Reborn as a villain:Claim the omega, Kiss the beta, Kill the dukes-Chapter 145: Outsider

Chapter 144

Jack

I make myself as silent as possible.

I didn’t know I was walking into this conversation.

And once I realized what I’d stepped into, I couldn’t exactly announce myself.

So I stand here.

Listening like a fucking creep.

"You fell in love with me," Ciel says softly, lying on Nolan’s chest, "not because of some biological pull. Not because of heat. Not because of instinct."

There it is.

That invisible bubble around them.

It’s not exclusionary.

It’s not deliberate.

It’s just... theirs.

Nolan is talking about being an outsider.

And all I can think is—

I’m the fucking outsider here.

Outside their circle.

I don’t hate it.

God, I don’t hate it.

I love it for them.

It’s honestly beautiful.So raw, unfiltered, genuine... almost sacred. Seeing them like this actually makes me itch for my camera, I want to capture this moment and freeze it for all eternity.

The way Ciel curls into him. The way Nolan’s arms tighten unconsciously when Ciel’s voice dips. The quiet, unspoken understanding.

It’s art.

And it makes something sharp twist in my chest.

Will I ever achieve that level of softness with them?

Will Nolan ever look at me the way he looks at Ciel?

Like the world quiets when he does.

Will Ciel ever say I’m his safest place the way he says it about Nolan?

"I know," Nolan says quietly, "it’s just... in the palace it’s more apparent that I’m an extra between you and Jack."

My jaw tightens.

Extra?

I want to step in.

I want to tell him that’s not true.

But this isn’t my conversation.

"That’s ridiculous," Ciel says, echoing my exact thoughts.

That’s right, sunshine. Tell him.

"We all need different sides from each other," he continues.

Nolan doesn’t answer. He doesn’t believe him.

"Please don’t think I can’t tell," he says softly. "From Jack, you get something I can never give you. Peace. Relaxation. Safety. I see the way you let go around him."

My breath catches.

He does?

"I don’t," Nolan says immediately, defensive.

"Yes, you do." Ciel’s voice stays gentle. "For years, you’ve been my protector. You carry everything. You stand in front. You brace. I love you for it. I’m grateful for it."

Nolan’s arms tighten around him unconsciously.

"That’s why it makes me happy to see you with Jack," Ciel continues. "Around him, you don’t have to carry that weight. He brings out sides of you even I don’t recognize."

There’s a pause.

"I like that," Ciel corrects softly. "No. I love that."

My ears feel warm.

I suddenly feel... shy.

Which is absurd. I don’t ever feel shy or bashful, but suddenly I feel that way. I want to hide my face and scream into a pillow.

Real manly Jack. Real manly.

"Still," Nolan mutters, "I’m just like a burden to Jack. I mean... you’re here... and..."

A sharp sound comes from Nolan.

Ciel must have pinched him.

"Likewise," Ciel says firmly, "there’s something Jack gets from you he’ll never get from me."

That makes my chest tighten.

"Jack is an alpha," Ciel continues. "Around me, he’s sweet. Caring. Careful."

His voice softens.

"I love it. I’ve had a lifetime of dominant, forceful alphas. I soak in every drop of the way he cherishes me."

Guilt flickers through me at the quiet undercurrent of his past.

"But around you," Ciel goes on, "Jack doesn’t have to be careful. He can let go."

There’s a pause.

"If Jack grabbed you by your neck, slammed you into the wall and kissed you," Ciel asks calmly, "how would you feel?"

I freeze.

"That... would be pretty hot actually," Nolan grumbles.

Heat flashes through me before I can stop it.

I’ve always known he likes it when I push back. When I treat him like that.That’s why he pokes. Why he challenges. He loves it.

"And that," Ciel says quietly, "would send me into a panic attack."

The room stills.

The air shifts.

And suddenly I feel something else entirely.

Sadness.

"When I say it out loud like this," Ciel continues softly, "doesn’t it make it obvious that I’m the problem? That I’m the outsider? You two have this thing I could never have with either of you."

No.

Absolutely not.

That’s it.

I walk forward, my footsteps no longer careful. The sound cuts through the room, heavy and deliberate.

They both freeze.

Nolan’s arms are still around Ciel.

Ciel is still half-curled on his chest.

They look at me like I’ve just stepped through glass.

"How long have you been here?" Nolan asks.

"Long enough," I reply.

I sit down on the bed, on Ciel’s side. Close. Close enough that our knees brush.

I gently take Ciel’s hand ,the one resting over Nolan’s heart and lift it to my lips.

"Sunshine," I murmur, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. "My precious sunshine."

His fingers tremble slightly in mine.

"You deserve to be cherished," I say quietly. "I like to think one of my reasons for existing is to make sure you are treated with the utmost care."

My thumb brushes over his skin.

"For what you’ve been through," I continue, voice lower now, steadier, "I will spend my lifetime making sure no one ever makes you feel small again."

Ciel’s golden eyes glisten.

"Until every wound is healed," I add, "and even if they never fully are... I will cover them with so much affection they become part of something beautiful instead of something painful."

His breath shudders.

I lean forward, pressing my forehead gently to his.

"You are not the outsider," I say firmly. "You are the heart."

Silence falls.

Then I turn to Nolan.

"And you," I say, meeting his eyes, "you are not extra."

He already looks ready to argue.

I don’t let him.

I release Ciel’s hand and reach for Nolan instead, my fingers sliding to the back of his neck. I pull him closer until our faces are inches apart.

"And you listen to me, Mr. Nolan Harlow," I murmur, my hand steady at his nape. "With your pouty mouth and those distracting blue eyes."

His breath catches again.

"Get it into your head," I continue, tightening my hold just enough to make my point, drawing him closer until there’s barely space between us. "You belong here. With us. Forever."

His lashes flutter.

"I am never letting you go," I say, low and certain. "Ever."

"You are the glue that keeps us together," I add. "The voice of reason. At least one person in this relationship has to think clearly without pheromones fogging up their brain."

A faint, shaky laugh escapes Nolan.

I don’t release him.

"Don’t start building these ideas in that head of yours," I warn softly.

My thumb presses lightly against the side of his neck, grounding him.

"You should’ve thought twice before agreeing to your best friend’s ridiculous idea of fucking his boyfriend, now you’re in this mess with us."

His lips part.

I rest my forehead against his.

"I know it’s going to be hard, doggy," I admit quietly. "We were barely figuring out what we were to each other before all of this shit happened. And now we have to navigate it with gazes in us."

His hands finally settle on my waist.

"But," I continue, softer now, "hard doesn’t mean wrong."