Riven ran deep into the forest, small feet kicking up leaves, breath quivering in his chest. The afternoon sun dipped behind the trees, swallowing him in that dim stillness where even the wind seemed to hold its breath. He kept running until his legs finally gave out—until he reached the crooked old tree with the hollow base.
Their hideout.
He crouched down, hugging his knees, wiping angrily at his eyes.
"I knew it… I knew it…" he choked. "I'm not really Papa's…"
A branch snapped.
Riven flinched. "H-How did you find me…?"
Alaric stepped through the trees, chest rising and falling with controlled breaths, his hair damp with sweat, clothes streaked with dirt from pushing through the undergrowth.
"I will always find you," Alaric said simply, kneeling down so their eyes were level. "Even if you run farther than this."
Riven swallowed and looked away. "This place… me and Rhen - rhen made it our hideout. We come here when kids tease us… saying we don't have another parent - a father Or a mother…" His voice wavered again. "So is it true? Am I not really Papa's? Was I abandoned? Am I not connected to Papa… or to Rhen - rhen?"
Alaric let out a soft breath and gently ruffled Riven's hair—careful, comforting.
"Riven," he said slowly, "listen to me. You are not abandoned. And you are not separate from us. You are my son, Rin's child, and Rhen's twin. That has always been true."
Riven's eyes trembled. "But Papa said there was a mama… and now—there's no mama… I don't understand…"
Alaric took both of Riven's small hands into his own.
"There is no mother," he said gently. "Because your Papa—Rin—he is the one who conceived you. He carried you inside him. He gave birth to you.
Riven froze, breath catching.
Alaric softened his voice, steady and patient.
"In our world, there are different kinds of people—alphas, betas, omegas. When you're older, you'll learn all of that. But for now, all you need to know is this: omegas can have children. And your Papa is an omega."
Riven blinked, absorbing the words slowly.
"So… Papa is… basically… our mother? Because he carried us?"
A gentle smile touched Alaric's lips.
"Yes. In the truest way. He is your mother. He's the one who held you before anyone else. He protected you even before you were born."
Riven's breath stuttered, tears rising again—this time not from fear, but from overwhelming confusion easing into something warm, something real.
"And… you didn't abandoned us because you hated us?"
Alaric's expression cracked—hurt flashing in those golden eyes.
"No," he said firmly. "I didn't even know you existed. If I had known… if Rin had told me… I would never have left. Not for a moment."
Riven hesitated. "Then… will you leave us again?"
Alaric placed a hand over the boy's head and gently brushed aside a strand of hair.
"I won't. Not now. Not after knowing you. I have things to settle—but once it's done, I'm staying. With you. With your brother. With Rin."
Riven stared at him, searching his face for any sign of a lie.
Then he lunged forward and buried his face into Alaric's chest.
Alaric held him tightly, one hand cupping the back of Riven's head, letting the small tremors fade.
"Let's go home," he murmured, lifting him carefully.
"…Mm."
---
Rhen cried quietly into Rin's sleeve, shoulders shaking. Rin's heart twisted painfully at the sight.
"Papa… what did Mister Al mean? Are we really… not from a mama?" Rhen asked between hiccups.
Rin knelt down and wiped Rhen's tears gently with his thumb.
"Listen carefully," Rin began softly. "The person who carries a baby… the one who keeps them safe inside their body and gives birth to them… that person is your mother."
Rhen blinked, trying to follow.
Rin placed a hand over his stomach, just above the faint scar only he remembered.
"I was the one who carried you," he said quietly. "Both of you. Here. For months. I felt your kicks. I held you before anyone else did."
Rhen's breath hitched. "So… that means…"
"Yes," Rin whispered, smiling gently despite the shaking in his voice. "It means that in our family… I am your mother."
Riven wiped his eyes, confused. "But… but you're Papa."
"I can be both," Rin said, brushing his fingers through Riven's hair. "I raised you as your father because I want you to live a normal life . But the truth doesn't change. I am the one who brought you into this world. That will always be true."
Rhen looked up, trembling. "Then… we really came from you?"
"You did." Rin cupped Rhen's cheeks tenderly. "You are mine. Every heartbeat, every breath you took before you were born… all of it started with me."
"But… is Mister Al really our father?" Rhen whispered.
Rin hesitated—but only for a heartbeat.
"Yes," he said quietly. "He truly is."
Rhen sobbed again, but now with relief. "So… we're really a family?"
Rin pulled him into a tight hug.
"Yes. Always."
---
Rin rushed outside when he heard footsteps—and his heart dropped with relief when he saw Alaric emerging from the woods, Riven safe in his arms.
Riven immediately reached for him.
"Papa…"
Rin hugged him close, whispering apologies into his hair.
Then he met Alaric's eyes—soft, grateful.
"Thank you."
Alaric shook his head. "He's our son. Of course I'd bring him back."
Rhen joined them, hugging his brother tightly, and together the four returned home.
After dinner, the twins refused to sleep without goodnight kisses—from both their parents.
"And Papa has to kiss daddy too!" they demanded, giggling.
Rin stiffened. "Absolutely n—"
Alaric leaned close, whispering lightly, "For the children… Rin."
Rin swore under his breath but leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Alaric's cheek.
The twins cheered triumphantly before finally falling asleep between them.
---
Alaric was drifting in and out of sleep when a tapping struck the window.
A messenger bird perched on the sill, a sealed scroll tied to its leg.
The moment he saw the crest, his stomach tightened.
He broke the seal silently.
Alaric looked back at Rin and the children—sleeping peacefully under the warm lamplight.
His jaw set.
It seems that the final storm was coming.
And this time, he had a family worth fighting for.
---