In all his years of anticipation and dreaming of a day to act his revenge against the murderer of his mother, Akemi couldn’t have predicted his meeting with the crown prince of Araceli again by the streets of a tiny town. They last saw each other years ago, pulled apart after a brief stay. A little memory of those days when they used to play around while their fathers were busy. Marquess Kei was even there too.

If someone were to tell him in the past that he’d be stepping into the soil of Araceli, he might have laughed. Maybe somebody did. He couldn’t remember.

“Akemi, what a surprise.”

And it indeed was. Whoever was turning the wheels of fate, chuckling viciously at how this scene was undeniably too close to be labeled as a part of destiny, Akemi felt utterly pleased. Even if the intentions were malicious, this coincidence was enough to start his years of planning and countless ‘what ifs’ before bed. His chance at revenge.

Goddess Amaterasu, is this another blessing you have given me? Is this what you truly want me to do? To end the heathen’s son’s life?

“Dion!” Akemi hissed, spitting out the poisonous name. “Why are you here? I never thought you would be so stupid to walk down a road without a hint of fear for your life. Don’t you know a lot of assassins are lurking in the dark for your head? You have grown careless.”

“I could ask you the same thing! After all, this is my country. And I’d prefer the word fearless if you don’t mind.” Dion slowly shook his head in amazement, wine eyes glinting. “You certainly took my breath away! Imagine, a prince like you going out of his way to try and kill me. Tired of only being seen and never heard?”

Shut up.

“And do tell me how you shifted from being a meek prince to another one of those assassins?” The alpha crossed his arms, his tan skin slightly glistening with sweat, still smirking with a carefree shrug. “Wait, you can’t be lumped with them. No, if you were, you could’ve ended my life without batting an eye. You wish to talk to me, don’t you—”

“Silence. You won’t talk your way out of this one, Dion.” Gritting his teeth, Akemi’s grip on the hilt of the scimitar tightened. “I’ve waited all my life to pay back your father’s traitorous act when my own merely wanted to be on great terms. How does it feel to have a father for a murderer!?”

“As if your father is a saint. He isn’t better off as well. You could say they’re the same…” The crown prince exhaled softly, lifting his hand and nudging the blade against his neck to make a little distance. Akemi didn’t let it budge. It made the alpha smile even more. What was bugging him greatly was how this man could have easily made him submit—have his neck barred and have his way, but Dion didn’t.

Another thing to add to the list as to why the alpha was irritating and needed to be taken care of.

“Look, I know you’ve traveled far to reach here, but aren’t you jumping to die so quickly?” Raising a brow, Dion tilted his head and gestured to their surroundings.

Suddenly aware of the eyes burning holes at the back of his head, the prince clicked his tongue at the presence of soldiers around them. Quietly lurking in the dark, he prepared to finish him off with one wrong move on his part. Momentarily, Akemi forgot that he wasn’t alone and that they were in Araceli.

He could die here.

“Tell them to go away or I’m going to slit your throat.”

“Akemi! What are you doing?” Lux’s sweaty face came into view as he ran towards the two, confused and concerned. The lord was not expecting to see the omega go and try to hostage the crown prince. Upon standing in front of Crown Prince Dion, Lux bowed until his head hit the ground. “Your Highness, please don’t throw him to jail. This man had a rough day and is a lunatic. I assure you he meant no harm!”

“Lux—”

“My prince, please listen to me.” Lux continued to bow, not meeting the crown prince’s eye. “This man is homeless! He hit his head, hard, which is why I took care of him. I didn’t expect him to attack you, Your Highness.”

Don’t speak as if I’m truly a homeless lunatic you picked up on the street! And this bastard prince already knows.

“Lux, he knows who I am—”

“Then why are you not asking for forgiveness?” Lux whispered fervently, shooting Akemi a look of indignation. “Didn’t you say you have lots to do before you die? What you’re doing right now gives you a one-way ticket to the afterlife!”

The crown prince broke out in a fit of laughter, causing the two to send their glares at him. “My, my. What a sight… I can’t believe you got one of my people to stand up for you. I guess it’s true what they say… about you enamoring people you barely know of.”

A blood vessel on Akemi’s head was about to pop off. “Quit running your mouth or I’ll kill you—”

“I knew it, you weren’t planning to kill me, were you? Why?” Dion raised both of his hands, ordering his men to stand down. “This is the perfect opportunity! But then, of course, your intellect is unmatched in some ways. You have to applaud yourself for not letting your feelings cloud your judgment. Or… you’d be lying on the ground, already dead with a scimitar plunged against your chest.”

“Akemi, please let him go…”

At Lux’s pleading and at how there was no probable chance of escaping unscathed, the prince stepped back and dropped the scimitar with a sigh. Regaining his composure, Crown Prince Dion patted the dust off his shoulders and ran a hand through his golden locks of hair. Akemi fought back his diabolical thoughts of ripping it off his stupid head.

Expecting him to leave, Dion astonishingly leaned down and whispered against the frozen omega’s ear. The dominant pheromones now leaked out of him, enough to terrorize Akemi’s already tense atmosphere.

It was suffocating.

“I know you’ll come after me soon so no need to express how you will kill me the next time we meet. I can see it in your eyes, yes…”

Akemi felt the hairs on his neck stand straight when the alpha inhaled through his nose. Hand immediately covering his exposed neck, the prince glared at Dion walking away sporting a ridiculously wide grin. The guards appeared out of their hiding spot, trailing behind him like loyal dogs.

“You smell even better than the last time, Akemi. Although, I suggest you need a bath. Perhaps being out of that constricting palace in Soleil is doing you wonders!”

Bastard!

❘༻᯽༺❘

“Meant to be seen, never heard?” Akemi whispered under his breath, paying no heed to the argument that had erupted between Lux and Count Rowan after his little display on the streets that afternoon. Hearing it on his way back, the count appeared stressed and sought after Lux to ask what went down earlier. It didn’t please his mate when he was questioned why he let out the exiled prince. Akemi couldn’t help but feel it was his fault.

Please stop.

“Are you saying this is all my fault?”

“No! But at least tell me you were going to take him out for a stroll—”

Stop.

“Oh, so now I need permission from you? I wasn’t aware I became your pet since we got married!”

“You know I didn’t mean it that way.”

Don’t hurt each other.

The two continued to retaliate at each thrown word, voice almost close to a scream. It was noisy, loud. Unlike Akemi’s mind.

Empty.

And then it was silent. The calm before the storm. The two gasped for air momentarily.

At that short moment of serenity, everything became perfectly clear to him.

That if Akemi was going to carry out his plans and if someone were to ask who was to blame, it would be him and him alone.

Nobody else, but him.

“I’m the one at fault, you don’t have to blame anyone or yourselves.” Akemi stood up from his seat, back aching due to sitting in one position for nearly an hour. The couple stared at him as if he had grown another head. “I know what I did could endanger your status or reputation, for that, I apologize. But please, don’t blame anyone else. I am the one to blame. I grabbed the scimitar and attempted to kill him, and for that, I must leave.”

And leave no evidence.

“Akemi, leave? Where will you go?”

Approaching Count Rowan, the prince gazed up and looked him straight in the eye. “Count Rowan, can we depart for Elysium… tomorrow?”