The locals’ murmurs swelled, a wave of pitying and ’tsking’ voices that seemed to press in on Ren from all sides.

In this secluded habitat, the sight of a male omega—pale, disheveled, and clearly ’fragile’ after falling from the heavens—stirred a deep, protective instinct.

In this place, there was no Pierce or a warrior; they only saw a bride whose honeymoon had turned into a nightmare.

"Poor little wife," one of the village women whispered, her eyes fixed on Ren’s flushed face. "The sky-fire tried to take him from his Alpha."

Ren’s jaw tightened. The term ’wife’ felt like a brand, more permanent and public than the leather collar Cilian had pocketed back at the estate. He felt the heat radiating from Cilian’s side, the Alpha’s good arm acting like a heavy, inescapable bind around his waist.

"I am not—" Ren started, his voice cracking, but Cilian’s grip tightened just enough to steal his breath.

"He is still in shock," Cilian said to the elder, his voice dripping with a honeyed, protective concern that made Ren’s skin crawl. He looked down at Ren, his gold-brown eyes shimmering with a dark, triumphant mischief. "The explosion was very loud. My Ren hasn’t quite found his footing yet."

The elder nodded solemnly, gesturing toward a path lit by flickering oil lamps.

"Come. We have a hut that you can use," the elder said, and then the woman chipped in.

"You must be tired after that. We have a steam bath to wash the salt from your skin and the blood from your wounds. We will treat the bride and his husband well."

As they were led away, Ren leaned into Cilian’s space, his voice a lethal hiss that barely carried over the sound of the jungle insects. "You’re enjoying this way too much. ’Bride’? I swear, I should have let you bleed to death when I had the chance."

"But you didn’t," Cilian whispered back, his lips brushing against the shell of Ren’s reddened ear. The heat of his breath sent a traitorous shiver down Ren’s spine. "And now, for the next forty-eight hours before our location is tracked, you’re going to be the most doted, and ’terrified’ wife this village has ever seen. Unless, of course, you’d rather tell them you’re my slave? I don’t think they’d be quite as hospitable then."

Ren looked at the villagers—their kind, expectant faces—and then at the dark, impenetrable jungle surrounding them. He was trapped in a lie of Cilian’s making, played by an Alpha who was currently bleeding through his shirt just to keep the act alive.

He sighed. He guessed he had no choice... again. It seemed like he was losing options as the days went by, as if his life was a carefully written script meant to favor Cilian instead of him.

"Fine," he hissed. "I’ll play the bride, but do not even think of crawling into my bed,"

"Ah, you mean ’our bed’," he chuckled, a deep soothing sound that made Ren turn his head aside.

This situation is messed up, I tell you.

They reached the village that was lit with fire torches, and a series of people came out to see the ones who had fallen from the sky. Cilian didn’t mind the stares, but Ren found himself looking with a bit of awe. They had no technology, no proper advancement, but it looked like they were living happily. They were peaceful

Cilian notices his lingering gaze and wonders if Ren had always been a fan of people.

And then, they finally reached the hut, a small, sturdy structure of bamboo and broad leaves at the far corner of the village with no huts around. It didn’t look like anyone had occupied it in forever, but it was well-maintained with a bamboo bed that was big enough for two people, but not exactly spacious.

That meant the two who would lie on it would have to join skin, whether they liked it or not.

Ren grunted, already seeing how this was going to play out. He hated it already.

At the back of the hut was a large stone basin that was already beginning to hiss as the village men poured water over heated volcanic rocks, sending a thick, white cloud of steam into the night air. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

They did it repeatedly until it was filed. It was as if they never used the steam bath and just had it there. Waiting for a visitor who might never drop by, since it was such an isolated and unknown island.

"The bath is ready for the union," the elder announced, bowing slightly. "Wash away the fire and find peace in the water. Robes will be prepared as per your sizes, so take your time in the bath."

Then, he left.

This was like getting a spa treatment at a local resort. The locals were so hospitable, and it made Cilian feel more alert. Even if they were clueless about the rest of the world, they could very much be dangerous to them at any point.

Ren stared at the rising steam, his heart hammering. It was a public bath—a communal tradition.

He looked at Cilian, who was already starting to unbutton his blood-stained shirt with his left hand, his eyes never leaving Ren’s.

"No way," Ren mumbled, taking a half-step back. The heat from the basin was already making his salt-crusted skin itch. "You can take a dip first. I’ll... I’ll wait inside."

He turned to escape, but the sound of a sharp hiss of breath stopped him cold in his tracks.

Cilian had slumped slightly, his left hand frozen on the third button of his shirt. His face, usually so composed and mocking, was pale—almost translucent under the silver moon.

The dark stain on his shoulder had spread, the fabric of his shirt clinging to the torn skin beneath.

"Ren," Cilian rasped, his voice losing its playful edge for a genuine tremor of pain. "The salt... It’s getting into the muscle, and it stings. I can’t move my right side at all."

Ren’s jaw tightened. He wanted to believe it was another act, another ploy to draw him in, but the way Cilian’s fingers trembled against the buttons was real.

The Alpha looked up, his gold-brown eyes clouded but still sharp enough to pin Ren in place.

"And we have to maintain the image, remember?" Cilian whispered, a smirk returning to his lips. "If the ’bride’ leaves his husband to bleed out while he bathes alone, those hospitable villagers might start asking questions we don’t want to answer. They’re peaceful, yes... but even peaceful people don’t like being lied to."