Chapter 110 ENEMY'S MARK
Enemy's Mark
Darius stood in the doorway unmoving, and unbothered, his presence filling the space just as heavily as Kael’s.
Kael didn’t slow down, not even for a second.
Adam’s weak body was held tight against his chest, his mate’s scent— fear, pain, and heat— burning through him, overriding everything else.
But Darius didn’t move either.
The moment Kael stepped close enough, the air shifted.
They fought without fists and claws. Just power.
Raw Alpha dominance crashed into each other like two storms colliding in a closed space. The air grew thick, suffocating, pressing down on everything in the room.
Kael’s wolf surged forward, towering, feral, unrestrained.
Darius answered without moving a muscle, his own dominance rising like a silent, crushing force.
The walls creaked.
The ground beneath them felt like it might split.
Adam whimpered. A broken, soft sound.
His body trembled violently in Kael’s arms, unable to withstand the pressure of two powerful Alphas clashing. His fingers clutched weakly at Kael’s shirt, his breathing uneven and shallow.
Kael felt it instantly, he felt his mate folding under the weight of it. His jaw tightened.
Ryn snarled in his head. Mate.
Kael pushed harder, not for pride, not for dominance, but to end it.
Darius’s eyes gleamed, watching him closely, almost amused. The pressure increased, then steadied, then held.
A test, a challenge… seconds stretched.
Then Darius exhaled slowly, like a man bored of a game.
“I’ll let you have this win, your lordship,” he said, voice smooth, calm, completely unaffected.
The pressure lifted just enough for Adam to suck in a weak breath.
Darius tilted his head slightly, a faint smile touching his lips. “Only because I’m keeping the fun for later.”
His eyes flicked briefly to Adam.
“And it’ll be so much more fun watching you think you’re in control.”
He stepped aside.
“This bored king loves good entertainment.”
Kael didn’t waste a second.
The moment the path cleared, he pushed past him.
No words, no glance back. He just ran.
Adam’s weak whimpers pressed against his chest, each sound pushing Kael faster, harder, deeper into the night. His body moved on instinct now, guided by bond and fear and rage.
He didn’t check for Rowan. Didn’t look for Dax.
Nothing mattered except the fragile life in his arms.
The forest blurred past him.
The scent of his own territory hit him like a surge of strength. Familiar and safe. Home.
It sharpened his senses even more.
His pace didn’t slow even when the gates came into view.
Guards straightened instantly, bowing deeply as Kael rushed past them, his presence overwhelming, terrifying.
He didn’t acknowledge them.
He went straight for the physician’s chamber.
The door didn’t stand a chance. It shattered open under the force of his body.
Wood splintered. The sound echoed through the hall.
The physician stepped out from the inner chamber immediately, alert, her eyes widening when she saw the state Adam was in.
Kael shifted back to his human form as he reached the examination bed, carefully but urgently laying Adam down.
Adam’s whimpers had gone quiet. Too quiet it's scaring Kael.
The physician moved quickly, her hands steady as she began examining him.
Her fingers paused at Adam’s neck.
Her brows furrowed. “Such a deep marking?”
“Vance bit him,” Kael said, pacing already, his voice tight, unstable.
“That’s bad,” she replied immediately. “Really bad.”
Kael ran a hand through his hair, his breathing uneven.
The physician’s hand moved lower, pressing lightly against Adam’s abdomen.
Her expression changed.
“He’s burning up, but not just… he's in heat.”
Kael froze, unable to form a word for a second. “No.” he managed.
“He is.” The physician said again, sounding so sure.
Kael stepped closer, his voice dropping. “He can’t be. He’s pregnant.”
“I’m sure of what I’m saying.”
She pressed again, more carefully this time.
“He’s still pregnant.” She looked up at Kael. “Feel it.”
Kael hesitated for only a second before placing his hand gently on Adam’s lower abdomen.
He closed his eyes briefly.
He felt the faint but undoubtable presence of his pup.
“He’s still pregnant…” Kael whispered, confusion and fear twisting together. “But also in heat. How is that possible?”
The physician didn’t stop working, cleaning the blood around Adam’s neck, trying to stop the bleeding.
“They might have done something to trigger it,” she said. “Or it’s because of Vance’s mark.”
Kael’s head snapped up.
“Your mark will fade for Vance’s mark—”
“No.” Kael cut her off sharply. “No. No. It doesn’t work like that.” His voice dropped, dangerous. “I’m going to get his tainted mark off my mate.”
The physician met his eyes, firm despite his state. “Then mark him again. Right now.”
Kael shook his head immediately. “No. I can’t. He’s still wounded. He’s bleeding.”
“You have to,” she insisted. “And helping him through his heat will stabilize him faster.”
Kael didn’t like the way that sounded. But he didn’t argue.
“Take him to your chamber,” she continued. “You’re an Alpha. You know how to help with your mate’s heat.”
Kael didn’t waste another second, he lifted Adam carefully into his arms again.
Adam stirred weakly, his fingers gripping Kael’s shirt.
A soft, broken whimper left his lips.
Kael looked down at him, his voice gentler now, softer than anything he had been all night. “It’s okay, baby. You’re safe.”
He carried him quickly through the halls.
The door to their chamber opened with a push and slammed shut behind them. Kael locked it immediately.
The room was dim, quiet, and safe.
He moved straight to the bed and lowered Adam down carefully.
Adam’s body looked small against the large bed, fragile, trembling.
Kael sat beside him, lifting him slightly as he tore away the unfamiliar clothes on him, each movement careful despite the urgency.
He stopped when he saw the wound is still bleeding.
Kael dropped to his knees beside the bed, leaning closer.
Adam shifted weakly, trying to move away, his lips barely forming words, low, broken sounds that sounded like rejection.
Kael’s chest tightened.
“It’s me, baby,” he said softly. “It’s your Alpha. Can you hear my voice? I won’t hurt you. You’re safe.”
He leaned in, slowly and carefully.
His tongue brushed over the wound, cleaning the blood, soothing the torn skin.
He licked the spot. Once, twice, and again.
The bleeding slowed… then stopped.
Kael pulled back slightly, staring at the spot. Where his mark should be but instead of his mark, he's seeing a fresh deep mark, on his mate's neck, from his sworn enemy's fangs.
His jaw clenched.
A dark, possessive urge surged through him, violent and consuming, pushing him to bite down and reclaim what was his.
Ryn growled deeply.
But Adam whimpered again. The soft, broken sound pulling Kael back to his senses.
Kael pulled back, breathing hard, forcing control over himself.
He wouldn’t hurt his mate.
He looked at Adam fully then; the flushed skin, the way his body trembled, the faint sheen of sweat.
Adam’s eyes flickered open for a brief second. They glowed, just for a moment, then faded again.
Kael’s breath caught.
His voice dropped, heavy with realization.
“You’re really in heat.”