It's hard to control

Kailin’s pov I looked up at her—really looked at her—standing there with her fist twisted in my collar, demanding answers like she wasn’t shaking inside. A small chuckle slipped out of me before I could stop it. I stood up slowly, deliberately, even while she was still gripping my shirt. Up close, she looked smaller than I’d realized. Fragile. And yet—this kid had nerves. “You want to know how you ended up here?” I asked. She didn’t answer. She just stared into my eyes, searching for something—anything. “Right?” I asked again, louder this time. Her body flinched. I felt it before I saw it. Her fingers loosened, then dropped from my collar completely. I exhaled and stepped back. “I knew you wouldn’t leave that place,” I said, my voice low, controlled. “I knew you’d still be there.” She frowned, confused. “That’s why I went back to the club,” I continued. “And I was right. You were still there.” I paused, watching her carefully. “You know what surprised me?” H

Hot kiss

Kailin’s POV I shut the door behind me. It didn’t help. My mind betrayed me immediately—Rose’s body, warm and bare beneath my hands the night before, the way she’d trusted me without knowing it. I cursed under my breath. I still didn’t understand how I’d managed to stop myself when I undressed her, how I’d walked away instead of letting instinct take over. I pulled off my shirt, tossing it aside. The room felt too small, the air too thick. I reached for the zipper of my trousers, dragged it down halfway— The door opened. I looked up. She stood there, wearing my shirt. It hung off her shoulders, too big for her, sleeves nearly swallowing her hands. The sight hit me harder than it had any right to. “Why?” I asked immediately, sharper than I meant. She stopped in front of me. “I just… I have one last question.” I exhaled slowly. “What is it?” She didn’t answer. Her gaze dropped to the floor. “Look at me,” I said. She shook her head. “Rose,” I said again, firme

IRRITATION

Aiden’s POV The clock on the wall ticked louder than it should have. I checked it again, even though I already knew what it would say. The meeting time had passed. Three hours, to be exact. Three hours of sitting in my office, pretending to work while my attention stayed fixed on the door. Kailin was never late. Not late late. Not like this. He was the kind of man who arrived five minutes early and waited in silence, already prepared, already ahead. If he wasn’t on time, it meant something had gone wrong. I leaned back in my chair and rubbed a hand over my face, unease settling deep in my chest. “Where the hell are you?” I muttered. I picked up my phone and checked it again—no missed calls, no messages. I’d already called him twice. Both times it rang until it stopped. No answer. No voicemail. That bothered me more than the delay. Kailin didn’t ignore calls. Especially not mine. Especially not on meeting days. I stood up and walked to the window, staring out at t

DARK WOLF

Aiden’s POV Kailin shifted in his seat, the humor draining from his face, replaced by something more focused. That was the version of him I trusted—the one who didn’t joke, didn’t waste time, didn’t let emotion cloud judgment. He took a slow breath before speaking. “I was supposed to meet Anton Varek last night,” he began. My fingers stilled on the edge of the desk. “At the club?” He nodded. “Our usual spot.” That alone made my stomach tighten. That club had been safe for years. Neutral ground. No cameras. No leaks. No loose mouths. If something had gone wrong there, it meant a serious breach. “I got there early,” Kailin continued, leaning forward slightly, forearms resting on his thighs. “Too early to blend in. And that’s when I noticed it.” “Noticed what?” I asked. “Eyes,” he said simply. “Too many. In the wrong places. People pretending to drink, pretending to flirt, pretending to gamble—badly.” I exhaled through my nose. “So we’ve been compromised.” “Tracked,

ONLY POSSIBLE WAY

Aiden’s POV I stared at the edge of my desk, jaw tight, my fingers tapping once… twice… then stopping. No. That couldn’t be it. Not after everything. “That’s it?” I asked quietly, lifting my head to look at him. My voice didn’t rise, but there was something sharp underneath it. “That’s all the information you got from him?” Kailin met my eyes, his expression serious. “That’s all he was willing to say,” he replied. “I pushed where I could.” I exhaled slowly through my nose and stood up, walking away from the desk toward the window. The city looked the same as always—busy, loud, alive—but inside me, things were shifting. Too many pieces didn’t fit. My father. His past. The things that never made sense growing up. I’d lived with questions for years without even knowing they were questions. Now that they were right in front of me, I wasn’t about to let them slip away. “That’s not enough,” I said, more to myself than to Kailin. I turned back to him, my resolve settling in. “Anto

DELEGATION

Aiden’s POV Kailin studied me for a long moment, his gaze steady, almost too steady. “If you knew all this,” he asked finally, “then why did you wait until now?” I let out a slow breath, leaning back in my chair. The answer had always been there. I just never bothered to say it out loud. “Because I didn’t care,” I said. Not enough to fight it. He frowned slightly. So I went on. “For a long time, marriage was just… another arrangement. Another decision made on my behalf that I didn’t bother to question.” I shrugged. “Elena, someone else—it wouldn’t have mattered. I was taking whatever came my way without complaints because it was easier that way.” Kailin’s lips parted, like he wanted to interrupt, but I didn’t stop. “I didn’t want a reason to break the proposal,” I added quietly. “Having one would mean I’d have to face what I actually wanted. And I wasn’t interested in doing that.” He watched me carefully. “But now?” he asked. I nodded. “But now I do care.” The w