Kyon's words were a whip lashing through Arion's haze of desire and humiliation. He was being seen, completely and utterly exposed, and his pride—the core of his very being—rebelled. His alpha side, which had been fighting a losing battle against Kyon's dominance, surged with a final, desperate burst of energy. He wouldn't submit. Not like this.
With a guttural roar, Arion launched himself forward. All thoughts of his throbbing marks and his traitorous body were gone. He swung a fist, a wild, unrestrained blow aimed at Kyon's taunting face. It landed with a sickening crunch.
Kyon stumbled back, a gasp of surprise leaving his lips. He raised a hand to his mouth and looked at his fingers, now smeared with a thin line of red. A small cut had split his lip, and a drop of blood trickled down his chin.
For a moment, Arion felt a flash of triumph, a primal satisfaction. He had struck back. He had not submitted. But his triumph was short-lived.
Kyon's eyes, usually so calm and placid, went wide. The white tea scent that had been a constant presence evaporated instantly, replaced by an overwhelming, suffocating wave of burning amber and pine. It wasn't the subtle, controlled scent from the duel. This was raw, untamed, and feral. It was the scent of an alpha in a rage, an uncaged predator.
Kyon's carefully constructed mask shattered. The graceful, demure prince was gone, replaced by a furious, dominating beast. A low growl rumbled in his chest, a sound that shook Arion to his core. Kyon's eyes, now a shocking, predatory gold, fixed on Arion.
"You dare," Kyon's voice was a low growl, "to strike your Alpha."
Arion's body, already weakened by the heat, completely gave out. His legs gave way, and he fell to his knees, trembling. The marks on his neck and belly flared with an unbearable agony, a fiery punishment for his rebellion. His body was crying out in agony, and his omega instincts screamed at him to submit. To lie down. To beg for forgiveness.
Kyon took a step forward, his shadow looming over Arion. He wasn't the beautiful, delicate prince anymore. He was the uncaged alpha, a force of nature that Arion had foolishly provoked. The true battle had just begun. And in this fight, Arion was losing. Badly.