First, the scent. The subtle hum Jin Yue had caught earlier bloomed, unfurling like a dense, intoxicating cloud. It wasn't just Jun Kai anymore. It was Jun Kai's essence distilled, magnified a hundredfold. Spiced cedar, sun-warmed stone, male musk. An Alpha's rut.
Jin Yue felt his own body react instantly, a deep, visceral pull low in his gut. His breath caught. His skin prickled, feeling too tight, too sensitive. He was an Omega. He could no more ignore a rut-scent in close quarters than he could stop his own lungs from drawing air.
Jun Kai's head fell back against the stone, a low groan escaping him. "Jin," he breathed, and the word was rough, pained. "You should… you should go wait by the entrance."
