The Binate

Den's heart sank at the gamma's words. "Kill...all of...them..." Before everyone knew it, Den's eyes had turned hard, and he grabbed Zale by his shirt. "Listen here, Zale. I don't care what kind of tiff you have with this Axel, but you had better sort it out because you are killing Blue!"

A scoff came from the alpha as Zale glared at the prince. "Blue? Is that what you call him? You talk as if you care about him, True Blood, but who was the one who was goint to mark him without even knowing his name?!" Rage entered Zale's red eyes, and he continued to bore holes into the man above him. "You have nothing to say, Prince. I won't let you mark him even if it is our last resort. I won't let you break him..." The alpha's voice was quiet when he added, "He's been broken enough."

Zale's words struck Den. The true blood had not realized how much pain his fated one had been hiding beneath those beautiful blue eyes. He had gotten merely a glimpse when he saw the scars beneath the sash that had been tied around the blue-haired male's neck. "What do you mean?" Den's voice quivered, but he did not let go of the alpha. He needed to know. He needed to know so he could help.

A sad scoff came to Zale's lips, and he replied, "Hopefully you will never know what I mean. That means I will have protected him well."

"Why do you need to protect him from me? I don't want to hurt you," Den returned upon hearing the alpha's prayer.

Zale fell silent, but he continued to glare at the true blood. When the alpha spoke once more, his voiced was hushed. "Let us go, Prince. There's nothing you can do. You don't want to be tied to us."

"Don't tell me what I want and what I don't want." Den's grip on the alpha's shirt tightened, showing his desperation. "I will help you. I will save you."

Zale's smirk that had left his face returned at the prince's vow. "I'd like to see you try."

The alpha's words left a pained confusion in Den's heart. Why wouldn't Blue want him to help? Why was everyone pushing him away? Had they been hurt so badly that they could not trust even their fated one?

Den's grip on Zale's shirt began to loosen, and a pained gasp from the blue-haired caused the true blood to press the back of his hand against the alpha's forehead. "He's burning up," Den said and turned to face the gamma. Estan closed his eyes and let out a short breath when he checked Zale's forehead.

"They're too imbalanced," the gamma breathed as he observed the sweating alpha.

Den turned back to the man before him too see Zale's eyes change colors. The prince's brows furrowed when he caught a flash of shining blue take over the red for a split second, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. 'What was that?'

A cry ripped from Zale's throat, and his eyes began to shift from red to blue rapidly. Seeing his fated one in pain and vulnerable, instinct took over, and Den released a low growl and ordered, "Everyone out."

Estan's head whipped to the prince, and he began, "But he-" but Yejin was quick to grab his mate and rush out of the clinic. An alpha and gamma would be no match for an irritated true blood. Jae also took Syri's hand, but he hesitated when Zale released another cry of pain.

Noticing Jae's hesitation, Den assured, "Do not worry. I know what to do." The two princes locked eyes for a moment before Jae inclined his head slightly and led the zeta through the door.

Once Den was alone with the blue-haired, the prince turned his undivided attention to the man in front of him. After getting onto the bed, Den positioned himself to be in front of Zale before closing his eyes and letting his instinct take over. The true blood took a deep breath before slowly releasing his alpha's voice.

Hoping to calm the alpha, Den continued to sound his wolf's voice until Zale's breathing had stabilized. The cries of pain then lessened and faded away until the room was silent. Hearing the alpha grow calm, Den opened his eyes. But the sight before the prince took his breath away while answering the many questions that had been flying through his mind.

Before him was the blue-haired, but his eyes were a shining blue. The blue-haired was conscious, but it was not Kace; his eyes were those of a delta. The delta seemed to be calm and curious but extremely cautious.

The prince's brows unfurrowed as the wide, bright blue eyes studied him, and Den finally realized who Blue was. The blue eyes were like the final piece to a puzzle that the prince had been struggling to put together since the moment he met Blue. Den let out a short breath, and a small smile came to his lips. "You're a binate."