Chapter 17: The First Bite

The freezing rain howled outside, but the sound was rapidly muffled as Sebastian carried Ash deeper into the mouth of a narrow, hidden cavern.

The limestone walls rose sharply around them, cutting off the biting mountain wind and the red, sweeping searchlights of the academy's tracking drones.

Seb’s arms were like iron bands around Ash's thighs and upper back, hoisting his dead weight effortlessly as his boots navigated the slick stone floor.

Every stride Seb took sent a jarring, hot friction through Ash’s hyper-sensitive skin, his tactical uniform feeling like coarse sandpaper against his raw nerves.

The heat in Ash's lower abdomen had surpassed a simple fever; it was a roaring, liquid core of pure biological necessity that scorched his marrow.

His mind was completely gone, his academic brilliance and fierce pride entirely dissolved beneath the terrifying, unyielding weight of his first true cycle.

...

Ash twisted convulsively in the tight grip, his fingers clawing blindly at the wet canvas of Seb’s tactical vest until his nails caught the seams.

He didn't think about their three years of bitter rivalry, and he didn't care about the academic ranking board or the crown he had lost.

His arms acted on pure, unadulterated genetic instinct, looping tightly around Seb’s thick neck, pulling his own burning chest flush against the Alpha’s frame.

"Seb... please... it hurts," Ash gasped into the hollow of Seb’s throat, his voice a broken, desperate whimper that didn't sound human.

He buried his face in the damp crook of Seb’s neck, his lips brushing the pale skin as his nostrils greedily drank in the pristine cedar scent.

"Please... just make it stop... I can't... I can't breathe."

The raw, pathetic plea sent a violent tremor straight down Seb’s spine, shattering the last remaining fragments of his calculated Northmont discipline.

The thick, intoxicating sweetness of the wild rose was completely saturating the narrow stone vault, filling every crevice until the air felt heavy and damp.

Seb’s chest heaved in ragged, uneven bursts, his dark gray eyes narrowing to pitch-black hollows as his primitive instincts roared for total possession.

He carried Ash to the very back of the cavern, dropping heavily onto a flat ledger of dry rock and pulling the smaller boy directly into his lap.

He didn't release the physical contact, his large, cool palms locking around Ash's waist, pinning his thrashing hips firmly against his own thighs.

"Stay still, Ash," Seb rasped, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that shook with the immense, agonizing effort of holding himself back.

He could feel the frantic, irregular hammering of Ash's heart against his ribs, the smaller boy's entire frame shaking with a violent, feverish chill.

Ash wouldn't listen, his head thrashing blindly against Seb’s shoulder as he sought more of the freezing cedar scent to cool his burning blood.

He arched his spine, his unbuttoned uniform collar flaring open to expose the long, smooth line of his neck and the swollen, fluttering pulse point.

The sensitive Omega gland beneath his ear was glowing a deep, angry crimson, pulsing in a frantic rhythm that matched the heat in his belly.

"Seb... do it... please," Ash begged again, his fingers digging into the hair at the back of Seb’s head, violently pulling him down.

The raw invitation broke the final dam in Seb’s mind, a dark, heavy possessiveness completely consuming his thoughts as he leaned over the vulnerable body.

He didn't use force, but his broad frame completely overwhelmed Ash, pinning him against the stone ledge beneath the weight of his shadow.

Slowly, with an agonizingly deliberate gentleness that contrasted the raw hunger in his eyes, Seb tilted Ash’s chin upward with his thumb.

He pressed his lips against the burning skin of Ash's jawline, tracing a slow, wet path down toward the center of the frantic pulse.

Ash let out a sharp, ragged hiccup, his eyes rolling back as his fingers locked into the fabric of Seb’s uniform, his hips arching instinctively.

Seb opened his jaws, his elongated, razor-sharp Alpha canines catching the dim, gray light of the cavern mouth as he aligned his teeth over the gland.

He didn't hesitate.

He sank his teeth deep into the soft, swollen tissue, breaking the surface of the skin with a sharp, clean puncture that made Ash bolt rigid.

Ah—!

A high, strangled cry tore from Ash’s throat, his legs locking around Seb’s waist as his fingers violently twisted into the dark hair.

The pain lasted for a fraction of a second, instantly replaced by a massive, shocking surge of pure, unadulterated biological relief.

Seb’s dominant cedar pheromones poured directly into the open wound, flooding Ash’s bloodstream like a freezing, crystalline narcotic.

The thick forest notes coursed through his veins, rushing straight down to his lower abdomen and instantly extinguishing the liquid fire tearing his lining apart.

It was their very first temporary mark—a raw, primitive fusion of their identities that locked their systems into a single, shared frequency.

The wild rose scent didn't vanish; instead, it wrapped around the cedar, the two fragrances binding together into a dense, permanent shield.

Seb didn't pull back, his teeth remaining locked in the sensitive flesh as his tongue licked the small bead of blood rising from the puncture.

A deep, rumbling purr of absolute satisfaction vibrated through his broad chest, his hands tightening around Ash’s hips with an unyielding weight.

He drank in the submissive, yielding slackness of Ash’s body, his primitive drives deeply appeased by the successful claim of his rival.

The temporary mark was establishing a deep, unyielding physical link between them—a biological anchor that could not be undone by any chemical blocker.

From this night forward, Ash’s body would recognize only this specific cedar scent; he was permanently tied to the Alpha who had broken his skin.

The violent throb in Ash’s lower belly slowly faded into a dull, comforting ache, the agonizing tension leaving his limbs one muscle at a time.

His fingers gradually uncurled from Seb’s hair, his arms dropping heavily to rest over the broad, dark shoulders of his nemesis.

He let out a long, shuddering sigh against Seb’s neck, his forehead dropping into the hollow of his collarbone as his breathing finally slowed.

The roaring chaos of the wilderness survival camp felt a million miles away, completely shut out by the dense wall of cedar guarding the cave.

Seb slowly withdrew his teeth, his lips lingering against the bruised, swollen gland as he pulled Ash's limp frame closer into his chest.

He wrapped his heavy tactical jacket around Ash’s shivering shoulders, his gray eyes tracking the faint, golden hue blooming around the puncture marks.

Ash collapsed completely against the steady rise and fall of Seb’s chest, his eyes closed, his consciousness drifting into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The golden mark on his neck glowed faintly in the dark interior of the cave, a pristine, indelible stamp of the alliance they had just sealed in blood.

Seb rested his chin on top of Ash’s wet hair, his fingers stroking the small of his back as he stared out at the freezing rain with a dark, silent vigilance.