Kace fluttered his eyes as his vision adjusted to the warm light that filled the room. After a moment, the binate opened his eyes to find himself resting in a bed in Estan's infirmary. A warm pressure enshrouded his hand causing Kace to turn his head to see the crown prince of Eternal Dawn's hand around his. The soft breathing of the prince informed Kace of the true blood's resting state, and Kace found himself remaining still and leaving his hand in the grasp of the prince. Den was seated in a chair beside the bed, and his face was turned to the side and pressed against the bed while he slept. The binate silently observed the steady pulses of breath as the true blood slept and slowly swept his eyes over Den's sleeping face.

Kace took in the details of the true blood for the first time since their meeting in the garden. He gazed at the lush brown lashes fanning Den's cheeks before letting his eyes flow to the prince's lush lips. For a man with sharp features, the true blood had surprisingly lush, soft lips. Besides his lips, Den had thick, sharp brows, a straight-cut jaw, high cheekbones, and a strong chin. His skin was the color of rich caramel, and his thick, straight hair was cut short with a subtle fade down the sides.

The change in Den's breathing alerted Kace to the prince's awakening, and he quickly withdrew his hand. The binate turned his head to look straight ahead as Den inhaled deeply before lifting his head and sitting up straight in his chair. The true blood blinked his emerald eyes as he adjusted to his surroundings before bringing his gaze to the man in the bed. Den's eyes widened slightly when he saw Kace was awake, and he immediately stood to his feet as he voiced, "You're awake! How are you? How do you feel?"

Hearing Den's words, Estan was quick to enter the room and begin checking Kace's vitals and status. "What are you doing?" Estan asked with concern when Kace began to take off the blanket that had been laid over him and swing his legs over the side of the bed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" The gamma voiced out of worry for the binate when Kace stood to his feet. "You're not going anywhere until you've had at least two more days to heal," Estan declared as he came to stand in front of the binate with his arms stretched out in an attempt to block the blue-eyed from moving past him. Kace merely looked down at the gamma standing in front of him before gently moving Estan to the side and walking to the door.

"Blue," Den voiced as he walked after the binate. Kace paused at the true blood's voice and let Den catch up with him, moving his silent gaze to the prince when Den came to stand before him. Den opened his mouth to speak, most likely to state how Kace was still injured and should not be wandering about, but the look in Kace's eye caused Den to let out a small breath and instead say, "Let me go with you."

Kace looked up at the true blood for a moment before moving his gaze to be straight ahead and starting his walk down the corridor. Taking that as a "yes", Den was quick to follow the binate down the hallway.

>>>>>>

The sun had begun its descent when Syri arrived at the entrance to the stables. The zeta's head felt light, so he stood beneath the awning for a few moments to gather his strength before advancing toward the interior hall. Approaching footsteps caught Syri's attention causing the zeta to stop in his tracks when a bucket crashed to the ground. Bevy stood before the zeta in shock; she had been carrying an empty bucket to the well when she spotted the zeta approaching the stables.

"Syri! Oh my god!" The alpha was quick to run to the pink-haired and wrap him in her arms. "Where have you been? We were worried sick!" Syri involuntarily released a pained grunt when the alpha squeezed him in her arms causing Bevy to step away and look over his body. The alpha's eyes widened when she saw the blood trailing down Syri's arm, and Bevy immediately began guiding the zeta into the stables. "Kip! Calix!" Bevy called out the two betas' names as she led Syri to sit on one of the stools lined against the wall.

The urgency in the alpha's voice brought the betas running to the source as if their lives depended on it. "What's wro-" Kip cut his question short when he saw the zeta sitting on a stool with blood staining his shirt, arm, and hands. "Calix, get the medic kit," Kip instructed, his voice low and steady as he kneeled in front of the shaken zeta. Kip's brows furrowed when he looked at Syri's state. He has the smell of an alpha all over him.

The beta's grey eyes became hard as steel when he smelled the lingering scent of the zeta's fear intermingled with the scent of his attacker. The moment Calix returned with the medic kit, Kip retrieved the cleansing serum and gently lifted Syri's sleeve to reveal the gruesome wounds. "This is going to burn a bit," Kip warned before squeezing a few drops of the serum onto the wounds. Syri nodded in response before closing his eyes and holding in a whimper as the serum worked its magic. After a few moments, the burning sensation lessened, and Syri was able to release the breath he had been holding.

"Syri Inso! Are you okay?!" A frantic Ibbi asked as he rushed to the group. Kip applied a serum to promote healing and began wrapping the wounds while Syri nodded in response to the omega's inquiry. "I'm okay," Syri assured the concerned omega with a soft smile. Bevy and the two betas remained silent while the zeta calmed the frantic omega who proceeded to examine every inch of Syri's body in search of any wounds that had remained untreated.

"Ibbi, why don't you go make sure the steeds have everything they need for the night," Kip instructed the omega once Ibbi was satisfied Syri had no other wounds. Clearly upset with being sent away when Syri had just returned, Ibbi fell silent and hung his head before answering, "Ae, Inso," and regretfully leaving the group to tend to the many steeds. Silence surrounded the four after the omega disappeared into one of the halls to the left of the main corridor. Bevy went to lean against the wall while Calix joined Kip in kneeling beside the stool upon which Syri was perched.

"What happened, Syri?" Calix asked gently while Kip returned the medical equipment to the kit. "Ibbi said a blonde-haired guy dragged you from the banquet hall, but then you ran back in and called the prince by his name," Calix began. The beta made sure to make his voice as soft as possible because he knew Syri had experienced something traumatic during the time he was away from the stables. "After Ibbi came back, we looked everywhere for you. But we couldn't find you because your scent had been hidden by the prince's."

"...Then you show up with some alpha's scent all over you bleeding from wounds I can only imagine came from whoever frightened you," Kip added after a moment.

"Did the prince...do something to you?" Calix inquired when Syri remained quiet.

Syri was quick to shake his head. He did not want his friends to think Jae would have hurt him in any way. "No, no. Jae would never hurt me."

"How can you know? He's a true blood." Bevy uncrossed her arms and stood up straight to turn to face Syri as she inquired how the zeta knew the prince of Crimson Night.

"Because...he saved me...many times." Syri's response invited silence to fill the space between the four as the alpha and two betas digested the zeta's words.

"The one you talked about that night, it was the crown prince," Kip discerned, drawing the zeta's gaze. "He's the one you fell for who is not your fated one."

Syri was silent for a moment before nodding his head slowly, "Ae, he is."

"Is he the reason you came to the stables?" Bevy inquired upon Syri's response.

"Ae."

"Then why did he let you get hurt?" The alpha inquired. Bevy was not pleased with the fact that the crown prince was not able to protect the one she held to be so precious.

"He doesn't know about this," Syri revealed. "I came here to keep Jae from finding out."

"Why?" Bevy inquired with knit brows.

"I can't be the cause of conflict for Crimson Night."

"So it was an alpha from a visiting pack?" Calix determined. Bevy was about to blow a fuse when Syri nodded his head. "Oh my god, I am going to kill him!" The alpha let out a huff and ran her fingers through her wavy hair as she began pacing back and forth in front of the other three.

"Jae didn't do anything wrong. He is currently serving out a punishment to help his friends," Syri spoke up in defense of the prince.

"No, not the prince," Bevy assured the concerned zeta with a small shake of her hand. "The one who did this to you. Which bastard was it?"

"Even if we knew, we couldn't do anything about it," Calix reminded the fuming alpha. "The best thing we can do right now is help Syri heal and keep him away from the royals until the prince returns."

"But-"

"As much as I want to storm in there the rip whoever did this to shreds, I can't, Bevy, and neither can you," Kip cut off the close-to-raging alpha as he rose to his feet. "Syri is right. We can't cause conflict for Crimson Night when the prince is not here."

Bevy glared at Kip for a long moment before releasing a sharp breath. "Fine, fine." The alpha lifted her hands in surrender before placing them on her hips. "I understand, I just hate how helpless we are. I couldn't do anything when you and Syri were being whipped, and I can't even make sure that bastard gets what he deserves."

"Oh, he'll get what he deserves. I'll make sure of it," Kip assured the alpha before turning to Syri and asking, "When is the prince coming back?"