Charles studied the sleeping doctor sitting across from him. The carriage rocked gently, causing Benjamin's dark hair, which was neatly combed back, to come undone. He looked remarkably vulnerable.

His skin was pale, his nose perfectly shaped, and his light pink lips were slightly parted. His long, lean arms were crossed over his chest and his head nodded forward.

I'm glad he's asleep, but he looks so helpless like this, Charles thought. I think I finally understand the fairytales. Benjamin is a sleeping beauty.

But the mystery remained. What's a person like him doing in hiding?

Charles had spent the morning reviewing the medical report again. It was incredibly thorough, yet he had noticed a glaring omission. Benjamin had not signed his name or included it anywhere in the document. Most doctors would be eager to take credit for such brilliant work, but in the report, just like in the clinic, his name was nowhere to be found.

Charles moved across the cabin and sat beside the doctor. He reached out and gently propped Benjamin's head onto his own shoulder. Benjamin leaned into him instinctively. Charles looked out the window at the passing countryside and smiled.

They had passed through several small towns before Charles began to doze off himself. He was jolted awake by the sound of loud, ragged breathing. Turning, he saw Benjamin's face crumpled in a wince. The doctor was shaking his head and mumbling in his sleep, his hands now clenched into tight fists at his sides.

It pained Charles to see him like this. What could be hurting such a kind soul? Maybe it will pass.

But minutes ticked by and Benjamin's distress only intensified. I guess that explains the bags under his eyes, Charles realized. 

Unsure of how else to help, Charles shifted his weight and pulled Benjamin into a firm embrace. Charles's pheromones wrapped around Benjamin like a heavy, protective blanket. This was an instinctive response of an alpha protecting his mate.

I didn't mean to let them out, Charles thought, but it shouldn't matter. He's a beta and won't be able to smell them anyway.

Momentarily, Benjamin's breathing slowed, and the trembling stopped. As Charles let out a sigh of relief, he caught a sudden, sweet scent mixing with his own. It was an intoxicating aroma that smelled like a field of strawberries.

How soothing, Charles thought. I wonder where we're passing through? I'd like to stop and pick some fresh strawberries for him.

When he looked out the window, however, there were only flat, empty meadows for miles. Yet the scent lingered, intertwining beautifully with his own earthy, forest-like pheromones. He looked back at Benjamin. The doctor was finally at peace.

Charles sniffed the air again, trying to pinpoint the source. He traced the sweetness to his left, to Benjamin. He leaned down, his face so close that his skin brushed against the soft heat of Benjamin's neck.  

The scent was coming from Benjamin's neck. It was strong and sweet. 

How has he been hiding this? Charles's mind raced. I would never have guessed he had a secondary gender. It must be because he's sleeping so deeply. His body is instinctively responding to my pheromones.

This was the first time Charles had ever truly taken a liking to someone's scent. He had encountered countless alphas and omegas, but none had ever made him stop and sniff the air like this. He hadn't even realized he was smelling pheromones at first. 

Charles chuckled quietly to himself. He liked the smell. He liked the man. Out of all the people in the Empire he could have fallen for, he had somehow chosen the one person who seemed like he didn't want to be found.

** ** ** ** ** ** 

"…tor?"

"Doctor…"

Benjamin felt gentle taps on his shoulder. Struggling to pull himself from the depths of sleep, he opened his eyes to see a pair of large, glistening purple eyes hovering inches from his own.

They look like jewels, he thought dizzily. So beautiful.

He offered a small, sleepy smile before a familiar voice broke the spell.

"Are you awake?" Charles asked, with a fond expression.

Benjamin blinked, the fog clearing as he realizing he was still in the carriage. Embarassed, he sat up quickly.

"Thank you for waking me up. Are we here?"

"Yep! I already put our bags away. Are you hungry?"

"Oh, why didn't you wake me? I could've helped."

"You were sleeping so well, and you clearly needed it," Charles said. "You look refreshed."

Benjamin stepped out of the carriage and took a deep breath. They were high in the mountains. The air was crisp and fresh. Below them, the valley was cradled in mist. On the right end of the cleared ground, there were two long, rectangular cabins divided into guest units. On the far left, there was a smaller, more secluded cabin. 

"Are we headed there?" Benjamin pointed toward the larger cabins.

"No, we're over here," Charles said, gesturing toward the cabin on the left.

As they stepped inside, Benjamin noted the layout. It was a single, large, open-concept room. To the right were two beds side-by-side and a clean bathroom. To the left was a cozy living area with large windows that offered a view of the peaks.

"We're both staying in this room?" Benjamin asked.

"Yes. Does that bother you?" Charles asked, looking slightly taken aback.

"Oh, no. It's not that," Benjamin hurried to explain. "I just don't want to intrude on your privacy."

"I'm sorry, I should have asked," Charles replied softly. "The other rooms aren't prepared. The inn is usually closed this time of year."

"I didn't know. I'm sorry for making a fuss."

They stepped out onto the elevated deck at the rear. A wooden-railed walkway led from the deck down the slope toward the hot spring

"The springs are down that way," Charles pointed out. "There are three or four secluded spots in the area."

"Do you come here often?" Benjamin asked.

"A few times a year. Usually with my guards. They love it here," Charles paused, looking out at the horizon as the breeze caught his dark golden hair. 

"You could have brought them along."

"I think you need the rest more than they do."

Benjamin's heart started racing. He wanted to look away, but he was pinned by the intensity of the Prince's gaze. 

** ** ** ** ** ** 

After a hearty lunch, the two men returned to their cabin. After their meal settled, they took turns using the shower.

"I'm done," Charles called out.

Benjamin looked up from his book and paused. Charles had emerged from the shower with only a small towel slung around his waist. His damp hair dripped droplets of water down his body, and Benjamin's eyes followed them down the defined lines of his muscular torso and abdomen.

Benjamin's face went scarlet. "I'll… I'll go now. I'll be quick so we can head down to the springs," he stammered, shoving his book into his bag and snatching a robe from the dresser without meeting the Prince's eyes.

Once the shower was running, Charles chuckled to himself and sat on the couch. His curiosity got the better of him. He reached into Benjamin's loosely closed bag and pulled out the book.

It read "Volume 2: The Doctor and the Dragon."

He flipped to the synopsis. It was a story of forbidden love between a human physician and a dragon-shifter, two enemies forced to flee a war-torn land.

Charles flipped through the pages, his eyes landing on a particularly vivid, erotic encounter between the two male protagonists. He felt a sudden flash of heat in his groins and quickly put the book back into Benjamin's bag.

He stepped out onto the deck, breathing in the cool air to compose himself.

I can't believe he reads things like that.

He had known people at court who collected erotic literature and picture books, but seeing it in the hands of the prim and proper Dr. Nystrom was surprising.

So the doctor has a hidden side. Does that mean he's interested in men? Has he ever actually been with one?