Trapped in the Beastworld Breeder System (BL)-Chapter 36: Who sent you here?

Chapter 36: Who sent you here?
Lucien, who was already quite drunk, honestly couldn’t bring himself to decline the offer unless he wished to wake up later with one side of his head pounding from a fall to the hard palace floor.
Seeing that Lucien didn’t respond, and uncertain whether he had even heard him properly, Aries gently proceeded forward, stepping away from where they had paused. Lucien did not protest. Instead, he allowed his hand to remain loosely but firmly wrapped around Aries’, following his lead as they moved on together through the palace corridors.
They took a few turns down the softly lit halls, their footsteps echoing faintly against the polished floors, before Lucien suddenly came to a stop. His fingers tightened slightly around Aries’ hand, pressing against it as if grounding himself, and then he said, his voice slow and slurred, "You... you don’t know my room, do you?"
"No, of course I don’t know your room," Aries replied calmly, keeping his tone respectful and steady. "But if you don’t mind telling me, I’ll make sure you get there safely."
Lucien’s mind was muddled, his thoughts heavy and disorganized, yet the voice beside him was familiar—comforting, even. Everything that had happened in the hall earlier, the conversation with Roger before he dismissed him, faded completely from his awareness. Not once did it occur to him that the one walking beside him could pose any threat at all.
Instead, a broad, careless smile settled on his lips as he allowed the mate resonance he had been suppressing to flow freely in the space between them. The pull hummed softly, warm and persistent. Then he spoke again, sounding almost pleased.
"My manor isn’t far from here," Lucien said. "Just keep walking straight down this path and don’t make any turns. You’ll see it right ahead."
"Okay," Aries replied simply.
He could admit—if only to himself—that the mate pull, which had once been soft and bearable, had grown much stronger now, pressing insistently against his senses. Still, he remained silent and followed the directions Lucien had given, guiding them forward without comment.
Soon enough, a small gate came into view. At its peak hung a nameplate, clearly engraved with the words: Second Prince Lucien.
Aries slowed slightly, surprise flickering across his face. He had been under the impression that Lucien had no permanent manor within the palace grounds, that this lodging was only temporary.
"I’m sure you’re confused about this," Lucien said suddenly, as though he could sense the shift in Aries’ thoughts. "Yes, I recently moved into my permanent residence here in the palace. I have a few matters to attend to later, so it became necessary."
It was unsettling. And yet, there were bits of truth in his words.
Because Lucien had allowed the mate resonance to take fuller control, he could vaguely sense fragments of what Aries was feeling in that moment: the unease, the uncertainty, even the questions forming in his mind.
Somewhere deep down, Lucien wasn’t entirely sure he was doing the right thing. But his drunken state offered him no room to dwell on such concerns, and he let them slip away just as easily as they came.
Aries, for his part, was equally stunned.
’Has the mate pull grown so strong that he can now read my thoughts?’ he wondered, unease tightening his chest.
Then another thought struck him sharply.
If Lucien could sense his thoughts, would that mean he might discover his plans with Kenzie? Would he intervene and stop everything before it could unfold?
A faint smile grazed Aries’ lips as realization dawned on him. Perhaps there was a way to bypass the contract without breaking its rules, and still complete the system’s mission correctly.
With renewed resolve, he continued to assist Lucien through the gate and into the manor grounds.
The compound itself wasn’t particularly large, though several buildings stood scattered across it. One structure, positioned farther back, was noticeably bigger than the rest. Guards were stationed around the area, standing alert despite the late hour. They bowed and offered respectful greetings as Lucien passed, even though he was clearly too drunk to respond properly.
Soon, they arrived at the door to the room Lucien was meant to sleep in.
As Aries reached for the door to help him inside, one of the guards stepped forward and extended a hand, silently stopping him.
Aries paused, looking at the guard in confusion, then turned his gaze toward Lucien, who was fully aware of the interruption.
Lucien lifted his head slightly and said, his tone firm despite his condition, "It’s fine. He’s with me."
At that, the guards immediately stepped aside.
As they entered the room, Lucien added casually over his shoulder, "And don’t man the door tonight."
"But, my Lord, we don’t know who this chick is—" one of the guards started to protest, his voice sharp with suspicion, but Lucien cut him off before he could finish.
"You dare call the guest of your lord a chick?" Lucien snapped, turning his head just enough for the guards to see the displeasure burning in his eyes. "I’m afraid I’ve been far too lenient with you."
"My Lord, I meant no offense," the guard said quickly, lowering his head.
"Then apologize to him," Lucien replied coldly. "Do that, and I’ll consider this matter settled."
At those words, the guard hesitated for only a fraction of a second before turning to Aries. His expression remained stiff and unwilling, but his voice was forced into formality. "I apologize if I have offended the lord’s esteemed guest. No disrespect was intended."
"Good," Lucien said curtly. "Now leave us. I’ll be fine."
With that dismissal, the guards withdrew at once.
Lucien released Aries’ hand and trudged into the room, his steps heavy and uneven. Aries followed behind him at a measured pace, closing the door quietly once they were inside.
As Aries stepped fully into the room, his eyes instinctively swept over the space—the dark-paneled walls, the muted glow of the lamps, the heavy drapes drawn tight against the windows. His gaze finally settled on the large bed positioned at the far end of the chamber, where Lucien had already seated himself, shoulders slumped, breathing uneven.
No sooner had Lucien sat down than a wave of heat seemed to wash over him. His brows furrowed, and his hands immediately went to the buttons of his upper garment. With little patience, he tugged at them, undoing several before flinging his hands away in frustration. The garment clung stubbornly to his body as he struggled to remove it, movements growing rougher with each failed attempt.
Seeing this, Aries moved closer.
The moment he did, understanding struck him with alarming clarity. The word slipped from his lips before he could stop himself. "Heat?"
’Don’t tell me the aphrodisiac was mixed into the wine... Is this what Kenzie meant by that?’ Aries muttered silently, his jaw tightening as he watched Lucien struggle, clearly distressed. He said we wouldn’t do this for real.
"That prince is truly sly," Aries muttered under his breath.
He bent toward Lucien and began helping him with the remaining buttons, fingers working carefully despite the tension coiling inside his chest.
As Aries undid the last of them, Lucien’s hand brushed against his arm.
The contact sent a sharp jolt through Aries’ body, like a spark snapping against exposed skin. His breath hitched as the sensation raced through him, and almost immediately, the system chimed.
[Mate Resonance Ignited.
Host is bound to feel the same emotions as the temporary mate.]
"What?!" Aries whispered sharply, eyes widening in shock. "You mean I’ll feel the same things Lucien does? I’ll... want the same things?"
’Fuck,’ he cursed inwardly.
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to steady his racing body. The heat coursing through him was intense, unmistakably Lucien’s, but now it pulsed within him as well. And the target of his frustration became very clear.
Kenzie.
If given the chance, Aries wouldn’t hesitate to wrap his hands around Kenzie’s throat. This was never part of their agreement. The aphrodisiac was meant for him to use on Lucien if he wished, not Kenzie. The plan was supposed to be controlled, calculated—not this.
His intention had been simple: get Lucien to sleep, remain beside him in the most literal sense, and nothing more. But now, that plan was unraveling fast.
With a resigned sigh, Aries continued helping Lucien, who was now sweating visibly. Beads of perspiration lined his forehead as he fanned himself with one hand, breath growing heavier by the second.
After a few tense moments, Aries finally worked the garment free from Lucien’s body. In doing so, his hands slid across Lucien’s heated skin, slick with sweat, and his heart slammed violently against his ribs.
Lucien felt it too.
Though his thoughts were clouded by alcohol, he was keenly aware of the presence in front of him. He had believed, up until now, that this person was merely Kenzie’s masked guest. He had dismissed every strange sensation as the result of drunkenness, the pull, the warmth, the awareness.
But now?
Now, the way those hands glided over his chest shattered that illusion. The sensation was too sharp, too real. His restraint thinned dangerously as a powerful urge surged through him to reach up, tear away the mask, and press his mouth against the full lips he could glimpse beneath it.
The thought alone made his skin crawl.
That would be betrayal.
He lifted his gaze to Aries, who was clearly battling something just as fierce within himself. And then, without warning, without caution or thought, Lucien reached out.
His hand closed around Aries’ neck.
With a sudden force, he turned them both, and Aries was thrown back onto the bed, his spine hitting the mattress as Lucien straddled his thighs. Lucien’s grip tightened around his neck, firm and unyielding.
The shock stole the air from Aries’ lungs.
His hands flew up instinctively, but they were poorly positioned, strength failing him as he struggled to breathe. Through the fading edge of his vision, he heard Lucien’s voice, low and strained, cut through the haze.
"Who sent you here?"