Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 156: Sick and furious

Chapter 156: Sick and furious

"Let’s hear it after the doctor checks on him," he said and grumbled quietly as he walked, "He was fine this morning, so how did this happen? He was so sick to the point of fainting!" he glared at Athan and hissed, "He went to meet your father but he came back sick."

Athan just glared back and walked closer to his brother. His face crumpled when he saw how pale Knox was.

"Calm down," Kayden patted his cousin’s back and checked on Knox.

After a few minutes, he spoke again, "He fainted from a high fever, stress, and overfatigue. He also went back home entirely drenched earlier, so it’s no wonder he’d be this sick. Did he take medicine already? Make sure to give him medicine and proper rest, and also make him drink plenty of fluids, particularly water."

Kayden eyes the two alphas strictly and firmly ordered, "And don’t add to his stress. Let him rest, mentally and physically, please."

Azrael, "Is that all? What about his pheromone condition?"

Kayden replied, "It started to become stable after spending more time with you—

"Pheromone condition? What do you mean? Does Knox have a problem with his pheromones?" Athan chipped in, cutting the doctor’s words.

Azrael scoffed, "What? You acted like you’re some loving and caring brother, and yet you didn’t even know that?"

Athan gritted his teeth at the other alpha. Electricity sparks between the two engaging in a glaring battle. Kayden clapped his hand, irritated. He pointed at Azrael and scolded, "Stop picking a fight on everything, cousin. Start harnessing your patience if you plan to stay with Knox. Mr. Horace will be your family, whether you like it or not."

"No way," Athan immediately answered. He heard Azrael growling at him, but he ignored the alpha and carried Knox.

Azrael protested, "Hey!"

Kayden explained before Athan could walk away, "His pheromones weren’t stable before because of the bond he had. As we all know, bonds are like life threads that connect the bonded. If the bonded alpha and omega are separated, it will affect the two, but mostly the omega will suffer physically, while the alpha, mentally."

Athan’s face darkened. He still didn’t want to accept that, but looking back to those four years Knox was abroad, he now understood why he rarely attracted an alpha.

He walked away, carrying Knox to the bedroom. Azrael even dared to follow him, but Kayden stopped him, shaking his head.

"There’s another matter you should be focusing on," the doctor stated. "Where’s your kid? Let me check him too."

Azrael led his cousin to the other bedroom. Knoa was sleeping soundly, much to his relief. While Kayden examined the child, Azrael remembered something. "You said he went home drenched? Why? What happened?"

Kayden tucked the child under the cover and answered in a lowered voice, "I’m not sure but it looks like he braved the heavy rain. He came home around five in the afternoon. He just washed himself before he sent us away. Shawn ordered food, but...it looks like they both haven’t eaten dinner yet."

Azrael balled his hands into fists. He couldn’t understand why would Knox let himself be rained on. ’He didn’t have an umbrella? But why would he need it when, I’m sure, as soon his car rolled in the entrance and he stepped out, one of their servants would come running to hold an umbrella for him.’

"Why would he do that?" he voiced out the last sentence unconsciously.

Kayden turned to him and sighed, "Perhaps an act of protest? Maybe his father still didn’t want to accept you, or maybe he wanted Knox to return home with Knoa, and do what he wanted. There are plenty of reasons, Azi. Reasons that may have been unreasonable that all Knox could do was stand his ground and protest until his father gave up. Knoa’s okay. His temperature is normal. You should wake him up to eat dinner."

Kayden walked out of the room. Azrael planted a kiss on the kid’s forehead, before following the other alpha. They were in the corridor when they heard Athan speaking with someone over the phone.

"He’s fine. He has a fever. Shawn told me he went back home completely drenched from the rain. He visited the mansion, didn’t he? Did something happen? Knox isn’t someone who’s reckless like this. He always hated getting a cold because he didn’t want to infect his son," Athan said.

He went silent for a while before his eyes shook and anger flashed on them. He shouted in disbelief, "They did what?!"

Azrael and Kayden exchanged looks. After a few minutes more, Athan ended the call. He saw the two alphas in the corner of his eyes, but he didn’t look at them and just palmed his face, seemingly appalled.

Azrael asked dangerously. He could feel he wouldn’t like what Athan’s answer would be. "So, what happened?"

Athan finally glanced at them. He pursed his lips, guilt displayed on his face. He then responded despondently, "Apparently, Knox went to the mansion to talk to our father...but he was turned away. Then, it rained. Knox didn’t want to leave and so—

"So, he stayed outside while the rain poured heavily," Kayden cut Athan’s words off, only to continue them himself. His passive expression he’d been showing between the two alphas’ unending, silent bantering, broke into a snarl. He spat angrily to Athan, "And your people didn’t even think of giving him an umbrella or plead him to go back or find shelter?"

Athan was rendered speechless. He didn’t know what exactly happened, so he couldn’t refute the doctor.

Athan’s balled fist shot up and grabbed Athan’s collar. He then growled, his grey eyes blazing with fury and his every word was full of anger and disdain, "I didn’t know your family could be so cruel like that. Is what Knox and I have so deplorable that you won’t even blink if he’s standing under the rain for hours! Your father won’t even care?!"

Kayden just watched his cousin push Athan away. From Azrael’s trembling hands, he could tell the tremendous effort his cousin was making to not throw a punch at Knox’s brother. His voice was so loud it was reverberating in the corridor.

Azrael continued, his voice subdued yet his eyes were reddened and bulging from anger, "He went there in the morning and only came back home at dusk. He was standing there for hours, you bastard! So much for being kind, empathetic, generous, and compassionate, and whatsoever your f*cking family has when you can’t even try to understand him!"

Athan didn’t even try to defend his family.

Azrael gritted his teeth. The silence coming from Athan only infuriated him more. When his eyes briefly caught sight of the door behind them, he suddenly realized that his loud voice might wake up the father and son.

He clenched his jaw, and pointed his index finger at Athan, as he snarled in a lowered voice, "Knox is an adult now, so I don’t think he’ll be needing your father’s permission to marry." Azrael saw Athan’s eyes widen slightly. "And if we did, none of you will be invited. Screw you and your hypocritical family, Horace. Go to hell."