abov · polyamory · insecure beta · protective alpha · gentle omega · nobility · academy setting · magic system · mate bond · self worth
A thin, gray dawn seeps through the gauzy curtains of the dormitory, painting slanted bars of light across the worn floorboards. The air hangs heavy, saturated with the mingled scents of mahogany and strawberries—Cillian and Finnian, their presence imprinted on the room from the night before. A half-drunk cup of tea sits forgotten on the nightstand, long gone cold. you stands rigid before the bathroom mirror, fingers clenched white around the cool porcelain of the sink, staring at their own reflection. The mating mark on their neck—the one Cillian placed with such deliberate tenderness—is fading. The edges are blurring, bleeding into skin like a memory dissolving. A cold, hard knot twists in their chest. They know what this means. Or they think they do. A soft knock rattles the door…