chapter 9

Chapter 9

Rays of sunlight reeled in with the morning, their glimmer eventually landing on Kai. His hands wrapped around me tightly, his half hard cock pressing against my tummy and putting a smile on my face.

His ruffled hair draped over his face, close to the bridge between my neck and shoulder. He occasionally sniffed me. His arms around me were so strong I knew there was no escape even if I tried to wiggle out of them.

Instead, I focused on his face. I watched as the beams lit his warm beige skin, his lips pressed firmly, his features looking too good for the morning.

"You should take a picture. Keep it warm between those sweet cakes of yours." Following a hard spank, making my hole vibrate, his thick, coarse voice filled my ears, sending a pulsating sensation to my core.

I groan from earlier soreness before I hit his shoulder and he wrestled me into the bed, pinning himself on top of me.

Maintaining his weight so I didn't get crushed beneath him, my pores opened with heat yet again.

"I didn't realize you slept in."

He made a thoughtful face. "Yea, let's see. I fucked you for disrespecting me until you can't walk no more and you slept off in the bathtub."

"Kai..." I warned.

But my voice betrayed me, coming out rather sweet and endearing.

"What?"

We stayed locked in. He trailed kisses down the side of my face before stopping at my neck.

"Kai, stop. You'll give me hickeys I'd need to hide again."

"Well, I don't want you hiding them. I did it to you. I wanna see it."

He spoke in a way that made my tummy float with bubbles, but I couldn't tell if I should take him seriously. If he really meant all these things he claimed. Just like yesterday, he was fueled with anger at my resilience, hardened by my words. But in my mind, I knew they were true even when he didn't act like it.

He seemed like he enjoyed being in the moment, but I wanted more. And maybe that was the part where we should cut this harem off, except Kai didn't seem like it.

Despite my urge to resist, before I knew it, I threw my arms around him, locking him in by the neck. He chuckled against my skin, sending tingles before finishing the soft touches with tender kisses.

Then, a knock.

"Hey, Alex. Morning."

The door creaked.

Slowly, it opened more.

I slipped out from under Kai, the thumping of my heart preceding the heat coiling under my skin. My nerves spiked, eyes wide with the crushing feeling of guilt, and I jumped out of bed.

All within seconds.

But it stopped.

Leo's foot was one step in.

Hurriedly, I moved to the door. Blocking the entrance, I stood at the threshold, making Leo step back a little.

"I brought you some lemon juice. Seemed it worked yesterday..."

From the kitchen, the kettle whistled for Leo's attention, aiding me. Quickly, I collect the teacup from him.

"For real, thanks, Leo. I can... I'll drink it all. You should go attend to that before you burn down the kitchen."

Knowing how Leo would never joke with his kitchen made me urge him even more, using my weight to guide him back until I could close the door properly behind us.

Leo nodded but halted upon seeing my face. "Have you caught a cold overnight?"

"What?" I blurted out, masking my overwhelming nervousness with a strained chuckle.

"You're shivering. It must be cold."

"No, no, trust me. It's... I'm okay."

His assumption of my state was more of trembling from being caught rather than sickness, but I'd rather play along.

He tsked and turned to leave. Even as he walked down the stairs, my heart still hammered against my sternum.

"How could you not lock the door?" was the first thing I said as I locked it behind me, my gaze fixed on Kai, who sat on the bed, feet planted firmly on the floor. If it were me, my legs would be dangling.

"I was caught up in getting buried inside you. You made me forget."

"No, don't joke about this. Things could have gotten worse, Kai. And really, I'm tired of this. Leo's a good friend. He's always been." I planted my hands on my head. "I shouldn't have..."

Though I enjoyed every stolen moment with Kai, I regretted the aftermath every time. Whether or not Leo almost caught us, which had become a repetitive occurrence lately, I knew this sweetness wouldn't last.

Kai could never be mine, and there was nothing Leo had done to deserve this treatment from me. Even if he had been a bad friend, he still wouldn't deserve anything like this.

How could I have agreed to this happening, not once, not twice? Kai didn't even sleep with Leo anymore.

"I'm sure Leo's suspicious. You barely spend time with him," I muttered more to myself than to him.

I paced around the room, my teeth biting into my fingers as my thoughts wandered.

This addiction, infatuation, whatever it could be called, had to stop.

"You need to leave."

The shakiness in my voice was still there, another reminder of how deep this harem had gotten, and it was time to end it.

"Hey, sweet boy," Kai cooed. He walked over and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. His tongue flickered out, teasing my nipples, and a stifled moan escaped me.

"See, we're drawn to each other. For whatever reason."

Despite my hesitation, I found myself agreeing, unknowingly nodding along. Then, the clashing of pots downstairs reeled me back in.

"No, please leave, Alpha Kai."

"Is that..."

I bowed my head slightly, showing respect with a tone that matched the use of his title. "Please, Alpha Kai. Your mate is downstairs."

Kai's eyes grew dark, a muscle twitching under his jaw. He took a step back, scanning my face for any hint of a joke, but when he found none, he cleared his throat and left the room.

Thirty minutes later, I was with Leo in the kitchen. Every now and then, I tried not to look at him. Guilt was an understatement in that moment. What I felt was a gnawing penitence for my actions, urging me with an irresistible need to confess and be punished for the act of impunity.

For the time he passed me toasted bread or kept some chicken sauce aside for me, saying I should eat it later so I'd feel better. And here I was, having betrayed him. He looked at me as a friend, but I wished he'd see the truth—that I had embraced the sin of taking his mate into my bed.

"So, I need to go pick up some things in the gift shop. Think you wanna come with me, Alex?"

I had never been one to worry about not leaving the house for days. Call it introversion or something else, it was simply a choice for me.

But when Kai walked in just in time, I quickly agreed.

"Yea, how long are we spending there?"

"The whole day, maybe? It's a lot of gifts," he replied.

Nodding, I stood up from the footstool just before Kai took a seat. I received a scowl from him that I pretended not to notice.

"What gifts are you two talking about?"

"Uh, something for the Council," Leo said before cutting himself short, then frowned at Kai. "Please, don't tell me you forgot we're to meet my uncle later today and speak with the Council."

"Oh, shit. I'm on a vacation, please."

"The pack needs their Alpha every day. There's no break for you."

Kai groaned, subtly rolling his eyes as though he was calculating even with that simple gesture. It warmed my heart to see him reluctant about work. Something about his controlled irritation was oddly entertaining.

I turned away before his gaze found me, focusing on cleaning the plate I used.

Leo patted me on the back. "We'll leave soon. Go get ready."

After Leo left, I heard approaching footsteps. Quickly, I dusted my hands and turned toward the stairs, managing to avoid Kai just before he could get close.

My cheeks burned with heat, but this was the best way I could avoid him. And if I had to keep doing that until he and Leo were sworn in under the full moon by the Head of the Council, so be it.