The heady scent of an omega in season was unmistakable, and its effects were immediately devastating for Xiao Zai.

In a matter of seconds he was bowled over in the springs, clinging to the rocky edge of the pool like it was the last threads of his sanity.

What was Chu Hean doing here?

Xiao Zai’s animal instincts told him to follow the scent, and lay claim to its owner. His wolf was hollowing for him to take action, but Xiao Zai dug his fingers into the stone and stayed where he was.

“Go away! There’s someone here,” Xiao Zai muttered, through gritted teeth, fighting against every instinct in his body.

With his senses heightened as they were, it was impossible for him not to hear Chu Hean’s breathless moan, “Alpha, it hurts.”

Xiao Zai could smell his scent coming closer. He closed his eyes, shutting them tightly against the incoming onslaught.

He heard the sound of water splashing, and then felt a heated touch on his knee. “Alpha, why won’t you look at me?”

This close Chu Hean’s scent was overwhelming, Xiao Zai wanted nothing more than to dig his tightly coiled fingers into his sweet smelling skin and follow that delicious scent to its source.

“Go away, please,” he begged, biting hard enough on his lower lip to draw blood.

Chu Hean whined, low and pitiful in the back of his throat. “You smell so good, alpha, how can I? Don’t you think I smell good, too?”

Xiao Zai thought he smelled good enough to eat, but that was entirely beside the point. “I’m married to your brother, please leave.”

“He doesn’t want to be married to you, he doesn’t even like you. You’re both alphas, he’ll understand.”

Understand was the last thing Chu Yun would do, if Xiao Zai even survived that long. Xiao Zai wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of Chu Yun’s wounded pride in the best circumstances, let alone in the worst. But he didn’t have much longer before he lost complete control of his higher brain functions and just gave into what his body wanted.

Chu Hean was clearly beyond listening to reason, or he wouldn’t be here debasing himself like this. Xiao Zai needed to act fast, before the omega pheromones completely overwhelmed him.

He sucked in a breath through his mouth and said, “You’re right,” before opening his eyes and looking at Chu Hean.

Chu Hean had fallen into the spring in his white inner robes, which had turned transparent in the water, leaving very little to the imagination, including the peaks of his pink nipples.

He fell forward into Xiao Zai’s chest, breathing heavily. Xiao Zai took advantage of his position to secure him by the shoulders and push him underwater. Chu Hean gasped in shock when he realised what was happening, but Xiao Zai ignored the protective instincts telling him to pay attention to the omega in distress.

He dragged himself off the pool, scraping his knees and palms on the rough stone. He threw his discarded robes roughly over his shoulders, and ran back to his rooms.

—

Chu Yun was reading peacefully in the room when Xiao Zai burst through the doors, dripping wet and with his robes only halfway on.

“Why are you walking around like that? Are you trying to give the servants an eyeful? I thought you Zui wolves were all prudes.”

There was something wild in Xiao Zai’s eyes, but before Chu Yun could ask him what was going on he crossed the distance between them and threw himself into Chu Yun’s arms on the bed.

He buried his head into the crook of Chu Yun’s neck and took in big lungfuls of his smell, holding on to Chu Yun’s waist to keep him in place.

Chu Yun had no idea why he was being scented so aggressively, but Xiao Zai’s proximity was making him tense up all over. His humid breath was raising goosebumps all over Chu Yun’s neck, making his head swim uncomfortably.

“What are you doing?” Chu Yun hissed. He tried to push Xiao Zai off of himself, but his grip was relentless.

“Wait, let me…clear my head,” he said, his breathing laboured. He kept scenting Chu Yun, and making sounds of distress, little howls of pain.

Reluctantly, Chu Yun patted him on the back. “There, there, are you all better now?”

Xiao Zai didn’t answer him. Chu Yun had no idea why scenting another alpha would calm him down, but the wolves never ceased to surprise him with their weirdness.

As far as Chu Yun knew, the only thing it did was replace whatever pheromones Xiao Zai had last been in contact with, with Chu Yun’s own.

Chu Yun went very still. At the same time he became aware of a faint scent, clinging to Xiao Zai like spiderweb silk.

“Why do you smell like Hean?” Chu Yun asked, pushing Xiao Zai off him with a roar, almost sending him toppling to the floor.

“He showed up in the hot springs, I…I got away,” Xiao Zai said, rubbing at his eyes. He looked a lot more composed than when he burst into the room, but Chu Yun was seeing red.

He grabbed the front of Xiao Zai’s robes and pulled him up until their eyes met. “If you touched my brother, I’m going to make you regret ever being born.”

Xiao Zai closed his hand around Chu Yun’s wrist, trying to dislodge his grip. “I didn’t fucking touch your brother!” he snarled, his eyes shining with barely contained indignation.

Chu Yun let go of him with a growl. Xiao Zai’s robes were clinging to his wet skin, making Chu Yun think about what might have happened in the springs. He wrenched his eyes away in disgust.

“If you touched him, I don’t care if it starts a war, I won’t remain married to you. You won’t humiliate me like this.” He stepped away from Xiao Zai, his upper lip curled up in disdain. “I’ll have to check on Hean.”

He was nearly at the door when Xiao Zai said, from behind him.. “While you’re at it ask your brother what he was doing outside at night during his season.”