Chapter 51 HEAT
Kael tossed around in bed, feeling a sharp pull of instinct and dread tangled in his chest.
Something was wrong.
His wolf stirred restlessly beneath his skin, pacing, agitated, too alert for dawn. The bond thrummed hot and demanding, not the gentle warmth he’d grown used to since mating Adam, but something sharper and insistent.
And then he felt the burn.
Not his own.
Adam's.
Kael turned his head just as Adam shifted beside him, a soft sound leaving his throat. The mark at Adam’s neck glowed faintly, the skin around it flushed and warm. Too warm.
Kael sucked in a breath.
No.
His wolf surged, reacting instantly; protective, possessive, but hungry in a way Kael hadn’t felt in years. Heat rolled through his veins, sudden and overwhelming. His body temperature spiked, muscles tightening as if preparing for a hunt.
‘This is my fault,’ Kael thought grimly. ‘My wolf is pushing too hard.’
He carefully slid one arm free from around Adam, trying not to wake him, but Adam stirred anyway.
Adam’s eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first. Then they cleared.
“Kael?” he murmured.
Kael froze.
Adam pushed himself up slightly, his hand immediately reaching for Kael’s chest out of habit. His fingers brushed Kael’s skin… and Adam frowned.
“You’re… really hot,” Adam said, confusion turning to alarm. “Like burning.”
Before Kael could stop him, Adam slipped out of bed.
“Adam—” Kael started, but Adam was already rushing into the bathroom.
Kael clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay still. His wolf strained, senses sharpening painfully. Every sound Adam made echoed too loudly. Every scent hit too strong.
Adam came back quickly, carrying a bowl of water and a small towel. He dipped the cloth, wrung it out, and pressed it gently to Kael’s forehead.
“There,” Adam said shakily. “I—I don’t know what else to do. Are you sick? Is it because of your wound from yesterday?”
Kael groaned softly. Not in pain, but in restraint.
“Good morning, mate,” he said, voice rough, instinctive.
Adam’s eyes filled instantly. “You’re burning up.”
Kael went still for a moment, as if processing what Adam just said, even though he could feel the heat raising in his skin.
That settled it.
“This is not good,” Kael muttered.
He sat up abruptly, swinging his legs off the bed. The motion made his vision blur for a second, heat roaring through him.
“I have to get out of here.”
“What?” Adam panicked. “Kael— what do you mean?”
But Kael was already on his feet, grabbing loose clothes and pulling them on with shaking hands. His wolf pushed harder with every second Adam stayed close.
“Kael, stop. Talk to me!”
Kael didn’t answer. He couldn’t, not without his control slipping.
He rushed out of the room.
“Kael!” Adam called, scrambling after him.
Kael moved fast, turning sharply down another corridor and slipping into a reinforced room meant for isolation. The door shut with a heavy thud just before Adam reached it.
“Kael!” Adam banged on the door. “Open it!”
Guards stepped forward immediately, blocking Adam from the door.
“Please step back, Luna—” one started.
“Don’t call me that!” Adam snapped, panic rising. “That’s my mate in there. Let me in! He needs me. He's not feeling well.”
“We have direct orders from the Alpha,” the other guard said gently but firmly. “You can’t enter.”
Adam stood there, shaking, staring at the door.
Minutes crawled by…
Then footsteps.
Two servant girls approached; one carrying a tray of food and water, the other holding a silk-wrapped bottle-shaped object. The guards opened the door just enough to let them inside.
Adam lunged forward. “Hey—wait! I’m coming in!”
The guards blocked him again.
“You let them in!” Adam shouted. “How can you keep me out?!”
“Alpha’s orders,” the guard repeated apologetically.
The servant girls came out in a few seconds. As they stepped out, Adam tried to go in but the guards blocked him again.
He was getting frustrated.
“Kael!” Adam yelled, voice cracking. “Kael, what is going on?! I don't like it.”
The door suddenly opened wider.
Kael stood there, eyes burning brighter than usual, jaw tight with strain.
“Let him in,” Kael said hoarsely.
The guards stepped aside.
Adam stormed into the room, chest heaving. “What is wrong with you?” he demanded, tears threatening to fall. “You promised you wouldn’t run away from me!”
Kael shut the door behind them and leaned back against it, eyes briefly closing as he fought his wolf.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “This is different. I’m not running from you. I’m protecting you.”
“From what?” Adam demanded. “From you?”
Kael exhaled slowly. “Yes.”
Adam stared at him. “That doesn’t make sense.”
Kael rubbed a hand down his face. “I’m going into rut.”
Adam blinked. “Into… what?”
Kael hesitated, clearly struggling. “You don’t know what that is. I didn’t want you to have to.”
“I want to know,” Adam said firmly. “You don’t get to shut me out.”
Kael looked at him for a long moment, then sighed.
“An Alpha’s rut is… biological, to put it in a word you'd understand.” Kael began carefully. “It happens two times a year and there's a circle to which it comes. And mine isn't supposed to just invade me today, there's still 3 months before the supposed date. I'm guessing my wolf triggered it right after I've marked. And it's not exactly safe for you because it'll hit any moment from now, when it does… my wolf takes over. My instincts narrow until there’s only one drive left.”
Adam swallowed. “Which is?”
“To breed,” Kael said honestly. “To knot. To claim.”
Adam stiffened.
“I wouldn’t have control,” Kael continued quickly. “I wouldn’t be able to stop to ask if you’re okay. I wouldn’t be able to pull back if you needed me to. I usually isolate myself during ruts, as an unmated Alpha my pheromones can lure unmated omegas into heat. As a mated Alpha, I want to keep my mate safe from my rut crazed senses.”
Adam stared at him, processing every word.
“And that’s why you’re locked in here?” Adam asked softly.
“Yes.”
Silence stretched between them.
Then Adam said, “I’m not leaving.”
Kael’s head snapped up. “Adam—”
“We’ve already mated, and I liked it.” Adam said, voice shaking but resolute. “How different and intense can this be? I'm no longer a virgin.”
Kael stepped forward despite himself, hands twitching. “You don’t understand. This is intense. It’s not about desire, it’s compulsion. I don’t want my wolf deciding for you.”
“I don’t want you suffering alone,” Adam said simply. “You’re in pain, and I want to help in any, and every way I can. I'm your mate, let me stay with you through it.”
Kael’s control cracked just enough for him to pull Adam into a tight embrace.
“You’re too sweet,” Kael murmured into his hair. “Too good.”
Adam pressed his face into Kael’s chest. “I love you.”
Kael froze for a moment.
Then his arms tightened around Adam as if he might break apart otherwise.
He's still very much scared of hurting Adam, but for that moment, Kael let himself be held.
And loved.