I Was The Only Omega In The Beast World-Chapter 85: CP: You’re Scared Of Him

Zale dove deep beneath the settlement, past the inhabited coral structures and kelp gardens, down to where the water turned cold and dark and blessedly empty.

He needed space.

Distance.

Time to get his treacherous emotions under control before he did something truly foolish.

"I think if circumstances were different, would...you consider me proposing you."

What had possessed him to say that? To confess his interest so baldly when he’d promised himself—PROMISED—that he’d offer only protection and support?

The bearer wasn’t even interested!

He had two five-star mates who were probably going to arrive and tear Zale apart for daring to even LOOK at their pregnant partner with interest.

And yet.

Zale pressed both hands against a coral outcropping, letting the rough texture ground him.

And yet he couldn’t stop thinking about Alex.

About the way those blue eyes had met his without fear despite being stranded and vulnerable. About the quiet strength in accepting help without shame.

About the fierce protectiveness in every touch to that swollen belly, every mention of "my mates," every decision made with the cubs’ welfare prioritized above personal pride.

Zale had met hundreds of females in his sixty years of life.

Royal females dripping with jewels and entitlement. Common females wishing hard to raise their status. Visiting females from land tribes with mating proposal for trade or alliance.

None of them had affected him like this.

None of them had made him feel like the ocean itself had reached into his chest and rearranged something fundamental. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"You’re being an idiot," he told himself aloud, voice distorted by the water. "A romantic, foolish idiot."

A school of silver fish darted past, unconcerned with his crisis.

Zale envied them their simplicity.

He surfaced in a secluded grotto—one of the tide pools on the settlement’s outer edge where he used to come as a child when royal duties became too much.

His brother Reef was already there.

Not the Reef currently guarding Alex—that was Reef the Younger, named after Zale’s brother but actually the son of a noble house. No, this was Reef the Elder, Zale’s actual brother, the future mer-tribe chief.

Reef lounged on a sun-warmed rock, his deep blue scales gleaming wet, his expression knowing.

"Let me guess," Reef said without preamble. "You fell for the pregnant land-dweller you rescued this morning."

Zale pulled himself onto the adjacent rock with perhaps more force than necessary.

"I didn’t FALL. I just... acknowledged that he’s remarkable."

"Mmhmm," Reef said, utterly unconvinced. "And that’s why you’re hiding in our childhood grotto instead of attending your royal duties?"

"I needed to clear my head."

"You needed to panic privately," Reef corrected. "I know you, little brother. Your tail is spiraling and making small tornado." He pointed at his younger brother’s tail.

Zale wanted to argue.

Instead, he slumped against the rock and covered his face with both hands.

"He’s PREGNANT," he said, muffled. "Six cubs. In pre-labor. With two extremely powerful mates who are currently racing here to retrieve him. This is literally the WORST possible person for me to develop feelings for."

"Probably," Reef agreed cheerfully.

"And I TOLD him. I actually confessed that I’d court him if circumstances were different. What was I THINKING?"

"You were thinking honestly," Reef said, more gently now. "Which is very you. You’ve never been good at hiding your feelings."

"I should learn," Zale muttered.

"Why?" Reef asked. "What good does hiding do? He’s going to be in our settlement for at least a week. His mates will eventually arrive. Better to be honest about your interest now than have them sense it and think you’re being deceptive."

Zale lowered his hands, staring at his brother.

"You think I should have told him?"

"I think you already DID tell him," Reef said. "And now you’re panicking because you can’t take it back. So instead of hiding, maybe... accept it? Accept that you’re interested, that it’s not going anywhere because he’s not interested, and that you can still help him anyway?"

"That sounds mature and reasonable," Zale said.

" Because I’m adult for a reason. " Reef said smugly.

" Nonsense. You only came out of mother’s egg five minutes before me. " Zale retorted.

They both chuckled at each other’s silly remarks then sat in silence for a moment, listening to waves lap against the rocks.

Then Reef looked at Zale directly.

"That bearer you brought here? He accepted help. Immediately. Despite being stranded in unfamiliar territory with strangers. He put the cubs’ welfare above his pride. That’s not weakness—that’s intelligence."

"I know," Zale said.

"And you’re attracted to that intelligence. To that strength." Reef smiled slightly. "Nothing wrong with that. Just don’t let it make you stupid."

"Too late," Zale muttered.

Reef laughed—genuine, warm.

"Come on," he said, sliding back into the water.

"Let’s go back. You have duties, and your remarkable pregnant bearer probably needs something."

"He’s not MY bearer," Zale protested.

"Not yet," Reef said with a knowing grin.

"Not EVER. He has MATES... and he sees me as a protector not a potential mate."

"Well. A good bearer with good fertility has multiple mates," Reef said cryptically, and dove beneath the surface before Zale could argue further.

Zale followed, frustration and fondness warring in his chest.

****

By the time Zale returned to the land-dweller chambers, it was late afternoon.

Alex was awake again, sitting up carefully while Kai helped him eat another meal. The bearer looked better than this morning—less exhausted, more color in his face, though the persistent worry lines around his eyes hadn’t faded.

Missing his mates, clearly.

Zale felt an uncomfortable twist of guilt.

He was providing care and protection, But he wasn’t the one Alex wanted here.

"Prince Zale," Reef the Younger—the guard—acknowledged with a respectful nod. "Healer Mira checked vitals an hour ago. All stable. Cubs are active but not distressed."

"Good," Zale said. "Any word from the approaching mates?"

"The bond’s getting stronger," Alex said, touching his left wrist where a serpent tattoo coiled. "Naga’s close. Maybe six hours away now. He’s moving fast."

Six hours.

Zale had six hours before a possessive serpent lord arrived and likely tried to murder him for daring to show interest in his mate.

Wonderful.

"We should prepare," Zale said, forcing his voice to remain calm and professional. "Your mate will need a place to rest when he arrives. Somewhere he can maintain proximity to you while recovering from the journey."

"He won’t want to leave my side," Alex said with absolute certainty.

"Then we set up space here," Zale decided. "In this chamber. There’s room for additional nests. We can expand the dry platforms."

He started giving orders—more fur, more food, fresh water, everything a exhausted serpent lord might need after swimming through treacherous waterways for hours.

The attendants scattered to comply.

Alex watched him with those blue, assessing eyes.

"You’re scared of him," he observed.

Zale’s scales flushed. "I’m CAUTIOUS of him. There’s a difference."

"You think he’ll attack you."

"I think he’ll be suspicious of me," Zale corrected.

"I’m a stranger who’s been alone with his pregnant mate for hours. Of COURSE he’ll be suspicious."

"I’ll tell him you helped," Alex said.

"That might not matter," Zale admitted. "Mate bonds are... intense. Especially five-star bonds. He’ll sense my interest even if I don’t voice it."

Alex tilted his head—a gesture that reminded Zale oddly of himself.

"And you can’t just... stop being interested?"

"Can you stop being pregnant?" Zale countered.

"Fair point," Alex chuckled.

Silence stretched between them—not uncomfortable, but weighted with things unsaid.

"I’m sorry," Zale said finally. "I shouldn’t have confessed. It was selfish. You have enough to worry about without—"

"Don’t apologize for honesty," Alex interrupted. "I appreciate knowing where you stand. It makes things clearer."

"Clearer how?"

"Clearer in that I know you’re not going to cross boundaries," Alex said. "That you’re conflicted but choosing to do the right thing anyway. That matters."

Zale felt something warm bloom in his chest at the casual trust.

"I won’t cross boundaries," he promised. "Even if your mates take weeks to arrive. Even if you asked me to. I won’t interfere with your bonds."

"I believe you," Alex said simply.

And somehow, that trust hurt more than rejection would have.