Donghyuck's logic and reason left faster than it had the first time, his brain completely fogging over from the pre-heat within minutes. The normal Donghyuck was soon gone, replaced by an omega whose only goal was to be mated and bred as soon as physically possible.
"Alpha," Donghyuck whined, his eyes glassy and his lips jutted out in a pout. Mark felt his mouth go dry, his entire body reacting to the words and the sight before him. His stomach twisted with dread, and his confidence in his ability to hold back and restrain himself from pouncing on the omega was already quickly slipping away.
"Hmm?" He hummed back breathlessly, pressing himself up against the far side of the carriage away from Donghyuck. His best bet was to avoid physical contact with the omega for as long as he could... because he feared that once Donghyuck laid a hand on him, it would all be over.
"I need you... I need your help..." Donghyuck whimpered, inching closer over towards Mark. Panic shot down the king's spine like a lightning bolt.
"What do you need help with, beautiful?" He responded shakily. Donghyuck had reacted well to nicknames the previous night, so he tried to rely on that to soothe the poor omega from afar.
"It hurts... everything hurts, alpha, I need you to help make it go away."
Donghyuck was on the edge of tears at this point, clutching the coat beneath him like a lifeline. Mark felt his muscles start to shake from the effort of holding himself up against the wall.
"I can't... I can't make all the pain go away. I'm sorry, I can't do that for you right now."
Tears spilled onto Donghyuck's cheeks. Mark's inner alpha howled at him in reprimand, growing more restless at seeing the omega in such distress.
"Wanna cuddle with you again... wanna be near you alpha, please? Can you at least do that for me?"
Mark didn't know. He truly, honestly didn't know if he could withstand cuddling with Donghyuck again without losing control.
"Can I talk to someone first? I'll be really quick, I promise. Just be good and stay still for a second, okay?"
Donghyuck's eyes lit up. "I'm good. I wanna be good."
"Okay... just stay still for me for a moment, okay?" Mark breathed, slowly inching over towards the carriage window before sticking his head out. Jeno was the closest, and though it was disappointing that he couldn't talk to John, he decided that ultimately beggars couldn't be choosers. Mark quickly called out his name, and Jeno's eyes widened in alarm as soon as he saw the king, riding closer in order to hear him.
"Donghyuck... it's happening again, His Highness is going through pre-heat," Mark hissed frantically, "how much longer until we arrive?"
Jeno's face paled in realization, clearing his throat before replying. "We're set to arrive within the next hour or so, Your Majesty."
Mark let out a sigh of relief. "Thank heavens. I don't know how long I'll be able to hold him off... tell everyone to hurry, if possible. Please inform John of the situation."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Jeno replied, immediately riding forward to where the Captain was leading the group. Mark took a deep breathe before retreating back into the carriage, glancing over at Donghyuck wearily.
The omega was sat very still, looking like he was holding himself there with great effort. He had Mark's coat in his arms, pressed up against his torso as he clung to it desperately. Mark didn't know if his own alpha instincts were already getting to his head, but the only thought that came into his mind was that Donghyuck looked unbearably adorable, and that he wanted to give him a reward for being such a good boy.
Mark tried to shake the thought out of his head, but the damage had been done. He felt his own bodily reactions start to kick in, releasing his alpha pheromones into the small space.
"Come here, omega."
Donghyuck practically leapt out of his seat, launching himself into Mark's lap with a force that left him grunting at the impact. The brunette wasted no time in pressing his face right up against the king's scent gland, straddling Mark's hips and hugging his shoulders as he burrowed closer.
"Alpha," Donghyuck sighed happily, settling his weight on top of the king's lap. His hair tickled Mark's neck and chin, his ass right on top of his crotch, and suddenly Mark started to wonder if he'd be able to withstand staying like this for another hour.
"Better?" He gritted out, keeping his hands stiffly at his sides and praying fervently for self control. The omega hummed and slid his hands down Mark's arms, stopping once he reached his wrists and physically pulling and positioning his arms around his waist.
"Hug me," Donghyuck whined. Mark's face burned bright red, but he still obeyed, tightening his arms around Donghyuck's waist and hugging him close. His body felt so small in his arms, and he fit right up against his chest like they were made for each other, and Mark decided he was definitely going to lose his fucking mind if they didn't arrive at the palace soon.
"Good," Donghyuck sighed, seemingly content and happy. He rubbed his cheek up against Mark's shoulder, scenting him once again, and Mark cringed a little as he thought about how he'd have to suffer the same skeptical and incredulous looks from his men again after he walked out of the carriage reeking of omega.
They sat for a while in peaceful silence—or rather, peaceful for Donghyuck, at least. Mark was the exact opposite of peaceful, his inner alpha simmering just below the surface and waiting to break out and take over. Mark kept having to push his instincts down every time they threatened to bubble up, and it took more and more effort each time he had to do it. He could only hold out hope that they were moments away from arriving, and that he would soon be free from this hell he had found himself stuck in.
"Alpha?" Donghyuck spoke up quietly after a while, breaking the silence. Mark cleared his throat, hoping he didn't sound as wrecked and on edge as he felt.
"Yes? What is it, beautiful?"
"Why won't you kiss me?"
Mark stopped breathing. His heart dropped down to his feet, and he scrambled to try and come up with some sort of response.
"Well... that's... you know—"
"Can you kiss me right now? Please?" Donghyuck pleaded, lifting his head and moving until he was only inches away from Mark's face. The alpha went cross eyed trying to look at him, losing himself in admiring his pretty features for a moment before he snapped himself out of it and abruptly jerked his head away.
"I can't, Donghyuck, I'm sorry. I can't kiss you right now, not while you're like this."
"Why not?" The omega whined, ducking down and trying to close the distance between them himself, but Mark was quick to dodge again. "Please? I really, really want it... I think it would take some of the pain away."
"I can't. I really can't," Mark croaked miserably. He wasn't going to last much longer if Donghyuck kept insisting. "You're not in your right mind at the moment, you don't know what you're asking for."
"I do know," Donghyuck pouted, tugging at the collar of Mark's robes to try and physically pull him closer. The king held firm, although he felt his resolve fraying quickly like a worn rope. "Just a little kiss? Please? Just a little peck, that's all."
Mark shook his head, although his inner alpha was egging him on, trying to push him to the breaking point. It's just a little kiss, right? Just a little harmless peck, surely you could do at least that much for him, right?
But it wouldn't just end there, he knew that for certain. If he allowed even just a brief moment where their lips touched, he knew that he would snap, and there would be no turning back afterwards.
Donghyuck shifted on his lap, his weight dropping down in a way that made pleasure shoot up Mark's spine. He let out a soft groan, digging his fingers into Donghyuck's waist and squeezing his eyes shut. The omega seemed to catch onto it, and must have decided that it was something he could use to his advantage, because he repeated the movement slowly. Mark tightened his grip on his waist and forced him to stay still, heat pooling in his stomach and panic settling over his body.
"No, Donghyuck. Stop, we can't do this."
"Please?" Donghyuck whispered, using what little leverage he had to cant his hips downwards again. "Alpha, please, I need you."
Just then, the carriage suddenly pulled to an abrupt halt, and he heard the distant voices of the guards announcing their arrival. Mark nearly sobbed in relief, hurriedly lifting the omega out of his lap and pushing open the door.
He stumbled out of the carriage and inhaled fresh air for the first time in hours, the crisp breeze washing away the sugary, honey scented fog that had been permeating his brain for the entire ride. He looked up to see all of his guards staring at him in bewilderment, except for John and Jeno, who looked equal parts concerned for him and relieved on his behalf.
"How is His Highness doing?" John asked tentatively. Mark straightened out his robes in the places that Donghyuck had wrinkled them and tried his best to stand tall and look diplomatic, despite nearly losing the battle of abstinence just moments before.
"He's... not doing too well, at the moment. Someone send for the nurses immediately, I think they may have to escort him inside and into a heat room as soon as possible."
A couple of the guards bowed and ran inside to carry out the order. John and Jeno eyed Mark wearily, no doubt taking in his ruffled appearance and his bright red face and making all kinds of assumptions in their heads about what had occurred inside the carriage. Mark tried his best to cool his skin and get his breathing back to normal, not wanting to embarrass himself more than he already had in front of his men.
"Alpha."
Donghyuck's muffled voice came from inside of the carriage, sounding sad and confused. His scent started to leak into the air around them, giving off all kind of distress signals, and Mark internally cursed himself for how quickly he felt himself wanting to go right back to the omega and take him into his arms again, just to make all of his negative emotions go away.
John stiffened, looking uncomfortable and uneasy. All the alpha guards turned red in the face, and with a start Mark realized that Donghyuck calling out the word "alpha" and releasing distress hormones had the potential to affect and attract any unmated alpha, not just him.
"Everyone take ten steps away from the carriage!" John barked immediately, most likely coming to the same realization. All of the guards obeyed, albeit reluctantly. Mark tried not to let his jealousy and possessiveness rear its ugly head, understanding that wanting to be near an omega in heat was a natural alpha instinct that the guards couldn't be blamed for.
John turned to look at Mark, looking hesitant. "Your Majesty..."
"No," Mark hissed back, already knowing what John was planning on asking him, "absolutely not. I can't go back in there, John... I'll lose control, I know I will. I was seconds away from snapping when we arrived, I don't know what will happen if I go back to him right now."
John shut his mouth and nodded, understanding. Mark was grateful that he didn't push it, because if John had insisted, he might have given in and gone back inside the carriage, just so that he could be with the omega again. He almost wanted someone to force him back in there, because his alpha was restless and was looking for an excuse to hold the omega again and mate him already.
The nurses came rushing out to their carriage at that very moment, thankfully shattering the beginnings of Mark's fantasy of going back inside the carriage and taking Donghyuck right there and then. They all bowed at the king in greeting, before three of them scurried into the carriage and one stayed behind to discuss with John and Mark.
"We've set up a heat room for him in the palace, and we'll make sure to escort him there safely. Do we have permission to use force if he refuses to go with us?"
Mark blinked in surprise. He was aware that it was likely Donghyuck would try to fight back in his state, but he wasn't sure if he liked the idea of anyone using force on him... an odd sense of protectiveness surged up inside of him when he thought about anyone laying a single hand on the small boy.
"What... what do you mean by force, exactly?"
"We won't harm him in any way," the nurse reassured him, "we were planning on binding his wrists or feet so that we could drag him inside if we need to. We'll make sure to be cautious and gentle at all times, it's merely to prevent him from fighting back or trying to run away."
Mark considered it for a long moment. He remembered when he had tied Donghyuck to a bed at his palace, keeping him restrained for the exact same reasons. Guilt still hollowed out his stomach every time he thought of how miserable he had looked bound to that bed frame, and he wondered if the omega would suffer once more if they tied him here in a completely different palace... but he could also recognize that they didn't have much choice, and that ultimately the number one priority was getting Donghyuck inside of a private room before his heat really started causing trouble.
"Yes, alright. You have permission to use whatever means necessary to help him inside, as long as you don't harm him."
The nurse nodded, turning and giving some sort of cryptic hand signal to her other fellow nurses, and then they were dragging a tied up Donghyuck out of the carriage and towards the palace entrance.
Donghyuck had tears streaming down his cheeks, thrashing and shaking and doing whatever he could to try and get out of the binds. As he was walking, he spotted Mark standing and watching him, which only caused him to start sobbing as he struggled more desperately.
"Alpha!" He cried out miserably, and he tried to run towards Mark, only to be yanked back by one of the beta nurses. Mark felt his blood run cold, barely able to stamp down the urge to run over himself and yank Donghyuck away from them.
"Alpha, help me! Let me go, I need to be with my alpha, don't take me away from him... alpha, help!"
Mark squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to turn away, shaking as he listened to Donghyuck's heartbreaking cries slowly die down until he was far enough away that he could no longer hear him anymore. His inner alpha revolted so violently against him that his stomach lurched with nausea and betrayal, and all he could think about was that he had failed to protect his omega, Donghyuck needed him and he left him all alone and he was terrible, such a horrible mate—
John came up next to him and clapped a hand against his shoulder, firm and sympathetic. Mark winced, still refusing to open his eyes.
"You did well, Your Majesty. You did the right thing, he's in good hands now."
Mark tried to get himself to believe it, but every instinct in his body was still telling him otherwise.
Momentarily forgetting that there were still other guards around them, Mark sank to his knees on the grass, trying desperately to get Donghyuck's sobs to stop repeating in his head like a broken record.