Noah didn't see it was coming. He really never hoped to hear that thing again in his life.
They were in the living room. The twins, Owen and Esmin, were already in bed. Normally, Kayden should also be in bed at this time but today he had training with Jace. So, he had to finish his homework now. Noah was sitting at the low table in the living room, helping Kayden with his math homework, while Jace and Levi sat on the couch, cutting some fruits.
They all talked about random things while Kayden finished homework with Noah.
They moved from all topics, from the upcoming football match at Levi's school and his training with Yoongi as the heir of the commander of Midnight Warriors to Kayden's training. Noah went back to the kitchen to prepare some tea and hot chocolate for them before bed while half paying attention to what was going on in the living room.
Noah knew there were new disturbances occurring within the supernatural world, and Levi was helping Jace with them along with Jace's council. Kayden was so very eager to learn about these things because he had a lot of pent-up energy to get involved with all this. But Jace wanted Kayden to be more trained before getting involved with this situation, and Noah also agreed with him. He didn't want to put his baby boy in any dangerous situations, no matter how powerful he was.
"Oh... I forgot to say something."
Jace exclaimed suddenly. He couldn't believe he had forgotten to tell them this. He had been looking forward to this whole day, but with Kaydan's training, it had slipped from his mind.
"What is dad?"
Levi paid more attention from the book he had been reading, while Kayden also looked up from his math book.
"We are going to have a visitor."
Jace said. His voice was loud enough to be heard from the kitchen counter.
"Visitor, who is that?"
Levi questioned his curiosity.
"Not just a visitor." Jace replied. "He is coming to form an alliance. He oversees this disturbance going on. So, he offered to come visit our pack. And I thought you all would be very interested in him."
"Why we would be interested? Is that someone we know?"
Levi couldn't think about who that might be.
"You have heard about him. There were lots of stories about him. He is not often coming to the mortal realm."
Jace said with a glint in his eyes. He knew his family was going to love this guest.
"Mortal realm. Was he not from here?"
Levi questioned.
"Is he an angel?"
Kayden suddenly picked up on his father's hint. Levi also gasped at the sudden realization. They had rarely met any angels in the mortal realm. Besides their mother, Noah, they never met an angel. Kayden was really excited to meet with an angel, being himself a half-angel.
"Yeah, he is an angel."
Jace confirmed. He knew his children were really excited to meet another angel other than his mate. This could be a great chance for them to get to know more about their kind. And he hoped Noah would also prefer to interact with his own kind.
"Really." Kayden squealed with happiness. He didn't know how his dad forgot to mention this great news until now. This was the greatest thing that happened to him all day.
"Who is he?" Levi was also eager to find out.
Jace was no longer able to hold on to this exciting news. So, he dropped the bomb.
"The leader of warrior angels, Percival Ernwood."
"CRACK!"
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the living room.
All three alphas stood alarmed, forgetting all excitement. They met up with an omega who stood at the living room entrance with shattered glasses on his feet.
"Petal!"
Jace immediately ran to his mate to make sure he was okay. The tea and hot chocolate were streaming, and they had splashed on angel's bare feet along with pieces of shattered glasses.
"What did you say? Who is going to visit?"
Noah asked in a low voice, not paying any attention to his feet.
"Petal, your feet!" Jace exclaimed, trying to grab Noah to prevent more damage. But Noah didn't let him. He moved away, looking at him.
"Petal."
Jace screamed again, noticing his mate stepped into broken glasses.
"Who? Said that name again!" This time, Noah's voice was loud enough to grab everyone's attention.
Only then did Jace notice the strange expression on his mate's face. Noah's face was white as paper as if he had seen a ghost. His blue pupils widened from the shock, and his expression was like he was not really here at this moment. His usual sweet and fresh floral mixed honey and vanilla scent turned to a burned, withered one. Jace had never seen that kind of expression on his mate's face.
"Percival Ernwood. I got a notice saying he wishes to visit our pack."
Jace repeated what he had been saying. If Jace thought Noah's expression couldn't turn paler, he was wrong. It was like Jace's answer had drained every single drop of blood from omega.
"No! This couldn't happen."
Noah murmured to himself. But his voice was loud enough for three alphas ears. Jace didn't know what was going on. But he didn't need to be a genius to find out that his mate was suffering from a panic attack.
"Hey. Petal. Listen."
Jace tried to calm down the distress omega.
"No, no, no."
Omega murmured, moving. He avoided Jace's arms and ran out of the living room, not minding the glasses that cut through his feet as he stepped on them. Everyone was shocked by what happened so suddenly, but Jace didn't delay running after the panicked omega.
It didn't take much time for Jace to find out. He had followed the blood trail on the floor and the withered smell of flowers.
The trail of scent led him to the door behind which laid the stairwell to the rooftop, where their private pool had been located. He wrenched the door open and took two steps at a time in his haste to find his husband, whom he knew, just by the ache in his mating mark alone, must be suffering and hurting so badly.
"Petal! Petal, please! Are you here?"
He yelled as soon as he reached the top floor of their home. There was the pool, calm but still, and there was no soul there. There have been no sightings of Noah, but Jace knows he was there somewhere. He could smell him, sweet as candied honey, and vanilla, and beneath that heady fragrance was the undeniable rotten stench of distress. It clawed at him and did nothing to stop the erratic beating of his heart.
His eye caught the trail of bloody footprints on the floor that led to the only place where Noah could be hiding. He didn't hesitate to rush over there, trying to calm down his own wolf, who was screaming to get his distressed mate. The scent was stronger there, and as he neared the small storage room where their swim rings and floaties were kept, he could almost feel the fragrance greeting him and enveloping him in its clutches.
He pushed open the door, and there, in a corner of the room, squeezed between two storage racks, sat Noah. He was sitting with his knees drawn tight to his chest and his back to the wall, curling on the corner of the floor. Jace slowly approached, minding not to scare the already panicked omega.
Noah was sitting on the floor with his legs tucked under his chin, curling into a ball, trying to appear smaller. There were tears streaming down from his eyes as he shook uncontrollably. He seemed to be unable to see anything as his eyes looked into something not present there. and his breath was accelerating as he struggled to get air.
"Hey, love."
Jace approached, releasing calming pheromones.
Jace was really shocked to see his strong mate in a state like this. Noah had always been a strong, independent omega. He was really powerful and a great Luna for the whole pack. He was always able to stand side by side with alpha and even fight alongside him in all of his battles. Noah was a great healer and a great warrior. On top of that, he is a great husband and mother. So, seeing his strong mate in a state like that brought pain to Jace's heart that he couldn't describe with words. He wanted to destroy everyone who caused omega's pain. But before that, he needed to get Noah out of his panic state.
"Hey love, are you okay?" Jace's voice was gentle, not trying to panic an already distressed omega.
But Noah was beyond control with his panic-shaken state.
"No! No, please, please don't hurt me. Please, I promise I'll be good," Noah started to beg. "I won't try anything, I promise. Please,"
"Petal, it's me. Can't you see?"
Jace's reasoning was cut off by Noah getting even more panicked and screaming and begging all at once so he wouldn't be hurt. Jace had been walking closer in an attempt to get Noah to see who he was. The light in the storage room was off, the only source of light being the one coming from the open door, and since his back was to it, Jace guessed he was nothing but a large shadow looming over Noah right now.
The alpha now stood just a meter away from the omega and kneeled down instead of getting any closer, saying, "Petal, it's me. I'm Jace, your Jace, remember? I'm your alpha, Petal; please let me take you home."
"You're going to h-h-hurt me!"
"No, no, angel, I'm not going to do anything like that." Jace was trying hard to maintain his level of calmness to avoid his voice cracking. "I'm going to take you downstairs to your nest. You'll be safe there. No one is going to hurt you there."
Jace's heart broke seeing his mate's state. He didn't know what triggered this response in his mate, but this side was something that he never saw in omega.
Instead of an answer, Jace got nothing. Noah was trembling. His smell was coming off in waves of withered flowers and soured honey- vanilla mixed with the metallic scent of his blood, making Jace's wolf howl. He emitted a huge wave of comforting pheromones, closing the gap between omega and him.
But as he got closer, Noah began to hyperventilate more.
"Don't. Please, I will be good. Don't hurt me. Please."
Noah's pleading increased as he was trapped in some memory. Jace didn't really know what to do, but he started to listen to his instincts.
Ignoring omega's painful begs, Jace closed enough to grab Noah's hands. He slowly raised his hand, emitting pheromones. The strong, warm sandalwood scent filled the small room, overpowering withered flowers and soured honey-vanilla.
Noah screamed, trying to release his hands from alpha's grip, but not letting it happen, Jace pulled the smaller one onto his lap. With his arms around Noah's waist, he pulled his husband against him and ignored the cries and yelps from the younger, who was thrashing around as if his life depended on it.
"Petal, Love, please calm down. It's me, Petal." Jace held his mate with a tight grip. He adjusted omega, letting Noah's nose bury itself in his neck, where his scent was strongest. He emitted more pheromones to let omega's cloudy mind realize, that he was safe now. "It's me. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm your alpha, angel. Please listen to me."
Jace kept holding silver-haired rubbed his back, soothing him, and said reassuring words to get him to calm down. Then he gently rocked them back and forth, like he had done countless times with his pups when they were distressed. He didn't know how long that had been. But he slowly felt all the fight left from smaller one's body. He felt Noah taking deep breaths as his whole form let go of alpha's holding. There were still tears streaming down his face, but he seemed to have cleared his mind.
"Petal.."
Jace slowly called, still rubbing soothing cycles on his mate's back.
"Hmm..."
Noah hummed, snuggling closer to Jace, trying to get his scent. Jace slowly rubbed his scent gland along omega's neck, scenting him and providing much-needed safety. They sat there for a while until Noah got fully calm. Once Jace was sure Noah's mind was fully clear, he slowly stood up, carrying the smaller one in his arms in bridal style.
Noah threw his arms around Jace's neck, borrowing his face from alpha's neck. Jace slowly exited the storeroom, holding Noah carefully in his arms. For his age, Noah was really light-weight, and it seemed like he hadn't gained much weight since Esmin's birth. Huge worry filled Jace's mind when he noticed how light-weighted his mate was. He should take more care of his mate.
When he exited the storeroom, he noticed the two figures sitting by the pool, waiting for them. He recognized the worried faces of his two sons. He figured they had been waiting for them here the whole time with the worry of their mother. So, he gave a reassuring smile to let her know things were okay now. They became relaxed with their father's gesturing and slowly followed alpha back without saying anything. Jace went straight to their bedroom to put his mate on their bed.
Jace placed omega, who was still in a daze, softly on his nest. Noah's scent was still sour, and his face was pale with stress. Jace frowned, noticing his bleeding feet as he adjusted the blankets around him. He needed to stop bleeding. As he was thinking about getting the medicine box, there was a light knock on their door. Jace stood from bed to answer the door. Noah whimpered as he lost contact with his mate, but Jace rubbed his arms to calm him down. Then he quickly walked towards the door to see who was there.
It was Levi who was standing by the door holding a tray with a water bowl, clean towels, and a first aid box. Jace was pleased with his son's thoughtfulness.
"How was he?"
Levi asked, handing them to Jace.
"He is calm now. Thanks." Jace took them. "Can you put Kayden to bed?"
"I can. Don't worry. Take care of mom."
Then his eldest son said goodbye and left. Jace relaxed, knowing both of his eldest were mature enough to take care of themselves. He had to take care of his mate.
When he returned to the omega, he was lying on the nest as he left him there. His eyes were on a wall, with a blank glance seeming to be in deep thought. Hearing Jace's footsteps, his glance moved to alpha but he didn't say anything.
Jace sat beside angel's feet and carefully took his bleeding feet on his lap, placing a tray on the bed beside him. He frowned, noticing blood on his pale feet. He carefully wet a towel with water and started to clean blood from his mate's feet.
At first, Noah flinched with the sudden cold feeling, but as he got used to it, he relaxed slowly. When the blood was cleaned, Jace noticed there were not only cuts from glass shards but also a few burn marks from hot drinks. Fortunately, there was an ointment for burning in the first aid box, along with an ointment for cuts. He applied them gently to both burns and cuts and wrapped his mate's soft feet with a bandage gently so as not to cause more pain.
Especially omega's feet were more sensitive. Every omega was quite careful about their feet. So, seeing those cuts and burns on his omega's feet made his heartache. He never liked seeing his mate's pain.
"I'm sorry."
His mate's small voice reached Jace's ears as he covered Noah with a blanket.
"For what."
Jace sat beside the silver-haired, looking at his face. His face was pale, and there was still a hunting look in his eyes. His fingers still shook slightly.
"For being like that."
Noah's voice was too small. And he didn't meet alpha's eyes.
"Hey. Don't apologize for that." Jace ran his fingers through omega's ivory locks. "I don't know what caused that panic attack, but it was not your fault, baby."
Noah's eyes filled with tears upon hearing his mate's calm voice. He didn't think he deserved a mate like Jace.
Jace noticed how Noah was still distressed. He slowly got on the bed and lay beside omega, taking his small form into his embrace.
"Shh... It is okay. I promise." Jace rubbed soothing cycles on his back, rubbing his nose on his scent gland. "You are safe now. Alpha is here. No one is going to hurt you."
Scenting helped. Noah slowly became relaxed in alpha's arms, and slowly he fell into sleep within the safety of his mate's arms.
Jace continued rubbing cycles on his mate's back, listening to his soft, even breathing. He glanced at the beautiful omega lying in his arms. His long, silver hair covered half of his face, and his long eyelashes damped with tears. Dark cycles started to form under his eyes due to all the stress omega had been under, and there was a very tired look on his face. Even though he still managed to look most beautiful angel to alpha's eyes with his pouty lips, rosy cheeks, and crescent moon eyes.
Jace's memory flew back to the first time he met this angelic being.
***
When Rayan reminded him that he needed to go home, he was annoyed. And the fact that I needed him at home made him more annoying.
Today was the day his fiancé was visiting.
The fiancé he had never seen before.
Well, Jace knew from childhood that he was engaged to his parents' friend's son. In his early days, he protested and rebelled against it. But with time, he accepted it with one condition.
He wanted time to get to know his mate before courting.
He really didn't want to court a stranger. Especially when that stranger wasn't his destined mate.
But his conditions all flew out the window when his father died suddenly, making him the next king of the mortal realm.
And according to the laws, he needed to be married within two years. So that means he didn't have time to get to know his fiancé because their courting tradition took a year.
It was understandable to say Jace was frustrated.
So, he didn't actually feel sorry when he apologized for coming late.
But then he met those mesmerizing blue orbs.
Jace knew his fiancé was an angel. That was why, in the first place, his parents arranged this marriage. Angels were strong supernatural beings with great powers, and they were great warriors. So having an angel as his mate could strengthen his power, and he could also have strong heirs since angel might be strong enough to bear a powerful child.
But Jace wasn't ready to meet this.
He knew angels had angelic beauty. By hanging out with his angel friend, he personally knew it in the first place. But this. Jace simply didn't have words to describe it. Because words weren't enough.
The creature that sat in front of him was ethereal.
His clear skin looked porcelain smooth as white as the morning snow, and there was a golden effect to it. There were traces of fine red veins illuminated under his glowing thin skin, made visible under the evening sun.
His features were strikingly beautiful. His face was truly a treasure to behold. A defined jaw, a strong brow, a straight, regal nose, and rosy cheeks. His mouth was plush and flushed a sweet coral that might be natural, might be augmented with pigment. His lips, as rosy red as fresh petals, were plump and inviting.
His gorgeous silver-white long hair fell down his back like a stream of silver ribbons shining like molten silver in the sunlight. It shone like a sprinkling star dust adding more diving look into this ethereal beauty.
And when he met those blue orbs, he felt the whole world had stopped. They were a striking shade of piercing blue and held a depth that was both captivating and mysterious. They were framed by thick snowy lashes with outer corners curving elegantly downward. Their shape should lend themselves to a guileless, sweet look, and yet...and yet they held an unknown sadness.
It seemed like there was nothing in the world other than him and this beauty.
And then that divine aroma hit him.
A mixture of white flowers with sweet honey and vanilla. So soft and warm, like a floral field drenched in fresh morning dew. Cool and invigorating. It was as if the flowers themselves were embracing the dawn, rejuvenated after a restful night's sleep.
Most wonderfully he was able to detect every floral scent in that ethereal symphony of fragrances.
The first note he gasped was the delicate intoxicating sweetness of jasmine, which contained a sweet, delicate, and intensely floral aroma adding a sense of mystery and allure to the fragrance with a hint of warmth and sensuality. The jasmine notes were like a melodious harmony, weaving through the air like a thread of silver.
And there was lilac casting a subtle yet pervasive scent of nostalgia and elegance which was gentle yet captivating, evoking a sense of tranquility and beauty. It reminded him of childhood gardens and special moments that he spent in nature.
The lilac fragrance intertwined with that of the moonflowers' intoxicating aroma, casting a dreamlike state of tranquility. It carried a sense of coolness, like the gentle touch of a moonbeam, with a slightly creamy undertone, reminiscent of the moonlight's gentle glow.
Honeysuckle added a touch of playful sweetness to the medley emitting a scent that seemed to capture the very essence of carefree summer days. Amongst this symphony of white floral fragrances, the gardenia reigned as the queen. It exuded an opulent scent that was at once sensual and pure, captivating the senses of anyone who ventured nearby.
And then he detected the delicate notes of freesia, their fragrance like a gentle whisper carried on a breeze. Lily of the Valley contributed by filling the air with a fresh and invigorating aroma that felt like a rejuvenating breath. There was also a laurel adding a touch of sophistication to the symphony. It released a subtle scent that evoked memories of ancient myths and legends.
Sweet alyssum emitted a delicate and honeyed aroma that intertwined harmoniously with the surrounding fragrances. Magnolia radiated a luxurious and heady fragrance that could transport one to a realm of opulence and beauty. And there was a milky sweetness of baby breath which evoked feelings of warmth, comfort, and innocence.
But the fragrance mixture wasn't complete without the warm embrace of honey and vanilla. The scent of honey was like a thread connecting all the floral notes, adding a sweet richness that bound them together in a harmonious bouquet. Vanilla, too, had found its place amidst this. Its comforting and inviting scent wafted gently, weaving a sense of familiarity and warmth into the tapestry of aromas.
Not only Jace but also his wolf, Star was stunned and frozen on the spot by the overwhelming mixture of floral aromas. He never smelt something like that let alone an omega.
Then Star picked up what it was. With what he heard next, Jace's eyes widened.
'Mate.'
This angelic beauty in front of him was his destined mate.
The scent of the white flowers was an exquisite blend of purity and elegance, like the whisper of a secret. It held the promise of new beginnings, much like the first rays of dawn after a long night.
This was indeed destiny.
***
Omega looked so peaceful lying on his arms as if the previous panic attack had never happened.
This was the second time Jace had seen his mate in this much distress. First was Esmin's birth. In there, not only omega but also alpha were in high distress. It was a scene that haunted Jace even today.
Running his fingers through omega's silver strands, Jace started to think about what really happened. In one movement, they were talking, and in the next, the smaller man started to panic. He tried to focus back on their conversation to figure out what Noah's trigger was. He remembered he was talking about the notice he received today. Then he mentioned the leader of the warrior angel's visit.
Right, that! Then he mentioned Percival's name. That was it! The name! It was the one that triggered omega's panic attack.
Jace frowned, glancing the at sleeping man's face. His eyebrows narrowed, trying to figure out why that name caused such an extreme reaction from his mate. As Jace knew, even though Noah was an angel, he had very limited connection with his kind. The only angels they knew were Noah's parents, who had been living on Earth even beforeNoah was born. So, he didn't have any connections from there. So where?
Percival Ernwood was the current leader of the warrior angels and part of a royal family as the youngest brother of the current king of angels. Naymen Ernwood was the current king of angels and a close friend of Jace. Even though they hadn't met after Jace's marriage and Naymen's coronation, they had been in touch. Naymen was the one who proposed that Percival and Jace should work together to solve current problems on Earth. In addition to that, Jace thought it could be a good opportunity for their children to meet another angel.
But now he wasn't sure.