Just as the maid was about to leave, Zayden shouted.

"Wait!"

Ren flinched beneath him, his hand slipping from the alpha’s length. He looked up, his shoulder slightly shaking.

"Yes?" The maid’s voice echoed softly from the door.

"Leave them at the door. Knock twice before leaving so I know you brought them," Zayden instructed.

"Very well."

Zayden turned back to Ren, settling at the edge of the bed, keeping a careful distance from the trembling omega.

"Now," he said, his voice low but firm, "I will show you what condoms are. But first, you need to explain why you don’t know about them. Everyone uses them."

Ren’s cheeks flushed, heat rushing through him even more violently. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, unsure how to answer.

His mind had become fuzzy, unable to think properly. He just wanted something—anything inside his hole and to stop the itching inside.

"C-Can we do this later? Just put it in, please," he slowly crawled over to the alpha.

Once he closed the distance between them, he ran his hand all over Zayden’s abdomen, then his crotch.

"R-Ren, this is important. Can we wait for a moment? I don’t want us to—" Zayden tried to reason with him but Ren was no longer listening.

The omega lowered himself, licking Zayden’s throbbing cock.

The dark-blue-haired man groaned, his hands slowly guiding him.

"Careful with your teeth."

Perhaps now was truly not the time or place.

An omega in heat would never listen to him. Their mind and body only wanted one thing—sex. If not given, they would use any method to obtain it.

That was the animalistic side of both—alphas and omegas.

"Can we do it now?" Ren looked up with the cock in his mouth.

Zayden leaned backward, taking in a deep breath.

"Alright then. You will get what you want. But we will talk about this once your heat passes."

Ren nodded, smiling brightly, his face all flushed.

"Sure. Anything you want just... finish this."

***

Zayden stepped out of the shower, water still dripping from his hair. He had dried himself in haste, wrapping a towel around his waist before opening the door.

A small box lay on the floor outside. Condoms.

He let out a quiet sigh of relief—at least no one had seen them being delivered.

Picking it up, he shut the door behind him.

Ren lay sprawled on the bed, unconscious, his breathing slow and shallow. The lingering scent of his pheromones had begun to fade, no longer thick in the air. Zayden moved closer and rested his forehead against Ren’s, carefully gauging his temperature.

Still warm—slightly higher than normal—but no longer burning.

"Ren," Zayden murmured, gently shaking his shoulder. "Wake up. You need to take a shower. I already cleaned you up but still..."

Ren’s eyelashes fluttered. Slowly, his eyes opened, unfocused at first, before settling on the man leaning over him. A faint, sleepy smile curved his lips. Without a word, he reached out and pulled Zayden into a hug.

Zayden allowed himself to be drawn closer, resting his head against Ren’s chest, though his feet remained firmly planted on the floor—steady, grounded, unwilling to let his guard fall completely.

Pressing his lips against the omega’s warm skin, Zayden closed his eyes.

"Wake up before we start another round," he murmured with a soft chuckle. "At this point..."

His voice trailed off, more amused than scolding, as he rested there for a moment longer.

Ren didn’t reply. Instead, he threaded his fingers through Zayden’s damp hair, gently caressing his head.

"You said you wanted to talk."

"I do," Zayden replied softly. "But what about a shower first? I prepared one for you."

Ren suddenly sat up, and Zayden slid down with him, his face landing against the soft mattress.

"Careful," Zayden muttered, narrowing his eyes as he looked up.

Ren gasped, startled.

"Are you alright?! I-I am so sorry! But... why did you do that? You should have called me."

Zayden raised an eyebrow, shaking his head slightly.

"Am I really that cruel?" He chuckled.

Ren exhaled, lowering himself to the man on his lap and kissing him deeply. Then, he pulled away, smiling.

"I believe you are very kind. Alphas who take care of their omegas have the purest hearts."

Zayden sat on the bed, looking at him.

"Oh."

A question rose in his mind—one he knew he shouldn’t ask. He knew it wouldn’t be fair—not to Ren, who still hadn’t forgotten that person. As someone who still grieved his past, Zayden understood.

Yet the need for an answer forced the words out of his mouth.

"Does that mean... Ilyan... your late mate. He also had a pure heart?"

For a moment, the omega stared at him, his mouth slightly parted.

"I..." Ren hesitated, averting his gaze.

It was unlike him to avoid eye contact.

Zayden studied him, his expression, his trembling lips as if struggling to breathe.

"I-I should go shower," Ren said, quickly getting off the bed.

The blanket fell onto the carpet, but the omega didn’t bother to glance back. He wasn’t himself right now, clearly disturbed by the mention of Ilyan.

Zayden parted his mouth but before he could say a word, the man was already gone—as if he were running away from a monster who might devour him.

The alpha lowered his gaze, exhaling sharply. He shouldn’t have mentioned that man.

But just how much did he mean to Ren for him to still be mourning him?

After all, human lives were short. It was known that they were meant to die sooner or later, unlike other beings.

The fact that Ren still thought of him, even though it had been over six years, meant that they must have known each other for a long time.

Zayden had met humans—even at funerals. And those very people who shed tears like rivers at the funeral were laughing as if they had never known grief or pain just a week later.

"Just how much did he love him?" he mumbled, trying to understand but failing.

Something stung in his chest. Or perhaps it was an ache he didn’t want to acknowledge, because he knew accepting it could ruin whatever little he and Ren had now.

It was his duty to make his own place in Ren’s heart—not try to replace Ilyan. He could never, and it would be stupid to even try.