They could only watch helplessly, no one objecting as Chase Shaw carried Zoe Pierce into his mecha.

Julian Chambers returned to his mecha as well, leaving only Miles Sherman, Nathan Lockwood, and Erin Xavier on the ground.

Erin Xavier had a hand on his neck. Seeing this, Miles Sherman walked up to him and glanced at his shoulder. "Can you still pilot a mecha?"

"I’ll manage." Erin Xavier forced a smile, an indescribable disappointment welling within him.

It was especially potent when he watched Chase Shaw carry Zoe Pierce away, turning his back on him. That was when the feeling peaked.

Miles Sherman was perhaps the one who understood Erin Xavier best.

After all, if Chase Shaw hadn’t suddenly appeared that time, he too might have lost control after marking Zoe Pierce.

But there are no what-ifs. Chase Shaw’s appearance back then had significantly shifted his own mindset.

"Don’t overthink it. Chase Shaw was just worried."

Only now was Miles Sherman truly getting a taste of it.

When he heard Erin Xavier say he had marked Zoe Pierce, his heart was thrown into chaos.

’His first thought wasn’t even about what might have happened to Zoe Pierce. Instead, it was: Didn’t I just temporarily mark her? That mark didn’t even last three months.’

Shame followed the very next second.

He was ashamed of his thoughts, ashamed of his selfishness.

Once the complex emotions had run their course, he was able to put on a composed front and comfort Erin Xavier.

But he couldn’t bring himself to say anything more.

He had reached his limit; he couldn’t get another word out.

His perpetually serious expression now served as a mask. As long as he kept his mouth shut, he could hide everything he was thinking.

Erin Xavier’s expression didn’t improve hearing Miles Sherman’s words of comfort. On the contrary, he felt he had no way to defend himself.

’He couldn’t tell Miles Sherman that if he hadn’t opened a comms channel just now, he wouldn’t have been able to stop. He would have gone further—he would have marked her, kissed her, and sunk into an abyss of pheromone-fueled desire with her.’

’These were things he could never say.’

A secret known only to him, that even the unconscious Zoe Pierce was unaware of.

Once Nathan Lockwood and Miles Sherman were both back in their mechas, Erin Xavier steadied himself with a hand and climbed into Zoe Pierce’s cockpit.

The combined scent of the two of them inside the mecha had faded considerably. He had to inhale deeply to catch the faintest trace. Erin Xavier connected his spiritual power to Zoe Pierce’s mecha, his mind completely blank.

He only started to follow the group when Julian Chambers began piloting his mecha away from the area.

Inside Chase Shaw’s mecha, Zoe Pierce remained in a deep, oblivious slumber. Her memories drifted—one moment as sharp as cinematic details, the next as hazy as moonlight through a silken veil, impossible to grasp.

It was as if she had sunk into the ocean’s depths, unable to find a way to the surface.

Chase Shaw piloted his mecha, following Julian Chambers while his attention was divided, constantly glancing over at her.

He gripped her hand, his own palm tense and slick with sweat.

’Why couldn’t I have just insisted? Why didn’t I insist on Zoe Pierce coming with me?’

Regret and anxiety flooded his already frantic mind, making his scalp tingle with pain. Even his spirit sea roiled with turbulent waves.

Even holding Zoe Pierce’s hand was no use.

She couldn’t soothe him with her spiritual power, and her body was still giving off Erin Xavier’s scent, agitating him.

It took more self-restraint than he usually possessed to suppress the rising tide of displeasure and rage. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Fortunately, Julian Chambers was quick. He led them at high speed to the edge of a residential district, then exited his mecha. "I don’t think we should use the mechas in a residential area."

’They’re too conspicuous.’

Besides, all their mechas had just been spotted by surveillance drones, and residential districts were crawling with them.

Chase Shaw was the first to recall his mecha. Cradling Zoe Pierce, he snapped at Julian Chambers, "Hurry up. How much longer?"

His presence was so overpowering that Julian Chambers couldn’t help but take two steps back.

He pointed southeast. "I already contacted my friend from my mecha. If we move quickly on foot, it’s about a fifteen-minute run."

He had already picked the shortest route, but it was still slower than traveling by mecha.

Fortunately, no one wasted time on needless talk. They simply fell in behind him and started to run.

Erin Xavier wanted to offer to carry Zoe Pierce, since he was the fastest and could get her there sooner.

But before he could say a word, everyone had already taken off.

Chase Shaw wasn’t as fast as Erin Xavier, but carrying Zoe Pierce barely slowed him down.

Julian Chambers, leading the way, had to grit his teeth and push himself to run even faster.

The stamina of these S-Class Alphas far surpassed his own. Not wanting to look weak, he could only push his body to its absolute limit.

A trip that would normally take almost twenty minutes was covered in just over ten.

By the time they reached his friend’s house, Julian Chambers’s throat was raw and aching.

The Beta, having already received his message, was waiting at the door. Her eyes lit up when she saw them appear.

But her gaze quickly shifted to Zoe Pierce in Chase Shaw’s arms, and she said hurriedly, "Put her on the operating table inside."

Chase Shaw had been running at full tilt, but his movements were incredibly gentle as he laid Zoe Pierce down.

Nathan Lockwood added from behind, "She has a history of issues with her glands and suffers from a stress disorder. You’ll need to monitor her spiritual power and brainwave activity during the exam."

And, most importantly," he continued, "the temporary marking on her gland was interrupted. Please check for any adverse effects."

So, they had pretty much told her exactly how to do her job.

The female Beta doctor listened, stunned for a moment, then nodded quickly. "Alright," she said, closing the door in front of them. "Please wait outside. It gets very complicated if an Omega’s glands go into heat."

The moment she shut the door, it was as if she had taken a piece of everyone’s soul with her.

The room immediately fell silent again.

Julian Chambers unconsciously edged further away. He felt extremely uncomfortable in the current atmosphere.

It wasn’t the discomfort of a battlefield, but something else, something indescribable.

Chase Shaw ran a hand through his hair, his gaze flicking first to Miles Sherman, then to Erin Xavier.

’Now, both of them have marked Zoe Pierce.’

The turmoil in his spirit sea was more painful than ever. He let out a muffled groan, pressing a hand to his head.

Seeing him so obviously tormented by his spirit sea made Miles and the others frown.

"Chase, are you okay?" Erin Xavier, who was standing beside him, reached out a hand to steady him.

But Chase Shaw immediately swatted his hand away. "Don’t touch me."

’My head is killing me.’

Erin Xavier’s hand froze in midair, his expression unreadable.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing the female Beta doctor’s face.

She glanced around at the men before her eyes landed on them. "Who’s the Alpha that marked the Omega today?"

Erin Xavier lifted his head, his gaze subconsciously darting toward the gap in the doorway.

"I am."