The delta groaned as he was set against a tree. Xander hissed as the theta checked the wound. Haikon placed his hand on Xander's face as the delta threatened to fade away.
"I'm not going to make it, Haikon," Xander said between groans.
"Shut up. Don't be such a drama queen. You'll be just fine," Haikon retorted, trying to keep a small smile on his face to cheer the delta.
"Whatever," Xander smirked through the pain.
The delta clutched his side and closed his eyes, his breath slowing as the alpha's wound began taking his life.
"Xander!" Haikon frantically called as he heard the delta's pulse fading. "Aish! You can yell at me later," the theta said before baring his fangs and sinking his teeth into Xander's neck.
The sudden surge of energy and pheromones from the mark brought the delta back from the brink. The delta's eyes flashed blue as he breathed in deeply, holding onto the theta's arms. His pulse sped as his heart began to race. Xander let out a sigh as Haikon gently removed his fangs and began licking the mark, sending tingles down Xander's back. The delta's eyes watered as the theta took care of the mark.
Once the mark was cleaned and set to heal, Haikon brought his head back and lowered it in front of the delta in apology. "I'm sorry. I d-"
Before he could say anymore, Xander reached up and kissed the theta. The kiss was passionate and deep. A tear ran down the delta's cheek as Haikon slowly wrapped his arms around him. "Do you know how much I've longed for your mark?" The delta said after pulling away.
"You-you want my mark?" Haikon asked with hope, his eyes lighting up.
"Yes. But I'm a bit mad you did it without asking me," Xander whined with a pouty lip.
"I didn't want to lose you."
"Oh...well, in that case..." Xander trailed off before kissing the theta a second time.
Haikon cradled Xander's neck and deepened the kiss, earning a moan from the delta. He had waited what felt like a lifetime to kiss Xander and was not going to let a single one go to waste. Xander found himself clinging to Haikon as the theta nudged his mouth open, to which the delta complied, and inserted his tongue. The delta let out a small moan as the theta tasted his mouth and their lips flowed against each other. The theta's hand was still cradling Xander's neck as the two withdrew to catch their breaths.
"Haikon..." Xander said breathily as they parted. "Can I mark you?"
The theta looked down at the delta lovingly as he tenderly wiped away one of Xander's remaining tears. Haikon then nodded and pecked the delta's forehead before tilting his head and exposing his neck. As a theta, baring his neck for a delta was not difficult, but a delta being marked by a theta without marking the theta would be rough on the delta, which was the higher ranking wolf.
Haikon knew Xander needed to mark him to put his wolf at ease, but he also wanted the delta's mark badly. So, the theta was very complacent with baring his neck. Xander's eyes turned blue as he carefully bit into the soft flesh, implanting a shadow of his scent into the theta so their scents mixed together. The delta then licked the mark before being brought back into a kiss by the theta. This kiss was sweet and brimming with emotion and longing. Each man showed their craving for the other through this kiss as their lips danced together.
Haikon brought his other hand up to Xander's waist and pulled the delta into him. Xander responded with a moan, which caused Haikon's wolf to howl in pleasure. He liked hearing his mate. Haikon relished every sound that came from Xander, his mate. Oh, it felt so good to call Xander his mate. Haikon felt as if he was walking on clouds. He had longed for Xander ever since the delta had helped him heal from his past.
The two's pants could be heard through the night as they parted for air.
The theta looked at the panting delta before him and smiled before bringing the delta close. "You're finally mine," Haikon said as he nosed the fresh mark on Xander's neck.
"And you're mine," Xander smiled back as the theta brought him to arm's length. Haikon could get lost in Xander's eyes, but the recollection of the rampant alpha forced the theta to stand to his feet and lead his delta through the trees.
Xander's eyes remained locked on his hand in Haikon's as the two walked through the forest. The delta felt his heart pound as he looked at the man in front of him. Of course, his heart pounding at the sight of Haikon was nothing new. Xander had known he loved Haikon for years, but the fact that Haikon was his mate kept a smile on the delta's face.
While Xander was lost in thought and love, Haikon was inspecting the woods carefully. Even though Haikon was the lower-ranking wolf, his instinct as a tracker made him extra cautious since he and his mate were in a vulnerable situation. Haikon would love to get lost in love and Xander, but he had to protect his mate. Plus, something did not feel right.
An hour into the trek, Haikon suddenly crouched and brought Xander to squat behind him. The theta closed his eyes and listened intently to the night. Xander also went into delta mode and inspected their surroundings. Haikon's brows furrowed as he caught three scents. One was the alpha's, another was the scent from the shirt, and the other's was Jae's.
"What's Jae doing here?" Xander whispered as he, too, caught the prince's scent.
"That's not good," Haikon said in a low voice while furrowing his brows.
"What?"
"There's a lot of blood."
"Is it Jae's?" Xander asked with great concern. Haikon shook his head. Xander sighed before inquiring, "Then...is it that poor little omega?"
Haikon nodded his head in confirmation as he silently listened to the forest.
"What are they doing here? I thought the alpha was headed for the castle," Xander pondered.
Haikon opened his lips to respond, but a howl cutting through the night stopped him from uttering a sound. The delta and theta's faces turned white as they recognized the howl. Their prince was crying.
"We need to find Jae," Haikon said as he stood to his feet. Xander nodded in agreement before following the theta through the trees. Haikon followed both the scent of blood and the direction from which the howl came.
The two males remained silent as they made their way toward their prince. The night had grown colder, but neither of the two paid the cold any heed. They were focused on finding their hurting prince. It was not until they were roughly halfway to the true blood that Haikon's ears twitched. Keen to the theta, Xander instantly noticed Haikon's movement. The theta had sensed something.
Without a word, Haikon brought he and his mate to the floor. Xander kept quiet as the theta observed their surroundings. Then, he heard it...the low growl.