By Zephyria 
A heavy silence descended. Grayson stared at Dane without even blinking. Dane’s profile, his gaze fixed blankly on one wall, remained expressionless, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
“After she died…”
Dane spoke again.
“I met my maternal grandparents for the first time. That’s how I found out how I was born.”
A bitter expression spread across his face. Dane, as if his chest was constricted, took a deep breath and furrowed his brow. It seemed incredibly difficult for him to reveal the truth; he kept his mouth shut, unable to speak. Only after running a hand through his hair and exhaling a heavy breath did he finally confess, his voice terribly hoarse.
“On a Heat cycle day, she was raped by strangers.”
Grayson’s eyes wavered. Dane continued in a voice that remained low and heavy.
“They caught the perpetrators. But they said she wanted it. Because my mother was in Heat cycle, the court accepted their words. My mother said it was rape, but her testimony was inconsistent and dismissed as unreliable. I guess it couldn’t be helped since she was in Heat cycle. Her memories weren’t clear, and the court didn’t acknowledge the rape.”
The only truth that ran through the opposing claims was that she was an Omega. And that she was in Heat cycle.
“I don’t know which side is the truth. What’s certain is that my mother got pregnant from that incident… and gave birth to me.”
〈Because of you, if it weren’t for you…!〉
Suddenly, her shrill scream, which had haunted him, echoed in his ears again. Dane asked in a bitter tone.
“Now you know why she hated me so much, right?”
Her only son was, unfortunately, evidence of the ruthless violence she had suffered. He was so lovable because he was her flesh and blood, but also a hateful being that reminded her of a painful past. So, he was so precious and yet so painful…
My child.
After learning the truth, Dane also realized why she had tried to kill him. The moment she found out that Dane had presented as an Omega, she must have gone insane. The nightmarish memories she had suffered would have resurfaced. And she must have thought that her son would suffer the same fate…
“My maternal grandparents were devoutly religious.”
Dane recalled the events in a dry voice.
“They couldn’t tolerate their daughter being pregnant from rape. My mother was kicked out, gave birth to a child alone, and lived her whole life addicted to alcohol.”
His voice scattered dryly.
“Resenting me.”
〈I love you, Dane. My one and only treasure, my precious child.〉
“Well, maybe she did love me.”
〈Filthy, you’re filthy! You filthy son of a bitch! I never wanted to give birth to someone like you!〉
A self-deprecating smile appeared on his face.
“What is love anyway? Did she really love me? Or did she just want to believe that?”
It was a question, but not directed at Grayson. Dane added after a pause.
“I don’t know.”
Why she changed her mind at the end and left alone.
Was it because she hated me? So that I would experience the hell she had gone through?
Was it because she loved me? So she couldn’t possibly kill me?
The answer can never be heard. She died alone. Without even a common will.
“You’re a good person.”
This is the end of the story. Dane had revealed everything about himself. What kind of person he was and how empty he was. No matter how much love is poured in, it will eventually flow out emptily into the huge hole inside.
“Ashley Miller is wrong. You know what love is and you know how to love. …Yeah, you’re different from me.”
Dane looked at Grayson with a quiet smile.
“You’ll definitely be able to meet someone who can give as much love as you do.”
The end.
Warning lights flashed in Grayson’s head. He blurted out urgently.
“That’s you.”
“It’s not me.”
Before he could say anything more, Dane denied it flatly. Immediately after, he added without giving him a chance.
“I can’t.”
His words were short but firm. As if he couldn’t add a single word more. Dane looked at the blankly standing Grayson and gave a self-deprecating smile.
“I’m sorry.”
Grayson still couldn’t say anything.
twenty seven
Grayson Miller quit the fire station.
The rumor spread quickly, and everyone in the fire station knew about it in just half a day.
“What happened? Miller quit?”
A surprised DeAndre shouted urgently. Dane, who was inspecting the fire truck, almost punched DeAndre, who suddenly stuck his face in and screamed. Fortunately, he stopped his movement by a hair’s breadth and opened his mouth after a sigh.
“I can understand even if you talk quietly, I almost hit you.”
“Yeah, I got it. What happened? You know, right? Right?”
At the rapid-fire questions, Dane subtly shifted his gaze elsewhere. Colleagues who had heard the news were gathered in small groups not far away, holding their breath and waiting for an answer. He turned his gaze back to the truck and opened his mouth nonchalantly.
“Looks like he’s done here, so what? What does it matter?”
“Huh…”
Everyone there was embarrassed by the simple answer. After looking at each other’s faces for a moment, they soon began to pour out words, vying with each other.
“What does that mean? Done here?”
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? That guy is on our team! Of course, it’s everyone’s business!”
“So Miller really quit? He’s not coming here anymore?”
“How could he do that without even saying goodbye to us…”
Dane let the pouring shouts flow out of one ear. They’ll stop eventually anyway. Because they’re guys who get excited and swept away all the time. Thinking that way, he was organizing his equipment when he suddenly saw someone’s shoes at the edge of his vision. When he looked up, he met Ezra’s eyes.
“Dane.”
Dane stared at him nonchalantly as he greeted him lightly. At the look as if to say, ‘You too?’, Ezra smiled awkwardly and said.
“No, that’s, it’s not that, no, it could be.”
After stammering and fumbling, Ezra scratched the back of his head and carefully opened his mouth.
“So… is Miller really not coming anymore? Then what are you going to do?”
Ah, Dane relaxed his expression. He had been staying at Grayson’s house because his house had burned down, and now that Grayson had quit his job, Ezra was wondering what had happened to Dane’s residence. Ezra, true to his usual kind and delicate personality, had come up with a question that no one else had thought of. Dane was inwardly surprised because he hadn’t expected this question to come up. Along with a sense of relief.
“I moved, back to the hotel I was staying at before.”
“Hotel? The one where Miller was robbed?”
Ezra asked in surprise. Dane trailed off, saying, “Well.” It wasn’t a very good place, but considering the money Dane had, there was no place as suitable as that. But Ezra’s thoughts were completely different.
“Even so, it’s too dangerous there! You should look for another hotel…”
“I’m looking for a place to rent for now, so don’t worry too much.”
Dane simply dismissed his words. Ezra looked like he wanted to say something more, but he quickly shut his mouth. Because if he dug any deeper, he would definitely get annoyed. Dane really hates being bothered.
“Still, it’s a shame that he left without even saying goodbye.”
Ezra muttered to himself with a sigh.
“I guess there’s no way to say goodbye separately? He wouldn’t meet me anyway.”
At Ezra’s embarrassed smile, Dane glanced at him and answered nonchalantly.
“You know his contact information, right? You can at least give him a call to say hello.”
“Right?”
Ezra quickly asked, his face brightening. Dane nodded casually, saying, “Yeah.” In fact, it didn’t matter at all. Because Grayson had completely disappeared from his life now.
As promised at first.
Dane picked up the toolbox and turned around. He put the items back in their original place and turned around, but suddenly felt strange. He stopped and slowly looked around, but nothing had changed. He scanned the fire station once again, this time in the opposite direction, when suddenly a notification rang on his cell phone. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and checked the message, but soon made a hollow expression. It was a common spam message.
Dane grumbled briefly, deleted the spam message, and put his cell phone back in his pocket.
A week had passed since then. After that, there was no contact from Grayson. The long, long texts had also stopped completely.
Dane soon turned around and strode away. With the thought that the surroundings were unnecessarily too quiet.