went. “I’ll be done soon.”

Standing, Lan Qiren walked over to where Omega was trying to hide in the kitchen to change. He jumped and looked at him with big, worried eyes. Reaching over, he helped him fix the clothing, mostly the outer robe, and he helped fasten the belts.

“Turn around, I’ll adjust the belt and your jade token so it’s not hitting your leg.” He ensured the belt was secure and quickly cut down the strings for the Token. As he did, he took in how bony he was. “I will send some food and other such things you must eat.”

This wasn’t good. He had to find a healer who’d keep this secret until he could figure out how to fix it. The measurements were correct, which was concerning.

“Where is your headband?” Lan Qiren inquired now that the outfit was nearly complete. His hair was up, and there was the simple, elegant headpiece that had been crafted for Lan Furen. “Did I not bring it?”

Lan Qiren realized he’d forgotten such a thing! The stress was getting to him. He tried to think back when the young Omega in front of him scrambled with his hands to pull the headband out of his sleeve pocket, looking up at him nervously.

Joining them in standing, Lan Xichen looked at it. “Is it uncomfortable?”

“I… I feel like I don’t deserve to wear this.” Meng Yao looked at it. “I’m…”

“Married to the future Sect Leader.” Lan Qiren said in a firm yet final tone. He reached out to lift the Omega’s chin. “You don’t look down to anyone. I hate to bring such sudden news, but you are Lan Furen now. That means you will be burdened with helping your mate run the Sect one day, and with that comes responsibilities.”

“…babies,” Meng Yao's stomach turned. Just a breeding body then, in the eyes of Cultaviors. “I will do my best.”

“Well, children is always, yes, there is a lot you must learn. A few others and I will handle your lessons.” Lan Qiren had a lot of work to do with Jin Guangyao. “I do feel horrible that you are far behind, and that fool, Jin Guangshang, should be ashamed for not preparing you.”

“Lessons?” Meng Yao paused. “I get to learn here?”

“Yes,” Lan Qiren frowned. “What do you…”

He looked up in thought, then back at the nervous Omega, and he mused that Lan Xichen stood next to him, their hands moving to claps, a silent support.

“I thought I was just here to birth babies?”

Half rolling his eyes, Lan Qiren shook his head, mumbling, “That fool didn’t even tell you.”

“Tell me, what?”

“That your role is so much more than just babies,” chimed in Lan Xichen, who smiled. “It means attending meetings with me, tending to classes, planning Sect Meetings.”

The List was so long that Meng Yao stood there for almost ten minutes as Lan Xichen read off several lists. Lan Furen was not just a wife, but had an open say in the Sect. Not to outway the Clan Leader but it was a damn good chuck.

Looking at the older Omega, Meng Yao asked. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, just tired, I think.” Lan Qiren was rubbing his chest. He had been nodding in agreement with what his nephew had been saying, but at the same time, things started to tighten. “I will take my leave. I’ll return in a few days to determine what we will do.”

“Shushu, do you want me to help you back?” Lan Xichen looked him over. “You look pale.”

“I will be fine.” Was it getting smaller here? “I’ll be taking my leave. Send me a letter with anything you might need, and I will see to it.”

The goodbye was fast. Lan Qiren had no idea why he was struggling to control himself. Leaving the house, he headed back to the main house only to be met by two people he knew were going to show up.

But honestly, he thought they’d show up when his brother returned. Putting his hands together, he bowed deeply to the Elders in front of him, feeling that they wanted to speak about the fight between him and Qingheng-Jun.

Again.

“Father, Uncle, Grandfather,” he said, wishing they had waited until tomorrow because he was having trouble breathing. “I was going to send a request if we could meet when Brother returns.”

“He has returned,” His Father said. He frowned. “With Jiang Clan.”

Looking up, Lan Qiren took a second. “Is everything well?”

“That’s why we came to find you,” Grandfather spoke, looking awkward and coughing into his fist. “It’s about Madam Yu.”

Letting out a breath, Lan Qiren looked away. He nodded, realizing why the three of them approached him. Qingheng-Jun couldn’t solve the problem, so they were here.

This means Lan Qiren would have to go try to clean up this mess with his brother, who might make it worse. If he just shut up for once and let him handle it, they wouldn’t be in the mess they were!

“I will go join them and sort this out.” Always, constantly, continuously cleaning up after Qingheng-Jun. “I will let you know how it goes.”

“Qiren.”

“Yes?”

“The fight?”

“…May we speak about it after I’ve resolved this issue?” Slow breaths, slow. Keep calm, push the feelings down, and deal with them later. “It would be rude to keep them waiting.”

“Do that; we’ll see you in a few hours.”

They said a few more things, but Lan Qiren wasn’t happy to go see them and a room full of elders. He needed to get to the Cold Springs. Struggling to get this episode of stress under control was getting harder.

Walking towards the meeting room, he had to grab onto the wall. The hallway was tunneling, his chest contracting, and his vision swaying. Taking deeper breaths, he found himself panting harshly.

Pausing open a door to an empty room, he summoned silencing talismans just in time as he fell forward onto the floor, letting out a heavy, desperate scream.

Outside the room, no one heard.

And a short time later, he emerged from the room as if he did take a short while to have an episode that left him suffering until he could stitch himself back together, just enough to go handle the issues that waited for him.

Chapter 9

“Finally, someone who can speak like an adult!” Madam Yu growled, seeing Lan Qiren join them. He bowed, which she returned at the same time as her mate, while glaring at Qingheng-Jun. “As I’ve heard, this could have been avoided.”

The meeting went as Lan Qiren knew it would. The female Alpha was ready to snap at them for this disaster, primarily as his brother since Lan Qiren brought up the issue beforehand and was ignored.

An hour later, an agreement was made that, from that moment on, trade routes had to be approved by several people who had watched the storms and knew how the waters normally tended to be.

A loss for both clans as nothing was saved from the trade.

The meeting ended with his brother excusing himself, claiming he had duties to attend to. The three of them were left alone to eat and enjoy tea.

Lan Qiren ate slower than normal. While Madam Yu insulted his brother’s addioutie, Jiang Fengmian noticed his friend was abnormally quiet.

“What is on your mind, Grandmaster Lan?”

“Various things.”

“Hmph, no doubt more messes to clean up after Sect Leader Qingheng-Jun.” Making a face she took a long drink of her tea. “He has not changed since we were children.”

“It’s against the rules to talk about people behind their back…” Jiang Fengmian had studied in Gusu in his youth, and while he struggled to recall every rule, he knew this was one of them. “We should talk about happier things. Master Lan, your nephews have two marriages now.”

“Yes,”

“…May I ask if you plan to return to the Sun Palace?” He was hesitant and on his lounge. “If so, perhaps we can meet sometimes for tea.”

That was a good way to ask if he would return to his mate. It was a nice idea, lovelier than his dreams at night. But not now. How could he tell them the storm that was brewing?

Taking time to chew the bite of food he places in his mouth, he thought about when, because eventually, he wanted to back where his married home was, that it would be nice to have a lunch with and old friend.

Probably the only decent friendship he had left. Nie Yuzu was dead, Jin Guangshang was… well, not to speak ill of someone, but the only thing the Beta had his mind on was sex and wine.

“That would be nice.” He wouldn’t confirm when this would be; he saw Madam Yu raise an eyebrow. “When things are settled and done, I will send you a letter.”

“I’d like that,” The other Omega purred.

They finished their dinner with lighter conversations, despite some of Madam Yu’s attempt to get information out of him, Lan Qiren managed to avoid anything that would give them any hint that something was wrong.

At least the afternoon went well.

--

Wen Ruohan had spent less than a few hours in his Kingdom before gathering two of his lower family members and whisking them away to Gusu.

If things where going the way he thought then he knew that Lan Qiren was going to need an Healer who he could trust. Once let into Gusu with his guests, since he had brought them the ones guarding the pass had to make sure it was fine.

Lan Qiren met them at the front. He looked worn out. The Omega's eyes widened just slightly, looking at them and then at the Alpha, who had a playing smirk at the edges of his smile.

“You need confirmation, do you not?” He waved. “Introduce yourselves.”

“I am Wen Qing, a doctor from the Wen Sect,” She bowed. “It’s an honor to meet with you Wen Furen,”

The title, one he was rarely called here, sent a bit of rush down his spine. He nodded to her then looked at the person next to her. He bowed as well, introducing himself as her younger brother.

“I am called Wen Ning,” He bowed. “It’s an honor to meet you Wen Furen.”

“Welcome.” He took a breath, then looked at his Alpha. “A doctor,”

“You need confirmation, do you not?”

Lan Qiren tensed. “I do.”

--

The knock on the door startled Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. They scrambled to put on their clothes and rushed to hide evidence of what they had been doing.

A voice said they’d give them half incense to get down and let them know that Lan Qiren was there. They took that to their advantage. They knew this might happen because of the letters they sent; they were just lucky they were stuck together when he showed up and were only just starting.

By the time they were done, they took a moment before opening the door. They expected Lan Qiren to be there, but they didn’t expect to see the Grandmaster’s mate, Sect Leader Wen, or two others who were carrying small boxes.

“Shushu,” Lan Wangji bowed, then to the Alpha. “Sect Leader Wen,”

“So formal.” Wen Ruohan walked in, putting a hand on the other’s head. Even though the Jades had grown tall, he was taller. “So, Wangji, married to the person you love.”

“Mn,”

Wei Wuxian was still bowing, but he wanted to jump up with a joke. Normally, seeing Lan Qiren frustrated and looking like he was going to break a rule about shouting was funny, but the man looked like he was fully there—deep in thought.

“Doctor Wen Qing is here to examine you,” Lan Qiren explained. “We need to confirm if you're pregnant or not since I know that you two didn’t bother to send a letter right away to inform me of the mix-up.”

They book looked ashamed, Wei Wuxian’s stomach started to drop, then two fingers lifted their chins up.

“None of that,” Lan Qiren half scolded. “It could have been designed by the gods, for all we know. You two must face what comes after together.”

“Shushu…?”

“Let’s get this over with.” Holding his own stomach, out of instinct or recalling how he could never have a child, Lan Qiren moved to sit down. “I’ll be here until we know. Doctor Qing, if you will.”

She nodded, rolling up her sleeves. “Please sit on the bed.”

--

Being able to nap peacefully was a luxury that Meng Yao had never had before. In a nest full of comfortable gifts, pillows, things so soft he almost wanted to throw off all his robes just to nap in them alone.

Only in a sleep robe, he dozed in and out of his nap, purring while he heard Lan Xichen in the background. It seemed that Betas could get triggered into wanting to nest, but it seemed that his mate wasn’t making an actual nest. He was rearranging the house, only to redo it every couple of days.

Tomorrow, he’d try to see if Lan Xichen wanted to make a nest again, but for now, his Beta seemed happy enough just to be moving things about.

He must have fallen fully asleep because the next thing he knew, his shoulder was being gently shaken by his mate’s voice, telling him to wake up and that they had company.

Company?!

He popped his head out of the nest, mortified to see that it was not just the Grandmaster but his mate Wen Rouhan and two others. Mouth open in shock, he blinked widely, trying to get the sleep out of his eyes.

“That is a child,” Wen Rouhan pointed. “Qiren, is that… a child?!”

“Just turned twenty, I was informed, less than a few weeks before the wedding.”

“I’m sorry,” Meng Yao went to bow. “I’m underdressed and have no tea; please forgive this one!”

“It’s alright, no need,” Lan Qiren went over sitting on his heels to comfort the Omega who looked stressed out. He soothed his hair. “None of this is your fault. We need to check something, and I apologize again for the intrusion on your home.”

Home?

That warmed Meng Yao's heart so much that his eyes fell closed, and he almost sobbed when he was comforted by the older Omega. The nuzzling was a sign that he was accepted despite his statues.

Once his eyes were opened, he leaned over and noticed that his mate was in the arms of Sect Leader Wen, who had patted his head. He heard that the Grandmaster had raised the Twin Jades; he just didn’t know that it might be that Sect Leader Wen might have been involved.

“Now, would you allow this doctor to examine you?”

“Um, yes.” Meng Yao had a feeling of what the doctor was looking for, so he grabbed another robe and slipped it on. “Is it going to be bad when we leave?”

“You let me worry about that,” Lan Qiren promised, helping him up. “Come now, it’s not going to take long.”

The exam wasn’t too bad. The looks that the doctor gave him made him feel uncomfortable until she asked if he had been eating or had an illness that caused him to lose weight.

She looked horrified when he told he ate when he could before he was taken from where he lived before and that sometimes he’d have to skip a day or two and when he had some food he’d eat until he couldn’t just to make sure he could live another day.

The doctor wrote out a list of foods and such. He panicked when she suggested meats, bone broths, and other things, but Lan Qiren said it was only an exception to the rules if it was for medical reasons and health issues, reciting several other rules that could be a workaround.

They left but not before telling them to be ready for when the month ended.

That left anxious amongst the house, and a list of foods and drinks that would be sent on the boats the next day. Meng Yao was instructed to eat to his heart's content, as to get at least some healthy meat on his frame before they could move forward with any other medical plans.

--

Lan Qiren bid the Wen Sibblings a farewell as they headed back into town while he took time with his mate. It should have been a typical evening with them enjoying dinner.

Unfortunately, Lan Qiren's mind was too worn out to figure out what to do as he read the health reports. One in each hand went over Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao’s statues, their health, and recommendations for the smaller Omega’s weight gain as he was malnourished, but other than that, they should be fine.

The only issue was the ending of the report.

There was a high chance that either of them was pregnant or not; triggered heats and ruts from the teas were never foolproof, so there was a chance it could have taken or not.

“What is it?”

Lan Qiren looked at his mate. “…He’s pregnant.”

Reaching over, Wen Rouhan took the papers and read them over. He mused a bit while sipping on his wine. This shouldn’t be a surprise; young, eager couples spent their time mating and bonding.

“And the other Sects have started to regather to celebrate them coming out of their marriage seclusion.”

Letting out a shaky breath, Lan Qiren nodded. He was no fool. It was apparent when they were reintroduced that the brides had been switched. The backlash was coming, and there was nothing that Lan Qiren could think of that was going to stop it.

Glancing at the paper, he thought back on the day he tried to see Jin Guangyao and had to rush off to calm Wei Wuxian down, who was demanding that he didn’t want to marry Lan Xichen. But Lan Wangji, after speaking with him, the Omega had calmed down slightly, and they left him alone for a few minutes to calm down.

Left him alone.

For a few minutes….

All alone…

No.

No, no, no.

No, he didn’t!

Lan Qiren tensed then stood suddenly.

“What is it?” Wen Rouhand saw the sudden realization on his lover’s face, the shocked expression that turned to anger. “Qiren?”

No words were spoken. Lan Qiren turned on his heel and ran out of his room with the Alpha bolting after him. His mind was reeling, his heart pounding because if he was right, if Wei Wuxian had changed the names…!

If this was no accident…!

The path to his younger nephew's house became blurred; it wasn’t until he was frankly banging on their door that it hit him. He ran all the way here. Seconds later, he could feel his Alpha near, but he stayed back until the door opened to a shocked couple who stared at him.

Pushing them inside, he barely heard Wen Ruohan closing the door behind him. He grabbed Wei Wuxian, yanking him close. If he hadn’t been followed, he was sure Wangji would have grabbed at him, but luckily, he was, and his Alpha grabbed onto the younger Alpha.

“Did you switch the names?!” The panic over the younger Omega’s face caused his stomach to drop. He shook him harshly. “Did you switch the names?! Wei Wuxian, answer me!”

“Y-Yes!” Wei Wuxian had to admit it, never seeing Lan Qiren so out of sorts. The confession had the other shoulders dropping, and it went from him being shaken to having to support the elder Omega from falling, grabbing under his elbows. “I’m sorry, but they were going to separate us.”

“They’ll separate you when you leave this house.” Lan Qiren was going to be sick. “This was no accident, and with the other Sects gathering the wrong bride, it will be taken into a meeting, and trust me, it will come out that the names have been switched because they seek the past to confirm it.”

“What- But we’re bonded!”

“The marriage will be annulled.” Lan Qiren couldn’t even look at Lan Wangji, but he could pick up his distress. “There is a huge difference because an intentional and accidental…”

“…But we’re happy…” Wei Wuxian started to cry. “We’re happy…”

“Shushu,”

Turning to his nephew, Lan Qiren felt his heart shatter when he saw Lan Wangji having tears fall down his face as well, even though he was still being held back by his Alpha.

“Please?” It was hard to hear such a broken whisper. “We love each other.”

Lan Qiren covered his mouth, trying to keep from throwing up.

What was he going to do now?

Chapter 10

The Five Sects, while four out of the five, cared a lot more for celebration than the Lan Clan. With so many Gatherings, they all voted for the celebration outside the Boundaries, in the town which had been decorated with various colors of the Clans.

The local vendors, shops, food stalls, stands, and restaurants thrived with the arrival of many cultivators. The celebration was to last a week, with the Lan Clan arriving in the last two days, as they believed it against their laws to celebrate in excess.

Inside a room of an expensive inn, where most of the Wen Clan had taken up residence, Lan Qiren was feeling sick. The last two days had been hell trying to figure out what he was going to do.

Leaning back against his mate, who continued to try to comfort him, scenting, nuzzling, and running his hands over his sides and back, trying to bring down his stress.

Leaning his head against his mate's shoulder, he tried to take slow, deep breaths. His head felt tight, his scent was screaming stress, and he was sure that nothing he could do would hide it.

Letting out a sound when his neck was kissed, just above his collar where his bond mark was, Lan Qiren opened his eyes. He didn’t head back into Gusu yet, after all, he had yet to see the other children he helped raise.

Wen Xu and Wen Chao arrived in a few hours. It was enough to try to ease the throbbing of his head, along with the medicine a doctor had brought him. He thought it would just be enough to soothe the pain for him to get through the day. To his surprise, the entire pain was gone.

“She's talented,” Lan Qiren commented, watching Wen Qing and her brother walk away and off to enjoy some of the early festivities. “You should have her trained to be the next Head Healer.”

“You think so?”

“Her skills are so advanced, I’d not be surprised If she one day changed the world,” Lan Qiren let out a sigh. “How am I going to fix this?”

“I don’t think anything needs to be done,” Wen Rouhan continued to comfort his Omega. It was rare that he’d let himself be spoiled like this, and he was going to take full advantage of the situation. “They’re married, one is pregnant, and if either clan steps out of bounds, I am more than capable of ensuring that they stay in line.”

“Mmm,” It was a disapproving sound, yet Lan Qiren curled further into his arms, needing just to be. “It’s going to be hell.”

“I’ll be there,” Wen Rouhan moved back, lifting Lan Qiren’s chin to look into his eyes while reminding him of something important. “You might be part of your clan still, but do not forget you are married to me and are Wen Furen. Anything they try to do to you or say, or demand is an act against me.”

That was true. Lan Qiren didn’t often throw his Wen Furen title around, yet this seemed like a time that he’d have too. Closing his eyes, he purred as the affection he was receiving. Moving a little, he returned the nuzzles, a few kisses, and purred louder when his mate’s scent was pleased with his actions.

“Whatever happens, know that I will do whatever it is you wish,”

Momentarily opening his eyes, Lan Qiren let out a tired hum that barely made it past his lips.

--

The music was loud.

It filled the air along with food being carried out for the Five Great Sects in celebration. Each large table held its own vital members of the clans.

The Sect Leaders all sat in the middle of their tables, waiting for the newlywed couples to arrive. The midday celebration was going smoothly as they all partook in the meals laid before them.

On a rare sight, Lan Qiren sat next to his mate, wearing his robes from the Wen Sect, which clearly stated he was still very much part of the Wen Clan, despite his infertility and their claims of a failed marriage.

The heirs, Wen Xu and Wen Chao, had ended up being later than thought, thanks to them stopping to hunt a ghost in a city over. As he sat there, ignoring the dirty glances his brother kept sending him, Lan Qiren had never been highly tempted to drink liquor. The temptation was strong, but he needed a clear mind on the chaos that was going to happen.

Picking up some water instead, he looked around the room. The clans had no idea what was about to take place. The only one who did, his Alpha, seemed utterly amused by it.

He was leisurely drinking some wine while watching for the time the couple would arrive. Heart starting to pick up, chest feeling tight, the throb in his head seeped until a hand took his.

Jumping, he looked at Wen Ruohan, who had squeezed his hand gently in assurance. The panic he felt slowly faded until he nodded, returning the squeeze.

“Remember what I said,”

“I do,” Licking his lips, Lan Qiren’s stomach dropped when they announced that the couple was approaching. Twisted insides, he watched as the carriage was carried in, set down side by side. “…Don’t leave my side,”

“Never,”

The curtains parted, with Lan Xichen stepping out first, his hand still holding back inside. Everyone expected Wei Wuxian to come out, so to everyone’s surprised horror and shock, out stepped small Omega, with gold eyes, chestnut hair, wearing Lan Clothes with Lan Furen’s pattens on it.

The second shock was when Lan Wangji stepped out with Wei Wuxian. For as loud as the entire Sect Clans had been seconds before, the silence seemed even louder.

Eyes wide, mouths dropped, open gawking, as the couples walked down the long path, only stopping to bow at the Sect Leaders. It was only when Wen Ruohan and Lan Qiren stood to their bowing, returning a smaller one to the younger mated pairs, that everything erupted into furious anger, yells, and accusations.

“What mockery is this?!”

“You dare shame us?!”

“What kind of foolery is this?!”

“They must have switched them!”

“Who is that one?! Has he even a title?!”

“Wei Wuxian!” Someone finally rang out, Madam Yu, who looked furious, her eyes blazing, if she could kill him right there and then, she would. “You switched the names, didn’t you?!”

Wei Wuxian tensed, then opened his mouth. “I-”

“I switched the names.” Lan Qiren spoke suddenly, stunning the room back into silence. “I, Lan Qiren of Gusu, switched the name plates on the day of the wedding.”

Chaos.

Pure chaos.

Chapter 11

Lying is against the rules.

The screaming, the yelling, the accusations, the pure shock from so many people, their voices blurred together in a wave of sound that hurt Lan Qiren’s head.

A ringing somehow cut through the sound, causing his lungs to constrict. His head was pounding, and his heart was speeding so fast he wasn’t sure if it was just going too fast or had stopped altogether.

Taking in deep breaths, slow, trying to keep calm as every instinct in him scrambled in rageful shame to tell the truth! Lying was forbidden, a rule he had been told and practiced repeatedly, that had been ingrained into his very soul.

Yet, the thought of his nephews being miserable all their lives was something he couldn’t let happen. His status gave him weight. A Grandmaster who achieved the title at only fifteen, surpassing all the Alphas who didn’t make it until their mid-twenties, and the fact that he was an Omega had rocked the Cultivation world.

Sweat started to appear slowly on his brow, the sound growing louder. He was gritting his fists under his robes as the fight to keep from taking back what he said.

His mind raced to repeat the rules, but a lie of this stature? He was sure the discipline whip would be used, more than five lashes for sure, with all the Sect Leaders present.

Isolation for an unknown amount of time, lying is forbidden, his back would headl eventually, lying is forbidden, he’d not be able to see anyone, lying is forbidden, it’s forbidden, it’s prohibited, IT’S FORBIDDEN.

Growls snapped him out of his vision, swirling. He moved back, realizing his brother had been moving towards him. He stopped, however, as two Alphas stepped in front of him.

Lan Qiren blinked as Wen Chao and Wen Xu blocked his brother from trying to attack him. Their growls were a final warning. His brother looked as though he was going to attack; the crowds were still shouting, demanding an explanation.

Another two or three seconds, really, a beat, until Wen Rouhan stood. His face had darkened, and in tall strides, he growled darkly, his scent spreading out in what could only be called a command.

The place fell silent, with a few struggling to keep their balance, while several others bowed deeply. Others of low statues knew better then to piss off the Wen Sect Leader, those who knew him knew that what going after his mate was idiotic.

“Any move like that again, I will kill you.” His warning was growled out, his voice dropping to a low tone. “Do not disrespect my mate, Qingheng-Jun.”

The death threat didn’t seem to faze anyone. Not when it was clear that the only thing that was keeping this madman from going fully mad was his Omega.

Madam Yu growled once she regained her composure and reached over, grabbing her Omega’s chin, forcing him to look up. She gave him a disguised look that he had been affected by the growl and had lowered his head in a form of submission.

This was typically trained out of Sect Leader Omega, they were puppet heads after all, finding stronger Alphas to lead like her was the norm, which was why she was placing all her bets on their son Jiang Cheng, an Alpha, who while skilled didn’t reach the same levers as that damn servant child her husband had brought home.

Madan Jin, on the other hand, nearly broke Jin Guangshang’s wrist for bowing his head. He yelped and moved away from her, but luckily for them, everyone was still in shock that Lan Qiren had done something like this.

Gritting his teeth, Qingheng-Jun growled. “This isn’t a matter for you, this is a Lan matter.”

“It concerns my Wen Furen,” Wen Rouhand moved closer to his Omega, slipping his arm around his waist, from which he could feel how hard his lover was trying to keep from shaking. “So, as of this moment, all of this? Well, it is my concern.”

Murmuring broke out.

Meanwhile, the two married couples were still standing in the middle of the room. Lan Wangji was glaring at anyone who looked at them, holding Wei Wuxian close to him, while his Omega frowned but refused to look at his adoptive family.

Meng Yao was holding tight around Lan Xichen’s waist, half hiding his face in his chest. He was stressed and wanted to hide away. Lan Xichen held him protectively, while watching his Father and Uncle closely, unsure of how this was going to end.

The Elders had gathered on themselves, whispering and worried about what could happen to cause the Grandmaster to do such a thing, each whispering on the outcomes of this mix-up.

“I don’t believe you,” Qingheng-Jun growled. “Why would you change the name plates?! You wouldn’t have the gall!”

Keep calm, keep calm. Lying was forbidden. Keep calm, keep calm.

“You knew they wanted to marry each other,” Lan Qiren glared. “You know what we only find our Fated one, ONCE, and yet you decided to overrule, making a mockery of the very base of our Clan’s Birth.”

Eyes were on them.

It was too hot in this room; he couldn’t breathe right, the ringing was getting louder, his head throbbed in pain, and his heart felt like it was clawing to get out of his chest.

“I did what was best.”

“No, you did not.”

There was a standoff for a moment. Qingheng-Jun knew better. Even if the current Nie Leader, Nie Mingjue, was here, he was not up to the strength his Father had been.

Nie Yuzu was dead; he’d have no one to help him fight off Wen Ruohan, and with his brother wearing his married robes, he had purposefully separated himself from his birth clan.

Wonderfully set up, the Wen Clan had Weight, and it knew it. Lan Qiren, being one of the only reasons the man had gone after other clans, was a miracle in itself.

“This is a mockery of all the clans involved,” Qingheng-Jun frowned. “Their marriage will be annulled, and the Omegas will be correctly remarried to the rightful mate.”

Lan Wangji growled darkly, his mate putting a hand on his chest to try to calm him, but he was close to fighting his Father-in-Law too. Lan Xichen wrapped his arms more tightly around Meng Yao, glaring at the man, a rare sight of him being angry. He hissed darkly as his Omega whimpered and hid his face.

“It will be done,”

“It’s too late for that,” Lan Qiren felt bile trying to make its way up his throat, his collar tightening under his robes painfully as he forced a swallow. Taking smaller, shorter breaths, he tried to keep calm, even though he knew his Alpha could feel his body trembling. “Lan Xichen’s Omega is pregnant, and the next heir to the Lan Clan is on its way.”

No one moved back to Lan Qiren, not even for his clan, and for a second, he started to see spots in his vision when an angry yell pulled him back to see Madman Yu furious.

Nevertheless, her eyes weren’t on him; they were on her Omega, who stood up. Jiang Fengmian walked over to where they were. For a brief moment, it looked like he was going to take Qingheng-Jun's side, but he walked past, the heirs to the Wen Clan let him move to stand next to Lan Qiren and bowed.

“I have known Lan Qiren most of my life,” He spoke. “Rare is a time when he is wrong about things, and I believe with all my soul that he made the best decision for the clans.”

In his mind, Jian Fengmian had never gotten to be together with the person he had fallen in love with. To this day, the Alpha had captured his heart, never knowing, and was off living his life with a family of his own, while his broken heart just continued to lie settled in his heart.

“I stand by this choice and am joyful to have the great Hanguang-Jun as a Son-In-Law,” He tried to ignore the leering he was getting from his mate. She wasn’t going to be happy, regardless of whether the brides were mixed up. If he was going to get beaten for that mistake, he might as well make it worth it. “We look forward to future children.”

Besides, even though an Omega, he was still the Clan Leader; his blood mattered more than Her’s. Mistakes he made, perhaps this might make up for some of it.

“I second!” Jin Guangshang nearly shouted. He was not going to be at the tail end of Wen Ruohan's wrath. The Alpha didn’t have the care for sneaking into other Sects to threaten Leaders, what would stop him from straight out murdering them should he disagree?! No, their time as children and teens didn’t count anymore, but he sure could use it to his advantage, and he winces, feeling his Alpha’s hand on his leg, her claws digging into his thigh, that he knew he was going to be bleeding. “We also welcome the new in-laws,”

Holy crap, was she trying to sever his leg?!

“So, it’s agreed, the mistake was clear in the very beginning, and once again, Qingheng-Jun, the mess you’ve caused has been cleaned up by my beloved mate, once again.”

Qingheng-Jun looked as though he was going to explode when approached by the other members of his family and when speaking with them. The Alpha looked like he was going to lunge at them. He knew better than to try.

“Since all agree,” Wen Ruohan smirked, watching the other Alpha back down, heading back to his seat. He reached over to grab a cup of wine nearby and held it up. “Back to the celebrations!”

When no one moved for a second, he growled, and suddenly music was being played, if so, a bit too fast. He moved away, pulling Lan Qiren with him. And as people got up to move, to mingle, or rather rapidly talk about what just occurred, Jin Gangshang managed to get free of his mate rushing off because even if he was trying to cover his ass something was wrong with Lan Qiren.

Childhood sentiment or not, he hated the fact that he even wanted to hold onto that small string of friendship. He saw Jiang Fengmian moving with them into the side hall, which was reserved for the Wens.

Just in time to see Lan Qiren vomit onto the floor, hands gripping his stomach while Wen Ruohan kept him from falling over, snapping at someone to get the Doctor.

Gasping for air, Lan Qiren had to hold onto his knees, gasping. He could hear three voices around him trying to ask if he was alright or needed water, but the ringing soon became too loud; the world tunneled, with the edges turning white.

Their voices echoed in concern.

Lying is forbidden.

He couldn’t breathe!

Lying is forbidden.

He needed air!

Lying is forbidden.

“Qiren?!”

The white of the world swirled up, and he was falling, unaware that his mate had caught him, while another was shouting about blood. The voices faded, the world darkened, and he had never been as grateful as when the ringing stopped.

Chapter 12

Lan Xichen didn’t let go of A-Yao.

He was worried that if he did something, something might happen. Instead, he kept his arm around his waist. They had heard the news a few days ago from his Uncle about the baby.

The excitement was overshadowed by the day they had to enter the world again. He had been surprised to see his Uncle in his Wen Furen Robes. It had been a while since he had worn them.

Now that the commotion was over with them leaving, he could only assume that they would discuss what their next moves were. The Jades were left to deal with the remaining Sect Leaders.

They approached their Father first. Lan Xichen only let go of his mate and bowed before quickly sliding his arm back around his Omega. He was wary of the Alpha. He hadn’t been close to them all their lives, rarely taking notice until Sect Leader Nie Yuzu died.

Instead of saying anything, the anger on his Father’s face clear, he waved them off into the crowd. Happy to move along, he took them to the Jin table, which was missing their Leader who had taken off with the others.

Meng Yao, no, he can’t go by that name, not at the moment. Jin Guangyao bowed to them. Madam Jin narrowed her eyes. He tensed. His first and only interaction with her had been the backhand slap she had given him on the day of his wedding.

The month felt like years ago.

“It’s nice to meet you,” A soft voice spoke. “I’m Yanli, your sister-in-law.”

Looking up, Meng Yao hadn’t noticed her right away. She seemed so kind, he felt comfortable just by the kindness in her voice. Next to her was Jin Zuxian, who looked uncomfortable, making a face like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.

This must be his older half-brother. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,”

“We’d like to congratulate you on your heir,” She smiled.

“Thank you, we appreciate it,” Lan Xichen smiled, laughing a little ,seeing that her Husband was trying to get out words. “We’ll be moving on to greet the others.”

Madam Jin said nothing, crossing her arms while she seethed. Even if this meant the little bastard was married to the heir, it was clear that Wen Rouhan had become far more interested in what his mate wanted.

She’d have to figure out a new battle plan.

Glaring over at Madam Yu, her best friend, who was glaring daggers at Wei Wuxian, but he wouldn't back down because Lan Wangji was glaring back at her, the other female Alpha looked at her.

It seemed they’d have to figure out what to do next.

--

The pull of being forced awake weighed heavily on Lan Qiren. Eyelids felt heavy. He was sure he let out a whine. His hands were on his sides, rubbing them up and down. He recognized them as his mates.

It took almost all his strength to open his eyes, vision blurry, and it slowly focused until he could see his mate in front of him. Wen Ruohan looked worried.

“There you are,” He spoke, leaning down to press their foreheads together, a deep relieved sigh leaving his throat. “You worried me,”

Slow breaths, Lan Qiren blinked. His mind and body felt a numbing pain. Smacking his tongue a little, as it was dry, he let out a sound from his throat, dry, raspy.

“Here, have some water!”

Eyes looking over he was surprised to see Jin Guangshang there. Still, he was moved to sit up slowly, in his mate’s arms, and the Alpha took the water from the Beta. He drank enough to stop the dryness in his throat and mouth.

“What happened…?”

“You were going into Qi Deviation,” Jiang Fengmian stared. “Your mate managed to keep it from happening until the Doctor arrived.”

How many people were here? Lan Qiren couldn’t pick up, scent, or sense them! Wait, did they say he almost… died?! Blinking, he frowned until his mate confirmed his inner question.

“Wen Furen should be fine, with rest, plenty of it, and no Sect Matters, or it could get worse,” Wen Qing said. She bowed. “I can tend to him personally, if Sect Leader Wen permits me to,”

“Granted,” He held his beloved mate close. He then looked at the other two, both seemed worried, but he didn’t need them here. “None of what happened leaves this hallway, do you understand?”

Not a question.

They nodded, knowing that going against it wouldn’t end well. They bid Lan Qiren farewell, then headed back into the party, aware that they should keep what had happened to themselves.

Wen Ruohan had never heard Lan Qiren struggle to let out whining groans, fighting to wake up. Coaxing him slowly until his Omega was able to open his eyes, breathing very slowly, eyes blinking slowly at him.

“There you are,” He said, kissing the side of his mouth gently. “How do you feel?”

“Horrible,” Frowning, Lan Qiren sighed, lifting his chin just slightly to press his lips to his mate's mumbling. “My body hurts,”

“I’m sure,” Scenting his mate, he moved back just enough to gather Lan Qiren into his arms. Once seated and ensuring that his Omega was as comfortable as possible in the situation, he kissed his bondmark. “We’ll be returning to the Sun Palace in a few days.”

“I have work to do,”

“They’ll have to do without you,” Wen Ruohan leaned down, whispering into his ear. There was a pause when his beloved didn’t answer. “Did you hear me?”

Lan Qiren's mind was trying to comprehend what had been said. He paused, then looked up at his Alpha with wide eyes, mouth hanging open, hands rushing to his belly.

“Are you sure?”

“As you said, she’s talented.” He waved at Wen Qing, who tensed but bowed to them. “And she’s confirmed that aside from your almost Qi Deviation, you are also-”

“Pregnant.” Lan Qiren breathed out. “…Pregnant?!”

--
Once the greetings were over, Wei Wuxian sat down at the table that had been set for them, next to which were the other couples. He had heard of his brother-in-law, but had never met him or his now Omega.

Walking up to the smaller Omega, he thanked all that the fellow Omega was not a child, and he grinned, greeting him. The other bowed to him. Raising an eyebrow, he laughed.

“You don’t have to bow to me,” He crossed his arms as he laughed. “I have never heard your name. What is it?”

“Meng- No, Jin Guangyao,” Taking a moment, not ready to believe that his mother’s name no longer meant he was a part of her family, Jin Guangyao forced a smile. “It’s nice to meet you,”

“You too! I was worried for a bit,” He explained why, then rubbed his hands together. “But enough of that! Let’s eat and drink, hm? We can get to know each!”

The four sat there for all of five minutes when Wen Chao and Wen Xu came over. The twin Jades stood to greet them, having been raised together by Lan Qiren for years.

Wei Wuxian knew something was wrong when one of the Wen Siblings leaned forward, whispering to them because Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen looked startled.

“A-Yao, stay with Wei Wuxian.”

“Uh,” Jin Guangyao watched them leave. “I wonder what happened?”

“I have no idea, but get ready,” Wei Wuxian said, seeing that with them gone, Madam Yu was standing. He laughed nervously. “We might have to deal with in-laws sooner than thought- Oh, and Madam Jin too.”

Jin Guangyao did not want to speak with Madam Jin.

The Alphas made their way towards them.

Chapter 13

Jin Guangyao was nervous as they approached. He wasn’t sure where he stood, but from the looks and reaction of the other Omega next to him, he could guess that they weren’t kind or good people.

Having been warned about his mate’s father had been one thing; they knew him. He didn’t know anything about the Jin family aside from the three interactions he had with them, none of which lasted more than thirty minutes.

Once, he was with his Father, who gave a quick speech that sounded bored and stressed. He then gave him a new name before he was tossed to get ready. Madam Jin had slapped him during this wedding robe dressing, and his brother had awkwardly sat there with his face red, like he wasn’t sure if he would burst into wild yells or stop breathing.

Jin Guangyao went to stand so that he could bow, but Wei Wuxian stopped him and gave him a slight shake of the head. They were married, and had done their bows, it was now time to be bowed too.

Even if Wei Wuxian could feel his heart trying to escape.

Madam Yu was about to say something when someone appeared behind the two Omegas. She paused, nose wrinkling in a growl. The Alpha that had appeared behind the newly married Omega raised an eyebrow.

“Madam Yu, Madam Jin,” He bowed, then stood up. “My Sect Leader Wen told me to watch both Lan Furens while he is occupied with some family matters.”

“Wen Zhuliu, do you think something might happen?” Madam Yu challenged. “That we’d harm them.”

Wei Wuxian looked at her like she had lost her mind, making Jin Guangyao feel like he was boarding a far more dangerous line than he realized.

“If you wish to speak with Sect Leader Wen, by all means,” He didn’t move. “However, I am going to follow my orders until told otherwise,”

Madam Jin glittered her teeth but bowed to them; the hate in her eyes was explicit. On the other hand, Madam Yu didn’t bow for a full minute until Wen Zhuliu cleared his throat. As if it strained her, she bowed before turning angrily to walk away.

When she made her way back, her mate was back. Just as he was about to sit, she stopped him and nodded her head towards their hallway. He sighed but stood, following her.

--

Lan Qiren had a few minutes to let the news sink in before he saw his nephews heading their way. Quickly told his Alpha and the Doctor not to tell them yet.

After all this celebration was for them, the news of his pregnancy could wait. Besides, he would rather make sure everything went smoothly before announcing anything.

“Shushu, are you alright?” Lan Xichen asked with worry clear on his face.

“I’m alright, the stress and other such things got to me,” Which wasn’t a lie. “I will be out in a little while.”

“Shushu?” Lan Wangji frowned.

“I plan on returning to the Sun Palace.” It would be fine to have a break, and with them out of seclusion, his brother forced to accept this, he needed to be away to recover. “I’ll be able to rest there for a while,”

“As you will,” Wen Ruohan held him close. “This last month has been stressful. However, I am sure that you two will be able to handle matters, and if you ever need anything, send for me.”

“We will be well,” Lan Xichen smiled. “Do you need us to get you anything?”

“No, you should be with your mates,” Lan Qiren waved them away. “I’m fine, I’ll be out soon.”

They lingered, but the four left, the Wen Siblings eager to get some wine. Left alone, Wen Ruohan lifted his Omega in his arms, heading off to the side room, while Wen Qing followed.

Lying him down, he looked him over. “I'd rather you rest.”

“I will nap, but only for half an hour,” Lan Qiren frowned. “I want to enjoy some time with my nephews. I’ll miss them when I’m gone,”

“I will stay with you,”

Getting comfortable, Lan Qiren closed his eyes. He’d have to think of a new plan when he woke up. With that in mind, he was able to slip under, his hands on his belly, while his heart felt warm.

--

The food was excellent!

Jin Guangyao enjoyed all the food that was brought to him. He felt odd for being served instead of being served, yet the meals from all the clans had him cover his mouth with his sleeves, trying not to look so greedy.

Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, was downing wine and food as if it were nothing, cheering as the dancers and musicians played. The distraction allowed him to slip some rolls and other foods into his sleeves.

He was slipping one of the steamed buns into his pocket when a shadow appeared above him. Jumping, he looked up and almost choked, seeing his half-brother there. The Alpha looked like he was twitching, fists clenched, and his mouth opened a little.

“Hello!”

Jumping again, Jin Guangyao bowed a little. “Hello?”

“I’m…” Struggling to get his words out, Jin Zixuan almost combusted before he managed to get out the simple words. “I’m your brother!”

“Oi, peacock, you don’t need to yell!” Wei Wuxian took a swig of his wine, raising an eyebrow. “Why not come sit and chat?”

“I…You…”...” Turning red, unsure of how to talk with a younger brother he had heard of a month ago, he ended up bowing and taking off. “Goodbye!”

“What was that about?” Jin Guangyao asked concerned. “Is he angry with me?”

“Nah, I think he has no idea how to talk to people.” He paused, looking up. “Ah, they're back!”

Lan Wangji walked over, took his seat, and pulled his Omega into his lap. They sensed for a second. Settling down as he drank some more, Wei Wuxian scanned the place, but when his eyes came back around, he paused.

Jin Guangyao was curled into Lan Xichen’s side, but his eyes were slightly narrowed. He was scanning the place as well, sizing up people and, from what he could tell, trying to get a clue about how they acted.

Well, looked like he’d have an ally here.

Jin Guangyao was studying the Jin sect. They seemed to be talking amongst themselves. From where his brother had retreated, he looked embarrassed while talking to his wife. She comforted him, patting his back with a small laugh.

His Father had a fan to his face, but from how his eyes were looking at Madam Jin with worry, how she was trying hard and failing to keep calm, it was apparent they might get into a fight later.

Unsure he’d have to spend time with them, he latched onto his Beta. If he had to, he didn’t want to go alone, something in his gut told him not to. Hand on his belly, he felt overprotective of his baby even if he hadn’t formed a bump yet.

--

Lan Qiren woke feeling better.

For a second time, he sat up, rubbing his face, blinking, and then realized his mate and the Doctor were pressing Qi into him. Thanking them, he frowned, seeing how messy his robes were.

Fussing over them, trying to straighten them, he asked for a brush. Someone took off to find one, but when they took too long, Lan Qiren decided he was just going to borrow one from one of the others.

Knowing the back of the hall servants commonly used, he knew he could pop into the Jiang or Jin side and borrow one. Most likely, Jin Guangshang would have several ready, but he’d ask Jiang Fengmian first since he was closer.

The hallway that led to the rooms was commonly isolated, so when he heard noises from the other side, he wondered if they were leaving. Opening the door, he froze.

Madam Yu had always had a temper for an Alpha, which wasn’t a secret. They knew she struck and hit her Omega on occasion. One was in their youth, and she had been reprimanded because of her high-blooded Omega.

In front of him, in what looked like a painful pinch, Jiang Fengmian was struggling to breathe as her hand twisted his collar, from the onslaught of hits and scratches she was giving him, Lan Qiren knew his body was going to be littered with bruises.

She was smart enough not to mark his face.

Hissing at her, she growled, snapping her head at him, her teeth snapping in a warning. Her Omega whimpered, still labored breathing, trying to get free to no avail.

“Go away, Lan Qiren, this isn’t your concern.” She stood up, quickly stepping on her Omega’s chest to keep him from getting up. She was furious, her plans ruined, and once she got her hands on that stupid, useless Wei Wuxian, she wouldn’t be happy. “Don’t you have to go control your brother?!”

“How improper,” A deep growl emerged, as Wen Ruohan melted out of the shadows. He had followed his mate after telling the doctor to prepare for the journey home. “You dare speak to my Omega like that?!”

She backed away fast, her spine shaking in fear. Clenching her fists, she growled, then snarled at the hacking her husband was making. He had rolled over and pulled off his collar because his neck was swelling.

Lan Qiren rushed over to help him sit up. His hair was messy, the bun had come off, and one of his braids looked like it had been so painfully done that it had to be redone. There were fingerprints on his neck where she grabbed him.

“I think you should go back to the party,” Wen Ruohan said as he walked up to her, nearly face to face, and he had to lean down to her level. “Upset my mate one more time on this day, and just know I won’t hold back.”

A growl had her nearly running, cold sweat on her face, heart hammering.

“Are you alright?”

“I’ll be okay,” his voice raspy, and he rubbed his neck. “She hasn’t been that angry in a while…”

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” Helping him up, putting his arm around his shoulders, he saw him wince. “Ribs?”

“Yeah…”

“I have some ointment for that.”

“For what?” Wen Ruohan’s eyes darkened. “Why do you have rib ointment?”

“For bruised ribs,” Lan Qiren looked at him. “I do not think I have to say out loud,”

Eyes blazing, Wen Ruohan managed to control his anger. One, because his Omega was pregnant, and two, he was trying to help a fellow Omega, who looked like he could barely walk. Scooping up the injured Sect Leader, he helped his mate back to their hall and let him start to fuss over him while the Doctor helped out.

Once she was handling most of it, Lan Qiren approached his Alpha, looking up at him. Reaching up, he cupped his face while his arms wrapped around him.

“Thank you,”

“For what?”

“For never harming me,”

“I’d burn the world before I ever laid a hand on you,” Wen Rouhan pressed their foreheads together. He lowered his lips to Lan Qiren’s bond mark, pressing a firm kiss. “If he ever lays a hand on you, love, I will follow through on my threats.”

Lan Qiren believed him.

With his eyes closed, he remained unmoving. Then he sighed, moving back slightly to look into those red eyes. His Alpha was truly his, never harming him or belittling him.

“We should get back to the party, or people will talk,”

“Hm, I think the talk would be what we could have gotten up to after all that mess,” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Which I wouldn’t have minded,”

“Shameless!” Face red, he pushed his Alpha’s face away with his hands, sure that the red in his robes was outdone by how heated his face became. “Don’t say that out loud!”

Laughing loudly, he pulled Lan Qiren close, stealing a kiss. “Come, let’s go see who’s playing nice with who.”

Stopping to make sure his friend was alright, at least for a bit, he was going to try to enjoy his nephew's celebrations. His mind was set on getting the party back on track, while Wen Rouhan was planning on a little revenge.

Chapter 14

He still liked to think of himself by his name, Meng Yao, watched as the Wen Sect Leader and the Grandmaster left in a carriage while he stood next to his mate.

Now dressed in Gusu Robes, he had a certain pattern to show he was the First Lan Furen, the wife of the future Clan leader. Hands folded in front of him, more so on his belly, he stood while they watched them head off into the forest trees.

Lan Xichen turned to his Omega, his heart still did a silly little flip, and smiled. Reaching out a hand, he took A-Yao’s hand, his deeper purring a little too loud. There wasn’t a word he could put in place to describe how much he had fallen in love with A-Yao.

Smiling back, Meng Yao took his hand, and they started to walk back towards the mountainside. He hadn’t learned how to fly or even cultivate yet.

“Shushu left everything planned out for you,” Lan Xichen smiled. “Studying our ways, the rules you know, regardless, we need to help learn cultivation.”

“I’m nervous,” Meng Yao admitted. “What will happen if I don’t learn right away?”

“Do not worry, whatever you need will be provided, I promise,” Lan Xichen slipped his arm around his waist. “I will teach you how to play. Do you know what instrument you like?”

“I never thought of it,”

“What?!” Wei Wuxian popped out of nowhere from the few feet behind them since the second married couple was following them. “You are going to force him to study?! We just finished celebrating being married! Hey, Lan Zhan, tell your brother to relax.”

“I don’t mind,” Laughing a little, Meng Yao tried not to be too loud, it was impolite. “I’m excited. I’ve always dreamed of learning and now I can,”

“Eh, well, I guess, but if you ever get bored, I’ll sneak you out of class,” Wei Wuxian promised. “And I know all the good hiding spots!”

Smiling, Meng Yao was hoping to prove himself worthy. He liked his mate and his brother-in-law, even if he was more silent. He never seemed to be mean, and he was hoping to become close friends with Wei Wuixan.

--

The first week went well. Meng Yao joined the young disciples while learning. After he had told his mate, feeling embraced because of how young they were, his mate assured him that learning the basics was a must and that it had been planned.

It seemed the Grandmaster had made him a list of classes for the three months, including insisting that learning from the start was always a good place to begin.

There were also meat plans for him; the work for the meals had been because of his pregnancy and being underweight, which allowed him bone broth, and he was allowed to have lunches with meat just outside the line of the Recesses.

More often than not, Wei Wuxian joined him, chattering nonstop about anything and everything. He could eat a good amount of food, high in fats, for his weight.

Still, when no one was looking, he would hide food in his sleeves for later. In their home, he had a nice little stash. Week two saw him learning his duties as Lan Furen, classes he attended with Wei Wuxian, who was to help him or take over if needed.

The tall Omega seemed happy enough to lay sideways while doodling on some paper then pay attention to the Teacher who looked like he wanted to say something. Meng Yao wrote everything down, only having some trouble when Wei Wuxian used his lap as a pillow to take a nap during on of the lectures.

Soon, a month flew by. He bowed to the elders when they reviewed his first month's progress. Worry filled his soul when they went over all his things until one nodded.

“Impressive! It seemed you were gifted, Lan Furen. I must say you are advancing faster than we thought,” He hummed. “I hope you will continue to do so,”

“Yes, I will,” Smiling widely, cheeks burning from how happy he was to get approval, he bowed low. “This humble one is grateful,”

He left that meeting room floating.

Lan Xichen was waiting for him outside the hall, looking relieved when he saw his Omega. They hugged, sharing a kiss, and left while Meng Yao told him what they said.

Tea was served while the happy couple drank.

It wasn’t until they were summoned for a family dinner that they were threw them off. Since being there, Meng Yao had never eaten a family dinner with the Clan Leader.

No, he had dinner with Lan Xichen, Lan Wangji, and Wei Wuxian. But never the head of the Clan. That made him nervous, so he started to sneak food into his sleeves throughout the day, often downing two or three buns.

He was welcome in the kitchens, too. Someone always asked if he needed anything to eat because of the baby. He always said yes. Anything easy to hide and that wouldn’t go bad he’d sneak into his sleeves.

At the moment, he was trying to down two steamed buns as fast as he could. Something about the Alpha, his father-in-law, unexpectedly made him scared. An irrational part of his mind told him they would take away his food.

Starving while pregnant sent another fear into his brain, so he ate faster. A hand touched his shoulder. He screamed, muffled from all the bites of bao in his mouth.

He froze when he saw his brother-in-law there. Lan Wangji was just looking at him. He had no idea how to read the Alpha, but somehow, his mate knew exactly what he was always thinking.

Trembling, damn his body, he stared at him blinking, trying to keep tears from falling. How embarrassing. He was such a high statue, even if he thought he would never be good enough, mouth full of food, and he curled further into himself.

Being smaller than his always-small frame helped keep him safe. If people pitied him, they wouldn’t hurt him. Tensing, Lan Wangji held out his hand. Unsure of what he wanted, he just put his hand in the Alpha's.

With his hand taken, he was pulled along. Whimpering, he followed. What was the punishment for being a glutton? With his head lowered, he forced himself to finish the food in his mouth.

They got to one of the rooms, and when it opened, inside was Wei Wuxian, who was flipping over some papers. When the door opened, he perked up and grinned happily.

“Ah, Lan Zhan!” Jumping up, he ran to hug and kiss his mate. Then looked at who he brought. “Whoa, hey, what’s wrong?”

“…sorry…”

Lan Wangji explained what happened. It clicked in Wei Wuxian what had happened. He had food insecurities since being left on the streets when his parents were killed.

“Oh, hey, no, Lan Zhan’s not mad,” Wei Wuxian smiled, if a little sadly, pulling Meng Yao towards the table. “He just wanted you to sit down while you eat and have something to drink, didn’t you, Lan Zhan?”

Lan Wangji nodded.

“See, he was worried!” Pulling the small Omega with him, he had him sit down. “Come now, eat and drink with us! We have tea, I have something a little stronger.”

“You’re not mad?”

“No! Uh, come on, I’ve been there too… scared there won’t be food, right?”

“Yes,” He tensed. “I…I feel like I’m going to get kicked out.”

Hugging him, Wei Wuxian nuzzled the side of his forehead, a friendship bond they had started to build. He purred happily, feeling Meng Yao return. He liked that name better, and so they used his official name when they had to tend to Sect Matters.

“Here,” Pulling out some snacks he had hidden, he offered some. “I had some of these earlier; they’re not too spicy because I got the wrong ones.”

“Thank you,” Meng Yao said. He took a snack, which was crunchy and spicy. He liked it and relaxed a little. “Do you know why we're having dinner with Clan Leader Lan?”

“No, idea, it’s the first time he wanted us there,” Wei Wuxian took his seat with a frown. He took out a small wine bottle. “From what Lan Zhan told him, they had dinner with their Father before, Lan Laoshi, and their Grandfather and Grand Uncle,”

Looking up, Meng Yao paused. “If Grandfather is still alive, how is it…”

“They're all Betas,” Wei Wuxian frowned, then looked at his mate. “Don’t worry, it’s not gossip if it’s true, hm? A history lesson, no?”

Lan Wangji took a second, then nodded, closing his eyes.

“Okay, so, while back with Grandmaster Lan Qiren was back in Qishan Wen Clan, my Husband’s Father wasn’t happy waiting for his turn to rule so he challenged Grandfather to a dight, and of course, the other two, Great Uncles couldn’t let this happen so they took on the role to fight him.” Wei Wuxian waved his hand. “Long story short, they lost, he took over, and Lan Qiren came home to see what was going on, and despite him wanting to challenge his brother, well,”

“An Omega challenging an Alpha is considered unfair and unjust,” Meng Yao repeated. “Or just not done?”

“Like anyone else, it’s simply not done. I honestly believe that if Lan Qiren were given the chance, he would win,” Downing another long drink, Wei Wuxian sighed. “I still can’t believe he took the fall for me…”

“Is there a way?”

“There is, but with how tense the Sects are right now? Let's let them settle,” Wei Wuxian paused. “And you’re with child, I think you shouldn’t be stressed at all,”

Smiling, he rubbed his belly happily. He was excited to meet his baby, curious about what they’d look like, and the pure joy of one day holding his baby warmed his heart.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be there, just know that he has a temper, so,” Wei Wuxian held a finger up to his lips. “We’ll have to be silent. Well, I, more than you,”

“Keep low,”

“Yep!”
--

Dinner was odd.

Meng Yao sat next to his mate. They were all eating, and for the first time, he hadn’t heard a peep out of Wei Wuxian. For some reason, that scared him more than the Clan Leader.

At the head of the table was the Clan leader. He was eating while the rest of the elders of the main Lan Clan ate. A space was empty, leaving him to believe that it belonged to the Grandmaster. They were at the end. The Lan Furens sat across from each other, eating.

There was a nibbling unease down his neck. Meng Yao couldn’t feel eyes traveling to him now and then from the Clan Leader. He took a slow bite, trying to be perfect.

If he could be perfect, his Father-in-law might like him, even if a little. The dinner felt like it had gone on forever until his food was gone. Setting his utensil down, he waited a few minutes while the others ate. To his horror, he realized that he had finished first even though he thought he was eating slowly.

Lan Xichen noticed that he was done. He took a moment to look at his partner's bowl, then frowned. Reaching over, he picked up the bowl, holding it in his hand, and realized it was smaller than the rest.

Adding more food to the bowl, he handed it back to A-Yao, singling him out to eat, but his Omega didn’t. The glance at his father let him know that his mate was nervous about eating more in front of him.

This irked a part of Lan Xichen.

He set his food down, not wanting to eat if his Omega wasn’t. Why was there a smaller bowl? He was pregnant! Looking at his brother, who stared back, he knew that Lan Wangji had noticed at one point, yet he was unable to voice what had happened.

Finally, it was over. The servants came in to take the food away. Wei Wuxian loudly declared that the food was good, but he wished there was more spice to it. Considering there was no spice at all, he was just trying to make conversation, but he paused to see what happened next.

Lan Xichen stopped the servant from picking up their plates, holding them out. The smaller bowl in his hand was clearly meant for a child. Meng Yao lowered his head.

“Why is my Omega’s bowl smaller than the rest of ours?”

“Is he complaining?” Qingheng-Jun asked, his voice challenging. He grew somewhat satisfied seeing how the Omega lowered his head, and when his son turned to look at him. “Well? Speak up!”

“This bowl is for a child. My mate is an adult and pregnant, and he also needs meals for his and our child's health,” Lan Xichen frowned. “This must be a mistake,”

“Is it?”

Lan Xichen had to grit his teeth. His Father was trying to bait him. From how he asked with a biting challenge, let him know that the Alpha was daring them to step out of line at the first dinner.

“Qingheng-Jun,” Grandfather started, only to get cut off.

“Silence.”

Tensing Meng Yao wanted to leave. He had never heard someone command an Elder in the Clan like that before. Nervously, he reached over; luckily, his hand was hidden from view, and his mate turned and tugged at his robe.

He wanted to leave.

Lan Xichen looked back at him, then at his father. “Is there anything that needs to be discussed, or can we be excused?”

“You don’t want to spend time with family?”

“Ah, we have early lessons,” Wei Wuxian jumped in quickly. “First, Furen Lan is learning quickly, and we’ve been studying together.”

That was an obvious lie. They spent maybe a few minutes studying, but mostly, Wei Wuxian liked to chatter, which Meng Yao liked. He never had a friend who didn’t judge him or seemed to care about his background.

“You two can leave,” He waved at them, as if flicking a fly away. “Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji, you two stay. The rest of you go.”

“Go, I’ll be home soon,” Lan Xichen whispered. “It’s fine,”

Wei Wuxian frowned but looked at his mate, who shook his head. Frowning, he rose and waited for Meng Yao to join him. They left together. He wasn’t happy with the stunt on the food, nor was he glad that his mate and brother-in-law, but it had been a tense dinner.

“Will they be alright?”

“I don’t know,” Wei Wuxian frowned. “Qingheng-Jun has never been a good person, and yes, I know it’s against the rules to talk about him like that, but it’s true. He’s just pissed that we’re married to our mates and not how he wanted it.”

Nodding, Meng Yao reached into his sleeves, pulling out two buns. He offered one to Wei Wuxian, who paused and then burst out laughing as he grabbed one.

“Perfect, I’m still hungry!” He took a bite. “Let’s head to the kitchen. I know they had some extra food, and this and what you ate isn’t enough.”

“I’m okay,”

“Nu-uh! The baby needs it,” He grinned. “For the baby?”

Nodding with a smile, Meng Yao took a bite of his bun. “For the baby.”

They fell into a heavy silence. Even if they had a goal to get some extra food from the kitchen, their minds were back to their mates and the fact that they were alone with Qingheng-Jun.

Chapter 15

Meng Yao was getting worried.

His mate had yet to return. Over an hour had passed, with him back in their home. He had set out their sleeping robes before diving into studying. He wanted to catch up, and with all the years he was missing, he was determined not to let a second slip away.

Twenty minutes into studying, he grew worried. As the minutes passed, it started to eat at him. That dinner had been strained, even if silent; his smaller bowl was odd.

Tapping his brush on the wood, he set it down. He should see if Lan Xichen was coming back. Standing, he walked towards the door when he heard it open.

Heart relaxing, he walked over to greet him. “Welcome home- Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Lan Xichen had to wince at his voice. “Just got into an argument with Father, is all,”

“Are… are you hurt?!” Meng Yao rushed to him, quickly opening his robes, seeing bruising. “He beat you?!”

“It’s been a while since he has done so, but yes, when he’s angry, he lashes out, and it seemed that Wangji and I have angered him.” Lan Xinchen was glad nothing was broken. The argument over the smaller food portions had been brought up, and when he told his Father he wouldn’t stand for it, the Alpha lunged at him. “He’s been practicing since our mother died,”

“Come sit down, I can help with these.” Helping his mate sit down, he rushed to get the herbs he had collected from getting to know the Cloud Ressces. He started to mash and mix a paste. “I have something that will help,”

“You had bruises like this before?”

“I grew up in a brothel,” Meng Yao frowned. “Beatings are a part of life.”

Scowling Lan Xichen shook off the top of his robes, looking at the forming one on his forearm. It was already turning a deep, ugly color. They had been lucky; he had only attacked them for a few minutes before yelling and screaming at them for the mistake of their Shushu.

“Here, let me see.” Moving over with the paste, Meng Yao applied it, gently rubbing it in. His mate was a powerful cultivator. So many of the people in this world were. To leave such marks? “…was he always like this?”

“Yes.” Lan Xichen frowned. “My earliest memories are of him being furious at me. Why, though, I couldn’t tell you,”

“How horrible,” He frowned, letting out a hiss. “Isn’t this against the rules?”

“He’ll bend it to discipline his children,”

“How did he raise you to be so kind?”

“Ah, no,” Shaking his head, he laughed awkwardly, only to wince when another bruise near his ribs made him gasp. “Shushu raised us. He visited often, but one day, they fought when Father was in a rage. I remember it being a blur… but after that, he moved back here for a year, and when he traveled to Qinshen, he’d take us with him for months at a time.”

“Is that why the Wen Siblings joined us at our table?”

“Yes, we grew up together. It was only when we became teenagers and had to focus more on our clan that the visits were less. Wen Xu and Wen Chao are older, so Shushu stayed years, visiting his own married home as often as he could.”

“That must have been hard on them…”

“Oh, no! Sect Leader Wen Rouhan often visits here,” Lan Xichen nodded. “If anything, it seems he travels quicker to see Shushu,”

“They seemed to support each other.” Meng Yao got the last paste on her hen and looked at the rest. “I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?”

“To bring this to your brother and Wei Wuxian,” He paused. “I’ll make more if need be,”

“…Thank you,”

--

Wei Wuxian was pissed.

He was holding his Alpha close. While he knew Lan Wangji wouldn’t say much in words, he saw the bruises. Qingheng-Jun was an asshole, it wasn’t a secret.

He had seen the Alpha’s temper before a few times, most recently between Qingheng-Jun and Lan Qiren. It honestly scared him. Back in Lotus Peir, he had seen Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian fight before, but when she lost her temper, it was the same as Qingheng-Jun's.

Justifying it as well-deserved beatings. He rarely escaped her wrath, but he knew her mate never did. He had sworn he would never be in that situation with his mate.

Meeting Lan Wangji had been strange. He had no idea when he fell in love with the Alpha, or maybe it was first sight. He just knew he was nothing like his Father.

Rowling, wanting to go hiss and attack that fool. Wei Wuxian jumped when there was a knock at their door. Sitting up, he gritted his fists. He was willing to go beat the shit out of the Clan Leader.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Meng Yao,”

“A-Yao?” Standing Wei Wuxian walked over, opening the door, looking down at the other Omega. “Are you alright?”

“I brought some brushing medicine,” He held it up. “My mate told me what happened,”

“Ah, thank you,” He took the paste, looking back then at his fellow Omega. “I would  invite you in, but…”

“No, I understand, I want to get back to my mate as well,”

“Do you need me to walk you?”

“No, I can get back on my own,” He paused. “Is it this bad normally?”

“Sometimes. I’ll tell you more tomorrow over some food?” Wei Wuxian waited for a nod, then looked at the medicine. “Thank you, again.”

They parted, heading back off to tend to their harmed mates.

--

Hands roamed over his belly gently. Lan Qiren was leaning back against his mate. He forgot how easy it was to relax in their room, where he could just let all the stress melt away.

Inhaling deeply, he let out a half-yawn. He had taken a nap. With how often he found Wen Qing near him, healing his body and making sure it was strong while the baby grew, he found himself catching up on sleep. Even if he slept under the strict rules of the Lan Clan, it didn’t take away from the burnout.

“Good morning,” Wen Ruohan nuzzled his neck, leaving soft kisses on the back of his ear. “How do you feel?”

“Heavy with sleep,” Comfortable, yet his eyelids felt heavy. Snuggling back more, he turned to kiss his mate's chin. “And hungry.”

“What do you want? Name it,”

“Dinner,” He made a face. “I know it’s breakfast,”

“It shall be done,” Wen Rouhand summoned a servant and sent them off with the dinner for breakfast. Keeping his mate in his arms, he scented him and nuzzled him, pleased when Lan Qiren wiggled around and started to do the same. “Do you want to stay in bed today?”

“No, I feel well.” He felt way better than he had in weeks. “I want to walk in the garden, fresh air for the baby,”

“We can go after you eat.”

When the dinner for breakfast showed up, Lan Qiren would love to sit. He ate as he usually did, but he kept eating after his third bowl. He wasn’t eating quickly; he was just hungry.

Wen Ruohan kept filling his bowl if it looked too empty. He was pleased to watch his Omega favor meaty foods. The other day, he had only wanted vegetables, and while a mix was preferred, it seemed that day by day, it depended on what he wanted.

The real surprise was when he asked Wen Chao the other day if he could have some of his snacks and was warned that they were hot. To their shock, he ate them with no issue. For an entire day, he just wanted to eat spicy snacks.

Chewing his food, Lan Qiren looked at the rest of the food. For dinner, there was more. Reaching out, he added more to his bowl. Oddly, it was not full, but his stomach didn’t hurt. A part of him felt a little embarrassed, while the other felt a sense of happiness.

After a while, he finally felt full. Setting his bowl down, he let out a little sigh. Picking up a small towel, he wiped his mouth. Feeling eyes on him, he looked at his Alpha, who had a smile on his face.

“What?”

“Nothing, just enjoying you enjoying yourself,”

Frowning Lan Qiren shook his head. “That was too much food.”

“I don’t think so,” he said, moving to sit behind his mate, pulling him close. “Your body needed to recovery from all that bullshit your brother put your through, plus the constant healing, the baby, well, it makes sense to eat more,”

Humming, Lan Qiren relaxed against him. A baby. The idea had long been lost to the mated pair. Lan Qiren's despair at realizing that he’d never bear a child and the situation of having to help sort out consorts for his mate nearly drove him insane.

He got to raise four children, and he’d never regret it, but there was fear until the baby got there about whether he’d be able to carry the baby full term. Wen Qing rarely left his side; then again, with how his Alpha was, he’d be surprised if she would try to leave even if he asked her to.

Rubbing his belly, he looked down. There was no bump yet, he was just a month and a half, of course, but he could feel how it was starting to soften. Soon, according to the Doctor, it would firm up.

Hearing Lan Qiren purring settled a need in him. His Omega's happiness soothed his own inner Alpha. Moving his hands to touch and gently rake his fingers over the robes, it was better to see his Wen Furen in their Sect Clothing. Leaning down, Lan Qiren looked back at him, and their lips met. Soft, gently, until Lan Qiren moved away. He perked up when a servant came in with letters.

The servant named from whom and what Sect, a few trade deals, plans, etc. Lan Qiren frowned when there were still no letters from his nephews. He had written them weekly!

“Anything from Gusu Lan?” He asked, only to be told that the only thing was the day before about the upcoming Conference at Jinlin Tower. Still frowning, he requested them to bring his writing desk to the room. “I think I’ll take a walk later.”

“How about after lunch, hm? I will join you,” Wen Ruohan kissed him once again. “I have to deal with the Sect.”

“Do what you must, I’m going to be here,” Lan Qiren let himself be helped up, even if he didn’t need it, not now at least. Turning into his Alpha’s arms, they scented for a few minutes. “I love you,”

“I love you more,”

--

Qingheng-Jun read over the letters his brother had sent to his sons.

All of them were the same, inquiring if they were doing well in their married life and how they were settling in. For Lan Xichen, it was asking about his days, what he was up to, then asking about his mate and their baby, even including a letting for that little Jin Omega. It was disgusting how easily his brother accepted the Omega.

The Letter for Lan Wangji was pretty much the same, inquiring about his health and life. The only thing that differed was a longer letter for Wei Wuxian reminding him of some of the rules, but it included a promise to send some chillis from the Wen Sect.

Folding the letters back up, he tossed them into his desk along with the rest of the letters. When any letters appeared to be sent out to Lan Qiren from his sons, he read them and threw them into his desk as well.

Picking up a little from Golden Crap Tower he frowned seeing they wanted to speak on a few trades. He was about to crumple up the paper when a thought hit him.

Where had they gotten that little Omega from? Now that he thought about it, that thing was Jin Guangshang’s; the blood ties proved it, but it didn’t belong to Madam Jin.

Thinking back, he recalled the first pregnancy, when Jin Guangshang had his son, but he didn’t remember him carrying another child, unless it was one of the bastards, which clearly that brat mated to his firstborn was, but whose blood shared his.

With brush strokes, he invited the Jins for tea, using the Omega as bait. If they had something to hide, he would find it, and besides, he had plans on why he wanted which Omega was mated to which child, and this whole ridiculous thing with his brother switching the name plates! He still didn’t believe this was true, not perfect Lan Qiren, who followed the rules so strictly that as a child, he used to break out into hives at the thought of lying!

No, there was a lie going on with her, and if he was going to continue with his plans, he was going to have to start digging until he uncovered each stone. Besides, he could discuss their plans with Madam Jin, and she and Madam Yu better figure out how to control their mates.

Or beat them more.

Either way, his method of locking his own mate away worked for him; however, it was his blood that mattered. Shame, they’d be easier to control if they could.

Sending off the letters, he sat back, tapping his claws on his desk as he growled impatiently.

Chapter 16

Wei Wuxian was setting up his nest.

He gathered several items for his heat. For a nest in the Lan Clan, he had several colors from three sects, his favorite being the fuzzy, soft floor blanket.

That was in the middle of his nest, and he knew it would need some serious cleaning when they were done with it. Tossing some more pillows in, he wondered what else was missing.

He had a week but wanted it to be as comfortable and with as many blankets as possible. He learned quickly during their honeymoon that they didn’t do well with regular nesting and were forced to clean or sleep with nothing to keep warm, which wasn’t something either wanted to repeat.

Tapping his lips, he hummed.

Water.

He needed to gather some basins of water!

Rushing off, he headed towards the kitchen, gathering several bottles and filling them with water. Once he was sure his nest had some proper water, he headed off to find something to do.

He was halfway towards finding his Alpha to tease him when he heard music. Pausing, he looked back at the door where his brother-in-law lived. He paused, then headed towards it and knocked.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me!”

The door opened with Meng Yao smiling. He liked having a friend, and Wei Wuxian was fun. Letting him in, he wanted to get them tea when the tall Omega, who did he manage to get that tall, made an excited gasp.

“Wooow, you made this?!” Wei Wuxian looked at the nest. It was not only big enough for the couple but also seemed to be made in the perfect shape of a Peony! The middle of the course was wider, but the blankets had been folded and turned to look like petals. “How long did this take you?!”

“Um, just a few days,” Happy, and slightly embarrassed, he walked over. “I saw the crest on the Jin and these arrived, and I thought of making a nest,”

“Who sent them?”

“My brother,” Meng Yao, walked over to retrieve the letter. “He’s not much for words, is he?”

Taking the letter, Wei Wuxian almost died laughing. It seemed in an attempt to show some olive branch he had asked Meng Yao if he liked blankets or pillows, and from the letter it seemed that his friend had said yes, and the peacock had overdone it by sending an insane amount of blankets, pillows, sheets, robes, and even asked it wasn’t enough he’d send more.

“This is a lot.”

“There’s more.” Meng Yao walked over to slide open one of the closets, which was for him, built in, but it was full of yellows of the Jin clan, all high quality, and from how they were tied with twine, it had been hard getting them in there. “I wrote back telling him that it was plenty and to thank him,”

“It looks truly comfortable,” Wei Wuixan hummed. “A perfect place to nap,”

“I was going to nap after lunch.” His stomach did a nervous flip. He didn’t have family pack members, only his mate, and he was nervous, wondering if his newfound friendship was only surface level. “You can nest with me… if you want,”

“I’d love to!” Wei Wuxian wanted to dive into the nest, but shook himself. “It’s almost lunch time, so let’s go find our mates.”

“Wait, just a moment,” Meng Yao hurried to put away his papers, which he had been studying. “Let me put the guqin away,”

“Ah, is this what you’ve chosen to play?”

“My mother used to play it.” Meng Yao carefully moved the instrument to its spot. “I remember some of it, and could copy some of the notes from memory,”

“Impressive!” Walking around, he hummed. “You’re making this home look lived in. I had the same issue with Lan Zhan,”

“Thank you,” Purring Meng Yao slipped on his outer robe, ensuring it was tied perfectly, then joined the other. “Are you sure you want to share a nest with me?”

“Hm? If you don’t want me to, it’s okay,”

“No! It’s not that… just, it’s nice having a nest,” Meng Yao shifted uncomfortably. He wanted to hide this side of him, where he had cracks and imperfections, yet being around his mate and in-laws made him feel like it was alright not to be all the time. “And I haven’t nested with anyone since my mother died. I mean, aside from mating and my mate, of course.”

“What?!” Wei Wuxian gasped. “Maybe that’s why you're so short!”

“No, it’s not!”

After they had eaten, they settled in Meng Yao's nest and cuddled up together for a peaceful nap.

--

Lan Xichen wrote another letter to his Uncle about the food portions his Father kept his Omega on. He didn’t mention that they were sneaking food and eating before dinner or after.

The oddity that he hadn’t gotten a letter back was starting to worry him. The near-disastrous Qi Deviation had left them worried about their Uncle until they were assured that the Wen Doctor had stopped it and that he would be well.

Yes, healing could happen, but that didn’t stop the worry. There wasn’t a time that he hadn’t heard from his Uncle in nearly two months. Setting his brush down, he let it dry.

Today, he didn’t have many duties, plus his father was in a mood and sent out a message that he didn’t want anyone to join him for dinner. That worked for him since they could have a full dinner that night.

Once he set everything to rights, the letter was dry enough to send off. Heading home, he found his mate in his nest asleep, but someone else was in there.

A little body curled up to A-Yao’s chest.

“Lan Jingyi?”

This was the third time he found the little boy in his Omega’s nest. Once, it was because the boy had been wandering around until Meng Yao found him. The second time, the little boy had expressed how pretty the nest was, and now? Well, he wasn’t sure.

Meng Yao opened his eyes, hearing his Beta’s voice. Blinking, he yawned and sat up slightly. Being comfortable, he shifted a little, sitting up, bringing the little boy.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Lan Xichen hurried to rub his Omega’s shoulders and back. “Go back to sleep,”

“Are you going to join us?” Meng Yao cuddled back down. “I found him napping outside our home,”

“Outside?”

“Just outside the door,” Meng Yao nuzzled the little boy. “He said he misses the Grandmaster.”

“Ah, Shushu had a good time teaching the younger ones until their teacher got well from a long illness,” Lan Xichen climbed into the nest, nuzzling his Omega. He purred as he was nuzzled back. Getting comfortable, he let out a breath. “How are you feeling?”

“Better than this morning,” Meng Yao had morning sickness briefly. Once it passed, he managed to go outside the border to eat lunch. “The Healer said I’m almost three months along,”

“Time is going by so fast,” he said, touching his mate’s belly. The baby bump was noticeable since A-Yao was smaller and still gaining a healthy weight. He mused, moving his hand to touch Lan Jingyi’s little foot, which hung over the curve. “Poor thing,”

“Poor things?” Meng Yao tensed. “Is he sick or hurt?”

“No, no,” Lan Xichen assured. “His parents died during a hunt… The others try to tend to him, but he doesn’t want to stay with anyone. He loves Shushu, so I’m surprised he felt comfortable enough to nest here.”

“He’s an Orphan?” Looking down, Meng Yao studied the little cubby's face. The boy looked so peaceful and relaxed, and how deep in sleep he was let him know he felt safe, a feeling he could understand now. “No one has tried to adopt him?”

“They tried,” Lan Xichen patted the little boy’s head. “He runs and waits for his parents, won’t stay in homes for more than a day or two, and the last few weeks he’s been sneaking into Shushu’s room to sleep on his bed.”

“…He must be scared to get close to someone again.” He nuzzled the toddler, who yawned in his sleep, then cuddled up closer, wiggling until satisfied by the closeness and let out a little breath, falling back into his deep slumber. “I don’t mind if he stays here with me. Would you allow it?”

“Lan Jingyi is welcome any time,” Smiling, Lan Xichen kissed him. “Am I welocomed too?”

Laughing as quietly as he could, he gave his Beta a light, playful shove. The other grinned, laughing, too. They had to cover their mouths from being too loud so as not to wake up the toddler.

Settling down, Lan Xichen decided to take a short nap.

--

Running his hands over his bump, Meng Yao waited for his brother to show up. He was nervous about it. They exchanged awkward letters. His brother’s rambling and then overdone gifts had been overwhelming.

A part of him loved it, but the other part felt like he had overstepped a huge boundary. Taking a break from his lessons—after all, they were coming for a few days—he wished he hadn’t done so, needing something to occupy his mind.

Several disciples stood around the guest tea room, where he was waiting. Only a foot or two away, Lan Jingyi was playing with some toys. He seemed to like staying near him, and after hearing the situation, Meng Yao liked the boy being close.

The doors opened, allowing The Heir and his wife to enter the Jin Clan. Meng Yao was helped up from his seat and wanted to approach them first, but his brother was walking so stiffly fast that he got to him first.

“Hello!”

Oh, still the same as last time. “Hello, uh, hello Brother,”

“I… You're pregnant!” Turning red, Jin Zixuan turned away, feeling like an idiot. How could he be so skilled in fighting and be horrified at speaking to his sibling?! “I mean…!”

“Ah, it is good to see you again, Lan Furen,” Jin Yanli walked over, stopped her mate from panicking more, and bowed. “It’s a pleasure to be invited again. We can have some tea, and I will sort this out.”

As it turned out, Yalin knew how to help her husband express his thoughts. Meng Yao was grateful because, after an hour, his brother seemed relaxed enough to talk like a normal person.

Meng Yao had a good time.

“When you visit Jin Tower, I must show you the town. I think you’ll like all our food and stuff,” Jin Zixuan smiled. “There is a festival there in the summer that is the best.”

“I think we'd best wait until he has the baby to travel that far,” Yanli said. “After all, we don’t want to overwhelm you,”

“Thank you, I’d love to go.” Meng Yao was purring, and he couldn’t help it! He never thought he’d be able to meet his family, and while he still didn’t like Madam Jin and his Father was still a mystery, his brother was very kind to him. “We have some things in town here. Would you like to go with me?”

“You’re going in town?” Jin Zixuan asked curiously. “When? I’d love to go with you,”

“Tonight, that works?”

Jin Yanli had been watching. She wanted to give them a chance to bond on their own. After watching her mate pancing and sending so many things to his brother and the meltdown when he thought he messed up, which had been slightly amusing, she knew that they needed some bonding time once she sorted out this awkward stage.

“You two should go,” She smiled. “I want to spend time with my brother so that it can be family with family.”

“Do you want me to bring you anything?”

“No, I have all I need,” She took his head. “I will see you later. Have a wonderful time, First Lan Furen.”

“Thank you, Young Madam Jin,” Meng Yao bowed when she did. Once she was gone, he looked at his brother, feeling relaxed. “If we can get ready, we can make it down the mountainside before dinner.”

“What?” Jin Zixuan laughed. “Why don’t we just fly?”

“Oh, um, I can’t do that yet,”

“What? I don’t get it,” Jin Zixuan frowned. “Explain?”

Embrassed, Meng Yao admitted that he was learning how to cultivate. It would take at least a few years, and he would not risk the baby’s health, so some of the learning was put off.

Shocked, Zixuan stared. “So you’ve never flown before?”

“I did… the day they brought me to Father,” Meng Yao shivered. “It scared me, because I had never been on a sword and they…”

“They sagged you,” Jin Zixuan frowned, then shook his head. “No! Nope, I can’t let this go! Come, let’s go!”

“What?”

Jumping up, Jin Zixuan rushed over to him and helped him up. Meng Yao got confused as his brother took his head. He took Lan Jingyi’s hand, the boy pouting as he was pulled along.

“Where are we going?!”

“I can’t let that be your only experience.” They got out into the open, and he took a candy, giving it to Lan Jingyi, who took it excitedly. An older disciple stood beside the toddler, taking over for Lan Furen. Taking out his sword, he threw it in front of him, letting it float, and got on it. Still holding his brother’s hand. “Come on, take a step on,”

“What?!” Meng Yao looked nervous, but flying on a sword was still a thrilling idea for him. Nervously, he stepped on, a bit wobbling, and his brother held him around the waist. “Like this?”

“Yep, now don’t worry; I got you,” the little brother floated up a little. Jin Zixuan moved them in a line and then in a small loop around a few feet above the ground, his little brother grabbing his hands. “Not so bad, is it?”

“No…” Slowly, he moved his hands out, feeling his sleeves fluttering in the wind. The nibbling fear was leaving him, until it became fun, and they lifted high off the ground. “Can we go faster?”

“Sure!” With a grin, Jin Zixuan pushed them faster and went around a small group of trees, then up and over a bush. “Hold on,”

“What?” Meng Yao asked. Suddenly, they were gliding fast on the second floor of one of the buildings. The winds fluttered his sleeves so quickly that Meng Yao laughed with excitement. “Can we go over the buildings?”

Turning the swords to go over the banister, they dropped before soaring up and over the roofs. His little brother laughing like a child, excited at this new experience, reminded him of when he first learned to fly. He spun the swords and took him back into an open field, going fast and ten up.

Meng Yao let out an excited shriek when they spun in a loop and then over some trees. He had never had so much fun before! His arms were still out, and his heart was beating with glee.

They passed a roof on which Wei Wuxian had been drinking wine while Jiang Cheng was scolding him. They both looked up to see the Jin brothers flying past, the wind rushing by them as they passed by.

Meng Yao was having so much fun that when Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng passed them, the two looked back at them, and he swore he saw them smirking.

“Catch up, Peacock!”

“You…!” Huffing, Jin Zixuan glared over his brother’s head. “How about we show them how fast we can go?”

“Okay!” Meng Yao had no idea why he agreed so quickly. This was so much fun; there was nothing like that terrifying first flight. “Can we beat them?”

Smirking Jin Zixuan held tighter to his brother. “They might be good at certain things, but I’m better! Hold on tight!”

Lan Xichen was drinking tea with Lan Wangji when he almost choked to death seeing Meng Yao speeding by on a sword.

Chapter 17

They flew down to the town.

Meng Yao was being carried. He wanted to go fast, but Lan Xichen wasn’t allowing it. After they had finished racing, they returned to the start only to find Lan Xichen panicking because his pregnant Omega had been zooming and doing loops in the air.

Jin Zixuan apologized, but Meng Yao wanted to go again, almost climbing back into the sword. Instead, they agreed to go to town, split up, and bond with siblings, just as long as there was no more sword racing.

Meng Yao pouted but agreed.

Being set down, he nuzzled his Beta, sharing a kiss. “Have fun,”

“You too,” Lan Xichen smiled, and held out a bag. “For you,”

“For me?”

“Yes, for anything you want,” Lan smiled. “I will see you in a few hours.”

They all parted, siblings heading off with one another. Meng Yao really wanted to get back on the sword, though he calmed himself down. He had to focus and get to know Jin Zixuan.

He paused when an arm was offered to him. Slowly, he took it. They walked a little, not saying anything, until Jin Zixuan reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

“What’s that?”

Cheeks pinkening, he hunched his shoulders a little. “Um, a list of things to ask if I can’t think of anything?”

“Oh?” He didn’t want to disconcert his brother, but he found it amusingly sweet that he was trying. “What’s the first on the list?”

“Um, do you like snacks?”

“I do,” Looking around, he pointed at a stall. “Do you like sweets, spicy, or a mix of both?”

“Spicy,” Smiling, he paused. “Do you like sweets more than spicy?”

“I like both! But there isn’t much spice in The Cloud Reesces,”

“No, I remember, don’t worry!” Grinning, he promised. “I’ll send you all kinds of snacks and treats! With no meat, of course,”

“You don’t have to do that.” It made Meng Yao happy, yet at the same time guilty for being so. “I don’t want to trouble you,”

“No! No, I want to, and… we missed so much!” Jin Zixuan paused. “I promise, I will be there whenever you need me. I always wanted a sibling, unlike one I can… uh…”

“Whose legitimized?”

“Um,” Rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah, but, don’t be mad, but when I heard about you, I thought they’d bring you home and- well, it’s stupid but I thought we’d get to hang out and talk, but I only saw you once before they took you away,”

“Really?” Meng Yao’s heart squeezed. He had no hope of his family loving him, yet his brother was the one to prove him wrong. “You don’t hate me?”

“No! I thought I screwed up,” He made a shaking it. “I’m not good at talking to people, I mean, I can do that with other Alphas! But… bad.”

“How bad?”

Jin Zixuan explained what happened between him and his wife. He was so damn lucky to be with his mate! He explained what went through his mind versus what came out of his mouth.

Meng Yao's eyes got ridiculously bigger as he listened. He was glad they got married! That was a story that could have ended very differently! They got snacks and drinks. There was some fresh fruit, too, so he got some. He was unable to pay for his own thing because Jin Zixuan kept beating him to paying. Once, he tripped over a rock and fell into the vendor booth.

They spent the next few hours walking around the town having fun, and despite his brother's refusal to take him flying again, he had a lot of fun.

When they met up with the others, Lan Xichen scooped him up. They flew back home, and he went a little faster because A-Yao really wanted to fly faster.

--

The days passed by quickly.

Meng Yao was in his room writing a letter to the Grandmaster. The three months that the older Omega had left for him were almost up, and he had no idea if this was the end or if this was just for now, so he was eager for a response.

His brother mentioned that they would stop by the Wen Clan before heading back to Jin Tower, to drop off something, trade updates, and so on.

Seeing it as a chance to write a letter, he got up that morning, sorting his mind into what he wanted to ask in the letter. He greeted the Grandmaster with respect, inquiring about his health and whether he was well. Then, he wrote about his studies, ensuring that he was doing well.

Writing down the date of his late class, he asked if he could write back, adding that he knew that as Lan Furen, he must be busy, and when he had a chance, if he could at least write back his mate because Lan Xichen missed him.

Once the letter was dried, he folded it up and placed it in a book, along with a very nice painting he found in town. He bought it wanting to gift it to Lan Qiren himself, but since Jin Zixuan was going to the Wen Sect, he asked him to deliver it.

When it was time to see his brother and sister-in-law off, he also hoped that they would come back to visit soon.

--

Lan Qiren glared at the book he dropped.

It was on the floor, and he was debating whether to try to pick it up. He was nearly five months along. Having found out he was just under two months at the end of his near Qi Divination and now the three months he had been back home, he was very obviously pregnant.

Only the inner palace knew Wen Ruohan had done his thing, which was threatening anyone and everyone that if word got out, he’d have to kill them. It was an overreaction; Lan Qiren just didn’t want to share the news yet.

At that moment, he cursed that the baby was keeping him from bending down. Nudging the book with his foot, he got it near the wall. Turning to lean back on the hit, he slowly lowered himself to his heels.

That was a mistake.

Now he was stuck sitting on his heels. Letting out a huff, he shifted and winced slowly as he fell back. He could get up alone but just had to roll onto his knees and use the wall to stand up.

That didn’t work either.

Mad, he slid back down and wiggled to sit with his back against the wall. If he were in his room, he would be able to get to the bed or the chair to pull himself up.

Picking up his book, he figured he might as well read it. Besides, someone was always looking for him. After a few minutes of reading, he forgot he was mad about being stuck on the floor.

Nearly an hour, and a shadow distracted his reading. Looking up as his mate’s scent filled his nose, he blushed, looking away. The amused smile his Alpha had made him mad.

“Shut up and help me up,”

“I didn’t say anything.” Trying not to laugh, he thought it lingered, he leaned down to scoop his mate up into his arms. “I was wondering where you were.”

“I was reading,” Lan Qiren frowned. “Nothing more.”

“Nothing more than stuck?”

“…I had a book for company,”

Laughing Wen Ruohan carried his Omega to the room and gently sat him down on his favorite cushioned chair. Lan Qiren sighed, relaxing, his legs and behind feeling better now that he wasn’t sitting on the hard floor.

“Do you want to rest?”

“I’m alright,” Lan Qiren sighed. “Just wish I hadn’t dropped my book. Besides, I read walking is good for the baby.”

Humming Wen Ruohan leaned down to kiss his Omega, then touched the baby bump. It was so strange that after all these years, raising four children, he didn’t count that asshole as being the Jades father, they’d have a fifth one.

This one with their blood.

“I shall join you on walks,” He leaned down, getting onto one knee, pressing his ear to the firm belly. Lan Qiren’s hand ran through his hair while he listened, eyes closing. “I wonder if they’ll look like you.”

“They might look like you,” Lan Qiren purred. He loved seeing how attentive his mate was to the baby already. “Four more months,”

“Time is moving too fast and yet too slow,” he said, standing up. “There is a dinner tonight with Jin Gangshang’s heir and his mate. He requested that you join because he has something for you.”

“For me?” That was odd. Why did he want to see him? Frowning, he sighed deeply. “Was it something awkward he’d done again at a meeting?”

“Not that I know, but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities.”

One thing they’d give that boy is that he had a good heart. He seemed to suffer from being extremely socially awkward, to the point that Jin Guangshang left the conference altogether.

The problem with that?

It had been at Jin Tower!

“Hm, tell him, I’m not feeling well, and that he can leave items with you,” Lan Qiren placed his hands on his belly. “I still don’t want anyone to know yet,”

“I will have it brought to your room,” He paused. “And have dinner with him.”

“He’s still young, be nice to him.”

“He’s going to talk about his collection of swords again.”

“So? You have swords!”

“It’s the same three he always talks about!” Rubbing his temples. “See, his parents are scared of me, he acts like I’m an Uncle who’s excited to hear about his adventures,”

“Yes, well, you did that,” Lan Qiren huffed with a frown. “I just wanted to ensure that Wen Xu, Wen Chao, and the Jades had friends growing up; you decided to spoil them all with gifts. And you gave him two of those three swords!”

“I had extras,”

“Just admit you love spoiling children,” Lan Qiren raised an eyebrow. That's why I had to make sure the children weren’t spoiled.”

“Hm, I still believe that Wen Chao wished you had beaten him.”

“What a horrible thing to say, I only made him copy the rules,”

He thought that after the third time, he ignored the way Wen Chao asked to be beaten instead of being forced to write the rules for months. Instead, Lan Qiren added two more weeks.

“He was a little spoiled when he was younger?”

“A little?” Lan Qiren gave him a look. “Ruohan.”

“Alright, fine. I have a weakness for giving in to children,” he leaned down to kiss his love. "You… You are my weakness.”

“Hmm,” Lan Qiren purred, eyes closing. “Don’t be silly,”

They parted less than an hour later. Lan Qiren was halfway done with his book when the door opened. Wen Qing and Wen Ning entered the room, bowing to him.

Wen Qing checked him over, did what she normally did, ensured the baby’s health, and gave him the daily updates, which were basically just continuing on their plans until the baby was born: food, water, fruits, herbs, etc.

Wen Ning bowed again holding out a tray that held a letter and a package. Taking it Lan Qiren unwrapped the package first. It was painting. A lovely one that he instantly loved.

“Put this up on the wall,” he told Wen Ning. The teen jumped, and he remembered how nervous he was. Reaching over, he patted his shoulder to calm him down. “Please. Thank you, Wen Ning.”

“Of course, Wen Furen,” He bowed with a smile. “J-Just ask me anything and I’ll do it,”

“Just be careful, don’t hurt yourself.” With how nervous the poor teen seemed, he was worried he might hammer his fingers. Taking the letter while the teen rushed off to hang up the painting, he paused. “It’s from Lan Furen.”

Finally!

A letter!

Opening it, he smiled lightly as he read the greeting. He was pleased to know that the lesson plans he wrote out helped Jin Guangyao. He mentioned which classes he loved and which ones he struggled with, but he found it sweet that the small Omega promised he’d try to do better.

In the letter, he mentioned that the Elders gave him a good review and were impressed. Nodding to himself, Lan Qiren was glad that he was settling in well.

Next was about the baby. Healthy, there was a complaint about his back, which he fully understood. He still ate outside the borders when meat was involved. Ah, how sweet he kept to the rules. That warmed his heart.

As he read more, he started to get confused. Lan Furen asked if there would be a break in his lessons. He was already so far behind, thanks to that fool Jin Guangshang.

Sitting up more, Lan Qiren read on. His smile had started to turn into a deep frown. Jin Guangyao politely asked for more lessons, almost shyly asking if he could write back or at least write Lan Xichen.

Narrowing his eyes, he read over the letter again. “Wen Ning?”

“Yes, Wen Furen?”

“This letter arrived from Young Master Jin Zixuan?”

“Ah, yes, um,” Wen Ning walked over. “He said his brother, Lan Furen, asked if he could deliver it since he was coming here.”

“I see, thank you,” Reading it over again, he gritted his teeth. “Help me up,”

“What?” Wen Qing didn’t have time to try to stop him; Lan Qiren was already pushing himself up. She hurried to help him. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to get to my writing desk.” Waddling angrily, he took out paper and ink, starting to write out a trade plan. If his brother was going to being an asshole and think he was going to keep him from communicating with his nephews, he was wrong! “I need you to go and tell my husband when he is done with dinner that I need to see him.”

“Yes, of course,” She paused. “Is there anything else I should tell him?”

“Yes, tell him it concerns my brother,” Lan Qiren continued to write. “I am sure that will get his attention.”

Attention, it did because she was gone all of ten minutes before the Alpha walked through the doors, his red eyes nearly glowing. If his Omega was upset, then he was pissed.

Meanwhile, the trio plotted their following action in a secret meeting with Madam Jin and Madam Yu.

Chapter 18

Meng Yao was nuzzling the side of Lan Xichen’s neck.

They were scenting in a half in a daze. His heat had hit, and while it wasn’t as blinding as the last time, they were aware and fell into mating. There had been a sign this time.

His Beta had joined him in his nest and started shifting stuff around. Unlike last time, when Lan Xichen kept redoing the room, he was also happy to be in the nest.

Purring, and he scented, Meng Yao giggled as his mate moved to nibble and lick at his bond mark. Purring, he moved back a little to look into his eyes.

They’d have to get up soon, wash, and clean. At the moment, being under the warm comforter, Meng Yao wondered how long they could stay in a little world.

That ended when there was a harsh knock on the door. Gasping, Meng Yao curled up closer, while Lan Xichen moved to cover them. Who was here?! They had made sure to be left alone for heat!

“Who is it?”

“Open the door.”

“Father?!” Lan Xichen panicked. “Give us a few minutes, please.”

Struggling to get up, Meng Yao waddled to get his robes, as they hurried to push in the nest. It was sad to see it go, but they really didn’t want anyone to see it!

Lan Xichen rushed to grab a large blanket and threw it over the nest, his stomach dropping. He watched it being hidden while his Omega grabbed some perfumes made to hide the scent of heat and sex in the air.

Spraying it took less than twenty seconds, but it stung his nose. Helping A-Yao into house robes took too long to get on because the knock sounded violent.

“Almost done!” Lan Xichen called out as he helped Meng Yao to another room. “Stay here, I’ll be back.”

“A-Huan,” Meng Yao was worried, but the door closed. “Okay…”

Grabbing his own robes, his collar, belts, and headband, he tried to get them on quickly, grabbing what he could. In his haste to get everyone on properly, he didn’t notice that the tops of the robes weren’t closed all the way.

His nose was still burning, so he shook himself, trying to soothe his robes before answering. Bowing respectfully, he swore his stomach didn’t rise when he did.

“Father,” He looked at him. “Has something happened?”

“That idiot Wen Chao is at the front demanding to speak with either you or your brother, and he’s getting out of control.” Qingheng-Jun snarled. “And your brother is nowhere to be found! Take care of it!”

“I will,” Heart thrumming, Lan Xichen willed it to calm down. For some reason, it picked up. When his father didn’t move, he blinked, realizing something had caught his attention. “Father?”

“It’s bad enough that you were born a Beta, but you still wear these?!” He grabbed the collar that was peeking out of the robes, using it to yank his son out of the home, before shoving him harshly, not caring that he hacked. He pulled harder, breaking the collar off and tossing it away. “Go get rid of that idiot and try to be useful for once!”

Inside, Meng Yao heard the door slam shut. The sound made him jump, and nausea started to creep up his throat. He covered his belly to protect their baby in case the Clan Leader came inside.

Nothing was heard but the footsteps leaving, soft ones, his mate, and then the storming off of his Father-In-Law. Gulping, he tried to will away the vomit that was trying to come up.

Crawling to a corner, Meng Yao tried to make himself as small as possible, just in case the Alpha came back, at least this way he could protect the baby. Each little sound he heard, his ears straining to hear if anyone would be coming their way.

--

“This is taking forever!” Wen Chao growled loudly. He was unable to get through the ward, but his voice was starting to annoy the Lan Disciples. He knew it because they’d look at him every few minutes before going back to ignoring him. “We’re waiting….!”

“Will you shut up?” Wen Xu was going to drown his brother. “I grew up with you, and I want to kill you right now!”

“Hey, I’m doing what I was sent to do!”

“A-Chao, Xu-Ge,”

“AHHHH!” Wen Chao screeched, then quickly laughed loudly into his arm. “I mean, A-Huan! Finally!”

“Ignore him,” Wen Xu watched as he passed through the ward easily. The older Alpha paused, looking him over. “What’s wrong?”

“What?”

“You’re pale and don’t look too good.” Wen Xu got close, seeing him take a small step back, and how he winced. “Your Father again?”

Not wanting to be overheard, he forced a smile. “Can we take a walk?”

“Yes,”

“Hmph!” Wen Chao turned to walk away. They walked off to a path leading to a small spot with a flowing stream. Once they were out of sight, he looked him over. “What happened?”

“I was asked to come send you away,” Lan Xichen admitted. He still felt off, and his stomach twisted badly. He wanted to return home, be with his mate, and return to the ruined nest. “Father was angry.”

“He’s about to be livied then,” Wen Chao smirked. “Father is in a bad mood because Baba is mad.”

“Shushu’s mad?”

“First things first,” Wen Xu said, looking at him. “Have you been writing him?”

“Yes, of course,”

“Have you received any letters?”

“No.”

“I told you!” Wen Chao huffed again, looking smug about this. “I knew it.”

“We all knew it after the letter came from A-Huan’s mate’s letter.” Rolling his eyes, Wen Xu took out a letter. “Here, from Baba,”

“Thank you.” Some relief filled him. He saw a letter with his name, and as he reached to touch it, he paused when it wasn’t let go of right away. “Xu-ge?”

The Alpha was looking at him, but Wen Chao came rushing over, looking at him with wide eyes, that frown he carried when he was starting to put two and two together. His nose sniffed the air.

It made Lan Xichen uncomfortable, if that was possible. His head was doing an odd squeezing, and his legs felt like they were struggling to stand still. It wasn’t until the second Wen brother spoke that he realized why.

“You’re trembling!” He quickly ran around to get hold of the Beta, leading him to a rock. “Sit down. What happened?”

“I don’t know?” Looking at his hands, confused, he wondered why his hands were trembling?! That had never happened before! His father had done worse than grab and throw him. “They’ll stop soon,”

“What were you doing before you came to see us?”

His face turning red, he covered it. He was distressed, and his heart was picking up further. He reached up to anchor himself by touching his collar, only to quickly remember that his collar had been torn off him. The ripping had been violent enough to break it, and he didn’t dare try to get a replacement before leaving.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Wen Chao did not like how off the Beta was or that his scent filled with confusion, despair, fear, and something else. “Whoa, it’s okay, um!”

Looking around, Wen Chao had no idea what to do. He didn’t handle things like this! He did notice that he was rubbing his neck a lot. Looking closer, he realized that it was missing his collar.

Well, shit!

Wen Xu didn’t panic, though he did find it funny that his brother was full of hilarious expressions while he panicked. Digging in his bag, he pulled out a ribbon and helped tie it around Lan Xichen’s neck.

Ribbons seemed to help in places of Collars. Since Lan Xichen was a beta who leaned more toward the lighter end of his Gender, it wasn’t surprising that he used collars to anchor himself like Omegas.

“Better?”

“Yes,” Lan Xichen rubbed his neck. “I’m sorry,”

“No, none of that, tell us what happened?”

“It’s embarrassing,” Lan Xichen didn’t want to tell them. Yet the idea of getting back to Merng Yao urged him to drop any formal or dodging ideas, so he spilled that he had been in their nest, when his father came banging on their door and demanding that he send the Wen Brothers away. “I just feel strange, I don’t know why?”

“Oh fuck…!” Wen Chao looked at him. “Are you dropping?!”

Dropping?

“Huh?”

“He’s dropping,” Wen Xu said, seeing him looking confused. “Is this the first time you’ve dropped?”

Dropping?

Was that why he felt like this? He heard some Betas dropped, and it happened, but he had never done so before. Father was a harmful Alpha, there had been words that slashed his soul, beatings that left him until to move sometimes, yes, nothing that ever had him drop before.

“What should we do?”

“Chao-ge,”

“AAHHHH!” Wen Chao almost fell into the stream. “Wangji, don’t do that! Gah, you and your brother need bells, I swear, I never hear you!”

Lan Wangji didn’t look happy, and the only reason they knew was that one, they grew up with the kid, and two, he was actually frowning and glaring. No doubt the issue was Qingheng-Jun.

--

Wei Wuxian had headed back with his Alpha.

They had gone to help some of the juniors with their archery. When they returned, they passed by Lan Xichen and Meng Yao’s home. They had been secluded to themselves because of Meng Yao’s heat, so to their surprise, they saw the seal that kept any sounds from being heard was broken, and Lan Wangji was there.

There on the floor was a piece of his brother’s collar. He picked it up, looking it over, his eyes narrowing. Wei Wuxina sniffed the air; the only thing was the sickening scent of an Omega in extreme distress.

After the split-up, Lan Wangji went off to find his brother because there was no indication that he was there. Wei Wuxina called into the home, asking if he could come in.

When no one answered, he peeked in and gasped in shock.

The beautiful nest that Meng Yao had made was pushed in and destroyed, in a way an Omega did to keep someone from seeing or trying to get into it. Rushing over, he moved the top blanket over; the scent on it stung his nose.

They doused it?!

“A-Yao?!” He called, looking for his friend in the nest. “Where are you?!”

Digging around, he paused and heard a whimper. Standing all the way up, Wei Wuxian heard it again. Running to the next room, he slid the door open so hard that it sounded like it cracked.

Meng Yao had stuffed himself into a corner, forehead pressed against the wall, shaking badly while trying to hold his belly tightly. Running over, he held his hands over the other’s shoulder.

“A-Yao, it’s me,” He wanted to throw up with how thick his scent was with fear. Leaning down, he started to scent his head, rubbing his chin over his head, and whatever he could reach. “It’s alright, don’t worry, I’m right here,”

Slowly, Wei Wuxian didn’t want to admit he had to hold his breath a few times. Meng Yao started to relax, and his scent lessened, but he was shaking badly.

Pressing against his back, which was horribly easy, he felt like he was hugging a large stuffed animal because of how tiny his fellow Omega was. He hugged and scented anywhere he could.

When the worst of it was released, Meng Yao moved his face away from the wall. His eyes were swollen with tears, and he was drooling since he had stopped breathing through his nose and had started breathing through his mouth.

“A-Xian?”

“It’s me!” Wei Wuxian grinned, nuzzling his temple to Meng Yao’s, glad he got through. “You dropped badly… can you tell me what happened?”

Panting Meng Yao tried to recall it. His mind had gone blank at some point, leaving him feeling worse than morning sickness. Licking his lips, he reached up to wipe away the dribbling down his mouth, his face heated with shame.

Meng Yao had dropped since his mother had died, and the Owner of the Brothel had been so furious that he was upsetting the customers that he locked him in a shed for a few days.

“I got you,” Wei Wuxian took out a little towel he carried, wiping away the saliva. This was a bad drop; the lingering heat that was barely noticeable gave him a huge clue on what happened. “Let’s get you up, and I can help fix your nest.”

Shaking, Meng Yao nodded. He whined as arms came under his. He braced himself, happy to have been helped to stand. Taking deep breaths, he let Wei Wuxian help him back to the living room.

“Here, sit down.” Helping him to a chair, he ran to the closet, pulling out the many blankets that had been sent. Rushing over with a heavier one, he placed it over Meng Yao. “I’ll clean this up,”

Meng Yao wanted to be embarrassed by the nest; it was messy from more than just being pushed in, but no words were said. Wei Wuxina used the clean sheets to wrap them up and tossed them into the bedroom so they could be picked up later for washing.

While the nest wasn’t a lovely-shaped Peony, it was being set up for comfort. He worked fast, trying his best to make it as comfortable as possible. He resisted scenting the blankets, a habit when nesting, because this wasn’t for him.

He was almost done when the door opened. He stood ready to snap at whoever it was, only to see his Alpha helping his brother into the room. He looked pale and sick.

“Is he dropping too?!” Wei Wuxian got out of the nest. “Put him in!”

As Lan Wangji was helping his brother into the nest, Wei Wuxian ran to help Meng Yao, who was trying to waddle into a run to get into the nest with his nest. Helping him in, they made sure they were lying down before leaving.

Once outside Wei Wuxian saw Wen Xu and Wen Chao.

“What’s happening?!”

“That’s why we're here,” Wen Xu said, holding out a letter to him. This is for you.”

Taking the letter, he saw the name it was from and silently begged that there weren’t more rules to follow as he opened it. As he did, he paused, seeing something off in the distance.

“I didn’t know you were here for a Sect Meeting.”

The Wen Brothers turned to look where he was looking, and Madam Jin and Madam Yu were leaving for the route and entrance of Lan Gusu. The only problem with that?

They didn’t have their Omegas with them.

“There isn’t.” Wen Xu frowned.

“Are you sure?”

“Should be,” Wen Chao crossed. “Do you ever hear of a Conference where the Wen and Nie aren’t involved?”

Well, shit.

Wei Wuxian felt his first year of marriage was about to get a lot more complicated. Well, it couldn’t be that bad, right? Almost like Lift liked to prove him wrong.

That was proven wrong because he opened his letter and quickly found out all the funny jokes and ideas he had sent to Lan Qiren had never arrived, and his asshole of a Father-In-Law either kept the letters or burned them.

Lan Wangji read his and was surprised to learn that his Shushu wasn’t returning but would instead attend the next Sect Meeting, which would be held at Lotus Pier.

“Wait,” Wei Wuxian frowned. “No, the next one is supposed to be at Jin Tower, right?”

Wen Xu crossed his arms. “It was.”

“Oh, he’s pissed,” Wei Wuxian laughed nervously. “But Master Lan knows how to calm him down!”

“Uh, yeah, normally,” Wen Chao frowned. “But it’s not Father who was pissed first.”

Wei Wuxian stood there. “We’re all gonna die.”

Chapter 19

Lan Xichen felt embarrassed.

Dropping was horrible; he didn’t like it, but it fully happened in front of people he grew up with, played with, and went to lessons with, and worse, they pulled him back to his room like a child.

After hours in their nest, he was able to relax enough to doze off. When he woke up, Lan Xichen had his Omega wrapped tightly in his arm, and Meng Yao was holding onto him just as tightly.

That wasn’t embarrassing him.

He could pick up Wen Xu and Wen Chao’s scents close by. From how they were steadying them out, the two older ones were guarding them.

He peeked out from under the blankets to see the door closed, letting them have their privacy. Snuggling back down, he scented his Omega’s temple while his Omega was nuzzling and whining against his neck.

The only good thing was knowing that as long as the others were guarding the door, they could at least recover it in peace.

--

Jin Guangshang received the letter late into the evening while he had been trying to enjoy the dinner with rare herbs and fruits from one of the far clans.

He was eating one of the rare fruits while lazily lying across a pillow when a servant came in with a tray and a letter. He frowned at it because if they didn’t wait, it must have been important.

Sitting up, he took the letter, seeing the Wen Crest on it. He assumed that it was for the upcoming conference. The Wen were bold enough to remind everyone of these while also acting like they oversaw it.

In all truth, that’s what happened in all but actual laws.

When he opened the letter, he was already thinking about which brothels he wanted to visit when in Yunmeng, so he assumed the letter was about the exact dates. However, he found that this was not the case.

“What the fuck?” Sitting up, this was running his me-time/dinner-time because the letter informed him that it would take place at Koi Tower?! Scowling, he read it over, written by none other than Ruohan himself. “What’s he pissed about now?!”

Hissing at the paper, he looked up, rolling his eyes. This is just great! He’d have to start planning tomorrow and rush it so everything would be ready. Looking down, he made a face.

This spoiled his dinner.

Instead of enjoying the rare foods, he ate them bitterly. He was a few bites in when he heard a servant announcing that his mate was home. Well, fuck, the universe was not in his favor today!

Grabbing the cold tea he had made, he started to down it quickly before waving at a servant to take it away. The bitter herbs made his stomach turn, but it was worth it.

Now, he needed to see if she was in a good mood, a bad mood, or just in a mood.

When she walked in with a frown and sat down, he looked at her for a long moment while her servants rushed to set the table and serve the tea. She was glaring at nothing.

When she started to eat, he wondered how this was going to turn out. He was unsure which way she would go , considering the new change of plans, but she had been furious since he had backed the Jiang and Lan clan in their choice of switching the brides.

“We have word from the Wen Clan.” It was easier to get her attention that way. The glare she gave him made him jump. Holding out the letter, he frowned deeper when she grabbed it out of his hand. “Sect Leader Wen made some changes.”

The growl made him shiver.

Bad mood then.

Ah, this was not going to end well.

Madam Jin read it through. The more she read, the angrier she got, her nails piecing the paper. Taking out his fan, he covered his face worriedly. He hoped she would only yell at him tonight.

Fists banged on the table, a dark growl following.

Wincing Jin Guangshang watched her as she yelled.

“You stupid bitch!” She snarled. “Nothing’s been prepared?!”

“It only arrived before you.” He watched her closely. “I will have them start in the morning.”

She grabbed a plate and threw it across the room. It smashed against the wall. Whatever had happened while she had been visiting Madam Yu had clearly put her in a bitter mood.

She stood up, pacing angrily while shouting insults at him. He hoped that she would let this wear her out, go to bed, and sleep off whatever she was truly angry about.

Fate wasn’t on his side.

She stormed towards him. On instinct, he backed up, trying to get away, but she snagged his ponytail, yanking him back. Yelping he reached up, dropping his fan.

Madam Jin grabbed his neck, tightly twisting his collar, cutting off air. Gagging for air, he was only granted it when she flung him onto the table. The crash sent dishes flying, staining his robes with some of the sauces and food. Something jabbed him in his stomach, a cup or a decoration; he was unsure.

Less than a second before she grabbed at his back, throwing him to the ground. Crying out as several kicks to his ribes and stomach, he tried to scramble away, she jumped on him, the punches hitting hard.

When an Alpha was in a rage, it was hard to stop them. There was nothing he could do. He heard the servants rushing away, and she grabbed his clothes.

Hacking out a breath, damn was there a broken rib? He winced as he was pinned down and taken. Hard hands gripped his hips, nails digging in, and he screamed when she bit down on his shoulder instead of the bond mark.

That hurt!

“Stop screaming!”

He didn’t even know he was!

Jin Guangshang knew struggling was a horrible move, it would make it worse, and he was in so much pain already. Instead, he tried to force his body to relax, let his mind go somewhere else as she took what she wanted from him, the pain in his lower body had his legs shaking.

Same as always.

Married to someone who hated him, someone he hated, and he hated that she never left to entirely vanish into his mind, sobbing in pain when she knotted him.

Stupid woman.

No matter what, he would keep drinking the damn tea that kept him from ever getting pregnant again. If he had a way to damage his womb to ensure he could never carry again, then he would.

What felt like forever, it went down, and she shoved him away once they weren’t stuck together. Lying there, he glared over his shoulders while she retreated, picking up one of the undamaged buns on the table, biting into it before vanishing into her private room.

Servants came rushing over, like a routine. The bath had already been drawn, and they were heating talismans and medicines. They picked up just as they picked up the ruined dinner.

Over twenty years later, their hate for each other never changed. Painfully, he entered the bath where they poured medical herbs and liquids.

Someone brought him a mirror.

Stupid bastard. He glared at the bruise forming on the side of his left eye, meaning it’d be there in the morning when Jin Zixuan was to arrive. Waving it away, he leaned back into the bath, willing the herbs to stop the pain.

When more tea was brought to him, he drank it, the bitterness of the anti-pregnancy herbs doing little to outweigh his hatred of his marriage, so someone he never loved nor even loved.

Lying there in the hot water, he daydreamed of the day she’d die in various painful ways.

--

A day later, Wen Xu and Wen Chao were taking their leave. In their possession were letters from the Jades and their Furens. They stood at the mountainside, saying their goodbyes.

Meng Yao was curious about them. He had heard of them, the heirs to the Wen Clan; he just didn’t know they were close to the Twin Jades. If he hadn’t known they were separated from their robes, he would have sworn they were blood brothers.

“We have to head back,” Wen Xu said. “We’ll see you at the next Sect Conference.”

“Is there anything else you need us to tell them when we return?” Wen Chao asked. “Last chance before leave.”

Meng Yao fidgeted with the letter in his hands. They were closed, so no one could see it under his sleeves. He was unsure if he should ask them to deliver it or not.

“A-Yao has a letter,” Lan Xichen gently nudged him, urging him to take a small step. “It’s alright, ask,”

The Alphas looked at the small Omega, who was nervous and didn’t look up at them. Slowly, he moved his hands, revealing the letter. Big eyes looked at them.

“Can you send this to my brother?" Meng Yao asked softly. “If you happen to stop in Jinling, but you don’t have too-”

“We can do that,” Wen Xu said, taking the letter. “Good alcohol there,”

With that, they jumped onto their swords before flying off.

It wasn’t until the next day, a few hours away, that they just so happened to run into the Jin heir and his wife, who were heading to Jin Tower. They gave Jin Zixuan the letter, and he slipped it into his pocket, willing to read it once he got home.

--

Qingheng-Jun let out an angry smirk when he saw the letter from his brother, which was directed to him with a single line.

I know

Crumbling it, he threw it into the fire.

He didn't know that Lan Qiren knew about the withheld letters, and Qingheng-Jun, his brother, somehow found out about the plans.

It looks like they'd have to pick up the timeline and get rid of annoying bitches sooner rather than later.

Chapter 20

Meng Yao breathed heavily as he tried to get his nest back into the perfect Peony Shape. His small underweight body and pregnant didn’t help. Tucking in another part of the nest so it looked like a petal, he sat back leaning against several of the silk, soft, and large pillows that had been gifted.

Panting, laid there when a knock was heard. “Who is it?”

“It’s me! A-Yao, there are gifts!” Wei Wuxian said excitedly. “And there’s a lot!”

“Coming,” Forcing himself up, he walked over to slide the door open, looking up at his fellow Omega, who had a huge grin. Then he saw the Jin Disciples behind him with boxes and boxes all covered in the Jin yellows, golds, and whites. “What’s this?!”

“From the peacock,” Wei Wuxian held out a letter. “I’m guessing he got your letter because the Jin Disciples brought these personally and wanted to ensure you got it.”

Taking the letter, he moved back, letting them come in. He watched as they set down boxes and started to open them, putting things away. There was a fancy tea set and plates, more blankets and pillows, and they set up a lovely writing desk for him, and it was very out of place in a Lan House.

They worked around until it was all set up, bowed to him, and took their leave. He swore he saw one of them side-eye him, but they jolted when Wei Wuxian hissed at him, and they scurried away.

“They didn’t mean it, they just don’t know how to act,”

“They should,” Huffing Wei Wuxian looked over the stuff with a smile. “Look, he sent a lot of sweets and other things.”

Sitting down, still holding the letter, he opened one, finding many sweets, some of which his brother had mentioned when they had gone to town. There was a little note of hidden jerky.

Before he could even feel guilty about the meat inside, Wei Wuxian scooped it up and tucked it into his sleeves, promising to get rid of it. Meng Yao knew he was going to eat it, but that was okay; he didn’t mind.

Picking up one of the sweets, he took a bite, purring. The food was so soft and good; it tasted wonderful. He had often wondered what such sweets from the Jin clan would taste like.

They were wonderful.

Opening the letter, he read about his brother saying he was excited for them to go to Jin Tower for the Sect Conference. Oddly, he thought it was supposed to be at the Lotus Pier, but he pushed that away, reading about how his brother was going to have a room prepared right next to his, and the Young Madam Jin even had plans for things they could do after the meetings.

The plans were all over the place showing how excited Jin Zixuan was. He should write his brother back quickly. He looked over seeing Wei Wuxian picking through the snacks, setting them aside.

“Do you want those?”

“No, I’m seeing what lasts longer,” Wei Wuxian looked over some of the buns. “These you should eat in at least two days. You want me to put them in your normal hiding spot?”

“You know where it is?!”

“I can smell it?” Wei Wuxian walked over to the little hidden cabinet, pointing. You need to scent a blanket; that keeps people from finding it. I used to do that a lot, after I overheard someone saying that’s how they kept their money hidden.”

Face warming, he frowned but walked over while his brother-in-law showed him all the places he knew where he hid food, even where he kept his water, just in case.

They ended up working together to separate the food that lasted longer. He was surprised when Wei Wuxian showed him how he kept his food fresher longer by slapping a talisman on a box to prevent it from aging.

After learning how to make one, Meng Yao started to try to find places to put everything. His nest wasn’t done yet, so the new items needed to be scented. He tossed in the large soft pillows while the other Omega tried to stuff the rest into the closet.

By the time they had put everything away, it was time for lunch, which they decided to take outside. It was a nice day, and he wanted fresh air for the baby.

Waddling a little, they talked about the upcoming conference. Meng Yao was excited and nervous to go. He was not sure about his father's or Madam Jin’s stance on him, but his brother and sister-in-law seemed incredible, so he hoped that maybe he was overthinking.

There was also a chance he could convince his brother to take him sword flying again.

Packing would be done soon since they traveled by horse and carriage, and his Beta didn’t want him to get sick while flying. He made a face because he wanted to fly so badly it wasn’t funny.

Walking along to meet their mate Meng Yao was wondering if he could convince Lan Xichen to at least fly him a little bit. Going down the mountain was a yes, but he was going to try to get him to fly him some of the way.

--

“Hm, a little to the left.”

“Baba,” Wen Chao took in a dramatic gasp. “I’ve been moving your bed for almost three hours! You gotta pick where you want it.”

“I do not like it there,” Lan Qiren frowned, looking around the room, then started to waddle closer to the window. “Move it over here.”

Rolling his eyes, Wen Chao started pushing the bed again, this time sliding it faster towards the window. He had been back since that morning and had planned on being lazy after he came to say hi, but now he was tasked with moving the same piece of furniture all over the damn room!

“There, how’s that?”

Lan Qiren stared for a second. “I don’t like it.”

“What?!”

“Move it a few more inches that way,” He watched as the Alpha did so, then frowned, still not liking it. “More. More… more… There.”

“Finally!”

“It’s crooked,” Wen Xu called. He had been in the room watching and smirked when his brother gave him a death glare. “And, Baba, the window, what if it gets cold at night?”

“Mm,” Lan Qiren pondered this. “I don’t like it, let’s move it over here.”

“I’m going to kill you!” Wen Chao growled while pushing the bed away from the window until it was in the middle of the room. “There?”

“It looks odd in the middle of the room.” Lan Qiren sighed. “I don’t know where I want it, but I do want it somewhere,”

“We’ve tried everywhere, I don’t think you know, so why don’t I leave it here for a bit?” Wen Chao waved at it. “It’s been five hours!”

Letting out an annoyed sound, Lan Qiren’s scent changed, distressed, causing the brothers to panic because it was lingering with hurt. It was unlike Baba to be so unreasonable, but being pregnant, they quickly learned that mood swings were part of it.

“Wait, by the books!” Wen Xu waved. “That was when you could read and rest. Plush, it’s far enough from the window so that you won’t get cold.”

That piqued interest, and Lan Qiren walked towards the bookshelves, looking them over and the space. He seemed to think about it for a long time until he finally nodded.

“I want it here.”

They moved the bed together, and Wen Xu jumped up to help this time because he felt bad. He didn’t understand hormones like this, but he knew it was odd that they could quickly change.

“You fucking asshole, you knew that was the best idea the whole time,” Wen Chao snarled under his breath. “Did you enjoy watching me suffer for hours?!”

“Always, you dick,” Wen Xu laughed. “Now shut up and help me.”

“I’ve been moving this thing all day!”

They got it to the bookshelves, setting it up just so, and after another half an hour of barely moving in less than half an inch every way, which was deemed perfect with them hearing their Baba’s purring, and no longer upset.

“I want all my pillows on it.” Lan Qiren watched them head towards the pile lying in a random spot in the room. They gathered as many as they could, taking a few trips, tossing them onto the bed. “Don’t throw them!”

“Baba, please, I have things to do!” Wen Chao chucked the rest of the pillows he had in his hands. “Why don’t I go get A-die, hm? That would make you happy, right?”

“Hm, no. I'd rather work on my nest.” Moving to the bed, Lan Qiren started to arrange the pillows to his liking, moving them around while the oldest children he raised seemed to be discussing dinner. He got tired easily, and instead of getting on the bed, which he should have done logically, he tossed some pillows onto the floor and slowly slid down, as it suddenly seemed comfortable. “Can someone hand me a blanket?”

“Sure- AHHH!” Wen Chao screamed, running at him. “DID YOU FALL?!”

“No, I laid down.”

Falling to the ground in relief, Wen Chao held his chest. Oh, the fuck! This was going to give him a heart attack! He had less stress when dealing with demons and ghosts!

Where was his Father?!

This seemed like something he should be doing!

“Did you fall?” Lan Qiren inquired.

“He’s an idiot, of course he did.”

“Listen here you little shit!” Wen Chao got up and glared at the oldest. “Don’t you have crap to do?!”

“Not really,” Smirking Wen Xu said, reaching for a blanket and tossing it over the very pregnant Omega. After all that time of making his brother move the bed all over the room, Omega chose the soft, fluffy carpet and tucked him in. “Here, Baba, why don’t you rest?”

“I think I will.” Lan Qiren settled down, closing his eyes. “Just a short nap.”

Wen Chao was thanking the gods when he made the mistake of waiting to ensure he fell asleep.

“I don’t think I like the bed here.”

Hours later Wen Ruohan came back to find the entire room rearranged, Wen Xu was smirking while Wen Chao looked like he had been battling all day and was moving around the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Dying!”

“I do not know where I want the bed.” Lan Qiren frowned. “It’s just not right.”

“Why don’t we eliminate it and make a giant nest instead?”

“…Yes, that’s what I want!” Lan Qiren looked surprised.

“WHAT?!” Wen Chao gasped. “I’ve been moving this bed for HOURS!”

“Stop yelling, and get it out of here,” Wen Ruohan waved. “Wen Xu, get up and help your brother.”

“I think he can do it,” he teased. But after one look from his Father, he sighed and got up, walking over. "Alright, hold on, loser. I’ll help, I guess.”

“You’ve done nothing all day!”

They argued but got the bed taken apart and tossed out the frame. Finally, Lan Qiren was happy with the mattresses on the floor. He started to make his nest up again while his mate was reading a letter from Jin Tower.

New invites.

Smirking, he tucked it away in his robes.

This was going to be interesting.

Chapter 21

Jin Tower was as gorgeous as they said.

Arriving in a carriage, Meng Yao peeked out of the window and saw as it came into view. Vast and huge, along with the Jin Clan’s streets full of people selling goods, food, clothing, silks, and strange things from the far outer clans.

The closer they got to the Palace, the more exotic the streets became: music, dances, people dancing. Eyes drinking in the place, Meng Yao was purring loudly, seeing the place he had only heard of.

Never did he think he was going to be here.

Lan Xichen was also looking out the window, helpfully pointing out places he had been before, including places where he enjoyed meals. He pointed out one of the meals Meng Yao wanted to try.

Wei Wuxian talked loudly about all the liquor he wanted to bring back. Chattering about which ones he wanted to buy as soon as they stopped. The ride was fun until he paused.

“The Jiang Clan has arrived!” He grinned, putting his hand up to cover his eyes, trying to spot his brother. He couldn’t tell if his brother was in the carriage, most likely yes, but then he paused. “The Wen Clan is here too!”

That piqued Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen’s interest. They were curious to know if their Shushu was attending as well. The odd lack of letters concerned them. They had discussed beforehand, of course, that their Father would be keeping the letters, and it was clearly the reason when the Wen Siblings showed up to hand deliver them.

They looked out as the procession to the Tower continued.

--

Fanning himself, Jin Guangshang waited for the rest of the Sect Leaders to appear. With Wen Ruohan sending him that letter, he wasn’t foolish enough to make his own seat stand out.

No.

Not with how the man had snuck in here the last time! He came and left without so much as a whisper, which he hadn’t done in so long that it was still shocking.

Instead, he set the tables up like he usually did, having Wen Ruohan dead and centian, but the tables were in a large circle around the table, but anyone would be able to tell that the Alpha was going to be the center of the room.

Madam Jin would be pissed, but fuck, he wasn’t trying to die. Not with how little time he had to get things in order. Walking around, he noticed his son, Jin Zixuan, there with the Young Madman Jin, and he was happily holding a gift.

From how it was wrapped, he guessed his son had taken his chance at ensuring it was hand-wrapped himself. This was a poor choice, really, as it looked like the gift had fought for its life.

“Who is this for?” He asked, approaching them with a smile. His child, the first one he had birthed, had grown well, and even if the marriage had been to his mate’s best friend's child, it was pleasant to know they had a wonderful marriage. “And if it is an animal, it should have holes in it,”

“No, it’s not an animal,” Jin Zixuan laughed. “I mean, it was once, but it’s soft jerky. I had the head chef make it special for A-Yao.”

The name made Jin Guangshang wince. He was still paying the price for knowing where one was living, Meng Yao, was and that he was an Omega of age to be married.

He hadn’t seen the Omega since the wedding day and the end of the married seclusion, and hadn’t spoken to him since. With the heir of the Lan Clan on the way, he’d supposed he’d have to talk to him eventually.

Madam Jin was in a bad mood after her failed attempt to speak with the bastard. However, he sent fattening food since the brothel had failed to keep him fed.

He thought it rude when he sent a disgusting amount of money to keep Meng Yao fed. Before he could say anything, he heard the sound of someone announcing the Sect Leader’s arrival.

“It’s time to take our places,” Jin Guangshang went to stand to greet the others. If he dared wait for them to sit and welcome them, he still had bruised ribs and wasn’t looking to anything else that day. “Oh, and Jin Zixuan,”

“Yes, Father?” He smiled.

“Do not get to close to Lan Furen,” He warned. “Your mother will not like it.”

“What-?”

The music began to play as the clans were announced. Jin Guangshang kept his head up high and didn’t let it lower because soon, his mate joined him. Ugh, he wanted this day to be over.

--

Stomach-churning Jiang Fengmeng wasn’t happy to be here. His collar was tight today, like a hand constantly warning him to stay in his place, which it might as well have been.

Receiving word that the Sect Conference was to be held at Koi Tower and not at the Lotus Pier had set his Alpha off. She hadn’t been in a forgiving mood since.

After she had scared the staff nearly to death, she turned on him. In the ten days he was sure Jin Guangshag had to get things ready, the other was likely primarily littered with bruising like he was.

The music that played while their carriage was led towards the ever-impressive Tower. Inside the carriage, it was tense with his Mate seeming more aggravated than usual.

He assumed her pride was hurt when the letter arrived, yet there was something else. He couldn’t place it, but she seemed to be thinking, yet her scent had arrived.

Jiang Cheng was trying hard not to cover his nose from it, feeling bad that he had to deal with this. Reaching over, he pushed down on one of the windows so air could come in and the scent could ease out.

At least he’d be able to see his daughter. He missed her. The overpowering Alpha scent slowly filtered out with little notice, or maybe Madam Yu did not notice at all.

Seeing this, he reached up to try to loosen his collar, just a little bit to breathe easier, when she growled darkly, eyes snapping sideways at him. She kept them there until he put the collar back on the way it was, too tight and hurting.

It satisfied her control over him.

He lowered his head for a few minutes, even if it made breathing worse, until she seemed to return to her thoughts. Slowly,he lifted his chin to at least get some air in.

The long stretch came to the stairs. Going up was easier in a carriage, and being carried by the Disciples wasn’t too bad. He looked out the window, seeing the other three heading up.

Wen.

Lan.

Nie.

Jiang.

It was always a sight to behold. He wondered what had been put together in such a short amount of time. Interesting was the only word he could think of. By the time they all got to the top, he was ready to get out and stretch.

One by one, everyone got out. The last small flight of stairs to the Main Entrance was less than twenty steps. He looked at the others as they climbed out of their carriages.

Nie Mingjue, while Jiang Fengmain missed his old friend Nie Yuzu, his son seemed to be doing well running his Sect. Even if he was brasher and sometimes traded a fine line, all in all, he was doing well for a young Leader.

Qingheng-Jun looked irritated and got out. He walked forward, his hand gripping his sword. Behind him, his sons made their way out, slower than he liked, helping their Omegas out.

While Wei Wuxian had yet to get pregnant, Jin Guangyao could not hide it even if he folded his hands over his belly with his sleeves. The Healers told them that the baby was normal in size; it was just that he was such a small Omega, so he looked nearly ready to give birth.

The Wens didn’t seem to get out

 

The two Omegas were dressed in Lan clothing, the patterns on the side edges the only thing setting them apart as to who was which Furen. They stood with their mates, waiting.

Even if it wasn’t spoken, they all knew to wait for Wen Ruohan to step out, which, to their surprise, Wen Xu and Wen Chao appeared first, almost guarding the carriage.

The door finally opened with Wen Ruohan stepping out; even as a child, his aura always seemed to be felt no matter how close or far. He stood waiting, even if his Omega instincts urged him to want to bow his head.

He had done so as a child before the Jiang Elders tried to train it entirely out of him. Once married, it rarely happened with anyone aside from his Alpha. However, how violent she could get, even if controlled to a point, she would take pleasure in his submission.

That didn’t help when Sect Leader Wen flared his Alpha scent, and he had bowed his head. She didn’t take it well the first time, and he still wondered if the beating she had given him that day was the reason Yanlin’s core was so common, seeing as he had been a few months along.

The second pregnancy, she sent him off to a small part of the Castle, a wonderful time if he ever had one, and even enjoyed his pregnancy with Jiang Cheng.

Instead of moving first, Wen Ruohan flicked his hand, indicating that they would go first this time. Odd and out of the norm, no one moved at first. It wasn’t until he did it again, this time growling, that Qingheng-Jun growled back and moved forward first.

Soon, the three Sect Leaders started to move, heading up the stairs. He looked back once, curious about why, until he had to pay attention to greeting their host. Step by step, he was counting the time until he could find a way to lose his collar.

When he reached the stop with the other three, Jin Guangshang was looking at the Lans. He still had yet to ask about the unknown child, but then he paused when the Jin Sect Leader looked absolutely shocked, shoulders dropping. He was so in shock that he didn’t even hide his open-mouthed gasp behind his fan.

What?

Turning around to see what happened, he took a pause and gasped.

Wen Ruohan was at the top of the stairs. The Alpha had always drawn attention from anyone, from childhood to the Sect Leader, yet this time, no one was looking at him as he helped his mate up onto the last step.

“You’re pregnant?!” Jin Guangshang all but screamed. “What?!”

“Well, that’s not how I’d like to have announced it, but yet,” Lan Qiren frowned. “And you have a ridiculous amount of stairs, the upward climb, even in the carriage, hurt my back.”

Everyone stood there in shock until Lan Qiren decided he wasn’t going to be standing because his back hurt too much. He waddled towards the Wen Sect Table, his Alpha helping him, and eased him into a sitting position.

The others just all exchanged glances in confused shock.

“Congratulations!” Wei Wuxian shouted, and the awkward dead silence was too much for him. “Two babies on their way! That’s exciting!”

Of course, this was the time that Jin Zixuan decided was the perfect time to give his very badly wrapped gift to his brother. He was walking towards him, and he tried to package it in his hands. His little brother held out his hands, still unsure of what was happening.

Qingheng-Jun growled darkly at Jin Zixuian, who looked surprised. The other Alpha had done so in his face, causing A-Yao to shrink back. Lan Xichen was quick to get in front of him to keep him safe.

No one expected a Beta to suddenly be in Qingheng-Jun, darkly hissing at him, in a final warning. It wasn’t Lan Xichen, who wasn’t the one who moved first.

Jin Guangshang was in Qingheng-Jun's face, hissing darkly even though he knew this wouldn’t end well for him.

Chapter 22

Meng Yao turned to protect his belly, safe in Lan Xichen’s arms. The growl, followed by a dark hiss, had him wincing. He wanted to protect his baby. Looking over, he paused when another growl was heard.

While he had tried to take the oddly wrapped gift from his brother, he hadn’t expected Sect Leader Lan to grow. At first, he thought it was aimed at him. Meng Yao thought he overstepped.

Peeking over, he paused. Jin Guangshan was in front of Jin Zixuan, hissing darkly at the Alpha. It was out of instinct to protect his child, and how dare the Lan Sect Leader threaten Jin Zixuan?!

Madam Jin came to growl at him, too. She looked like she was going to strike when a scent flared. The two Jin Alphas, Jin Guangshan and Qingheng-Jun, had their noses scrunched up, and they winced.

Covering his nose, Jin Guangshan shook his head, trying to fight off the feeling of bowing his head. Blowing air out of his nose, he moved back, pushing his son back with him.

Lan Qiren frowned. Wen Ruohan could control how far his scent could go and where. He left it far enough back so it didn’t affect the Jades or their mates. Jin Zixuan was unfortunate to be right behind his parents, but he did take joy in watching Qingheng-Jun being forced to take a step back.

“We are here for the Sect Conference.” Wen Ruohan spoke in a lower tone, issuing a warning. “I think we should take our places.”

There was a standoff until they moved to filter out towards their own seats. The large circular room was set up, even with many people rushing to get things done; a few servants were trying not to get caught as they added the finishing touches.

Once everyone was seated, Jin Guangshan stood up to welcome them, announce the start of the Banquet, and then the music and entertainment began, while the food was being served.

The opening went well, enough until it was time for the various Sects to start mingling. Jin Guangshang was trying not to drink as much wine as he could.

Looking over, he wanted to ask his son if he was alright, but found him frowning. Looking over, he saw that the Jades and their mates had, of course, made it over to the Wen Table, bowing to them and joined them.

Oh, well, that was nice?

He guessed?

Fanning himself, he glanced over at the Lan Sect Leader and frowned. Oh, for fuck’s sake, was that asshole pissed off? Sure, Lan Qiren being pregnant was a shock, but surely, he’d be happy?!

Was there no appeasing these assholes?!

Rolling his eyes, he waved at someone to bring him more wine. He needed to drink the night away, forget what he thought earlier.

--

Wen Ruohan kept a hand on the small of Lan Qiren’s back. He was slowly drinking wine, watching people. To anyone who didn’t know him, he was looking out at the entertainment in front of him.

Those who knew him knew better than to think he wasn’t paying attention to them. Just outside his vision, he noticed that Madam Yu, who was well-controlled in public spaces, with her eyes narrowed, was a picture of the perfect, strong-willed Alpha who led the sect, but he could see it just under her eyes.

She was furious that this wasn’t being held at Lotus Pier. A simple analysis of her Omega, Jing Fengmian, revealed that he was slowly drinking, barely nibbling his food, and continually adjusting his robes. A slight narrowing of his eyes could tell the Omega’s collar was too tight. The son looked tense, even if he tried to give off the air of not being bothered; his back was too stiff, and his hands would clench as if he wanted to help his Father each time he struggled to swallow food.

Another sip of wine, he eyed Jin Guangshan, who kept looking at people, while also looking back at Jin Guangyao. It wasn’t until he realized that he would glance over here or there, hiding behind his fan, that he would notice his eyes. It amazed him that the Beta never realized his eyes were just as expressive as his mouth.

There was Nie Mingjue, he seemed to be pissed, the look on his face of someone who didn’t want to deal with nonsense, but at the same time had yet to secure an heir for his clan and claimed that his younger brother was to be the heir.

“I thought it would be a nice surprise,” Lan Qiren's voice touched his ears. He looked over, seeing the Jades and their mates in awe as his mate let them touch his belly. “I wanted to make sure I was far enough along, and it seemed a right time to let everyone know.”

“Shushu, Sect Leader Wen,” Lan Xichen bowed, unable to keep the huge smile off his face. “We are so happy for you!”

Lan Wangji nodded.

“I think I felt a kick!” Wei Wuixan leaned down to press his ear to the older Omega’s belly. “Kick harder!”

“No, enough of you!” Lan Qiren pushed him off, not too hard, but enough to get him to move back, Wei Wuxian laughing his head off. Meng Yao had his hands on Lan Qiren’s belly, curious; he paused when a hand moved to touch his, looking up at the Grandmaster. “How is your pregnancy going? You seem…Well, I do believe your back must hurt more than mine.”

“It is alright,” Meng Yao said. “I think the main issue I have right now is breathing.”

“Breathing?” Lan Qiren frowned. “Explain,”

“When I sleep, if I roll on my back, I can’t breathe,” Meng Yao felt embarrassed about it. “I sleep with propped up and no one has been able to help,”

“The healers do try,” Lan Xichen said. “But, nothing so far.”

“There is a doctor who watched over me,” Lan Qiren hummed. “I think you should see her; she’s an incredible healer.”

“A wonderful idea,” Wen Ruohan agreed. “Join us in our Wing tonight, she will be there,”

“Thank you, Sect Leader Wen,” Meng Yao to him, struggling with his belly. He shifted and ended up turning to sit with his legs outstretched on the sitting pillow, his face heating with embarrassment. “This one is sorry, it’s hard to sit properly…”

“I understand,” Lan Qiren rubbed his back. “Sit with us so that we may catch up.”

They spoke for a bit as the festivities continued. The opening went as always: wine, food, drink, entertainment, and mingling for hours until the sun started to set.

It was at this time that Wen Ruohan watched as Qingheng-Jun, the Sect Leader, looked furious that his sons had decided to spend so much of their time at the Wen table.

Smirking, he drank more as he observed the room, the music playing.

Looking over, he found the young Jin Omega seemed to have attached himself to his mate, leaning against him while watching the dances. With his ample belly, he worried how he was going to give birth when it was time, or if the Lan Clan was prepared.

He could see him trying to massage his back, and the young Omega leaned into him. Feeling someone looking his way, he looked back over, surprised to see Jin Guangshan's eyes were on his son, eyeing him like he was trying to figure something out, almost confused.

Frowning, he thought that was odd.

Then again, from what he knew, and he would find out eventually, for now, he was going to keep a close eye on things. Even enjoy some of the entertainment.

--

Mingling with others was part of things. Lan Xichen had gone to speak with some people, moving about while looking back. He felt better moving around with his mate at his uncle's side.

The shock of his Uncle being pregnant was still on his mind, yet he was happy. Another sibling to add to the family was a great idea. He purred as he moved about the room, chattering.

Finally, he moved to greet Nie Mingjue, his dear friend, but when he arrived, he saw that Nie Mingjue was in a sour mood. Wondering what was causing it, he soon discovered the problem and had to hurry over.

“I should rip your head off,” Nie Mingjue growled. “Go away,”

“Now, why would I do that?” Wen Xu scrunched up his nose. “You're sitting over here glaring at everyone like they wronged you.”

“Xu-Ge, Dage,” Lan Xichen smiled. “What are you two talking about?”

“That big olf'has no manners,” Wen Xu let out a huff. “I said hello, like a decent person, and he’s over here acting like he didn’t hear me, or perhaps his ears are clogged.”

“Or maybe it is because I ignored you that your simple mind didn’t get the hint that I do not wish to speak with you,”

“Still mad at I bested you at the last hunt, huh?” Wen Xu smirked. “Jealousy is a good color on you.”

“You…!”

Laughing awkwardly, Lan Xichen got between them. They had been like this as long as he could remember. They liked to poke and prod at each other, baiting each other at the Sect Conference. Even as children, he recalled them trying to outdo one another in anything, from fighting to once fishing upside down until Wen Xu passed out hours later.

Nie Mingjue had claimed victory, jumping right side up, only for the rush of blood to cause him to pass out too. They had been teenagers at the time, but Lan Xichen had no idea what to do as they started competing to see who regained consciousness first when they woke up.

“Dage, would you like to meet my mate?” Lan Xichen didn’t need them to fight. He wanted to get his friend to meet his Omega. Plus, he didn’t wish A-Yao walking more than necessary. The long trip was a lot, and he looked around. “Is Nie Huisang not here?”

“He’s in the art room,” Nie Mingjue rolled his eyes. “I’ll deal with him when the Jin Disciples kick him out.”

“Don’t worry, A-Huan, the only way they’d kick him out is if this ass gets the art room confused with the armory,”

“You little…!”

Nie Mingjue and Wen Xu were glaring at each other, eyes narrowed. Moving between them, he knew he’d have an easier time getting Wen Xu to stop than the Nie Sect leader.

Huffing, Wen Xu patted Lan Xichen’s head, then headed off, claiming he was going to be social unlike a certain bullheaded Sect Leader. Stopping Nie Mingjue from going after him, he tugged him along.

“Wait till you meet him,” Lan Xichen purred. “I’m sure you’ll love him.”

They approached the Wen Table, and the small Omega was trying some of the fish and broth, looking like he was in heaven. For a second, he wanted to comment on how tiny he was. Not enough meat on his bones.

“I’ll send meats from my Sect.” Nie Mingjue whispered. “We have plenty.”

“That is kind of you,” Lan Xichen bowed to his Uncle and his Alpha, before introducing his Omega. “A-Yao, this is my lifelong friend, Nie Mingjue.”

“Sect Leader Nie, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Meng Yao said, struggling to stand. “This one needs a moment to stand.”

“No, stay seated,” Nie Mingjue assured, though impressed he was trying to stand. “I would like to congratulate you on your pregnancy, Lan Furen.”

“Thank you, this one is most grateful.” From his seat, he tried to bow as best he could. “It is an honor to be doing so,”

“And to you Wen Furen,” Nie Mingjue tried not to make a face when Wen Xu appeared behind the Grandmaster, but that Alpha was so annoying, ugh, he hated him. “Congratulations, the Nie Sect will be sure to send gifts upon my return.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader Nie,” Lan Qiren nodded. “We’re… um, Yes?”

“Are you well?” Wen Ruohan spoke, but wasn’t looking at the Nie Sect leader, but a Beta that had wondered over. “Or can you not speak?”

Nie Mingjue frowned and looked over, wondering who the hell he was talking to, only to see Jin Guangshan there, nearly hiding behind him, and he was peeking out and just staring at Lan Furen.

Meng Yao on his end blinked, bowed, and a small hope of sparking to his Father started to soar. But it seemed like Jin Guangshan looked surprised that he was even there, blinked, and just walked away quickly.

“…Odd,” Lan Qiren commented.

Interesting, was what Wen Ruohan was thinking, but then he had to deal with another Jin when the heir to said clan came up, and like his Father, he had a hard time controlling his expressive face.

“Ah, Jin Zixuan,”

“You flared your scent,”

Ah, maybe Lan Qiren was right; he spoiled all these children when they were young. Now, he had one who was not only married but was looking at him as if he was going to tear up.

“It was towards Sect Leader Lan,” He assured with a chuckle. “Why not join us, seeing as you were planning to give something to your brother, no?”

That seemed to do the trick, because he nodded, rushed away, and returned with… with the ugliest wrapped gift Wen Ruohan had ever seen. He took a drink of wine to keep from saying anything.

He ignored that Nie Mingjue left without much ceremony, Wen Xu trailing after him to try to bait him into another contest to see who was better at what. He swore his son spent more time chasing after Nie Mingjue than securing a mate.

--

Lan Wangji was walking around with his mate, enjoying hearing the conversations. To anyone, he looked like he wasn’t even there. He had a vacant stare, they had said, but he did enjoy hearing things; he just wasn’t a big talker.

Wei Wuxina, however, was excitedly telling everyone that he hoped to have a child soon, as he wanted them to grow up with his brother-in-law’s mate’s child.

Of course, Wei Wuxian visited the healers nearly weekly to check. It had been months, and he was healthy; it was just that it hadn’t taken yet. They assumed it was the change in environment, getting used to mostly non-meat meals, and that he would be able to get pregnant soon.

He made it to the Jiang table, bowing to them, before chattering with his siblings. His sister had joined them earlier to talk with them, even if she was wearing his Jin Sect robes.

As he was chatting, Lan Wangji noticed that the Jiang Sect Leader looked like he was struggling to drink water. Watching him for a few minutes, until the Sect Leader smiled a little.

“Yes, Lan Wangji?”

“Your collar is too tight,” He stated, still staring.

This caught the others' attention. Jiang Cheng tensed, and Wei Wuxian stopped talking. However, Yanli got close, then loosened the cloth from her dad’s neck to an appropriate size, allowing him to breathe normally.

“You need to be careful,” She said. “You could have had trouble breathing,”

Madam Yu huffed. “He’s not used to using his head.”

Lan Wangji's eyes moved to her, just staring. She ignored him. She wasn’t happy, but Lan Wangji was sure she had something to do with it. He was an Alpha, so he didn’t wear collars, but Shushu, his brother, his mate, and his in-law did.

“Wangji.”

Looking over, Lan Wangji paused.

His father had called him, and he looked like he was in a bad mood. He excused himself to head over to see what the Alpha wanted, bowing to him, wondering if he needed something or if he was just angry.

“Sit down,” Qingheng-Jun demanded with a growl. “Now.”

Lan Wangji hesitated; they were at a Conference, but he moved to sit down at his spot. He realized he must have done something wrong, what he couldn’t say.

In seconds, Wei Wuxian came rushing over to sit next to his husband, frowning. They held hands, but Lan Wangji would rather not cause a scene. He paid attention to his Father’s movements. He was angry; rarely was there a time he wasn’t.

A few minutes later, Lan Xichen noticed his brother with his father, wondering if it was already time for the main course to be served. He headed off to collect his Omega.

With some struggle and help, they managed to get him up so they could head back to the table. Lan Qiren watched them. He didn’t like that his brother hadn’t gotten up to mingle with anyone, and it was still half an hour before people could speak before the feast.

“Watch my mate,” Wen Ruohan instructed Wen Zhuliu, who bowed. He looked at his Omega. “I’ll be back,”

Nodding Lan Qiren rubbed his belly, watching him leave to speak with a few people, and by speak, he watched most people bow to his Alpha, and most kept away from him or tried their best not to offend him.

Looking around, he paused again, as Jin Guangshan came over like he was going to talk. Instead, he stood there. Eyes half unfocused, his nose seemed to be trying to pick up a scent.

Frowning, Lan Qiren stared. “Jin Guangshan?”

“Yes?”

Frown deepening Lan Qiren leaned closer a little. Why did he respond like that? In a questioning way that sounded like the Beta had no idea why he was there in the first place.

“Did you wish to speak to me about something?”

“Uh, no? Yes. Yes, I meant yes,” Shaking his head, the Sect Leader covered his face with his fan. “Later, do you want to have tea with me?”

“Is that why you came over?”

“No.” Jin Guangshang took a moment to think, fidgeting.  “Yes.”

“It cannot be both. What is on your mind?”

Fanning himself, Jin Guangshan frowned, looked over at where his Mate was talking to Madam Yu, then looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. Sighing, Lan Qiren nodded.

“If it will suit you, my room is easier at the moment.”

“I can see why,” He smiled a bit, using his face to hide. “Such a secret,”

“Not a secret, just waiting until it was an appropriate time to announce it, though I do recall you did so for me,” Lan Qiren hummed. “At least you did not curse this time.”

When there wasn’t a response, Lan Qiren frowned more. He looked over the Beta; he seemed to drop, his mood was off, and his scent was… slightly bitter down?

“Do you wish to sit?”

“…I should get back to my table.” Even if he said that, he took a step forward, sniffing the air, then moved back. “I shall see you later, Grandmaster,”

“Until then, Sect Leader Jin,” Lan Qiren watched him go, wondering what that odd behavior was about. He looked over everyone, wondering if he should attempt to mingle, but chose to sit still when Wen Chao came over. “Welcome back,”

“I wouldn’t miss the show for the world,” With a gremlin smile, Wen Chao sat down. “If I had a way to capture the moment, Baba, I would,”

“What on Earth are you talking about?” Lan Qiren asked then paused seeing Wen Xu limping in, his hair had twigs and a small branch in, he looked like he had been in a fight as he made his way towards the table and sat down. “Fight, flying, or did you two do something stupid?”

“What makes you think I was up to something stupid?” Wen Xu took his seat, rubbing his jaw. “Asshole has a strong pouch,”

“Baba, if you should take a walk later, there is a nice wall dent on the southern side of the Jin tower,” Wen Chao snickered. “And a tree was taken down when the idiot flew off his sword.”

“Racing!” Lan Qiren narrowed his eyes. “We are at a Conference, can’t you behave?! You two are not children.”

“What?! He started it!”

On the other side of the room, Nie Mingjue was sitting, smirking and enjoying every single moment when he saw the Wen Alpha crashing into a tree while they raced and right into the wall.

He was going to be remembered for the rest of the night.

As the room filled with the feast, everyone returning to their own seats, Wen Ruohan noticed that Madam Jin, Madam Yu, and that asshole of a Sect Leader Lan were all giving each other subtle looks.

As the food was brought out, the music played, he took in how while Madam Jin seemed to be talking to her son and daughter-in-law, Jin Guangshan was downing the wine as if it were going to be the last time he ever had any.

The strange thing about that was it had been years since he had seen the Beta be careless like this. His face was flushed from the alcohol. He eyed him for a while, watching how he was having someone sneak him more, probably because if Madam Jin hadn’t been on whatever rant she was giving her son, she would have noticed.

Eyes floating over at Madam Yu, the picture of control, at least that was what she wanted the world to know, because he knew she was plotting something. Even if she was good at keeping her poker face, the permanent glare often reminded her that whatever mood she was in affected her Omega.

Jiang Fengmain was trying not to cover his nose, sitting slightly away from her to avoid her ire, while her son kept sneezing up his nose. They gave away more of how overpowering the female Alpha’s pissed off mood was.

“Jin Guangshan is coming by later for tea,” Lan Qiren stated. “He wants to speak, do not scare him.”

“Me?”

“You know very well,” Lan Qiren raised his eyebrow. “Like last time when you went to speak with him on your own?”

“Hm, he told you?”

“I know you better than anyone,” Lan Qiren leaned closer. “And I received a rather angry letter from Madam Jin. You scented him.”

“I scented a old friend, simply, a friendship thing,” He damn well knew that held little weight. Only when they had all been children did it count, so it seemed that if Madam Jin couldn’t snap at him, she wrote his mate to tell him all about it. “And I got your answers,”

“Not all of them, but do not do that again,” Lan Qiren frowned deeply. “I do not know what’s going on, but he’s… not himself.”

“Hm, an hour for tea, then I shall return,” He leaned closer. “Besides, I have a meeting with someone later,”

Raising an eyebrow, Lan Qiren paused. “Do not cause a war, I am too pregnant for it.”

“Do not worry, love, it’s only a chat.” Wen Ruohan couldn’t help the smirk appearing on his lips, red eyes nearly flickering as he set his sights on the Lan Sect Leader. “Now, let’s enjoy the dinner.”

Chapter 23

Lan Qiren clapped while the last show of the night ended. If there was one thing he could give to Jin Guangshan and his limited time to get things together, he always provided excellent entertainment.

It was far later than Lan typically stayed up, heading closer to midnight. The food was terrific; he enjoyed the fresh fish dishes they had and some of the rare things he could have in the Wen or Lan Sects.

Being helped up, he let out a sigh of relief once steady on his feet. Wen Qing was suddenly near him. He paused ,looking over as the Lan Clan stood, his brother was heading off to their hall. He scowled, seeing how his brother didn’t even ensure that Lan Furen was able to stand, instead ignoring while Wei Wuxian and the Jades helped him up.

“Wen Qing, Lan Furen need to be checked out for his breathing issues,” Lan Qiren watched them head off, slower, Lan Xichen helping his mate along, walking slower. “I want you to see to them once they're in their room and report back to me,”

“Yes, Wen Furen,” She bowed. “I shall return as soon as I can.”

Watching her go, he let out a huff, rubbing his back. A large, warm hand was at his back. He looked at his Alpha, purring, then sighed, shaking his head, mumbling that their child was trying to strain his back.

As his Alpha helped him towards their hall, and to the rooms where all the Wen Clan would be staying, he looked back to see if Jin Guangshan would join them or wait or something.

Instead, he noticed him swaying on his feet.

Frowning, he wasn’t sure if he’d see him that night. He rarely saw him this drunk at a conference. Turning around, he decided he might as well set up some tea just in case, and if not, at least he could enjoy a cup.

Once in their room, it was already set up, and he saw that Wen Ning was there and had just added the last of the pillows he had brought with him from home into the nest.

“Sect Leader Wen,” He bowed to the Alpha, looking nervous. “Wen Furen, I have set up your room.”

“Thank you, Wen Ning,” Lan Qiren nodded. “A wonderful job. Please have the tea set up and two seats.”

Agreeing, Wen Ning hurried to set up the small living area. Lan Qiren was never more grateful than when they had plenty of cushioned chairs. Sitting in on, he relaxed.

“I’ll be back later,” Wen Ruohan said, kissing him. “And hour, hm?”

“Be nice,” Lan Qiren frowned. “I can see that look in your eye,”

Wiggling his eyebrows, he kissed his Omega again before turning to leave, while Lan Qiren shook his head with a sigh.

--

Meng Yao was glad to find out that each Wing for the Clans had their rooms. He didn’t want to be anywhere near his Father-in-law. Something about the Alpha constantly left him stressed when he was near.

It was worse now knowing that he would beat his children, while bending the rules to a point he was sure he broke them, but didn’t care. The chair he was offered was soft, and he settled into it, catching his breath.

Moving to their things, Lan Xichen started to set up a nest. He had gotten better at it. This time, they used the bed because it was harder to use the floor, even if Meng Yao preferred it.

After a scare of him being unable to stand and an accident, his Omega had been so mortified, even though he assured him it had happened. Arranging the blankets, he tried to copy the peony-shaped one he liked, but it came out looking more fluffier.

Scenting the nest, Lan Xichen had gotten better at setting up. He wished he had nested more when he was younger. If his Father knew how much he liked it, well, he chose not to think about it.

Rolling around a little,  he got back out when he heard a knock on the door. Curious, he hurried over before Meng Yao could even try to struggle to stand.

“Yes?”

“First Master Lan,” Wen Qing bowed. “Wen Furen has sent me to check on Lan Furen.”

“Oh, yes, come in.” Moving back, he led her to Meng Yao, who had managed to struggle to his feet from his chair. “A-Yao, the doctor is here.”

After Wen Qing checked on him, the baby seemed healthy, having gained weight since the last time. Not as much as she would have liked since he was pregnant. If she didn’t know he was nearing his five-month mark, she would have thought that he would be ready to give birth.

On the other hand, Wen Furen had been along for just over three months before Qi almost deviated. Add that to the three months away at the Sun Palace and the conference. Well, there was a reason she was here, because it was most likely closer to him having the baby than not.

Hearing he was having trouble breathing if he wasn’t propped up she went to the nest, had him climb in with the help of his mate, before standing inside it, and started to shift the pillows, tucking a few of them under his belly, his knees, his neck, moving him around until he let out a reliaved sigh as the pressure was of his bones.

“Better?”

“Yes,” Meng Yao got out in a half-whimper. The release of pressure felt amazing. Closing his eyes, he nuzzled his pillow. “I wish I knew this sooner,”

“Now, First Master Lan just tuck him like this and some larger pillows for his back so he won't roll onto his back.” She showed him how and he copied it, getting a few grumbles from Lan Furen, who was already dozing off. “There, if you need anything, I shall be in the Wen Hall.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Lan Xichen gave her a slight bow. “For taking care of my Omega and my Shushu,”

“It’s my duty and pleasure,” She assured. “Is there anything else I can do before I leave?”

Before he could answer, there was a knock on the door. He went to see who else it wa,s only to find that it was a Nie Disciple with a letter asking him to join Nie Mingjue for tea.

“I shall see myself out,” Wen Qing bowed. “Have a wonderful night,”

Making sure that Meng Yao would be alright, his Omega was in heaven with how comfortable he was, even waving his Beta away as he nuzzled down happily.

Promising to return in an hour, Lan Xichen went to catch up with his old friend.

--

“You’re drunk,”

“No,” Jin Guangshan shook his head, then wobbled while sitting across from him. He held his head, his voice half slurring. “Just dizzy.”

“And you’re lying,” Lan Qiren frowned. “What has you like this?”

“Just the past,” He leaned down to pick up his tea, taking a sip, and yelping when it burned him. “Ow!”

“Give me that!” Lan Qiren reached over, taking it, watching him trying to cool his burned tongue by fanning it with his hand, when he had his fan in the other hand. “…'Nothing' would not have you acting like this,”

“Can you cool off my tea?” He asked. “Like when we were little?”

“We’re not little anymore.” Still, he blew on the tea, watching him. The other eyes were half closed, glossy from how much he drank, and he looked like he was going to tip over. “You wanted to have tea, so I assume there is something you wish to tell me about?”

“Yes,” Jin Guangshan pointed at him. “You’re pregnant!”

“Is that all you came for?!” Lan Qiren frowned. He handed back the cup, watching the Beta drink it. “Perhaps you're too drunk to have a conversation. Why don’t I have someone help you to your room?”

“No, she might be awake still,” He made a face. “And she’s been in such a bitchy mood since we were told to host and she hit my face,”

“Are you alright?” He was surprised to be telling him this.

“Yes, of course, I healed it just before my son got home, and even if I didn’t, I have makeup.” He made a face as he drank the tea. “Then she’s so angry about it being here.”

“It?” Lan Qiren raised an eyebrow. “You mean Lan Furen?”

“Well, yes, but you can’t say it’s real name or she’ll make be furious,”

“I do not like you referring to Lan Furen as an it.” Lan Qiren hissed in warning. He watched as the Sect Leader shrank under the threat. Even if he was drunk, he shouldn’t have done that easily. “He has a name,”

“It has?”

“You named him Jin Guangyao!”

“Shhh!” The fear and panic in the other's eyes were evident. “Don’t say that, she’ll hear,”

“Alright, enough.” Reaching over to stop the Beta from trying to cover his mouth, he pulled him closer, looking over. “Why shouldn’t I call him by his name?”

“Because I didn’t name it yet,”

“You- ! Hm,” Breathing through his nose, trying to keep calm though his blood pressure was surely rising and quickly. “Why hasn’t he a name?”

“I had to give it away.”

“Give… Jin Guangshan … did you know who Meng Yao was before you sought him out?” Lan Qiren inquired, and then paused when the other filched, arms going up. Reaching over, he pulled him a little closer, pressing their foreheads together in an attempt to calm him. “How did you know before you found him?”

What he was told, Lan Qiren was not expecting.

After they spoke, he offered to have someone help him back to his room, but the Beta just got up, saying he knew the way back, which he should, since this was his home after all!

Still concerned, he sent Wen Ning to find him someone to make sure the Jin Sect leader went back to his quarters. Holding his belly, he rubbed it gently, wondering what to do with the new information he had acquired, when a loud, happy voice rang out.

“I’m here!” Wei Wuxian laughed loudly, waving a jar of his favorite wine. “I can help with whatever you need!”

“…I have a mission for you.”

“Sure, what is it? I can handle it!” Wei Wuxian grinned. “Nothing I can’t handle!”

--

“I should have known better,” Wei Wuixian wandered the halls looking for the missing Jin Sect Leader, who hadn’t returned to his room, because the Jin Disciples were looking for him too, and asked him not to tell Madam Jin! “Great, what kind of mess did I get myself into?”

He was now leaving the Nie Sect hall, with no sign of said Jin Sect Leader, and was starting to wonder where the hell did he go?! If he had to bet, he could have gone off to a brothel!

He should get Lan Wangji, one, because he missed his husband, and two, he just knew that he might be able to pick up his scent better. So, he headed to their room and found him reading while he waited for his return.

They set out when they bumped into Lan Xichen, who was heading back from having tea with his friend, stopping to speak with them for a few minutes.

Once they parted, he wished them luck because they might not find him. Lan Xichen got to his room, pausing to see if the door was open. Like someone had just pushed it open, even with seals for safety reasons, the person didn’t seem to hide.

Heart jumping to his throat, he ran in, racing to the bed and came to a stop, seeing someone there. A-Yao was still asleep, but Jin Guangshan was oddly still, eyes glossed over, and when he sensed someone in the room, unforced, golden-eyes looked at him.

Pale, unmoving, and if Lan Xichen hadn’t known that the Beta had drunk, he would have thought that he was possessed. Instead, he turned back to stare at A-Yao.

“Sect Leader Jin, shall I help you back to your room?” Lan Xichen asked hesitatingly. “There is to be archery in the morning, so one should be rested, yes?”

There was no answer; instead, Jin Guangshan looked back at the Omega that was sound asleep until the Beta’s scent started to shift and change into a drop, and Lan Xichen did not want that around his Omega.

Rushing forward, he might have overstepped, but he pulled the Beta away, hoping that it wasn’t a drop; he did not like the one he went through, but he didn’t know what to do if it happened.

“You found him!” Wei Wuxian grinned, then covered his nose. “Oh no, what happened?!”

“I’m not sure, but we need to get him back to his room.”

“We were just there, the Jin Servants said Madam Jin isn’t there, and we stopped by to ask my Uncle if he had seen him, and it seemed that Madam Yu is also not in her room so that they might be together,”

“Really?”

The three of them tensed and turned. The Jades were used to Wen Ruohan’s scent, but they had always been able to pick it up. He was less than five feet away, walking towards them; his scent was pulled so close they almost couldn’t pick it up, even when he came to stand near them.

“Uh, yes,” Wei Wuxian bowed to him. “Lan Loashi asked me to find and return Sect Leader Jin to his room.”

“Hm, I’ll take care of it, just make sure to let Lan Qiren know he’s safe, or he’ll try coming to check himself,” Wen Ruoahn smiled. He reached out to take Jin Guangshan from Lan Xichen. “Besides, I was going to chat with a friend as well,”

“Thank you,” Lan Xichen watched them leave, unsure, then turned to his brother. “I want to get back to my mate,”

“We’re heading back to our room anyway,” Wei Wuxian smiled, but he was curious about why Sect Leader Wen was hiding his scent so tightly. “Have a good night,”

“Good night, brother,” Lan Wangji exchanged a bow before looking at his Omega, who had a twinkle in his eye. “It is suspicious,”

“So, we agree!” Wei Wuxian took out a paper puppet, holding it between his fingers. “Let’s inform Lan Loashi, then find out what he’s up to,”

Lan Wangji nodded as they walked along. They held hands while Wei Wuxian was excited about what they might find. What was everyone up to being missing this late at night?!

He, however, didn’t answer because they got back to tell Lan Qiren that they had found the missing Beta, and they came to a stop, seeing the Grandmaster glaring at someone.

That someone was Qingheng-Jun.

Chapter 24

Lan Qiren sat there for a few minutes in deep thought about what Jin Guangshang had told him. The information was something to think about, and what he was to do about it was… well, he wanted to speak with the Beta about it in the morning.

“Wen Ning,”

“Yes, Wen Furen,”

“None of what was spoken of here is allowed to be told to anyone,” He looked at the Omega, who looked surprised. “Understand? Not even my Mate. I will be the one to tell him when it’s time.”

“Yes, Wen Furen,” he said, looking nervous. “But Sect Leader…”

“If he even looks at you scarily, I shall deal with him.” Letting out a huff of air through his nose, He’d not have his husband being rude to his nephew and niece. “Bring me my writing desk, please?”

“Yes, Wen Furen.”

Wen Ning brought over the desk, set it up while Wen Furen absently stroked his swollen belly. Looking on, curious Wen Ning wondered if he’d ever find a mate and be able to have a child.

He was an aide to his sister, who looked over Wen Furen. The Grandmaster was extraordinary. He deeply admired that the Omega was able to defy such feats, have such a high title, and even saw how wonderful Wen Qing was.

Purring as he set it up, soft as it was, he looked over a few times at the belly, wondering what it would be like to be pregnant. Smiling a little, Wen Ning  gasped when he saw the older Omega looking at him.

“I’m sorry!” He bowed. “That was rude of me, Grandmaster, I didn’t mean to stare-”

“Do you want to feel?”

“Huh?” Blinking, Wen Ning stared. “Um…”

Relaxing, Lan Qiren put things aside in his mind for a few minutes. He reached over, gently taking the young Omega’s hands and guiding them to his belly, moving them as he did so.

“You were thinking about the baby, correct?”

“Y-Yes,” Wen Ning smiled a little crookedly. The warmth of the other Omega relaxed him. He looked up. “I want to have a baby one day.”

This poor child. From what he got out of Wen Ruohan, the parents had died, his Alpha’s brother and his mate killed by a powerful cultivator when the children were young. Some grandparents had raised them until they came to test their skills, and with how high they ranked, they were being trained in the Sun Palace.

Wen Ning was such a gentle spirit. Lan Qiren would have to ensure that whoever or whatever match was to be set up, or hopefully just a fated meeting, was suitable for the boy.

Used to children, Lan Qiren ran his hand over his head. The other looked at him in shock, his scent anxious, nervous, so he did what he always did. Maybe it was just how he was, Omega or not, but Lan Qiren had a soft spot for children in need, no matter what age.

Pulling him close, he guided his head until Wen Ning had his ear to his belly. Letting out some soothing pheromones. It took less than ten seconds for the young Omega to relax, soft purring returning. Wen Ning relaxed loving the attention.

“Can you hear the baby?” He asked, petting his head, and running one hand down Wen Ning’s back. “He’s excited to be born.”

Purring a little louder, Wen Ning nodded, eyes closing. He wasn’t sure what he was listening to, yet the sounds that he did hear had an odd calming effect on him.

“That one secretly yours?” A snarky voice sounded. “Or just the one you're carrying?”

Startled, Wen Ning shot up in a scramble. He paled at the sight of Sect Leader Lan and bowed to him. When had he gotten in here?! Wait, how did he get in here?!

“How disrespectful,” Lan Qiren glared at his brother. “You are entering another Sect Leader’s room without being invited or announced.”

“Your mate is away, dragging along that drunken fool, Jin Guangshang, back to his chambers.” Qingheng-Jun looked aggravated. “So, this is why you abandoned the clan for months?”

“I believe I was gone for less than four months, and not that it is any of your business, I was already pregnant,” he said, which was true; he was, he didn’t know at the time. Lan Qiren was weary, however. He was heavily pregnant, and his brother had a short temper. “Would you like some tea?”

“No.”

“Wen Ning, take the tea away,” He ordered. He wanted the boy out of there in case something happened. The young Omega bowed to him first, which was something that made Qingheng-Jun growl. “You are in my Alpha’s Bedchamber! Do not think you are more important, I am his Omega!”

Even if though he liked to stand up for himself, he had the baby to think of, and an Omega to protect. His instincts were riding high in protection mode. Wen Ning whimpered, but did bow to his brother before gathering the tea, quickly rushing off.

“Why are you here?” Lan Qiren inquired with a raised eyebrow. “And I did not abandon my Clan, unless you do not recall I am married, and my married home is the Wen Clan.”

“Tsk,” Qingheng-Jun looked disgusted, having never liked the idea of his brother marrying into the other Sect, even worse to marry someone like Wen Ruohan. “And this is the heir, then?”

“Wen Xu is the heir,” Lan Qiren frowned. “My Alpha’s firstborn,”

“Yes, but that thing is fully both of yours, is it not?”

Nose flare, chest expanding on inhalation. How dare he refer to his unborn baby as a thing! As an it! Ugh, and he spoke like he had done so before! Oh, this damn Alpha was always thinking of anything he did- Wait, the way he said those words, in such a away that his old friend had just been referring to his nephew-in-law earlier…

Titling his head, he looked him over.

“Why are you here, brother?” He asked. “You did not congratulate me out there like the other Sect Leaders and did not come for tea, so what is this matter about?”

“Simpley to know if you plan to have it here,” He waved at him with a flick of the wrist like it was annoying him. “These things last months, or are you going back to the Sun Palace?”

“We’re undecided as it is a private matter,” Lan Qiren wasn’t going to let his brother know what or when, he wasn’t even sure if he’d stay in Jin Tower to do so. “Something that I shall only discuss with my mate.”

They stared at each other with glares.

“Lan Loashi! We found-” Wei Wuxian announcement came to a halt, seeing who was there, and quickly bowed in time with his Alpha. “Sect Leader Lan, we did not know you were speaking with Lan Loashi,”

Lan Wangji stayed in the bow for a few seconds. Slowly moving out of it when his Father hadn’t acknowledged them, he stood back up watching, while slowly putting himself in front of Wei Wuxian.

Father was in a mood that never went well, and he was sure that his notice of the Jiang Sect Leader’s collar might be one of the many things that made the Alpha angry. His Shushu being pregnant was the main reason; however, it was better to be in his Father’s path than his Omega’s.

Making a face, Wei Wuxian wanted to do nothing more than for the Alpha leader to leave or for Wen Ruohan to come back. The atmosphere in the room was tense when someone entered. For a moment, they all assumed it was Sect Leader Wen, but it was Wen Zhuliu, and behind him were Wen Qing and her brother.

“Sect Leader Lan. Wen Furen,” The trio bowed to the man, with Zhuliu We speaking. “I do wish to interrupt your conversation, but your Doctor is here to help you to bed.”

Wen Qing bowed lower to Wen Furen.

Snorting Qingheng-Jun turned, no respect to say a farewell, but he snapped at his son and in-law to follow leave as well. They left, and Lan Qirne exchanged a look with them.

“Are you alright?” Wen Ning asked worriedly. “I tried to run as fast as I could,”

Ah, how endearing, the young Omega had gone to get help. Lan Qiren was impressed. He nodded, rubbing his belly. Tomorrow he’d do something for him, but for now.

“How was Lan Furen?”

“Better, now that he can sleep correctly,” Wen Qing bowed. “Are you well, Grandmaster?”

“Yes,” He hummed. “What’s tomorrow’s first event?”

“Archery, Grandmaster,” Wen Zhuliu, “It starts two hours past mid-noon.”

“I see, thank you,” Now all he had to do was speak with his mate when he got back. “Wen Ning, bring me my desk again, I will write until my Husband returns.”

--

Lan Wangji and his mate were walking down the Lan hall. He wanted to rush to their room, his Father was in a bad mood, he could tell just from feeling the air around him.

His Father, as long as he could remember, had a temper that was, un-Lan like, he still knew that the Alpha was ready to lash out. Staying in front of his mate, he started to feel relief when they got to their room, and his Father continued on.

“Wangji.”

Pausing he took a moment to push his Omega inside their room, Wei Wuxian yelping, trying to rush back out but Lan Wangji closed the door, slapping a temporary sealing on it before turning around to look at his Father. His eyes were darkened with anger.

“Yes, Father?”

“Has my brother said anything about returning to Gusu?”

“No.” Lan Wangji took a step back when his father came closer, invading his space. “Shushu only spoke of the babies,”

Growling Alpha moved closer, and Lan Wangji bowed his head. He didn’t want to deal with his Father’s anger. The scent was burning his nose. His heart was picking up.

“Anything that you might be forgetting?”

“No, Father,” Lan Wangji kept his head bowed, glad when the Alpha moved back. Nose still burning, he bowed to him. “Goodnight, Father.”

“Did you stick a seal on your room?”

Lan Wangji would have to say yes. He did so since his Father was unpredictable, even reverting to his version of punishment and discipline on him and his brother.

Before Lan Wangji could say or do anything Qingheng-Jun lashed out, grabbing him by the side of head, hand digging in harshly on his hair, and so rough that for a moment he thought he had been hit, until he was yanked sideways so hard he felt ripping in his hair, along with crackling from his neck.

Letting out a sound of pain, he was dragged, almost tripping, trying to keep up, dizzy from the hit, Lan Wangji's inner Alpha told him to fight back. The last time he did, he had been beaten so severely that he passed out, but now he had his Omega to think of, and as much as he hated to admit it, being married to the love of his life also put him in danger.

“You think you can disrespect me?!” He snarled darkly. “I am the Clan Leader, all these damn rooms belong to me and you think you can lock me out of one?!”

“Father-!” Lan Wangji tried to get out, and if he apologized, he might be able to get out of this quickly. He vaguely heard Wei Wuxian trying to get out of the room, the door shaking. “…!”

Qingheng-Jun yanked his son into the Lan Sect Leader’s room, throwing Lan Wangji down, then reached for the rod. He couldn’t get to his brother, now knowing he was pregnant, he knew he had lost a valuable member of his Sect for good. The damn Omega wouldn’t return when he had a damn baby to raise.

Well, if he couldn’t beat Lan Qiren, he’d have to settle for beating Lan Wangji.

Chapter 25

Jin Guangshang was redoing his nest.

After running into the Jades and his mate, Wen Ruohan had taken the drunk Beta from them and told them he’d return him to his room. His reason was that, with the Jin Sect Leader being unusually drunk, given the number of people expected to attend, it meant something was amiss.

He didn’t expect Jin Guangshang to be so drunk that halfway through pulling him along, the Beta stumbled, nearly falling, but Wen Ruohan easily scooped him up into his arms, where he promptly passed out.

That was the plan to ask questions, until he returned to the Royal rooms. Servants and some disciples hurried to let him into the room. After all, he had the Beta limply in his arms.

Once he set him down, however, the Beta woke up and started to shift and fight with his blankets. Wen Ruohan began to ask questions, which were met with slurred, confused answers, words out of order, or random statements that made no sense.

Scowling, he let him be.

He planned to wait for Madam Jin to show up, since she was missing from her chambers. Instead, while he stood waiting, he could hear Jin Guangshang starting to nest, from how his scent, even with all the smell of wine on it, was spreading into the new nest he was trying to make.

A stumbling and thud caused him to look back, seeing he had gotten off the bed and was nearly naked, tugging and pulling at his robes like a child, trying to fight them off.

“How much did you drink?”

Whatever mumbled was so incoherent that Wen Ruohan raised an eyebrow. This Beta had been afraid of him for years. Did Jin even know he was in the room?

He watched him fight with his outer robe until he flopped on the rug, whining. In the back of his mind, he could hear Lan Qiren scold him for not helping.

Well, he was bored anyway, so he walked over, pulling him up and onto the bed, fixing his outer robes when he noticed something lumpy on the top of his robes.

Pulling out a blanket, it was smaller, like a baby blanket, old, and there was an outline of a deep stain that had been washed several times. The fabric was incredibly soft, clearly crafted for a baby.

It had a scent on it that was familiar.

“Give it to me, it’s mine!” Jin Guangshang cried in panic, snagging the blanket away and trying to hide it by rolling on it. “Don’t touch it!”

Eyes narrowing, Wen Ruohan was going to growl at him, when the scent that was released was panic, fear, and protectiveness. He paid close attention as Jing Guangshang was pulling pillows and blankets close to protect the blanket, eyes wild like someone was going to steal it. 

Moving back, he observed the Beta.

A few minutes later, it led to confusion. he watched him sniff the air, searching for anyone. When he failed to pick up anyone’s scent, how was he even alive? Wen Ruohan was only a teen feet away and not even hiding his scent.

Instead, he watched Jin Guangshang mess with the blanket, moving and shifting until he finally moved to get off the bed again, this time wobbling to his closet. He almost fell, grabbing some sleeping robes, taking nearly ten minutes to get into them.

When he moved back to the bed, he began to make his nest again, rearranging all the blankets, pillows, and comfort items. Walking over, Wen Ruohan wondered if Jin Guangshang was even aware that he was by the bedside.

He paused, seeing that the blanket was wrapped around a small pillow, a foot in length, mostly golden and pale yellows, with a brown tassel on the tip. Still, it was bundled up like a baby, in the blanket that had been in his robes, along with another one that was covering it up in Jin Guangshang’s scent.

Raising an eyebrow, he saw him getting done with the nest, crawling back over, picking up the bundle like it was a baby, even tucking the wrapped pillow up against his chest as he settled down.

A noise caught his ears, so Wen Ruohan knew that Madam Jin had either returned or someone had alerted her to the one who brought her mate back. To his surprise, it was not the female Alpha who arrived, but a servant.

It was their son, Jin Zixuan, who looked worried. “Baba- Ah, Sect Leader Wen!”

He watched him bow and nodded. The young Alpha looked up at him, confused, then hurried over to check on his Dad, who had passed out. He let out a sigh.

“Thank you for bringing him back safely,” Jin Zixuan paused. “Is that a pillow?”

“He often bundles a pillow?”

“No…? I mean,” He shook his head. “I remember a few times he did when I was little, but my Mother didn’t like it,”

“I’m guessing she hoped for a suitable spare, then a pillow.”

“Yes, well, there was…” He paused like he wasn’t supposed to mention it. “There was one, but I was told that the baby died after birth…”

“I heard of a one passing,” Wen Ruohan. “I must say, I expected your mother to be here by now.”

“Oh, this is my Baba’s room, she’s probably in her room,” Jin Zixuan said as if that was the most natural thing. “I was going to check on Baba, then let her know he’s alright,”

Separate rooms?

Hm, that was interesting.

He watched as Jin Zixuan tucked a blanket around his father, Jin Guangshang, who was curling up the wrapped-up pillow like someone was going to take it.

They walked out together, Jin Zixuan walking closer to start chattering about his swords, not noticing that Wen Ruohan wanted to roll his eyes. Lan Qiren was right, they spoiled kids that weren’t even his.

He walked down the hall when he heard a loud commotion and Wen Ning came running.

--

“Open the door!” Wei Wuxian yelled, hissing angrily, banging against the wooden door. He panicked, knowing what was going to happen. His beloved Alpha was trying to keep him safe, but he had to keep his Alpha safe. “Open it!”

Moving back, Wei Wuxian took out a spell he had been working on. It took him three times to perfect it; he used it, and the door slammed open. Running out desperately, he got to the head of the Clan Leader’s Room.

He ran into the door, grabbing the handle, jingling it harshly. Hissing, he banged on the door, calling out for his husband. The enchanted charms were keeping him out.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian scratched at the door before starting to kick at it. He knew that whatever was happening, the beating was going to be bad. “Open the door!”

Eyes flickering, Wei Wuxian was shifting from fear to worry to resentment; he kicked at the handle, hoping to break it. Instincts running on wild, he rowled and hissed wildly.

He hated Qingheng-Jun!

The power to keep him out was disgusting. He moved back, getting ready to ram the door with all his strength. He ran at it, slamming himself repeatedly, trying to get it to fall, only to start hurting himself.

Panicked, he didn’t know what to do, except seek help from a person he knew who loved his husband as much as he did. Turning on his heels, he ran, heart racing, chest tightening, he felt sick to his stomach, not knowing how badly the Alpha was going to hurt his husband. The run seemed to last only seconds. He ran inside the door unannounced.

“He has Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian, as furious as he was, was accompanied by an omega’s scent in distress; he wasn’t sure what else to see. The shocked look on Lan Qiren's face made him cry more, his stomach twisted, and he felt sick. “I can’t get in! I tried, and the door won’t open!”

“Wen Furen!” Wen Qing raced after her patient, shocked he could move so fast, her brother and the core melter chased them. “Please, be careful!”

Lan Qiren held his belly while he ran, his scent screaming rage. He didn’t notice that when they got to the Lan Sect’s Hall, he started to bang on the door, demanding his brother open the door.

Wei Wuxian was right next to him, knowing that if one thing always lured the Lan Sect Leader out, it was his younger brother. The door opened, and without thinking, Wei Wuxian launched himself at the Alpha, hissing loudly.

“Wei Wuxian!” Lan Qiren shouted. He had reached out to grab the back of his robes, but the Omega was already attacking. “Wait!”

“Wen Furen!” Wen Qing grabbed hold of him, stopping him from rushing in. She was trying to pull him away. “You’re pregnant, you can’t go in there!”

“You little bitch!” Qingheng-Jun was blocking the hits aimed at him. If he was so pissed off, he might have been impressed with how fast the Omega was. But still, this Omega was just that—an Omega. Growling in outrage, he took the moment that the Omega staggered to backhand him, causing him to fall. “How dare you attack your Sect Leader?!”

Wei Wuxian went to jump up, hissing, but when he was pushed down, he was confused for a second. He then realized that Lan Wangji was covering him, trying to keep him safe'

The realization that he had attacked his Sect Leader slammed harsher than the slap to his face. He married into the Lan Sect, which means he has committed a high-ranking crime.

Thudding and movement brought him back as he was being protected from harsh kicks. He hissed, knowing that Qingheng-Jun was either kicking or hitting his husband.

“Stop!” Lan Qiren shouted trying to  get into the room. He could see blood ojmn his nephew and bruising on his face. “Stop it!”

“And what are you going to do about?”

Wen Qing tensed and got in front of Wen Furen. If she were going to die, at least one way would be quicker. His dark hiss was evident that even though pregnant, he was a few seconds away from fighting.

Luckily for her, Wen Zhuliu moved in front of her, and she turned, trying to get the Omega away from the doorway, which was proving harder. How strong was he?! A Grandmaster, yes, but he was heavily pregnant. Why was it so hard to move him?!

Suddenly, she was stumbling, Lan Qiren was gone from her, and for a second, she thought he had vanished, until she managed to stand up and was pale. Quickly, she dropped into a katow.

Wen Ruohan scooped up his mate, whose scent was screaming, stress, anger, and adrenaline. This caused his inner Alpha to flare furiously for the cause that upset his Omega, eyes flickering, his growl causing everyone to freeze.

Quickly, the Wen Clan members followed the Katow, while Qingheng-Jun stood up, glaring at him. They were tense, neither backing down, and he flared his scent.

A mistake because Lan Qiren had to cover his nose from his brother’s anger, which churned his stomach. He was turned and set down, and Wen Ruohan had Qingheng-Jun by the neck, slamming him up against the wall, slapping away his attempt to grab his swords, and gripping his wrists harshly.

The Alpha’s aura was overpowering. He didn’t even have to speak words to give out his final warning. It was choking, and from where his mate was shielding him, Wei Wuxian's body instantly lowered to the ground, and he felt Lan Wangji do the same.

“Take them to our room.” Wen Ruohan spoke, and the members of his Sect reacted quickly. Wen Qing was up, urging his mate away; her brother, who had rushed to get him, helped, and his second in command gathered the two younger Lan Sect Members, pulling them out of the room. Eyes never leaving Qingheng-Jun. “Temper, temper, and at a conference of all places.”

Unable to breathe, Qingheng-Jun was unable to move, both from the lack of air and the overwhelming scent and aura. It was a quick reminder of why he needed to align himself with the Jin and Jiangs, because taking down Wen Ruohan, as anyone who had forgotten, was a testament to just how powerful he was.

“Flaring your scent at him, that was a mistake.” He pressed the other Alpha more into the wall. “Behave yourself for the rest of the Conference, it’s a shame… if you were to get injured and have to return to Gusu.”

Suddenly Qingheng-Jun was pulled down, pinned down by his neck, cheek pressing against the floor. Forced into submission, embarrassingly so, face flushed red with shame and despise, he still lacked air, eyes starting to blur, dizziness forcing his vision to dance, until finally air yanked back in his throat, coughing, as heavy boots stepped over him.

Looking up with one eye, he could make out Wen Ruohan walking out of his room, not even looking back. A flick of the hand from the powerful Alpha, and the door slammed shut.

Chapter 26

Lan Wangji was holding his face as he was helped to his Shushu’s room. He could feel blood on the side of his mouth and the taste of it on his tongue. His Omega was holding onto him, helping him.

When they got to the room, he was starting to get his senses back. Between the beating he was getting and trying to protect his Omega, he hadn’t been prepared for the flare Wen Ruohan sent out.

The Alpha, since he had known him, had always been powerful, but even he couldn’t get into a bow quickly, not with injuries, so he could only let his body go limp on Wei Wuxian.

“Wen Ning, bring water!” Lan Qiren called; he was furious as he was taken to a chair, hissing in pain. He had run to help his nephew, but his back, now that the adrenaline was going down, was hurting. “That insufferable asshole! How dare he hurt my children?!”

“Please sit and let me check you, Wen Furen.” Wen Qing's heart was still racing, but she needed to make sure he was alright. “I need to move your robes.”

Lan Qiren let her, but he was eyeing his nephew and Wei Wuxian. The Omega had a red mark on his face, but was helping Lan Wangji out of his robes, trying to assess the extent of the damage.

He wanted to go over there, but his back was hurting, and they needed to check on the baby. The exam only took minutes, but it felt like hours. The door opened, and his Alpha came walking in.

“Husband,” Lan Qiren called. When his mate came to him, he reached up, cupping his face, while their foreheads pressed together, and a kiss was shared. He felt a sense of relief and safety. He moved back, eyes brimming with nearly falling tears. “Please check on Wangji.”

“I shall,” Wen Ruohan nodded, then stood instructing Wen Zhuliu to go stand watch at the oldest Twin Jade’s room as he didn’t trust their Father at the moment, even if he knew he scared the fool. Soothing his Omega for a second more, he kissed him again. “Let her make sure the baby is alright.”

Walking over to the mated pair, he could see how messy Lan Wangji’s hair was, his robes torn, and parts stained with blood. He had seen the rod on the floor when he stormed into the room, and Lan Wangji was leaning sideways, which indicated that it had been used frequently.

“Wei Wuxian, move,” He spoke firmly. The Omega's eyes widened. “I need you to get me rags and some medical supplies from Wen Qing.”

“…Yes,” Nodding he nuzzled Lan Wangji. “I’ll be right back!”

Lifting his head, Lan Wangji looked at the Alpha, one he secretly wished had been his Father. If anyone else had seen this, they’d assume the golden eyes were void of any emotions. To those who knew him well and could read him hurt and pain coated the golden irises.

Moving, kneeling on one knee, Wen Ruohan moved his hair out of his face, taking in the bruising that appeared on the side of his face, one near his temple, his bottom lip was busted, and his eyes were swollen.

Lan Wangji was in pain, eyes watering from the pain and the beating, along with hurt feelings on how his Father seemed to just hate them and took any anger out on them when he could.

“I’m going to help you get undressed,” Wen Ruohan started to move his robes away, they’d have to be replaced by new ones, and when he got to checking his ribes, red nasty bruises were appearing, and his back had thick lashes from the rod, there was punches, some claw marks too, and his neck had fingerprints. “You’ll need a warm bath.”

“I need help walking,” Lan Wangji nodded, wincing when he was helped up. It was hard to fight back against his Father. Once he did, and his Father had made a show of such disrespect by dragging his brother in from class, and decided to beat him and Lan Wangji. If one Jade was in thw wrong they'd both receive punishment. “My eyes…”

“Your eyes?”

“He threw old sooth from his inscnet burner in them,” Lan Wangji couldn’t help the shiver and how his shoulders hunched when the growl was let out, but that was over with as he was gently scooped up.

“Lan Qiren, I’m going to get him cleaned up.”

“Wait!” Wei Wuxian called, coming back. “I can do it,”

“You go get yourself checked out by Wen Qing,” Wen Ruohan said, seeing how nervous the Omega looked. “Go, everything will be well.”

“Wei Wuxian, come here,” Lan Qiren called. His mate wasn’t going to wait, but he had to check on him, too. “You need to tell me what happened.”

Walking over, Wei Wuxian felt a wave of nausea. He sat on his legs next to Lan Qiren, explaining what happened when they left, even sicker when he realized the crime had been committed.

Eyes watering, he tried to dry them, failing as more continued to fall. He was surprised when he was pulled up, and for a second, he thought Lan Qiren was going to slap him, but instead, he was pulled into a tight hug that felt nice, and he started to sob.

“I didn’t mean to cause problems, but he was hurting, Lan Zhan!” He sobbed. “And he keeps hurting him!”

Lan Qiren held the Omega close, trying to soothe, rubbing his back and head. He was feeling better, and the Qi was used to help alleviate his back pain. He heard Wen Qing say he was alright, and she checked his nephew-in-law’s check; luckily, that was the only issue.

Once she left to go check on Lan Wangji, he pulled back enough to start wiping away the warm tears. Wei Wuxian was trying to protect his Alpha, he understood the need to protect, it was just that asshole was his brother who didn’t care about anyone but himself and power.

“Everything is going to be alright,”

“H-He hurt him bad… didn’t he?!” Wei Wuxian was starting to feel lightheaded, and he clutched his stomach. “I swear, I didn’t mean to! It happened because of me, I should have done something sooner!”

“There was nothing you could do, not against him.” Struggling to stand, he pulled Wei Wuxian with him, pulling him along towards the bed, where earlier he had made a nice nest. His scent was changing; Wei Wuxian was entering a decline. “In we go,”

Once inside the nest, Wei Wuxian held his head, thinking he was going to be laid down. He didn’t expect Lan Qiren to climb in with him, and next thing he knew, he was being held close, tucked into the older Omega, even with a large belly, he was held close, being scented.

Tensing, it took him less than a few seconds to start to relax. The calming scent Lan Qiren was emitting was relaxing him, evoking the need of a child for their parent.

Something he hadn’t had since his parents died years ago. Curling up closer, he scented back, whimpering. Lan Qiren nuzzled and scented him until the drop scent started to leave.

A part of him wondered if it was overstepping when he left soft kisses on top of his head, the side of his temples, and on his forehead. From the latching reaction and desperate scent, he assumed that he hadn’t.

“He’s going to kill him,” Wei Wuxian whispered. “And it’ll be all my fault,”

“No, that’s not going to happen, I promise.”

--

Lan Wangji let the doctor clean out his eyes; she healed what she could with medicines and herbs in the water, but after Wen Ruohan had sent her away, once she was gone, he started to bathe the youngest Alpha.

“My poor, A-Zhan,” Wen Ruohan spoke, his deep voice filled with emotion, one he reserved only for his children. Blood or not, the second Lan Qiren started to mother the Jades, and he considered them his as well. He cleaned the dried blood on the side of his face and his lip. “You’re safe, do not worry, I am here.”

Head low, Lan Wangji said nothing for a minute. “…Will he take Wei Ying from me…?”

“No, and even if he tried, I’ll take care of it,” He continued to wash the younger Alpha. He didn’t pause or falter when Lan Wangji’s hand came up to clutch the side of his sleeve. A habit he had as a child, to anyone, would have been inappropriate. Mostly Omegas did this, his brother did it, but for an Alpha, well, it was rare. “Head up, so I can rinse your hair.”

Lan Wangji did so. Holding onto the Alpha’s sleeve helped soothe him, knowing that it was a physical anchor. This beating had been horrible, his Father had horrible things, called him names, all while rotating how he beat him.

“You will stay with us tonight.” Brushing out the hair with his Omega’s brush, he looked over his back. “My poor little Wangji-er,”

Closing his eyes, Lan Wangji tried hard not to sniffle. He hated it when he cried. That was always met with more pain. When he was little, until he was too old to stay with his Shushu and Wen Ruohan, he was allowed, on rare occasions, to cry.

Wen Ruohan often wished he were his Father, recalling how the Alpha could carry him or his brother when nightmares came or confusing night hunts that their Father Had trained them on were too much; the Alpha didn’t seem to toss them aside like their Father.

Once washed he was helped up, dried off, and as he was let out a stifled sob. Feeling stupid for being bathed, dried, and having outer robes placed on him like a five-year-old, he whispered an apology.

“No need, you know you can always come speak with me,” Wen Ruohan assured, pulling the youngest Alpha to him, feeling him relax. That damn basterd didn’t deserve the Jades. They should have been his children, not that filthy, disgusting excuse. Patting his head, he scented the side of his forehead. “You protected your Omega.”

“A-Die?”

Oh, did Wen Ruohan miss that? It was rare and almost like a hushed secret. Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji, in the freedom of the Sun Palace, had openly called them A-Die and Baba, respectively.

“Yes?”

“…” Lan Wangji struggled for a minute. “I… I want…I want...”

“Ah, I know,” Wen Ruohan smiled. “Let’s get your hair dried and to your Shushu, then I’ll go get it.”

Nodding Lan Wangji only let go of his sleeve when he had to be dressed, wincing in pain and looking down. He was starting to grow sleepy, worn out from a common event.

He was led back into the main room and helped into the nest, where his Uncle nuzzled and scented him. Wei Wuxian quickly squeezed in once it was done, and Lan Qiren started to tuck them into his nest.

Wen Ruohan came back with a box, it was old, and inside was a very well taken care of stuffed rabbit. It had stitching around the neck, which had been torn and thrown away by Qingheng-Jun when Lan Wangji was severely injured during a hunt.

His Omega had retrieved it from the trash, sewn it up, and cleaned it before hiding it until they returned to the Sun Palace, where Lan Wangji kept it safe in his room.

The boy had been six, just a few months after his Mother’s death.

“Here we go,” Wen Ruohan spoke, his deep voice soothing the mate couple. He made sure to send out a protective scent, letting them know he was going to keep them safe while Lan Qiren took out the bunny and tucked it in between them. “Sleep. Rest. We shall be here,”

It took nearly half an hour for their breaths to even out, their scents releasing sleep and stress, yet relaxing somehow. Lan Qiren took a breath, standing as he closed the bed’s curtains.

Wen Ruohan put his hands on his mate’s hips, pulling him close, and kissing his neck. Leaning back, Lan Qiren let out a deep sigh. This was not how he saw his night going.

On the opening day, no less!

“Do you need them?”

Blinking, Lan Qiren looked over, seeing Wen Qing and Wen Ning on the floor, kneeling. He forgot they were still there! Ah, how ridiculous of him! He shook his head.

“Stand,” Wen Ruohan called. “Come here.”

The two walked over, head down, hands clasped in a bow. He looked them over. These two children, his niece and nephew, had been among his siblings before Wen Ruohan had to kill him.

“Thank you, Wen Qing,” Lan Qiren spoke first. “For rushing after me and keeping me safe.”

“My life to you and Sect Leader Wen,” She bowed lower. “It is my duty to devote myself to you, Wen Furen.”

Wen Ning was trembling.

“You.” Wen Ruohan put his hand on Wen Ning’s head. “Wonderfully done on getting me to protect my mate.”

“Yes, Sect Leader,” Wen Ning nodded, bowing almost falling over. “Wen Furen is so kind to me, and you’ve taken us in. I am very grateful, Sect Leader. I always wish to be of service to Wen Furen,”

“Very kind, yes, that is my mate,” He nodded. “You two are dismissed.”

They started to move back when they were stopped. Tense unsure on why they Wen Sibblings almost had a heart attack when Wen Furen lifted their chins, looking them over.

“A wonderful job, tomorrow, you shall join me for tea in one of the gardens.”

Stunnd and Wen Qing thanked him quickly, before they were allowed to leave. Wen Ning was right behind her, but to be invited to have tea with Wen Furen?! Such an honor!”

Lan Qiren watched them leave, then turned to his mate. Gathering his mate in his arms. They moved to the other nest, which he had made three, one on the bed, one near the fireplace, one by his favorite trunk full of books.

Wen Ruohan said first, and nearly snorted a laugh when Lan Qiren struggled to sit the way he wanted to. He tried to sit on his Alpha’s lap, with his legs on either side, but his belly wasn’t allowing him, and he was struggling to do so.

Putting his hands on his hips, Wen Ruohan stopped him. “If you keep wiggling like that, we’re going to have to leave the room.”

“Shameless!” Face turning red, Lan Qiren pushed his face, not hard. “Help me sit side ways!”

“Not so loud, love, they're sleeping.” Kissing him, Wen Ruohan, easily moved his mate into his arms, leaning back against the propped-up pillows, so he could hold him, taking in his lovely scent. He paused, seeing a look on his mate that made him curious. “What is on your mind?”

“Wei Wuxian did attack a Sect Leader,” He frowned. “I’ll have to make a plan, speak with my brother, try to sort this out, and hopefully he won’t hurt them when the conference is over.”

“A plan,” Wen Ruohan nodded. This was normal. He was already thinking about all the plans his mate was going to come up with when he paused, hearing something. “A-Ren, I need you to repeat that.”

“I don’t want to plan,” Lan Qiren shook his head. He was angry, and he looked at his mate, cupping the man’s face in his. “I know I do not ask such things, but… a meeting, tomorrow, before the archery, I… want you to…”

“Say it, love.” A smile was already curling on Wen Ruohan's lips. “Tell me what you desire and I shall achieve it for you,”

“…I want you to keep my brother from hurting them,” Lan Qiren frowned. He was too tired, pregnant, and sick of trying to clean up messes when he was supposed to be resting. “Will you take care of this for me?”

“Always,” Oh, this was thrilling! He kissed Lan Qiren deeply, getting across that it would be done. When pulled back, he looked into his eyes. “I shall see to it, my beautiful love,”

--

Jiang Fengmian was still asleep the next morning. The First Day conferences usually didn’t start until an hour before the events, so light snacks were always eaten instead of breakfast.

Instead, there was someone, a servant, knocking on their door, and a servant announcing it was a letter from a Sect Leader. Slowly opening his eyes, he felt and heard his Alpha getting up.

When she returned, he had no idea. He snuggled back down on his side, ready to nap for a few more hours. She handled things with the Sect anyway, never letting him deal with things unless she needed him to sign or be present. He was an Omega after all, he was sure she only let him go anywhere because his blood was just that.

His.

A growl made him jerk into alert wakefulness; however, he sat up to look at her when she turned, glaring at him. He bowed his head to her, nd she huffed out.

“Get ready! It seemed like Sect Leader Wen demanded a private meeting between you and the mates.” She turned to yell at some servants to bring her robes. “That unbelievable Alpha!”

He let her rant while he yawned, stretched, and went to get ready, silently hoping that some snacks would be waiting.

--

Ice-cold water splashed hard on Jin Guangshang, who let out a shocked scream. The hangover and the sudden shock of ice water made him jerk and shake, his body's response to the shocking wake-up, and he sat up, confused.

“Drunken whore,” Madam Jin throw another glass, with ice, in his face watching him sputter. “I’m shocked you didn’t bring back a body.”

Wiping the water from his face, he shook it, body trembling from the shock, head pounding, and nose hurt from the water that got in it. Trying to clear his nose, making choking, and blowing his nose he tried to think on what the hell he did last night to piss her off?!

“Take a bath, you stink,” She growled, looking him over. “I heard that Sect Leader Wen brought you back last night.”

He what?!

“What?” He frowned. “I had tea with Lan Qiren last night!”

At least he thinks he did. He went right?! Yes, he had tea, it was hot, and that’s pretty much it! He couldn’t even recall if they had talked or if he had been sent back to his room.

“We have a meeting, the Sect Leaders and their mates.” She grabbed him, yanking him close so they were face to face. “Only the Five Great Sects in a private meeting.”

What?!

“What did you do, bitch?!”

“I didn’t do anything!” Or did he?! He had no idea! He never got that drunk when Wen Ruohan attended, but last night he kept drinking. Having that thing around made him nervous, and he couldn’t help but be curious. He had wandered over to peek at the new Lan Furen so many times and then would leave when he spoke to him. “I just had tea!”

Please let it only be tea!

“Get dressed!” She shoved him. She paused, seeing something in his nest, then reached down, pulling the stained blanket wrapped around a pillow. “You still have this blanket??How pathetic! This child died so long ago, and you still cling to this.”

She tossed it away like trash, turning on her heel. She ignored how her mate scrambled after it, stumbling with his hangover, and had to crawl to the wrapped-up pillow, scooping it up.

“Do not embarrass me today, or else,” She warned. “Whatever you did to piss off Wen Ruohan it better not be something stupid.”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“OH, I know you did,” She snarkled. “And I’ll make sure you’ll pay for it tonight.”

Fuck!

Standing up slowly, he walked over to this closet, digging around for one of his many hangover cures he kept on hand. Downing two, he went to get dressed, his head slowly soothing out from pain.

One ready, he took his time to wash and hang out the blanket to dry. Luckily, the sun was bright enough, and it was dry before he folded it and hid it away under his favorite pillow.

It should be safe until his return.

Not that he’d enjoy tonight, whatever she had planned, he made a note to have some of his pain medicines ready. If it was kneeling and fast beating, he could handle it. If it were a longer one, and depending on her mood, he’d have to have his anti-pregnancy teas ready.

--

Nie Mingjue heard the Servant call out to him.

Arm over his eyes, he grumbled but opened his eyes. He called out for them to read the letter out loud when he heard it was for a meeting. He trusted his second-in-command, and it was a conference, so he expected things to unfold as planned.

His frown deepened, hearing who it was from, that it only consisted of the Five Great Sects. The one calling for it so damn early instead of letting everyone sleep in was Wen Ruohan.

Nie Mingjue did not like that Alpha; he aggravated him on levels.

“Leave the letter, I’ll get ready myself.” He called and waited until the sound of the door closed and the sealing charms went back up. He gruffed out. “A long night and a meeting at eleven is far too early.”

The warm body curled up into his side, a leg slung over and an arm across his chest, hummed in agreement. It would be no surprise if something happened when Nie Mingjue had time to enjoy a night of pleasure.

“It’s because of his mate.” A groggy voice mumbled. “The Lans rise at five; this habit is hard to break, so this is a late morning for Wen Furen.”

“To summon everyone at eleven and eake them at nine?”

“Do you believe you’ll be ready if not?”

“I can be ready in less than half an hour,” Nie Mingjue moved his arm off his eyes, cursing the curtains for not being thick enough as the morning light still seemed to shine in. “Unlike so many, I do not need to take my time putting on so many layers of jewels, perfumes, and other such things.”

“Hm, even your braids?”

“Those can be done in less than a few minutes.” Nie Mingjue frowned. “Every Nie learns that at ten, we even time ourselves.”

“So, you can be washed, dressed, and fully prepared half an hour before the meeting is to be held?”

“Yes,” Nie Mingjue frowned, then moved to pin his partner down onto the bed, pushing his way between muscled pale legs. Arms came to rest around his neck, and the Nie Alpha looked down at him with a challenge. “Do you think I can’t?”

“Well, you do have an hour and a half to prove me wrong,” Wen Xu raised his eyebrows, smirking, a bite mark fresh on his neck. he teased his lover by letting his legs fall open by the knees, arousal filling the room. “And you lost, I can still feel my hips.”

Half an hour before the meeting, Nie Mingjue was ready for the meeting, walking out of the room while Wen Xu was still trying to catch his breath, causing the fact that not only did he lose, but his secret lover had cleaned him up in the same time span.

Damn, he’ll have to beat him in archery later… if he could get the feeling back in his hips that is.

Chapter 27

Wei Wuxian sat nervously in front of Lan Qiren.

Usually, he wanted to chat the time away, anything and everything, but now he was feeling down. Luckily, the drop he entered last night was over since Lan Qiren had comforted him.

It was such an odd feeling. He thought that Lan Qiren would hate him after he switched the marriage names. Instead, the Grandmaster had lied. LIED, and saved his marriage.

Now he was ruining it by causing such a mess. He didn’t care if he got a beating, but his Father-in-law had been using any excuse since the Lan Qiren had left Gusu to find ways to beat his husband and his brother-in-law.

Sniffling, Wei Wuxian rubbed his nose.

“It’s all going to be alright,” Lan Qiren continued to brush his hair. It was healthier. Odd, the Lotus Pier had such luxuries. His only guess was that Madam Yu kept such things from the Omega. Adding some of his personal oils and hair supplies, he massaged them into his hair. “I promise, it will be taken care of.”

“Madam Yu is going to be upset.” Wei Wuxian knew she was waiting for a chance to catch him alone. He barely had time even to try to talk to his sister and brother last night. “She’s still mad about the marriage.”

“Do not remind me.” That had been stressful. A sudden itch started to creep up his arms. Scratching his arms quickly, Lan Qiren shook it off. “Your hair is healthier. Do you want it up or down?”

“I’ve been wearing it down lately.”

Nodding Lan Qiren started to brush the hair back, and some of the front hair swept to the back. It was a simple hairstyle, but he noticed the Omega had liked this. Tying the hair back with the red ribbon that belonged to his mother, he paused.

“Where is your headband?” He asked, looking around. “Is it in your room?”

“Oh, um, no,” Wei Wuxian took a moment, then pulled it out of his sleeve. “It has a small rip in it. Lan Zhan grabbed it as we left, but I don’t know when it got a rip in it.”

“Let me see,” he said, taking it, and then looked over the small rip. “An easy fix. Wen Ning, bring me the sewing kit.”

“Yes, Wen Furen,” The Omega bowed, then retrieved the kit. He brought it over with a smile. “Here you go. Anything else, Wen Furen?”

“No, thank you.” He took what he needed, and less than a minute later, the little rip was stitched back together so well, it was unnoticeable. Handed back the needle and thread, he started to place it around Wei Wuxian’s head, making sure it was comfortable as he tied it. “Make sure you wear this all the time. You are of the Lan Sect now.”

“Lan Sect,” Wei Wuxian repeated, then looked down at his white and blue robes. He missed his own, but he was Second Lan Furen now. Taking in a breath, he rubbed his belly; it was flat, but he was hoping he would be pregnant by now. Looking back at the Grandmaster, who was still fussing over his hair and clothing. “Lan Loashi, what’s it like to be pregnant?”

“Back pain.” Lan Qiren paused, looking him over. “Do you think you might be?”

“Maybe!” He had to grin at that. He wanted a baby so badly! A baby made by him and Lan Zhan. This idea put him in a much better mood, purring, as he rubbed his hands up and down the front. “I want to have two babies at once!”

“…Are you pregnant?!”

“I don’t know!” Wei Wuxian laughed. “I hope so! A-Yao and I are going to raise our babies together. They're going to be best friends,”

Now that the subject had been one that was exciting to the Omega, Lan Qiren was glad. It took his mind off the events of last night. Looking over, he saw his mate holding Lan Wangji.

In the comfort and safety of their room, his youngest nephew was able to relax. It was harder for Lan Wangji to ask to be held, nuzzled, and cuddled. He was an Alpha, and the Jades' Father hated it when they sought affection from him, from the elders, from the clan, and even from their mother.

Anyone.

It was sickening.

Wen Ruohan, on the other hand, held, nuzzled, and without shame scented the young Alpha as his own. Even if he knew that Lan Wangji would have to wash off the scent before the Archery competition, he had done this with the Jades since they first came to spend months with him at the Sun Palace.

There had been a time when Lan Qiren was worried that his Alpha wouldn't like him bringing the children. Nervous that after Madam Lan’s death, Wen Ruohan wouldn’t want children who were his brother’s around.

Instead, with pleasant surprise, the Alpha had treated them as if they had always been there. Wen Chao and Wen Xu had easily bonded with them. At one point, the youngest Wen sibling had thrown a fit when they had to leave, wanting to fight the Lan Sect Leader so his baby brothers could stay.

That was fun trying to explain to Wen Chao why he couldn’t.

For now, Wen Ruohan was going to comfort his child, blood or not, and let him know he was safe there. Lan Wangji was so relaxed he was dozing. Lan Qiren would forever be grateful that his mate loved his nephews.

“We should get you checked out,” Lan Qiren said, putting his hands on his belly, rubbing it, while the baby kicked. “Wen Qing, while we’re gone, please give Second Lan Furen a checkup. And check for babies.”

“Lots of babies!” Wei Wuxian grinned and paused when Lan Qiren nuzzled the side of his head. “Lan Loashi…? You scented me?”

“Of course,” Lan Qiren said, looking at him. “You might be annoying, but you are family.”

Wei Wuxian let out a loud cry, turning to push his way into Lan Qiren’s arm, the older Omega trying not to topple over. It caused Lan Wangji to wake up, and while his face was still swollen around the eyes and his lip was busted, he blinked heavily.

“Alright, we need to get ready,” Wen Ruohan said and set the younger Alpha on his feet. He soothed out some stray strands. “We shall see you at the opening for Archery.”

“Mn,” Nodding, Lan Wangji took a moment. “Thank you… A-Die,”

With a smile, inner smirk, he turned to grab his outer Clan Cloak. Holding out his hand to his Omega, who stood while the Wen Siblings helped him put on his Wen Furen coat.

“Shall we?”

“Yes,” Lan Qiren took a breather, whispering so only his mate could hear. “I meant what I said, Ruohan…. I’m too tired to fix this.”

“I shall take care of everything,” Wen Ruohan smirked. “And it will be taken care of.”

--

Meng Yao was in heaven.

The bath that his brother had sent was so good! It had some flower milk in it, herbs, petals, and other such things picked out by his sister-in-law, who sent a note saying these were the best when pregnant.

His body was so relaxed, and he swore he was floating in the tub. Some Jin servants hovered nearby. All of which looked like they were claimed, since they had claiming collars on, and they kept an eye on the heating talismans.

Another bath, one set up right next to his with Lan Xichen in it, looking like he was napping in the water. Meng Yao was purring so loudly that he wasn’t sure if his mate was purring too.

They bathed for nearly an hour until they were urged to get dressed. Even though he didn’t want to, Meng Yao got out, was given some nice snacks, and he yelped a little when he was suddenly being dried.

For a second, he was unsure until he saw Lan Xichen holding out his arms while being dried. Copying, he wasn’t sure if he was alright with this, but once dry, he was brought silky robes, these designed to show off the pregnancy, and he almost cried when someone brought him an odd wrap that they put under his belly and lifted!

The pressure off his back was immense!

Once ready, they could lie around and relax.

That lasted all of five minutes when they received a letter from Wei Wuxian explaining the events of last night, and the couple hurried to the Wen Sect Leader’s room.

--

His head was itchy.

Lan Qiren was trying not to reach up to scratch his head, but earlier, his reminder that he had lied to his entire family and Sect about switching the names started to resurface.

Taking a small breath through his nose, he walked with his mate to one of the meeting rooms, one that was used for smaller meetings. When they arrived, they were first.

The Wen Servants worked quickly to prepare the small setup. Lan Qiren looked around at the empty tables, his arms suddenly becoming itchy as well. Rubbing them, he tried to push them down.

Everyone should arrive soon. As they walked to the table, which was bigger and fancier than the rest, they noticed. He frowned a little, looking at his Alpha, who raised an eyebrow with a sly smile and shrugged.

“I put it together.”

“You want to show off,” Lan Qiren sighed, then couldn’t help the itchiness start on the back of his neck. Reaching up, he scratched it. “We need to get this settled soon.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Itchy.” He frowned, letting out a sigh. He started to itch everywhere and reached up trying to loosen his robes. He then noticed that his mate was looking at him oddly. “What?”

“You have hives,” Wen Ruohan frowned, moving closer, pushing the top of his robes, and there it was, hives peeking through, over his collar, and his Omega started to pull up his sleeves, more hives. “What happened?”

“I was thinking about when I lied.” Lan Qiren admitted that he hadn’t had such a strong urge in such a while; the simple reminder was now coming back to haunt him. Scratching at his arms, he frowned. “I never did copy the rules or do anything about it.”

“Let’s get you back to our room.”

There was a sound, and Lan Qiren turned. They were coming, and he had no time to escape. This was not the place he wanted to let anyone know that he lied about the name plates.

“I will go through the servant passages,” Lan Qiren started to feel the hives beginning to get worse. he hurried to one of the hidden passages, letting his Alpha open it for him since he was itching. Before the door shut, he turned around with a frown. “Do not kill anyone.”

“I would never.”

Frowning, Lan Qiren’s shoulders dropped with a dead-eyed stare. “…Swear on my life.”

“That’s cheating.” He scowled, then had to laugh when his Omega hissed at him. “Alright, no murder, you have my word.”

“Thank you,” Lan Qiren turned still, itchy. “I’ll see you later, I need to get something for this!”

--

Nie Mingjue wasn’t surprised that the Female Alphas accompanied their mates. It was common since they were supposed to be helping run the sect, an open secret that everyone knew that a Beta and an Omega were not even supposed to be in power. This had been proven when the Lan Clan had an upset, one day the Beta Clan Leader had suddenly stepped down and Qingheng-Jun was suddenly announced as the new Sect Leader.

The reason the Lan Alpha could do such a thing is because of his blood. He was the direct blood descendant who could rule the Sect. Nie Mingjue didn’t care for the man, even as a child. He recalled how the Alpha always seemed to find a way to be cruel to his own family.

Being Lan Xichen’s friend, he had noticed how the Beta was always rushing to be perfect when his Father was around. Even then, it was nervous enough.

After his father’s Death, Nie Mingjue had become a young Sect Leader. Ruling at seventeen. He had advisors and Elders, and years of being raised to be a Sect Leader gave him a good start. Fortunately, his Father, worried about dying young, had made it a primary factor that he pay close attention.

As a member of the Five Great Sect, he quickly learned that Wen Ruohan had effectively become the unofficial leader. The insanity of the Alpha’s strength was terrifying.

He also learned, after a few meetings, conferences, and plans, that something was off with the Jin and Jiang Leaders. It was made clear one day when there was confusion over a trade with the Jiangs. He had approached the Omega Sect Leader, a rare occurrence, and Jiang Fengmian had seemed hesitant to approve of a rather minor matter.

It was a day or two later that he was requested to join the family for dinner. A dinner that was quickly discovered, Madam Yu insisted that her mate had made a mistake, and that the approval must be revoked because it was the wrong one.

Nie Mingjue might not have been an adult then, but he had picked up on her lie. He then paid close attention to the Omega Sect Leader. He had a sharp nose, training with sabers kept them sharper than usual, since their Nie Sabers held onto the scent of blood even after being cleaned.

He was injured, leaning slightly to the right, trying not to curl too much into his side where the pain was. It was then that he realized that he was hurt. Nie Mingjue mentioned this to Madam Yu because surely she’d want to make sure her Mate, her Sect Leader, was alright.

Instead, she seemed aggravated that he noticed it. Her nose flared, and she ignored his words to tell them they’d have to change their agreement. He was quick to turn her down.

She snapped, demanding it, where he stood quickly, reminding her that she was only there to protect her Omega mate and that the only word and blood that mattered was Jiang Fengmain’s.

Nie Mingjue thought he had slapped her because of the shocked look she had before it turned into a gritting of teeth and tightened fists. He growled at her and quickly inquired if the Jiang Elders were aware that she had been taken advantage of the Omega.

The original agreement went into effect.

Nie Mingjue thought that the matter was settled. He still inquired about whether the Elders knew, speaking with one because the only reason that Madam Yu was even brought in for marriage, aside from her skills and how powerful she was in the Zhao Sect, was that Jiang Fengmian’s two old Alpha sibblings had been killed during hunts.

The third spare that no one paid too much attention to was suddenly the one and only heir. Later, he discovered from hearing others whispering about how they brought her in just because she was an Alpha, as even the Elders had no choice but to hope that Jiang Fengmian bore an Alpha.

From then on, he was careful not to cause too many issues for himself. Even if they weren’t close, he knew that his Father had been once. Instead, he would speak with Madam Yu, but always insisted that if she ever had anything to discuss, then the Sect Leader had better be present.

He said this in front of the Disciples.

Not even a few days later, the rumours had spread about her overstepping her status. They had to do damage control, showing the cultivation world that she wasn’t overstepping, but everyone knew that behind closed doors, she very much ruled with an iron fist.

The Jiang Elders ignore it, as long as the world wasn’t looking, things got done, then a few beatings here and there wasn’t a big deal, and as long as no marks were showing, as long as she didn’t take it too far, it was ignored.

For the Jin Sect, Madam Jin was not as strong as Madam Yu, but still strong even though they came from the Same Sect. She had managed to get an Heir out of her Beta rather quickly. The odd thing was that it was the only one she got from him that was hers.

Jin Guangshang, another oddity, being the youngest of four, had been living freely until the deaths of not only his parents, but also his siblings. The children left behind had been all under the age of four, raised by other lower-ranking family members.

It only took the Jin Elders less than a year to not only have him the Sect Leader, but also bring in someone for him to marry. If Nie Mingjue recalled the stories from his father, the Beta had tried not to marry her, even running away, only to be dragged back.

Everyone knew that Jin Guangshang liked to run off, sometimes for weeks at a time, and spend time in brothels or with someone he found suitable enough for a bit. Madam Jin was always quick to snag him away if she saw him.

There was once a time when Nie Mingjue had been looking for his brother so they could train together when he came upon his Father snarling darkly at someone.

He had peeked through a door, one of the rare times he saw his Father pissed off, and in front of him was Madam Jin. The Female Alpha was backed down on her knees and hands, but her eyes spoke of rage and hate.

Not too far off was the Jin Sect Leader lying on his belly with ragged breathing. For a moment, he thought the Sect Leader had been attacked during a night hunt or by a demon. Still, that theory was quickly dispelled when his mother arrived, a powerful Beta herself, bringing healers and then taking her turn at lashing out at Madam Jin.

She had overstepped, in her rage of finding her mate with someone else, and had beaten him so severely that one of the Jin Servants had sought help from the Nie Clan.

That conference had been held there, and Nie Mingjue recalled never having seen Jin Guangshang until the end, with heavily applied makeup, no Madam Jin insight. And if what the Jin Servants whispered about, she had been sent back to Jin Tower by the Elders to reflect on her outrageous behavior.

Thus, the reason this meeting was tense. All the Clan leaders, three Alphas, one Beta, one Omega, and two Alphas who, for all outward appearances, were there to protect their mates.

As they dictated, controlled, and sought the outcome of the meeting, he wondered what had prompted this random gathering.

Lan Qiren's disappearance was something not to be overlooked.

Not with Wen Ruohan alone without the Omega to step in, seeing as only the Grandmaster could ask anything of the powerful Alpha and it be done, which means that something happened.

Great.

Jin Guangshang was fanning himself like he was going to pass out. After that rude awakening, his hair was still damp; he swore there was still water in his left ear, and his Alpha’s belittling made him want this to be over as quickly as possible.

A nap sounded amazing, yet they still had the archery to attend to, of which he provided an excellent lunch. Oh, they had better be grateful because the food put together had been some of the rare fruits he wanted all to himself!

What did the Alpha want now?

The opening ceremony was yesterday! Ugh, he wanted to lie down, maybe sneak off somewhere to rest. How pissed would they be if he excused himself and just never came back? Hm, bad idea, still, a nice one.

It was too quiet!

Why was no one speaking?!

Oh wait.

Fuck!

No one poured the tea to start!

He looked at Jiang Fengmian, who was avoiding eye contact with everyone and was instead looking ahead. Um, hello? He was the only Omega here!

Fine, he’d do it himself!

Anything to get out of here faster!

Reaching over, he started to pour the tea. Wen Ruohan got it first, but he was trying to get this over with as quickly as possible, so he messed up the order. Instead of the second Eldest Sect Leader, he poured the Nie before the Lan without thinking, growing suddenly.

“Forgetting manners, Sect Leader Jin?” Qingheng-Jun's teeth were gritted.

Shit!

Fuck!

“This one seems forgivable,” Wen Ruohan cut in, not waiting for anyone else to get their tea. he took a sip. “You, on the other hand, overstepped last night.”

Now, everyone's attention was on the Lan Sect Leader. For three of them, wondering what he had done now. For two of them, there was an inner panic and fear that the Wen Alpha had somehow figured out their plans.

“I had every right to punish my son.” Qingheng-Jun snorted. “You had no right to intervene.”

“There is punishment and there is cruelty.” The Alpha's red eyes seemed to darken. “But that’s not why you’re here. While I am disgusted at your reaction to not getting your way, you dare flare your scent at my mate.”

Oh, fucking come on!

Jin Guangshang moved back, shoulders hunching from the sudden aura surrounding the Wen Alpha. What the hell had he missed when drinking?! And why the fuck would Qingheng-Jun think he could try to control Lan Qiren when the Omega was pregnant?!

Oh, they were all going to die!

Wen Ruohan brought them here to kill them all!

“I have every right when you threatened my pregnant Omega,” He growled. “My Omega, who’s carrying my child?”

“Then you should keep him on a tighter Leash!”

In a flash, Qingheng-Jun found himself slammed onto the table, the side of his face he had just managed to turn. He wasn’t which bitch yelped, but he wanted to snarl at him.

Tense, Madam Yu and Madam Jin looked at each other, then back. They weren’t sure when he moved! This was the issue they had. Removing a difficult obstacle as Wen Ruohan would be hard enough, but with that mouth on Qingheng-Jun, it was harder.

“You are fortunate that my mate asked me not to kill anyone, but I just might consider it.” Wen Ruohan squeezed his neck. “I could snap your neck right now.”

“Wen Ruohan!” Nie Mingjue spoke. “That’s enough, this is a meeting!”

It was hard to breathe like this. Qingheng-Jun struggled, but to no avail. Unlike last night, he was increasing his rage because this was being shown in front of an audience.

“I was not speaking to you, Sect Leader Nie,” Wen Ruohan growled. “I was speaking to someone who threatened my mate, so unless you have had this done to you, your word had little weight in this matter.”

Nie Mingjue was tense. He was not going to lose his life by revealing he had a mate; it just so happened to be this insane person's son, worse yet, a fellow Alpha who was also the heir to his clan.

A mess in itself.

“The reason I brought you here is that I have no patience for anyone disrespecting my mate in his condition, which includes stresses from an extension.” He leaned down. “If you cause any stress from my mate either through your sons, or in-laws, if I so much as pick on one a slight upset in his scent, I will come after you and trust me, everything that shall happen will be purely out of my… imagination.”

At this, Jin Guangshang and Jiang Fengmian shrank. They had grown up and attended many hunts and missions with the Alpha, alongside Lan Qiren and Nie Yuzu. The Alpha, when he had to get information, never lacked creative ways to get it.

Even Lan Qiren had stepped in several times to stop the Alpha’s cruel and unusual torture techniques. Their reaction seemed to gain concern from the other three Alphas, because they tensed.

“I brought you all here as a last warning.” He yanked the other Alpha up, holding him by the back of the neck like a prized bird hunted and ready to be killed and prepared for dinner. “This had better go smoothly or else. Do we have an agreement?”

Nie Mingjue gripped his fists. He didn’t like the way Wen Ruohan was doing this, but he wasn’t sure which of the Jades was injured. He old friend or his brother. Either way, it had pissed off the Alpha enough to be this bold.

Then again, he knew he held all the power in this room; no eyes, Nie Mingjue was sure the only reason he was holding back so much was because of Lan Qiren.

“I asked a question, I expect an answer.”

“I agree with you that this Conference should go smoothly,” Nie MIngjeu spoke. “Can you let the Lan Leader go now?”

“That’s one person, now, how about the others?” He shook Qingheng-Jun, like he was nothing but a weakened animal. “Speak!”

“Yes!” Oh, Jin Guangshang knew he was going to pay for that later.

But at least he wasn’t the only one; he heard Jiang Fengmian say it at the time. He fought with his inner instincts to bow his head; the struggle was too much until he listened to his Alpha, her voice tight.

Madam Yu agreed next, though she kept a calm face, tightening her scent, and glancing at her Omega, who looked dizzy from fighting the urge to give in to submission.

“We agree, so can we leave then?” She spoke more than she questioned. “You do not wish for us to push at your mate, but you are clearly pushing at ours.”

“Since we agree, then I shall be off.” Wen Ruohan stood, still holding the other Alpha by the neck, as he felt the struggling body, ignoring her statement.  With a smile, as if he weren’t nearly killing someone, he suddenly flung Qingheng-Jun, in less than a second, that if one blinked, they’d have missed it, sending him right through a wall with a violent crash and pressed his scent out unforgivingly flare. “Now, see you all later,”

Nie Mingjue felt bile rising in his throat, and his nose burned, and he almost bowed his head. By sheer willpower, he managed not to, yet he had to cover his nose while the Alpha walked out of the room.

Jin Guangshang and Jiang Fengmian fell into a katow, unable to fight the urge to do so, minds swirling with overwhelming urges to obey. Luckily or unknowingly to them, their mates had been affected by the Alpha’s scent as well.

Madam Jin had bowed her head, her nose nearly bleeding from her will to fight, and Madam Yu, with her head bowed, was furious. She was craving blood and revenge by the time she was able to pick up her head. She snarled and cursed his name.

Nie Mingjue was disgusted, his nose burned, his inner Alpha wanting to fight, but that was thrown out by the audacity of seeing the female Alphas rushing to help Qingheng-Jun, who brought this one himself, but ignored their katowning mates, one of which smelled to far off and would need help coming back to reality.

“Did you two forget something?!” He snapped, watching them leave with Qingheng-Jun, helping him stand. “Your mates are dropping!”

“Useless bitch.” Madam Jin growled.

Nie Mingjue snarled, and from how Madam Yu punched Madam Jin’s arm, it was clear that she hadn’t meant to let that slip. She closed her mouth and, wordless, rushed to her Beta.

Wordlessly, she got him up and started to take him away. Madam Yu didn’t say anything either, but scooped up her Omega and walked out of the room awith strange look in her eye.

Nie Mingjue took his leave as well.

He’d have to speak with Lan Xichen when he got the chance.

--

Wen Ruohan was enjoying the fact that he got to throw that pathetic excuse for an Alpha into the wall. He was thrilled to see their reactions when he flared his scent.

This was amazing until he got back to his room, where the scent of metallic distress was heavily in the air. Instantly, he rushed further inside, thinking it was Lan Qiren.

Upon arrival, he found his Omega holding a loudly crying Wei Wuxian and a silently crying Lan Wangji, with his Omega trying to keep them as close as possible.

Next to him was Lan Xichen, who was crying too, holding his Omega, whose face was hidden in his chest, but one could smell the tears. Frowning, he walked closer, seeing a sad look in Lan Qiren’s eyes.

“Who?” Wen Ruoahn asked eerily dark. “Name them.”

Whoever harmed what was his was going to pay.

“…No one.” Lan Qiren rubbed Wei Wuxian’s back a little faster, nuzzling their foreheads. “…The doctor as examined Wei Wuxian and there is an old injury.”

There was a pause.

“It’s impossible for him to get pregnant.”

Chapter 28

Everyone was getting ready for the Archery Competition.

Wen Ruohan and Lan Qiren watched the couples leave to get ready for the event. Even with the heavy news that Wei Wuxian couldn't carry, they knew it wasn't an option to attend.

Not after Wen Ruohan informed him, he had tossed Qingheng-Jun through a damn wall! Lan Qiren had almost screeched out a gasping curse but caught himself in time to do so.

“This is a mess,” Lan Qiren walked in, circled, scratching at his arms. He felt a headache coming on and shook his head. “What a mess… I should have punished myself at the start, so this wouldn’t have happened.”

“I do not think you needed punishment. It is true what they said, now is it not?” Wen Ruohan watched his lover walking in circles, his niece right behind him, arms out just in case. Her panic amused him. “The Lan Clan needs an heir.”

Lan Qiren stopped walking, still rubbing his arms, looking at him, stressed.

“Jin Guangyao might not have been who was meant to marry Lan Xichen; however, an heir is secured, and with this new information, well,” He waved. “What would they have done? Switched the brides?”

Looking away, Lan Qiren sighed. “It was not planned.”

“And you can not see the future.” Walking over, Wen Ruohan pulled his mate close, holding him and pressing his lips to his forehead. “I thought the Lans did not allow others to suffer needlessly, hm? And your brother caused the Jades to suffer, so as I see it, things worked out,”

The itchiness started to leave, Lan Qiren thought. He shook his head, mumbling about copying rules later. Not even a second later, there was a knock at the door, and Wen Ning hurried to see who it was.

“The Young Master Jin Zixuan and Young Madam Jin,” Wen Ning bowed to them and then announced them to the room. “And… the… um,”

“Ah, this is the Youngest Master Jin?” Lan Qiren’s eyes widened. “He has gotten taller.”

The mated pair entered the room. Jin Zixuan had his son, Jin Rulan, in his arms, the toddler making a face, cheeks puffed up. Yanlin was smiling as she walked in carrying a box in her hands.

“Ah, what do we owe the pleasure?” Wen Ruohan asked, and he noticed that the young Alpha had his bow and arrows already on his back. “I heard you were to lead the Jin Sect, hm?”

“Sect Leader Wen,” They bowed to the Alpha, then to Lan Qiren. “Grandmaster, we’re heading out to find A-Yao, but we heard he was here with you?”

“They just left a short while ago,” Lan Qiren informed. “I am afraid you just missed them.”

“Is your child attending as well?” Wen Ruohan asked. “I did not see many other children here, and what I did see, they were older.”

“We have someone to watch him,” Yanlin smiled, then sighed a little. “I just wish there was a child his age or around his age so he’d be able to have someone to play with.”

“Ah, had I known, I would have asked them to bring Lan Jingyi,” Lan Qiren missed that minor child. Sometimes he would wake up worried if he was sleeping outside someone’s door or if he stayed with whoever they tried to assign him to. “I wonder if I could send for him?”

“Would it be too much of a journey?”

They discussed it. When Wen Ning returned after ensuring the other mated pairs had safely returned to their rooms, he entered the room, bowing to those present. He stood next to his sister, listening to them talk about whether there were any children around the Youngest Master Jin’s age.

“Wen Yuan is only a year or so older,” Wen Ning whispered to his sister. “And he’s here for the festival in the next few days.”

Wen Qing swore on her life that her brother was whispering, a sound she barely heard. So, when their Uncle, the Sect Leader’s eyes snapped to them, she almost stumbled.

“Wen Ning.” Wen Ruohan spoke with a frown. “Come here.”

The deep voice of his Uncle made him tremble, but he hurried over, bowing lower. He wasn’t sure what he had done until he was told to repeat what he had said, and he quickly repeated the line.

“Which one is that?” Wen Ruohan asked.

“Wen Yuan was orphaned- his parents died, one of illness and the other on a hunt, and the Grandpa and Grandma who looked after us took him in as well, Sect Leader.” Wen Ning gulped. “We had dinner with them not so long ago, and they are here to enjoy the festival.”

The festivals drew many from other Sects, while the banquets and certain events were exclusive to the Main Clans, some of the lower and outer ones, and were closed off. In contrast, there were events for the commoners to enjoy.

“Bring him.” Wen Ruohan waved his head and turned to the Jin family. “That way, your son may have a friend for a short while.”

“Thank you, Wen Ning,” Lan Qiren waved. “You two go on, we can get ready ourselves,”

They bowed to him, but when Sect Leader Wen ignored them, they left as quickly as possible.

“We should go,” Jin Zixuan smiled. “We’re going to stop by to see A-Yao,”

Once they left, Lan Qiren put a hand on his back, stretching, then rubbed his belly. He had come here knowing he might be staying long enough to give birth, with how long these things lasted, but his Husband throwing his brother through a wall, though he wished to see it and was sorely wishing he had, his mind was thinking of what his mate told him.

“Wait.” He turned. “You flared your scent?”

“Of course,” He was still thinking about how the others reacted. “It was wonderful.”

“…Did they drop?”

“I would not be surprised, after all, the Alphas did.” Wen Ruohan hummed curiously on why this was. “Why?”

“Dropping is horrible, even if we are not close anymore, I do not wish that on anyone,” Lan Qiren thought back on when his brother used to use a flare and use his voice on him. Still, his brother had done such a horrible thing, so violent against his child. “I will seek out Jin Guangshang and Jiang Fengmian later and make sure they are alright,”

“They’ll be fine,”

“With their Alphas?”

“Hm, fair point,” Wen Ruohan walked away and returned with an outer robe, this one lighter for his Omega, helping him slip it on. “You do realize that while you complain about me spoiling children, when they act like they are like ones you treat them like children, right?”

“No! I expect them to act like adults, show discipline, and play their roles accordingly.”

“…You blew Jin Guanghang’s tea for him last night, didn’t you?”

“…He was drunk!” Lan Qiren frowned, then huffed, tightened his robes around himself, and his face turned pink. “And we’re going to be late!”

Laughing, Wen Ruohan rushed after him to kiss him as they left.

--

“A-Yao!”

Meng Yao jumped a little. he turned around in time with his Beta, they were holding hands as they made their way towards the Archery field. There were his brother and his mate rushing towards them, smiling.

“Xuan-ge,” Meng Yao bowed to him, harder now with a round belly. He purred happily when he was pulled into a hug. When they moved back, he stared at the small boy. “This is the son you spoke about?”

“This is Jin Rulan,” He smiled. “Jin Ling, this is your Xaoi-Shushu!”

Meng Yao blinked. For a moment, he thought his brother was teasing him, but his sister-in-law quickly intervened, explaining that it was challenging to explain to the child how many uncles he had, and that was one of the few left aside from a few others.

Laughing a little, Meng Yao let the little cold nibbling that had started to edge into his belly melt away. He… liked this. Having a family that cared. He rubbed his hands together nervously.

“Do you want to hold him?” Jin Zixuan asked, noticing his brother's subtle tell, even if he was trying to hide it, seemed to be one of their father’s traits, mostly hidden under his robes, but the way he rubbed his hands together, self-soothing, stood out. “Jin Ling, say hello.”

The toddler stared at him, then looked down, reaching down, trying to touch the swollen belly. Jin Zixuan quickly apologized, but Meng Yao reached out to help the toddler touch his belly; the little boy’s eyes widened in awe, and then he held out his arms.

Happily, Meng Yao took the toddler, and a sense of excitement of being able to hold his nephew bloomed in his heart. Purring, he rocked him gently before the little boy started to bombard him with a million questions.

Most of which contained a single word of ‘Why?’

They made their way out towards the grounds.

--

Meng Yao was sitting with the Lan Sect. he sat at a table next to Wei Wuxian, who was crushed by finding out he couldn’t have children. He held his hand, rubbing the back of the tall Omega’s hand with his thumb, as the Archery continued. The shots from each clan's mates were out there, even if Lan Wangji was still in pain; he seemed to be hiding it well.

Looking around slowly, he noticed that the Lan Sect Leader, while oddly silent, looked like he was in pain, eyes blazing, but he said nothing. It wasn’t until he placed her there that Meng Yao followed his gaze.

A table away, where the Alpha had been glancing, was Madam Yu; she looked calm, with every fire glaring frown evident in her movements.

Meng Yao had grown up in the brothel, where he learned to read people, even the slightest thing, quickly. He was good at it. She might have looked like her usual self, but she was too still, her features too tight, with her eyebrow twitching slightly. The very small twitching on her hands was also noticeable. When she could control them, she would grab a drink or something to snack on.

Next to her was Sect Leader Jiang Fengmian. He looked pale, like he was catching a cold. He kept his eyes down until something would be loud enough for him to try to pay attention to the event for a few seconds, then slowly his eyes would lower back to the table, head bowed.

The other look was for Madam Jin.

She was not as good at hiding her emotions. Meng Yao observes her, curious and worried. She was a threat, which he realized quickly when they had emerged from their Month-Long Wedding celebration.

The line he feared he would border on months again was undoubtedly true. A few times, she looked like she wanted to lash out, growling at a servant once, until someone, one of Madam Yu’s servants, walked over, bowed, and handed her a small piece of paper.

She crumpled it once she read it and put it away. She looked like she was trying to keep her anger in. She took some wine, downing it impressively, but what caught his attention was when she moved to mingle, he spotted his Father.

Curiosity was there.

He had only seen the Beta a handful of times, the last meeting was the Jin Sect Leader looking at him oddly, like Meng Yao a strange thing to see before leaving without a word.

The Beta looked off, eyes heavy, mouth opened slightly like it was hard to close it all the way. He was fanning himself oddly slow, eyes almost hazed out. Was it a hangover? But the loud cheers, music, and other such chattering were phasing him in and out of whatever was affecting him.

Taking a breath, Meng Yao tried to muster the courage to get up and speak with him. He moved only to be unable to move. Wonderful, he forgot that he could no longer stand on his own, let alone sit properly. He had to sit with his legs sticking out.

“Do you need to get up?” Wei Wuxian asked softly. “Is the baby on your bladder again?”

“…No, I’m fine,” He felt guilty. He was going to have a baby, and his friend was injured to the point that it explained why the mated pair hadn’t been able to have a child. “I’m sorry. We can talk about it?”

Lip wobbling, Wei Wuxian looked away, then dried his watering eyes. He shook it, trying not to break down. It would upset his family, well, some of them, plus he needs to help A-Yao.

“Later, but I’m… I don’t know, I’m here but I feel like I’m not?”

“I wish I could understand,”

“No!” Wei Wuxian shook his head. “I’d never wish that on you! You should never know what it’s like. It’s horrible!”

“But, I feel bad,”

“Why?” Wei Wuxian raised his eyebrows. “You didn’t cause me harm, and besides,”

Meng Yao lifted his hands as Wei Wuxian laid his head on his belly. He started to fuss, so he soothed out the tall Omega’s hair, trying to comfort him through family bonding.

“I'll help you with the baby,” Wei Wuxian smiled, heart lighting just a little. “And Lan Zhan said we can get a million rabbits!”

“I don’t know if you can fit a million rabbits in Gusu,” He smiled. “Maybe start with two and see how it goes.”

“Hmm,” Nodding, Wei Wuxian listened to the baby. “…Are you sure there’s only one in there?”

“The doctor said there was,” Meng Yao frowned. “I miss seeing my feet,”

Wei Wuxian snorted a laugh so loudly that the smaller Omega's face turned red when everyone looked over at the loud commotion.

--

Fanning himself slowly, Jin Guangshang paused in his movements to see that it was just the Wei Wuxian being himself. He paused, looking at the Omega, the first Lan Furen.

Meng Shi’s child, who had grown up in the brothel and was renamed Jin Guangyao, kept him in a lower status. He wasn’t foolish enough to think that giving the Omega a generational name was going to help. The whispers that Guang was involved, rather than Zi, had the Tower in a stir.

Looking away, he paused, having shallow breathing. Wen Ruohan had flared his scent harshly. Coming back from a drop was hard enough. Being brought back correctly would have been preferred.

His Alpha had helped him out of it to a point until she knew he was coherent before leaving him alone to figure it out himself. Struggling to get into his nest had been hell until servants came to help him.

Now he had the baby blanket tucked in his robes against his chest. It was anchoring him while he struggled to stay afloat. He had to be there, after all, he was the host.

Unwillingly, but still, Jin Guangshang was a damn good host, and any asshole who said anything against it was a liar! Finally, people started to mingle more while the announcement of who won was being sent out, and the hunt for beasts was going to begin shortly.

Once his mate left to talk or bitch to someone, he set out a side. Standing, he wandered around trying to think of what to do while the bordering drop painfully lowered.

He made his way over to Lan Qiren once he saw the Wen Alpha had gone off to speak with his sons. Taking a seat next to him, the Omega looked at him.

“How bad?”

“Bad,” He fanned himself slowly. “I’m hungry,”

“You have plenty of food at your table,” Lan Qiren looked over, none of the food in front of where Jin Guangshang was had been untouched, but the female Alpha’s was half gone. He hissed lowly. “Madam Jin cannot deny you food.”

“Hm, you do not have to deal with her at night,” he said, looking around. “Better than Jiang Fengmian. He told me Madam Yu was already in a sour mood the day before.”

Making a Lan Qiren frowned. “You can sit and eat with me, after all, it is rude not to eat with your guests, is it not?”

“Agreeably so,” With that, they started to gather food into small bowls, happy to get something into their stomachs. He hadn’t had anything last night aside from drinks, no food or snacks. Picking one of the foods, he took a bite and yelped. “It’s hot…”

“You are not a child, blow your food!”

A few minutes later, Wen Ruohan returned, gave his Omega a smug look, and the Omega told him to shut up while he blew on the food, and handed it to a nervous-looking Jin Guangshang, who was trying not to look at the Alpha while quickly eating his food.

“It was hot! How can he eat it if it’s hot?!” He huffed, ugh, this old string of friendships was so strained. Lan Qiren had no idea why he indulged in them. He then picked up the tea and started to cool it. “Not. A. Word.”

Oh, Wen Ruohan was going to lord this over his Omega for months.

As the day went on, Wen Ruohan would leave the table, roaming around to instill fear in some, to watch the events, speaking to certain people, but each time he came back to his table, he found Jin Guangshang either fanning himself or being still and dazed.

Hm, maybe the flare was too strong for the Beta and Omega. He looked over, seeing that Jiang Fengmian hadn’t moved once from his spot, eyes voided out.

“Shouldn’t he be back at his table?”

“He can’t hear us,” Lan Qiren frowned. “I already spoke to him,”

“And?”

Lan Qiren explained that it was hard to come out of the drop without help, which the Alpha knew, but even the Alpha would never let his mate or something that belonged to him come out of it alone.

He let the Beta linger at their table until he saw Wen Ning heading over to them, a small boy in his arms. The boy looked around with big eyes, and the old couple behind him.

Wen Qing moved first, bowing. She introduced everyone, who did their best to bow, the toddler copying them with a smile. Wen Ruohan looked over the toddler.

“What is your name?” Lan Qiren asked.

“Wen Yaun,” The little boy struggled with his hands until they were correct. He bowed. “Sect Leader, Wen Furen, Wen Yaun is happy to meet you.”

Lan Qiren had to smile when the little boy looked back at Wen Ning, who nodded. How sweet, they had taught the little boy to introduce himself. He looked nervous.

“Wen Yaun, would you like to play with someone?”

Little eyes widened. “Play?”

“Yes,” He nodded. “Would you like that?”

“Yes, please!”

The bright smile was sweet.

“Come, I will show you,” Wen Ruohan scooped up the toddler. “I shall return.”

“Do not worry,” Lan Qiren quickly tried to comfort the elderly couple, who looked worried. He looked at them. “Thank you for being here. Please, enjoy with your family.”

--

Wen Ruohan walked around with the toddler in his arms when he found where the Youngest Jin Master was. And he was with his Uncle, who was pulling Jin Ling off a wall the boy had been attempting to climb, his sister there as well.

“You little brat!” Jiang Cheng pulled him off the wall. “What has your mother told you about not climbing walls?!”

“I want to!” The toddler yelled, stomping his foot in the air, making a mad face. “I want to!”

“A-Ling, that is not something we do,” Jin Yanlin sighed. “You need- Oh, Sect Leader Wen!”

Jiang Cheng turned around to bow to him, and his nephew was trying to fight him to get loose. He kept a tighter hold on him while the boy growled at him.

“A playmate, as promised.” Wen Ruohan held out the little Wen to them, who looked nervous. “Look, A-Yuan, someone to play with,”

“How wonderful,” Jin Yanli smiled. “A-Ling, just what you wanted. A friend,”

“You can return him to us when he’s tired,” Wen Ruohan said, handing him over. Then, he was curious if they knew that their Baba was in such a state. After all, he hadn’t even seen the two of them near the Jiang Clan table. He also wanted to stir the pot a bit to see what was going on. “I see he hasn’t fully come out of his drop.”

“What?!” Jiang Cheng looked at him in shock. “He’s in a drop?!”

Jin Yanlin gasped. “What?!”

They didn’t know?

“Hm, yes, but your mother is there with him.” He watched their eyes widen, how they looked at each other. “Well, I must be off.”

Once he returned to his table, he noticed that his mate was deep in thought, his chin resting in his hand. Thank God he had convinced him to shave off that stupid facial hair long ago. The way Lan Qiren was thinking was putting together some pieces of a puzzle.

“What is on your mind?”

“When brides are sent to Gusu for marriage, they are checked to ensure they can bear children,” Lan Qiren ran a hand on his belly in thought. His frown deepened. “When Wei Wuxian arrived, our healer had confirmed he was in good health for bearing children.”

“Old injuries?”

“How long?” Lan Qiren looked over, seeing Wei Wuxian nearly knocking over Jin Guangyao, the way he was trying to cuddle the pregnant Omega. “Something happened between the year and the wedding.”

“You think it was infected?”

“I can’t be sure,” Frowning Lan Qiren hummed. “He’s a powerful cultivator, and it just so happens that he’s injured to the point where he can’t have children, yet everything else is well.”

“You think it was intentional?”

“I don’t know,” He looked down. “The next event is to be held out on the field for the Lanterns tomorrow.”

“You have an idea,”

“Hm, I think it’s a good time to have a chat with a few old friends,” Lan Qiren scowled. “But I need your help.”

“What do you need?” Wen Ruohan was ready for murder if that’s what his Omega wanted. “Speak and it shall be so,”

“Good, now help me up,” Lan Qiren said, making a face. “This baby is on my bladder, I need the restroom quick.”

Wen Ruohan nearly got a cup thrown at him for laughing, but he picked up his Omega inside. As they walked away Lan Qiren caught a, just for a moment his brother slipping a paper to Madam Yu.

Oh.

What was he up to?

A huff of air went out of his nose as Lan Qiren narrowed his eyes.

Chapter 29

“Hey!”

Wei Wuxian looked up to see Jiang Cheng there. He was holding their nephew in his arms. Perking up at the sight of the boy, he stopped what he was doing, which was trying to keep Meng Yao, and ran his hand through his hair. The small, slim fingers gave the best head massages!

“A-Ling!” He grinned, holding out his hands. “Come here, I haven’t seen you in so long!”

“Watch him. I need to help with something.”

“Ah, with Uncle?” Wei Wuxian looked over. He wasn’t stupid, despite what others assumed. He had noticed that the Omega who had taken him off the street was far in a drop, and everyone was happy to ignore the situation because Madam Yu didn’t step in, so it was fine to them. “I’ll watch him. Do you need help?”

“No, just…” Shaking his head, he frowned. “Just watch him. I’ll be back later.”

“Alright, let me know if you need anything.” He watched them go, then paused, seeing Wen Ning heading over with a toddler in his arms. He smiled, waving. “Who’s that?”

“This is Wen Yuan.” He set the boy down. “Sect Leader Wen wanted them to play, so Youngest Master Jin had a friend.”

“Baby!” Jin Ling shouted, wiggling out of Wei Wuxian’s arm and hurried to the pregnant Omega, laying his head on him. “Come out!”

“Not yet,” Meng Yao patted the boy’s head and rubbed his back. He smiled, gladly. His nephew liked him. “Do you want a snack?”

“Yes!”

Wen Ning joined them, helping to watch the kids while Wei Wuxian seemed to enjoy chattering. However, what surprised him was that Wen Yuan clung to him, sat in the tall omega’s lap, and looked in awe at everything he was saying.

--

Madam Yu watched her children leave with her mate. Her daughter insisted on taking him back to their room to rest. She let them be. Besides, she could now at least speak with people.

She mingled for a short time, stopping to pass a note to that fool Qingheng-Jun. They had to meet soon. With this new situation of two high-ranking Lans being pregnant… even if she was disgusted when her friend told her where they got the Jin bastard, he still held a high rank.

Looking around the place, she spotted the first of the failed disciples returning from the hunt. The new ones always went first. She made a face knowing that this was going to be a long evening.

It wasn’t an hour later, which took forever, when the Sect Heirs, high-ranking spares, and disciples entered the forest to hunt their beasts, larger, powerful ones.

She realized that her son was not among them. Was he still helping that idiot mate of hers?! Gritting her teeth, she spotted one of the servants walking by; he had something in his hands.

“You!” She snapped, watching him jump. “Go find Jiang Cheng, he’s to be in this hunt.”

They ran off.

She rolled her eyes.

Walking back to her seat she paused to see Madam Jin there, the other Alpha looked just as aggravated as she had beforehand. Controlling that was hard, especially when her friend had failed to hold on to her beta.

“You need to calm down or hide it better.” She frowned. “If this is going to work, I can’t have you going off the rails.”

“You know that’s not the issue,” Madam Jin growled. “With Lan Qiren pregnant, this makes things difficult.”

“You think I don’t know this?” She almost sneered. “Wen Ruohan’s going to be harder to kill.”

Crossing her arms, Madam Jin took a breath, trying to calm herself. It wasn’t helping. She was mad, and there was little she could do in the public eye of the others.

“We have hidden room, we can use that to speak,” Madam Jin looked at her friend. “And you are sure we can’t bring anyone else into this?”

“No, even if the new Nie Sect Leader strongly disagrees with Wen Ruohan, we can’t be foolish enough to think he’d backstab a fellow Sect Leader.”

“Tonight then.” She turned. “I shall go tell Qingheng-Jun.”

“Leave that to me. You should pay attention to your son.” She waved her hand as she walked away. “I see he’s already gotten a prize.”

Sure enough, the Jin symbol was fading in the air, a primarily white peony, singing out that the heir had gotten one of the strongest beats in the forest. She felt a swell of pride at that, almost smirking up at how pleased she was.

There were two more with the Peoney Symbols flying up, disciples right afterwards. She looked around to see if anyone else was in a marvel at her Sect. When her eyes landed on something, it soured her mood.

That little Basted was watching the Symbols Fireworks go off. Nose scrunching in disgust, she was about to look away when she stopped. He was waddling around slowly, but holding onto his hand was her Grandson, Jin Ling, and the little boy was holding on tightly to another boy’s hand. From the robes, it was clear that the boy was a Wen.

Growling, she walked over, furious. She was close enough to where she was going to yank his grandson away. The Omega seemed to sense her, his face observing the fireworks to look right at her.

He backed up quickly, pulling the kids with him. He looked afraid of her. Good! That’s what she wanted! She was nearly at him when the Wen Child let out a scared whine, the shift in the Omega’s eyes was almost instant, he hissed at her!

That little bitch!

She growled at him for such a bold move, and she watched him wobble, when a dark hiss made her stop. She hadn’t expected the Jades to have returned so quickly. If she hadn’t been focused on the whore’s child in front of her, she would have seen that they had completed their hunt quickly.

Lan Xichen was in front of her, the dark looks on his face almost had her step back. Nearly, since it was so startling. A child screamed, and soon the two little children who had been holding onto that whore’s hand took off.

Meng Yao called to them, unable to move a foot, his legs still shaking, wanting to obey, falling to his knees. The only reason he didn’t was that it might hurt his baby, and his body’s instinct to protect his baby was stronger than the need to obey.

“Wen Yuan!” Wen Ning went chasing after them. “Wait, come back!”

“Jin Ling!” Wei Wuxian called, wanting to go after him, but with how soured A-Yao's scent was, he grabbed onto him just in case he fell. “Wen Ning, bring him back, please!”

The running Omega called back. He would chase after the boys.

--

Sound started to come back. Even if just the voice of someone talking to him, Jiang Fengmian’s vision began to clear instead of being a small tunnel. He felt his head bobbing to lift it entirely.

It wasn’t until the scent of his nest started to drift into his nose that he realized he was back in his room. Twitching a little, he struggled to hear who was helping him.

A hand was rubbing his back. One, no two voices, called his name, but it sounded strange. Like, they shouldn’t be calling him by his name. Blinking he turned, unsure if he had walked or had, he faints?

Shifting, he started to try to sit up. With no harsh words or hits, he relaxed more. Soothing scents began to drag him out more, until his mind was able to place who they belonged to, too.

“There he is,” Jiang Cheng spoke first, rubbing his wrist on either side of his Omega parent’s temples. “A little more, you're almost back.”

“We need you to breath,” Jin Yanlin spoke, she was rubbing his back. “You’ve been breathing shallow; some deep breaths, please.”

Unsure if he was doing what he was told, the haze started to leave, he shivered, a cloth came up to wipe the side of his mouth. The more he regained his breath, the more he began to feel the sickly effects of the painful drops.

Cold, shallow, and like someone drained his Qi. This happened before, followed by overwhelming guilt that his children had to help him out instead of his mate.

Honestly, he had been left alone to come back up alone rather than when his children had to help him through it. He whimpered when his son covered his nose. Surely his scent was soured.

“Shh, it’s alright,” Jin Yanlin assured, rubbing his back more. “We’re not upset with you, just worried.”

Jiang Cheng tried hard not to let his frustration show through his scent. He hated it when this happened. It was harder now that his sister was married, but bringing their father out of a drop, which he had been in for hours, was more complex than usual.

They watched him wriggle, trying to get hold of himself. The thing was coming back from a drop like this left him feeling sick. His stomach twisted; the bile in it felt like it was trying to eat its way out and up his throat.

There was a far-off knock he heard, or at least he was sure he heard. His son left his side. He tried to reach out to him, but his son was moving too fast. His daughter’s hand caught his, promising that he was going to be alright, to relax as much as possible.

Jiang Cheng was informed by a servant that he had been requested to attend the hunt. He made a face, sending them away and shaking his head. He already knew their mother was going ot be in a bad mood thanks to them taking their Father back to his bed and helping him come back up.

“I’ll have to go,” He told his sister. “Do you have this or should I return?”

“No, I can handle this,” She promised. “Go, on, I’ll be there when I can.”

Jiang Cheng took a moment to look at his Father. He was holding onto Yanlin’s hand. It twisted his gut a little since he hadn’t tried to hold his hand or reach out to him when coming out of the drop. Huffing, he gritted his fists, turning sharply to head out.

The hunt.

He was late!

Wonderful! Not only did he have to handle this issue with his Mother and father, but he was sure there was going to be a lot of fallout in the morning. He picked up the pace, trying to get there quicker.

As he ran down the hall, two children ran past him, and he saw it was Jin Ling and the other one. Looking over, he didn’t have time to stop, with his attention on the kids, the person running after them ran out in front of him.

They rammed into each other. Clattering to the floor, there was a yelp. Pushing up, he looked down, recognizing the person from the Wen Sect, the Omega who lingered around the Grandmaster.

He was holding his head, having smacked it on the floor, dark eyes looked at him, blinking, then hands where pushing at his face! Confused and slightly shocked, he made a face.

“Hey!”

“Please get off me!”

“What?!” For a second, he wanted to yell that they were on the floor because they ran into each other. Until he realized he was pretty much laying on top of the Omega. Face flushing, he scrambled off of. The panic died down as he reached down to help him up. “Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes!” Wen Ning bowed. “I’m so sorry, I need to go!”

Blinking he realized as the Omega took off was chasing the children. Running after them, he was faster, but he was impressed by how much speed the Omega had. Passing him in seconds, he scooped up the children, jogging to a stop.

Frowning, he held up his nephew by the back of his clothes. The little boy made a face, stomped his foot midair, and glared at him with the gall like he had been the one in the wrong!

“Why are you running?!” Jiang Cheng glared. “You know better than to run off!”

“No!” Little feet tried to kick him. “I want doooown!”

“Not going to happen!” Jiang Cheng looked at the other child, who appeared to be on the verge of tears. Wen Clothing? Looking at the Omega, he didn’t smell any claim on him. “This one yours?”

“My cousin,” Wen Ning held out his hands, glad when the little boy was handed over. He held Wen Yuan, who started to cry, in someone’s arms he knew. “Thank you, Master Jiang.”

“It’s alright since my nephew is causing issues?”

“No, it was… Um…. Madam Jin growled at Lan Furen,” He spoke. “It scared the children; it was not their fault they got scared.”

Blinking, he paused. “Madam Jin?”

He frowned.

Snarling at Lan Furen?! He couldn’t imagine that going over well with the Omega being the future Sect Leader’s mate. He knew the Jades looked almost alike, but if it was said of the Lan’s that was true, he wondered if he was going to be walking into a fight?!

Wen Ning nodded, then bowed again. He was told to bring back Jin Ling by the second Lan Furen. He saw that the Alpha, Sect Leader Jiang, looked angry, but there was also an odd expression in his eyes, as if he was thinking.

“Master Jiang, I can take Jin Ling back to the Banquet if you would allow me to.”

“Do so.” He handed over the little boy, turning on his heel. “Follow me!”

Pausing, Wen Ning followed, carrying the children. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but it was a relief that he at least had the kids with him. If he had to, he could keep them safe at the Wen Table.

--

“You dare hiss at me?” Madam Jin glared. “How dare you!”

“How dare you!” Lan Xichen hissed again, this time with a darker tone. He took a step forward. “You do not disrespect my Omega!”

Meng Yao's face turned red. That was such a bold move from Lan Xichen. His sweet Beta, whom he had never heard raise his voice or show his teeth.

Ten feet away, from where he had been chattering with one of the smaller Sect Leaders, Jin Guangshan, he paled. Oh, fucking come on! He needed a day break!

Fanning himself, he stared at them, unsure of what caused this argument between his mate and the First Jade of Gusu. It wasn’t until he realized that his younger child, recognized, was there. Oh, wonderful! One of the people that his Alpha was constantly pissed about!

Looking around, he tried to see where the Lan Sect Leader was to put a stop to this, but no! He wasn’t there! Neither was Madam Yu?! Where was she?! Even more so, why was Sect Leader Nie conversing with Wen Xu?! Didn’t they hate each other?!

Where were Lan Qiren and Wen Ruohan?!

He did not want to deal with this shit anymore!

With no one around, he moved a step, just one small one, when she glared at him. The look sent a shiver up his spine, a cold pit settling in his stomach. She was in a horrible mood. This meeting, more clearly, she was still planning on dealing with him later.

Nope!

He moved back, looking away. When she went back to arguing with Lan Xichen, he saw his chance to sneak away. If there were no one around, he’d have to head off to the Nie Sect Leader.

Wen Xu noticed him first. Jin Guangshang had all but popped in between them, damn tall ass Alphas! He didn’t take time to try to hear their conversation at all, and if he had paid attention, he might as well have noticed they were subtly flirting.

“Sect Leader Nie, there is a commotion.” He had to stop this before it got any worse. Fanning himself harder, he took a breath, trying to calm down. His heart was racing because he knew that tonight was going to be hell, and depending on how quickly it got resolved, it would either have him able to attend tomorrow or he’d be ‘sick’ and have to recover. “I believe it is between my mate, your childhood friend, and his Omega.”

That got their attention. He trailed after them as they rushed over. He watched as Wen Xu covered the Omegas from views. Ah, he forgot that Wei Wuxian was there, but the real sight was Sect Leader Nie standing next to the beta.

Good!

Let him take care of this mess!

“Sect Leader Nie.” Madam Jin's nose was twitching; it wrinkled as she glared at the Alpha. “I’m dealing with an issue.”

“And what issue is that?” He was already in a mad mood with her. Earlier, she had disrespected her mate, even if he did not like how the Jin Sect Leader handled things; it was still a disrespect and an overstepping of her bounds. “And it better be worth something considering this morning.”

“She threated my Omega,” Lan Xichen hissed lowly a glare still on his face. “You dare approach my mate and threaten him?!”

“I had a reason, that thing!” She glared between them. “Had my grandson.”

“What are you implying?” Nie Mingjue gruffed. He could sense the anger in Lan Xichen. Rare, but he understood. The need to protect one’s mate wasn’t something to be overlooked. “What could Lan Furen have done to upset you?”

She hesitated.

“I expect you to apologize to my Omega.” Lan Xichen hissed again to him; the way she paused assured him that she had randomly attacked A-Yao. He wanted to reach for his sword, but refrained from doing so, fearing it could spark a war. “You will show him respect.”

Growling, Madam Jin's eyes narrowed, her scent flared, and she was so filled with rage at what he told her! Respect that?! That little bitch was nothing but a wench born from a well-paid prostitute and her whore of a mate!

“I will not show respect to that thing!” She growled. “Not when it comes from a dead prostitute and dressed up like a prized stallion when it’s a nicely dressed pig!”

The crowd gasped.

Well, fuck!

Jin Guangshang might as well throw himself off the stairs of his town because now everyone knew where they got him! Worse, the background, and now with all the eyes around them, he started to panic.

Meng Yao's eyes stung, his guts twisted, distress almost overtaking how painful it was to have people looking at him, how they knew what his mother was. The whisper felt like being hit on him with each word, and he could hear frantic whispering.

“Spreading such a lie?!” Nie Mingjue snapped. “Just because you cannot control your temper isn’t a reason to try to tarnish Lan Furen’s Name!”

That jolted all of the Jins out of their current state. Madam was stunned that he was calling her a liar! How dare he say such a thing to her?! She might not have been officially the Sect Jin Leader, but she believed she should! If that useless whore didn’t fight back so often, she would be!

Jin Guangshang couldn’t believe that Nie Mingjue had somehow shifted the shocked Cultivators from being scandalized by his youngest to them whispering about his mate.

Meng Yao, on the other hand, felt the coldness melting away. The Nie Sect leader?! Standing up for him?! Meng Yao purred softly, unsure why, but this was his mate’s childhood friend, and he was defending him. That caused a sudden instant loyalty to the Alpha.

With no backup, she looked around, then kept her chin up. She was not going to apologize to them. Instead, she waved them off. Nie Mingjue growled.

“You will get one in writing.” She turned around. “It will arrive in the morning.”

“I would like one now.” Lan Xichen frowned. “It would be in your best interest.”

“Would it now?” A new voice spoke lowly, a threat, a promise that made the Beta tense. “First your brother, now you.”

Chin lowering, pale, Lan Xichen didn’t say a word. He had no idea where his Father had been, nor did he have a clue. But the Alpha was now standing behind him.

“Go back to our table,” Qingheng-Jun warned. “Now.”

Lan Xichen had no choice but to obey. He hurried to take his mate away, thanking Wen Xu, who had a frown on his face. He looked back at his Father, who was speaking amongst Nie Mingjue and Madam Jin.

Meng Yao held onto him while they got to the table. Wei Wuxian looked back at the trio. Something in his gut wasn’t settling right. He was not happy about this outcome. Something was wrong, yet he couldn’t place a finger on it.

He saw Nie Mingjue looked satisfied, Madam Jin rolled her eyes, and that asshole of an in-law turned away as they all parted. He sat down, waiting to be yelled at or shamed.

“She will send a letter tomorrow,” Qingheng-Jun spoke. “Just agree and move on.”

No threat was made, which made all of them suspicious. Would it come later or when they slept? It was never sure with the Lan Alpha. Wei Wuxian kept an eye on him when he saw something nearby.

Curious about what that folded-up paper was, he offered to pour everyone tea, while subtly slipping the paper into his robe. If he was up to something, surely a little snooping wouldn’t hurt.

Chapter 30

What a mess.

Jin Guangshan fanned himself while the announcements on who was the top archer were made. His son came in first, no surprise, as Jin Zixuan had always had a natural talent for it. The Twin Jades followed next, with Lan Wangji beating his brother by a few points, and the rest of the heirs’ names came after.

The last of the drop was starting to filter out slowly. Looking around, he saw that Wen Ruohan and Lan Qiren had returned, only a few seconds after the commotion.

He saw Wen Xu talking to them. No doubt about what his mate had done. Fucking wonderful. Of course, it happened while he was being forced to host the damn conference. If it had been at Lotus Pier, he’d have found a way to sneak off already, find a warm body, either fuck them or be fucked, since he liked Betas such as himself.

Instead, he sat there until the ending of the second day came to an end. He stood up to congratulate everyone, say a few words, and then announced the start time of the meetings, which was in the late afternoon.

The second people started to filter out, and he tried to bolt, but his mate caught his upper arm in an iron grip. He winced when she pulled him along, pretending to walk with him, while he was sure his arm was going to be ripped off.

“Off to bed?”

WHY?!

WHY THE FUCK WAS THIS HIS LIFE?!

“Ah, Sect Leader Wen,” Jin Guangshan tried to turn, wincing a bit when he couldn’t thoroughly do so. He bowed a little. “Wen Furen. Yes, we were leaving.”

“I’d like for you to join me for tea tomorrow afternoon before the meetings begin,” Lan Qiren spoke. “If you are free?”

“Um,” He glanced at his mate. “I think I will be?”

“I think you will.” Wen Ruohan's eyes darkened as he eyed the couple. “Noon sounds like a perfect time.”

“We will be there,” Madam Jin sounded stiff.

“Just Jin Guangshan,” Wen Ruohan frowned. “As there are things to be discussed about childbirth.”

“Ah, yes.” Jin Guangshan frowned a bit. Didn’t they teach all that in the Lan Clan? He was sure they had an entire class on it! He knew he had to take it, and it was horrifyingly detailed! “I shall be there,”

“I shall see you then,” Lan Qiren exchanged a bow with the Beta, who struggled too. “Tomorrow.”

Wen Ruohan let his mate walk away first, and he gave a slight flare at Madam Jin, who released the Beta quickly. Leaving them, he put his hand on the small of Lan Qiren’s back, keeping him steady while he waddled back to their room.

That female Alpha was getting wild; even if everyone knew what occurred between them, it was never shown outwardly, and when it was Alpha’s with powerful blood, they would knock them down several pegs. Last, he recalled the former Nie Leader.

He’d have to keep a closer eye on her if she kept getting too bold.

--

Lan Xichen was surprised when the Lan Clan arrived at their hall and found that their father had gone to his room without saying a word to them. Even after he heard what happened, he thought that he would end up with a beating, too.

Relieved that it seemed that was not the case, they bid a farewell to Lan Wangji and his mate. Helping A-Yao into their room, he led them to their nest so the Omega could lie down.

Only to be met with a few Jin Servants ready to dress his Omega for bedtime.

“A gift from Young Master Jin and Young Madam Jin.” One of them said, 'A box being held open.' “Nightrobes, Lan Furen.”

“What a wonderful gift,” Lan Xichen said, smiling and looking at his Omega. “Do you want to wear it tonight?”

They were pretty. Meng Yao reached out to touch it. It was so soft, looking light and comfortable. Touching it a little more, he marveled at the lavish silks. Warmth spread across his chest, eyes stinging.

This was Xiangyunsha.

And it was for him?

From his brother and sister-in-law?

“Yes,” He got out a bit chokingly. “Thank you,”

The Servants moved to unrobe and dress him. Meng Yao was still a bit awkward about it. Yet when the soft fabric was around him, it was comfortable, breathable, and the perfect size. He looked down, seeing it flow over his belly perfectly.

Lan Xichen removed his Omega’s headband to let the servants work on brushing out his hair, leaving it free-flowing. Blushing a little, Lan Xichen had to turn away to get dressed himself.

Once they left, he turned back to see Meng Yao holding his belly, face flushed, purring; his scent gave off happiness and joy. Walking over to him, he cupped his lover’s face.

The Jin gold colors did suit him. Then again, Lan Xichen believed that his A-Yao looked perfect in everything. Purring along with his mate, they got into the nest, shifted, and scent-marked for a bit until they settled down. The odd pillow helped a lot while they lay down for the night.

Nuzzling his forehead against A-Yao, the Beta purred, almost in tune with his Omega. He loved how Meng Yao looked at him with such love, the warm feeling of them cuddled up together.

“I love you,” Was whispered.

“I love you, too,” Was whispered back. “…The baby’s on my bladder,”

Trying not to let out a laugh, Lan Xichen held Meng Yao up so they could get him to the restroom.

--

Qingheng-Jun was up late writing down a few things for the Sect Meeting tomorrow. He knew he would be up late regardless. One he was missing a certain brother of his who always did the paperwork.

Now it was on him.

The other part was waiting for it to be dark enough for him to head out to the sect meeting. As he wrote, getting angry at the fact his writing and words weren’t flowing as smoothly as Lan Qiren’s, he sat back.

With the grip of his hand, he broke the brush.

Tossing it, he walked over to the window. He was not in a good mood. Not with several factors of his brother’s pregnancy, how things went awry with Wen Ruohan, who was protective before, now would be murderously ready to slit their throats.

This was a problem.

They’d have to solve it soon.

Hours later, he heard from, slipping away into the shows with the instructions of where to meet.

--

Everything hurt.

Lowering himself into the tub with the help of his servants, Jin Guangshang tried to relax as much as he could while his tea was being brewed. Damn that bastard.

Her mood worsened because of Wen Ruohan's flaring. A few hands reached to wipe him down, and he winced when they got to the bite and claw marks. Someone offered him a towel so he could clean himself down there.

A short while later, he was able to stand and switch over to another bath while they cleaned the other one. Tea ready, he barely let it cool before downing it.

“Another,” He held out the cup, the bitter taste strong from both the heat and the herbs. “Two.”

Two more cups down allowed him to relax more into the hot water. Rose milk was poured in. He sighed. He knew it was mixed with some numbing agent, which helped alleviate the soreness.

Eyes closing, he tried to think about the next day. Meetings. Extra-soft pillows to sit on, something for pain relief, and he had new makeup he could use to cover the bruising that was appearing on his neck if he didn’t have enough time to heal it through Qi.

Just as he was letting the tension release, he was able to let his mind filter out the day. Just letting it go blank while enjoying the bath helped. Soon, he started to doze, a habit he had. A servant always woke him up, so he wasn’t too concerned.

A hand pushed him underwater. Grabbing at the arm, he struggled; the sudden shock of being shoved under caused him to yell out underwater, leaving him with less air.

Kicking, he struggled when suddenly he was yanked up, choking, water leaving his nose as he sneezed, heart racing with blood thundering in his ears.

“Why are you still up?!” Madam Jin snapped. “Get dried and dressed for bed! You’ve pissed me off for the day.”

Holding onto the side of the tub, Jin Guangshang coughed, almost vomiting from the water that got into his nose, burning from the water that came back. Looking over, confused on why she hadn’t gone back to her room, where he usually stayed at night, he winced when she grabbed at his hair.

Reaching up to try to ease the pulling, she had already yanked at his hair so much he was starting to worry she was going to pull all of it out! Fuck that hurt!

“Get dried and to bed!” She forced him out, throwing him at scared servants who backed away. “Hurry up!”

Standing, he glared at her while she growled. The servants dried him as quickly as possible, slipping his robes on. He went to sit down to get his hair done, a tray with several lovely golden bottles, and a few from other clans, gifts that kept his hair soft and silky the way he liked.

It was slapped out of the servant's hands.

“Hey!” He turned to her. “I’m doing what you wanted!”

“Leave and go to bed!” She growled. “Now, or do you want me to wear you out another way?!”

Nose twitching with the need to hiss, he glared, before standing up, storming towards his bed, looking at his hair vials on the floor. Some of them were opened and broken.

Arms crossed, he glared at her while he got into bed, pissed his hair was not only unbrushed, it was damp still, uncared for. He pulled up his blankets, thinking of ways he could kill her.

His Alpha lingered, and he realized she was waiting for him to fall asleep?! What the fuck?! Since he had his back to her, he made a face and pretended to sleep.

He was good at this, faking how to even his breaths. It took her all ten minutes of lingering before Jin Guangshang felt her leave. Waiting, he was proven right when she came back once to make sure.

Once the door closed, he didn’t move until the servants came in. Sitting up, he let them fix his hair, trying to get it done quickly in case she returned. Once it was combed, he opted out of it being braided or in a low ponytail, as his scalp hurt a lot.

Lying down, he reached under his favorite pillow, pulling out the baby blanket, which was still wrapped around the small neck pillow he rarely used, and pressed his nose to the top of it.

The scent on it was slowly fading. Well, he had washed it. It took a bit of sneaking to get it re-scented, but he found stuffing it into a nest where certain scents were stronger helped.

Eyes closed, he was drifting off this time, his face pressed against the top of the blanket, his nose, despite the uncomfortable soreness from the water, still picking up the lingering scent of his baby.

Something rustled against his ear.

Jolting, he hissed, swiping at the air, glaring around the room.

It was dark, except for the one dimming candle. He looked around, not picking up another scent. Looking around, he settled back down, convinced himself it was his paranoia from how violent his Alpha had been.

Cuddling the bundled up blanket, he passed out from the events of the long day that seemed to last weeks.

At the corner of the bed was a little paper figure hiding from the Jin Sect Leader. It peered around to make sure the Beta was asleep before floating away out of the bedroom, into the standard room, and then noticed that Madam Jin was fully dressed, seeming to be waiting.

Hiding under the leg of the floor table, the little paper wondered what she was up to until the door opened, and in stepped Madam Yu. Normal, considering their friendship, but it wasn’t the Lan Clan Leader's appearance that made the little paper figure very interested.

They turned, and Wei Wuxian, from the paper, watched them enter a mirror, vanishing.

Now, what were three of the most powerful Sects Meeting so late in the night for? One by one, he watched them enter and urged the paper version of himself to hurry before the portal closed.

Chapter 31

Paper-Wei was looking around.

After rushing into the mirror, he had been hit with a gust of wind. It was unclear whether it was a draft or if their powers were still active when they went into the mirror. He moved along, trying to find out where they went.

The fact that the three of them were meeting so late at night had him curious. He wondered if they were going to shit talk the others. He had seen Madam Yu speak lowly of her mate despite the fact that he was the Clan Leader. Then again, she always reminded him that it was his fault for being born an Omega.

There was a sound coming from somewhere to his left. Floating away, Paper-Wei made it to one of the bigger sections of the hidden room. He paused, seeing them sitting at a round table.

They looked pissed.

Creeping slowly, Paper-Wei was trying to be as subtle as possible. If there was one thing he knew that could get him caught, it was getting close to where Madam Yu was.

If she sensed his little paper-self there, well, he was glad he was married into the Lan Clan now. They were talking, and he could hear their voices, but the words weren’t heard.

Small steps, hiding behind anything and everything, he tried to make his way towards them as slowly and quietly, tiptoeing on little paper feet.

--

“It’s an issue!” Madam Yu snapped. “This changes our plans by years.”

“Years?” Madam Jin made a face. “Are you sure?”

“She’s right,” Growling Qingheng-jun took out some papers he had been hiding. “With us taking care or at least what we thought was taken care of… the little bitch is pregnant.”

“I can’t believe that Lan Qiren pulled such a stunt.” Madam Jin looked at the male Alpha. “But you think he didn’t?”

“That fool has been the same since we were little. I know he’s lying,” He knew it. He hadn’t been able to get close enough to examine him; however, I can guarantee you that he probably had hives.”

“And if he did?” Madam Yu frowned. “You said yourself that Lan Qiren was very opposed to Lan Xichen marrying Wei Wuxian.”

“He still is, and it’s too late to switch them now we have an heir on the way.”

“That little bitch was bony when we found him,” Madam Jin made a face. She was constantly irritated lately. “We sent food to fatten him up when I thought he was married to your second son.”

“I’ve been having the cooks bring him child-sized cups and bowls. I’ve been trying to get him to lose weight, so he’ll lose the child.” Flipping over the papers, he frowned. “His body is carrying the baby well; even the healers were stunned.”

“That’s my Beta’s fault.” Snarling Madam Jin wanted to strangle her mate because she thought that Meng Yao had been dead for years. “My whore of a mate has a shockingly perfect womb that might have been passed down.”

“I never asked, but how did you know about that Omega?” with a raised eyebrow, Qingheng-jun. “Because from what I gathered, you knew of him for a year or so before using him.”

“It was supposed to be dead,” She had her eyes nearly turning red. “I only got one Alpha out of Jin Guangshan, and then that bitch tried to pass off a whore’s baby as ours.”

“What gave it away?”

Jin Guangshan was in heavy labor. Panting and shaking from the healers trying to stop the labor. They discovered he was pregnant due to his Alpha calling him fat after his heat, and it was only when she went to grab at his belly to say hurtful things that she realized it was firm.

She stopped her beatings, resulting in only every other abuse. She thought that after four years, she’d get another Alpha child. Instead, a few months later, he was in labor.

At first, they thought it was far too early until they couldn’t hold it off. The child would die after birth, given how early they were going to be. Only to be surprised when the baby was full term.

Just tiny.

They had cleaned up Jin Guangshan, while Madam Jin looked over the baby with a frown. Why was this child so small? A part of her thought something was wrong with it.

“Why is he so small?”

Hair damped with sweat, Jin Guangshan couldn’t muster a hiss but got out a bitter. “Perhaps it was all  those months of beatings,”

She growled. “Only because you let the whore mark you!”

Wincing, Jin Guangshan turned away. The Healer had cleaned up the baby and him, wrapping the small baby up in a blanket. Taking the little bundle, he looked down, sniffing his son’s scent, nuzzling his head.

The tea didn’t stop him from getting pregnant this time. The baby was really small. Pressing his nose to the top of the baby’s head, he closed his eyes, feeling relieved that the baby was alive.

A few weeks later, Madam Jin was running the Sect while her mate recovered. She came by at one point to check on him, only because she was asked by an Elder, and while she didn’t care, she was hoping the baby had grown more.

She found Jin Guangshan with the baby and their son Jin Zixuan in his nest, nursing the baby, who was still tiny, while their son occasionally played with some toys.

When he saw her, he had an odd reaction. He quickly covered the baby with the blanket and looked upset that she was there. That was odd because he was being overprotected.

She made a face.

With how tiny that second child was, it might end up being an Omega. Well, she could marry them off one day. She greeted her son, who happily lifted his arms up to be held.

She inquired about the baby, but received only one-word or two-word answers. She asked a Healer who spoke of some people who had children who reacted differently.

She let it go because it gave her time to rule the Sect fully by herself. It was going well. The power she held made her head swirl with pride. Slowly, however, she realized she had never seen their second child.

Each time she saw her mate and baby, he would cover or hide them from view. He would leave the room if she was in it, keeping the baby a secret.

He wouldn’t even let the servants, healers, and even a Nurse who normally watched the babies while the new mothers slept. Even though Jin Zixuan had a wet nurse when the Beta needed a break.

He was nearly possessive. Once, he was complaining to someone about his chest hurting, and his nipples were dry, so the person suggested something to help soothe them.

Then asked if they had a wet nurse.

Being forced to use one had her realizing something was wrong. Jin Guangshan eyed the Omega Wet Nurse like he was going to kill the him.

The entire two days were him just watching with unblinking eyes, and once he paced around like it was driving him crazy. She found this beyond odd, even when the healer told him he had to wait another day before going back to nursing so he’d healed, as well as applying the cream when the baby slept.

He broke down sobbing.

That was so shocking, she had no idea what to do. Jin Guangshan didn’t cry! He didn’t cry when Jin Zixuan was a baby! Finally, he was told he was allowed to go back to nursing.

The baby grew, the months went by, but he’d eye her, just side-eyeing like he was worried. The baby never left his side. She decided to see if something was severely wrong with the child.

There was a large bath that her mate loved, and she was waiting for him to take his ridiculously long baths so she could steal their child for a short time.

When she went to get the baby, it was nowhere to be found. Looking around in the room, she scowled. Surely, he didn’t take the baby into the bath with him?!

She went in and, sure enough, he was lazily lying in the bath. Instead of hot water, the charms were set to a warm setting, and the baby had a warm towel on him, lying on his chest.

He freaked out seeing her in there, demanding she leave.

The more secretive he became with the baby, the more suspicious she grew, and one day she hid in the room, waiting for him to use the bathroom. Seeing that when he thought he was fully alone, he went off, leaving the almost one-year-old alone, the baby napping, she made her move.

She ran her Qi to check to see if the baby was deformed in some way, disabled, but instead, she had no core. It wasn’t until she tried to dig a little deeper that she snagged her hands back like they had been burned.

This child… this child didn’t share her blood!

Jin Guangshan came barreling into the room, hissing violently at her. The shock when he lunged at her. They got into a brawl where she left the room out of breath, and with the martial instinct that he had, they were both battered, bruised, and bleeding.

And she was pissed.

“I ordered him to kill it.” Her nose twitched. “I thought he had the blanket covered in blood.”

“You didn’t check the body?”

“It was a lot of blood.” She growled. “I found out only when we couldn’t find any. I made sure to kill any spawn he had or planted. It wasn’t until we were desperate that he told me.”

“I’m surprised you took that hidden baby so well.”

“I didn’t.” She smirked. “I kept him locked up in our room for almost a year.”

“Until the Elders?”

“No, your brother,” She pointed at him. “Requested something for a night hunt, and when there was no response, Lan Qiren showed up.”

“Not enough to get you to budge,”

“Wen Ruohan was with him,” She took a moment. “He makes promises he keeps, and once he realized I was lying about where he was, he broke my arm.”

“We need to get rid of him.” Madam Yu stood up. “I made sure that Wei Wuxian would never be able to have a child,”

“But he was supposed to be married to Lan Xichen,”

“I am aware!” Qingheng-jun looked up in thought. “It’s bad enough he’s a Beta, he leans into the softer side of his Gender.”

“Is it true he still wears a collar?” Madam Yu mocked. “A Sect Heir no less.”

“Silence!”

“You do not dare try to silence me!” She snapped. “At least I made sure Wei Wuxian can’t have children, unlike you; if an Alpha were courting your child, he would still be able to bear one!”

“Enough, we need to figure out what to do!” Madam Jin stood. “I think he should try to push our plans up!”

“You know how ridiculous that is?!” Jumping up, Madam Yu growled. “I think we should wait, at least until after Lan Qiren gives birth. Wen Ruohan will be overprotective, and he already threw your dumbass into a wall, and you neglected your mate in front of Nie Mingjue!”

“That whore didn’t need help!” She snapped. “And Nie Mingjue wouldn’t be on our side.”

“I know you hate him, but we have no choice.” She stormed around to try to keep from acting out with her whip. “We need to keep up appearances,”

“There is something,” Waving his hand, Qingheng-jun took a moment. “It might be a bit much, but there is an issue with the Wen Siblings not being wedded yet.”

“So?”

Before he could speak, Madam Yu felt something ruffle. She turned with venom and took out her whip. The other two stood suddenly on high alert, while she looked around.

“We should disclose it another time.” She walked around throwing out Qi, and while she didn’t feel anything, she would rather not risk it. “Another time.”

The parted, unaware that a little paper cutout lay under a shelf, no longer attacked with a soul. Before they left, Qingheng-jun gave them a letter each, and they left silently.

--

Wei Wuxian sat up in the nest, hands on his belly, eyes full of tears. His heart ached, burned in a way he couldn’t ever begin to understand. Loss, despair, sorrow all wrapped into one.

“What’s wrong?” Lan Wangji asked, sitting up, pulling his Omega to him. He was suddenly worried when his one looked like he was shaking. “Wei Ying?”

Sobbing, Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms around him. He cried, unsure of how to tell his mate. He was so distressed that being in their assigned room, the Lan Clan room, became unbearable.

He didn’t even want to be here.

He had gotten close enough to overhear Madam Yu saying she damaged him so he couldn’t have children. His mind had gone blank afterwards. Moving back he rubbed his eyes.

“I don’t want to stay here tonight.” Wei Wuxian sniffed. "I’ll tell you, but… not here, it’s too open.”

Nodding, Lan Wangji grabbed some of their things and helped Wei Wuxian into their night outer robes. Arms around him, they quickly left the hall because they heard someone coming, and then they hid.

Qingheng-jun walked down the hall to his room.

Once he was gone, the mated pair hurried away.

--

Lan Qiren was purring loudly.

Strong hands massaged his back while he sat on soft pillows. He was leaning over the sitting bench, using his arms as a rest. His Alpha was working out the tight knots and cramps in his back.

He had woken up nearly an hour ago in pain, twisting, turning, and whining. His Alpha was awake and ready to help. Melting where he was, Lan Qiren mumbled out how good it felt.

That was cut short when Wen Ning, the siblings' shared an off-suite nearby in case Wen Furen needed help, announced there was someone at the door.

Grumbling Lan Qiren gave a side eye at his mate.

“I’ll send them away,” Wen Ruohan said, kissing his temple. “Rest, love,”

Purring, Lan Qiren closed his eyes, waiting for his Alpha to return. He was comfortable where he was. Letting his mind just remain in a state of stillness, it was through the window that he heard sniffling whimpers.

Picking up his head, he turned, wondering who it was. He saw Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian there. Turning the best he could, his Alpha hurried to his side, lifting him easily to his feet.

Walking over with his hands held out, he cupped Wei Wuxian’s face. His scent was pain. Looking over him over trying to see if he was injured, but nothing seemed to be.

“What’s happened?” Was it another thing his brother had done? “Speak to me,”

“I…Can’t have babies,” Wei Wuixian got out. They all knew this, so their confusion was obvious until he spoke. “It was Madam Yu… she…. She did something so I couldn’t.”

“What?!” Lan Qiren looked over at him, then pulled him over to the chair and had him sit down. “Be still,”

Sniffling, Wei Wuixan let Lan Qiren check him; he winced a little where it felt like a pinch towards his lower back, then suddenly he was pulled into the pregnant Omega’s arms. Sobbing into his neck, Wei Wuixan wished he could enjoy how good it felt being held by someone who cared, but the pain of knowing there was a reason he’d never conceive was too much.

“There’s scarring,” Lan Qiren said. “From a spiritual weapon,”

Wen Ruohan's face darkened. He should go threaten the hell out of Madam Yu. He planned to do something soon; however, the first thing was to get the children to calm down. In his mind, the Jades were his, so by extension of marriage, Wei Wuxian was his too.

Lan Wangji was in pain, and he leaned into the hug he was given by Wen Ruohan, a person he considered more of his Father than the one he was born to. He wanted children with his Omega, but now it’d never happen. It hurt worse knowing the choice was taken from him.

They spent the night there, safely tucked between the powerful couple.

--

Madam Yu read over the letter, finding it amusing. It was a well put-together scandal that would work for their plan. It involved the oldest of the Wen Clan’s heirs, Wen Xu.

From reading it over, the plans could work. She read it a few more times to memorize it. While hotheaded, he did have some good ideas. Now, if only he could control himself, they would already be done with this.

Drinking her wine, he looked over to the bed. Her mate was asleep. Once her children had helped him out of his drop, he was going to be worn out. She looked back at the paper.

This was a good idea; the scandal it would cause should be enough to get eyes on the Wen Clan. Downing another cup of wine, one she was enjoying since this was finally a step forward.

Almost twenty minutes, with a stomach full of wine, the Alpha tossed the letter into the fire. She watched it go up in flames. She made sure it was gone, downing the last of her wine.

Taking off her hairpins, she pulled her hair back, up into a topknot. Things might start going their way soon. Getting onto the bed, she reached over and started to pull at her Omega’s clothes.

He woke up confused, blinking, then realized she was there. A hand slipped into his robes, starting to feel him up. He shook his head. He wasn’t in any mood to try to entertain her; his head still felt like sludge.

“I’m tired,” He tried, wincing when she pressed him down halfway on his belly, a hand going lower. He whimpered when she pushed his thighs apart, cried out as fingers slipped into him. “Please, Alpha, not tonight.”

“Don’t ruin my good mood,” She warned, moving back only to get the collar off. She tossed it somewhere, then bit down on his bond mark, thrusting against him as she grew hard. Her nose twitched as the bond mark forced a wave of unwanted pleasure in him. “On your knees.”

He whimpered, trying to move slowly, and yelped when she pushed him over, yanked him up by his hips, and a hand pushed him down, nails digging into his neck.

Eyes, his eyes, he tried to think of anything else while she did what she wanted to him. he hoped she just wanted a quick release. Mind going blanket, he only came back, she moved them to lie down, the knot tugged at his insides, causing him to cry out.

A hand covered his mouth. “Shut up.”

After what felt like forever, she was done. She ordered him to wash up, which he did, his legs shaking. He wasn’t sure how rough she was or if it was left over from his drop.

He managed to get washed, downing some herbs to keep from getting prengeay, then went back to his bed. He was just climbing onto the bed when she snapped her fingers at him.

He winced. “Alpha?”

“Go sleep outside.” She ordered. “I don’t want you in this room.”

“What?”

“Get out,” She growled darkly. She was drunk on wine. She stood, rushing around until she had him pushed up against the wall, hand on his throat He tried not to look into her eyes. “You are so disgustingly weak. I can’t believe they ever let you run the Sect.”

“I-”

“The only reason you're even in this role is because of the death of your older brothers.” She snarled. “Real Alphas, but they got stuck with you! A spinless Omega, if I had my way, the Sect would be the strongest of the Five Clans!”

“Alpha-”

“The only thing Omegas like you are good for is breeding,” She snarled. “You couldn’t even do that! Only two children and one with a weakened core!”

He tensed. “Don’t talk about my children,”

“Talking back?” She slapped him. “Out! Sleep there like the dog you are!”

When he hit the floor, Jiang Fengmian lay there. A few minutes later, he thought she would fall asleep. Normally, when she wanted him out, he ended up sleeping on the floor with a blanket and some pillows.

He cried out when a hand gripped the back of his head, yanking him up and starting to drag him. Hand reaching up, he struggled to get free. To his horror, he realized that she was dragging him to the front door!

Surely she wasn’t going to actually kick him out?!

He was in inner night robes!

The door opened, and she threw him out and a pillow out.

Stunned, he sat there. Jumping up, even if he was sore, he tried the knob. It was locked. Looking around, he started to panic. It was already bad enough that the last three days had been like, still, she never took it this far.

He wanted to run to his daughter’s room. A safe place since she was an Omega too. Normally, she let him stay with her until his mate’s anger subsided.

But she was a Jin now.

Heart hammering, he was unsure of what to do. What could he do? If he sought out the Jiang Elders, saying his mate kicked him out, what would they do about it?

Scold her, yes, the rumors would spread rapidly like fire. She was cruel enough to mate him after a drop; he didn’t want to know what she’d do if anyone found out that she kicked out of his own royal room.

Holding onto the pillow, he had no choice.

He turned and rushed off.

He made it to the door he was seeking, heart hammering because he didn’t know if he was welcome. Biting his lip, he tried to calm down enough, but he was pretty much naked!

Knocking on the door, he hoped that it wasn’t the servant who answered. A blessing or a curse, the door opened with his son there, looking surprised to see him.

“Baba?” He frowned, then took in his form. “What happened?”

“…Can I sleep here tonight?” He asked soflty. “Please?”

“Come in,” Confused on why he was there, he took off his outer robe and slipped it on his Dad. Why was here out there dressed like this?! He might as well not be wearing anything at all. “Was it… Mother?”

“…She’s just upset,”

Gripping his fists, he frowned. “What did you do?”

“I don’t know,” Jiang Fengmian winced, seeing his son’s first curling up. “I think she needs time alone,”

“Come on.” Turning, he headed back into his room. He had been busy thinking about the upcoming horse racing when he heard the knock. “I’m just going over some strategies. “You can sleep here, of course.”

It was odd to have him there. Jiang Cheng wondered how bad this fight was. He had never seen his Dad getting kicked out of the room before. He sat down, drawing out the paths he remembered while his Father stood there by the bed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can I use some of the blankets and pillows?”

“Of course, you can!” He frowned. “Use them!”

Flinching, Jiang Fengmian turned around. He was used to yelling, but when his son started to yell more when he turned ten, then talk, it made him nervous.

Gathering what little he could, he didn’t want to take them all; he started to make a small nest, if one could call it that, and moved and scented it best he could, but two blankets and two pillows were pitiful. The carpet was thin, too.

Very uncomfortable.

Jiang Cheng was only ten minutes into thinking about how he’d be able to win the horse races when he glanced up, curious about whether his Dad was awake. He thought of asking him for his thoughts. A chance to spend some time together.

He froze.

Watching his Baba rolling around in two of his smallest blankets, two pillows, and why was he on the floor?! It wasn’t until he noticed that his neck was bare, a handprint forming there, that it clicked on what must have happened.

“Baba, what are you doing?”

“Sorry, I’ll be quiet,”

Was he being loud before?!

Getting up, he walked over, fists balled up, anger on his face. He knew his mother took it too far sometimes, but this was ridiculous! His Baba was no ordinary person lying on the floor! Even if Omegas like to make their nests on them, it was with tons of blankets, pillows, and sometimes thick carpets that were enough to help with the padding.

“You can’t sleep here.” Jiang Cheng's stomach twisted when he saw the look of rejection; he smelled it more than the fear. He covered his nose quickly, shaking his head. “No, I meant you can’t sleep on the floor!”

“But… where would I sleep?”

“On my bed?” He frowned. “I… If you don’t want to share with your child…”

“You’ll let me?”

“Why would you ask me that?” He didn’t have the best relationship with his Dad, but even he couldn’t phantom the idea of letting him sleep on the floor like that! “I know you don’t like me, but you can’t sleep there.”

It wasn’t proper! Not for a Sect Leader, even if he is an Omega, that was just unheard of! Confusion hit his nose, then it shifted in nervousness, a mixture of uncertainty, and then the sickening scent of dropping started to come back.

“Do you not like me that much?”

“What?” Jiang Fengmian's eyes widened. “Why would you say such a thing?”

“You don’t want to share a bed with me.” That hurt, honestly.

“I do… but I want to nest.” He wanted to so badly. To nest in his son’s bed, well, he wasn’t sure if he would be overstepping. His son was the future of his Sect. “I know you don’t like them,”

“Huh?” Now he was confused. He used to love being a child, and he’d sneak into his Baba’s nest all the time with his sister and brother. Sometimes he’d go there to nap while everyone else had chores or studies, and he was done. “I don’t mind, it’s been… years, but I did… like nesting. We are family after all.”

There was a long, silent pause. Jiang Cheng was about to get angry until he realized that the scent around his Dad was changing. It was calming down, and soft purring was heard.

“I’ll get you some more pillows,” He said suddenly. “And your neck… do you want me to see if there is an Extra collar?”

“Yes, please,” Jiang Fengmian said slowly. “You really liked my nests?”

“I’m still human,” He got out, a bit flustered. He wasn’t sure what to do here! They talked the most, and he didn’t know what else to say! “They were nice, and a good sleeping place!”

“It’s okay if I scent it?”

“Yes,” Turning on his heel, he started to leave. “I’ll go get your blankets and stuff! Just don’t let my candles go out!”

Rushing off, he sighed once he was far enough. He wanted to yell, be angry, furious really. He tried to sneak into his parents' room. The plan was to get his father’s collar, only to find it locked and sealed.

She really kicked him out?!

Growling Jiang Cheng rushed off.

He needed to release some of his anger. A run sounded like a good idea, so he picked up speed, ready to get some exercise while he went to get bedding, maybe a holding collar, when he slammed into someone.

The two groaned, holding their heads. He sat up and looked down. A familiar scene played from less than twenty-four hours ago as the Wen Omega under him rubbed his head.

“We need to stop meeting like this,” Jiang Cheng said, sitting back, pulling the Omega up with him. “Lost another child?”

“No, I was getting bedding.” Taking the offered help, he bowed. “Forgive me, young Master Jiang,”

“It was my fault, I was running.” He looked at the bedding, helping pick it up, then paused. “Where did you get these, Wen Ning?”

“I got them from the Jin Guest Bedding Room,” He smiled. “They have a good selection for each clan.”

“Can you show me?” He asked as they started to walk together. “I also have a favor to ask.”

Wondering what it was, Wen Ning led the future Sect Leader to the room.

Chapter 32

Jiang Fengmian was excited.

He had gotten into the bed the second his son had taken off and started to make a nest. Alphas didn’t nest; his son’s bed was a clear testament to that.

Shifting around pillows, blankets, and even found some pelts that were soft, he started to arrange a nest like he had done when the children were little. At least to the best of his ability.

Scenting it quickly, he had to get it done before his son came back, so he rolled and nuzzled some of the pillows. It had been years since he had been allowed to nest with either of his children. Not since his mate decided that ten was old enough to stop such things, even though it was normal to nest with children and family.

Well, she never shared his nest unless he was in heat, and their bed only had nesting on his side. He once tried to reach out to her when they were first married, a small part of his nest onto her side to see if she’d accept them sharing one fully.

That was the first time he was forced to sleep on the floor.

Fluffing up some pillows, he nuzzled his head and cheek on them. Once he was done, he lay back relaxing. His body still hurt, but with his Qi, he pushed it around, trying to heal.

Almost thirty minutes later, the door opened, causing Jiang Fengmian to open his eyes. He wasn’t sure when he closed them, sleepiness had started to lull him to sleep.

Sitting up, he saw his son approaching with an armful of blankets, a bag that had a pillow popping out of it, so there had to be at least ten more inside. He set them down on the bed.

“A new friend helped me pick these out,” Jiang Cheng opened the bag, and there were so many soft pillows in that thing. He then reached into his robe, fishing around before pulling out a collar. “He said this would help.”

It was a nicely crafted collar, featuring Jiang's colors and a crest. Taking it, he looked it over, feeling it. For guests Omegas, if they lost a collar, he would slip it on and click it shut. Soft silk, and adjustable, he sighed, relaxing now that he had something on his neck. It wasn’t tight either, leaving room for his swollen neck to heal.

“Uh, so… you can use this, right?” Unsure of what to say, Jiang Cheng set down the rest of the stuff. “Do I leave or…?”

How did this stuff work?!

“You can lie down, I can finish it, while you do,”

Oh shit, right now?

Well, he wanted to get closer to his Father. From what he saw and knew, Omegas didn’t just share their nest with anyone. They had to trust them. But then again, he was his child, so did that make a difference?

A bit stiffly, he climbed into the nest. He made his way to one side, lying down. The bedding, his Baba’s scent around him, filled his nose softly. For a second, he could recall being the small child who used to sneak into his nest for a nap.

Comforting.

They lay there awkwardly for a few minutes until he couldn’t take it anymore. He rolled over, pulling a blanket up, and got comfortable. A bit better. Taking in a breath, he let out, trying to relax.

He was almost asleep when he felt something warm on his back. Frowning, he started to shift to see what it was when it was gone. A sudden movement made him pause.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his Baba facing away from him. Blinking, he lay back down, wondering if he had pictured it. Seconds later, he felt it again. What the hell? Turning again, he felt the warmth leave, and just a split second caught his Baba settling.

Was he trying to sleep right by him? Frowning, he thought back to when he and his sister were little. Those times when he’d be able to nest with them, nuzzled, scented, and cuddled. Small, precious memories he had of it.

Closing his eyes, he pretended to be asleep. He was wide awake more than ten minutes later. Just as he thought he might be crazy, he felt shifting onto the bed. Slowly, he felt the warmth on his back.

He realized that the small warmth was his Baba’s hand gently rubbing his back as if scared Jiang Cheng would find out. It was nice, he kept still, not wanting to relax because he’d be caught.

A few minutes later, it left. He was disappointed. It was nice. Jiang Cheng frowned, trying to push away the nibble feeling of being unloved, when he felt his Baba’s back against his.

Jiang Fengmian had slowly scooted in an attempt to somehow  cuddle his child and it was the best idea he had, the fear of his mate seeking him out in the back of his mind. 

Worry came with his Baba’s scent, almost a fear, making Jiang Cheng scrunch up. It was too much like when his Mother was around his Baba. He almost moved when he physically felt his Baba relax, the scent releasing the tension.

Soft purring soon was heard, relaxed and happy scent picking up until it slowly lulled off, signaling his Baba was asleep. Once he was sure he was asleep, Jiang Cheng looked over his shoulder, then back.

Falling asleep, he couldn’t help the giddy smile on his face.

--

“Ugh, disgusting,” Jin Guangshan glared at his mirror on his vanity. His hair was wavy, the ribbon had come off at some point during the night, leaving it frizzy and sticking out at points. “Damn bastard and her temper.”

Grabbing some stuff, he started to mix things together. He didn’t have time to take one of his long baths. He would take one tonight or maybe the next day, depending on whether this hell of an opening week kept going.

He uses a basin of water to put water on his hair, trying to smooth it out. He fought with it when a servant announced that his son was there. Calling them to let him in, he kept working on his hair.

Ugh, it really wasn’t cooperating with him today!

“Baba,” Jin Zixuan smiled, walking in. “I heard you were going to head out to the Gardens?”

“Yes, with Lan Qiren and Jiang Fengmian,” he said, using a brush to try to straighten his hair. Letting out a dramatic sigh, he looked at his son. “Is there something you need? I can take care of it before then.”

“I was wondering if you would join me tonight at the Lantern Ceremony?”

“I’d love to, but I thought you’d be doing that with your Mate?”

“There’s another one towards the end of the Conference, we’ll do it then, and it was her idea,” He smiled. “Please?”

“Ah, how could I say no to you?” He really couldn’t. Struggling with his hair, he let out a frustrated yowl, throwing the brush down as it seemed his hair was worse than ever. “Why is this so hard?!”

“You’re hair too?”

“What do you mean, my hair too?!” Jin Guangshan gasped dramatically. “What do you know that I don’t?!”

“The batch we received for hair for tangles? It seems it was a bad batch,” He walked over. “I had to get my hair done earlier this morning.”

“How fortunate for you,” He whined, looking at the now fuzzy mess. His poor, beautiful hair! Sighing, he rubbed his face. “Where did you get it fixed, and can you send them to me?”

“I can go get them,” He smiled, turning. “I’ll be right back!”

“Don’t be running, your mother hates it- And he’s gone.”

Frowning he looked at himself again in the mirror. Damn it, he needed a miracle here! Grabbing other items around him, he might as well get his makeup on. He was just applying the left side of his eyeliner, which always made his eyes stand out, when he saw his son returning, but with the last person he expected.

“Baba, I brought someone to help you,” Jin Zixuan smiled, helping the said person in. “A-Yao, watch your step.”

Jin Guangshan paled, eyes wide, and mouth falling open, seeing the child he killed- no, pretending to kill- standing there in the mirror. His stomach dropped at unexpectedly seeing him there.

The Omega bowed, the best he could with a swollen belly, something he knew must be uncomfortable. Jin Zixuan had been a large child; the second baby hadn’t.

Alright, don’t panic, he could handle this.

“Baba?” Jin Zixuan called, the Sect Leader had gone oddly silent, and so still he’d have mistaken him for a statue. “Uh, well, A-Yao helped me with my hair, I’m sure he can help you with yours.”

“It’s an honor to meet you formally,” Meng Yao said, trying to bow again. He tried to keep his pounding heart from escaping, his hands shaking a little, but he was finally going to meet his other parent and not be pulled in a hundred different directions. “I heard you had an issue with your hair. I make my own hair products… if you like, I can help?”

Nothing.

Nervously, Meng Yao looked at his brother. His brother had a confused frown on his face. The Alpha put his hand on his shoulder to comfort him before walking over.

“Baba,” He whispered. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, just thinking about how your mother is going to kill me.” Jin Guangshan was trying to think about how violent it was going to be. “Where is she, by the way?”

“She’s in town to see a play,”

Thank the gods!

Letting out a shaky breath, Jin Guangshan put his hand on his chest because holy shit, he was sure he was going to die! If she knew that the baby was in his room, yikes.

No, wait, not a baby.

Tapping his head.

No, the baby wasn’t a baby anymore, nope, he had snuck the baby off that night she ordered him to kill the baby. Shaking his head, he tried to think of what to say.

“Maybe we should come back in a little while.”

“No!” Jin Guangshan shouted, causing them to jump. “No, it’s fine, uh, just hurry,”

Meng Yao tried to hurry. He waddled over, setting the box down. He opened it, going over all the conversations he thought he could have, trying to pick one to start with.

As he panicked, trying to think of what to say, the Beta was prancing on what to say as well. He was just coming to terms that he had unexpectedly had the Omega back, but the way he was forced to give him up had been more than traumatizing.

When his Alpha had found out the baby wasn’t her’s she had nearly killed him. he managed to get her out of the room after the violent fight. She returned the next day, demanding he kill the baby or she’d take the baby from him and leave it somewhere to die all by itself.

With how much he had been bleeding, he had a few hours thinking about what to do. To his surprise, she forgot to scream the servants away, and he ordered them to bring him a raw piece of meat.

Odd request, but he was still so bloody he hid the baby in one of his small trunks, putting a muting charm on it. Squeezing out blood from a wound, he places it onto the blanket, staining it, and he threw the raw meat into the fire.

He only had a few minutes to do the rest. He promised the servant their freedom, so much gold they’d never be able to spend it in their lifetime, while ordering them to take it to the brothel where Meng Shi lived, and slipped a pearl so she’d know who sent them.

The servant left, carrying the trunk out of the Tower without anyone noticing.

It was pure luck they weren’t caught because Madam Jin had been so furious, so angry that she didn’t pay attention that a servant was carrying her mate’s small truck, not that a baby was crying inside, thanks to the charm.

She only had tunnel vision on how she was going to punish her cheating Beta, her return to the room with several of her favorite small torment tools. The door closed, she smelt burning flesh and a bloodied baby blanket.

For a while, Jin Guangshan couldn’t sleep well, he had convinced himself that he had killed the baby, it was easier to think that way while she kept him captive in his own room.

Anything to cause pain, she inflicted on him. Enough to have him screaming, but never enough to kill him or injure him more than a day's Qi recovery.

She kept him on a tight leash for almost a year until Lan Qiren showed up looking for him. It had been almost a year, and the only reason he knew he had shown up was that he was of one thing.

The anti-pregnancy teas and herbs.

Despite their strained friendship, it was clear that his Alpha would never let him purchase or have these. For years, Lan Qiren had made enough for a year's worth.

The baby had been a surprise.

Meng Shi had bitten him when he had gone into an unexpected heat. They were both Betas, but she had never bitten him before, so when she did, and they came out of the haze of mating, he almost killed her for biting him.

His Alpha noticed, of course.

When she wanted to try breeding another Alpha out of him, she saw the healing bite mark. She held fire close to the healing wound until he couldn’t take it, never actually burned him, but enough to constantly have the healing flesh shooting pain all over his body until he gave in and told her that he was bitten by a brothel worker.

He should have let her burn him with how many beatings or plans she had for him. They had no idea he was pregnant until far later, thanks to the baby being small.

Once the doctor told him the baby was full term, the realization struck like lightning on whose baby this was. He tried to keep the baby safe, but failed. Once he had been missing and the special teas hadn’t been ordered, or a letter, he was grateful that Lan Qiren had shown up.

Wen Ruohan had come as well.

To that day, Jin Guangshan had no idea what he had told his mate or what he had done besides break her arm. He just knew that the Elders had been told, but the fear of the Alpha had her sleeping in a separate room from them on.

That year of being isolated did something, even though he was aware it wasn’t normal, but he had been damn lonely, hated not being able to go outside or talk to people. The Servants she did let in were all mutes or eunuchs. It drove him mad, and at some point, he had no idea when, he washed the baby blanket and started wrapping it around a small neck pillow that weighed the same as his baby.

She left it.

She was probably worried she had broken him too far.

Small hands started to work on his hair, causing him to go still.

It was a short, silent time, with no one speaking. Jin Zixuan stood off to the side, not knowing what to do. His brother worked quickly to get the hair unfrazzled, while his Baba looked like he wasn’t even there, eyes glossed over.

“All done,” Meng Yao stepped back, bowing. “I hope it pleases you,”

Blinking Jin Guangshan looked at his reflection, hair done up perfectly. He reached up to feel soft; he almost vomited because he recognized the silky softness that used to happen after spending time with Meng Shi.

“Jin Guangyao,” He started, when someone knocked on the door. “What is it?!”

Meng Yao jumped at the sudden snapping.

“Sect Leader, Grandmaster Lan is here to walk with you to the gardens.”

“What?” He frowned. “What time is it?!”

“Late,” Lan Qiren walked in with a frown. He stopped to return a bow when the Jin siblings bowed to him. “I came to see what's holding you up. Young Master Jin, Lan Furen,”

They bowed to him.

“We’ll leave you be,” Jin Zixuan said and started to help his brother out of the room. “Come, I can show you around.”

“But-” Meng Yao looked back, but the Beta was digging at something, and he caught a glimpse of something odd wrapped in a blanket being pulled out of a random drawer. “…Did you tell him about the lanterns tonight?”

“No, I thought it’d be a nice surprise,” Jin Zixuan whispered. “Hurry now.”

Lan Qiren made sure they were gone before looking over the Jin Sect Leader. Why was he holding that pillow like that? Raising an eyebrow, he waited patiently for the Beta to speak.

When he didn’t, he walked over, putting a hand on his shoulder. “What is it?”

“…How important is this tea you want to have?” The Beta looked at him. “And why do I have the feeling this isn’t just about having a baby?”

“Because it is not.” Lan Qiren had a serious look. “And I have a feeling you are not going to like my questions.”

“I have a feeling I won’t like them either.” He stood up, pausing, then took the pillow out of the blanket, putting it away, and stuffed the blanket into his chest of drawers. “Well, I’m guessing since I’m late, Jiang Fengmian is already at the garden?”

“He is.” Lan Qiren took another moment to look him up and down. “You smell off.”

“I’m fine.” He shook himself. “And yes, I am lying, and no, you can’t make me tell you why.”

Rolling his eyes, Lan Qiren turned so they could walk together. As they did, Lan Qiren couldn’t help but feel like they were being watched.

Chapter 33

While the two Omegas and the Beta were enjoying their tea in the Gardens, Wen Chao lingered nearby. Although he was meant to be participating in and enjoying the conference, his father had instead tasked him with the responsibility of watching over the trio.
At first, Wen Chao had set out with another purpose in mind; he had originally been searching for something else altogether.

A nearby noise made him look up as his brother, sweaty and limping slightly and approached.

“Where have you been?”

“Fighting with Nie Mingjue.” He got out. “What did I miss?”

“I don’t know, Baba made me wait over here,” He rolled his eyes. “Take over, I wanna do something fun.”

“What, babysitting isn’t fun for you?” Wen Xu laughed, shaking his head. He winced, reaching up to rub his neck. It was covered by his robes, but damn if that bite borders on a pain he liked. “Go, I got this,”

“Finally free!” Throwing his hands up, he threw his sword out. Jumping on it, he looked at his brother. “See ya later,”

Waving him off Wen Xu stared at the trio. He wondered what they were talking about. From their expression, this was more than a simple chat about having a child.

What in the world could be going on there?

In either case, he leaned against one of the trees to rest. He had received word from his Father after he had snuck out of his lover’s room, having to wash and scrub off his scent from him so no one would find out, but he took over since he was sure there was a reason he was asked to.

Hours later, with odd movements, he was sure one of them was screaming at some point in anger, and before he could rush to see what happened, he saw one of the three comforting them.

Frowning, he figured he’d inquire what happened later.

--

Lan Xichen sat close to his brother, with his mate positioned just behind, and his brother-in-law seated beside him. Together, they listened attentively to the ongoing discussions, which covered topics such as concerns, trade, future plans, rules, and territorial matters.

As the meeting drew to a close, Lan Xichen felt a sense of relief. He looked forward to sharing a meal and conversation with his mate and was especially excited for the lantern ceremony scheduled for the evening. The thought alone caused him to begin purring softly in excitement.

Suddenly, a growl interrupted the moment. Lan Xichen quickly lowered his head when his Father cast a sharp glare in his direction. A faint whimper behind him revealed A-Yao's uneasiness, heightening the tension. Lan Xichen glanced at his brother, curious if Lan Wangji noticed his Omega, only to discover his brother was also glaring at their Father. Looking further, he saw Wei Wuxian, who appeared even more displeased with the Clan Leader.

Lan Xichen waited patiently, only lifting his head when he felt it was safe. The speakers continued for a while longer before finally concluding. To his surprise, the wrap-up was swift, and everyone began to make their way toward the food, drinks, and festivities that awaited.

Helping A-Yao up, he wobbled a bit, even with that wrap that helped keep his belly up; his Omega waddled slower. Keeping hold of him, they made their way out with the rest of the Clan.

That night was a lantern Ceremony.

Waddling, he met up with his brother and his family. His mate nuzzled him, a quick kiss and promises of seeing each other later. Meng Yao smiled, watching his mate leave, and he saw his sister-in-law, who gave him a quick nuzzle and smile, heading off to spend time with her brother.

“Let’s get to our spot,” Jin Zixuan helped his little brother walk towards where there was a space set up. He had ordered comfortable pillows to be brought out. Helping him sit, the Alpha grinned. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” he said with a purr, smiling. “How are you?”

“I’m well,” Taking a seat, Jin Zixuan started to set out the items to make a lantern, explaining how they would draw riddles or mystical creatures. “I think I will do a Dragon,”

“I will do a riddle,” Meng Yao looked over the piece he was given. He looked up to think. He paused. “Oh…A-Xuan-ge, it’s…”

Looking over, Jin Zixuan saw his parents heading their way. They were still a good distance away. He was going to shout out to them when something tugged at his sleeve.

“A-Yao?”

“I…I want to leave,” Meng Yao did not like the look of Madam Jin. Not how her eyes seemed to be furious while she said whatever she was saying. Her hand was clenched tightly, and she wanted to hit, but was holding back. “She looks too angry.”

“What?” Confused, Jin Zixuan looked closer. He was so used to his parents being in a constant state of fighting, tension, or yelling that he didn’t really notice. However, now that he had worked with his wife for a while, he started to pick up on things. “…Tell me what you see,”

He was well versed in hidden reactions; his wife was, but A-Yao seemed to notice things he didn’t. A-Yao tensed, clearly not wanting to overstep, but slowly started to point out their distance, how they walked, and things he had learned from observing the brothel.

The flinching wasn’t because of fear; it was fear with meaning. Now, Jin Zixuan knew his Mother had hit his Father before, but as his brother was pointing out certain things, it was slowly dawning on him that it wasn’t just a hit here or there.

Jin Zixuan had never hit his mate, he loved his wife more than anything, the thought of anyone laying a hand on her made him want to vomit. The drop from the day before was playing in his mind when he had smelt it.

“A-Yao, how bad are drops?” He saw his brother tense, his scent pinched with uncertainty, sour and fearful. “Please, tell me. If you can tell me a word for it even, I need to know, A-Yao.”

“…It’s like being underwater,” Licking his lips, looking away, eyes starting to daze out from memories of his own drops. “You can breathe, but you can’t, your lungs can’t seem to catch air, you can’t see, your body feels like it’s being pulled so tightly it hurts…”

Sniffling, Meng Yao tried to push those memories away. Tuck them deep away because he wanted to have a chance to spend time with his brother and get a chance to speak with his Father, but not with Madam Jin around.

She was a violent Alpha ready to explode.

“Please take me back to my mate,” Meng Yao did not want to talk to her or see her. Everything in his mind and soul screamed at him to run, but he was too pregnant to get up. “Please, Xiōng-zhǎng… Take me back now!”

The panic in A-Yao's voice caused Jin Zixuan's instincts to start to hone in. Turning, kneeling on one leg to hug his brother. His Omega brother scent, be it because he was pregnant, was desperate to escape, scared, and he nuzzled the side of his head.

“I’ll be back, don’t worry,” he said, standing and walking away, feeling a pang of guilt as he heard A-Yao whimper. “I promise,”

He approached his parents, keenly observing their appearance and demeanor. Despite the use of makeup, lingering circles remained visible beneath his father's eyes, which were also noticeably puffy. His father was fanning himself rapidly, even though the weather was pleasant and cool.

“A-Xuan,” Jin Guangshan hadn’t even noticed when his son had approached so quickly. “We’re just-”

“Did you hit him?”

They jolted.

Jin Guangshan averted his gaze, his nose twitching in discomfort. Madam Jin appeared unsettled, clearly unprepared for the turn of events. She had not anticipated that direct and unwavering eye contact.

Before she could respond, her son suddenly reached over and drew his father away from the situation, leaving both parents momentarily shocked and speechless.

“Considering how much this had gone on in less than half a week, I’d like you to let us be for tonight, Mother.” Jin Zixuan said. “I planned something that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time, and I do not want it ruined.”

“You think I’d ruin it?” She glared, looking hurt. “Zixuan.”

“Later, I want to speak with you, but right now, leave, Mother.” He moved closer. “I’m asking you as your son, don’t make me ask you as an Heir.”

Jin Guangshan’s mouth feels open. He had never seen his son speak to her in such a calm voice before doing something. He never even knew he could hold his Alpha flare like that! It was just out of reach, but a subtle warning- did his son even know he was doing that?!

She took a moment. “I have… been meaning to visit others from my Birth Sect anyway.”

“Have a good visit,” Jin Zixuan said, smiling. “Thank you.”

She hesitated, feeling anger, but she nodded, turning quickly. Her only thought was that Jin Zixuan either saw her hit her mate or she was too loud while screaming at him.

Either way, she felt guilty about her son overhearing or seeing anything. She glanced back, seeing them walking away, musing that she hadn’t noticed when Jin Zixuan had grown a few inches taller than her Beta, but paused.

Turning full around, she saw that little bastard sitting there!

Growling, she took a step forward but paused, knowing this wasn’t a time to do anything. Not with Jin Zixuan there. It made her sick that he cared for that thing.

Turning away, she went to drink and speak with some old friends while planning on what she’d do to get rid of that little bastard. Ironic it was a child of two whores.

--

Madam Yu had excused herself from joining, claiming she had paperwork to do. She really needed to talk then start putting the scandal for Wen Xu into place.

As she walked away, leaving the family alone to make their Lantern, she kept an eye out for anyone who clearly didn’t belong there. Their plan should start rumours, which is what they wanted.

Walking by, she heard soft laughing, almost like they were trying not to burst into a full-on giggling fit. She was going to ignore it, as it sounded like a young couple speaking, until she recognized the voice.

“It’s not funny!” Jiang Cheng’s voice sounded. “It’s supposed to be a candle for a lantern, and that idiot bought me this!”

Wondering who he was talking to, with such ease in his voice, she walked up to a pillar, peeking around. She paused, seeing who he was speaking to.

Wen Ning covered his mouth, trying not to laugh at the large dinner candle with three wicks in it that the Alpha was holding. The servant had been young; he was the one who first brought the first candle they found.

Unable to snap at the servant, who looked like they were only ten, Jian Cheng accepted it. The look on Wen Ning's face must have been so hilarious because the Omega covered his hands as he laughed into his sleeved-covered hands.

“I have an extra; you can have one,” he said, moving his hands down while still smiling widely. He pulled out one. “Here, see? Now your lantern can fly,”

“Thank you,” He took the candle, then held out the large candle with a sarcastic monotone voice. “Could you use a three-wick candle?”

Giggling in bursts, Wen Ning's face flushed as he couldn’t contain how funny the small interaction had been. The hopefully servant looked so happy to try to help Jiang Cheng, with a pursed excitement on their face when they presented the candle.

“Haha, keep laughing,” He made a face, but then smiled at the Omega. “I need to go.”

“I should get going,” He held out his hands. “I shall take care of your chandle for you, Young Master Jiang,”

“Mm,” Jiang Cheng handed it over, a rare smile on his face. “I will see you later?”

“I shall try,” Wen Ning bowed to him. “Have a wonderful evening, My Lord,”

Jiang Cheng watched him leave first before turning to head off.

Well, wasn’t that interesting?

A slow smirk crawled onto her face.

--

“I’m here!” Jiang Cheng ran up to his family. “I got the right candle.”

“Finally! We were all getting bored waiting for you!” Wei Wuxian grinned waving his arms. “Look at my side of the Lantren! I’m almost done!”

“What’s wrong with that donkey?”

“It’s a rabbit!” Wei Wuxian gasped, then looked at his sister. “I can’t believe he’s gotten so old, he’s blind now!”

“You!” Jiang Cheng glared. “It looks like a donkey!”

Laughing, Yanli got them to sit down to paint. She was working on a design inspired by some flowers she had seen. As she talked about her traveling days with her family, she also inquired about how they have been.

Jiang Cheng mumbled it was the same old thing. He was trying to paint out a tiger. It was not the best, but it was still better than that dumb donkey thing.

Looking over, he saw his Baba’s painting was coming along well. It was simple the their Clan Symbol. He drew it so easily. He was purring softly, something Jiang Cheng rarely heard even when gathered with his siblings and him alone.

They chatted until Wei Wuxian jumped up. “The food! I’ll go get us some!”

“I’ll go with you,” Yanlin said. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he doesn’t put an outrageous amount of chili.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Fengmain called, then went back to his painting. He began to draw the lotus pier beneath it with small, delicate strokes. Eyes on him caused him to stop. “Yes?”

“I did not know you could draw,” Jiang Cheng was impressed. It was very clear from what was drawn that their Peer was in their home. “How long have you had these skills?”

“Since I was a child,” feeling a surge of pride, Jiang Cheng kept drawing. “I used to draw all the time. I had books of drawings.”

“Why don’t you draw now?” Jiang Cheng asked. “It’s clear you have an extraordinary skill.”

“It’s just… little sketches, nothing more,” His nervousness started to leak out of his scent. “I just like to draw sometimes.”

“It was my mother, wasn’t it?” He asked with a frown. “I’m sorry… she shouldn’t have made you feel about it.”

“I draw sometimes when I’m alone.”

Which was rarely. Jiang Cheng knew this. He looked back at his own drawing, then at his Father’s. Now that the Omega was nervous, the lines were a bit shaky.

“I think they're wonderful,” He smiled. “I love them,”

Little bursts of happiness filled his nose as his Baba thanked him. The painting came out beautifully. They paused when food was brought over. Jiang Cheng had to drink two cups of water because Wei Wuxian had hidden so much chili under his rice.

--

Meng Yao’s heart was hammering in his chest. His need to run away from Madam Jin had gone from fear to nervousness. Seeing that his older brother had sent her away, the new fear was meeting his Father.

Again.

Third time must work right?

Gulping, he took a few breaths.

Running his hands over his belly, he tried to go over his list of things he wanted to ask, talk, and had questions about. They approached, with Jin Zixuan letting their Father sit down first.

Taking a seat, Jin Guangshan was still in a state of shock. Did he just see his son throw his right as he did? Holy fuck, that was impressive and terrifying.

Fanning himself just as quickly, unable to fight off his words and small flares she kept sending him, he picked up a cup that had water in it, before calling out for a servant to bring more.

“Baba, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine,” He almost snagged the water out of the servants' downing it. He was too close to the baby, no, no, no, the Omega. His scent was too close, reminding him of how very much alive he was. “Is it hot out here?”

“It’s not,”

Meng Yao looked him over. The way he was sweating and breathing abnormally. Was he having an episode? He’d seen these often in the brothel.

“Can you bring us salt?” He asked his brother. “Please, a small cup would do.”

“Uh, yeah,” Jin Zixuan left, rushing off only to return seconds later holding it out. “This enough?”

“Yes, plenty,” Meng Yao looked at what seemed to be three spoonfuls worth. He looked at the man. “Put some of this on your tongue.”

“What?!” Jin Guangshan stared at him. Fuck, his scent was too close. He smelled like his baby. His Baby was dead. His baby was alive. He didn’t fucking know anymore! “Why?”

“It helps, just don’t swallow it, let your tongue water and then spit it out.” Meng Yao scooped a quarter of a spoon, holding it out. “I promise it will work,”

Nose twitching, he decided to try it. Putting the salt on his tongue, he made a face. It was far too much; his mouth watered in an attempt to dilute the bitter taste.

When he couldn’t stand it, he spit into the grass. A cup of water was held up so he could rinse out his mouth. He was going to snap on how that was a stupid idea when he realized he was breathing a little more, his head didn’t feel dizzy, and the hot air suddenly felt cooler.

“Give me more,” He demanded, repeating it two more times. He spat out the last of it with water. He was calm now. Looking at…. At Jin Guangyao, he blinked a few times. “Why did that work?”

“Salt seemed to shock one’s body from Panic Episodes,” Meng Yao bowed as best he could. “I hope it has helped.”

Looking away, Jin Guangshan could still taste the salt, while, of course, it was a lot on the tongue. He swishes another round of water in his mouth and spits it out once more.

“It worked,” He looked at the rest of the salt, picking it up. “How odd. I’d never have thought this could help.”

“A lot of people I knew used it,” Taking a breath. “I know I’ve said this before… but it is an honor to meet you,”

Now that his mind wasn’t cloudy with a lingering bordering drop or his mate's flare, he looked at the Omega. His nose picked up his scent, reminding him quickly that he was, in fact, alive and right in front of him, while a dark part of his mind insisted in a harsh demand that he had killed the baby.

“…We met before,” He looked away, then back, rubbing the back of his hand with his fan. “Unproperly, but yes. Thank you for my hair this morning.”

“Afternoon,” Jin Zixuan offered. “It was noon.”

“Yes, this afternoon,” he said, making a face. “That tea was not as fun as it used to be.”

“Used to be?”

“We used to be close friends,” He mused, a small spark of remembrance to the years of childhood, when they were barely bordering the years of teenagers. “It was nice until the questions started, but it matters not.”

“What kind of tea do you like?” Meng Yao asked. He figured this would be a good way to start a conversation. “I’d love to know.”

“Hm, well, there are kinds,” He covered half his face. He wasn’t sure if he’d be punished for this later, but regardless, he was here, so damned if he did or didn’t, right? “I have a list I like,”

“What would they be?”

Meng Yao did not expect an entire list that never seemed to spill out of the Beta’s lips. He spoke of so many, all of which were expensive, rare, and hard to get, but it seemed someone as wealthy as Jin Guangshan didn’t need to worry about it.

If he thought that Jin Zixuan was talking about his swords a lot, he found out that he inherited that from his Father. Suddenly, it went from tea to rare and high-priced dishes.

“Have you ever had a Golden Blue Fish before?”

“….I never heard of it,”

“I think we have some,” Jin Guangshan waved at one of the servants, telling him to bring him the best fish and to see if they had made the fish he wanted in that moment. “There is also a rare piece of meat from the Nie Sect, I have them bring it in once a week.”

For someone who Meng Yao assumed liked wine, he found it overshadowing his appreciation for tea and food. Even the lights came on when the food was brought over. Meng Yao almost drooled at how good it smelled.

They sat to eat first instead of painting. Meng Yao had gotten used to eating in silence. His brother and Father talked about the upcoming events, and a few times he caught the Beta looking at him.

Once done with his food, Meng Yao set his bowl down. He wasn’t too upset now that he had spoken with him. It was just odd, because at some points it was like his Father was looking at him with interest, the next like he was confused about why he was there.

“Is there something on my face?” Meng Yao asked, reaching up to start wiping away anything that would be there. Being pregnant, he didn’t realize he was releasing his scent when his wrists brushed against his cheekbones. “That happens sometimes,”

Closing his eyes, Jin Guangshan’s chest felt heavy. He could almost feel the baby against him, the small, warm body that was his baby. Opening his eye,s he started to fiddle with the blanket tucked against him.

“I need more water,” He looked around for a servant. “Ugh, where are they when I need them?! Or wine, I want wine,”

“I’ll get you some water,” Jin Zixuan stood up. “Be right back.”

“And wine!” He called out to him, taking out the blanket. “I hope he brings my favorite one.”

“What’s that?” Meng Yao looked at it. He narrowed his eyes a little, a frown. That blanket he had seen before. Titling his head, he paused. “I’ve seen that in my nest,”

“No, you haven’t,”

“Yes, I have, it was in there and I remember because it was odd, because it’s a baby blanket and has an old stain on it,” He pointed, trying to get a better look, but the Beta was trying to cover the blanket by curling up onto the thing on the table. “I know it is, I scented it,”

“….Well…” He shook his head, jaw oddly starting to remember. He swore his teeth started to chatter even though it wasn’t even cold! “I put it there…”

“Why did you?” He asked. “And why take it back?”

Fuck, now what?!

“…I wanted to get your scent on it,” Might as well confess, what was he going to do? Lie and said no when he was caught?! Sitting back up he looked at the blanket. “It was the baby’s when he was born. Uh, your blanket.”

“What’s that stain?”

“My blood.” It was odd to say that. “I tricked my mate into thinking I killed you.”

“…Why?” Kill him? What for? “Why pretend to kill me?”

“She would have left you alone to die somewhere,” Looking at the blanket, rubbing it on his cheek. “She’s going to be so angry about this.”

“For sitting with me?” Meng Yao got out just as the blanket suddenly covered his face, being rubbed on his cheek and neck. Letting out a startled yelp, he reached up, trying to stop being forced to scent it. “What are you doing?!”

“I just need to make sure!” Jin Guangshang kept rubbing the blanket on him, before moving it back, pressing it to his nose. “…Not dead, not dead, not dead,”

Shaking his face, trying to soothe down his hair, he looked at his Father, whose scent took on a relieved scent. He was mumbling into the blanket, eyes dazed.

“Why did you think I was dead?” He saw those eyes widen with panic. He reached out without thinking, rubbing his wrist on the blanket closest to the beta’s nose. “I can scent the blanket any time you want. Just let me know.”

“You will?” Jin Guangshan reached out almost immediately, pausing before he could touch his wrist against the baby’s temple. “Are you really alive?”

“Yes,” Meng Yao took a moment. “I am.”

Slowly, Jin Guangshan rubbed his wrist against the Omega’s temple. Eyes falling shut as he felt that tug of connection. One he hadn’t felt in over nineteen years. That icy ball that had set in his belly for years melted away.

Meng Yao reached out slowly, unsure if this was correct. He never had family before; he was still unsure about how stable Jin Guangshan seemed to be, and he sure as hell didn’t want to be near Madam Jin, but this was an opening he couldn’t pass up.

To his shock, it was accepted.

They stared at each other for a long time. Something seemed to click in Jin Guangshan’s mind. He stared for a long time. Meng Yao was about to move back when Jin Guangshang got up, pulled him up, and started to walk away with his hand.

“Where are we going?” Meng Yao asked, but received no answer. “Sect Leader, where are we going?”

Jin Guangshan said nothing, just pulling him along mumbling something about babies, his mate’s anger, and moving around people until they came to the garden.

For a second, Meng Yao wondered if he was going to die because Jin Guangshan pulled out his sword, stabbed it into the ground, the reflection allowing him to see if anyone was approaching.

“What-”

He was yanked close, in a nearly crushing hug, feeling a nose pressing the top of his head. Bewildered as to why he was brought here for a hug, he returned it eagerly. A childhood dream of meeting his Father and being accepted was finally coming true.

Alive.

The baby was alive.

Jin Guangshan's eyes feel closed. The scent was here, strong, no longer with a baby scent, yet it soothed something cracked in his mind that reminded him he didn’t burn the baby but a piece of meat.

“You need to stay away from me.”

“Huh?”

“If my mate ever finds out we scented, she’ll kill us both.” Jin Guangshan nuzzled and scented his head. “She made me kill you once, I don’t want to do it again.”

Confused, Meng Yao frowned. He was still being hugged, but this movement was ruined. His short-lived happiness was slowly overtaken by anger, for if this were true, then the person standing in his way of having a family was Madam Jin.

“Well, this is a touching moment.”

Gasping, Jin Guangshan let go, turning to see who it was. “Qingheng-jun!”

“Jin Guangshan.” He said, walking closer, eyes landed on the Omega, who ducked his head quickly, starting to shake. He was surprised when the little coward Beta got in front of him. “And Lan Furen.”

“We were going to walk in the Garden.”

“I can see that,” He smirked. “Hm, well, carry on,”

Meng Yao bowed as low as possible, stomach lurching at being so close to his Father-In-law. The Alpha was dangerous. He didn’t hold back that he still hated the fact that Meng Yao was Lan Furen.

Jin Guangshan bristled at that. How dare he speak to him like he wasn’t on the same level! He was a Sect Leader too! Still, the man had seen him. licking his lips, he then paused, finding it odd that he was in the garden.

“Why are you in the Garden?”

“As you said, a walk.” He mused, then smirked. “I also hear Madam Jin is looking for you.”

Qingheng-jun's cruel smile curved on his face, seeing the Beta pale. Even if he couldn’t inflict harm on his brother, the Beta and Omega that belonged to the Female Alphas' time were limited.

He wondered if they would kill them quickly or stretch out their deaths. For himself, he was going to linger out how long he could keep those things alive before they died.

Yes, Qingheng-jun had plans on how he was going to kill Jin Guangyao and Wei Wuxian.

The most entertaining part?

He was going to force his sons to watch.

Chapter 34

Lan Xichen went to get his mate.

When he got there, he was met with an odd sight. Jin Guangshan was sitting there at their table, pale; he looked like he was ill. Something clutched tightly to his chest.

Jin Zixuan was there, confused, whispering to A-Yao as they had a private conversation until he got closer. His Omega moved back first with a smile, but the Alpha had a confused frown on his face, like he was considering something.

“Did you enjoy the ceremony?”

“We sent ours up,” Meng Yao smiled. The event was somewhat marred by his Father-in-Law's Presence; however, he did manage to draw alongside his brother and Father. The only thing was that the Beta had gotten oddly quiet. “How was yours?”

“It was wonderful. Wangji and I shared one with Xu-Ge and A-Chao,” He purred. He then dug out a small bag. “A-Chao got us some mooncakes.”

“Really?” Meng Yao had been wanting to try those cakes. He had seen them a day ago, but hadn’t gotten a chance to try one. Seeing his Beta put them away, he let him help him up. “Thank you,”

“You’re leaving?” Jin Zixuan asked, standing up, and he didn’t notice his Baba’s eyes looking up at this. “There’s still a couple of hours left,”

“I have been getting tired lately,” Meng Yao assured, holding his hands up with a smile. He didn’t want to worry his brother. “It’s harder for me to sleep, so it takes a bit to get comfortable.”

“I see, well, I shall see you tomorrow,” he said, hugging his brother and nuzzling the side of his head. “I’m sorry it was ruined.”

“It’s okay,” Meng Yao whispered back. “It was still nice.”

They moved back. Meng Yao wasn’t sure what to say to his Father, after all, the Beta was still pale. He fanned himself slowly, then stood. He looked like he was going to say something, but then turned away.

“I’m going to watch the stars,”

“Have a wonderful night, Sect Leader Jin,” Lan Xichen bowed, his mate copying. He then put an arm around his Omega. “Let’s get to bed.”

Looking over his shoulder, Meng Yao sighed.

“Was it that bad?”

“I need to tell you about it,” Meng Yao spoke. “Also, A-Huan, please don’t ever leave me alone with Madam Jin.”

“Why?” Lan Xichen's teeth started to show; he frowned, nose twitching. “Did she harm you?”

“No, she hasn’t, but she’s dangerous,” He looked at his Beta. “I know this sounds…I don’t even know what it sounds like! But she’s like your Father. I feel like she’s going to hurt the baby and me.”

“I won’t let her,”

Meng Yao wanted to believe him, but Alphas against a Beta and Omega? He had seen that happen before. It didn’t end well for them. Back in the brothel, two workers had started to couple, and even dared to attempt to become a bonded pair.

The Owner found out by ordering them to get the idea out of their heads. They attempted to fight back, attacking the Owner with the faith they’d escape that day to run away.

As much as Meng Yao would love they have escaped, they had been caught, dragged back kicking, screaming, begging until they were set in separate rooms where they remained chained to the floor.

He was about four when that happened. A terrifying memory that haunted him. To this day, he had no idea if they ever escaped their rooms. If they died there. If they were dead.

Just that his Mother made him swear that if he became a worker there, he would never attempt to escape, like they had. That Owner, the Alphas that came to toss gold for a night's pleasure, even the higher ranking Betas left him with a sense of uneased doom.

Yet, when Lan Xichen said it Meng Yao could believe him.

“Thank you,” He purred, pausing in his waddle with a deep sigh. “This baby…”

“What is it?”

“Feel,” Meng Yao moved his hand with a smile. “He’s kicking,”

Hand on his Omega’s belly, his face warmed with a smile. There was a movement, the kicking caused him to feel a sense of pride, warmth, and love for his family. Purring, he leaned down to nuzzle him.

--

“You’ve been oddly silent,”

Lan Qiren looked up at his mate.

They had retired to their room after sending their Lantern up. He had been musing over the day before, as well as the tea that afternoon, with childhood friends.

It hadn’t been like when they were young. Nowhere near it. There was no talk about food or drawing, no excitement to start lessons at the Cloud Recess. Nothing like new fans, silks, golden jewelry, or such things.

“It was an interesting tea,” Lan Qiren leaned back, tilting his head up. Wen Ruohan pressed his forehead. Where normally his headband stayed when he was in the Lan Clan was replaced with a small ruby with gold strands that mixed in his hair. “I know I have said this before… but thank you for not harming me,”

“As I have said time and time again,” Wen Ruohan’s voice was a deep, comforting rumble. “I’d burn the world before I let any harm come to you,”

Purring Lan Qiren rubbed his belly. Their baby was healthy. He was just worried now that it was clear that he might end up having the baby here. He was further than Lan Furen; he had knowingly been with child before the weddings took place. Still, it worried him.

Something just seemed off.

From how Jin Guangshan and Jiang Fengmian had told him, their Alphas had been colder than usual. Even his brother had been stepping out too far. Lan Qiren wasn’t foolish enough to think he could stop Wen Ruohan if Qingheng-jun crossed the line.

Strong warm hands joined his. Smiling Lan Qiren shifted for a kiss. Relaxing in the hold, he let the peaceful moment soothe his worries. For now, alone in their room was well.

An inhale and release of a quick breath made him open his eyes. Looking over to where a Nest was nearby, Wen Ning and his sister were asleep on the other side of the room.

He had been nauseous in the middle of the night for the last few days. Wen Qing had been called a few times until she was allowed to stay. After the second day, they were allowed to stay in the room.

“Are they bothering you?”

“No, not at all,” Lan Qiren stared at them. “They were your brothers' children, no?”

“Yes.”

“Did you make a decision about having Wen Qing trained to be the Head Doctor one day?”

“I considered your words,” Wen Ruohan nuzzled his mate’s head. “I think that will be a good idea. We’ll discuss it later when we return to the Sun Palace.”

“And her brother,”

“What about him?”

“I’d like for him to stay at my side until I find him a good match.” While Lan Qiren believed in fated love, there were too many who’d try to marry him off to a high-ranking person. He could help find one, and he had grown a liking for Wen Ning's demeanor. “I’ve grown fond of him,”

“I noticed,”

“Of course you did, you notice everything,” Lan Qiren smiled at him, voice amusement. “Would you, though?”

“Anything you desire,”

“A-Han,” Lan Qiren started. “Something isn’t right,”

“With the baby?” Wen Ruohan started to feel more, becoming worried. “Are you hurt?”

“No, no, no,” He shook his head. “I can feel it in the air… something’s off and I have no idea what it could be.”

“Do not fret too much, I’ve been feeling the same thing,” He frowned, lifting Lan Qiren’s chin gently, so they were looking into each other’s eyes. “I think I shall instill some fear into them before we leave.”

“…Ruohan…” Lan Qiren looked down, then up. “I’m not this tired normally.”

“You can be tired,” He nuzzled him, a kiss, scenting his temple. “You can rest, A-Ren, I shall handle it,”

“…I just want things to go smoothly,”

Nodding, Wen Ruohan spoke with him more, on the baby rather than anything else. He knew his Omega was stressed. Not good for the baby. The three Alphas had been causing a ruckus.

Well, he’d have to have a little fun with them.

--

The knock on Jiang Cheng’s door made him pause.

The servant who had been helping him dress for the night left to see who it was. While he was gone, he just finished up by himself. He had been up late, drinking some with Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian.

Not as much as those two idiots, but enough to feel a buzz. He had to think of the races tomorrow. Trying up the robe, he was sure he had a good plan on which of the Jiang horses he was going to use, as well as a path he had mapped out.

When the Servant returned, it was with his Father.

“Baba,” Jiang Cheng was surprised to see him again. He noticed that his Father had a large pillow with him as well as a small wrapped back on his back. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes.” He looked nervous, but had a smile on his face. “Um…?”

“Leave,” Jiang Cheng waved at the servants. “Everyone, I can handle this. Good night.”

They all left.

“Are you alright?” Jiang Cheng walked up to him. “Was it mother again?”

“She’s just in a bad mood,” He held up his large pillow. “Can I stay here again?”

“Yes, of course,” he said, moving back. Well, he was going to bed, but he knew that his Baba would want to nest. “Uh, everything is still here if you want to nest,”

“Thank you,” Jiang Fengmian went to bed, tossing the large pillow on it. He then dug up an old book wrapped in cloth. He walked over, handing it to his son. “I keep this on me… hidden in one of my trunks, but it’s an old sketch book.”

“What?” Taking it, Jiang Cheng looked at it. Worn, leatherbound, the pages looked faded. It was old… not the best quality, that much was clear. Still, the way it was wrapped with such care. “You want me to set this down?”

“You can look at it if you like,” Jiang Fengmain looked at him nervously. “I haven’t opened it in years, more than ten or even longer. I just know that I have some hidden,”

“You haven’t gone through this?”

“I was going to,”

“Was going too?”

“Your mother came back to the room, so I had to hide it.” he looked nervous. “She’s found some before. She doesn’t like them.”

Frowning, Jiang Cheng's nose could almost bleed from the sadness oozing from his Baba. Rubbing his nose, he stepped closer to the bed, seeing how the Omega tensed, looking down, away, not willing to look up at any Alpha.

“What would she do if she caught you with this?” He asked. His Baba took a good minute to answer. It seemed difficult to speak, but when he whispered a soft ‘she burns them’, he turned away sharply with a growl. “How disrespectful!”

How could she do that?!

To burn someone else's things, but her mates?! Even worse, just that evening, he had seen his Baba so happy to be drawing! He even did two more paintings on the lantern before they sent it up!

A hobby his Baba clearly loved, yet Jiang Cheng had no memories of it! Had his Mother been stopping this skill?! For what reason?! Even worse, kicking him out of his room!

A hand touched his shoulder gently.

Jiang Cheng snarled.

Jolting back, Jiang Fengmain looked at him with scared eyes, backing away quickly, head bowed. The sight caused Jiang Cheng to feel sick, his stomach twisting.

He hadn’t meant to growl at his Baba; he was just so angry that something that made him so happy was destroyed just because it was a joy he partook in.

“I’m sorry-”

“Sorry-”

They paused, a strained kind of awkwardness, but Jiang Cheng looked at the book, then took a few seconds to stare at it. The nibbling of curiosity of what was in there helped calm him.

“…Can I nest?”

“Oh, uh, yes,” Nodding, Jiang Cheng set the book down and followed his Baba to the bed. “Um. Do you want me to hand you anything?”

“You want to help?”

“Uh… yes?” Jian Cheng asked, unsure. “If you want me to,”

Well, he soon found out that maybe asking an Omega who wanted to nest if they wanted help was either a mistake or a smart move. He stood there with his arms full of blankets, pillows piled so high he couldn’t see.

If anyone were to investigate the room, they’d see his arms and feet only. One by one, his Baba took a piece, working on the nest. By the time he was able to see again, he felt a lot better.

The happy scent surrounding Jiang Fengmain relaxed Jiang Cheng. It soothed something in his soul. He paid attention to the nest, noticing it resembled an art form.

Once the last item was set into the nest, he took a few moments to watch his Baba scent it. Feeling like this was more of an Omega thin,g he walked over to get a drink of water.

“Are you coming to bed soon?”

“Uh, yeah,” He was still buzzed. He might as well get some sleep. He looked over at the book he had placed on his desk. Walking over, he put it away in a safe place before walking to his bed. “You want me to sleep on the other side?”

“I made you a spot,” Purring loudly, Jiang Fengmian pulled back a blanket to a spot that hehad made for his son. “You can sleep in it if you want.”

Given how happy his Baba was and how wonderful he smelled, how could he say no? Climbing in, he flopped back. Damn, it was so comfortable, too. The scent of his Baba relaxed him, gave him a sense of security.

Throwing an arm over his eyes, he started to relax. Movement could be felt, and he swore he almost felt like a child again with the blankets starting to be tucked in around him.

Once Jiang Fengmian was sure he had tucked in his son, he lay down trying to get comfortable. He waited until he thought his son was asleep, scooting closer and closer until his back was against his side. Settling down, he purred until he drifted off to sleep.

If he had been awake, he would have known his son had sat up to cover him, returning to tuck him into bed before lying back down for a restful night.

--

Jin Guangshan held the baby close while a servant brushed his hair.

The servant had been one of the many who helped the Sect Leader to bed, since the heir had been a child. The Beta eyes seemed void of anything, then holding the small head pillow wrapped up in a baby blanket.

The top of the pillow was pressed against his cheek, while the Beta seemed to be lost in thought, hand gently patting the side of the blanket. No one spoke of it. They all knew that he sometimes thought this pillow was the baby that was said to have been killed twenty years ago.

The Servant worked on the Sect Leader’s hair, adding all the favorites that were saved for the season, new bottles that came in that evening, while the Beta kept patting the blanket.

Nuzzling the blanket, Jin Guangshan was thinking about what to do. The baby was alive. He was alive? Yes… alive. Meng Shi had gotten the baby, and despite his sending the pearl for her to buy her freedom, it seemed that she stayed.

What did she call the baby before he renamed him?

…Meng Yao…?

It was a nice name, he supposed, considering he had put off naming the child until he could find a way to grow his core without his Alpha realizing he had none.

That failed.

Dread started to creep up his soul, so he pressed the blanket up to his nose, the pillow touching it. The scent calmed down his anxiety. He couldn’t stop thinking of Qingheng-jun's words.

When he returned to the palace, he hadn’t seen her at all. Not even in passing. He inquired of some of her servants where she was. It seemed she was having an amazing time visiting her birth family.

The brush fell off the vanity when the servant placed it down. It hit one of the golden legs of his chai,r making a rather loud noise in the silent room. The only sound heard was the soft crackling of the fire.

“Don’t make noise,” He frowned, shifting the bundle in his arms. “The baby’s sleeping,”

“Yes, my lord,” The old Servant was used to this. Saddest of all were the moments when the Sect Leader truly believed that the pillow was a baby. “Anything else, or shall we get you to bed?”

“Hm,” There were meetings tomorrow, so he should. “Yes, that’s alright,”

Before he could stand up something caught his eye. Looking in the mirror, he saw his mate there. She was standing so still he hadn’t noticed her at all! Not even her scent.

Whirling around in his seat, he frowned. “Has something happened?”

The Servant quickly bowed.

“Get out.” She snapped at the servant who scrambled away. She walked up to him, glancing over the Beta, and noticed how he shifted to protect that bundle. She made a face. “As a baby crazy as you are, you resort to using a pillow?”

“I can’t get pregnant, you know this,” He frowned. “And I’ve done this before,”

She scoffed, flicking her hand away as if swatting a bug. She took a pause when something caught her nose. The slight scent that lifted to her nose was familiar.

The scent of that bastard child, Meng Yao, but the blanket had the same scent, only older. Turning back, she stared at him. He seemed to stare at her confused.

“What?” He tensed when she took a few steps closer. “What is it?”

“That scent.” She sniffed the air more; her eyes started to contract. She snagged the bundle out of his arms. He screamed, jumping up, but she pushed him hard enough for him to stumble back. She held the thing to her nose and growled. “This!”

“Give it back, it’s mine!” He hissed, jumping at her. “Give it to me!”

“You whore!” She growled violently. “You knew where that bastard was because IT’S THE DAMN BITCH’S CHILD YOU DIDN’T KILL!”

“Please give him back!”

“You useless bitch!” She held the blanket out of reach, pushing him away, flaring her scent at him, but he was too much in a fearful, maternal instinct to get what he believed was the baby back. “You think you can disrespect me so?! Fine then!”

“Nooooo!” Jin Guangshan watched her throw the baby into the fire, and the soft silk flared up instantly. He ran towards the fire, yanking the bundle out and onto the floor, but it was too late; it burned away like paper. “No, no, no!”

Furious, she grabbed him, yanking him, with his back to her chest, she gripped his neck with one hand, and in the other, both his wrists, forcing him towards the fire.

“No, don’t!”

“I'll do with you what I want!” She growled, he pushed back, fighting best he could, wiggling, screaming desperately. “Shut up, you damn bitch!”

Growling, she held his hands over the fire, never letting them burn, using her own Qi to heal them before they could blister, but the torture had her grinning while he let out agonizing screams, both from the trauma of seeing what his mind was sure the baby burning alive and the pain coursing through his veins.

Until a hand gripped Madam Jin’s head and smashed her so hard against the brick of the fireplace, she fell onto the floor dizzy, bleeding, and confused until she heard a dark growl.

Jin Zixuan stood there eyes glowing in rage.

Chapter 35

A/N:

 

I posted the wrong edited chapter and deleted the one I edited and cleaned up. Sorry guys, I'll fix it later I gotta work today 😫 

Chapter 36

Jin Guangshan back hit the floor.

Crying out in pain, his hands still hurting, he rolled over, scrambling on his knees, trying to get to the baby. When he arrived, he tried to see if it was all right, but the items had begun to wear away; nothing was left of the fine silks but ash.

The pain in his hands throbbed when his head started to buzz, his nose stung, and he felt sick. His body was trying to go into a Katow, the ringing in his ears started to leave the loud sounds of growling from two pissed off Alphas.

Jin Zixuan had been speaking with his mate about the observations A-Yao had made, noticing the subtle signs of abuse, the small tells that revealed a hidden truth. He questioned how A-Yao could recognize such things, what had allowed him to see what others missed.

That evening, after their return from the Gardens, Jin Zixuan noticed that his Baba was visibly distressed, pale, and stressed, breathing shakily as if on the verge of a panic attack.

He began to reconsider the yelling he’d heard all his life. It was more than arguments. It hinted at something far darker. After a conversation with Yanlin, she confided her own fears for his Baba. Jin Zixuan was blindsided by the realization that the suffering had been there all along, hidden in plain sight.

Needing time to think, he walked through the halls, troubled that he had never realized it was his mother inflicting the pain on his Baba. These weren’t petty arguments and empty threats.

As he made his way back to his room, he saw a servant rushing from his parents’ quarters. Two doors lead to rooms that are separated from each other. The servant, seemingly unaware of Jin Zixuan's presence, hurried away, scent full of fear.

Approaching the door, Jin Zixuan heard shouting. A scream spurred him into a run, and he burst inside just in time to witness his mother throwing the precious blanket Baba had cherished for years into the fire.
He watched, stunned, as his Baba ran to rescue the blanket from the flames, clutching it and weeping as though it were a living child. The next moment, Jin Zixuan saw his mother seize Baba by his hair, yanking him with a force that left Jin frozen in shock.

The second the agonizing screams hit his ears, Jin Zixuan’s body moved on its own. Instincts took over, eyes tunnelling. He wasn’t even aware he was growling until he grabbed her by the head, yanking her back before smashing her against the fireplace.

Fists balled up, Jin Zixuan's eyes were almost glowing. He growled darker at her, his chest heaving with the rage he was feeling. His scent was screaming at her to back off, to stand down, leave.

Jumping up, Madam Jin snarled.

How dare he attack her?! In chambers that belonged to her, even if her useless mate had a small portion of it! This belonged to her! The Beta belonged to her, so why was her son interfering?!

How dare he threaten her!

Nose Burning Jin Guangshan was too overwhelmed with their pissed off scents, the growling that, despite the pain in his hand, he ended up crouching as low as possible, almost melting into the carpet.

Things tumbled, crashing, and breaking were heard. Unable to lift his head or even think about how many of these things were getting destroyed, it ended when there was a loud sound of something hitting the hall before a thud.

“Get out, mother!” Jin Zixuan snarled, chest heaving with rage. “Go, now!”

Injured, dizzy, but able to get up, she limped her way out of the room towards her own space, sprouting bruising. Once she was in her room, the door closed, and Jin Zixuan's rapid breathing started to slow down.

The rage slammed out of him as the sour scent of drop hit his nose. Turning his heel with a worried expression, he saw his Baba on the floor, half slumped over.

“Baba!” Running to him, he fell to his knees, unsure of what to do. His Baba was shaking, his scent was deeply off. “Hey, can you hear me?! Baba! Hey, can you hear me?! …. Shit!”

Looking around, he knew he needed help, but he didn’t want to leave him alone here. Moving, he scooped him up, wincing when he saw the redness on his hands, some parts blistered from where they had been held over the fire.

“Come on, Baba, I got you,” he didn’t even know if the Beta had heard him or not, with his eyes void of anything, drool dribbling out of the side of his mouth. “It’s going to be alright!”

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Where did he go?!

Running out of the room, he sprinted down the hall, knowing he had to get a healer. There should be some, even if they were asleep, he’d wake them. As he ran down the hall to get help.

--

Lan Qiren was waiting for his Mate to come back.

Having cravings was a funny thing. He wanted something from one of the vendors in town. While he was normally ready for bed at his usual time, the partying always lasted well into the night.

Thus, he was waiting for him to return with the list of far too many items he wanted. As he sat there on a chair, his back being massaged by Wen Ning, who was trying to be careful even though he assured the other that he was fine.

As he was relaxing, a servant came in announcing that the Young Madam Jin was there requesting to borrow Wen Qing. Standing with some difficult,y he waddled to see what was going on.

“Wen Furen,” She bowed to him. “I know this is sudden, but my mate doesn’t want to let anyone know.”

“How bad did she harm him?”

Yanlin looked surprised. “You know?”

“Wen Qing, you might need Wen Ning, once he’d healed, report back to me, but keep it unspoken unless requested otherwise by the Young Madam Jin and Young Master Jin.” Lan Qiren reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. “I will send tea,”

“Thank you,” She bowed, a bit confused about the tea part. “Hurry, please,”

When they left, Lan Qiren stood there. He didn’t want to leave because his Alpha would be back, so finding him missing wasn’t going to go over well. Walking back to his chair, he took a moment to think if he had herbs left?

Opening his desk, he found a pouch. Inspecting it for a moment, he deemed it still fairly fresh. While he never took anti-pregnancy teas, he had secured them for several Omegas and Betas over the years who didn’t want to conceive a child.

Unsure if Jin Guangshan had any or would need it, he packed it up in his sleeve. A simple walk to drop it off should be quick. He would stay, even though he was worried.

Waddling out of the room, he made his way down the hall. How inconvenient that being heavily pregnant took time to get to where he wanted?!

Huffing, he stopped for a minute, holding his hand to the wall, wondering when he’d be able to move easily again. This baby liked to kick. Moving, he leaned closer to the wall, taking a few minutes to breathe, relax, when he heard something.

Without thinking, he moved to hide. He was glad he had done so because he saw his brother arriving at the Jin Quarters. Frowning, he pulled his scent in as close as possible, watching.

Moving closer into the thicker curtains that hung on the walls, he saw him enter. How improper! Soon, he saw Madam Yu approaching; she seemed annoyed if her eyes were anything to go by.

What were they up to?

Moving back a little more, he planned on waiting when he bumped into something. Jumping, he looked back only to be met with an awkward smile from Wei Wuxian!

“You!

“Shh!” Wei Wuxian looked around, and a little clanking was heard from the three bottles of Emperor’s Smiles he had snuck down to get. He laughed nervously. “Hi?”

“You know those are forbidden.” Lan Qiren frowned, then looked back at the door. “How long have you been there?”

“Since I heard yelling…” Wei Wuxian took a beat. “And… there was another thing I saw.”

“What is it?”

“Well, I, uh, remember in class when I’d use my little Paper?”

“…Did you send Paper-Wei to spy for you again?!” Lan Qiren hissed in a whisper. He then heard something. Ears picking up, he looked around. “People will be coming in from the night…”

“A perfect time to sneak around!” Wei Wuxian grinned as the halls started to fill. “You should come drinking with us,”

“You…!” He stopped himself. “I don’t have time, I’ll be right back. You stay there, I want to know what you found out.”

Lan Qiren should be a little more concerned with how easily he slipped out among the vast people. Mainly because it was far too easy, he should be concerned, but reminded himself he was a Grandmaster for a reason.

Getting to the door, he knocked, informing the Servant to take the tea to the family and for it to only be used for Sect Leader Jin. When Wen Qing came forward to ask what they were, he could smell the drop lingering on her.

It churned his stomach.

He whispered to her what they were. She stood. Blinked, then bowed before nodding her understanding with a look in an eye that almost reminded him of the rage one felt when dealing with certain people.

Leaving the room, he almost ran right into Wei Wuxian. Jumping, he had to hold his hand back in defense. He hadn’t heard him! His heart! The other Omega was frowning.

“What is it?”

“Sect Leader Lan came out, and he’s heading towards Lan Xichen and A-Yao’s room.” Wei Wuxian frowned. “He didn’t look too happy.”

That…!

Lan Qiren hurried as best he could to the Lan Hall just to see him speaking with Lan Xichen. Whatever was said seemed to be dealt with simply because his brother turned to leave, ignoring his son’s bow to him.

Walking up to his nephew with a frown at his brother’s retreating back, a feeling that had been eating at him the last few days started to get worse. What was that fool up to, and why did he have a feeling it was something to do with the other Sect Leaders’ mates?

“Shushu,” Lan Xichen turned with a smile. He purred. “Are you well?”

“Yes,” Lan Xichen looked back. “Father told me there was paperwork to be done before the meetings tomorrow, and he has instructed me to get it done.”

“There’s a lot,” A voice floated from behind him. When the beta stepped aside, Meng Yao was there with his arms full of scrolls, books, and loose papers; he was using his belly like a desk to hold them up. “…This is a lot of paperwork. I don’t think we’re getting any sleep tonight.”

Lan Qiren gave a disgusted look at the pile. Rubbing his temples, he shook his head, ushering them inside. He closed the door, trying not to go back out to yell at his brother.

They arrived at the table, where Meng Yao, accompanied by a child, simply let it fall, causing it to clatter on the ground. Lan Xichen wasn’t too happy with it, but he took a seat ready to get to work.

If anything, he could sleep tomorrow after everything, even sneak in a small nap or something. As he unrolled the first scroll, he saw his Uncle looking at them, picking a few up here and there.

“I can do it, Shushu,” Lan Xichen promised. “You can get some rest,”

“I shall just… looking over a few things,” He read them over the best he could. “Is there way you can get a copy of these, A-Huan?”

“I… could try,” He looked at the vast papers. “It's just a lot to copy.”

“Just remember important parts,” Lan Qiren handed back the paper, then took a moment to scent them each. “I shall speak with you tomorrow.”

“What about me?” Wei Wuxian pointed at himself. “I want a hug,”

“Not yet,” He walked out of the room. “You need to tell me what happened and what you saw, but in my room.”

Wei Wuxian waved them a farewell. On their way, he made a detour to have Lan Wangji join them. The three of them made their way back down the Wen Clan hall.

Weit Wuxian was drinking one of the Emperor’s smiles when he saw Madam Yu heading back towards her room. He paused in his walking, she ignored everyone around her, but there was growing hatred in his heart and soul because of the weapon she carried.

A spiritual weapon was the reason he could bear any children. The parting whipping gift she had given him when he dared step out of line and claim he wanted to marry Lan Wangji, not Lan Xichen, had been painful.

He was used to curing the pain with what punishment she gave him; that one was violent enough that Jiang Cheng stepped in and covered him. That lasted all of a few seconds before he whipped again, so badly that a healer came and placed healing cream and wraps.

Now it made sense why she had done it.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji called.

Turning back around, Wei Wuxian walked on, but now he was feeling a pit settling deeper into his soul. They got to the room where Lan Qiren had to have them help him sit on the floor so they could have tea.

“Tell me what you saw,” Lan Qiren spoke. “And try to tell me word for word.”

--

Wen Chao yawned loudly.

“We’re here to do a job,” Wen Xu sighed. “Can you stop acting bored?”

“I am bored!” Wen Chao snapped, scratching the back of his head, then let out a frustrated growl. “This is taking forever!”

“You need to have patience.”

“Oh, come on, we’re missing late-night drinking, some fun in town,” Wen Chao waved his arms. “All because we gotta work, this is gonna take forever,”

“Getting rusty?” Wen Xu gave him a smug look. “I know you’re not as skilled as me, but damn,”

“Fuck you!” Wen Chao yelled. “I’m better than you, asshole, you're just jealous!”

“Enough.”

“Father,” They bowed to him.

“Tomorrow at the races, neither of you will participate.” Wen Ruohan walked towards them. He handed them each a letter. “And make sure to get all of it.”

Taking the paper, Wen Chao took it out and read over the contents, while his brother did the same. They had been doing these things since their early teens, long before the Grandmaster and Jades were back in Gusu and their Father showed them the way of the Wen.

Smirking Wen Chao knew he’d have to get out his favorite tools for tomorrow.

The screams would be delicious.

Notes:

So, I tried rewriting the chapter again, but I hated it. Like, I could not stand that I couldn't get it to the one I had, and out of the habit of deleting the rough draft chapters, I had no way of going back.

Thus, after being depressed about it for three days, I rewrote the chapter completely

Chapter 37

Jiang Cheng tucked his Baba into bed.

He had pretended to be asleep, waiting for his Baba to slowly inch his way over to sleep with his back against his. The slow rise and fall of his chest, along with his even breathing, was his single move.

Walking over to the desk where the book was, he picked it up. The leather was nice, old, and it had yellowing edges, though even with the quality, it wasn’t the best; it was well cared for.

Sitting down at his desk, he opened it.

The first page was a sketch of a bird.

Huh, that was really good.

Flipping through it, there were a lot of scenes of their home, a few animals, but when he got to another page, it was a drawing of his Baba, and from the looks of it, he had sketched it while looking in a mirror. His belly was swollen with child, and there was a small note of this being his first child.

His sister?

Smiling he looked over it, there was a little note of his Baba feeling the baby moving. Pages later, there was a month-to-month check-up, but there was one page with only wording on fears that he hadn’t felt the baby moving because of a beating he had received from his mate.

That turned his stomach.

Glaring at the page, he looked up, seeing his Baba peacefully sleeping. Looking back down, he shook his head. He knew she treated him horribly, and he tried a few times when he was younger to stop it. It ended worse for his baba.

His sister stepped in when she could. Their mother had resigned to her having a common core early on, opting to have her marry rather than train.

A few pages later, there was a sketch of a Baby. Baby Yanlin was in her bed with so many blankets surrounding her, a stuffed toy, an entire half of the page of his Baba speaking on how lovely she was, perfect, how much he loved her, and didn’t know that one could love so much.

Another page had her sitting down, so this was at least nearly a year later. The little note about her sitting up and babbling. The pages are further apart, each with drawings of his sister going from a baby to a toddler. There was one where they had brought that Peacock.

As much as Jin Zixuan annoyed him and pissed him off for being mean to his sister at the start, he was grateful they loved each other. Yanlin was happy, and secretly, Jiang Cheng wanted a marriage like that.

One where there was no yelling or beatings, the way they looked at each other. Jian Cheng didn’t know who’d want him. He had an anger problem; he knew it. He wanted an Omega to love him, but he was scared of whether he’d be too much like his mother.

He wanted his mate to smile at him, not fear him.

In all the conferences, hunts, and training, he had met a few. They were nice or okay. He didn’t have a good conversation with his Mother about it once while he was a guest Disciple in Gusu. She wanted him to find a potential one who would have good connections.

Looking up, he wondered if there was someone out there for him. One thing he knew was he didn’t want to be like his Mother. She was a good trainer, she could train nearly anyone, had high skills as an Alpha, but a horrible mate to his Baba.

Jiang Cheng wanted someone he could enjoy his time with. Someone to laugh with, listen, and talk, just to relax enough to unload without the pressure of looking like an idiot who didn’t know what they were doing.

He really needed someone to talk to after this because the next picture was of his Baba, this wasn’t like the other drawings, this style was different, but it was a picture of his Baba holding his belly.

It wasn’t until he saw the picture that had been signed by Wei Changze. Not by his Baba, thanking his friend for drawing it, but no doubt this was when his Baba was pregnant with him.

Meaning his brother was also on his way, as was the other couple. Flipping the page, there was a drawing of Wei Wuxian’s parents; she had a swollen belly as well, and they were by the water.

Unlike the looks Jiang Cheng had seen on his parents' faces all his life, the one that was captured on the faces of his brother’s family was startlingly different. They love what they hold while looking into each other, staring.

To love someone and be loved.

Wen Ning came to Jiang Cheng’s mind. The Omega had been easy to talk to, sweet enough to help him out when he got frustrated with little things. Cheeks heating, he shook his head.

Wen Ning was a friend, even if he was an Omega; he liked having a friend, but he was never going to let his Mother know. She’s seen him like an idiot for befriending an Omega…. But, he did enjoy Wen Ning’s company…

Flipping the page, he paused, seeing a drawing of himself as a three-year-old in his Baba’s next. The nest there he could almost feel, the scent lingered in memories, but there he was peacefully napping.

Under the drawing was a little passage.

My baby Jiang Cheng took a nap today. He was so peaceful I did not want to wake him for a snack, so I snuck him two in case he was hungry when he woke.

My little baby is growing so fast, I don’t know how I’ll handle it when he starts training. He’s so strong, funny, and speaks so clearly! I love him so much.

That was it; later, there was another drawing of him and his sister, older, he was around five or six, and learning how to fly on a sword. His Baba wrote out how proud he was and wanted to go see him, but his mate told him not to coddle him and forbade him from going over.

Jiang Cheng frowned.

He remembered that day. He had begged his Baba to come, and he stayed far back. Even when he tugged at his clothes, he seemed reluctant to do so.

Now he realized he did want to, but his nervousness was because of the beating that was surely going to happen if he did. Growling under his breath, he flipped the pages, and they began to shift from mostly drawings to happily describing all his accomplishments, how proud his baba was, and how happy he was for him and his sister.

When it picked up on drawings again, all of them were from far, some closer, but messy like he was trying not to get caught. The odd angels were strange until it hit him that the reason they were odd was because to be that close and to draw, he must have been hiding so his Mother wouldn’t catch his Baba.

Closing the book, he saw the back of his hand cover his mouth to keep from growling too loud.

His mother disgusted him.

--

“Wait, are you sure?!” Wei Wuxian's eyes were as wide as his grin. “You’ll let me break the rules!”

“It’s not breaking the rules!” Lan Qiren snapped. “It’s to find out what’s going on!”

Grinning Wei Wuxian had finished telling Lan Qiren what he heard and what people were saying. He always spoke with servants and common people to get more of an ear for what was happening.

But Lan Qiren giving him permission to use Paper-Wei to sneak around was amazing. They were sitting in his room, going over how odd it was that the three were sticking together.

“Well, look at this little gathering,” Wen Ruohan had returned with the food items his Omega wanted. He found them all sitting with tea, snacks, and he was glad he had bought extra. “I have a feeling this isn’t just a because snack?”

“No, we need to speak,” Lan Qiren said, smiling when his Alpha sat next to him and kissed his cheek. He cleared his throat. “Did you find them?”

“I did,” He laughed, taking out all the backed foods he had picked up. The glee in his Omega’s eyes made his heart thump. “I got extra,”

Wei Wuxian bowed to them; his husband did the same, but his mate always got extra scented and nuzzled. He wasn’t sure where he stood on their family until the older Alpha waved him over.

Despite how terrifying Wen Ruohan was, Wei Wuxian recalled that when he was little, and when he came back to live at Lotus Pier, the Alpha had a love of children.

Nuzzling up to him, he purred when he pulled back and took the snacks offered.

Welp, he had sneaking to do it seemed!

They ended up staying the night in the older couple’s room. Wei Wuxian had been ready to sleep on the floor or in the other bed like the night before.

When offered to nest with them, family bonding, he almost cried. While he loved Lan Wangji, he craved times with his parents, whom he barely remembered.

He felt like a child again, while they were held close, scented, and cuddled, and bonding made him wonder if this was how it felt to have a living parent. He nuzzled his way into Lan Qiren’s arms, purring loudly until he started to drift off to sleep, while his mate was already out cold, curled up to the Wen Alpha, and the older couple kept them safe between them.

Lan Qiren had so many doubts about his life when he was younger. In the years he couldn’t manage to get pregnant. Not from the lack of trying, his mate was very generous in their mating sessions.

Painful moments of longing, of wanting a child so badly it nearly drove him insane. Having his nephews to raise helped. It eased a need in him. This was now an interesting turn with his pregnancy; he was also thinking about what would happen when Lan Xichen, because he doubted his brother would give up on being Sect Leader.

Soothing out Wei Wuxian’s hair, the younger Omega was asleep, out like a light. He wondered if the three bottles of wine helped with that or not. He missed taking care of someone.

Wen Ruohan often didn’t fall asleep when he was supposed to. Having been used to his Omega falling asleep early, he was amused that Lan Qiren was still awake. Mostr so that he was fussing over Wei Wuxian. He wondered if it was the hormones, but it was sweet watching him scent and kept soothing out his hair, moving to fix his robes, then tucking him back against him.

“You've taken a great liking to him,”

“He’s still young,” Lan Qiren started to fix the little fluffy part of Wei Wuxian’s hair. It was really fluffy, he has to get him something for his hair to keep it healthy. “He needs to take better care of his hair.”

Chuckling Wen Ruohan laughed while patting Lan Wangji’s back. The young Alpha was in a deep sleep. Ever since he was young, it was rare for him to sleep this deeply unless he felt safe.

Massaging his head with his fingers, he smiled when Lan Wangji curled closer, looking much younger than he was. It reminded him of when the boy refused to sleep in any other room after the passing of his mother.

Grabbing the blanket, he pulled it up over all of them so they could sleep. He heard Lan Qiren shifting around until he was satisfied that he had scented the younger Omega enough to be able to sleep peacefully.

--

Lan Xichen was worn out.

He had been up all night going over everything for the meeting. The thing was, the items had been a mess, forcing him to request help from his mate, and A-Yao was amazing.

His Omega was up all night with him, working as quickly as possible. Feeling guilty about the help, even if his Omega assured him that it was alright, and was happy to help.

They ended up skipping breakfast, having it brought to them. Lan Xichen wanted to scream, because all of these were not only out of order, but a mess.

None of this was presentable!

Rubbing his face, he almost had a heart attack when a servant brought more papers for them to look over. Meng Yao took them quickly, going over them, while Lan Xichen did his best to figure out what to do if they didn’t get this done in time.

They ended up finishing just in time, gathering their belongings, and getting ready. Meng Yao was worn out; he wanted to sleep and asked to stay behind. Not wanting to leave him alone in the Lan Hall because he was still nervous about whether he had messed up, his father would be involved, so he urged Meng Yao to go with him.

They headed down the hall, but Meng Yao ended up leaning against the wall. Lan Xichen was about to throw everything in his arms to help his mate when hands came to steady his mate.

“A-Yao, are you alright?!” Jin Zixuan asked worriedly. He looked him over. “Do you need to lie down?”

“I need a nap!” Meng Yao got out, his back hurt, he was tired, he wanted to strangle his Father-in-law for that insane mess of paperwork! “I just need a little one, and I’ll be alright,”

“Young Master Jin, will you please take my mate to my Uncle’s room?” He asked. “Please, he’s been up all night.”

“Uh, that’s on the other side,” Jin Zixuan looked at his wife, then scooped up Meng Yao, and whoa, even pregnant, he was still too light. “My room is closer, and Wen Qing and Wen Ning are there, so they can watch him.”

“Thank you,” Lan Xichen bowed. He didn’t have time to think about why the two would be there, just that he needed to get to the meeting. “You have my thanks,”

“Here, I’ll help you,” Jin Yanlin said, helping to take some of the many papers from the Beta. “The meeting starts soon, let’s get there quickly.”

“Thank you,” He bowed to her. “I will find a way to make it up to you,”

“Do not worry about it, we are family after all,” She smiled.

That made him feel better. He didn’t even get a chance to nuzzle or scent his mate. They made it to the hall, and he set the papers down with Yanlin’s help before she left to attend to her own table.

Taking his seat, he glanced over when his brother arrived with his mate. They looked well rested, so at least they had a good night. They sat down, and before they could even speak, their Father appeared, taking his seat.

He watched as his Father picked up the first book, opening it, the flipping of the page made his heart beat faster. It was in order, he was sure of it. Trying not to let his father know that he was nervous, he took a few slow breaths.

Everyone filtered into the conference room; some people looked like they were handling afternoon hangovers. He saw his Uncle and Sect Leader Wen walking in, and with them the Wen Siblings.

The only thing that surprised him was when Jin Zixuan returned to the conference and took his Father’s place, saying that his Father hadn’t been feeling well and was going to take a day to rest.

Most people just rolled their eyes or mumbled ‘of course’ under their breath. Lan Xichen thought that the Beta had indeed been off seeing someone, but there was something off about Jin Zixuan.

He had seen the future Jin Sect Leader before, when he helped run a meeting, but this time he seemed serious. Could it be that having a child changed him, or was it that he was getting over his awkward stage?

Looking at the Wen Table, his Uncle didn’t seem surprised; in fact, he seemed rather calm about it. Later, he’d have to ask. As he was waiting for things to start, his Father picked up the paperwork, pushed it into a bag suddenly, and then turned to shove it into his arms.

“Next time, do this without the help of that Omega.” He growled. “I should have known that as Beta, you couldn’t handle it on your own.”

Face flushing in shame, he lowered his head, stomach dropping. All that hard work he and A-Yao had put in was going to waste. After a short while, he lifted his head slowly, listening to the conference, and when he saw his Father pull out another set of paperwork, he felt like he had been slapped.

Scowling, he glanced at his brother, and Lan Wangji was glaring too.

It had been a setup.

And Lan Xichen was tired, and he knew it was going to affect him during the horse race that day. A servant brought him tea, pouring it out when they apologized for it being out.

Odd.

But soon another servant returned with the rest of the clan. Lan Xichen drank his while trying to pay attention, even though he kept drifting back to wondering if A-Yao was alright.

The meeting went on. Lan Xichen took the time to focus his Qi to relax, trying to ease the nervousness he was feeling. Something felt off about what his Father had done.

Unsure of what it was Lan Xichen was feeling, the closer the meetings came to an end. He wanted to go check on his Omega. As they stood, he waited for his Father to signal them to leave.

Instead, he ordered them to follow.

Walking with him, Lan Xichen wanted to leave. He needed to check on A-Yao. He also really needs to sleep. Shaking his head, he forced himself to keep walking, and they arrived at the racing field.

Looking around, he saw the other Heirs getting ready for the race. Walking to get his horse, he noticed that his horse, one he often rode, wasn’t there. Instead, a new one he hadn’t seen before.

“Your horse took a lame.” His Father frowned. “Get to it and don’t embarrass me,”

“Yes, Father,” He bowed, still feeling slightly off. “Father, I would like to check on my mate before the races.”

“No.” The Alpha growled. “It’s almost time; you can check on him later.”

Bowing again, Lan Xichen went to the horse. It didn’t seem to like him. In fact, it looked strange like he hadn’t been used to being around a lot of people. Still, it was saddled up, and he climbed onto the horse.

The race shouldn’t be too hard. He just has to reach the top three. Nodding to himself, he felt sicker, his stomach hurt, and he was unsure if he could grab something for it before the race.

They all lined up ready to head into the forest. A simple retrieval for each clan. Race to the center of the forest, find where their flag was, return, simple.

As he urged the horse forward, he noticed the lack of Wen Chao and Wen Xu. Where had they gone off to? It was unlike them to miss something where they could show off their skills.

The flare went up, and Lan Xichen urged his horse onward into a run. The faster he got this over with, the faster he could check on A-Yao and sleep. The horse was fast, shockingly, seen he hadn’t worked with this beast before.

The race was going well, and others were splitting up to get onto a better path. Turning the horse more to the left, Lan Xichen tried to think about where they would place his flag when something made him jolt.

His belly started to heat.

What…?

Another tightening coil, and to his horror, he recognized it as the time he had followed his Omega into heat. That was impossible! They weren’t due for one, and even if they were, it should hit like this!

Slumping forward on the horse, the throbbing heat cramped his stomach, and the scent of Alphas and other Betas suddenly became hyper-aware; his nose sharpened to an almost painful degree.

What was happening?!

Pulling the horse away from the path, he had to get back! He had to get back before he fell into a heat, or he was terrified to think of what would happen! The horse refused to turn back, he fought with it, the reins he yanked and pulled, but the horse refused to move. Instead of running further into the forest, the pain in his belly started to get worse, his vision felt like it was tunneling, and the lack of sleep wasn’t letting him think.

Yanking hard at the reins, he tried to get the damn horse to stop!

It neighed angrily, almost slamming to a stop, causing him to fall forward onto the animal; then it threw itself up high, kicking the air, and let out an angry neigh.

Lan Xichen fell backwards off the horse until to focused enough on keeping hold of the reins. Falling in the dirt, he cried out from the landing and then rolled onto his belly as it coiled so tight it hurt.

Crying out in pain, he quickly covered his mouth.

Looking around, he forced himself up, even if his legs felt like they were being held down by stone, he stumbled into the trees looking for shelter. He had to find a safe place to hide until this passed.

Stumbling alone, he heard a growl that caused him to freeze up.

An Alpha was close by.

Chapter 38

Scrambling to his feet, Lan Xichen almost doubled in pain. Forcing himself up, he urged himself to run. He needed to get to water to hide his scent, and the horse had taken off.

Mind racing to think of what happened or how it could have he heard horses nearing. Hiding behind a tree, he saw some smaller Sect Heirs racing down.

Heart nearly stopping, he let out a breath when they didn’t seem to notice him or pick up his scent. He wasn’t sure how bad it was or how far it spread, just that he couldn’t pull it in.

Water.

Looking around, he tried to think of where the river was. Struggling, he headed towards where he recalled it being, even if it wasn’t a straight path; if he kept going, he’d find it soon.

The coils tightened painfully.

He never had this before.

The first time falling into a sexual heat didn’t hurt this badly. The ones he spent with A-Yao were wonderful, with no pain or violent bursts. Covering his nose when he picked up an Alpha’s scent, his body screamed for the Alpha.

Slamming like lightning, he realized why he was in so much pain. His body didn’t have his Omega with him, so it was searching for someone, and the only ones nearby were Alphas and Betas.

Meaning his body had chosen to seek out an Alpha, so one of them must have been nearing a rut. Hissing, he refused to be with anyone but his Omega.

Forcing himself to stumble along, tripping over bushes and roots, he cursed that his mind was so muddled that he couldn’t pay attention to the things in front of him.

A growl was heard.

Bile nearly jumped into his throat as his knees wobbled. Looking back, he saw an Alpha there. Nose stinging, he realized this one was in a rut. He must have been triggering his own biology, but he couldn’t understand why his body was reacting so quickly.

Moving back, he hissed darkly at him.

A warning to stay away.

The Alpha saw the threat as it was. Growling darker, he took a step closer, and Lan Xichen drew his sword. He was not going to go down without a fight. And he was still the First Jade of Lan.

The Alpha lunged at him.

Hissing, Lan Xichen blocked him. The pain in his abdomen burned, his body was trying to adjust to the Alpha, and to his horror, while he tried to fight off the Alpha, his body was betraying him, with slower movements, his knees shaking with the need to bow down.

His sword was knocked out of his hands, which hadn’t happened since he trained with his Shushu when he was little. Landing on his back, he pushed himself up to try to run when he was knocked back down.

Pulling his hand back, he hit the Alpha in the face, while struggling to get his foot up, kicking at his chest. Rolling over, he tried to run when a hand gripped the back of his robes.

Spinning to kick him, he cursed how slowly his body was moving because the Alpha caught his Ankle, yanked him forward. Stumbling, he hit his back on the ground.

“No!” He yelled, dragged forward, pushing at the Alpha, while panicking as his body wasn’t putting up much of a fight. He couldn’t get his strength into his limbs because he knew he could fight him off otherwise. “Let me go!”

Hissing Lan Xichen scratched at the Alpha’s face, who growled in rage, scent flaring. The wave hit him hard. Horrified as he went limp, he tried to fight it off, his heart racing, and he thought it was going to explode in fear as hands started to run over him.

“Stop!” Lan Xichen hissed, heart beating too hard; it hurt. He screamed when his legs were pinned by the Alpha. Clawing at him, the Alpha snarled, gripping his wrists, pinning them above his head, hot breath on his neck, breathing in deeply. “Stop it!”

A hand pulled at his robes, loosening the top while Lan Xichen continued to struggle as he screamed. Fingers felt along his collar. Trashing Lan Xichen knew that if the man was trying to get it off.

His neck remained unclaimed. Omegas didn’t mark their mates; they couldn’t even if A-Yao had tried to bite him. Only an Alpha could leave a claiming bite; those took years to fade, and Betas could only leave bonding marks that lasted less than a year.

The Alpha struggled to get it off, shifted to do so, moving to try to get it off, unpinning his legs. Lan Xichen tried to use his heels to get himself off to no avail. His body is betraying him to the point of weakness.

Weak.

Screeching when the collar was removed, tears falling, Lan Xichen almost vomited the Alpha rutting against him, disgustingly feeling him hard while his body started to get wet against his will. The Beta in him wanted an Alpha, while the other part screamed at him that he had an Omega.

His robes were pulled at. Lan Xichen was a virgin in his regard. Had he been married to an Alpha, he wondered for a moment if this would have been better because he had never been penetrated before, but he didn’t want this!

No.

No…

No…!

“No, don’t…! Stop it! Stop it, stop it, stop it!” Lan Xichen was shrieking at the top of his lungs, hoping this Alpha would just leave. “Baba! A-Die!”

A dark growl sounded before the Alpha was knocked off Lan Xichen so hard he swore he heard bones crackling. Gasping for air that was clear of the Alpha's pheromones, he rolled onto his stomach, vision blurring.

He needed to get somewhere safe. Stumbling with his robes loose and falling, he managed to get up slowly, running to where he had originally wanted to go, while a violent fight was heard behind him.

A root caught his foot, causing him to go rolling down the small, steep hill, rolling in dirt and sticks, until he came to a stop. Sitting up he shook his head, wildly looking around. The echoes of the fight are still heard.

Suddenly, hands grabbed him around the waist.

“No!” He screamed, swiping at the person. “No, please let me go!”

“A-Huan, it’s me!”

Gasping, chest still feeling like it was going to explode from fear, adrenaline, and the disgusting desire to obey, he looked up as a face full of worry came into view.

“Xu-ge…?” Eyes full of hot tears, he threw his arms around him shaking, uncontrollable sobs. “Xu-ge…!”

“I got you,” Wen Xu scooped him up. “I got you, A-Huan, I got you…We need to get you somewhere safe.”

Wrapping his arms around his brother-figure, Lan Xichen looked over the Alpha’s shoulder, and he saw Nie Mingjue bring down his fist on the Alpha that attacked him.

--

The red flares that went up were sent from the Wen Clan.

Lan Qiren was walking around trying to get the baby to stop kicking when he saw it. Frowning, he saw it was Wen Xu’s, but it wasn’t for a completed task; no, they were to return with their flags, not send up a flare, and it was all red.

Wen Ruohan frowned, seeing the flare. His sons had a mission to do, so why was that flare going up? With his arm around his Omega, he took a second to think about what to do when another flare went up seconds later, with the Lan Clan all in red.

“Something's happened,” Lan Qiren frowned. “I need to go check on my nephews!”

“Absolutely not,” Wen Ruohan stopped him, stepping in front of his Omega. “I will check on them.”

“But…” Lan Qiren frowned. He put his hands on his belly, looking worried. “Please hurry back,”

“I shall.” Kissing Lan Qiren, he glanced at Wen Zhuliu, who moved quickly to help his Omega back to their table. “Keep well.”

On the other hand, Qingheng-Jun was already heading into the forest.

There was a long wait while Lan Qiren waited. He was nervous because he wasn’t sure what could have happened for the two flares to go up. Wen Clan’s was first, but the second right after meant that one of the Lan Heirs was in trouble.

Anxiousness filled his body while he waited. A few minutes into waiting, Wei Wuxian came rushing over. Maybe it was the baby, or maybe he had grown fond of the younger Omega, because he pulled him close, the two of them holding onto each other while they waited side by side.

Lan Wangji came riding out first, looking perfectly fine aside from the frown on his face. He dismounted his horse, rushing over to them, asking where his brother was.

That meant Lan Xichen was hurt.

But how?

Lan Qiren had no choice but to stare at the entrance where they had stared. Where were they? What happened? Was A-Huan alright? Was there a beast stronger than expected? Even if so with all those powerful heirs, it seemed unlikely.

Finally, he saw Qingheng-Jun emerge on his sword; his outer robe was wrapped around Lan Xichen, as he flew past him in a rush. Lan Wangji looked at his Uncle, who nodded, and the couple raced after them.

Wen Ruohan and Wen Xu were second, landing near them. Lan Qiren saw the ragful look on the younger Wen’s face, he was growling, teeth gritting, his scent was screaming.

Just as Lan Qiren was going to ask what happened, there was a commotion. Turning, he saw a bloody and beaten Alpha on the ground, Nie Mingjue, with blood on his fists.

“Sect Leader Chen!” He growled. “I demand you come here before I mount this bastard’s head on a spike!”

An uproar while the remaining heirs returned due to the flares, confused about what had happened. Through shouts of anger and confusion, Lan Qiren heard them mention that the bloody Alpha had pinned his nephew, who was in heat.

Gasping, Lan Qiren began running to reach his nephew. He only made it a few feet when his Alpha scooped him up, taking him away to see him.

--
Lan Xichen was shaking.

He wasn’t sure if he was shaking from what happened, what almost happened, or that his Father was carrying him. Being held close by his Father wasn’t comforting. Sadly, it was adding to the fear that still gripped him.

He had never felt so helpless before. Unable to fight off the Alpha. One he knew he could be if he hadn’t been thrown into heat. Every part of him was trembling, and he was unsure if it would ever stop.

Whimpering and whining in distress, unable to stop, he was scared his Father was going to throw him, beat him while he was like this. His hands curled up tightly against his chest, eyes wide, hot tears still falling, while the scene replayed in his mind.

Stomach twisting.

He was sick from what almost happened.

Words rose and gagged in his throat, unable to voice anything. What should he say? What could he say?! He dared not look at his Father; the Beta felt like he was going to pass out.

“Get a healer!” Qingheng-Jun growled at a servant as he got to the healer's Quarters. He set his son on the table used for Exams not too gently, looking at him with an unreadable expression. “Did he penetrate you?”

Looking at his father through blurred watery vision, shaking, he managed to shake his head no. He needed to stop. He needed to stop; his Father was going to be so angry he was acting like this!

The door opened with Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian running in shortly followed by Lan Qiren being carried by Wen Ruohan. Qingheng-Jun moved back, turning on his heel.

“I need to deal with the Chen Clan!” He growled. “Take care of my son, Didi!”

He left in the storm, but Lan Qiren didn’t care. He was running towards his baby, who was dirty, covered in dirt, with tussled hair, a stained face, and his collar was missing.

Pulling a shaking Lan Xichen into his arms, he made noises that sounded like trapped, crying screams, until finally Lan Xichen cried loudly, his scent filled with shock, confusion, and fear.

“I’m here, A-huan, I’m here!” Lan Qiren held him tightly, his own eyes stinging with the urge to shed tears for his baby. “We’re here, you’re safe now,”

Lan Wangji stood there, he shook as well, out of anger, eyes wide, unable to move for a long moment until he rushed forward, wrapping his arms around his sobbing brother, Wei Wuxian only a second behind.

Wen Ruohan stood there looking over the Beta. He had bruising on his wrists, no mark on his neck, thank the gods, but he was in shock that still had the underlying heat.

Turning, he left to retrieve his niece while he silently seethed. When he returned with her, the female Alpha got to work. She started to ask what happened, with the family filling in what they knew, the information Wen Xu had passed along to his Father.

An unexpected heat, an Alpha triggered into a rut and came upon Lan Xichen. His son said he was racing with Sect Leader Nie when they heard the Beta’s screams.

Walking up to Lan Qiren, he put a hand on the small of his Omega’s back, as his mate held Lan Xichen’s hand while Wen Qing checked him over for major injuries. His beloved looked at him.

Lan Qiren's eyes were wet, his scent in pain, the sadness wobbling frown he had ever seen on his mate. Lan Qiren looked away, then back, and Wen Ruohan turned to leave.

--

Meng Yao was asleep.

The second he had entered his brother’s room, he only made it to the nest on the floor by the fire before passing out. The way he fell asleep, he should have been uncomfortable.

Obviously, because he had crawled in, grabbed some pillows, stuffing them around him until he was just too worn to do much more. His head hit the pillow, and he was out like a light.

At some point, they started to be lulled into a sense of being half asleep, half awake. He was saw, comfortable, a pillow was tucked between his knees so they weren’t hurting.

He knew he was adjusted because he was lying sideways at an angle. It was comfortable. He could breathe easily like this. His left arm, which he struggled to find a place for when he lay, was in a little pocket for pillows arranged so he could have room for it to be un-squeezed.

Warm, thick blankets surrounded him. Purring, he relaxed peacefully into the soft silk. His other arm was over the other person’s side, his mate, he thought, his hand curling to hold onto the Beta’s shirt.

He was being scented.

A lot.

Meng Yao whined, being slowly pulled from his peaceful sleep, feeling a cheek rubbing against his, then moving to his head, temple, and forehead to forehead.

Curling closer to escape being nuzzled so much, he felt himself being tucked in closer before the scenting started again. Repeatedly, to the point he was making a face.

He wanted to sleep.

Ducking his head to escape, he tried hiding in the Beta’s neck. Only to be pulled back after a beat, and the scenting started again. Slowly being forced awake, even though he just wanted to sleep, Meng Yao was going to tell his A-Huan to stop.

When he realized that it wasn’t his mate.

Blinking, he stiffened, realizing that that was not his mate. He was unable to think about what and how his Father had gotten there or into the nest he was used to, but there he was.

He was tucked close. He had to close one eye, the one closest to where he was being scented. What?! What was happening?! It was then that he realized the nest was scented with the Beta’s scent.

Unsure of why, he just went still until he slowly relaxed. It was odd. He had been scented like this, different from his mate and new family. It reminded him of when his Mother used to scent him.

Eyes dropping, he purred as he chose to enjoy this, leaning into the scenting.

Jin Guangshan had passed out due to a medicine that the Doctor had given him. When he woke up, his hands nearly healed, he wondered what hell awaited him once he returned to his room.

He was told that his son had taken over for the day, so he lay back down in his son’s bed, falling back asleep thanks to how strong it was. When he woke up, it was because he had sworn he caught a whiff of his baby’s scent.

Sitting up, he sat there moving because his mind reminded him that his Alpha had thrown the baby, the pillow, and the blanket into the fire. The fight with his mind on it, telling him the baby was real at the time, then a pillow later, it was like it was ripping his brain again.

Nose twitching, he lifted it, taking in sniffs of the air until he caught the scent. Turning around on the bed, he stared at the nest near the fireplace, seeing some of the top of the chestnut-haired.

He pushed off the bed, rushing over, circling the nest, trying to make sure this was real. Whether the baby was in the nest or if his mind was tricking him. After several minutes circling the nest, watching the Omega sleep he climbed in.

Someone tried speaking to him, but he ignored the doctor and her brother as he climbed into the nest. He sat onhis legs, his eyes fixed on the baby.

It couldn’t be comfortable lying in that position. Not when pregnant. When he was carrying Jin Zixuan, he carried him with great care. Grabbing the items around, he started to make the baby as comfortable as possible, tucking a pillow between his knees, which helped his joints, making a little tunnel for his arm for lying on his side, along with tucking a pillow behind his back to help with the strain.

A warm, thick blanket was next; he pulled it around them, shifting, tugging the Omega against him while taking in the scent. Alive. Alive, he was alive!

Sniffling, he wiped the tears away before starting to scent him. Over and over again, rubbing his cheek, chin, and forehead against him. Unsure of how long he had been doing this until the baby moved to hide.

No, he wanted to scent him more!

Once he pulled him back, he continued to scent the baby. When the Omega woke up. Slowly, little hands clutched at his clothes. Alive. He was alive. He tried to soothe the baby, hearing whimpering.

Panicking, Jin Guangshan wasn’t sure what caused this, so he tried to soothe him. running his hands through his hair like he had to his first child, but the whimpering got worse.

“It’ okay,” Meng Yao’s voice spoke, soft, almost a whisper. “It’s okay…”

Was that… whimpering coming from him?!

Jin Guangshan should be horrified that he was whimpering like an idiot. Normally, he’d leave or run away, but he couldn’t. he no longer had the blanket that kept him anchored.

Little hands touched his face, so small, it must have been because of those months of his Alpha keeping him confined to the room and tormenting him for letting Meng Shi bite him.

Curling up as much as possible, he held his son close.

Meng Shi had picked a good name.

He had picked a horrible one.

Perhaps later, when he spoke to his oldest son first, Jin Guangyao wouldn’t be too upset if he was offered to be renamed Jin Ziyao.

--

The arguing was going on loudly. The yelling of the clan about what occurred in the Race was all over the place. Wen Xu was watching as they shouted demands on what happened and if what they thought happened was the Lan Beta marked.

Wen Xu had been subtly disposing of the body of a servant who had been taken from the Jin Sect when he had picked up on his mate’s scent. He had to scramble to get rid of it because his Alpha had those Righteous things going on, to which he was glad to knock him down.

As much as he loved Nie Mingjue, his lover could be a hypocrite at times. Leaning against a tree, he had called to him while the man raced on the horse.

In a split second, the Nie Sect Leader pulled his horse to a stop, inquiring why he wasn’t racing. Wen Xu waved him off, saying it was too easy to win, while also implying he’d easily beat him in such a race.

They ended up having one of their bickering moments, which was supposed to be fun teasing, when they heard a scream. His ears picked up because he swore that was one of his little brothers.

A second later, screaming had them bolting in the direction of the scream for help. Wen Xu was shocked that Nie Mingjue was gaining speed, his eyes almost red with rage. When they broke into a clearing, they saw an Alpha on his little brother, ripping at his clothes.

Nie Mingjue didn’t slow down, slamming into the Alpha with a roaring rage. Wen Xu rushed after Lan Xichen, who had fallen while trying to get away. Pissed wasn’t a word that could describe.

Sending up flares because this was no longer a race in good faith, he was shocked when that bastard Qingheng-Jun appeared, took his brother from his arms.

He wanted to attack him, but couldn’t. He hated having to let Lan Xichen go with him. When they got back, Nie Mingjue had dragged the Alpha from the Chen clan for all to see, demanding that the Chen Sect Leader come forward.

Arms crossed, Wen Xu watched as voices overlapped one another. Even his own lover was having issues with demanding what should be done for the act against Lan Xichen.

“This has to be a misunderstanding, surely we can speak of them,” Sect Leader Chen spoke. Then saw who was approaching him. “Sect Leader Lan, it seems there was a dilemma.”

“This is your son?” He asked, pointing to another Alpha who stood off to the side. “And what is this one who attacked my son?”

“Um, yes, my third son.” He pointed and then waved at the son who was on the ground, hanging in shame. “My secondborn, why-”

Qingheng-Jun unsheathed his sword and, in an instant, plunged it into the chest of the second-born Chen’s son. The crows fell silent, and the Lan Alpha pulled the sword free as the body fell to the ground with a thud.

Swinging the sword to rid it of blood, he sheathed it. “It’s a good thing you had an extra spare.”

Wen Xu watched with a surprised raised eyebrow. Sensing something close by, he looked back to see his Father there. He had an unreadable look on his face.

Whatever he was thinking, Wen Xu knew he was going to be a part of it. No one seemed to want to react to the death. After all, that was a lower Sect lucky enough to be a part of this conference.

The death of someone who tried to attack a high-ranking member of the Lan Clan. As he walked away, Jin Zixuan called for a break to commence and said that things would resume the next day.

Huh, good on the Future Sect Leader, he supposed.

Qingheng-Jun walked passed him, giving him a glare before heading off to play the role of a concerned Father.

Which he wasn’t.

It seemed that damn tea was sent to the wrong Alpha, failing to throw a scandal of his son being marked by Wen Xu. Instead, a random lower-ranking Alpha had overpowered his useless Beta of a son.

Damn weak Beta.

At least this was enough to divert the attention away from him for a while. He’d play the part of a Father concerned, he killed the Alpha who tried to violate his son, to the eyes of everyone, he took swift revenge on behalf of his son.

If anything, he could use this to his advantage somehow.

He expresses his gratitude to the Wen Clan, offering something from the Lan Clan treasury, which held Ancient Books, scrolls, items, etc. But first, he needed to seek out the fool who served the wrong tea to the wrong Alpha.

He was headed to see one of the Lan Elders; if that fool didn’t die in his sleep, he was sure to regret it.

As he left, he didn’t notice a little paper man latching onto his robe.

Chapter 39

Wei Wuxian had stood off to the side while watching Lan Qiren rush forward to his brother-in-law. When Qingheng-Jun stormed away, he caught the look on the Alpha.

He was pissed, but there was something else, a flickering in his eyes that didn’t sit right with Wei Wuxian. A small smirk twisted his stomach, but it only lasted a moment before he was gone.

As he was about to hug Lan Xichen, he pushed him aside until he had to move back. Wen Qing was there, and she started to check on him. She made a face, covering his nose, before pulling out smelling salts to press under her nose to stop her sense of smell.

Once she wasn’t overwhelmed with the pheromones that were still oozing out of the Beta, she quickly got to work mixing some vials together. He was forced to drink it since he was still shaken up. With some use of her Qi, she was able to bring the heat to a stop.

Not with consequences.

Lan Xichen almost passed out from everything being stopped, to what happened, and there was a twinge of embarrassment. Hiding in his Shushu’s chest was comforting, bringing back memories of being little as he leaned into the touches.

Running his hand through his nephew’s hair, Lan Qiren gave what comfort he could. A few minutes later, he felt him collapse into exhaustion against him.

“He’ll need sleep,” Wen Qing rubbed her nose; it still burned, but better than letting the scent of the Beta trigger her into a runt. “Luckily, nothing happened to tie him to the Chen. No bond marks.”

“Thank you,” He told her as she bowed. He then looked up as two people entered the room. “You two… thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank us, Baba,” Wen Xu walked over, checking on the Beta. “Is he alright?”

“He will be, eventually,” Lan Qiren nuzzled him. “And Sect Leader Nie, you have my thanks as well.”

“I’ve been friends with Lan Xichen since I was a child, and I can promise you that I’ll always look after him.” Nie Mingjue assured. Then paused, feeling someone looking at him. Glancing down at the Doctor, he frowned. “What?”

“How come his heat didn’t affect the two of you?”

Wen Xu started to sweat. “I see A-Huan like a little brother!”

“Agreed!” Nie Mingjue almost shouted. “How could I see him as anything else?!”

Wen Qing stared at the two of them for a long time before shrugging. None of her business. She had years to control her instincts, but whatever was given or triggered Lan Xichen’s heat was powerful enough that she had to kill her sense of smell for a few hours so…. She was skeptical.

“Either case, he needs somewhere to sleep,” Wen Ruohan spoke, having returned. He picked up the knocked-out Beta, who didn’t even move, and walked out. “He’ll be in our room for the time being.”

Lan Qiren followed him out.

Once gone, Wen Xu and Nie Mingjue had things to do, taking off while Wei Wuxian was deep in thought, then told Lan Wangji that they needed to go to their room.

“I just need to check something.” He said, picking up a yellow paper with writing on it. He smiled widely. “I’ll be back.”

“Be careful, Wei Ying,”

“Don’t worry!” He grinned, holding up the paper. “I will!”

With a pulse of power, he was out cold, while his soul latched onto the little Paper-Wei. He did a little dance on his Alpha’s head before floating away. The journey didn’t take long until he was latched onto the robe of Sect Leader Lan.

--

Once Lan Xichen was asleep in his nest, Lan Qiren took a seat on the side of the bed. That was a lot on his body. While he never would have felt tired from that, being pregnant took a lot out of him.

He had asked his Alpha to go get Jin Guangyao, so when Lan Xichen woke, he’d have his mate nearby. He was also thinking about how to break the news to him when Wen Ruohan returned with neverous looking Wen Ning.

“What’s wrong?” He frowned. “Where is A-Yao?”

--

Jin Zixuan had no idea what to do.

He had returned to his room with his wife, while his son was off on a playdate with Wen Yuan and the newly arrived Lan Jingyi. Which was why he thought he’d return to his room, check on his Baba and Brother.

He was not expecting his Baba to refuse to let go of his brother, who had wanted to get up to find his mate. Instead, he was trapped in Jin Guangshan’s arms, who was hissing and rowling at anyone who got too close.

“Baba…” Jin Zixuan tried again, only to be hissed at. “A-Yao wants to go see his mate; you need to let him go.”

Another hiss, before Jin Guangshan was trying to cover Meng Yao again, the Omega had to pull the blanket down each time to at least have his face uncovered.

He wasn’t sure what this was about, the mummering about a baby, yet he wasn’t sure if the Beta was referring to him or the baby he was carrying. Just that when he woke up, he had a confusing moment wondering why his Father had suddenly panicked with him trying to leave.

First ignored, and now he was unable to break free from his hold. Each time he tried, he was pulled back or held on tighter. When his brother returned, confused about what was going on, it got worse. He heard something about Alphas, a mummering panic fear in Beta’s voice.

Whatever it was, he was suddenly enveloped in a large blanket, as if he were being hidden. At least now he was sitting up. The situation got worse when Wen Qing returned. She approached the nest only to have one of the pillows being chucked at her.

She backed up, looking him over. She seemed to understand what was happening to the point where she was trying to figure out how they’d be able to calm him down enough to get him to understand that Lan Furen was not a baby, and what he was probably reacting to was that Meng Yao was pregnant.

Wen Ruohan showed up to collect Meng Yao. He had fewer concerns for the Beta since he was only there to get what would make his own Omega happy. Reaching for Meng Yao, he was going to go for the Beta to let go, when he screamed, shoving at Wen Ruohan.

The Wen siblings almost had a heart attack. Wen Ruohan kept control of his scent because he didn’t want to hurt A-Huan’s mate, as he looked over the Beta, who was trying to stuff the Omega back into the blanket.

“Sect Leader Wen, stop!” Jin Zixuan rushed over. “A lot happened, and it was…”

“It was what?”

Jin Zixuan hesitated and then asked them to step aside. Wen Ruohan let it be for a few minutes. He listened to what the young Alpha had to say about his discoveries. Well, the abuse the Beta went through wasn’t a secret. It was hardly one outside the Jin Tower, so he was impressed that Jin Guangshan kept this from his son.

Or maybe Jin Zixuan was that thick-headed.

In either case, he was not dealing with this, so he left to tell Lan Qiren, but took Wen Ning. He was hoping that maybe an Omega could calm Lan Xichen should he wake up.

Instead, he should have known, Lan Qiren ordered a servant to wait with Lan Xichen while he took care of things. When Ruohan almost laughed at how he watched his mate waddling on a mission.

When they returned to the room, Jin Zixuan was holding his hand close, while his wife was checking it. There was two bite marks on his hand, and he looked like he was trying not to let it bother him.

“What happened?”

“He bit me,” Jin Zixuan tried not to sound like an offended child. “Twice!”

“I told you not to get too close,” Yanli soothed, gently rubbing her hand while her mate was pouting. “It’ll heal quickly.”

Humming Lan Qiren went over to look at the situation. From what he knew, what he was told, what the Beta had told him, from the bruising he could see on Jin Guangshan, it wasn’t hard to paint a picture.

Walking closer, he stopped when the Beta hissed at him. Lingering there for a moment, he took another step closer, slowly, only moving each time Jin Guangshan relaxed.

Slowly, he made it to the start of the nest. He let out his scent slowly, trying to see if the Beta would recognize it because the look in his eyes told him he wasn’t registering who was who.

Jin Zixuan stayed back, but he was straining to listen. He tensed seeing Lan Qiren get a foot into the nest, waited a bit, then got the other foot in. Luckily, the nest had plenty of things in it, so much so that he was able to slowly slide down to sit comfortably.

“Can you let Lan Furen up?”

The confused look on Jin Guangshan’s face had Lan Qiren pause. He looked at Meng Yao who shrugged, he was just stuck, confused because he just wanted to go see his mate.

“Who do you have there?” He asked as casually as possible.

There was a pause. “A baby.”

“A baby?” Lan Qiren's tone wasn’t condescending, more curious. “Who’s baby?”

“Mine.”

“How old is your baby?”

To that, Jin Guangshan frowned in confusion, as if he couldn’t remember or recall. He shook his head, trying to remember. He laid his head on top of the baby’s head.

“….Just over one,” He whispered. “And then… older.”

Lan Qiren reached over very slowly. For a moment, everyone thought he was going to try to pull Meng Yao out, but instead, he put his hands on the Beta’s shoulders.

“Do you remember why the baby is older?” He asked. “What did you tell me in the Garden not so long ago?”

Jin Zixuan frowned, stepping slowly closer. He was trying to inch like the Grandmaster had done, only going slower because he didn’t want to get bitten again!

Wen Ruohan stood back.

He knew Lan Qiren didn’t need his help.

Meng Yao was listening to everyone while looking up between them. He severely lacked information, something he hated, but was paying close attention. He also wanted out of this blanket!

“She’s going to be so mad if she finds out,” Jin Guangshan whispered to him. “She wants more Alphas,”

“Do you still have herbs?”

“…I think so.” It took a long moment before he nodded. “I take them each night,”

“Then you will never have one,” Lan Qiren leaned a little closer, slowly moving his hands down to place them over the Beta’s, who was still clutching onto A-Yao. He whispered softly, so low that it was hard for anyone to hear, aside from Jin Zixuan, who was still drawing closer. “You saved the baby. What you threw in the fire was meat, the baby was smuggled out in a chest, the blood was yours.”

“She threw him in the fire,”

“He’s right here,” Lan Qiren moved his hands to pull the Beta’s up to touch A-Yao’s head. “Alive. Fully grown, married to my nephew, and have a child of his own on the way.”

“Alive…”

“Alive,” Seeing a chance when the Beta relaxed a little, he moved his hands up a bit to have Jin Guangshan feel along the young Omega’s collar. “See? He’s alright and has a mate who loves him.”

The memories started to fall back into order. The confusion of the past mixed with the present untangled slowly. Head lowering as the stress started to leave, Lan Qiren moved to put the Beta’s hands on the end of his sleeves like when they were children.

This let Jin Guangshan have an anchor while Meng Yao was able to be pulled out of the blanket cocoon he had been wrapped in. Once free, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get up on his own.

Jin Zixuan moved to help slowly. He froze when his Baba looked at him suddenly. The fear in his eyes caused bile to jump to his throat, and the scent burned his nose.

“It’s not her!” Lan Qiren grabbed onto Jin Guangshan. “That’s your son, Jin Zixuan, he’s an Alpha, remember?”

Not her?

His mother…

Pulling his scent in as much as possible, he helped Meng Yao up carefully, leading him away, listening while Lan Qiren whispered words to his Baba, pressing their foreheads together. He got A-Yao to Wen Ning, and the Omegas left the room.

“It wasn’t real?” Jin Guangshan asked in a whisper. “It felt real,”

“It wasn’t real,” Lan Qiren whispered back. “It was a pillow, a blanket, but I swear to you it wasn’t a real baby,”

Jin Zixuan had to stand there listening to Lan Qiren assure his Baba that the memory of killing a baby wasn’t real, that it was his mind trying to cope with everything. Nausea bubbled in his stomach.

Whispers of things between them until Jin Guangshan had tears just falling, shifting sideways to fall into Lan Qiren’s arms, the Omega hugging him, soothing him.

There was a time when they were younger.

Before all politics, before arranged marriages, back when they were children attending conferences, enjoying the events after the meetings, where the five of them would always be together.

Back there, when Wen Ruohan wasn’t holding all the Clans to his desires, when he was more inclined to impress Lan Qiren, who wasn’t as serious, he even smiled often. When Nie Yuzu only battled while trying to outdo the other clans in a beast prize for cooking, while Jin Guangshan could wander freely with them due to his birth order, and back when Jiang Fengmian wasn’t scared of anything.

The laughter they shared is no more.

Now it was broken strings that clung to a long-forgotten instrument's strings.

There was a time when they were children until they weren’t.

Turning on his heels Jin Zixuan needed air, he left fists balled up, pissed off, growling unable to think or do anything to help. The look of fear kept replaying in his mind when he noticed his Father’s old servant, who was waiting nearby, bowing to him.

“…Come here!” Jin Zixuan called, then looked around, and pulled him into an empty room. The servant was shaking. “How long have you attended my Baba?”

“This old one has been attending since Sect Leader Jin was a babe, my Lord.”

“I have questions; you need to tell me all you know.” Jin Zixuan felt his stomach gurgling in protest; his mind screamed at him to ignore it because whatever was going to be spoken of could never be unheard. “Don’t leave anything out.”

--

The Lan Elders were nervous.

With events over, the heir being attacked was no small matter. They had gathered to think of what to do when their Leader killed the Alpha, who had been dragged in by the Sect Leader Nie.

Commotion over what happened was now an issue of waiting to find out if the Beta had been taken against his will. If so, what would have happened if he had taken the child?

They had gathered what information they had been waiting for. The waiting was the worst part. Amongst them were the former Clan Leader and his brother, who had once run the Clan until Qingheng-Jun became of age.

A tempered Alpha that no matter what or how handled never seemed to ease that hunger for power, nor his wants for control. Even the secondborn, though an Omega, had soared amongst the others.

When training was completed years ahead, presented for the chance at a Grandmaster long before he became of age, Lan Qiren had stunned not only the Lan Clan but the cultivation world.

Enough to gain full attention from the Wen Clan's third-born son, Wen Ruohan. It might have been unrelated, but over the course of a few years, once the Alpha realized he’d not have a chance to wed Lan Qiren due to their birth roles, the two older and younger brothers mysteriously died in suspicious circumstances.

Even the Wen Clan Leader met a fate when he spoke at the conference, as he wasn’t too fond of Lan Qiren being part of the Wen Clan. The now heir to the Clan hadn’t moved his head, but his eyes snapped sideways to look at his Father in a breath longer than three seconds before he turned back.

The Death of the Wen Clan Leader came at the same time as a marriage contract and proposal for Lan Qiren.

Trails had been set for Wen Ruohan to prove, which was ridiculous; the mate seemed to be well. Lan Qiren had often shown interest in the Alpha, and the new Leader had not only succeeded far beyond what they thought.

Lan Yuqui, who had birthed his sons, his mate long passed due to a powerful demon, had seen that nothing was going to stop Wen Ruohan from getting his goal.

Even to the point where there was worry about a war to secure it. So he approached his youngest son to ask what he wanted. Less than surprised that Lan Qiren wanted the marriage, even had an entire scroll written out, along with a simple reminder that he was in love.

With a smile, he granted it.

The Wedding was to be set between the clans, and since his son was to be Wen Furn, it was held, of course, in the Qishan Wen Clan. They lacked nothing at the wedding; a Grand Gesture was more than that.

In the years of waiting to come of age for Lan Qiren at twenty, other tragedies occurred, such as the Clans arranging marriages that, from afar, foretold disaster, while the main Wedding that took place was memorable.

There was no such thing as a small celebration to the Wens. Grand was the only word they had because there was no other word to compare it to. It wasn’t until a year had passed that Lan Qiren went to the Wen Clan that issues arose.

No news of a pregnancy came.

What came was a scandal that caused an issue with the Lan Clan because Qingheng-Jun suddenly became obsessed with a Rouge Cultivator, dragging her back to an outroar of them against this.

Until he claimed she killed his Teacher, forced her into marriage despite the Elders ' opposition, but in that moment, something in the Alpha changed; he disregarded their sayings, and when a few of them stood up to them, they met their demise.

While his wife, a prisoner, was kept locked up the buried several Elders that day, a letter was sent to out quickly. It only took a day before Lan Qiren returned to argue with his brother.

It was one of the first times they clashed with one another with their swords. In their childhood, there were fights, all of which Qingheng-Jun had struck first or caused the upset.

What made this one different was their weapons involved. Once it settled, Lan Qiren stayed for a short while trying to regain his brother. It was no secret that the Sect ran smoothly with the two of them.

Qingheng-Jun saw Lan Qiren as a part of him.

One of which should never have been allowed to leave. When Lan Qiren returned to his married home, the Alpha had thrown a fit. There were several upsets in the Clan, and every couple of months, Lan Qiren would return to soothe it out.

Lan Yuqui knew it was wise not to challenge his son to retake the Clan. How easily the rage he had to overthrow him was terrifying. Within the next few years, two children were born to Lan Furen, who remained locked away.

The birth of the Heir had been exciting. For the entire wait for Lan Xichen to be born had soothed out something in Qingheng-Jun. He was sure the child would be an Alpha.

When the baby was born a Beta, the Alpha had nearly killed his wife, where she lay worn just out of birth. Lan Qiren had come for the birth, not out of joy, but to tell them he suspected that his brother put too much faith in his genes to have an Alpha child.

In seconds, Lan Qiren pulled him off, the two fighting in rage. A Grandmaster Omega fought him until the Alpha had to move away because, as rage-filled as he was, Omega’s rage to protect a child was stronger.

Lan Qiren stayed a year to care for the baby, fighting for once-a-month visits to Lan Fure, arriving as early as possible and leaving as late as he could manage.

When he tried to find someone to care for Lan Xichen, no one was good enough, so Lan Qiren stayed until Wen Ruohan had appeared with his Jade Token, walked right in with no regard for anyone or anything, just that he wanted his mate.

There was a lot of back and forth until Qingheng-Jun agreed to let him take the one-year-old back to the Wen Clan for a while. So, with a baby in tow, they left with trips back for the Heir of the Lan Clan to spend time with family.

Almost three years later, Madam Lan was pregnant again. This new child was born an Alpha, but he made no noise. Not even a sound to but the Healers claimed he was healthy, strong, just… quiet.

Qingheng-Jun was furious.

Again, Lan Qiren stayed, caring for the broth children. Madam Lan never had another child. A blessing truly, because they all believed the children that were born did not deserve the anger their Father had.

The room grew heavier with each moment that passed, waiting to hear what happened with Lan Xichen. Everyone was increasingly feeling the anxiety about what fury the Clan Leader would be in; well, they hoped it wouldn’t be too much.

The door slammed open, causing most of the elderly people to jump and gasp. He looked furious, standing in the doorway as if keeping them from leaving, which he might as well have been.

It was Lan Yuqui who stepped forward; his brother, Lan Yimin, followed, while the others stood waiting, unsure. The Alpha’s scent was already demanding, uncaring of whether anyone was being affected by it.

“How is Lan Xichen?” He asked his son. “Is everything well?”

“Where is Lan Fa?!” He growled, snarling as he looked around. He spotted the lower clan member who was shaking, shrinking back, a lower-ranked Omega who often helped with new babies and parents. “Come here!”

The Omega whimpered, but moved forward slowly until close enough to bow properly. Growling Qingheng-Jun grabbed him by the hair, yanking him closer, while the elder yelped in pain.

“Qingheng-Jun!”

“Be silent!” He flared his scent as his Father and Uncle backed down in pain. Then turned back. “I will speak with you privately!”

“Speak with him for what?!” A hiss rang out, everyone gasped for a second time, the door was open still, and there in the light was Lan Qiren, behind him was Wen Xu and Wen Chao, the Alphas at his side, teeth bared, nose twitching. “Is this out of anger?!”

“Hmph!” He shoved him hard, and he fell into the arms of others, not that Qingheng-Jun cared. “What are you doing here?! And when are the allowed in my Clan’s chambers!”

“We go with Wen Furen.” Wen Xu growled. “And this is his birth clan, is it not?”

“Lan Qiren,”

“Father, Uncle,” He bowed. “I’ve come with news, unless Brother has already shared it?”

The glare was enough.

“…Lan Xichen is bruised; there was no penetration.” The entire clan relaxed at that. “He’s on bed rest for a short while.”

“Has his mate been informed?”

“He is at the moment,” Nodding Lan Qiren paused. “Qingheng-Jun, since the meetings are cancelled, I believe it would be best if we speak with Clan Leader Chen together.”

There was a beat before he gruffed. “I have things to deal with. Why don’t you set it up, and I shall meet you in the main hall in an hour?”

With that, the Alpha left. Wen Chao bristled at the disrespect, but was stopped when a hand was held to stop him. Looking at his Baba, he backed off, crossing his arms.

“Now, what has happened?” Lan Qiren asked, walking over to them. “Do not leave anything out,”

“I was asked by my Lord to bring tea to the Wen Sect Table,” The Omega bowed to him. “There was tea for each person,”

“I remember that,” Wen Xu had only stayed, but he didn’t like the taste of Lavender tea, then he realized. “I asked you to give it to someone else.”

“Yes, My Lord and I did not want it to go to waste.” He trembled. “I fear that Sect Lan saw it as an insult.”

Lan Qiren hummed. “Who did you give it to?”

“I gave it to a servant who said they knew who loved Lavender tea, but I know not where it went,” He sobbed. “I fear he will not be happy with me for a long time.”

“He will get over it,” Lan Qiren sighed. “Tell me, Father… how bad is it?”

“A-Ren,”

“Ah,” Lan Qiren nodded, feeling the exhaustion more than the worn sound in his voice. “Worse than I thought,”

--

Paper-Wei held on tightly.

How horrible that his Father-In-Law attacked the Elders! He was disgusted. They moved quickly down the path. He thought they’d head towards the Chen clan, and it seemed like they would until the man turned suddenly.

Holding on tightly, he scrambled to hide under the long hair because he realized they were going down the Jiang Cheng Clan hall. It seemed to be alive with talk about what happened.

Qingheng-Jun was walking down the hall, headed towards the Clan Leader’s room, when Jiang Fengmian was spotted walking with his son, who looked to be in a sour mood, deeply upset.

“They might redo the race tomorrow.” Was heard from the Omega. “And there rare more to be had.”

“I know, it's stupid that I’m mad about it,” Jiang Cheng huffed. “Worse things happened today-”

“Sect Leader Jiang.”

Tensing Jiang Fengmian turned around. “Sect Leader Lan,”

“Where is Madam Yu?”

“I… do not know,” Jiang Fengmian took a moment. “Is everything well with your son?”

“Fine.” He frowned. “Where is she?”

Nose scrunching up, Jiang Cheng didn’t like the way the Lan Leader was speaking to his Baba. He didn’t like the way he looked around, dismissing him easily like the Omega wasn’t worth his time.

“I just told you…”

“Why do you need my Mother?” Jiang Cheng asked, stepping in front of his Baba, head held high. He was to take over eventually. “Perhaps I can help.”

Wei Wuxian was proud of him but tried not to get caught while he held on.

Qingheng-Jun gave him a cold look. Jiang Cheng didn’t back down; he stared back at him, arms crossed. There was an almost choking silence when he looked passed him.

“Madam Yu.”

Jumping Jiang Cheng turned to see his mother heading their way. She had a deeper frown, a look they couldn’t understand, but as quick as it was on her face, it was gone.

“Qingheng-Jun.” She greeted him. “What is it?”

“We must speak.”

“Of course,” She took a pause, looking at her mate, who was avoiding her gaze, eyes on the floor. She made a face. “Go to our room.”

Jiang Cheng almost growled at her. He kept it back then and offered to walk him back to his room. He made an excuse that he was going to visit some of the disciples who were further down.

As the two left Wei Wuxian saw Jiang Cheng enter the room with him. The walk seemed to last longer than he thought, and they met up with none other than Madam Jin.

Who looked horrible!

Wei Wuxian knew she was a skilled Cultavaor; she had to be! When she was chosen as a candidate for marriage, he heard they put the Alphas through hell to prove them worthy.

Now she was there in a private room, ice to her bruised eye, lip busted, hair down, but he swore there was a patch missing. She had scratches on her that had been patched up, and with healing nearly gone, but the end of it remained.

“Another setback?” She spat. “Some plan.”

“Better than you,” Qingheng-Jun grunted. “I told you before, silencing spells work for when you need to discipline and Omega.”

If Wei Wuxian could shiver, he would have. She growled, looking up at him from where she sat. Oh, yikes, that eye looked bad! He wondered what the hell happened when Madam Yu spoke.

“I can’t believe Jin Zixuan attacked you,”

What?!

“It's hard to sever the bond from a parent and child,” Qingheng-Jun scoffed next, then smirked. “Perhaps you should keep yours locked away.”

“Like that worked so well for you,” She snapped. “No, I’ll let him calm down. After all, he reacted on instinct.”

“You shouldn’t let them bond. I told you that it was a bad idea,” Madam Yu looked around. “It's why I kept my children from spending much time with them.”

“No, you just keep your mate on a tight leash,” Madam Jin rolled her eyes. “And yet only two children,”

“You have one.” She took a moment, sniffing the air. “This place is too big, too crowded with people; we must take a step back.”

Step back from what?

Paper Wei was listening.

The conversation fell into a disgusting conversation how the best way to keep a room silent while torturing anyone. It twisted his stomach. Wei Wuxian wondered why they were talking about this unless this was what their normal talks were about.

“And what are you going to do with the bitch’s child?” Madam Jin spoke. “A bastard’s child as Heir to the Lan Clan? How improper.”

“Don’t worry, once this conference is over, and we are back in my Sec,t I shall take care of it,”

What?!

What were they planning to do to A-Yao?! Wei Wuxian panicked. He knew that they didn’t like him; hell, they didn’t like anyone who was born lower than the Great Sects! Which was ironic for two of them!

“Are you sure you’ll be able to get rid of it?” Madam Jin glared. “And that little whore too.”

“I can handle it, after all, there will be no one there to stop me.” He frowned. “For now, we’ll pause our plans here.”

“Agreed.”

Madam Yu stood sniffing the air, then her eyes snapped towards Qingheng-Jun.

“Turn around.” She spoke.

Shit!

Wei Wuxian was gonna get caught!

Quickly, he moved down the stairs when the Alpha demanded why he should listen to her, slipping down and managing to slide out the door. Quickly hiding in the room next door, he let the Paper-Wei go stiff.

Jolting awake in his body, safe in his husband’s arms, he lay there for a second while reeling at what was planned.

They were going to kill the heir to the Clan and A-Yao.