Reborn as a villain:Claim the omega, Kiss the beta, Kill the dukes-Chapter 133: Breathing
Chapter 132
Jack
If they think I’m going to stand still and wait—they’ve lost their damn minds.
"If you think I’m going to twiddle my fucking thumbs and wait here—you’ve got me wrong. You heard what happened to them!" I roar, not caring that the people standing in front of me are the King and the Crown Prince.
Let them be offended. Let them revoke every etiquette lesson I’ve passed.
I don’t care.
My family was attacked.
And I wasn’t there.
I turn on my heel, ignoring the startled guards, ignoring the way the King calls after me, ignoring Russell’s low "Jackson, wait—"
No.
No waiting.
No sitting quietly like a decorative royal pet while the two most important people in my life and my baby were being shot at.
This stupid fucking palace and its long corridors and maze-like architecture.
I’m half convinced they built it this way on purpose, just to make people lose precious minutes in an emergency. But I shove through each hallway, each gilded turn, ignoring anyone who dares call after me.
By the time I reach the front steps, a convoy is already waiting—SUVs lined in black, engines hot, doors held open.
Good.
At least someone was smart enough to prepare.
I climb into the nearest car without acknowledging anyone. The door slams shut, and the convoy jerks into motion immediately, wheels screeching against the marble drive before hitting open road.
The entire way, my knee won’t stop bouncing. My fingers won’t stop tapping against my thigh. My mind won’t stop imagining every worst-case scenario possible.
I should’ve gone myself.
I should’ve insisted.
I should’ve—
Fuck.
When we reach the airport, I barely wait for the car to come to a full stop before I shove the door open and step out. The men in black—stationed to "escort" me—try to form a perimeter, but I ignore all of them.
I stand there, in the biting wind of the tarmac, anxiously tapping my foot like a lunatic.
When is that stupid plane getting here?
Minutes stretch.
And stretch.
Then—
A jet breaks through the horizon, gliding toward the runway with the royal seal glinting under the sun. My heart slams into my ribs so hard I nearly choke.
They’re here.
The moment the plane lands and the stairs roll forward, I run. Not walk. Not jog. Run.
The door opens.
For a moment, all I see is the shadowed interior.
Then a flash of crimson.
Ciel.
His scarlet hair glowing like a flare against the dull metal of the jet. He steps into the light, Lanny clutched tightly in his arms, Nolan right behind him with a protective hand at his back.
My chest caves with relief so sharp it almost hurts.
I’m already at the bottom of the stairs when Ciel sees me. His breath catches—I see it even from here—and he rushes down, taking the steps two at a time despite the baby in his arms.
"Ciel—slow down—" Nolan hisses behind him.
But it’s too late.
His foot catches on the edge of a stair.
The world tilts.
He pitches forward—Lanny squeaks—and I move without thinking, arms out, heart in my throat.
I catch them.
Ciel falls directly against my chest, trembling, clutching our son so tightly I can feel the strain in his arms. Nolan nearly barrels into us trying to catch up.
And in that one second—
that one breath—
all the terror and rage and helplessness I’ve been drowning in for hours finally drains out of me.
They’re alive.
The words detonate inside my chest like a bomb. Relief so sharp it’s almost painful. My knees nearly give out.
Ciel’s eyes meet mine—bright, wet, trembling.
"Jack," he breathes.
And then his body sags.
Not a graceful slump. Not fatigue.
A full collapse.
"Ciel!" I catch him instantly, one arm swinging under his back, the other pulling Lanny tight to my chest.His head lolls against my shoulder, his breaths too shallow, too quick.
"It’s okay," I whisper, voice cracking despite myself. "I’ve got you. You’re safe now. I’m here."
But he doesn’t respond. His lashes don’t even flutter.
Lanny lets out a confused little whimper and fists my shirt, like he can sense something’s wrong.
"Shhh, baby, Daddy’s got you," I murmur, shifting him carefully against me while keeping Ciel steady in my arms.
Nolan steps forward, brushing a few strands off Ciel’s forehead with a gentleness that makes my throat tighten.
"He’s just asleep," he says quietly. "Adrenaline crash."
I nod, relief slamming into me so hard my knees almost give out.
"Hi," I say, and the word comes out softer than I intend—like an exhale, like a prayer.
Nolan’s eyes widen a little, surprised. "Hey."
His hair is longer than I’ve ever seen it, the ends brushing his forehead, lifting in the breeze. He’s thinner too and something bitter twists inside my chest. I wasn’t here. I wasn’t with them.
"Here, let me," Nolan murmurs, reaching for Lanny.
Instinct flares—mine, sharp and territorial, my arms tightening around both of them.
But then I look at him.
This is Nolan.
My Nolan.
The man who would die for Ciel.
The man who would burn the world for Lanny.
So I force myself to loosen my grip.
I let him take Lanny.
And in the same motion, I gather Ciel fully into my arms—his entire weight collapsing against me, his breath warm against my neck. His lashes rest on his cheeks, faint shadows from exhaustion.
I hold him like something sacred.
We move toward the waiting convoy. The second a guard opens the door, I step inside, carrying Ciel as if a stiff breeze might break him.
The door shuts behind us with a heavy thud.
For a moment, all I can hear is my heartbeat. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
I pull Ciel closer, burying my face in the warm curve of his neck.
His pheromones hit me instantly, soft, sweet, familiar.
Comfort.
Home.
They seep into my lungs, into my blood, into the places inside me I’ve been holding together by sheer will these past months. I don’t know how I lived without this.
Beside me, Nolan settles into the seat, Lanny curled safely against his chest. His eyes flick toward me, then toward Ciel, something soft and shaken passing through his expression.
I close my eyes and press a kiss to Ciel’s forehead.
It feels like the first breath after drowning.
