Dreamer Boy

MASON’S POV

"Drop the act, Mason," Kieran taunted, a sharp smirk pulling at his lips. "Have you already forgotten how you had me pinned? You kept spanking me, calling me a good boy with your cock buried deep inside me."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" My face burned hot with rage. Reaching out, I grabbed his collar and yanked him into my space, my eyes searching his face for any sign of a joke. "Why the hell would I ever do that?"

Kieran burst into a harsh laugh and shoved me off. "Aside from being the hockey captain, I had no idea you were such a good actor. Or are you just so disgusted with yourself that you can't accept reality?"

I staggered back, my heels catching against the metal base of a locker. A cold shock hit my chest, knocking the air right out of me. It wasn't a dream? Did I... did I actually fuck Kieran?

Lifting my head, I stared at him. A bitter, arrogant smile still sat at the corner of his lips.

"Did I..." My voice cracked, barely a whisper. "Did we actually...?"

Kieran rolled his eyes, shoving a hand through his damp hair. "Punching me, grabbing my shirt, playing stupid, none of it changes what happened, Mason. So get over yourself, you fucking bastard."

My eyebrows pulled together as the memory began to twist. "Wait... how could I overpower you? The last thing I remember was that foul, rotting stench coming off you."

The smirk wiped clean off his face. For a split second, raw confusion and panic flickered across his eyes. He quickly masked it, but I caught it.

"Why aren't you saying anything now?" I pressed, stepping closer to close the distance.

Kieran looked away, avoiding my eyes as his chest heaved. "What else do you want me to say, Mason? You were out of your mind drunk. You threatened me over Layla, and we both know how strong you get when you lose your temper."

"This doesn't mean shit," I muttered, shaking my head as a wave of denial took over. "It never happened." I turned on my heel to walk out.

"Why can't you man up for once, Mason, instead of acting like a total dick?"

His voice hit me like a whip. I froze mid-step, blood boiling in my ears. Pivoting on my heel, I marched straight back to him, grabbed him by the front of his jacket, and slammed him flat against the wall. The metal locker rattled behind his spine.

"What the fuck do you want from me, Kieran?!" I roared, our faces inches apart. "You want me to accept this, "...that I fucked you? You want me to look down on myself, is that it? Is that what you want from me?" Anger flared in my chest, tightening my throat.

"Now you know you're not as perfect as you act," Kieran replied, his voice flat as he shoved my hands off him. "You make mistakes just like anyone else. So stop acting like a dick and just face reality."

"I don't give a fuck, Kieran," I snapped back, taking a step away. "Do whatever the hell you want. One night doesn't change a single thing between us. We're still sworn enemies, and I am still going to beat your ass on the rink."

I turned on my heel, pushing past the heavy double doors of the locker room without looking back.

Once out in the corridor, I let out a jagged breath, dragging both hands through my disheveled hair. How the fuck did this happen? It wasn't just that I had slept with him, I had marked him. I had marked my worst rival. But what messed with my head even more was how completely unbothered Kieran seemed about the whole thing. He acted like it was just another inconvenience, not something that bound our lives together.

Walking out of the building, the cool air hit my face, but it did nothing to clear the heat burning beneath my skin. I unlocked my car in the parking lot, threw myself into the driver's seat, and slammed the door shut. Turning the ignition, I pulled out of the school grounds and hit the main road.

That was more than enough Kieran for one day.

My mind raced the entire drive home. Before I even realized how fast the time had passed, I pulled up to the security gate of our mansion, drove through the estate grounds, and parked in the private lot outside.

"I need to tell Ellie right now," I muttered to myself under my breath as I walked inside.

My chest felt heavy with the weight of everything crashing down at once. Leaving aside the mess with Kieran, if my mother ever found out I had accidentally marked someone, and that person was a male rival Alpha, the consequences would destroy me.

I hurried up the grand staircase and reached the east wing, twisting the brass handle to Ellie's room. The door swung open with a soft click.

"Ellie," I called out, stepping inside and locking the door firmly behind me.

She was sprawling across her king-sized bed, lazily scrolling through her phone. At the sound of my frantic entry, she glanced up, tossed me a tired, annoyed look, and immediately went back to her screen.

"There's a massive problem, Ellie," I said, my knees giving out slightly as I collapsed onto the edge of her mattress.

"What stupid thing have you done now?" she grumbled without looking up, grabbing a decorative pillow and tossing it straight at my head.

I caught the pillow, my flinders clenched as I squeezed the fabric. "I marked Kieran. He's the one I fucked.”

Ellie froze. Her head snapped toward me, her eyes widening in sheer disbelief as she bolted upright into a sitting position. "What?! Are you insane? How the hell did you manage to do that?"

"I don't know!" I threw my hands up in frustration. "It wasn't a dream, Ellie. It actually happened. Now tell me, how the fuck do I unmark him?"

The sarcastic edge completely drained from Ellie's face, replaced by a rigid, solemn intensity. "You can't just unmark someone, Mason. A mate bond isn't something you just erase."

She leaned closer, her voice dropping into a tight whisper. "But... there is a way to make the physical mark fade. And the only way to burn it out is to keep mating with him. You have to keep fucking him until the bond wears down."