Marius felt something moist dabbing his forehead, a gentle, repetitive motion that pulled him from the haze of unconsciousness. He heard the soft drip of water in the background, and a scent filled his senses—warm, sweet, like honey and vanilla. Slowly, he opened his eyes, the world around him blurry and unfocused. A figure hovered above him, the outline unclear, but there was something familiar, something almost comforting about it.
For a moment, a flash of memory hit him—the brutal fists of the Omega servants, the cold ground beneath him, and then, Rem running toward him. His lips parted, his voice barely a whisper. "Rem?"
"Sorry to disappoint you," came a voice, smooth and measured. Marius's vision cleared, and the face of Prince Kylian came into focus, his expression unreadable as he reached forward with a towel to wipe Marius's forehead again. "I am not Rem."
Marius flinched back instinctively, his head colliding with the bed frame behind him. Pain shot through his skull, a sharp reminder of the beating he'd taken. He winced, his hand instinctively going to his head as a dull headache settled in.
Kylian lowered the towel, his brow furrowing slightly. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern threading through his otherwise composed tone.
Marius and Kylian's eyes met, and in that brief moment, something strange passed between them. It was subtle, like an electric current shooting down Marius's spine, leaving him unsettled. He pulled away from the prince's touch, his body instinctively recoiling from the strange sensation.
"Where… where am I?" Marius asked, his voice weak but filled with uncertainty as he glanced around the room, the opulence of it slowly registering.
"You're in the Crown Prince's quarters," Kylian replied calmly, folding the towel neatly in his hands. "My quarters."
Marius's eyes darted to the door, his hands gripping the silk sheets beneath him tightly as unease crept into his chest. He felt like he didn't belong there, like the walls were closing in on him. "I should get back to the Queen, quarters," he muttered, struggling to sit up. His body protested, weak from the injuries and blood loss, but he pushed himself, determined to leave.
Before he could rise, Kylian's hand pressed against his chest, gently but firmly pushing him back down onto the bed. "That's not necessary," Kylian said, his tone steady but with an edge of authority. "You belong to me now."
Marius's eyes widened, and he shook his head, panic bubbling beneath the surface. It was shocking how quickly he had adjusted to words like 'belong to me'. That wasn't what unnerved him. It was that the Queen could have his head for this.
"I really don't want to get in the middle of this," he said, his voice trembling. "Whatever this is… I'm just an Omega. I don't want to be involved."
The words sounded bitter on his tongue. But they needed to be said.
Kylian tilted his head slightly, his expression curious, as if Marius had just said something strange. "The middle of what, exactly?"
Marius's gaze flickered, his mind racing as he tried to find the right words. "My mom used to say that it's the grass that suffers when elephants fight," he murmured, his voice soft but filled with an old wisdom passed down to him. "I don't know why you're so interested in helping me out, but… you'll only put me in harm's way. The Queen already dislikes me, and this will only make things worse."
Kylian's jaw tightened slightly, though his face remained calm. He leaned forward, his gaze unwavering as he looked at Marius, their faces only inches apart. "You think I'm helping you out of pity?" he asked, his voice low, but there was something dangerous in the question, like he was testing Marius.
Marius swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. "I don't know what you want," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I know how this ends. I've seen it before. I'll be the one caught in the middle, and no matter what you think, no matter how powerful you are… the Queen will find a way to make me suffer."
Kylian's fingers tightened gently around Marius' chin, lifting his face until their eyes met. There was something possessive, almost predatory, in the prince's gaze, and Marius couldn't help but feel a rising panic stirring in his chest.
"But you do know why I saved you that night," Kylian murmured, his voice low, almost intimate. "Or at least you must have an idea."
Marius swallowed hard, shaking his head slightly, though the motion was limited by Kylian's grip. "I don't know what you're talking about, Your Highness," he stammered, his voice barely a whisper, his heart pounding in his chest.
Kylian's smile didn't reach his eyes, but it was there—a small, dangerous curve of his lips. "But you do know," he said, his voice soft yet insistent. His gaze flickered downward, and Marius followed it, his eyes widening as he realized where Kylian was looking.
Marius' body betrayed him, the throbbing in his lower half undeniable. He felt heat rise to his face, his skin flushing with humiliation. His voice faltered, barely audible. "I… I don't…"
Kylian's voice interrupted him, calm and unbothered. "Don't worry," he said, his thumb brushing lightly against Marius' skin. "I'm hard too."
Marius felt his face go crimson, shame flooding through him. He shook his head, his breathing coming in shallow gasps. "I don't want this," he managed to choke out, his body tensing beneath Kylian's hold.
"Not now," Kylian mused, his gaze locked on Marius as if watching a small, vulnerable animal. "Not yet. You haven't fallen into heat."
Marius's stomach churned, the realization of what Kylian was implying sinking into him like a heavy weight. "That will never happen," he whispered, his voice filled with desperation, his skin going cold at the thought.
Kylian chuckled, a dark sound that sent shivers down Marius' spine. "Want to bet?" he said, his voice like velvet, smooth and dangerous.
Marius' breath hitched, and he felt himself trembling beneath the prince's touch. His mind raced, searching for something, anything to say, to push back against the terrifying situation he found himself in. "Is that why you saved me?" he asked, his voice barely holding steady. "Because of this… this bond?"
Kylian's grip on his chin loosened, and he let out a small, almost dismissive laugh. "Bond?" he repeated, his tone mocking as if the very word amused him. "No, Marius. I didn't save you because of some bond."
For a moment, a flicker of relief washed over Marius, but it was short-lived as Kylian's eyes darkened again, his next words striking like a dagger.
"I saved you because I thought you had a pretty face and body," Kylian continued, his voice cold, devoid of any warmth or affection. "That's all."
Marius' stomach twisted with nausea, the reality of Kylian's words hitting him like a physical blow. His skin crawled under the prince's gaze, the weight of his vulnerability and helplessness pressing down on him.
Kylian's fingers trailed down Marius' neck, the touch light but possessive, like a predator marking its territory. "If you want a comfortable life," he said, his tone almost casual, as if discussing something mundane, "you'll learn how to make me happy."
Marius' breath caught in his throat, his chest tight with fear and disgust. He wanted to push Kylian's hand away, to get up and run, but his body felt frozen, his mind spiraling in panic. The prince's words echoed in his head, each syllable a reminder of the power imbalance between them.
"Comfortable life?" Marius whispered, his voice hollow. The weight of those words suffocated him, the implication clear. Kylian wasn't offering protection—he was offering ownership. A life where Marius would be nothing more than a tool for the prince's pleasure, a means to an end.
Kylian's smile widened slightly, and he leaned in closer, his lips brushing against Marius' ear as he whispered, "You'll want this eventually. And when the time comes, I'll be ready."
Marius clenched his jaw, his body shaking. "I won't," he said, his voice filled with quiet defiance, though his heart was pounding with fear.
Kylian pulled back, his expression almost amused by Marius' resistance. "We'll see," he said simply, his tone dismissive, as if Marius' refusal was of little consequence to him.
For a moment, the room was silent, the air heavy with the weight of unspoken threats. Marius' mind was a whirlwind of fear, confusion, and disgust. He wanted to scream, to fight back, but he knew there was nothing he could do. He was powerless in the face of Kylian's authority, trapped in a situation he had no control over.
"I suggest you rest," Kylian said finally, standing up and smoothing the fabric of his tunic as if the conversation had been nothing more than an inconvenience. "You'll need your strength."
Marius watched him, his eyes wide with terror and helplessness, his body trembling beneath the silk sheets. He felt like prey caught in a trap, with no way out, no escape from the looming danger that surrounded him.
Kylian glanced at him one last time, his smile returning. "And remember," he said, his voice low, "you belong to me now."
With that, he turned and left the room, the door closing softly behind him.