Kyungsoo rubbed his neck anxiously. It had become his habit when he was nervous. These nerves stemming solely from the King of the Valley.

His heat was coming up. Jongin made sure the royal physician checked him as often as possible. That and he could feel it coming. He’d had a very slight fever the past few days and Jongin insisted he stay back in their rooms today. He felt uneasy being apart from his mate even though he was relatively safe surrounded by Jongin’s scent.

However, in the middle of the day, the guard at the door beckoned the handmaids away and Kyungsoo was left alone waiting for someone on the other side of the door. In his head he was running through scenarios a mile a minute as to what could possibly be going on and none of them ended well. Because Jongin wouldn’t leave him to wonder like this.

A moment later the door opened again the the King waltzed in with a pleased-as-punch smile and that look in his eye Kyungsoo had grown to hate. “Good afternoon, Prince Kyungsoo.”

“Good afternoon, Your Majesty.” Kyungsoo bowed low. “To what do I owe the honor, You Majesty?”

“Oh, the pleasure is mine when I am in your presence.”

Kyungsoo screwed his eyes shut, his face reflexively scrunched, before finding enough composer to right himself. “You’re too kind.” The king only hummed. Kyungsoo found himself moving backwards. He wanted to call out. He wanted Jongin. He wanted to scream so loud there was no way his mate wouldn’t hear him.

“You’ve been very good to my son, but I see he hasn’t been very good to you.” The King gestured to his neck. “Whether he bites you or not you will be queen.”

Kyungsoo fought the urge to rub his neck.

“Perhaps he intends to reopen the harem for his rule.”

“That is his ri