Chapter 107 Family
>>Nico
"Is it true?" Romano stomped his way towards me and I began to step back when Asher held me, not letting me move.
"Stay," He said confidently and moved us a little so that I was under his protection while he faced Romano.
I looked up at him while his facial expressions turned firmer.
Right...
He knows about my family... He did his research and I confirmed his theories.
"What is going on here?" Asher's father stepped ahead.
"Nico's family is abusive," Asher replied and that's all he had to say.
"Ah~" The other three nodded and formed a circle around me.
"Nico," Romano came and stood in front of us, "What have you done?"
I stared back at him, "..." I've always been scared of him, so I couldn't really bring myself to say it. I've always been afraid of all of my family because every time I spoke up, it ended with me getting beaten.
"Did you really get marked!?!?" He raised his voice, "And tell this jerk," He glanced at Asher, "That you're an omega??!" I didn't meet his gaze and he raised his voice even more, "NICO!!!" He tried to grab me, going specifically for my neck to see it for himself but Asher moved me back and grabbed Romano's hand.
"Don't touch him." He glared at my brother and Romano returned the hate but then he began to wince since Asher was using excessive force on his hand.
"Who do you think you are?" Romano demanded an answer as he tried to yank his wrist away but Asher didn't let him go.
"I'm Nico's mate," He answered confidently as he threw his arm away, "So don't even think about trying to hurt him." Asher's words did wonders for my heart.
"Mate?" Romano scoffed and looked at me, "So you went ahead and really did it?" He looked at me with contempt, "Even when you were warned not too long ago!?!"
"Hey!" Ann held my hand, "Watch it buddy, have some respect for your family!" She squeezed it tightly making me feel a little more calmer.
"Respect?" Romano found the statement funny, "For this weird thing." His words stung but this side didn't let it slide.
"Hey!" Asher growled at him, "Watch it!"
"Or what?" He glared back at Asher, then looked at me, "You're going to be in grave trouble once Mom and Dad find out." It was here, the thing I've feared my whole life.
Of course, Romano wasn't going to stop even if I begged him to, that's something time had proven again and again so I kept my mouth shut. I had no intention of stopping him but that didn't mean I wasn't scared.
"Well, why don't you run along and tell them?" Mister Luther spoke, "I'm sure you don't want to delay being a tattletale."
"And while you're doing that, tell them he's not coming back," Asher's mother stepped forward, "Because we'll be taking him."
!!!????
The tide of danger that had threatened to drown me receded, replaced by the reassuring presences
"Oh?" Romano found that funny as well, "You're going to keep him?" He laughed.
"Of course," Russian said, "You don't deserve such a lovely child."
Confusion knitted lines on my forehead. Why were they doing this? What prompted strangers to defend me when my own blood sought harm? How were they this good? They don't get anything out of protecting me like this.
I glanced at all of them while they glared at my brother.
Why...
It made me feel a little bubbly.
"Oh, this piece of shit definitely doesn't," Asher kept me next to him tightly, "Nico is staying with me." His eyes flashed in anger, "No matter what."
"He is," Anne added
"Run along now boy," Mister Luther said, "You've abused the child enough."
Romano's expression turned darker now that he realized none of them were joking.
"Are you all out of your mind?" He said, "You're taking the side of a freak?"
His words ended up ticking all four of them, "Oh!" Anne went ballistic, "Let me at him!" She took out her claws, "I'm gonna chew this mofo to pieces!!" She was so serious it scared the shit out of me and when no one stopped her, she took her stance to pounce on him.
Romano got alerted as well and drew out his claws to fight back. Anne was just about to launch an attack when I grabbed her wrist, "Stop!" My heart felt squeezy.
I didn't want her to fight.
"Why?" They all shot their heads to look at me.
"This man can't be your brother." Asher said as he looked at me, then he glanced back at Romano, "This person is a shit excuse of a family." His statement made Romano's expression twist in anger.
....
I don't know what it was but it was the first time I was feeling so good. It was like the strength emanating from my mate's family became a beacon of hope for me.
I softly pushed against Asher's chest, releasing myself from his embrace, and stepped forward. They all watched me, unsure whether to stop me or not but I silently stepped in front of all of them. Asher got a little nervous but I stopped to calm him down.
"That's right," I faced my brother, eye to eye, "I told them what I am and I've been marked too." My heart which was already pounding started to pulsate with fear. I've never gone against Romano
Never
So now that I'm standing in front of him, I feel so weirdly scared but at the same time, there's this odd sense of strength coming from behind me.
Coming from strangers I just met
It was all so weird for me, but I've also had enough of the abuse my own blood keeps giving me.
This whole scenario opened me to feelings that were making my eyes go watery.
"God..." Romano looked down at me pathetically, "I don't know where you've gotten that confidence from," He glanced at the people behind me, "But wait till these people leave you, because no one wants freaks around them."
Yes,
I know,
People can't be trusted. Yet, these people are standing up for me, trying to protect me when my own family has only ever threatened to disown me my entire life and I've lived with that fear all this time.
"Oh!" Asher's anger broke the meter, "You've done it." His sharp thick claws were out and he moved to kill.
"You have," Anne joined in, and in the spur of the moment I held the hands of both of them to stop them.
"Don't," I said and they both shot their heads toward me, "Leave," I kept my eyes on Romano, "Or they're going to kill you."
Romano hesitated. He was worried, he knew he couldn't take on two wolves at a time, moreover, it was a guarantee that the parents weren't going to join in.
"Mark my words," Romano started backing up, "You're going to regret this." He turned on his heels and ran away.
Maybe I will,
But, I have a strong feeling I won't. Even if these people leave me as well. There's this sense of liberation emanating inside of me because I stood up against my brother.
Honestly, anything would be better than continuing to live with them.
"You should have let me rip his mouth out!" Asher was angry, "Why did you stop us?" I let their hands go.
"That's right!" Anne added in, "And those disgusting eyes of his!"
"There's no need," I said and they all were baffled,
"Why!?!?" They looked at me with a confused expression, and honestly, it took me a lot of courage to say this but I felt like I could.
"Why are you guys angry?" I asked and they all stopped moving, looking at me with dumb-founded expressions.
"Who wouldn't be angry if someone like that talks shit about their mate!" Asher was the first one to speak.
"Okay," I nodded, "What about the rest of you?" I asked, "Why are you all so angry?"
"Are you really asking us this?" Anne asked, "Really?"
I nodded, "Yes,"
"Nico!" Anne looked heartbroken, "You've been marked by my idiot brother!" She looked into my eyes, "You really don't know?"
"..." I was a little confused.
"Child," His mother stepped towards me, "I can understand why you're confused," She remained calm, "After seeing your brother I can tell the rest of your family hasn't been nice to you either," She gently grabbed my hands, "So let me spell it out for you."
I looked at her.
"Markings are permanent, well mostly, and Asher has marked you, meaning he's claimed you as his, in short terms, he's taking you as his wife."
!!!
"That means you're our family too now," Anna added in and I think my heart melted.
...
It was weird how different these people were from what I had known my whole life
I looked down with a frown, "How are you guys so different?" I let out a whisper, "My family isn't like that..." There was pain in my voice and I wasn't expecting anyone to notice but all of them did.
Because right the next moment, I was sandwiched between them
!!!
They all hugged me from all four sides and squeezed me tightly.
"Rest assured," Miss Russian said, "We're very different."
"Right!!" Anne added, "We won't abandon you!"
!!!!
I did not voice that concern, but I guess Romano's words sat with them.
"No one's going to hurt you either," Mister Luther added and I found myself finding a weird comfort in them. I don't believe in words but I couldn't help myself but want to drown in the honey laced words of theirs.
It was just so sweet after all.
'See,' Asher mind-linked me, 'I told you,'
I couldn't turn my head and look at him since I was being squeezed so tightly but I did give him a reply
'Fine,' I replied, 'I lost,'
He let out a chuckle.
"I can't breathe," I squeezed out the words
"OH!" And I was finally released from the love-filled suffocating hug I had received for the first time in my life.
I let out a deep breath, and then unexpectedly I let out a giggle. I wasn't even sure why I was giggling but it just came out, surprising everyone else. Maybe I was just relieved. After all, I've had so many concerns in my mind and my heart and they've sort of all melted away within a span of a day...
It's ironic
It's not that all my fears are magically gone but the fact is, that I was told that no one would accept me yet people have.
So there's that relief.
"Why are you laughing?" Asher asked
I straightened up and wiped a tear from the corner of my eyes, "Because," It all just came out on its own, "If you guys are always going to be with me, wouldn't that shut my family up on its own?"
There was this look on their faces.
A look of pleasant surprise.