Victor held onto Mark's hand, as if any moment, they would be separated. Actually, after confessing his real feelings, he would always see images. In those images, Mark was killed in front of his eyes. In other images, Victor had pushed Mark away.

Every single time, Victor would see the feelings within Mark's eyes, hurt yet also content. Victor knew it wasn't real, but those images made him feel fear, a sense of danger that felt so familiar. Victor didn't know why his heart was always hurting, beating so wildly as he watched Mark collapsed. Was this how Mark had felt every time Victor had died right before his eyes? Helpless and powerless, but unable to do anything?

"Are you alright?" Mark asked, his eyes carefully looking at Victor who was unconsciously blanking out, staring at an empty space.

Victor looked at Mark when he heard the question. He calmed himself. It was something that he would figure out later. Right now, what mattered most was that the man he loved was with him now, standing by his side and holding his hand. "Yeah, just nervous." Victor slightly grimaced as he said this.

Mark's stoic expression made it hard to tell the emotions he expressed, but Victor was able to see the slight differences in it no matter what. Worry, that's what was expressed from the slight twitch in Mark's lips. "Take it easy, you've been running around to get everything done. We're almost back to A Nation, it'll take less than two days to arrive to the borders of A Nation."

Victor had told the generals and their soldiers to dispatch back to A Nation ahead of them. They were the only two who were still within the borders of Y Nation. "I know, I have you here, how can I be worried?" Victor winked at Mark, disguising his tension.

Mark had a light smile on his face. "I'll always be here, no matter how much things change. Thank you for confessing, I don't think I would've ever had the courage to do something like that." Mark pulled Victor's hands to his mouth and planted a soft kiss on it.

Victor couldn't help but laugh, "If I had known that it would be this easy, I would've done it from the beginning. I'm only thankful that you also have the same feelings."

Mark could only smirk as he saw the bright look on Victor's face. If this was the meaning of his life, Mark would gladly live it out. He could only wish that their life would always be this peaceful, that he would always be able to hold onto this man's hand, never letting go.

Victor gave Mark a new meaning to life. With him here, everything seemed to be brighter, his world seemed to have more warmth to it. He didn't know how he had lived before knowing Victor, but he wished to never return to something like that. Every single thing was now imprinted with Victor's touch, his will to loving was Victor. This person, who was both courageous and kind, stubborn but also free, this was the man that Mark loved. This was the man who held his heart.

This was the man that he would love forever.

[Male lead's love percentage is at 99%.]

Lucius looked at Ray, his hands now free as he sat across from him.

"So, are you ever going to tell me why you have me locked away inside a room? It's not like I can escape and tell my family about this. Why would you even kidnap me, it's not like my disappearance would change anything." Lucius knew that he supposed to be scared since he was still a hostage, but Ray didn't seem to be dangerous in front of his eyes.

Ray looked at Lucius as he heard the words from his mouth, "Your Highness, believe it or not, your disappearance would change everything." It would change the fact that you would have been kidnapped by the others, forced to live a life bonded to someone you don't love. But Ray didn't say anything, he didn't want Lucius to know how his life would've turned out if Ray had not taken him away from the castle.

Lucius looked at Ray suspiciously before asking, "Then when will I return?" Since Ray wasn't planning to so anything to him, it meant that Ray would also let him go.

Ray thought over his answer before replying. Victor should be coming back soon from the reports that Ray had gotten, when he was sure that Victor had returned, only then would Ray let Lucius return. Then, Ray knew that Raven wouldn't order the Blaxe family to do anything.

"Your Highness, you can return back to the castle when Prince Victor comes back. Until then, please stay here for a while. I'll try to make it easier, please request for anything that you would need." Ray said as he stood, getting ready to leave.

"Wait," Then, Lucius stopped. A feeling of heat suddenly came over him as he finally realized why he had been so shaky and hot for the past few days. Impossible, it wasn't suppose to come so soon.

Ray stared at Lucius who had stopped talking mid-sentence. Then, a sweet smell drifted into the air. Right away, Ray's eyes snapped wide, his breaths coming out heavier. The snell was intense, it was powerful and intoxicating, it made it worse that standing before him was the person that he loved. Ray inhaled a deep breath, the smell only got worse, and Ray knew he wouldn't be able to last long. Finally, he raised his arm, and bit it hard, blood dripping from it.

With heavy steps, he turned away and slammed the door, still biting hard onto his arms. His eyes flared and flickered as he heard the sound of panting on the other side of the door. He needed to get the heat suppressants, and fast.

Tearing his eyes away from the door, Ray could still smell the sweet scent that seemed to continue spreading. He knew that Lucius was also going to have a hard time, so he needed to hurry.

It was scary, he had almost done what his father had. Forcefully mark an omega while they were in their heat.

Lucius held his body tightly under the covers, his body felt hot all over. He was barely able to keep sane of everything, but, his heat wasn't suppose to come. His heat was irregular, so much that he could barely even experience one in a span of three months. He had just experienced one a month ago, he wasn't suppose to have another one until two months later.

As Lucius tried to breathe evenly, he heard the sound of the door opening again. All he knew was that Ray had come back. Truthfully, he was surprised that Ray was able to resist the temptations of an omega's heat.

Ray stepped into the room, in his hands were the heat suppressant pills. He had gotten the strongest one that he could. Although he was able to feel the change in the air and still smell everything, he had it under control now.

Ray saw that Lucius was still under the covers, his body shaking every now and then.

Popping one of the pills from its socket, he stepped towards Lucius. Truthfully, many other alphas would've fallen under the control of an omega's heat, but, Ray was taught from young how to suppress the smell. It was something he had learnt after finding out the truth about his father. It was hard at the beginning because he was so unprepared for what was about to happen, but now that he had a closer understanding of everything and had gotten a breath of fresh air, it was easier to think.

"Your Highness, please excuse my misconduct," Ray said as he lifted the covers to see a shaking Lucius. Then, using one hand, he opened Lucius' mouth to pop in the medicine.

Lucius merely accepted Ray's actions, swallowing the pill when it entered his mouth. He was sure already that Ray wouldn't do anything to him.

Ray saw that Lucius had swallowed the medicine and finally felt relieved. Although it wasn't taking effect just yet, it made things better. "Your Highness, I'll be stepping out please call for me if you need anything." Saying that, Ray walked out the door after taking a final look at Lucius.

Lucius laid, snuggled inside the blanket as the heat suppressant finally began taking effect. He was suppose to have been kidnapped, but the kidnapper acted like a nanny would. Or should it be a husband?

Honestly, anyone else would be trying to devise a plan on how to get out of this place, but Lucius trusted what Ray had told him over the course of this past week. His past interactions with Ray told him a lot about him. Plus, if Ray wanted to do something bad to him, he wouldn't even be treating him like a prince.

Truth be told, Lucius couldn't see how this man was Raven's cousin. Ray didn't seem like a normal Blaxe. He didn't have the white or gray hair a normal member of the Blaxe would have, but had dark blue hair and hazel eyes, which made him even more strange. After spending some time with Ray, Lucius could tell that he wasn't a bad guy.

Now the question is, why was Ray even doing this in the first place?

When I was younger, I was always told that I was a bastard. I was the son of a prostitute, an illegitimate son of a noble. Even when I was accepted into their family, I was never one of them. My mother was always suffering, mistreated. She took my pain because I was too young to bear it, and every mark made on her always created a scar in my heart.

I lived my life harshly, my mother and I were neglected by everyone, we were treated even worse than the flowers that bloomed just to die. My mother was born with a weak body, after giving birth to me, her body became even weaker.

My mother was beautiful, the most beautiful woman of my life. Every night, she would sing a song for me, a lullaby created by her just for me. Her voice was beautiful, like a fairy. She sung me to sleep every night, holding me within her arms as we fell asleep in the old, abandoned shack we lived in. We didn't get much food, barely one meal a day. My mother would always give me the best of things, not caring for herself.

Even if things were bad, as long as my mother was by me, I was content. Even if the worst has yet to come, I could bear through it if my mother was here.

But, she died. She was killed. She was torn away from me, killed before my very eyes. I don't remember much, I only remembered the pain, the anger I felt as I watched the most beloved woman of my life disappear.

I went on a rampage, my weak body felt so strong in that moment. I tore apart the house with just a wave of my hand, fire spreading more and more, and I heard the screams. But, my heart was filled of the pain.

Did I cry? I don't remember doing so.

I remembered carrying a dagger in my hand, seeking out the man who was my supposed father. I stabbed him, over and over again, I repeated what they had done to my mother. After that, his wife had hit my back with a whip, a whip with small but sharp knives layered on it, the same whip that was used to harm my mother. I went for her next.

When I was done with my revenge, only then did I finally feel the pain. I lost my mother, the only person who loved me, a cruel being like me.

You saved me though. My eyes were too blurry to see, my body was in too much pain, but I heard your cold yet also urgent voice ask me if I was alright.

I don't remember anything but I saw your white robes, and that was it.

You saved me, and left me in a house. I never even got to say thank you, but, you left me one clue. Within my hand was a pendant, a pendant with a dragon on it, lightning behind it.

With that, I set out to find you and thank you for what you've done for me.

Years pass by, and I thought that I had finally found you.

Why was it that fate was so twisted, that I had mistaken someone else for you?