I'm yours to keep (and I'm yours to lose)

4. ...ours

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── TWO MONTHS LATER ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

They both moaned in unison, reaching the peak of their pleasure almost simultaneously, their panting breaths mingling as Naruto pressed his knot deep inside his lover. When the knot eventually subsided, the Alpha withdrew from his Omega and collapsed beside him, enfolding the limp body in his arms before tenderly pressing his plush lips to the scent gland, where their mating mark resided.

Two months prior, their souls had merged into one, filling their hearts with an indescribable completeness. It was as if all the hardships they had faced had led them to this single, pivotal moment of union. Like two halves converging to form a whole, they complemented each other, fulfilling the other's deficiencies. Their bond was unbreakable, impervious to any attempts to tear them apart.

They shared a singular heart and soul.

However, their actions did not go without consequences. Despite their utmost secrecy, word of their mating had reached the ears of the Hyuga family even before they arrived. Upon hearing the whispers of their mating, they avoided the main roads and took a clandestine route back to their lands.

A few weeks after their mating, as Naruto returned from an audience, he stumbled upon one of his supposedly trusted servants in his lover's chambers, brandishing a dagger with murderous intent toward his sleeping Omega.

Reacting swiftly, Naruto's Alpha instincts kicked in, compelling him to protect his mate. Sakura, the servant, noticed the anger-laden pheromones emanating from Naruto and hastened her actions, but the blond Alpha intercepted her, wrestling the knife from her grasp. Despite his capability to easily overpower her, Naruto recognized the need to extract information through interrogation.

The subsequent questioning had been arduous, with Naruto struggling to restrain his wolf's urge to harm the pink-haired Omega but eventually, Sakura divulged that she had been working as a spy for the Hyugas, serving as their sole informant within the Palace walls.

Recalling the painful memory, Naruto held his Omega protectively, his grip tightening around his slender body. After a few moments, he reluctantly left their bed, making his way to the solitary desk in the chambers. He had commissioned the finest carpenter from the Five Great Nations to carve a map, which he had instructed his servants to place in Sasuke's quarters. Ever since their bonding and the incident with Sakura, Naruto couldn't bear to leave his mate alone for more than thirty minutes.

Sasuke rolled onto his stomach on the bed, observing Naruto donning a linen robe before turning his gaze toward him. "If you do not attire yourself, I cannot guarantee that I will not attack you again."

"I'd be more than pleased if you did, My King." He teased and Naruto finally sat down, attempting to ground himself and not jump to his Omega's side again and trap him between his arms for the rest of the week. "Could you pass me the quill, ink, and some parchment please?" The Alpha nodded, fetching the items from one of the drawers before handing them to Sasuke.

"To whom do you intend to write?" He quizzed in curiosity.

"My brother." Came the response.

Nodding, Naruto watched as Sasuke dipped the sharp quill into the small inkwell, gracefully gliding it across the parchment. "Does he know that his younger brother is bonded to the King?"

"Not yet."

"It shall be a surprising revelation, I presume."

"Many surprises await him." Sasuke mused quizzically, a fond smile gracing his lips as he fought the urge to caress his slightly bloated stomach. Naruto glanced over from the table to his still-naked lover on the bed.