Kyon's perfectly maintained facade was his most potent weapon. He had let his guard down for a single, disastrous moment, and the consequences had been immense. The raw, unfiltered connection with Arion, the shame, the fury, and the devastating rut that followed—it had all been a terrifying reminder of how precarious his secret truly was. He could not afford another mistake. Arion, for all his strength and pride, was a volatile variable he had to control.
He entered his father's study, the scent of white tea a perfect shield against any lingering signs of his rut. The King, a stern alpha with a scent of aged parchment and ambition, was seated at his massive mahogany desk. A stern man in the King's guard, his brother's trusted enforcer, stood nearby, his scent a harsh, aggressive command.
The King did not look up from the scroll he was reading. "Prince," he said, his voice flat. "Lord Arion has proved... difficult. He is an alpha of great strength and influence. He will not be swayed by a mere beautiful face."
Kyon's heart hammered against his ribs. The duel had not gone unnoticed. He held his breath, waiting for the punishment.
"However," the King continued, finally looking up, "your display of skill in the courtyard yesterday was impressive. It has intrigued him. It shows him that you are not just a pretty face, but a Prince worthy of his respect. A Prince who can stand on his own."
Kyon's surprise was palpable. He had been expecting a lecture, not praise.
"And so," the King went on, a cold glint in his eye, "I have arranged a demonstration. A hunt. You will both be participating. You, Prince, will show your strength. Lord Arion will see that you are a worthy mate, not a weak prize. And he will be reminded that your strength is still under the control of this Crown."
The King's words sent a shiver down Kyon's spine. A hunt. A public display of power. It was a dangerous proposition. The smallest slip, the smallest hint of his true scent, and it would all be over. But he had no choice.
The next morning, the hunting party gathered at the edge of the royal forest. The air was crisp and cold, filled with the scents of pine, leather, and anticipation. Arion stood among the hunters, his face a grim mask. He refused to look at Kyon, who was a picture of serene elegance on his horse, his bow held gracefully in his hand.
The hunt was a treacherous one. The target was a mythical Shadow Stag, a creature known for its cunning and its ferocity. It was a clear test of both strength and strategy. Kyon and Arion were ordered to split off from the main hunting party, a silent test of their supposed bond.
Kyon, despite his serene appearance, was on high alert. He could feel Arion's controlled rage, a tight coil of tension. He knew this was a test. A test of his control, of their secret, of their very survival.
They rode deeper into the forest, the silence between them thick and tense. Suddenly, Arion's horse reared, letting out a wild whinny. A shadow, a blur of muscle and black fur, leaped from a thicket. It wasn't the Shadow Stag, but a massive Forest Bear, its eyes filled with a predatory hunger. The beast let out a guttural roar, its powerful paws swiping at Arion's horse.
Arion was thrown from his saddle, the momentum of the attack sending him sprawling to the ground. The bear, its attention now fixed on the fallen alpha, charged. Arion's hand went to his sword, but the bear was too fast.
Kyon, his calm facade shattering, reacted on instinct. He raised his bow, not bothering to nock an arrow. With a primal roar, a sound of pure, unadulterated alpha rage, he leaped from his horse, abandoning his weapon. He landed in front of Arion, a human shield, his body and his scent, a suffocating, dominating wall of burning amber and pine, aimed directly at the massive beast.
The bear, already a creature of immense power, froze. Its predatory eyes widened in fear. It had sensed the true alpha, the predator who was even more dangerous than itself. The scent was a command, a silent, powerful warning. Leave now, or die.
The bear whimpered, a low, frightened sound, and turned, fleeing back into the forest as fast as it could. The sound of its massive paws thundering away echoed in the silence.
Arion lay on the ground, his body trembling, not from fear, but from the overwhelming power he had just witnessed. Kyon stood over him, panting, his facade completely gone. His eyes were wide, his face flushed, and his scent was a thick, heady cloud of pure alpha dominance.
He had just saved Arion's life. He had just revealed his true nature, his true power, and his true bond to the one person who could expose him. And it wasn't a calculated move. It was pure instinct. A primal, unbreakable bond. He had just confirmed to Arion, and to himself, that the lie of the omega was a cage that was finally, irrevocably, breaking.