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Cale still remembered it. When he was thrust in this world without any direction save for a novel he read the day before. The novel was useful, largely so. It's unnecessarily detailed but useful narrative did help Cale out a lot.
Even when it ended up being useless afterwards, Cale still found it useful for its detailed positions and locations of items, which had helped not only him, but also his family and friends.
In normal times, Cale would be grateful for its existence. No, he was grateful for it. The problem was, for all it was extremely detailed, why in heaven's name did it not include this world was an omegaverse?!
Cale had never noticed it, no, he did. The oddity of when some people referred to themselves as Alpha, Beta or Omega. Or when someone would point out that his scent was too overwhelming and suffocating. Or even one time someone cheekily asked his if he was going to ever get an Omega.
Cale knew something was up, knew that he had missed something important in this world's setting. But by his habits, he ignored it and didn't spare a single brain cell of his to understand the situation.
And that worked, for a while. And by for a while, he meant the total duration of the war and Alberu's coronation as Emperor. A period of five years. Everything was smooth sailing, before then.
Then the topic that Cale had always ignored came to a degree he couldn't anymore, a degree where it was shoved right into his face. The moment when Alberu started courting him.
It had been a simple question. One that could be attributed to a child's curiosity. One that would have simply required him to give a perfunctory answer and be done with it.
But he just couldn't.
"Are you inclined to an Alpha Alpha relationship? I never thought you will be."
Cale was startled, the sickeningly sweet cookies he was munching on suddenly tasted worse than sand.
This was a question he had no answer to. This topic that he had always avoided came to bit him full bite in the ass.
Cale had always prided himself as a dignified reader, one who would read every genre as long as it was interesting enough to keep his interest. He had read romance, of every kind.
And he liked it. Cale wasn't a picky reader and romance proved to be quite the good read. So good to the point he deliberately dived into romance novel after romance novel until he encountered it, Omegaverse.
He read several works of it, each one wilder than the last. Cale was indeed not a picky reader but that had been too much for him. And that said a lot about those novels.
And so he knew exactly what On was talking about. From the get go, though he didn't think much about it, he knew the original Cale was likely an Alpha, in moments where his mind had wandered too much while bathing.
Cale was silent, avoiding On's questioning gaze when he didn't give an answer. Cale had never been happier he was alone with his children in his room than now.
"Dad, do you like the Cookie Prince a lot? Goldie Gramps said Alpha Alpha relationships are complicated!"
"Yes! Say, Dad, you like him a lot?"
The situation didn't get any better when Raon and Hong joined him, their questioning even more sharp.
The topic of whether he liked Alberu should be pushed to the side for the time being, and concentrate on the topic at hand.
"Well, Eruhaben-nim said Alpha Alpha relationships are complicated?"
Cale went on to ask, setting aside the plate of cookie. On watched him suspiciously, sitting upright as she replied before her younger brothers could.
"Yes, Dad. Everybody knows that an Alpha Alpha relationship would always have tensions that would likely lead to a break-up." On smiled, yet her gaze turned sharp. "Everybody knows that, did you not?"
"I did, of course." Cale smiled too, expression calm as he faced his daughter's sharp gaze, " I was just curious about Eruhaben-nim's perception of it. Nothing more."
A flawless answer. On sneered, but didn't press on for answers. In her experience, Cale was likely spewing bullshit and had no idea of it, but oh well, she would grant him this win.
"Then Dad are you going to accept his courting?" Raon asked again, clearly very enthusiastic about this topic, "If you do, then you will become the Empress!"
" Uh uh, Dad, what do you think?"
Cale's expression turned complicated, forcing a smile on his face, " I am still thinking about it."
This was a discussion he wouldn't have with his children ever again.
Okay, I have a pretty good idea of how it works now.
Cale leaned on his balcony's railing, calmly watching his children play downstairs, most of his family present. And even him, Alberu.
Cale's gaze flickered to him, watching the dark elf Alberu converse with the others, warm and familiar. The Emperor was dressed in casual clothes, fitting him like a glove while not concealing his magnetic charm.
As an Alpha, Alberu's every move was beauty itself, gathering attention even when not deliberately intending to. And even though the majority of Cale's family and friends were all Alphas, he still stood out effortlessly.
Cale looked away, not minding the way a burning gaze shifted to him immediately, settling just below his neck. If his heartbeat sped up for a split second before settling back into its usual rhythm, a brief spring of arousal, Cale didn't acknowledge it.
In his hand was a book, it's title a simple 'Everything To Know About An Alpha Alpha Relationship'. Imagine his surprise when he discovered that even though Alpha Alpha relationships were rare in this world, they weren't uncommon. To the point there were several books depicting it.
Proof was the pile of books piled up beside him. Cale had gotten them a few days ago and when his family asked him why he was reading such books, his only answer was,
"I need to learn more about it."
You would think Cale didn't have to look into these things when he already knew a lot about the Omegaverse. But from several novels he had read of it, the rules never stayed the same. There was always a deviation, a twist, something that would manage to make Cale be weirded out and he just hoped this world didn't have anything like so.
He really did.
While looking through it, turning pages after pages with increasing speed, he paused, gaze taking in a line neatly printed onto the crisp white paper.
'Studies and observations about Alpha Alpha relationships had proved a higher rate of sexual activities and fantasies than in other pairings.'
Pa.
Cale had enough, shutting the book close. He took a deep breath, gaze returning down to the people having fun below, eyes meeting his instantly. Alberu's eyes, a beautiful amber, were calm, too calm, watching Cale as if the most beautiful thing on the face of the earth.
Cale had no idea how he could see it so clearly, under all of the false calmness, the brewing worship in the Emperor's eyes when he stared at him.
His heartbeat spiked up again, racing for about 3 seconds before settling down once more into its calm pace. This time, Cale felt it much more than the last time, the arousal that wormed its way into his limbs, numbing them.
Oh damn, I am falling…
"What are you doing here?"
Eruhaben's questioning came off sharp, sharper than he intended. A normal person would have backed out, but Cale wasn't a normal person.
He had known Eruhaben for long enough to know that was just the way the Ancient Dragon communicated when someone would breach his peace. If being in a magic workshop full of research was anything regarded as peace.
Cale walked around the large and spacious workshop, or a laboratory depending on how you wanted to see it, taking in the myriad of magic stones and research papers piled up around the place.
"I am just here to ask you a question, Eruhaben-nim." Cale finally replied the Ancient Dragon after he took in the place, meeting golden eyes.
"What about?" Eruhaben set down the magic stone in his hand, facing Cale. It was an unusual scene for Cale to ask questions, especially to him.
Not because Cale didn't trust him, but because Cale was just too stubborn in finding answers by himself.
"So, what exactly did you mean by Alpha Alpha relationships are complicated?" Cale smiled, constructing a perfect expression that read I am really just curious.
Eruhaben raised a brow, confused. Not by the nature of the question —he knew the children would likely speak to Cale about what he said —but more of why Cale was asking him.
For all Eruhaben was confused, he still answered, "Simple really. Two Alpha in close proximity will always spike up tension, especially if both are Dominant. Like you and Alberu."
Cale's brows tensed, discovering a familiar term, Dominant Alphas. In the novels he had read on Earth, that mostly meant an Alpha that was higher in rank than other Alphas, possibly having a more domineering scent than the average Alpha.
"It is a surprise that a lot of our family are Alphas and also Dominant. You would think the premise of Dominant Alphas being rare is false." Eruhaben went on to say, fully engaged. " Honestly, I have no idea how we can all get along so fine."
Cale held back a sigh, having an headache already. He still continued his questioning though, " So, how would you rank the overbearingness of my scent?"
" Extremely overbearing." Eruhaben didn't even miss a beat, replying instantly. He was shocked at how even he would be mildly affected when Cale deployed his scent. It was suffocating. Extremely so. And he had no idea why in Hell would Alberu want to put himself through that by wanting to get in a relationship with Cale.
Or guess he just didn't understand humans' so called love.
Cale fell silent, now understanding some occurrence over the years. Cale rarely used his Domineering Aura, or what he thought was his Domineering Aura, able to perfectly restrain it unless something annoyed him. That wasn't him being short-tempered or his Domineering Aura being overbearing, it was just his Alpha instinct manifesting.
"Young Master, here." Ron handed him the glass of lemon juice, smile widening at Cale's barely concealed disgust. He would never get tired of seeing that expression on Cale's face every time he saw lemons.
Cale sighed, accepting the glass of lemon juice begrudgingly, still having no courage to tell Ron he didn't want it.
He would never had that courage.
Cale was leaned back against the comfy couch in the Super Villa's living area, Choi Han standing behind him, gingerly braiding his hair.
Right, Cale had no intentions to think about how that came to be. Instead, he held the glass, glaring at the liquid as if it was going to disappear if he glared at it enough.
It didn't.
Cale sighed once more, finally bracing himself and taking a sip. Beside him, On watched him drink as if it was poison, quite very speechless. Her Father sure was dramatic.
On was in her human form, sitting aside munching on some cupcakes Ron brought for her, silently judging her Father in her heart. While Cale was still making a dead face, she looked out the floor to ceiling windows that donned the living area, her gaze accurately finding Alberu amongst their family members.
The Emperor had his sleeve rolled up, in charge of the grill. Raon and Hong, who were also in human forms, crowded around him, helping him out enthusiastically.
Her lips twitched into a smile at her younger brothers' excitement. These days, Alberu came more often, always setting out to spend time with Cale, taking the opportunity to also curry favor with them.
On thought it worked wonderfully. Not only on them but also on Cale. The redhead had been much more inclined to let Alberu stay the night these days.
When On looked back at her Father, the latter was also watching Alberu and the children outside, the small pleased smile at the corner of his lips undeniable.
"Well, it is done." Choi Han announced, letting go of Cale's hair. On looked over, eyes lighting up. She had no idea when Choi Han got so good at braiding.
"Oh, it actually looks good?" Cale said, looking into the mirror Ron promptly handed him.
"Of course it does!" Choi Han proclaimed, proud. If it was an hallucination, it was surely hilarious how a swinging tail magically appeared behind him. Oh, it was definitely an hallucination.
Alberu, as if sensing something, looked over, watching as Cale smiled, his glass of lemon juice abandoned at the side. Blood red hair was braided neatly, held up and resting perfectly at the base of his neck, making a striking contrast with his fair skin.
A beauty he would never get tired of looking at.
The teleportation cycle behind him dimmed, making Cale, who was donning a highly luxurious assortment, one he hated even going near of, look back at the newcomer. If it was another occasion, Cale wouldn't even attend, even less dressing in such shinning and complicated clothing.
However, this was an event he couldn't ignore. The Emperor's Birthday Event. The nobles were very eager, enthusiastically offering Alberu toasts after toasts, while also trying to advertise their daughters and sisters to him.
It was a miracle Alberu was able to escape that. Cale took in the Emperor's striking appearance, fingers curling slightly on the balcony's railing. He leaned his body against it, facing the smiling Emperor.
"I searched for you for a while, you know." Alberu stepped forward, crowding into Cale's personal space. " Raon-nim told me you were here. Bless him."
Cale tilted his head, his scent instinctively filling the space, overbearing and suffocating. It was something he could mostly control, in normal times.
What he had just thought as his Dominating Aura actually had his scent in it, the ancient power having mixed in his scent, making for one everyone, even Eruhaben, had described as too overwhelming.
Cale could control it, but not when Alberu was encroaching on him, not when the instinct of an Alpha kicked in, what he always thought was just his Dominating Aura being domineering.
But Alberu didn't seem to care at all, he still approached as if he felt nothing. As if the slowly tensing atmosphere was non-existent.
"Cale, you still haven't given me an answer." Alberu spoke, cupping his cheek gently, his thumb tracing the pale skin being rapidly stained with red.
Cale exhaled, eyes snapping shut as he felt Alberu's touch, gentle but steady, grounding his wildly beating heart.
Alberu's scent was already spread out too. Not overbearingly, like Cale's. Just quiet, calm, close to Cale's scent, but not really touching, just existing beside him.
And that seemed to work, Cale's tense body relaxed, gaining more control on his scent, calming it down to a mellow state.
"Well, you still have to work harder then." Cale opened his eyes, a small smile adorning his face.
Alberu chuckled, blue eyes riveted on Cale, taking in the perfection of his visage at such a close distance. "Oh I sure will."
Then as if to prove his words, he leaned in, lips capturing Cale's.
Cale's heartbeat spiked up, the pace erratic. His pupils was blown out, arousal cursing through his veins.
He didn't remember when he kissed him back, or if he did, but his mind was a total mess at that moment. Alberu kissed like Cale thought he would, gentle, passionate but not devoid of the desire he harbored.
And Cale was just unable to resist that much affection.