Chapter six:Heat,Claimed

Alex knew the signs before they came. The way his skin tingled for no reason. The sudden sensitivity to touch. The way his thoughts wandered to Brian more than usual—imagining his hands, his scent, his voice low and whispering things no stepbrother should ever say.

His heat was coming.

He tried suppressants, but they barely dulled the edge. The bond had changed him. The pull toward his alpha—his alpha—was stronger now, more demanding. Every cell in his body called for Brian.

He didn’t want to run from it anymore.

So when it started—hot flashes, restless pacing, his scent growing thicker—he locked his door and called Brian.

“Come here,” he said, voice shaky. “Please.”

Brian didn’t ask why. He knew. He was already halfway to Alex’s room before the call ended.

The scent hit him the moment he reached the second floor—sweet, rich, intoxicating. He hesitated at the door, hand trembling.

“You sure?” he called out softly.

A pause. Then Alex’s voice—faint, desperate. “Yes.”

Brian stepped inside and locked the door behind him.

Alex sat curled on the edge of the bed, oversized hoodie slipping off one shoulder, cheeks flushed, eyes glazed. He looked at Brian like he was both the problem and the solution.

“I didn’t want to be alone,” Alex whispered. “I didn’t want to go through this without you.”

Brian crossed the room in three steps, kneeling in front of him. “I’ll take care of you,” he promised. “We don’t have to go all the way. Just tell me what you need.”

“I need you close,” Alex said. “I need to feel you.”

Brian wrapped him in his arms, pulling him onto his lap. Alex buried his face in Brian’s neck, inhaling deeply. The scent grounded him, calmed him, soothed the worst of the burning need.

They stayed like that for a while—bodies pressed close, breath syncing, hearts pounding in unison. The bond pulsed between them, alive and aware.

Alex kissed Brian first—slow, open-mouthed, full of want.

Brian kissed back, but carefully, reverently. He undressed Alex like he was handling something sacred. Every touch was a question. Every kiss, a promise.

When Alex whimpered, Brian leaned in and whispered, “Do you want me to mark you?”

Alex met his eyes. “Yes.”

Brian’s alpha instincts surged, but he stayed gentle. As they came together, Alex arched into him, hands tangled in Brian’s hair, voice soft with need.

The mark came at the end—Brian’s teeth pressing into the soft skin between Alex’s neck and shoulder. Alex gasped, and for a second, everything inside him clicked into place.

The bond sealed.

His heat eased.

And for the first time, Alex felt complete.

They lay tangled in each other afterward, the room filled with the scent of mating and peace. Brian brushed damp hair from Alex’s forehead and kissed his temple.

“You’re mine now,” he murmured.

Alex smiled, sleepy and content. “I’ve always been yours.”

Outside, the moon rose silently—witness to a union that defied rules, names, and expectations.

Inside, two hearts beat as one.