The palace servants whisper long after Lian Xuan drags Yu Zhen out of the ceremonial hall.
The legendary General Lian — cold as obsidian, sharp as a blade, untouchable — has taken possession of an Omega.
Not just any Omega.
A rare one.
The gates of his private military residence slam shut behind them. Guards scatter, pretending not to stare at the impossible sight:
Lian Xuan walking with someone at his side.
Not a hostage.Not a concubine.Something different.Something dangerous.
Yu Zhen keeps his calm, but inside, the System flickers:
[Warning: Lian Xuan's possessiveness is above average.]
[Instinct Level: High]
[Approach with caution.]
He barely has time to understand the warning.
Lian Xuan grips his wrist — not painfully, but with a firmness that leaves no space to pull away — and pulls him into a quiet inner courtyard.
Only then does the general stop.
Only then does Yu Zhen breathe again.
The silence stretches.
Then—
"Take off the robe," Lian Xuan orders quietly.
Yu Zhen stiffens. "General—"
Lian Xuan's eyes narrow, sensing his panic. His voice drops, colder, cutting:
"I need to know if they bruised you."
Ah.
He means the physicians.
Yu Zhen's heart slows. "No. They didn't."
"Prove it."
The command hangs heavy between them.
Not lust.Not desire.But rage — that someone might have dared harm what he instinctively wants to protect.
Yu Zhen exhales, loosens the robe, pulls it off his shoulder just enough to reveal pale, unmarked skin.
Lian Xuan's jaw flexes as he looks.
His voice is low, controlled, trembling with something he refuses to name.
"They didn't touch you."
Yu Zhen nods.
The general steps closer — slow, deliberate — one gloved hand lifting to trace the line of exposed skin without fully touching.
Close enough to feel his heat.Close enough to make Yu Zhen's breath catch.
"Good," Lian Xuan says, his voice no longer steady."Because if they had… I would stain the palace red."
The intensity in his eyes is overwhelming.
Yu Zhen has met gods.Demons.Beings older than stars.
But nothing has ever looked at him like this.
Like instinct screams:mine.
The System flares:
[Affinity Resonance Rising]
[Instinct Sync: 42%]
[Lian Xuan Affection: +6]
Yu Zhen quickly ties the robe again.
The moment breaks.
Lian Xuan steps away, forcing himself to breathe normally.
"You will stay here," he says, tone clipped.
Yu Zhen frowns. "In your residence?"
"Not in my residence," Lian Xuan corrects sharply."In my courtyard. Where no one else can come near you."
"That sounds like imprisonment."
The general's eyes sharpen.
"That sounds like protection."
Yu Zhen lifts his chin. "From what?"
Lian Xuan's expression turns darker.
"From every Alpha in the capital. From the nobles. From the Emperor. From anyone who would use you as a political tool or—" His voice thickens, rage cutting through it."—or as breeding stock."
Yu Zhen goes still. Lian Xuan's next words are quiet, lethal: "I don't share." With anyone ever.
Yu Zhen should be afraid. Instead… something warm flickers deep inside him. The echo of a long-lost bond.
Nightfall
Yu Zhen is given a private courtyard room — spacious, clean, guarded on all sides by Lian Xuan's elite soldiers.
Not a cage. But a fortress. Still, he cannot sleep.
Outside on the terrace, a shadow stands under the moonlight.
Lian Xuan. Watching. Guarding. Protecting. He hasn't moved for hours. Yu Zhen slides the door open silently. "You haven't left." Lian Xuan turns his head slightly. "You're awake." "You are… guarding me?" Yu Zhen asks.
"No." A pause. "…Yes."
Yu Zhen steps beside him, the night breeze brushing past them both.
"Why?" he whispers.
Lian Xuan's answer is immediate. "I don't know," he admits, voice low, strained. "But the thought of you being unprotected— even for a moment—" His hand tightens on the railing, leather glove creaking. "—it makes me want to tear apart the world."
Yu Zhen's breath trembles. The System glows softly:
[Memory Fragments Stirring]
[Bond Instinct: Active]
He doesn't know whether to speak or step back.
But Lian Xuan steps forward instead.
He doesn't touch.He just stands close — too close — until Yu Zhen can feel his warmth, his breath, the barely restrained instinct vibrating through him.
"Sleep," Lian Xuan murmurs, voice brushing against Yu Zhen's ear."I'll stand guard."
"General—"
"Lian Xuan," he corrects quietly."When it's just the two of us… Call me Lian Xuan."
The name trembles on Yu Zhen's lips.
And when he finally whispers it, soft and hesitant—
"…Lian Xuan…" The general goes completely still.
As if the sound struck something buried too deep to name.
Something divine. Something ancient.