10

As I leaned in and softly kissed Knox, I felt a spark of attraction, a different kind of tension from what I had experienced with Kael. It wasn't as passionate, but it was undeniable.

Kael's reaction to the kiss was visceral. A primal, almost pained growl ripped from his throat, a sound that seemed to tear through his very being. He abruptly stood up from his kneeling position, stumbling and landing heavily on his back on the floor with a thud.

Scrambling backward, his back hitting the bed, Kael looked wild, his eyes darting, chest heaving. I rushed to him, grabbing his shoulders and forcing him to look at me. "Look, listen to me, Kael. I'm right here. Please calm down," I whispered, my voice steadying in the chaos.

He finally managed to look at his brothers, who were similarly distressed, heads in their hands, breathing hard. "What the fuck was that? I can't even... what the fuck," he stammered, his defenses crumbling.

In a slow, almost dazed motion, Kael scooted across the floor, po