Ezra stayed frozen.

He took a step back, not even realizing he had moved until the cold air brushed against his skin a little differently.

His body felt heavier, like something had settled into his bones all at once, something he couldn’t shake off no matter how much he tried to steady himself.

He has never thought about it.

Not like this.

Not about the fact that Lior’s father was part of the Cultists, no, because he knew...he knew Kaelis wouldn’t be part of the Cultists.

Kaelis was an asshole.

But that’s it.

That was the line Ezra had drawn in his head, the one thing he never questioned, the one thing he held onto because it made everything else easier to deal with.

But now—

Now something else was being forced into that space.

The one thing Ezra didn’t think about, the one thing he avoided, buried, refused to touch because of how much he wanted to forget.

That his heat was suddenly forced out.

He suddenly went into heat on the night of the ball.

The memory pressed in on him again, not clear, not complete, but enough to make his chest tighten, enough to make his stomach churn.

The warmth, the dizziness, the way his body stopped feeling like his own.

He knew he was drinking his suppressants.

He remembered that clearly.

He didn’t even drink anything odd.

Nothing out of place.

Nothing that should’ve caused it.

He thought it was a freak coincidence.

Something unlucky.

Something he didn’t have to question if he just...didn’t look at it too closely.

But after what happened with the Cultists—

After seeing how easily they forced out his heat with their pheromones—

Ezra’s mind was now introduced to something he never allowed himself to consider before.

The possibility that his pregnancy was planned from the beginning.

Not by him.

But by people who planned it for him.

’That’s...’

His thoughts stopped there, because he didn’t even have the words for it.

It was horrific.

Not in a distant way.

Not in a way he could separate himself from.

It was personal.

So horrific that he hadn’t even noticed that Kaelis had left, the sound of his footsteps fading somewhere behind him, swallowed by the quiet of the night.

Ezra only realized it when he looked up, when there was no one standing in front of him anymore.

He vaguely remembered Kaelis saying something.

To think about it.

To consider it carefully.

Maybe more.

But now...

Now Ezra couldn’t remember any of it.

His head felt light.

Like everything inside it was spinning too fast for him to keep up.

’Did someone specific plan on getting me pregnant?’ Ezra thought, the question hitting him harder now that he actually let it form.

That alone was horrific.

Because if they triggered his heat—

The only way to fix it was to be intimate.

There was no other option.

No way around it.

Which meant—

Someone had planned to sexually assault him.

Planned it.

Set it up.

Used his own body against him.

Ezra’s breathing faltered slightly, his chest rising a bit sharper than before as the realization settled deeper.

But why?

That question lingered, heavier than everything else.

Did they know Ezra would leave?

Did they count on him leaving?

Did they count on him keeping Lior?

On raising him?

On protecting him?

How did they do it?

He didn’t feel any pheromones that night.

Not like the ones he felt from the Cultists.

Not strong.

Not obvious.

So how?

And...why him?

Why Ezra?

Why not anyone else?

Was it because of his position?

His reputation?

The fact that he was close to Helios?

Ezra’s hands curled slowly at his sides, his fingers pressing into his palms as if grounding himself was the only thing stopping him from unraveling completely.

The pressure wasn’t enough to hurt, but it was enough to remind him he was still standing, still here, still in control of something, even if everything else felt like it was slipping.

’If this was planned...’ Ezra thought, his gaze unfocused as he stared ahead without really seeing anything.

The night stretched in front of him, but it blurred, the edges of things softening as his mind turned inward. ’Then what was Lior supposed to be?’

The question didn’t settle.

It lingered.

It twisted into something heavier the longer he let it sit.

Did they take Lior on purpose because of this?

Because Lior wasn’t just a child to them, not just something incidental, but something...intentional?

A piece.

Something placed exactly where they needed it to be.

Ezra’s jaw tightened slightly. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

It was frustrating.

More than that.

It was infuriating.

Because even if the one who originally planned to get him pregnant wasn’t the same group that took Lior, they still knew.

They still knew enough to act, enough to move at the right time, enough to take advantage of something Ezra himself had tried so hard not to think about.

Or...

Ezra’s breath caught slightly as another thought pushed its way forward.

Wait.

The princes were all drunk that night.

Everyone said it.

Did they actually count on Ezra getting impregnated by a prince?

By one of the three princes?

No...

Ezra’s brows furrowed as he shook his head faintly.

That didn’t fully make sense.

If that was the case, they should’ve known that Lior had Sunlight Rays.

They should’ve expected it, prepared for it, had something in place to deal with it when the time came.

But they didn’t.

Not really.

Not the way they should have if that was their plan from the beginning.

So why were the princes drunk then?

What...really was their goal?

The question lingered longer this time, heavier, more frustrating because it didn’t lead anywhere clear.

And then—

Something else clicked.

Something smaller.

But sharper.

"How did they know I was an omega in the first place?" Ezra whispers to himself, the words barely leaving his lips, more thought than sound.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Because that...that wasn’t something just anyone knew.

That wasn’t something he ever made public.

The only ones who knew—

Helios.

And Helios’ appointed doctor.

Ezra’s breath hitched for just a second.

Could it be—

"Could Helios..."

He didn’t finish it.

He couldn’t.

The thought alone felt wrong the moment it formed, like something his mind rejected before it could even fully take shape.

No.

No.

Helios may not be as perfect as he thought. He might be different now, might be hiding things, might be someone Ezra didn’t fully recognize anymore.

But evil?

No.

And more than that—

What could Helios possibly gain from getting Ezra pregnant?

Nothing.

There was no benefit.

No advantage.

No reason.

So it must be—

"The doctor?" Ezra mumbles, the realization coming slowly but firmly, his eyes widening as it settled into place.

That made more sense.

The doctor stayed within Sunspire.

Always there.

The doctor could be controlled.

Bought.

Or worse—

Willing.

Ezra’s fingers tightened again, this time with purpose, not just to ground himself but to hold onto the thought before it slipped away.

The doctor could be his number one suspect.

"Maybe I should look into him."

He paused.

Then shook his head once.

No.

Not maybe.

He definitely will.

Now that Ezra knew this, now that he allowed himself to see that the night of the ball wasn’t just an accident, wasn’t just something unfortunate he could ignore—

It changed everything.

It wasn’t something that happened to him anymore.

It was something that was done to him.

And that made it personal.