The library doors closed, leaving Arion alone. The scent of white tea lingered, but it was overshadowed by a primal, overwhelming wave of heat. The feeling was a thousand times more intense than anything he had felt before. The mark on his neck throbbed violently, but it was the one on his belly that truly set him ablaze. It felt like a branding iron, searing him from the inside out, a fiery declaration of Kyon's dominance.
His knees buckled. A groan escaped his lips as he slumped against a bookshelf, his body trembling. He was in the throes of a sudden, brutal heat. This wasn't the manageable, almost-forgotten heat of his youth. This was a direct, aggressive reaction to Kyon's scent and their earlier intimate encounter. His body, having accepted the Alpha's claim, was now crying out for its mate.
His scent, usually the clean, strong aroma of fresh rain and earth, began to change. It became cloying, sweet, and overwhelmingly submissive. It was the scent of a male omega in heat, a blatant invitation that would draw every alpha in the palace to the library doors. Panic flared, cutting through the haze of desire. He couldn't be found like this. It would be an even greater humiliation than the duel.
He slid to the floor, panting, the burning in his abdomen intensifying with every desperate breath. He could hear footsteps in the hall, getting closer. The scent of other alphas, their curiosity piqued by his unmasked scent, was a growing threat. He had to get out, had to hide, but his body was a useless, trembling mess.
Just as a guard's footsteps stopped outside the door, the unmistakable scent of Kyon returned. Not the white tea Kyon, but the true Alpha, the scent of burning amber and pine, a dominating force that cut through the air. The guard hesitated, then continued on his way, apparently convinced that the "prince" was guarding the library himself.
Kyon stepped inside and locked the door behind him. He took one look at Arion, curled on the floor, sweat beading on his brow, his body trembling in the throes of a powerful heat. The sight of his powerful alpha consort brought a possessive flicker to Kyon's eyes.
He knelt, his hand once again going to Arion's face. This time, there was no gentle touch. He grabbed Arion's chin, forcing him to look up. "This is the price of our bond, Arion," Kyon's voice was low and commanding. "My claim on you is absolute. And the consequences are unavoidable."
He leaned in, his own alpha scent now a suffocating presence. "Your body craves me. It wants nothing more than to submit. But your pride, Arion, your pride is what makes this so much more difficult." He smirked, a cruel, knowing glint in his eyes. "You want me, don't you? You want me to take you right here, right now, just like that night you can't remember."