Chapter 6: Because Right Now, It Does

SERYN POV

“Wake up.”

"Hmmm... Elio, not now,” I mumbled, pulling the blanket over my head. “Let me sleep for a little while.”

A quiet cough interrupted me.

I frowned beneath the blanket. “Elio, I’m serious. Five more minutes.”

“I’m afraid your brother isn’t here.” The unfamiliar voice made my eyes fly open.

Oh, no.

I scrambled backward against the massive bed, my heart slamming against my ribs. 

Kael stood near the glass window, watching me. 

He wore a dark brown suit without the jacket, the white shirt opened slightly, showing his thick chest. His dark hair was perfectly styled this time around.

Of course, I remembered where I was now. 

My fingers curled against the sheets. “What are you doing here?”

His gaze flicked toward the blanket I had dragged against my chest. “Good morning to you too.”

“It would be a better morning if you weren’t standing in my room.”

“Your room?” He glanced around the luxurious suite. “You seem to have settled in quickly.”

I blinked. "I meant... I was asleep. That’s not the same as settling in.”

Something almost resembling amusement crossed his face before disappearing.

Then he lifted the pink object in his hand.

My phone.

I pushed myself farther against the bed frame. “Give that back.”

“You sleep too deeply.” He turned the phone over between his fingers. “Your human friend has been trying to reach you.”

“Isla?”

“Unless you have another human friend who calls this frequently.”

“You went through my phone?”

“I had it checked. Your device has been restricted. Calls to outside numbers won't connect without approval."

I rolled my eyes. “Wow. That made me feel so much better.”

Yeah. I already noticed it when Isla called. 

He ignored the sarcasm. “She also texted…”

"What?" I threw the duvet aside completely and stood up. “What did she say?” I stretched my hands towards him. 

“Saying she was currently on her way to the city security center to report you and your brother missing.”

“Well, She’s my best friend and she has every right to panic! Just, please give me my phone."

“I don’t care,” Kael's voice was entirely devoid of emotion. “If the human authorities get involved, it creates reports we would have to erase.” 

“We?”

“The people responsible for keeping the territory hidden.” 

I swung my legs over the bed side angrily, lunged closer to grab the phone out of his grip, but he was faster. His hand swept out, snatching it back up before my fingers could even reach the tip of the screen.

“You’re not going anywhere, Seryn.”

“I didn’t ask to leave the building. I asked for my phone.”

He held my gaze for one long annoying second. Then his grip loosened just enough for me to quickly snatch the phone from his fingers.

It was unlocked, but several missed calls and a text message from Isla sat right at the top of the log: Seryn, some guy named Kael answered my calls. Said you and Caius really took the emergency cleaning job. So it’s true? Well, call me after seeing this.

I swallowed, my fingers trembling as I stared at the screen. “You lied to her.”

“You lied to her first so I helped you maintain your story.” 

Then my eyes shook wide. “Wait! How did you even know that was what I told her ?”

“Get this dress changed and eat immediately,” he ignored my question, already stepping out but I blocked his way. 

“What about my family?” the anger rising hotter in my chest. “Nyla and Elio are still at Mrs. Langley’s apartment. I can’t even check on them properly because you’ve restricted my phone. What am I supposed to do if something happens to them?”

Sincerly, I didn't understand how I was this confident towards him - probably because of my siblings. 

“Your brother is still under my custody.” 

“So you are changing the topic now?” I asked before his words hit my brain. “Wait, what? Is that your word for torturing people who touch your stupid stuff?”

Kael turned his head slowly, his jaw clenching. “Caius is not being tortured.” 

“Then let him go.”

“No.”  

I tightened my grip around my phone, the plastic casing digging into my palm. This man is just a complete monster with no emotion. 

“Your people already took the registry from him, and my name is the one inside it.” The words came out faster now, but my hands were shaking aggressively behind me. “If I’m the one you want answers from, leave him out of it and stop torturing him.” 

Kael's eyes dropped down to my hands then tracked slowly back to my face.

“You speak with so much confidence for someone who still doesn’t understand what she has stepped into.” 

“I do understand, I understand that you're a bully who hides behind glass walls and guards.”

He let out a humorless laugh. “Careful.”

“No.” I swallowed, but I forced myself to meet his eyes. "I’ve spent my whole life taking care of my family. I don’t need some wicked Alpha deciding what happens to my brother while I sit in a fancy room and wait for answers.”

Something seemed to change in his eyes but I didn’t care. 

I reached out, my fingers intending to shove against his chest to make him believe I wasn't someone he could silence with a single word. 

The second the tips of my fingers made direct contact with the fabric of his suit, the strange sensation returned but this time he reacted differently. 

Kael’s entire body went still. 

I froze, my hand still glued to his chest. I even tried pulling back but instead, he slammed his eyes shut, holding my hand tighter to his chest.  

A short exhale escaped his parted lips. I stared up at him, my own chest hammering against my ribs. “What… what are you doing?”

He didn’t answer, his head tilted back slightly as another calm breath left him.  

“Kael?” I whispered.

His eyes opened slowly.

A golden light shone sharply in his eyes, the same lightening I saw when he came to my apartment. It was glowing sharply, burning directly at me before slowly returning to its normal darkness.

He gripped my wrist, but his touch was gentle now. As if I were something fragile that he didn’t want to lose.

“Let me go.” I tried pulling my hands away again but it wasn't so difficult to. 

He only stared down at the spot where my hands were resting against his chest and looked up at me. “No.”

I swallowed hard, my voice shaky. “Why are... you holding onto me like your life depends on it?” The question came out before I could stop it. 

His eyes sharpened, locking into mine, dark and intense. The question must have hit somewhere he hadn’t expected.

He slowly released my wrist, stepping back to break the contact, the mask of the untouchable Alpha snapping instantly back into place.

“Because right now,” his voice dropping to a chilling whisper, “it does.”

I stumbled back, cradling my hand against my chest. The solid heat from his chest still lingered on my fingers.

I raised my hands, staring down at my palms in absolute horror. 

He looked completely unbothered by the fact that he had just confessed something that should have sounded insane.

“You’re out of your mind.” A short laugh escaped me, more disbelief than actual humor. “You think because you own this building and have a bunch of men guarding it, you can just say cryptic things and expect me to believe.”  

His eyes narrowed slightly. “I don’t need you to believe me.” 

I hissed. “If you’re sick, call a private doctor.” I pointed aggressively at the glass doors. “Don't use me as some kind of medical excuse.”

He stepped toward me. I instinctively stepped back.

"Don't come any closer."

He stopped, but our eyes locked on each other, the distance between us just an inch. "A doctor can’t give me what your touch does, Seryn."

My mouth went dry. “What does that even mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

“Wait!” I stared at him, the realization settling heavily under my ribs. “You have been sick, right?” 

His jaw tightened, a hard muscle twitching along his cheekbone. “Doctors have been trying to fix me for years.”

For years? I thought of his reaction when I'd touched him in the car. The way his breathing has steadied as if he had been struggling for air.  The way he looked at me afterward. 

A cold feeling crept up my spine. “You’re saying I’ve been helping you breathe?"

“I’m saying that when you touch me, something changes.”

That answer only gave me more questions than answers.

I didn’t know whether I should feel sorry for him or run as far away from him as possible. But before I could voice them, the air in the room shifted.

Verek strode into the room without knocking. “Kael, I need to..."

His eyes moved from Kael, then to me, then down to the tiny space between us. “What the fuck?” 

I immediately stepped farther away from Kael. 

A ridiculous grin started to pull at the corner of Verek's mouth as he walked further into the room. “Kael, were you about to…”

“No.” Kael and I answered at the same time.

Verek's eyebrow lifted, his gaze scanning our faces. “I haven’t even finished my sentence.” He looked far too entertained for a man standing in front of an Alpha who looked entirely ready to snap his neck. “I was just asking because both of you looked way…”

“Finish that sentence,” Kael growled, his voice dropping into a low vibration that made the silver water basin ripple on the table, “and I will throw you out that glass window.”

Verek stopped dead, wiping the smirk off his face in an instant. He cleared his throat, straightening his posture.

“Actually,” Verek said, his voice dropping into a hurried, serious whisper as he ignored me entirely and looked straight at Kael. “I have something important to report. We have an emergency down at the severance hold.” 

My heart beat increased as I took a fast step forward. “What? Isn’t that where they kept Caius?”

“Yes.” Verek looked back and forth between Kael and I so quickly that I knew whatever he was about to say was bad.

"He collapsed.” 

My heart skipped. “What?"

“What exactly happens?” Kael asked, he wasn’t even looking as bothered as I thought he would. 

“The enforcers just pulled the cell cameras online, Alpha. Then he turned to me. "Your brother is having a sudden medical issue, Seryn. He can’t even breathe - the exact same way Kael does.” 

The room went silent. 

And suddenly, I couldn’t breathe either. 

Author Note: Thank you for sticking with Seryn's on her journey. She loves you and I do too! 

And please, somebody tell Verek to KNOCK before entering a room!