Arion's anger evaporated as quickly as it had ignited, leaving a hollow emptiness in its wake. He released Kyon's collar, his hands falling to his sides, trembling. He had just screamed at the future king of Elysium, the most celebrated figure in the kingdom, and instead of a swift, brutal retaliation, he was met with an apology and a look of profound, heart-wrenching sadness.
Kyon took a shaky breath, his own anger and fear settling back into the tightly controlled reservoir he kept. He looked at Arion, his eyes still shimmering with unshed tears. He gently reached out and, with a touch so light it was barely there, pressed a finger against the mark on Arion's belly. The touch sent a jolt through Arion, but it wasn't a shock of pain or rage. It was a faint, possessive burn, a quiet thrum of a bond that was slowly, inexorably solidifying.
"I didn't even want this to happen," Kyon said, his voice now a mere whisper. "Do you think I enjoy this? Being trapped in a body that doesn't belong to me, forced to wear a mask every single day? I'm a prince, Arion. A perfect, beautiful omega prince. Do you know what that means? It means every moment of my life is a performance. I am a living, breathing commodity. My father parades me around, showing me off to potential suitors. He doesn't even see me. He sees a political pawn, a tool to secure alliances. He's afraid of me. He knows I'm not a real omega. He knows I am an Alpha, and he fears that my true nature will incite a rebellion against his chosen heir—my cruel, monstrous older brother."
He pulled his hand back, his gaze fixed on Arion's, a desperate plea for understanding in his blue eyes. "I never wanted to mark you. You were a mistake. An accident born out of my own weakness and desperation. My suppressants failed, my instincts took over, and in that moment, I was nothing more than an animal. I saw you, and I took you, and I branded you because that is what my alpha instincts told me to do. It wasn't a calculated move, not a part of some grand plan. It was just a terrible, agonizing mistake."
Kyon's voice broke on the last word, and he looked away, a tear finally escaping and rolling down his cheek. He had never been so honest with anyone in his entire life. The secrets he had held so close, the pain he had carried in silent solitude, was now exposed for Arion to see.
Arion stood there, his mind reeling. He had come here with a heart full of fury, ready to destroy the person who had ruined his life. But instead, he found a broken boy, a prince who was as much a victim as he was. He saw the genuine sorrow in Kyon's eyes, the deep-seated loneliness that mirrored his own.
He reached out, his hand shaking, and gently took Kyon's face, turning it back to face him. He wiped away the tear with his thumb, the touch as tender as the one Kyon had given him earlier.
"You're not a monster," Arion said, his voice rough with emotion. "You're just... like me. A prisoner."
Kyon leaned into the touch, a look of profound relief washing over his face. He closed his eyes, his mask of a cold and arrogant prince finally shattered. He had been holding on for so long, and now, in the presence of the man he had wronged, he could finally let go. He could be himself.
In that moment, the rage was gone, and something new, something complicated and fragile, began to grow between them. It wasn't love. Not yet. It was a mutual understanding, a shared pain, and a silent promise to protect each other in a world that would tear them both apart if their secret ever got out.
"We have to get you out of here," Kyon said, his voice thick with emotion as he opened his eyes. He quickly got up from the bed and began to gather some of his clothes. "My father is expecting me, and he'll notice if I'm gone for too long. He'll send guards to come look for me, and if they find you here, it's over for both of us."
He threw a tunic and a pair of trousers at Arion. "Put these on. They're a bit big, but they'll cover your scent until you get back to your own quarters." Kyon then began to put on his own clothes, the white tea scent returning to his skin, wrapping around him like a protective cocoon.
"And Arion," he said, turning to face him, his eyes now cold and calculating once again. "Remember our deal. It's the only way we both survive this."
Arion, no longer angry but strangely sympathetic, simply nodded. He knew that the two of them were trapped, bound together by a single night of mistake and a shared, terrible secret.
Kyon smile at himself.
"I did it again…being a manipulative man, I won't let you arion!"
He smirk and feels dizzy .