Phayu's gift

Chapter 6

A new rumor began to circulate through the town, well actually two. The first was that Niran Malee had been arrested for the 20 year old unsolved murder of his in-laws. There were new suspicions as well about what happened to his brother and wife.

The second rumor was that Rain Malee's mother had come to town and she was a respected omega from a good family.

"Not that it would have mattered," Rain tells P'Phayu that night, Most of the omegas that were currently working in P'Pakin's houses and the former workers that Rain had met had more class than all of the gossiping, judgemental town's people put together.

Rain is just happy to have his mother here with him now. He even insists that she is going to move in with them when their house is finished.

"Dear," Pear tells him, "You will be newly married. You don't want your old mother staying with you."

"Mama," Rain answers, "it's a big house and I'm not giving you up since I found you either."

P'Phayu also insists that the house is big enough for all of them, although if Rain has his way he will have Sky living there as well.

"I have a funny feeling Sky will soon have his own household to take care of," P'Phayu tells him but won't explain what he means even when Rain begs him.

The day of the wedding dawns bright and clear. Rain has insisted he doesn't want a grand affair, just family and friends. There are less than fifty people there for the wedding.

Sky and Mama help Rain get ready, he is wearing a simple white shirt and black pants. His jacket is black with embroidered flowers in metallic colored threads on the back. Mama does his hair for him, flat and soft down one side, three elaborate braids on the other. She stands back and examines her work. "You are so beautiful, my son. I wish your father could have been here to see this. He would have been so proud of the young man you have become." She says and they both cry over this.

Sky has made Rain's bouquet himself, jasmine and cherry blossoms to represent Rain omega scent.

"One more thing," Mama says, she takes a blue silk collar with silver trim out of her bag and puts it around Rain's neck. "Wear this as your exchange collar, it was the one your father gave me." The people in her area of the country had a wedding tradition that the omega would wear a collar of their family during the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony after the vows were spoken the alpha would exchange the collar for his own. It signifies the moving from one family into another. Rain thought it was a beautiful tradition but didn't know his mama and P'Phayu had planned to incorporate it into his ceremony. He almost tears up again. Rain wonders if he is going to spend the whole day crying, that's all P'Phayu needs is a weepy omega on his hands.

The time for the ceremony comes, and suddenly Rain feels very faint. "Breath, dear," his mama tells him. Rain nods and takes a deep breath in holds it and then lets it out.

"Rain they are calling for you, it's time," Sky says, going out to take his place at the front. He is Rain's first omega, just as Prapai is Phayu's first alpha. Mama goes out to take her seat. Rain has to do this part on his own, every omega must meet their alpha alone. Betas sometimes have wedding traditions of their parents or family members walking them down the aisle, but that is not the tradition of alphas and omegas in their society. Rain takes one more deep breath then walks out to the hall.

At first his feet falter, too nervous to go forward. Then he sees P'Phayu waiting for him up front. He is wearing a suit that complements Rain's. Black pants, red shirt open at the color, black jacket in the same style as Rain's but without the embroidery. A small spray of jasmine and cherry blossoms pinned to his lapel. His hair is pulled up in its usual top knot at the back but there are strands around his face making him look softer.