Wrapped in the man’s arms, Soren thought his breath might freeze at any moment. He tried to push him away—gently at first—but Rihaan’s grip tightened, refusing to let go.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you?" Soren sighed, eventually giving up.

If he struggled any harder, Rihaan might release his pheromones, which would only make things worse later.

His heat was also approaching. A dominant alpha’s pheromones were far too dangerous for him right now. His body grew unusually sensitive before a heat cycle, even though he was accustomed to being around alphas of all kinds—normal, recessive, or dominant.

When he felt his shirt growing damp, Soren frowned. He pushed Rihaan away, hard enough for the man’s grip to slip, his arms falling limply to his sides.

Soren’s eyes widened at the sight before him.

Rihaan’s hazel eyes were wet, tears spilling down his cheeks like a river. His breath hitched as he tried to wipe them away, but it was useless. They simply refused to stop.

Soren inhaled deeply, then stepped closer, his voice softening despite himself.

"Alright. Take a seat," he said, gesturing toward the couch.

Instead of sitting where Soren indicated, Rihaan perched on the edge of Soren’s bed, the soft mattress dipping under his weight. His gaze remained fixed on the floor, vision blurred as tears continued to fall. He had never thought he would show such an ugly sight to Soren—the one person he wanted to face as an equal.

"What happened?" Soren knelt down, looking up at him until their gazes locked.

Rihaan finally looked his way when he could no longer avoid him. Soren was right there, exactly where he had been staring.

"He betrayed me," Rihaan said, his voice cracking as he struggled to stifle a sob.

"Who?" Soren asked, curiosity pricking as he tilted his head. "A friend?"

"I wish," Rihaan scoffed, a bitter, mocking edge lingering in his voice.

Then who?

The question burned at the tip of Soren’s tongue, but he swallowed it down. Perhaps Rihaan didn’t want to say it aloud.

"My omega—" Rihaan paused, lowering his gaze, his jaw tightening. "No. He isn’t mine. He was mine to begin with..."

Soren listened without interrupting, offering no judgment, no hurried comfort.

Rihaan told him everything. Details Soren wished he had never heard. The man Rihaan had once spoken of with love turned out to be utterly despicable.

Soren told himself he shouldn’t judge. One could never truly know what another person was going through.

What if there had been a reason—some justification Rihaan failed to see, or something the other party had failed to say?

The red-haired omega shook his head.

No matter the reason, betrayal was unforgivable. Cheating was the worst, most disgusting thing a person could do.

"What if it’s karma?" Rihaan’s gaze flickered upward, like a child who had just solved a great mystery. "Maybe this is happening to me because I hurt your feelings."

Soren stared at him in disbelief. Rihaan must have truly lost his mind after having his heart broken.

Karma?

The man who had never believed in superstition was now speaking of karma?

It was ridiculous.

Had the situation not been so serious, Soren would have laughed without restraint.

He studied the alpha before him, fragile and tense, like a wounded child. Carefully, so as not to overwhelm him, he reached out and placed a hand gently on Rihaan’s knee.

"Look, you didn’t hurt me. Not in the way you think. I knew everything from the start. If anything, it’s my fault for not cancelling the marriage talks as soon as you sent your first letter," Soren said, meeting Rihaan’s gaze.

Without warning, Rihaan reached up, cupping Soren’s face in his trembling hands. Tears streaked his cheeks as his fingers shook.

If only I hadn’t been so foolish...

If only I hadn’t ruined everything...

He remembered his father’s harsh words: there would be no going back, that he had destroyed everything with his own hands.

The truth sank in too late. There was no way to fix it.

"Prince Rihaan?" Soren brushed away the hands on his cheeks, uncomfortable. "I apologize, but... did you perhaps hit your head on your way back?"

Rihaan blinked, staring at him blankly for a moment as if trying to process the question. Then he shook his head, frowning.

"Why do you ask? Do I look like I have lost my mind to you?"

The omega nodded, without a second thought.

Rihaan’s frown deepened, and Soren couldn’t help but let out a small, exasperated sigh.

"You know," the red-haired man said, crossing his arms, "for someone who just got his heart stomped on, you are surprisingly dramatic."

Rihaan blinked at him, eyes wide.

"Dramatic? Me? I am perfectly composed!"

Soren raised an eyebrow.

"Perfectly composed? The man who just climbed into my room secretly through the window like a cat burglar and then cried on my bed like a child?"

Rihaan groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"I—well... it was... I got... a little... emotional."

Soren rested a hand lightly on Rihaan’s shoulder.

"A little? Prince Rihaan, if this is a little, I don’t even want to know what your full meltdown looks like."

Rihaan peeked at him through the gap between his fingers, a tear slipping down his cheek despite his best efforts.

"I just... I hate him for this. But his memories won’t stop replaying in my mind. The first time we met, the way he talks, his smell—everything. And it hurts so, so much, and... I don’t even know what to do!"

"Well, first of all, screaming at walls and crying into your pillow is optional. Second—" Soren tapped Rihaan lightly on the nose. "You’re not alone tonight. I’ll be here with you. I can tell you need a friend by your side."

Rihaan let out a shaky laugh through his tears, covering his face again.

"You’re hilarious. You know that?"

"Never heard that, but I’ll take it as a compliment. And you’re lucky I’m here to tolerate all this... crying and everything," Soren said, leaning back and shaking his head. "Now, take a deep breath, wipe your face, and stop acting like you’re auditioning for a tragedy play. I might actually start crying with you."

Rihaan peeked out from behind his hands, sniffling. For the first time that evening, he allowed himself a small, tentative, but genuine smile.

Soren grinned. "There. That’s better. See? Not everything has to be a catastrophe. Love shouldn’t be as painful as you’re making it sound."

Rihaan chuckled, wiping the last of his tears. They had finally decided to stop flowing.

"Were you not hurt when your love—"

"I think you should sleep on the bed. I’ll take the couch," Soren said, springing to his feet. He rushed toward the couch without waiting for Rihaan’s answer.