novelraw Chapter 334 — Even If You Were The Worst
Chapter 334 — Even If You Were The Worst
When he opened his eyes, Rihaan found himself cradling Soren.
The omega’s eyes were closed, red curls spilling messily across his forehead. His breathing was slow, exhaustion weighing on his frame.
Rihaan lifted a hand and traced Soren’s face with his finger—careful, gentle, as though afraid even the slightest touch might break him.
He failed.
Soren stirred, a soft groan slipping past his lips. Slowly, his lashes fluttered open, unfocused at first—until his gaze met Rihaan’s.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
They looked at each other, the silence stretching between them.
"Good morning?" Rihaan forced a faint smile. Someone had to break the ice, and he didn’t mind being the one to do it. After all, more than anyone else, he had been the one craving this.
"What time is it?" Soren asked as he slowly shifted away from Rihaan and sat up on the bed. He rubbed his lower back; the aftermath of last night was beginning to settle into his body.
"Hm... noon, I believe," Rihaan replied, mirroring his movement. He straightened, turning to face Soren once more. He couldn’t bring himself to look away. Soren looked... handsome. More than Rihaan remembered.
"Last night—"
"If you want to forget it, I understand," Rihaan cut in immediately.
He didn’t want to hear rejection before he even had the chance to try again. It felt as though everything he did only pushed Soren further away.
What if Soren already regretted what had happened?
What if he refused to even look at him after this?
Was he any better than the man who had tried to force himself on Soren?
Rihaan bit down on his lip until blood bloomed against his tongue, the taste sharp and sour.
He hated this situation. It felt as though he were trapped inside a maze whose exit he could not find. He could try to climb its walls, strain to glimpse a way out—yet he would remain bound to it for eternity.
And that maze was none other than Soren.
Soren batted his lashes, struggling to understand.
"Pardon?" he whispered, his voice hoarse from last night’s screams.
"I apologize for having my way with you while you were in heat," Rihaan said quietly. "It was... wrong. I shouldn’t have done that. Not when you weren’t in your right mind." The words felt insufficient the moment they left his mouth.
He bowed his head further, shoulders tense, as though the weight of his own actions pressed down on his spine. His hands curled into fists at his sides, nails biting into his palms.
No amount of pain could dull the memory—the way Soren had trembled, pleading for his help, the way his voice had broken, the way his body had relied on him when his mind could not.
"I told myself I was helping you," Rihaan continued, voice low, unsteady. "That I was protecting you. But that doesn’t change what I did." He swallowed hard. "I should have been stronger. I should have stopped myself."
Shame burned hotter than any desire ever had.
"If you hate me for it... if you can’t look at me the same way again," he murmured, eyes still shut, "then I deserve that."
For a moment, he said nothing more—afraid that any further words would only cheapen the apology he owed, afraid that opening his eyes would mean facing the damage he could not undo.
Sensing a hand caressing his head, Rihaan immediately looked up. Soren smiled softly at him, as if he had done something great—when it was clearly untrue.
"Your Imperial Highness...?" he breathed, perplexed.
"You don’t need to apologize like that. If I hadn’t wanted it, I would have fought you like I fought that man. I wouldn’t have asked you to do it. Right?"
Soren pressed a gentle peck to the alpha’s cheek, which instantly turned a faint red against his tan skin.
"Y-You are not lying?" Rihaan stammered, his heart hammering in his chest.
Soren nodded slowly, his hand never leaving Rihaan’s hair. Soft. Fluffy.
He looked adorable in his bed hair.
"I am not lying."
His thumb brushed against Rihaan’s temple, a grounding touch, almost deliberate. "I knew what I was asking for. I was overwhelmed, yes—but not unaware." His smile wavered, just slightly. "You didn’t take anything from me."
Rihaan’s breath hitched. The tight knot in his chest loosened only a fraction—enough to breathe, not enough to forget.
"...Even so," he whispered, eyes glistening, "I should have questioned you more. I should have waited. Wanting you doesn’t give me the right to stop being careful with you."
Soren’s expression softened at that. He leaned closer, resting his forehead against Rihaan’s. "That is exactly why I don’t regret it," he murmured. "Because even then, you were trying to protect me."
Just when the atmosphere had begun to change—turning warm and pleasant—a maid knocked at the door.
"Your Highness, Prince Rihaan, the Emperor is asking for you."
Rihaan glanced at Soren. It seemed no one knew the omega had spent the night in his quarters. If word were to get out, Soren would be dragged into a scandal he could not afford.
"Your Imperial Highness... you need to leave carefully."
Soren said nothing, listening to the alpha’s words with full attention.
"I don’t want any rumours to spread about you. Especially now, when you are meant to marry... one of those two princes..." He lowered his head once more.
The omega’s hand slowly slid to Rihaan’s cheek. The alpha’s gaze flickered upward, confused.
Why was Soren being so gentle with him today?
Shouldn’t he be avoiding his eyes, refusing to meet his gaze?
And yet... here he was, his amber eyes locked with Soren’s hazel ones, shimmering like hidden gold in a cave, guarded by countless dragons.
Soren was no different. A treasure everyone coveted—even that lowly man.
Heat rose unbidden through Rihaan’s body. His pheromones spilled into the air, thick and sharp, carrying the wild pull of anger, desire, and something primal he couldn’t quite control. His hands itched to hold, to claim, to protect, and even a fraction of restraint felt impossible.
And yet... he dared not break the fragile calm between them.
"And who said I will be marrying one of them?" Soren finally said, shattering the stillness like glass.
Rihaan froze, his hazel eyes widening so fast they almost seemed to glow.
"Huh?" he breathed, voice tight, eyebrows shooting upward. "W-What do you mean?" His body trembled, and the heat thrumming through him—the pheromones he had barely managed to control—stopped.
Soren’s gaze softened but didn’t waver. "I mean... I will speak with Father. Tell him we have resolved whatever issues we had and now wish to marry."
Rihaan’s chest constricted so sharply he thought it might burst. His hands itched to reach for Soren, to touch, to hold, to anchor this reality before it vanished like smoke.
"What?..." he rasped, unable to form a proper sentence. His mind went blank for a second.
"That is... if you do wish to marry me," Soren added, voice calm, steady, utterly composed, his amber eyes locked on Rihaan’s like sunlight burning through mist.
Rihaan’s heart slammed against his chest, each beat louder than the last. His body betrayed him, a wild, chaotic pull like a tether snapping tight around Soren.
He wanted to run his hands through that red hair, press himself to Soren, stake a claim before the world could interfere—but he didn’t dare.
He pinched himself hard, only for a hiss to escape his lips. Burning. The sting grounded him—but not enough. He knew the truth.
It wasn’t a dream.
It wasn’t a trick.
Soren was here.
Right in front of him.
Saying those words.
The ones he had only imagined.
Rihaan could almost smell the bond forming between them, like molten gold pooling in his chest. He wanted to roar. He wanted to claim. He wanted to collapse onto Soren and never let go.
And he would. One way or another, he would.
"Did I say something wrong?" Soren asked softly, his brow furrowing with worry. "If you still—"
"Do you like me?" Rihaan blurted out before he could stop himself, words tumbling over each other, raw and unfiltered.
The omega froze, eyes widening as he stared at him. Do I... like him?
His mind spun, sorting through the fragments of memory.
The kind-hearted but rebellious, clumsy Rihaan—the friend he hadn’t seen for years.
The Rihaan who had once rejected him in front of a hall full of nobles, leaving his pride in tatters.
The Rihaan who brought him flowers every morning was persistent and patient.
And the Rihaan who had burst into his room last night, saving him when he had been helpless, cornered, and burning in heat.
The question hung between them, and every version of Rihaan rushed through his mind, each one demanding an answer.
No matter how long he thought, how far he traced the threads of his feelings, all paths led to a single, undeniable truth.
"Yes," he whispered, barely audible, yet enough for Rihaan to hear. "I do like you, Rihaan."
"Even if I am not as good in poetry, history and arts?"
Soren chuckled, nodding.
"Even if you were the worst at those, I am afraid I would have liked you regardless for the sole reason that you are nothing like me. You are everything I wish to be."
Rihaan smiled softly, kissing the omega, cupping his face between his palms.
"I will tell you this and set you free. You have the right to choose what you want to do. No one—and I mean—no one gets to dictate what you have to do. I will teach you how to live like that," he smiled.
"I would gladly learn, teacher," Soren curled his lips, pressing his forehead against the alpha’s, locking gaze.