"To mate."
The word hung in the air like a dropped bomb.
Shao jerked like he'd been electrocuted. He sat up too quickly and stared at Yunfeng in horror. "No!" he gasped, his voice raw. "Don't even—don't say that!"
"I'm just being honest," Yunfeng said calmly. "It's biology, not a choice. Mating resets the chemical imbalance. That's the only guaranteed way to end the rut early."
Muchen looked back at his friend. Shao's chest was heaving now. His hair clung to his damp forehead. His eyes were wide, glassy with panic and shame.
"I'm not an animal," Shao whispered. "I'm not going to mate with someone just to—just to fix myself. I can't do that to him. I won't."
Yunfeng looked at him gently. "No one's asking you to."
Muchen leaned forward, touching Shao's arm lightly. "Then you'll go through it. But we're not letting you do it alone."
Shao's hand clutched the edge of the bed like a lifeline. He couldn't even look up.
