Chapter 50 Fifty
The Saturday afternoon sun slanted through Harper’s bedroom curtains in lazy golden stripes. She lay sprawled on her bed, legs dangling off the edge, phone in hand, scrolling mindlessly through videos she wasn’t really watching. The house was quiet—too quiet. Samantha and Darius had left early for some pack council meeting in the city. No one else was home except the occasional creak of the old floorboards settling.
Boredom had settled over her like a heavy blanket.
Then the door opened without a knock.
Koda walked in—black hoodie, sweatpants, hair messy like he’d just woken up from a nap somewhere else in the house. He didn’t say anything. Just crossed the room in three long strides, climbed onto her bed, and dropped his head straight into her lap.
Harper froze.
His weight pressed against her thighs. Warm. Solid. Familiar in a way that still made her stomach flip every time.
“What are you doing?” she asked, half-laughing, half-annoyed.
He didn’t answer. Just closed his eyes and sighed like he’d finally found the most comfortable place in the world.
She tried to push his head off.
He didn’t budge.
“Move,” she said, shoving harder.
He cracked one eye open. “No.”
“Koda.”
“Not Koda.”
The voice dropped lower. Rougher. The faintest red glow flickered at the edges of his irises.
Harper paused. Her hands stilled on his hair.
“The One, then,” she said softly.
He hummed in approval. Closed his eyes again.
She stared down at him for a long moment. The room was quiet except for the faint tick of her wall clock and the distant hum of the air conditioner downstairs.
Eventually she gave up pushing. Let her fingers slide into his dark hair instead. Combing through it slowly. Absentmindedly.
“You’re heavy,” she muttered.
“You’re soft,” he replied without opening his eyes. “Deal with it.”
She snorted. “Smooth.”
“Always.”
They fell into easy silence for a while. Her fingers kept moving through his hair. His breathing evened out—not asleep, just… resting. Like a predator pretending to be tame.
Then he spoke again. Quiet.
“You’re not scared of me anymore.”
Harper’s fingers paused.
“I’m always scared of you,” she admitted.
He opened his eyes. Looked up at her. The red was brighter now—steady, not flickering.
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying. I’m just… used to it.”
He studied her face. Serious for once.
“I could kill you right here,” he said. Matter-of-fact. No growl. No threat in his tone. Just truth. “Snap your neck. Tear your throat out. Drain every drop of blood before you even scream. No one would hear. No one would know until Monday.”
Harper’s breath caught.
Her heart slammed once—hard—against her ribs.
She stared down at him.
He stared back.
Then—
He laughed.
Not a dark chuckle. Not a menacing sound.
A real laugh. Low. Warm. Surprised. Like he’d startled himself.
Harper blinked.
“You’re laughing,” she said.
He grinned—actual grin, fangs glinting just a little.
“You should see your face.”
“I didn’t know demons laughed.”
“Only when the prey looks adorable trying to be brave.”
She rolled her eyes. But her cheeks felt warm.
“Shut up.”
“Make me.”
She grabbed a pillow from behind her and smacked him across the face.
He laughed again—louder this time. Grabbed the pillow. Yanked it out of her hands.
Threw it across the room.
Then he rolled—fast—flipping their positions so she was underneath him, wrists pinned above her head, his body caging hers.
She squeaked.
He smirked down at her.
“Better?”
“You’re crushing me.”
“You love it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Arrogant.”
“Honest.”
They stared at each other.
The teasing faded slowly into something quieter. Something heavier.
His thumbs brushed over the insides of her wrists—soft. Almost careful.
“You really think you can keep doing this forever?” he asked. Voice low. “Kissing the monster. Hugging the monster. Letting the monster sleep in your lap like a damn house cat.”
Harper swallowed.
“I think I don’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
“Not when it’s you or him.”
He tilted his head.
“You still think there’s a difference.”
“There is.”
“Is there?”
She searched his face.
“Yes.”
He leaned down. Forehead against hers.
“Then why do you let me stay?”
“Because I’m selfish,” she whispered. “Because even the parts of you that scare me… feel like they belong to him too.”
He exhaled. Slow. Shaky.
“You’re going to get us both killed one day.”
“Probably.”
He kissed her then—soft at first. Just lips brushing. Then deeper. Hungrier. But not violent. Not claiming.
Just… needing.
When he pulled back, his eyes were still red-rimmed. But softer.
She smiled up at him. Small. Real.
“See? You’re not so scary when you’re laughing.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“Too late.”
He rolled off her. Flopped onto his back beside her. Stared at the ceiling.
She curled into his side. Head on his chest. Listened to the steady—too steady—beat of his heart.
They stayed like that. Quiet. Comfortable.
Until the door flew open.
Kai stood in the doorway.
Frozen.
Eyes wide.
Koda’s head was in Harper’s lap again—somehow they’d shifted back without noticing. Her fingers were still tangled in his hair. Their legs were tangled too. Clothes rumpled. Faces close. The room smelled faintly of them—warm skin, shampoo, something sweeter.
Kai blinked.
“What… is going on?”
Harper sat up fast. Hair falling in her face.
Koda didn’t move. Just looked at Kai with lazy amusement.
Kai stepped inside. Closed the door behind him.
“When did you two get this close?” he asked. Voice careful. Like he was stepping on thin ice.
Harper opened her mouth.
Koda beat her to it.
“She tripped. I caught her. Landed like this. Total accident.”
Harper grabbed the nearest pillow and smacked him in the face again.
“Ow.”
Kai raised an eyebrow.
“Accident, huh?”
“Completely,” Koda deadpanned.
Harper groaned. Buried her face in her hands.
Kai laughed—short, surprised.
“Okay, whatever. I’m not asking for details. Just… parents aren’t coming home tonight. Council meeting ran long. They’re staying in the city.”
He grinned.
“So I called a house party. Normal stuff. Music. Drinks. People from school. Starts at eight.”
Koda sat up slowly.
“House party?” he repeated. Like the words tasted foreign.
Kai frowned. “Yeah? You know—music, people, chaos. We do it all the time.”
The One tilted his head.
“What is that?”
Kai stared at him.
Then laughed.
“Don’t mess with me, brother.”
He grabbed the pillow Harper had used earlier and smacked Koda across the head with it.
Koda caught it mid-swing. Yanked it out of Kai’s hand.
Threw it back—harder.
Kai ducked. Laughed louder.
“Seriously, dude. You’ve been to like twenty of these.”
Koda’s expression didn’t change.
But Harper saw it—the flicker in his eyes. The confusion. The distance.
He didn’t remember.
Or maybe he never knew.
House parties. Human things. Normal things.
Things The One had never bothered with.
Kai didn’t notice. Or pretended not to.
He turned to Harper.
“You in?”
Harper hesitated.
A house party meant people in their house. In their space. Seeing her room. Seeing her things. Seeing her with Koda. With Kai.
Seeing that she lived here.
With the Alpha’s sons.
The thought made her stomach twist.
People would talk.
People would ask questions.
People would wonder why the mateless girl from a lower pack family suddenly lived in the Blackthorn mansion.
She glanced at Koda.
He was watching her. Quiet now. No teasing.
Waiting.
She swallowed.
“Yeah,” she said finally. “I’m in.”
Kai grinned.
“Cool. I’ll tell everyone to bring their own drinks. See you downstairs at eight?”
He left. Door clicking shut behind him.
Silence returned.
Harper looked at Koda.
He looked back.
“House party,” he said again. Testing the words.
She smiled—small, nervous.
“Normal teenage stuff.”
He snorted.
“I’m not normal.”
“Neither am I.”
He reached out. Tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You sure about this?”
“No,” she admitted. “But I’m tired of hiding.”
He studied her face.
Then nodded. Once.
“Okay.”
She leaned forward. Kissed him softly.
He kissed her back.
Gentle.
Brief.
When they pulled apart, he smirked.
“If anyone touches you tonight…”
She rolled her eyes.
“You’ll behave.”
“Probably not.” Harper raised her eyebrows.
"I might but he won't" he saud causing her to be confused.