The image of the naked Xeus in their basement flashed in Jules’s mind. His cheeks warm, Jules averted his gaze.“Are there… Are there any Xeus alphas among your eligible candidates?” Jules said after a moment. He actually had no idea if Liam shared their uncle’s prejudice.Liam’s face did something strange.“What?” Jules said, his curiosity spiking.“You know Uncle Wayne would be against any of us marrying a Xeus,” Liam said carefully, studying his fingernails. “But technically, he isn’t the alpha of our family until Anthony is declared dead. Also, if a rich, titled Xeus offers me a marriage, I don’t think Uncle would care all that much—”Jules grinned. “Who are they? Who did you choose?”“I didn’t,” Liam said, his fingers fiddling with the bed covers. “But the Duke of Westcliff is the most handsome alpha on the planet. It would be ridiculous to dismiss him just because he’s a Xeus. He’s rich, gorgeous, titled and—”“He’s the king’s nephew, Li,” Jules said when he managed to pick up h

Jules moistened his lips with his tongue, his heart thudding against his ribs. “Rude,” he said with a shaky smile. He felt hot. And shivery. In his defense, he’d never had a naked alpha on top of him. “I’m trying to help you, big guy. Don’t you remember me? And we really, really have no time for this. Let me go.”The Xeus inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring. Gauging Jules’s sincerity? Was his sense of smell that good, even despite Jules’s suppressants?Jules forced his body to relax, emanating safe-nonthreatening-omega. It seemed to be working, because the predatory glint was fading from those glowing eyes, some rationality slipping back into them. Some being the key word. There was still something distinctly primitive about the way the Xeus was looking at him. A different sort of primitive.Jules swallowed, becoming increasingly aware of the heavy, naked body on top of him. Of the hard hip between his thighs. Of a strong scent that was pure alpha—a scent that was starting to do terr

For a moment, he thought the Xeus didn’t understand him, but then Jules heard the rustle of clothes and exhaled in relief.Then he went back to worrying. What were they going to do now?Jules was snapped out of his thoughts when a hand gripped his arm and none-too-gently pulled him toward the door.“What are you doing?” Jules said, looking at the alpha. He was dressed, thank fuck, but the strange, disturbing effect he had on Jules’s body was still there. Fuck, he smelled amazing. Like everything good in the world. Jules could barely stop himself from shoving his face into the Xeus’s neck and breathing.No. He needed to get a grip. He needed to get his brain to focus on their course of action, not to keep fixating on his base, primitive wants.The glowing green eyes flicked to him for a moment, the alpha’s nostrils flaring.Jules blushed and cleared his throat. “There are guards outside,” he whispered urgently. “We can’t just go out and—”The Xeus leaned down and sucked hard on his nec

Or…For a wild moment, he was tempted to stay. Stay with this alpha, help him return home—wherever it was—and then maybe—Then what? his rational side said. Kerosvarin had no cure. Was he really ready to bind his life to a feral alpha Jules would never even get to know for real? A feral alpha who would never love him for real, for the person he was? Pheromones and great sex didn’t make a relationship; that much Jules knew. Even if by some miracle his Xeus managed to shift back into a man, he would be disappointed to find himself bound to an unattractive omega like Jules. They had no future either way.So this… this tight feeling in his chest was stupid. Irrational. It was the mating mark’s doing. It wasn’t real.But it felt so very real.Swallowing around the tightness in his throat, Jules took one last breath of the alpha’s scent and whispered, “Go.”The arms around him didn’t loosen.Jules bit his bottom lip hard. “Go,” he repeated, looking into the Xeus’s glowing eyes.The alpha st

It took him a while until he was able to focus enough to realize that the faint sense of another person he’d had since the Xeus’s escape was now gone.Jules froze, his eyes going wide, before he scrambled off his bed and ran out of the room.He couldn’t even remember how he ended up in front of their butler’s door. He pounded on it before he could think twice.Harrison looked sleepy and confused when he finally opened it. “Master Jules? What is the matter?”“Order me to do something,” Jules blurted out. “Use your Voice on me.”The butler froze. “Pardon?”“Use your alpha voice on me,” Jules repeated. “Now. That’s an order.”Harrison blinked in obvious bewilderment before saying, “Jump.”Jules didn’t jump—Harrison was neither his relative nor his bondmate. But he did feel the compulsion. He felt it.His knees suddenly weak, Jules turned and wandered away, ignoring the butler’s questions.The mating bond was gone.It was gone.Gone.Mating bonds could fade if neglected for a long time, b