Velzra kissed along Craige's neck, his lips brushing skin, biting gently, then soothing the marks with his tongue. Each touch sent a wave of heat through him. His body trembled, aching, needing. The hunger coiled low in his belly, raw and urgent, a fire begging to be fed. He straddled Craige's sleeping form, his fingers tracing over the hard lines of his bare chest, admiring the strength beneath his touch.
His hand slid lower, hovering over the waistband of Craige's pants, breath catching. He gulped. This was his first time. Every move he made came not from experience, but from half-remembered stories and whispered pages from books about omega mating. Still, none of them had prepared him for this, for the overwhelming
pull toward the man lying beneath him, the desperate longing to be filled, to be claimed.
Velzra's eyes lingered on Craige's face, so calm, so strong even in slumber. His heart
thudded in his chest, wild with desire, yet tangled in hesitation. But one thing was certain, he wanted Craige. With every fiber of his being.
He unbuckled his pants and had just begun to slowly unzip when a strong hand
suddenly grabbed his wrist, halting his movement. In the blink of an eye, he was flipped onto his back, Craige now towering over him, one hand pinning him down, the other wrapped tightly around his neck.
"Having fun on your own?!" Craige growled, his voice low and sharp, laced with fury. His
eyes blazed with rage, the veins in his neck taut as his grip tightened.
"D-Duke C-Craige—" Velzra gasped, coughing, his voice breaking as tears welled in his eyes. Fear gripped him, his body trembling beneath the furious Alpha, heart
pounding wildly in his chest.
"Your potion… took me a while to neutralize," he said, his voice low and dark like a storm brewing. He could barely hear Velzra's voice, faint echoes drifting through the fog of his mind, but his body remained sluggish, fighting the effects of the drug from within. It took everything he had just to stay focused.
"Rolen!!" he called out, his voice sharp with urgency. No answer came. His eyes narrowed, rage flickering in them. "What did you do to him?" he growled, his hand
tightening around Velzra's slender neck.
Velzra struggled to breathe, his lips trembling. "S-Slee...ep," he gasped, his voice hoarse, eyes wide with panic as his face turned pale from the pressure.
"What you did could have killed your entire tribe!" Craige shouted, his voice laced with
fury. "Or are you ready to pay for it with your life?"
Velzra's heart sank. He knew, this was the end for him. Guilt clawed at his chest like a
beast unleashed. His thoughts flew to his family, to the faces he might never see again. He had doomed them all.
"I'm sorry," Velzra whispered, his voice trembling but his mind resolute. With a shaky breath, he nodded, accepting his fate. If his life was the price to keep them safe, so be it.
Tears welled up and spilled silently down his cheeks as he slowly closed his eyes,
surrendering to the weight of his choice. His body stilled. He was ready to die.
---
Luren and the others passed through the towering gates of the tribe, flanked by silent
warriors whose sheer size made them pause, but the guards made no move, simply watching with stoic, stone-faced gazes that revealed nothing. They were led
toward the heart of the village, where a large, fortified stone house stood among a few smaller dwellings. The King's residence was clearly built to endure.the unforgiving cold, its thick stone walls were lined with furs and reinforced beams, and smoke curled from a wide chimney that hinted at roaring fires
within. Red and gold banners hung beside the heavy doors, their edges stiff from frost.
Inside, the hall was warm and dimly lit by iron lanterns mounted on the walls. The scent of
burning wood and dried herbs filled the air. Thick rugs softened their footsteps, and animal pelts were draped across stone benches and chairs. The King waited at the far end, seated on a raised stone throne cushioned with furs. Beside him sat a woman of dignified grace, her calm expression matching her quiet strength, she appeared to be about the same age as their mother.
"Welcome…" the King said with a calm smile, though his eyes held a quiet caution.
Luren didn't waste time. His voice was firm, edged with concern.
"Where is the Duke?" he asked directly, tension evident in his stance. His hands clenched slightly at his sides, his heart thudding as unease crept in.
The King wished to demand the stranger's identity, but held his tongue. Surrounded on
all sides, he knew that a single misstep could ignite a conflict neither side was prepared to contain. Tension crackled in the air, each side silently daring the other to make the first move.
Before the King could respond, the heavy doors swung open and another figure entered the hall.
"Craige!!" Luren exclaimed, eyes widening in shock.
"Luren?" Craige froze, staring back at him in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"
"Duke Craige?!" the King gasped. Both he and the Queen rose from their thrones,
hastily making their way toward the two men, their faces a mix of astonishment and concern.
Murmurs rippled through the room. Confusion filled the air like a thick fog, as
everyone looked between the Duke, the strangers, and the King, each trying to piece together the sudden turn of events.
Everyone's eyes shifted toward the new arrival, shock and confusion rippling through the room once more.
Standing at the entrance was Rolen, and in front of him, bound and looking weary, was Velzra, his hands tied tightly behind his back.
Luren walked toward Craige, his expression shifting from light concern to a dark, grim fury as he noticed the marks on Craige's neck.
But instead of stopping in front of him…
He walked past him.
Slap. Slap. Slap.
Clara winced and covered one eye, shaking her head. She knew how fiery Luren could be
when angry.
Everyone gasped in shock as Luren slapped Velzra across the face, three sharp blows in
quick succession.
"Baby, stop! You're going to kill him!" Craige shouted, quickly wrapping his arms around Luren's waist and lifting him away.
Velzra stood frozen, trembling. His head bowed low in shame as tears streamed silently down his cheeks.
"Make the people leave," Craige commanded the King, his voice cold and firm.
Though confused, the King didn't question him. With a wave of his hand, the guards
silently exited. Even Roan and Clara reluctantly followed, casting anxious
glances back.
"Velzra, what have you done?!" the King rushed to his son, his voice a mix of fury and
fear. The Queen clutched Velzra tightly, her arms trembling around him.
"I need a room," Craige said, his tone tight with urgency. Luren was in his arms, his face buried in Craige's chest. He was making small, weak punches against him, as if trying to release all the confusion and hurt swirling inside him.
Without a word, the King turned and led him to the nearest guest room, just across the
throne room. His steps were heavy, his mind racing with questions and dread.
Luren cried loudly, his fists pounding harder and harder against Craige's chest. Craige
didn't resist, he stood still, silently enduring every hit, until Luren's strength began to falter. Then, without a word, he pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Ssshhh…" Craige whispered softly, planting gentle kisses on Luren's hair, his hand moving slowly up and down his back in comfort.
"How could you do this to me?" Luren choked out between sobs, lifting his tear-filled eyes to meet Craige's. His voice trembled with pain and betrayal.
Craige's heart ached at the sight. "Nothing happened, baby," he said gently. "He drugged me and Rolen. It's my fault… I shouldn't have let my guard down. I'm so sorry…" He wiped the tears from Luren's cheeks and pressed a tender kiss to his
forehead.
But Luren abruptly pushed him away, his eyes flaring with hurt and fury as they dropped to the marks on Craige's neck. Craige instinctively raised a hand to his
throat, only now realizing what Luren was seeing. He hadn't even looked at himself in a mirror, had no idea what was left behind.
"I came all this way thinking you were in danger, and this is what I find?!" Luren shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of emotion.
Craige let out a shaky sigh, guilt washing over him like a storm. Deep down, he knew Luren had every right to be angry. He remembered the hazy moments, when Velzra would lean over him, pressing something against his lips. He had been conscious, briefly aware, but too weak to resist… and then the darkness would pull him back again.
He couldn't even defend himself properly.
Luren wiped his tears and looks at Craige straight in the eyes.
"Let's end our relationship!" he said, but the moment the words left his lips, his heart sank painfully.
Craige stood frozen, stunned into silence. He didn't know what to say, what to feel, but
before he could even try, Luren had already turned his back to him. He didn't wait for a response, didn't look back. His steps were firm, his shoulders tense, he seemed resolute… but the tremble in his hands betrayed the storm inside.