The master suite of the Lin Manor was a world away from the drafty, shadow-filled side-wing. Here, the air was warm, heated by high-quality charcoal that didn't smoke or sting the eyes. Large floor-to-ceiling windows were draped in heavy emerald velvet, and the bed—the very bed Lu Hang had feared entering—was a mountain of silk and goose-down pillows.
Lin Cheng set Lu Hang down gently on a carved wooden stool near the hearth. The Omega looked dazed, his violet eyes darting around the room as if he expected the walls to collapse. He was still trembling, a deep-seated shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature and everything to do with years of survival.
"Master Cheng... I shouldn't be here," Lu Hang whispered, his voice cracking. "The Minister... he will be so angry. I can go back. I don't need the charcoal, really."
Lin Cheng didn't answer immediately. He knelt down—a gesture so humble it made Lu Hang gasp—and began to untie the knots of Lu Hang's worn, rough linen shoes.
"You aren't a servant in this house, Lu Hang," Lin Cheng said, his voice low and steady. "You are the heartbeat of it. If my father has a problem, he can take it up with my sword. Not you."
He pulled the shoes off, revealing feet that were pale and calloused from miles of walking to the market stall. Lin Cheng's heart twisted. In his old life, he would have given anything for feet that could walk a mile; in this life, he would use his strength to ensure Lu Hang never had to walk through the mud again.
"The bath is ready," Lin Cheng murmured.
Behind a tall, hand-painted silk screen, a large cedar tub steamed, filled with water infused with dried jasmine and healing oils. Lin Cheng led him there, his hand resting firmly but gently on the small of Lu Hang's back.
As Lu Hang began to undress, his fingers shaking too much to loosen his belt, Lin Cheng stepped in. He didn't rush. He moved with a slow, deliberate grace, his large hands working the knots of the robe.
When the fabric fell away, Lin Cheng's breath hitched.
Lu Hang was beautiful—skin like cream and bones as delicate as a bird's—but he was too thin. His ribs were visible, and across his shoulder blades were the faint, angry red marks of a switch. The "old" Lin Cheng had done this.
A growl rumbled deep in Lin Cheng's chest, a primal Alpha sound.
Lu Hang flinched, his eyes wide with terror. "I'm sorry! I'll hide them! I'll wear thicker robes so you don't have to see—"
"No," Lin Cheng cut him off, his voice thick with a sudden, protective sorrow. He stepped closer, not to strike, but to wrap his arms around Lu Hang from behind.
The contrast was staggering. Lin Cheng's tanned, muscular arms completely encased Lu Hang's pale, shivering frame. He pressed his face into the crook of Lu Hang's neck, inhaling deeply. The scent of Sweet Jasmine was faint, buried under the smell of old woodsmoke and fear, but it was there.
"I'm not angry at you, Hang-er," Lin Cheng whispered, using the intimate suffix for the first time. "I'm angry that I ever let this happen to you. I'm angry at the man I used to be."
He picked Lu Hang up and lowered him into the warm water. The Omega let out a long, shaky sigh as the heat hit his aching muscles. Lin Cheng sat on a low stool beside the tub, picked up a soft silk cloth, and began to wash Lu Hang's back.
He was so careful, as if he were cleaning a piece of priceless porcelain. He spent a long time on the bruised shoulders, his thumb rubbing small, soothing circles into the skin.
"Is it too hot?" Lin Cheng asked softly.
Lu Hang shook his head, his silver hair floating on the surface of the water like moonlight. "It's... it's perfect. No one has ever... no one has ever washed me before. Not since my mother died."
The sweetness of the moment began to change. As the fear drained out of Lu Hang, his own Omega pheromones began to bloom in the steam. The jasmine scent grew thicker, sweeter, mixing with Lin Cheng's dark, smoky cedar.
Lin Cheng felt the "Rut" in his blood stirring. It wasn't the violent, drunken urge of the old Lin Cheng; it was a deep, soul-shattering need to claim and protect.
He leaned over the tub, his face inches from Lu Hang's. The Omega didn't pull away this time. His violet eyes were dark with a new kind of wonder.
"Master Cheng... your scent... it's so warm," Lu Hang breathed, his hand reaching out of the water to tentatively touch Lin Cheng's cheek.
Lin Cheng caught the hand, kissing the wet palm before pressing it against his heart. "Can you feel that, Lu Hang? It's beating for you. Only for you."
He lifted Lu Hang out of the water and wrapped him in a thick, fur-lined robe. He carried him to the bed, tucking him under the silk covers as if he were a king.
"Sleep for a while," Lin Cheng whispered, brushing a damp silver strand from the boy's forehead. "When you wake up, I'll have the best healers here for your grandmother. You don't have to carry the world anymore."
Lu Hang gripped the edge of the blanket, his eyes fluttering shut. For the first time in nineteen years, he felt safe. He felt cherished. And as he drifted off, he realized he didn't just want this Alpha to protect him—he wanted to belong to him.