Arion sat on the bed, a deep flush coloring his neck and face. The memories of the night before, once a hazy blur, now came crashing down with vivid, agonizing clarity. He remembered it all—the way he had sobbed Kyon's name, the animalistic cries he had made, the desperate pleas that had fallen from his lips.
But one memory, more than any other, made him want to hide under the sheets and never emerge again. He had begged. He, the Black Tiger of the North, had begged.
He remembered Kyon's hands, impossibly strong, cupping his face. He remembered Kyon's voice, a low, gravelly whisper in his ear. "Look at me," Kyon had commanded, his eyes glowing with a feral, possessive heat.
And he had looked. He had looked into the eyes of the man who had just taken him, and with a voice he didn't recognize as his own, he had begged him. He had begged him not to finish inside him. He had begged, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and need, that he wasn't ready to carry an heir.
The words were a bitter, brutal truth. He was a man, a powerful alpha, and his body had just asked for the one thing that was a mark of a submissive omega. He had asked to be spared the burden of an heir, a child that would be a living testament to his shame, to his submissive status, to his body's deep, profound need for Kyon.
He had expected Kyon to be angry, to ignore his pleas. But Kyon, with a tenderness that was so at odds with his wildness, had kissed him, a soft, reassuring press of lips. He had pulled back, his eyes searching Arion's, and with a voice that was full of a gentle, quiet understanding, he had said, "I know. We will not be having any heirs right now."
Arion's face burned with a shame so profound he thought he might combust. He had given up his body, his will, his dignity, and he had done it willingly. He had surrendered to his Alpha, to his fate, to the man who was now sleeping peacefully next to him, a picture of perfect innocence.
He looked at Kyon again, at the placid, beautiful face that held no hint of the beast he had a wild night with. He remembered the feel of Kyon's body, the raw, untamed power that had sent shivers of both fear and desire down his spine. He remembered Kyon's size, a length of 135 inches, and the thought alone made him flush redder again.
He was in love with a monster, a man who had brought him to his knees, and he was terrified. He was terrified of the power Kyon held over him, terrified of the truth of their bond, and terrified of the future that awaited them. But more than anything, he was terrified of the fact that he wanted it. He wanted to be with Kyon, to be his partner, his consort, his omega. He wanted to live this lie, to be a part of this terrible, beautiful, and utterly true life.
He was a warrior, a Lord of the North, and he was now a man who had found his place in the world. He was an omega to a powerful, secret alpha, and he was home.