Reborn as a villain:Claim the omega, Kiss the beta, Kill the dukes-Chapter 144: Chosen

Chapter 143

Jack

I must say, I did not expect any of this.

I had another shitty day, being a royal prince. The expectations, the stress, to make my day worse, I had to play nice with that stupid corpse-looking duke.

I can still see his thin smile. Still hear the way he implied Ciel’s position was "unstable."

Unmarked.

Unsecured.

Vulnerable.

I hate this. I hate that unmarked an omega is seen as fair game to these fucking bastards.

I hate that I know what they did to Ciel and I cannot do anything about it.

A choking sound snaps me out of my thoughts.

Immediately, I push away, Nolan.

"What the hell?" I ask as he’s coughing, going to my knees to help him pat his back.

"I’m sorry, I thought I could," he starts, but I cut him off.

"Thought you could what? Choke on my cock?" I snap, my voice sharper than I intend. "Fuck, Nolan, are you okay?"

He nods, his face flushed and his eyes watering, but he manages a small smile. "I’m fine. Just... got a little too enthusiastic."

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "A little less enthusiasm next time, doggy?" I say, placing my attempted murder weapon back into my pajama bottoms.

"I could try—" he starts at the same time I immediately cut him off with.

"NO."

He looks so devastated that I regret it instantly.

"I mean, that’s enough for tonight. We could try another day," I say, rubbing his back gently.

Nolan looks up at me, his eyes searching mine for a moment before he nods slowly.

I pull him into a quick hug, feeling the tension in his body start to ease. "You did good, doggy. Really. Just... maybe take it a bit slower next time, huh?"

He laughs softly, the sound warm and genuine. "Deal. I’ll work on my pacing."

***

Nolan

Only I would mess this up.

I drop onto the edge of the bed later, staring at the floor like it personally offended me.

Jack said it wasn’t a big deal.

Ciel said it wasn’t.

But come on.

How embarrassing.

I sigh and flop backward onto the mattress.

Of course I’d choke.

Of course.

It also makes me appreciate Ciel more than I already did. My best friend can take him down to his balls and not bat an eye.

Meanwhile, I nearly required medical intervention.

I groan into the pillow.

I had one job.

One.

Make Jack feel better.

Instead, I almost traumatized both of us.

I stare at the ceiling.

Ciel has his place here. His place with Jack. They fit in a way that feels... natural. Effortless. Alpha and omega. Instinct and response. There’s a rhythm between them I can see but never quite step into.

Here, in the palace, it’s more obvious.

The way staff defer slightly to Ciel because of what he is.

The way Jack’s posture shifts subtly around him.

The way they scent each other without even realizing it.

It was Jack who noticed Ciel’s pheromones were out of control.

Told him to get checked.

I hadn’t noticed a thing.

Not even a hint. Ofcourse I fucking didn’t, I’m a fucking beta.

I know better than to dwell on biology.

That’s a bridge I’ll never cross.

No matter how much I love them, no matter how close I stand, I’ll never understand that level of instinctual awareness.

So the least I can do is...

I don’t know.

Be useful.

Physical relief. Emotional support. The steady one.

"What are you thinking about? You didn’t even notice me."

I blink.

Ciel is standing at the foot of the bed, golden eyes studying me carefully.

"Nothing," I grumble.

He climbs onto the bed without invitation and settles beside me.

"It’s okay, Nollie," he says casually. "I gagged and choked on my first dildos too."

I snort despite myself.

He shrugs. "What? You think I came out the womb talented?"

I turn my head toward him.

"See? Years of experience," he continues. "You’re new. You rushed. That’s it."

"It’s not just that," I mutter.

His teasing expression fades slightly.

"Mm," he hums. "I figured."

He rolls onto his side, propping his head up with one hand.

"You’re comparing," he says quietly.

I stiffen.

"No."

"Yes."

I look away.

Ciel sighs softly.

"What’s the real issue here?" he asks, shifting until he’s lying fully on my chest. My arms wrap around him automatically, like they were made to. He fits there so easily.

It’s an action so ingrained in me I don’t even think about it.

"I’m sorry," I blurt out before I lose my nerve. "I just feel... out of place."

He tilts his head slightly, golden eyes lifting to mine.

"Why?" he asks, genuinely confused.

"It’s just..." I hesitate, then force it out. "I feel like an awkward piece being jammed into an already complete picture between you and Jack."

Silence.

We just lie there.

I can hear his breathing.

"I’m sorry," he says quietly. "I’ve been so preoccupied, I didn’t notice you were feeling this way."

"What? No," I say immediately, tightening my hold on him. "It’s not on you."

He hums thoughtfully.

"Do you remember the cabbage farm?" he asks.

I groan instantly. The endless rolls of those cabbages.

"You probably don’t remember this," he continues softly, "but I once said I hated being an omega."

I try to dig through my memory, but it’s fuzzy.

"I don’t remember," I admit.

"Yeah," he says with a faint smile. "Do you know what you told me?"

I blink. "What?"

"You said, ’Would I still be Ciel if I wasn’t an omega?’" He pauses. "And then you said there are many factors that layer into who we are as people, and when you take away or deny one factor, the rest of our identity crumbles like a sandcastle."

I stare at him. I said that? Teenage me said that?

"Would Jack still be Jack if he wasn’t an alpha?" Ciel asks quietly.

I think about it.

He would be.

But something essential about him would shift. His instinct. His presence. The way he carries responsibility like it’s stitched into his bones.

"...He’d still be him," I say slowly. "But something would be missing."

"Exactly."

Ciel shifts slightly, pressing closer.

"All my life, Nollie, I’ve been reduced to omega," he says. "To pheromones. To biology. To instinct.To nothing but a pretty face."

His fingers curl lightly into my shirt.

"You," he continues, voice softer now, "have always seen ...Ciel. Not omega."

"You fell in love with me," he says, "not because of some biological pull. Not because of heat. Not because of instinct."

He looks up at me, eyes steady.

"In your arms, I feel the safest. The most secure. The most... chosen."

I don’t say anything.

I just hold him tighter.

"You don’t deny what I am," he adds. "But you don’t reduce me to it either."