The first thing Theron felt was silence.
Heavy, warm, settling over his chest like a thick blanket.No burning heat beneath his skin.No frantic edge clawing up his spine.No uncontrollable need to chase, to claim, to—
He inhaled slowly.
Aiden.
His scent lingered in the den—clean, sharp, threaded with something soft only Theron could describe as wild sunlight. Warm furs were piled over him, meaning someone had tended to him.
Meaning Aiden had.
Theron opened his eyes.
The den was dim; morning light filtered through the narrow entrance, softening the rough stone walls. The ache in his muscles was dull, not dangerous. His mind—finally—clear.
And the very first memory that surfaced was a voice.
Sharp.Firm.Commanding.
"Theron. Sit. Back. Now."
A shiver rolled down his spine.
He had obeyed.
Not because he was weak.Not because he had lost control.But because Aiden had spoken like an alpha—not in rank, but in spirit. And Theron's wolf… his wolf had listened.
Theron dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling."Moon above…"
He remembered flashes.
The car.Aiden's thigh under his hand.The scent that drove him mad—spice, earth, and heat.And Aiden's voice, cutting through his instincts like a blade.
He remembered stumbling, and Aiden dragging him.He remembered the den, Aiden telling him to stay.He remembered falling asleep to the faint sound of Aiden breathing on the other side of the room.
Theron sat up slowly.
The furs beside him were rumpled—Aiden must've slept close enough to watch him, but far enough away to stay safe. His chest warmed at the thought.
For a moment, he simply breathed, letting his mind sift through the remnants of rut.It wasn't gone—not entirely.Just dormant.Waiting.
But he no longer felt like he would lose himself to it.
His ears twitched.
Footsteps.
Soft, hesitant.
Theron looked toward the entrance just as Aiden appeared, rubbing sleep from his eyes and pushing messy hair out of his face. His hoodie was wrinkled, his tail trailing low, sleepy, but his ears perked the second he saw Theron sitting up.
Aiden froze.
Theron couldn't stop the small smile tugging at his lips."You're awake."
Aiden blinked, looking almost offended at being stated the obvious."Well—yeah. Someone had to check on you."
Theron's smile deepened. "You stayed."
Aiden's cheeks flushed in a way he pretended wasn't happening."I wasn't going to let you choke on your tongue in your sleep or whatever."
Theron huffed a quiet laugh. "Of course."
Aiden stepped inside, but carefully—like Theron might still be unpredictable.Theron sat straighter, voice gentle.
"I'm lucid now. The rut has calmed. You're safe."
Aiden rolled his eyes, but tension eased from his shoulders."Good. Because dragging you back was a nightmare."He crossed his arms. "…You owe me."
Theron tilted his head. "Do I?"
"You tried to climb into my lap in the car."
Theron blinked.
Aiden's face turned crimson."And you put your hand—! Just—don't do it again."
Ah.
Theron cleared his throat. "I don't recall all of it."
"Oh, I do," Aiden muttered under his breath.
The sound of his voice, low and annoyed and embarrassed, sent a warm thrum through Theron's chest. The alpha watched him a moment longer—watched the way Aiden refused to meet his eyes, the way his ears flicked restlessly, the way his tail betrayed his worry before he could stop it.
Theron's gaze softened.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Aiden straightened, startled. "For… what?"
"For ordering me."Theron's voice dropped, warm but honest."For keeping me together."
Aiden looked away, ears going red.
"I only did it because you were being stupid."
Theron huffed. "Still. You did it."
Aiden swallowed, shifting from foot to foot.
Theron finally asked the question that had been circling his head since he woke.
"Aiden… did I hurt you? Even accidentally?"
Aiden's eyes snapped up.
"No."He said it firmly.Without hesitation.
Theron felt his shoulders relax fully for the first time.
Aiden added, quieter,"You listened. Even in rut. That's why I knew I could get you back."
Theron looked at him then—not as the alpha king, but as a man who had almost lost control and been pulled back by the one person he never expected.
"Aiden…"His voice softened to something raw."You saved me."
Aiden stared at him, breath hitching for the slightest moment—
Then he scoffed, turning away with a flick of his tail.
"Yeah, well. Someone has to stop you from being a disaster."
But his ears were bright red.
And Theron saw it.
Every piece of it.
Aiden moved around the den like nothing at all had happened.
He straightened the blankets.Adjusted the pillows.Checked the water bucket.Even opened the window flap to let fresh air in.
All of it done with stiff, too-fast movements—the kind of movements someone made when they were desperately pretending nothing had happened.
Theron watched him silently.
Aiden's tail was puffed at the tip.His ears flicked every few seconds.And his scent—normally sharp and restless—was unusually even.
Calm.Settled.Almost… content.
That told Theron more than Aiden ever would.
Finally, Aiden stopped fussing and crossed his arms, trying to look unimpressed.
"So," Aiden muttered, refusing to make eye contact, "you're… good now."
Theron nodded. "Mostly. Enough to work again."
"Great," Aiden said too quickly. "Perfect. Good. You can… go be a king or whatever."
Theron stood, stretching his arms and letting the last bits of tension roll off his shoulders. Aiden watched him from the corner of his eye—even though he pretended he wasn't.
"You're calmer today," Theron said gently.
Aiden froze.
"Wha—no I'm not."
"You are." Theron stepped closer, voice low. "Your wolf isn't pacing. Your tail isn't defensive. Your heartbeat is steady."
Aiden's cheeks turned crimson.He stepped back instantly.
"Stop sniffing me."
"I'm not sniffing. I'm observing."
"Same thing!"
Theron's lips tugged into a small smile.He didn't tell Aiden that his wolf—usually prickly and confrontational—felt safe around him for the first time in weeks.He didn't tell Aiden that the bond hummed gently instead of straining painfully tight.
Instead, he simply murmured,"I like seeing you like this."
Aiden's ears shot up, then flattened hard.
"I'm going outside," he declared, voice cracking as he stormed for the door.
Theron let him escape.
It was sweet, really.
Once Aiden was safely out of the den and out of earshot, Theron stepped into the main hall of the territory.
Instantly, a dozen wolves turned.
"Alpha King, you're awake."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Are your instincts stable?"
He nodded once, and the pack's tension melted. His authority filled the air naturally again—controlled, unforced. The lingering rut haze no longer clouded his senses.
Ronan approached first, brisk and unapologetic as usual."You look like hell."
Theron raised a brow. "Good morning to you too."
"I assume Aiden dragged you back?"
Theron didn't answer.Ronan snorted, "Thought so."
Despite the teasing, his second-in-command's eyes softened with relief.
"We've handled everything while you were… indisposed. Patrols doubled. Human-side security increased. No rogue scents for two days."
"Good," Theron said. "I'll take over now."
Ronan hesitated. "You should rest. A rut—"
Theron's voice sharpened. "I'm fine."
Ronan lifted both hands. "Alright, alright. No need to bite."
Theron strode forward, tall and composed, issuing orders effortlessly:
"Shift patrols to the west border—rogue activity was reported last week.""Check the scent markers; the rain weakened them.""Send a message to the council: meeting at dusk."
The pack straightened, energized by his clarity and dominance.
Theron was back.
And yet…
His eyes drifted toward the path Aiden had taken.
His wolf tugged softly at him.
Aiden.Where did he go?
Aiden paced near the edge of the training grounds, trying to calm his wildly confused wolf.
"Calm? I'm calm," he muttered to himself. "Completely calm. Perfectly—stop wagging you stupid tail!"
His wolf wagged harder.
Heat swept up his neck, and he grabbed a handful of his own hair.
"Nothing happened," he hissed to the air. "He didn't… touch me. And I didn't— I'm not—"
His wolf whined contentedly, remembering the sound of Theron's breathing last night, the weight of his presence, the way Aiden had protected him.
Aiden slapped his own cheeks.
"No. Stop that. We are not doing this. We hate him. Right? Right."
His wolf did not agree.
At all.
And from the doorway of his den, Theron watched him with a small, hidden smile.