Ren’s legs gave out the moment Charles’ footsteps faded into the distance. He stumbled forward, breath uneven, eyes wide.

Zayden caught him just before he hit the floor—his grip balanced, not too tight, not too loose.

"Ren, look at me," he said, voice unsteady. His pulse quickened. He couldn’t understand what was happening to him.

Ren’s gaze darted toward the guards—their eyes darkened, filled with unrestrained lust.

My pheromones...

He could feel them leaking uncontrollably from his glands, no matter how much he tried to suppress them. Surrounded by unknown alphas, fear clawed at his chest. The only one he knew wouldn’t hurt him—the only one he could turn to—was Zayden.

His fingers trembled as they gripped the fabric of the dark-haired man’s sleeve.

"H-Help me," Ren managed, his voice cracking.

Zayden didn’t hesitate. Without a word, he lifted him effortlessly into his arms.

Ren gasped, arms instinctively wrapping around the General’s neck, unwilling to fall.

"I’ll bring you to your room," Zayden said quietly—though Ren could feel the faint tremor in his hands.

Zayden’s pheromones had begun to trail off as well, responding instinctively to Ren’s scent. It was intoxicating—a sweetness that pulled him in like a spell. His heart pounded violently against his ribs.

But he couldn’t lose control. He clenched his jaw tight, fighting his alpha instincts—the urge to mark him, to claim him. Even if every part of him screamed to do so.

Though his vision blurred, Ren noticed the sweat running down Zayden’s face. He was struggling.

How selfish of me... using his kindness like this.

His teeth sank deeper into his lip.

As they moved down the hallway, the servants coughed, unable to breathe properly. The marked ones nearly retched, while the unmarked ones turned red-eyed, their gazes hazed with lust depending on their second gender.

Soon, Zayden kicked the door open, stepping into Ren’s room. He turned quickly, shutting it with his foot before rushing toward the bed and laying the man onto the soft mattress.

"M-My Lord..." Ren’s body burned, but those were the only words he could repeat—like a broken chorus.

"I’m here," Zayden whispered, looking away. His entire body burned, every nerve screaming at him to move closer. To touch. To claim. But he couldn’t.

He mustn’t.

Zayden’s hand reached his mouth, and he bit it—hard—until blood began flowing onto the grey carpet.

With this, it will keep me from losing my mind...

He told himself.

Ren’s breath turned shallow, his scent filling the room—sweet, unbearably seductive. Any alpha would have lost their mind.

Was it because Zayden was a demon? He didn’t even glance at the servant.

"Ren," the General whispered, voice hoarse.

The other man didn’t respond; he was trembling, lost in the haze of his own pheromones. His body itched for the touch of an alpha, but he didn’t utter a word. He couldn’t betray Ilyan like this.

"Why don’t you stay here? I’ll go get the physician. It appears that lately you and your pheromones have been unstable."

Ren sighed in relief. Zayden hadn’t connected the dots yet. He didn’t realize that the reason he was in this state was because of Charles—because of the fear he had locked within himself for years, now unleashed through his pheromones.

Hearing no answer from Ren, Zayden sprang to his feet. Just then, Ren grabbed him by the wrist.

When he turned, he found the man looking at him—eyes almost pleading for him not to leave.

His chest tightened. How was he supposed to leave him in this state? But how was he, an alpha, supposed to control the monster within him?

"I told you I wouldn’t hurt you. But..." He forced a dry laugh. "I’m not that strong, Ren," his voice cracked.

As if he understood, the servant pulled his hand away, grabbed the blanket and pulled it over his body.

"Go," he whispered.

The General didn’t move.

"Leave, my Lord," Ren repeated.

"Y-Yes," he stammered, quickly exiting the room.

Once outside, his steps faltered. A group of alphas had already surrounded the place, their gazes unfocused. They were under the influence of Ren’s pheromones. Instinctively, Zayden spread his scent, and the alphas knelt, almost choking on the pressure.

"M-My Lord!..."

"Fuck off," he said sharply.

The men sprang to their feet, quickly running away.

Once they were gone, Zayden closed his eyes, one hand resting on the closed door.

He knew Ren was most likely touching himself—he could hear the muffled moans from inside. But he had to remain outside, keeping guard. He had said he would fetch the physician, but there was no way he would allow anyone to see Ren in this state.

He spread more pheromones near the entrance, hoping they would reach Ren and ease his unstable body.

"You," he said, pointing at the guards who stood a few steps away, barely able to remain standing under the pressure of his alpha scent. "Leave. I’ll call you if you’re needed."

The guards bowed, striding away with quick steps.

Zayden exhaled softly, leaning back against the wall. He refused to let another soul near that door.

No one was allowed near Ren.

No one should be.

Inside the room, Ren’s body throbbed in ways he couldn’t control. Every nerve felt alive, something he had already experienced a while ago. He pressed a hand to his chest to steady his racing heart, but it didn’t help. The heat inside him had returned suddenly. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

He sank onto the mattress, shoulders trembling, breathing shallow. His mind screamed for relief, but shame stopped him from reaching for his pants, taking them off.

Why now? Why like this?

He hadn’t felt a heat phase this strong in years. The suppressants should have kept it under control.

His fingers brushed the small bottle he always carried, desperate for the relief it always granted.

He drank, but it barely touched the fire that pulsed beneath his skin. The mark on his neck burned hot like a glitch in his senses, reminding him of what was slipping away.

Is it losing its effect?

The thought crushed him, his heart shuddering. The mark had been proof of Ilyan’s existence in his life, a reminder of the love he had lost.

If it faded... if it truly weakened... how could he survive in a world that had never been kind to someone like him—an omega? A world where they were treated like nothing but toys?

"They will break me, Ilyan," he murmured, tears slipping away from his eyes.

Ren bit his lip, shivering, unable to stop the itch of his lower body. He hated that he couldn’t fully control it, yet he couldn’t fight it either.