Content Warning: Explicit Sexual Scenes [18+]
"Are you trying to defend someone who almost killed me?" Soren demanded.
Rihaan inhaled deeply before exhaling.
"But he didn’t. He wouldn’t—"
"And how do you know that?" Soren interrupted before Rihaan could finish his sentence.
"Because I can see it."
"See what?"
"The loyalty in his eyes toward you. When he agreed to go on that expedition, did you see fear in his eyes? No. They were the eyes of someone who had been a victim of injustice."
To Soren, his words sounded strange, as if Rihaan were speaking another language. He knew how to read people’s emotions—sometimes, he even saw the colours in their hearts.
At times, he saw nothing, either because the feelings weren’t strong enough or, worse, because his power didn’t work on certain people.
No one had yet discovered the true purpose of his power, nor how it worked.
"So you are telling me that I have wronged him?"
Rihaan hesitated for a heartbeat before nodding.
"Alright then. I will give him a lighter punishment. Even for a good cause, he should never—never—aim his blade at a royal. Not unless it is during a fair fight."
The alpha nodded in agreement.
"I wasn’t trying to say otherwise. It’s just that he was behaving immaturely. He looks quite young, after all."
"Well, he is merely a hundred years old," Soren said casually, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.
For a moment, Rihaan forgot to blink. Was he mesmerized? Perhaps. It wouldn’t be shocking—Soren had inherited the beauty of an elf. Elves, men or women, had always been strikingly beautiful.
"Prince Rihaan?" Soren waved a hand in front of the alpha, trying to draw a reaction from him.
The man finally blinked, shaking his head like a cat that hated water after finally landing on dry ground.
"O-Oh, by the way, it’s snowing again!" he exclaimed, pointing at the window as if that were the reason for his daze.
Soren glanced outside for a brief second before nodding.
"Indeed. But it will soon stop snowing."
Rihaan furrowed his brows, tilting his head slightly to the left.
"And how do you know that?"
"I mean... if you live in a country where it snows so often, you start to know when it’s about to stop. Otherwise, how do you think our land manages agriculture despite the harsh winters?"
"You use magic."
Soren snorted but quickly covered his mouth.
"What’s funny?"
"I mean, whenever someone doesn’t know how things truly work, they always blame it on magic—magic this, magic that."
"I am definitely not that kind of person," Rihaan said, raising both hands as if in surrender.
Soren chuckled, shaking his head.
"You say that and yet," he tried to hold back his laugh but in vain.
Seeing him laugh, Rihaan’s lips curled slightly as he let out a soft sigh.
This situation wasn’t so bad after all. He was finally getting a chance to properly approach Soren—as himself, once again. Just like their days at the academy.
The sound of their laughter filled the room as the sky turned a peach-blossom colour. The snow still drifted through the air, occasionally brushing against the window panes and melting against their warmth.
***
Ren lay naked on the bed, his breath coming out in heavy, uneven gasps. Heat gushed through his veins like blood, making his skin tingle as if it were ablaze. He stared up at the man hovering over him, pulse quickening and body trembling under the weight of anticipation.
The warm yellow glow from the chandelier fell across Zayden’s dark blue hair, giving it a brownish shimmer. His crimson eyes burned with raw, possessive lust—the kind any alpha would feel when overwhelmed by an omega’s pheromones in heat.
Zayden froze, stopping just before pressing himself against Ren, as if something had slipped his mind.
"Wait..."
Ren blinked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Huh? Is something wrong?" he asked.
"We need condoms," Zayden murmured, opening the drawer of his night table. He rarely kept them in the mansion, but he hoped there were a few for this moment.
Ren’s brow furrowed, his voice barely a whisper.
"What... is that...?"
Zayden’s gaze flickered over the omega beneath him, disbelief knotting in his chest. How can someone not know that?! He gripped the edge of the bed, feeling his knees weaken.
"You... You are joking, right?" he forced a laugh, but Ren’s expression remained serious—more serious than ever.
"Why would I joke about that? I really don’t know," Ren replied calmly, tilting his head.
"R-Ren... how old are you? You are scaring me. Are you sure Eiran is your son?"
Ren’s lips curved into a teasing smirk, unbothered.
"Are you doubting me?"
"No... but... h-how do you not know?" Zayden stammered, frustration and disbelief flashing in his eyes.
"What is it?" Ren asked, his patience thinning. Slowly, he sat up, locking eyes with Zayden.
After shutting the drawer, Zayden stepped onto the soft carpet, moving away from the bed.
"I’ll ask someone to bring a few," he sighed, ringing a bell.
Ren pulled him back onto the bed, and the bell crashed to the floor, echoing across the room until it finally stopped rolling.
"We can do this later. Let’s finish, please?" Ren smiled softly, his hand reaching for Zayden.
His fingers pressed gently against the tip—burning hot—before wrapping around him, sliding up and down with slow, deliberate motions.
"R-Ren," Zayden groaned. "It slipped my mind last time, but we really need to be careful."
"Careful? You mean not to get pregnant? You can just cum outside like before."
Zayden blinked, speechless. He swallowed hard, shaking his head.
"No, no. You don’t get it. What if I can’t do it at the right moment? It’s too dangerous."
"Then we can use the ring the Queen gave us," Ren suggested.
"That’s a good idea, but... where is it to begin with?" Zayden replied.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"My Lord, you called?" a maid asked.
"Yes. Bring me a few packs of condoms."
"Alright."
"Wait!" Zayden shouted.
Ren flinched under him, his hand slipping from the alpha’s length.