A knock on the door woke Syri from his restless sleep. The zeta moaned as he sat up and set his feet on the floor. Inso must be back. The zeta did not realize how much time had passed as he stood from the sofa and walked around it toward the entrance to the cabin.

The zeta was only wearing a shirt as he had pulled off his pants while he was sleeping due to his body overheating. The nap had distracted the zeta from the pain, so Syri was able to think and function at the moment, however, he had completely forgotten the fact that he was pant-less. The zeta ran his fingers through his hair as he walked to the door and turned the handle, opening it. The zeta's eyes snapped open when he saw who was standing at the entrance. All the tiredness left the zeta as shock ran through his body.

"Brenton...what are you doing here?" Syri asked as he looked at the rho with wide eyes.

Brenton shook his head as the wave of hormones from Syri's heat washed over him the moment the door was opened. The rho's eyes widened as he regained his focus and saw the zeta's nearly naked body. "Are you alone?" Brenton inquired as he realized he did not smell Estan.

"Yeah, Inso is in town buying me something for my heat."

"Y-you're in heat?" Brenton inquired as he looked at their surroundings before pushing the zeta inside the cabin and shutting the door behind him. "What are you doing dressed like that?" The rho asked as he motioned to the zeta's fashion state at that moment.

"Oh, I must have gotten too hot," Syri said as he apologized for his indecency. "I wasn't expecting visitors," Syri said shyly as he crossed his legs and pulled on his shirt.

"Never mind that. You need to get out of here," Brenton said as he shook his head. The zeta's hormones were quickly affecting the rho's vision and mind. "The fire is coming this way."

"What...do you...mean?" Syri inquired through stifled gasps as another round of pain washed over his body.

The rho noticed Syri's expression of pain and reached out to stabilize the zeta as Syri swooned. "Are you alright?" Brenton inquired as he held the zeta by the shoulders.

The rho's touch felt so good to the zeta. Having a higher-ranking, dominant wolf touch him sent a cooling sensation through Syri's heat-infused body, and Syri fought the urge to cling to the rho like a koala.

Brenton's nose crinkled as he smelled the slick that was now leaking from the zeta's ass. "Do you have any heat tonics here?" The rho inquired as the strong scent overwhelmed him.

Syri shook his head as a whimper left his plump lips. "It hurts so much." Tears formed in the zeta's eyes as he doubled over in pain. His entire body burned as it longed to be mated.

"Do...do you want me to help you?"

Syri looked up to see Brenton gazing at him through hooded eyes. The zeta hurriedly shook his head when he realized his heat would soon overtake the entirely of the rho's senses. "N-no. I think you should leave."

"But you're in pain," Brenton declined as he stepped closer to the zeta.

"Please, leave," the zeta said as his heart began to pace. He had seen the look that was consuming Brenton many a time and knew what it meant. Brenton would soon not be able to stop himself.

"Let me help."

"No, Brenton. You need to go." Syri reached his arms out and pushed against the rho's chest. Brenton did not budge and instead wrapped his hands around the zeta's wrists. "Brenton, please...don't do this." Tears touched Syri's eyes as the rho's grip around his wrists tightened and he was backed up against the table.

"I can't leave an omega in heat alone, now can I?" The voice that spoke did not belong to Brenton. It was a rho crazed by the zeta's hormones. "Especially not when he is slicking just for me." The man's eyes were now a dark crimson. His wolf had taken over and was ready to mate.

Syri let out a gasp as the rho squeezed his thigh before running his hand up the zeta's leg and under his shirt. The zeta's body automatically produced more slick at the sensation of being touched by a dominant wolf. Syri hated himself for reacting to the rho's touch, and he began pounding on the rho's chest with his free hand.

"Get your hands off me!" Syri cried as the rho ripped his shirt open to reveal the zeta's sensitive, pink nipples. Syri let out a pained moan as the rho pressed his mouth to the zeta's perky nipples and began sucking on them. "S-s-stop, p-please," Syri said through pants as the rho lifted him onto the table and pressed his hardening dick against Syri's thigh. "No! Please, no!!" No matter how hard Syri tried, he could not fend off a higher-ranking wolf.

"You taste so good," the rho whispered as he sucked on the zeta's neck, leaving possessive marks on Syri's milky skin. "And you're so wet, too," the rho added as he reached his hand behind the zeta and felt the rim of his soaked ass. "So perfect, and so vulnerable. And so beautiful," the rho said in a growl as he roamed his hand down the zeta's heated body.

"Stop! Somebody help! Please!!" Syri called out for anyone and anything to save him. He did not want to be mated like this, and he knew Brenton would hate himself when he came back to his senses. And Syri did not want any of that to happen. Tears streamed down the zeta's flushed face as the rho clutched his body in his arms. "JAE!!!" The prince's name left the zeta's lips as he longed to be saved and yearned to be safe in the prince's warm embrace.

"No one is coming to save you, Omega," the rho snarled in Syri's ear, causing the zeta to cry uncontrollably. "You're all mine-"

Before the rho could finish his sentence, the door to the cabin was kicked down, and a raging true blood entered the humble abode. The prince's eyes were golden as he had come running when he heard the zeta's cries. Jae clenched his fists as the scent of the zeta's heat overwhelmed his senses, and the prince's blood boiled at the sight before him. The zeta's bare legs were spread, and a feral wolf was pressed between them. One of the man's hands was cruelly holding the nape of Syri's neck with its thumb pressing into the lower part of the zeta's jaw, forcing Syri to lift his head and expose his neck.

The top five buttons of the zeta's shirt had been broken, so the shirt hung off Syri's shoulder as he pressed his fists into the man's chest in an effort to push him away. Red marks covered the zeta's neck and chest, indicating the man had been harassing him for quite some time. Jae's heart broke as he took in Syri's frightened expression. The zeta clearly did not want the man touching him by the tears that stained his cheeks.

Fresh tears streamed down Syri's face as he saw the one he had been longing for. "Jae." It was barely a whisper, but the prince heard it clear as day. The zeta's call spurred the true blood into action, and Jae immediately charged the man.

The rho let out a growl as the true blood grabbed him by the nape of his neck and flung him against the wall of the cabin. "Leave now if you wish to live," Jae warned the man as he felt himself swell with rage as he heard Syri's quiet whimpers.

The man shook his head as he tried to stand to his feet only to fall to the ground. The rho let out a moan as he shook his head rapidly. The rho's eyes had returned to their warm hazel when he lifted his head. Brenton was back. The rho's eyes filled with tears as he looked at the traumatized zeta still sitting on the table. What have I done?

"I said leave." The growl from the man standing in front of Brenton drew the rho's gaze up to see golden eyes glaring down at him.

Brenton looked from the zeta to the incredibly tall man as he scrambled to his feet. "Syri," the rho began as he tried to apologize.

"Hare dare you say his name." The dominance of the snarl from the man standing in front of Syri protectively caused the rho to cower before the true blood.

"Let me-" Brenton began as he started toward the zeta.

"I will kill you if you touch him," Jae threatened with a growl. Brenton knew the man was not bluffing from the way he was guarding Syri.

"Please go," Syri said to the rho through tears as he turned his head away. He could not bring himself to look at Brenton's broken expression.

Brenton's heart broke as he heard Syri's plea. The rho hung his head as he bid the zeta goodbye. "I'm sorry," was the last thing Brenton said as he turned around and exited through the broken door.

Syri instantly broke into an uncontrollable cry as he lost a dear friend. Jae quickly got the blanket from the couch and placed it over the zeta's bare legs before carefully bringing Syri into his arms. The zeta immediately melted as he felt Jae's strong arms wrap around him. No one could hold Syri like Jae did even if they tried. Syri instantly felt safe and warm in the true blood's arms.

Jae released calming pheromones as he slowly brought his hand up and began petting the zeta's head. "It's okay. I'm here," Jae soothed as Syri continued to cry.

"I missed you so much," Syri admitted through tears as he clung to the prince.

Tears touched Jae's eyes as he heard the zeta's cry. "I missed you, too."

"I'm sorry, Jae. I'm so sorry." The zeta's sudden apology startled the true blood, but he remained silent and waited for Syri to continue. "I tr-tried to stop him, but I wasn't s-strong enough. I didn't him to mate m-me," Syri said through tears as he lifted his head to look at the prince.

"I know, I know," Jae responded softly as he gently cupped Syri's cheek.

Syri's brown eyes sparkled with tears as he gazed into those soft, dark eyes. The zeta's breathing eventually slowed as he calmed from the true blood's presence. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this," Syri said as he lowered his head and pulled his ripped shirt back over his shoulder in an attempt to cover himself.

Jae's heart broke as he saw Syri try to hide himself and immediately brought the zeta back into his arms. The true blood and zeta remained in that position for a while until quiet whimpers began to escape the zeta's lips. Syri's body grew hot to the touch as his heat flared up once again in reaction to the true blood's touch.

The cracking of flames reached the true blood's sensitive ears as he heard the fire spreading toward the cabin. The true blood brought the zeta to arm's length so he could look into Syri's eyes. "I know you are in a lot of pain right now, but I need to get you out of here. This place is about to go up in flames. Will you let me carry you?" Jae asked of the zeta who nodded after a moment. Jae took Syri's consent as the signal to lift the zeta into his arms.

Jae had wrapped the blanket around Syri's waist and lower body before he picked him up to dampen the scent of the slick running down the zeta's legs. A pair of pants on the floor caught the true blood's eye as he carried the zeta through the small abode. The prince quickly snatched the pants from the floor before hurrying to the door. Jae let out a whistle as he exited the cabin and was met by Ajax trotting to his side. The prince lifted the zeta onto the vorst before climbing onto the saddle strapped to Ajax's back.

Syri leaned into the prince as Jae gathered the reins in his hands and clacked his heels into the steed's side. Ajax let out a snort as he set off at a gallop. The fire had already spread to the grove and had reached the cabin's doorstep when Ajax leaped over the fire blocking their path and raced out of the grove.

Syri turned his head to take one last look at the cabin he had called home for the past month as it went up in red flames. The flowers were now ash, and the leaves of the once-green trees were droplets of fire as they fell to the ground, covering the grove in yet more of the red blaze and spreading the flames across the river, catching the cluster of trees leading to the hill where Syri cried out his soul to the moon aflame.

Syri sent up a small prayer in hopes that Dyren and Geneth and their team had managed to escape the ever-growing claws of the fire as the vorst picked up his pace and brought the zeta and prince out from the flames' clutches and away from the fire-filled grove.