CHAPTER SIX

RAIN

When we got to the house, it was around seven PM. Since my fingers were in bad shape, Adam made dinner. Surprisingly, Kay joined us and ate, although like me, he stared at his plate.

Adam and Marco weren't eager to talk either, so the whole meal was pretty uneventful. I decided not to bother Kay with my presence, so I went to my room with my laptop to work. I had some corrections to make within my part of the app code that I hadn't been able to do during this crazy day. Usually, I would sit in Kay's room, but I knew I wouldn't be able to focus. He was probably surprised I didn't show up like I had been doing the last week, but I needed a clear head to do the tweaks quicker.

While I worked, a message from Nathaniel popped up on the screen.

"I have a few ideas about an alternative layout for the app. Maybe you could speak with Kay about it?"

I stared at the screen for a few seconds as if seeing it for the first time. I felt so out of it, kind of foggy and unfocused. Was there even a world beyond this little bubble I was stuck in with my depressed musings?

My cousin's message felt like a letter from another world. It took me a while before I could form a coherent thought and respond.

"Well, I would have to ask him. The entire layout is much more work than just a few icons."

"Will you do it? We could really use your help. I talked to the client yesterday, and he showed me another app he really liked. He subtly suggested we could take inspiration from its colors and overall style, at least as an alternate skin. So I showed him the second set of icons Kay prepared, and he got very excited about them. It seems like he wants the whole app to be in a similar style. Kay had a great intuition for this."

Swallowing, I made an even greater effort to focus. "Okay, I'll ask him. Send me the name of the other app, so Kay can check it out if he decides to do it."

Feeling the need to prolong the conversation and maybe talk about something else beyond my current problems, I asked, "What's up with Storm? Is he still living with you? When is his court date?"

The message popped up almost immediately. "You didn't talk to him?"

"No, I was dealing with my stuff. I have a lot on my mind now. And we're not exactly the best-buddies-brothers, as you remember."

"Storm moved out to the small house he owns in the suburbs. The one he bought on a whim from one of the guys he helped find a high match. The man was moving out to live with his new partner and was in a hurry to sell it. The price was a steal! Storm is renovating it now. As you know, he lost his job, he's in a bad place now. The court date is soon, I think one week from now."

"He should have majored in computer science like we did. He'd still have a job," I typed on the screen, but then deleted it. Nah, no need to comment on it. There was still no news about how Tom's situation was resolved, so I guess we'd just have to wait for the official conclusion of Storm's case.

Probably five minutes passed before the next message popped up. "So, what's up with you anyway? You've been so quiet lately."

Damn, I really wasn't in the mood to talk about my complicated situation, especially after today. Nathaniel didn't know the details of why I was really here; only my dad did. I told him I was visiting a college friend and staying there for a while, mentioning that his brother, Kay, is widowed. Not much beyond that.

But on the other hand, being in this little torturous cage of my own design couldn't be healthy for my mental state. Going in loops, brooding for hours. I had to shake it off. So, why not talk about it and let out some of my pent-up anxiety?

My fingers trembled as I wrote, "I think I may be developing some feelings for Kay, but it's not reciprocated."

Ugh, I let it out.

"The widower? Oops, not good," he replied with a sad emoji.

A minute passed before the next message appeared on my screen. "Listen, if my request about the layout would create some unpleasant obligation for you, don't ask him. I can search for another graphic designer."

Still feeling strangely dizzy, I sent him, "Nah, no problem. I'll ask."

Nathaniel added, "Is this serious?"

Why not just say it out loud? Maybe it would seem less serious then. Maybe I could even joke about it, dismiss it, pretend it's not a big deal—at least until it actually became one.

"Hard to say, it's fresh. I'm just drawn to him. But it's one-sided anyway."

"He's recently widowed, so it's no surprise that he's reserved. Maybe you need to show him that you can be patient? Don't rush, don't express your disappointment, even if it feels like he's rejecting you."

"I know all that. Just today, I felt like we had a breakthrough. We had a good talk. But then later, he said something that set us back again. I'm kind of confused."

A moment of silence followed.

"It doesn't mean there wasn't a breakthrough, Rain. Maybe he just got cold feet, maybe it surprised him too?"

"Maybe."

"From someone who's experienced rejection after rejection, take my advice: stay calm. Don't get too emotional, let it unfold; it might surprise you. If you believe you had a breakthrough, don't give up on that thought. I'm pretty sure he's brooding over this just as much as you are, and maybe he'll come around."

Did Nathaniel have an actual point?

After a minute of pondering, I replied, "Instead of a programmer, you should be a therapist, Nate."

"It's based on life experience, so don't make fun of me!" he added with an offended-face emoji.

"I'm not. You put it well for me." And I wasn't even joking because staring at his message sparked something in me, a sudden realization. And a sudden… calmness.

"Just focus on one thing at a time, be there for him, don't let yourself overthink it."

"Yeah, I tend to do that."

"Then stop. Just don't do it. Keep calm. Promise?"

"Promise. Thanks, Nate."

Letting out a loud puff, I stretched my arms and went back to coding, my head slowly leveling out, I could finally focus without dwelling pointlessly on things I had little control over.

But soon light steps in the hallway made me snap my head up. I saw a slim silhouette standing in the doorway of my room. Blinking, I gazed at Kay for a while as if seeing a ghost. I never expected him to show up here in person. We were both silent, but as my gaze roamed over his face, I noticed his blush.

As I stared at him, I realized that Nathaniel's simple advice had brought me some much-needed peace. It helped me regroup and accept what was happening instead of curling up in my pessimistic bubble. Showing Kay that he could count on me instead of making a fuss about our last conversation was the best decision I could have made.

As I remembered, when things were going south in my family, especially after River escaped, my dad sobbed for days. If not for my father's stabilizing energy, he probably would have ended up in a hospital in a crisis unit for people with mental breakdowns.

Now it was time to adopt a stoic and calm approach—being a rock for someone who was going through a much worse experience than I was. Kay needed me to be there for him, not as a clingy puddle of emotions selfishly focused on my own rejection, while he was the one trying to recover from a life-altering tragedy.

Eight years of love. I never had that—he did. Could I even comprehend his loss? I could at least try to be patient, respectful, and emotionally stable.

"Do you need me close, Kay?" I said it calmly, softly.

He nodded, flushing even more.

Curiously, his energy felt almost apologetic, and his face looked submissive as he slowly entered the room and approached me.

Was my cousin right? Did he come around?

"I felt alone throughout the evening," he whispered, a hint of shyness in his voice. "I got used to… you working there, next to me."

Unhurriedly, I got up. Kay began to turn toward his room, but I caught his arm. He stopped and looked at me in surprise. My hands roamed over his shoulders, down his back, and along his sides. I pulled him by the waist and set him down on my desk, causing him to gasp in surprise.

We locked eyes. There was this intense connection between us, his soul almost bared, scared and hopeful and confused and nervous. And horny.

"Rain, I know I'm not an easy case. But don't give up on me, okay? I might act erratically sometimes, please just… try to put up with me."

Leaning in, I kissed his temple and held him in a hug for a minute—just a hug.

"I won't give up," I whispered into his ear.

His smell was heavenly and so intense. The wave was in full force.

My lips left a small trail of wet kisses down his cheek to his neck, making him gasp. His fingers hooked onto my waistband. The Bond was working—I knew exactly what he wanted, right then and there.

Without wasting any more time, I pulled down his pants. Supportive and useful—that's what he needed me to be. Helpful—a rock, not a sappy burden. I truly wanted to be that for him.

His shaft was hard, of course, so I pushed him further onto the desk, wanting him on his back. I took his dick in my mouth and started to suck it.

Kay didn't need much, he moaned and threw his arms over his head, surrendering to the pleasure. Shortly after, he orgasmed. Still during his climax, I straightened up, spread his thighs and sank my dick into his hot entrance. He gasped and parted his lips. My eyes stayed on those sweet lips as I began to thrust, but I didn't want to go fast and hard, just rock in there slowly, watching him the whole time, running my hands over his belly. My fingers quickly found his pink, swollen nipples under his thin shirt. Kay made a whimpering sound and I felt his passage tighten around my dick.

So I took the hard nubs between my fingers and began to roll them slowly but firmly.

His face turned red, and his straining dick throbbed, spitting out a few pearly drops of cum. He obviously loved the nipple torture, his pregnant state making him much more sensitive in that area. I hovered over him, my elbows resting on the sides of his arms, my face now directly over his face.

Those long lashes of his… And those soft lips, parted, wet, sweet. God, I wanted to kiss Kay so badly, but it had to be his choice. Instead, my lips brushed over his second gland, still free of my bite. I was surprised to find that Maurice's mark was almost invisible there as well, barely a shadow. So I began to suck on it with even more eagerness. Kay moaned and arched his body a bit. A few minutes later, he… came again.

Now it was time to go back to his bedroom, the desk was rather uncomfortable. I slowly carried him there, and as I approached the bed, I laid him on his stomach. Immediately, I climbed on top of him and sank my dick back into his body to continue thrusting into Kay's warm passage at a slow-medium pace. I enjoyed just being there, savoring the moments of connection, Kay was relaxed, and I could clearly see the subtle change in him. He wasn't just lying there like before, I could feel that he was accepting me inside, much more willingly than before—some energy was shifting between us.

So, there was a bit of breakthrough after all?

I decided to express my gratitude even for the small things he offered me, knowing that what I considered small could be a big thing for him.

"Thank you," I expressed. "Thank you for trusting me with your safety today," I whispered quietly.

Kay opened his eyes and lifted his head a little, so I stopped moving and slowly backed away. He rolled onto his back and spread his legs. Was that an invitation to continue, but in a face-to-face position?

Without questioning it, I leaned over and sank back into him. Okay, now we were facing each other, a pretty intense scene. I rocked inside his body and only our breathing could be heard in the silence, our eyes locked.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to protect you, Kay," I murmured, my breath catching in my throat.

"I don't want the other alphas to touch me. To stare at me," he whispered just as breathlessly.

Surprised that he said it like that—with an uncharacteristic intensity—I almost stopped moving and replied, "I won't let them. I'll scare them all away."

"Without your protection, I would be used by these animals, the very thought makes me physically sick. Adam and Marco can't protect me like you can," he breathed out.

During this exchange, I continued to slide into his hot passage in a steady and gentle rhythm.

"No, they can't, not like this. But I can, and I will," I rasped, "I know you can't be mine now, Kay. But I'm yours. And I'm here for you and your baby," I just had to say to calm him down, no matter how pompous the statement seemed.

Our eyes remained locked. His energy was… content; he had accepted my confession. He trusted me, needed me, and that was something to build on.

From time to time, I planted a soft kiss on his cheek. He said nothing as I made love to him, leaving small, tender pecks on his face but avoiding his tempting, wet, plump lips.

And that was okay, I could still be happy. We had time.

***

The next morning, the first thing I did after waking up with Kay in my arms was to call the manufacturer of the suppressant—Malden Pharmaceuticals. Their online customer service line was active early, so I made the call while still in bed. For a few reasons, I wanted to do it in Kay's presence.

Sitting with my back against the headboard, I mentally prepared myself. Kay lay next to me, half asleep but listening to my conversation. I briefly explained my situation to the consultant, and he responded that they hadn't heard of such atypical side effects. He said he would redirect the call to the research department, to one of the scientists.

After a few minutes of waiting, another man came on the line. I again described my situation to him. He listened attentively and said, "I need to consult with my supervisor. Please leave me your phone number; we will call you back." So, I hung up and glanced at Kay.

"They've never heard of a situation like this," I shrugged, trying to sound light.

"I bet they haven't. It's a coincidence of three or four situations, very unlikely to happen." Kay's voice was remarkably calm, almost amused.

I eyed him carefully. "What do you mean? It sounds like you've thought this through."

"Yeah, I have. I've given it a lot of thought. Honestly… it's all I can think about."

That sounded intense.

"Care to explain?"

"The True Mate possibility."

Yep, he brought up the topic again, it wasn't me. Silence crept into the room. Touching on that subject made me feel uneasy— really shaky ground. I already knew it could throw Kay into a bad mood, like it did yesterday, so I was hesitant to delve into it.

"Only True Mates can mark each other beyond heats. I think that's why we were able to create a viable mating bond between us. Brian's mark was fading anyway, so it was easy for me to overpower it. But I noticed you sucked on my glands pretty intensely, almost instinctively. My marking was much stronger and fresher than yours, but you were pretty persistent with the sucking."

A treacherous blush crept onto my cheeks.

"Yes, I like to suck you. Not just your glands," I murmured, hoping to lighten the mood.

Kay's cheeks flushed crimson, mirroring mine.

"And you're very good at it."

"Thanks."

"So, back to the subject. I didn't mind the attention you paid to my glands. I never really did that with Maurice; it just wasn't our thing. But with you, it's different. I guess my body wanted you to mark me successfully."

A short pause, then he lowered his voice, "And the knotting thing. It's impossible outside the heat, again, just like marking. But not for True Mates. They can knot even beyond the heat, in a few situations, one of them: fighting mode."

I felt a strange wave inside me, surprised by how much thought Kay gave to this topic. But I needed to ask, "So, what about the blockers?"

"With that, I'm not sure. I can only guess that even if I can't feel your mating allure, and you can't feel mine because of the block—our cells, the fluids, our DNA—if they came in contact, somehow they knew. Recognized a True Mate. We orgasmed the first time you entered me. So, in a way, our bodies already figured it out. I'm not in a real heat, so that can't explain it."

I raised my eyebrows and cleared my throat, feeling a kind of relief. Kay spoke in a seemingly calm way, but was he really so cool about the True Mate thing? Something wasn't right; his energy didn't match his attitude. But I couldn't get a clear read; his studied demeanor masked it to some degree. But not completely, underneath it all there was sadness? Did I read him right?

"I think you pretty much figured it out on your own," I muttered, hoping that if he came to that conclusion by himself, some of the shock associated with news of that magnitude must have dissipated a bit. Or not?

"Not exactly. As I said, I don't know how blockers play into that picture, if they could interfere with the allure situation, and even with the fighting mode. That's why we should talk to the people from this company. Only then would we know for sure. We will need it anyway if the Dawsons proceed with the lawsuit."

I nodded. "Right."

At that exact moment, the phone started to ring. I exchanged glances with Kay.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Rain Nolan? This is Dr. Jon Darren from Malden Pharmaceuticals."

"Oh, hello, doctor." I put the call on speaker.

"I must admit, I'm interested in your case. Our product is fairly new to the market, and we want to investigate some more. We'd like to propose a trip to our company for some tests. Of course, we'll cover all costs."

"I'm not sure if the other consultant mentioned it, but I might have a lawsuit against me. To be honest, I'm looking for proof whether I reacted that strongly because of blockers or being with my True Mate—"

"We can provide some reports for your case if we find proof that it indeed had something to do with Seprudin 500. Even an expert opinion."

Rubbing my chin, I decided to be frank. "But wouldn't that be against your company policy? Usually, corporations don't want to admit something might be wrong with their products."

"We have a pretty unique situation here. Your partner is pregnant, which makes this case different. It wouldn't affect our reputation. Seprudin 500 is a safe drug, but it was tested only on the general population. It's not recommended for partners expecting a child. We can't predict every single case, especially with something as rare as a True Mate Bond interfering and a widowed pregnancy, which is well known to make omegas produce a sexually stimulating scent that can also affect alphas' behaviors. So, don't worry about our company policy. We'll pay for your travel and accommodation expenses, no matter the results."

"I can't. I won't leave my partner. He's pregnant and was experiencing strong cramps that only subsided—"

"But it's even better; you can bring him with you. We can test both of you and determine if you are True Mates and to what extent the pregnancy pheromones are influencing you two. But we would like you to stay on blockers during the testing."

I glanced at Kay. He slowly nodded.

There was yet another thing I needed to touch on.

"There is, however, one request I have. My partner doesn't tolerate the presence of alphas. His scent still signals that he's widowed, which drives alphas… err… nuts. It's supposed to stabilize in about a month or so, but we just don't want to risk any problems. I can't agree to any tests on him conducted by alpha researchers or medical staff."

"I assure you, there will be no alphas near him. We don't want to disturb his pheromonal excretion. I'm a beta myself, and my team consists of betas and omegas only. Alphas are rarely scientists." Some amusement could be heard in his voice.

"Thanks," I murmured. "Anyway, when should we come? From what I gathered, your company has a branch near our town."

"We would like you to be our guests at the headquarters."

"That's like a six-hour trip."

"Yes, but it's really important, and we have all the labs here."

I glanced at Kay again. He nodded again.

"Okay, we'll come tomorrow if that's okay. We'll probably get there around 1 PM."

"Wonderful. We'll be expecting you both."

As I ended the call, I stood up, watched by Kay's attentive gaze.

"So it's settled. We're going on a trip."

He didn't seem eager to comment on it, his face still and contemplative, so after a short pause, I added, "I'm going to prepare breakfast for you, Kay."

Kay blinked and murmured, "Okay, thanks."

I left the room, feeling unsure about the whole situation. Being more attuned to him now, I knew well that beneath his impassive mask, Kay had completely different feelings. Still, I was determined to stay absolutely calm for his sake, as my mood would likely affect his. I really didn't want to add to the mess.

***

Without rushing, I prepared food, meandering through the kitchen. I made a hearty breakfast for him with bacon, scrambled eggs, and some tomato salad. I went upstairs and found him already dressed but sitting on the neatly spread blanket with his drawing tablet. He looked a bit bemused, as if not knowing what to say or how to react, so I approached him with the tray and sat next to him on the side of the bed.

Our 'breakthrough' still felt fresh, I had no idea how to interact with him casually on a daily basis, especially since the chatting ban was lifted. Two weeks of more or less silence had impacted me, and I felt almost frazzled.

We were about to have casual conversations about regular, ordinary topics—it seemed so strange. And maybe we would even do stuff together, relax together, beyond just sex? The idea seemed tempting but also somewhat stressful. The magic chemistry could not do the work for us. It was a new chapter, where we were about to just… know each other for real, no quick fixes. An actual test if we were indeed compatible?

"Thank you, Rain. It looks delicious."

He started to eat, and I just stared at him. To be honest, I couldn't take my eyes off him.

"Did you… eat already?" he asked stiffly. He seemed to have the same dilemma. Just casual interactions after such a strange two weeks were making him uneasy.

"Yes, while I was preparing it for you."

Silence crept up on us. I just watched him, thinking intensely with about what to start.

"My boss, Nathaniel, has a proposition for you. He wants to design an alternative skin for the app, one similar in style to the second set of icons you prepared. The client loved it. The whole interface would be redesigned, recolored. He wanted me to ask you if you would do it. Not for free this time, of course."

Kay's face brightened. "Of course, Rain. I'm happy to help. And I don't want money. I told you, I don't work to have more of it. I'm set for life, you know."

His cheeks flushed as our eyes met. He smiled softly.

I knew that his parents left him a massive trust fund. He had shares in their company, where Marco was the CEO. But also, Kay had insurance money from his husband's death, and he was to be the guardian of the wealth his son would inherit after Maurice and the Sanders family. The child was their sole heir.

"But it wouldn't be fair if you worked for free," I muttered.

"Isn't your boss also your cousin? He employs you and one of your brothers?"

"Yeah."

"Then it's a family business. I want to help."

To be honest, I had no idea what to respond. It was nice of him, even sweet…

"Isn't Nathaniel also a fire burn victim?"

"Yeah, how do you know?"

"Adam mentioned it and that he lost his parents in the fire."

"Yes, it was a tragedy. Our fathers were brothers. Nathaniel survived, but was badly burned. He was fifteen at the time. My parents adopted him, despite him having a much older half-brother, Hunter, who was 29 at the time. But he was abroad on a military mission and couldn't take care of Nate."

"Your parents already had eight children? How old were you then?"

"I was nineteen, and at this point in college. But my younger brothers, Storm and Skye, were closer to Nate's age, and they kept him company. My youngest brother, Sun, was 12 at the time and was probably the worst, he never got along with Nate. Called him a monster when my dad couldn't hear it."

"That's… cruel. But that's how boys often are."

"Yeah, Sun is a bit spoiled, I guess."

A short pause.

"I want to help you with the graphics, Rain. I admire Nathaniel that despite being… what? 22 now? He has his own company. That's commendable."

Slowly nodding, I replied, "He was always extra ambitious and very talented. He was already creating his own apps as a teenager, earning money from ads. He began freelancing and then started MonsterApp."

Without me noticing, my hand went to his hand that was next to his hip and gently caressed it.

"MonsterApp," Kay whispered, his eyes lowered, looking at our hands.

"Yes, what do they say? Turn your weaknesses into your strengths!"

"That's great. I love the attitude."

Kay finished eating and hesitated. Our fingers kinda entwined together. His face went pensive, he cleared his throat, and said, "I want to go swim now. I'm not going to let the Dawsons ruin my love for this lake."

"Of course, I'll go with you."

"But first," he bit his lip. "Maybe we can—?"

My lips widened into a grin. "Sure, we can!"

We had a nice quickie, but something weird happened at the end. As I unloaded into him and pulled out, he suddenly lowered his hand and scooped up some of my cum that was dripping out of his hole. And he tasted it. His face… well, it would be nice if it was a sexual thing, but it was just a test. He wanted to know what it tasted like, but tried very hard to suppress any visible reaction when he realized it was sweet. They say that TM's sperm always tastes delicious to each other. So. Another proof?

But neither of us commented on it.

***

As soon as we both got our swimsuits, we went down to the beach.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed a bit of dried blood on the ground, where I had bitten a chunk of meat from Jorah Dawson's hand. I quickly covered it with sand. Kay saw what I did but said nothing. He went into the lake pretty quickly, even though the morning temperature of the water was a bit chilly.

He started to swim along the shore, and I decided to join him after a much longer adjustment to the cold water. Swimming was pleasant and helped me release some stress. We swam for almost an hour before Kay had enough and headed to the shore, where we had left our clothes.

We sat there wrapped in towels, letting the sun warm us up. I, a bit shyly, moved closer to him, so our shoulders were touching. He felt it and turned his head toward me. Our faces were now close. The swimming had given Kay's cheeks a slight pink hue, and the sun was giving his complexion a beautiful pearly glow. His navy-blue eyes now resembled sapphires, sparkling in an unusually striking color.

For a magical moment, we simply gazed at each other.

"I know it's kinda obvious. But you are so beautiful," I whispered.

He blinked and swallowed. "Thank you, you are very handsome yourself."

"Well, since we've established that and exchanged nice compliments—" I trailed off as Kay chuckled lightly.

Our faces were now quite close, perhaps a foot apart. I was hesitant to look at his lips, not wanting to startle him, so I turned my head slowly toward the lake.

What should I say? Something tactful and diplomatic.

"Was Maurice your first?"

So subtle! That surely wasn't a very gentlemanly question.

His eyebrows went up in amusement. "Yes. We've been together since high school."

"How was it for you in high school? Did you get a lot of attention from teenage alphas?"

He winced. "I did. It was annoying. All of them wanted me to date them, and other omegas hated me for that. I was an outcast. You wouldn't believe how jealous teenage omegas can be."

"So when did you start dating Maurice?"

"We started dating freshman year, but it wasn't until our glands matured senior year, and our allure became noticeable, that we understood we were High Mates. We went to the same college together, though we had different majors."

"So you weren't in the same courses. Did any students try to flirt with you?"

"Yes, but I didn't care and didn't react. Maurice usually waited for me after class and we'd go back to the dorm together. He protected me from the constant interest of alpha students, literally acting as my bodyguard. He'd been taking martial arts classes since he was sixteen to hone his fighting skills. I had a total of seven attempted rapes during college."

My eyes widened. "What?! Seven rape attempts? That's sick! Bastards… I'm so sorry, Kay!"

Kay let out a deep breath. "Yeah. Some students even called me a 'cursed beauty' because many alphas were expelled due to incidents involving me. Sometimes, I felt like a magnet for predators. But Maurice saved me every time. Once, he even fought off three alphas by himself."

Gaping, I stared at him. "In fighting mode?"

"Yes. He was in bad shape after that, severely injured, with broken ribs and a concussion, but he didn't give up. They beat him with a baseball bat, but he prevailed." I could hear pride and sadness as Kay's voice broke a little.

I realized I had big shoes to fill.

"Maurice seemed like a great guy. A real hero." As I said it, I felt a lump in my throat.

Why the fuck had I even brought up his dead husband?

Not the best idea for a casual conversation. Duly noted.

Kay's eyes were slightly glassy now. "And Maurice was shorter than you. He was 6'5''."

Struggling with a wave of unhealthy jealousy, I muttered, "I saw only one picture of him, a small one from your wedding. It wasn't a close-up, so I couldn't get a good look."

Kay winced slightly. "He was handsome. Very similar to you, actually. He had dark hair and gray eyes, much like you have. You could be brothers; your noses and lips are almost identical. I believe the similarity was one of the reasons Adam wanted you to come here."

Dammit!

Now, on top of that, I felt like an imposter compared to someone with such a heroic past! It was a hard pill to swallow. But to be honest, I was the one who started this dreaded topic…that I desperately needed to change now.

"It's dangerous to be that beautiful, though it shouldn't be. Every perk has its downside. But… I'll also fight for you, Kay. You have a new bodyguard now."

Kay eyed me for a moment, biting his lip. "Rain, you're not just my bodyguard. I don't want you to think of yourself that way," he said quietly.

Looking toward the lake, I chose not to answer. We were already on such shaky ground with so many topics that it felt like constantly walking on jelly.

Kay pondered something for a while before asking, "And you? Was Brian your first?"

Our Bond was working as intended, and I knew—he knew—I was uncomfortable, so he kindly changed the topic.

"No. During high school, I had another boyfriend, Larry. But when our glands matured, we turned out to be incompatible. It was really disappointing since we were in love. But once we could scent our allure, we just lost a lot of sexual chemistry. We felt more like brothers or just friends. We split up, and—" I clenched my jaw as I sadly remembered what happened next.

Kay perked up, "I can sense there's an interesting story here."

"Well, there is. One of my brothers, Storm, he had this twisted vendetta thing. He liked to sleep with our exes, including mine."

Kay's eyes widened; his expression literally screamed: 'Tell me more!'

I sighed. "Yeah, Storm is a year and a half younger than me, and Larry stayed in our town, didn't go to college. Storm went to the store where Larry worked as a salesman and flirted with him. They hooked up."

"That's… not very loyal and not very brotherly." Kay winced.

"It wasn't the only time. He also slept with my younger brother Skye's ex-boyfriend, who Skye dated all through high school! Skye and Storm fought because of it, and Storm broke two of Skye's fingers in the process."

"Storm—he's a purple alpha, right?"

"He is. And there was another case. He seemed to target the brothers he hated the most: me, Skye, and Winter. Winter is ten years older than Storm. He had a beta boyfriend his senior year of college. They broke up after graduation. But Storm met Finn years later—Finn had become a teacher at this college—and… slept with him too."

Kay gaped at me. "That's a really twisted, almost perverted kind of revenge!"

"We always low-key hated each other. Skye and I were allied against Storm for as long as I can remember, but Winter was just unpleasant for everyone. He's a beta and has a super hostile attitude toward alphas. He often scolded Storm, calling him a mindless purple beast, and since Storm didn't seem to have significant musical or mathematical talents as the rest of us had, he called him deaf and stupid. So, I guess Storm took it personally and slept with Finn as a revenge thing. Literally one time, just to get back at Winter."

"Well, your family dynamic seems interesting, for sure."

"Yeah, it's a lot. We all have strong personalities."

Kay's voice was hesitant, almost embarrassed as he asked, "Did he… you know, turn in your presence?"

His face was almost apologetic. Everyone kind of tiptoed around it since it was a bizarre topic. Purple alphas made up less than 1% of all alphas, and knowledge about their strength was almost like an urban legend—definitely not common.

"Not during skirmishes with us. But since purple alphas can tap into their strength outside of fighting mode, he would just go berserk whenever he felt like it and beat the crap out of us. There wasn't much we could do. I only saw him partially turn once. One summer, there was this public event going on in our town, and some alphas were harassing two omegas. The situation started to get dangerous. But when he entered partial transformation, with his eyes glowing purple… they all ran away. Nobody wants to deal with what's at the end of his morphing, believe me."

"Oh, I believe you. Did he… extend those things, those bony horns?"

With a bitter grimace, I shrugged. I knew what he was asking about. Purple alphas had a long purple line running along their spine and limbs, and from this area, long bony protrusions could extend, protecting them and aiding in fights.

"Partially, only near his neck. It looked crazy, people were screaming, running away… A mess. Anyway, it all turned out well. Those two omegas ended up going on a date with him later, and they had a threesome. I guess they were impressed and… um. Grateful."

Surely, I could go into more detail about what happened, but I really didn't want to talk about Storm.

"I bet they were. But, Rain, Storm protected these two omegas. Do you think he really beat his husband?"

It wasn't something I wanted to discuss either—but I guess we were in the process of getting to know each other, and hearing family stories was part of that too.

"To be perfectly honest, no. Storm was always sweet with omegas and betas. I'd say he's gentle and very protective of them—a lover type, not a warrior. I suspect Tom didn't appreciate it; from what I know, he liked it rough, and Storm was probably too much of a teddy bear for him. My own resentments toward Storm cloud my judgment, but when I try to use my intuition, I'm almost sure Storm is innocent. "

Kay stared at me, sensing my increasing frustration with this topic, so he politely changed it again.

"You mentioned you all had some musical talents, except for Storm. Can you play any instruments?"

"Sure, I can. My dad taught me how to play piano, and my father encouraged me to play guitar, but I learned to play the banjo on my own. I even have my old banjo here, but haven't had time to use it."

"Why didn't you study music in college?"

Snorting, I shrugged. "My whole house was always full of it. My oldest brother, River, has a great deal of talent for the violin. Snow and Bay also play guitar and piano—Snow is a music teacher, Bay sings and plays at local events. Winter can play too, but he chose to be a programmer instead. Some of us decided it wasn't a stupid thing to do—to pick this career and earn good money—so Skye and I followed Winter's example. But we can still play. Except for Storm, who can play a bit on the keyboard, but to be honest, I've never heard him practice or play, so I guess he's just not into it."

Kay hesitated. "Would you play something for me? When you… feel like it?"

Our eyes met. "Sure, Kay, I will play for you."

Kay fell silent for a while, deep in thought.

Then he asked, "So, how did you meet Brian?"

"At the beginning of college. He was a math major. He was my second, after Larry. You are my third."

Kay seemed surprised. "You've only been with three omegas? You didn't hook up?"

"No. It's just not for me."

His eyes roamed over my face. "For such an impressive-looking alpha, you surely are not typical."

"Why?"

"Usually, studs like you have many lovers during college or later. Guys literally throw themselves at their dicks."

"Studs?" I raised my eyebrow.

Kay pursed his lips, hiding a smirk. "You know what I mean. Hot alphas surrounded by a circle of omegas and betas."

"For one thing, I've never been remotely attracted to betas, so that's off the table for me. For another, I had been mated with Brian since the start of the second semester of my freshman year, when he was going through his first heat. So it's normal my attraction to other omegas was muted."

"Believe me, there are mated alphas who still manage to fool around. I knew such guys in college."

With a crooked smile, I nodded. "Sure, I even know such alpha-dogs that fuck incompatible omegas, just literally spray them with allure-masking deodorants, and are good to go! So everything is possible if someone is determined to fuck!" I chuckled, and Kay joined in. I guess it was the first time we shared a laugh together.

"Were they really spraying them with deodorant? I find that hard to believe!"

"Ask Adam. We had a mutual friend who did just that. If he liked how the omega looked, he first sprayed himself, approached the guy, and if he was lucky, they hooked up. Our friend would give the omega the deodorant and… let's go!"

"I can't believe anyone would accept that. It seems so desperate and prospect…less."

"Yeah, about half the students I knew were using level-one suppressants anyway, not wanting to engage in mating games, or at least using allure-masking deodorants, focusing on studying, while the other half were walking around spreading their allure. Most of them did it to find a mate in college. The others, who wanted to have a career, usually opted for blockers."

Kay looked at the lake for a while before adding, "So you didn't have a lot of fun during college? I'm sure omegas were very interested, even with a mated alpha like yourself."

"Some were. I had a few propositions, more or less direct. But I'm old school, and I want to have trust, closeness, and love with my partner." I hesitated. "And I thought I had it with Brian. But he found a better match and left."

"I'm sorry… Adam told me about that. I know you took it hard."

"Yeah, well. I hope my luck changes in the future." I looked at him meaningfully, and right after that, I fixed my eyes on the lake.

Like I said, shaky ground!

Kay didn't say anything, and I didn't press the topic. We soon returned to the house.

***

Since Kay didn't show signs of a morning wave, I went to the kitchen and started preparing lunch for us.

As I walked into his room later with a tray, I heard footsteps behind me, and Kay's brothers suddenly appeared in the doorway. Adam looked a bit flustered.

"Listen, there's something we should discuss."

Kay took the tray from my hands and asked, "What? You look like something's wrong."

"No, all good. But in a few days, I have to go back to work full-time. I can only do so much from home, and we've got an important project coming up. Marco can't stay here all day either; our company won't run itself. Of course, Garret could come here to cook for you both, but we thought it might be more sensible to ask Rain if he wants to do it full-time. He loves to cook anyway," Adam pointed out.

I kinda suspected they'd suggest something like this, seeing that my relationship with Kay had improved. The timing seemed perfect. I did most of the cooking for Kay anyway, sharing the duty with Adam, but both brothers were already stretching their time here to the limit, risking it affecting their jobs long term.

"I will. I'll cook for Kay, of course, when you're both at work. No need for some Garret," I asserted firmly.

Both betas didn't look that surprised by my eagerness.

Kay seemed more cautious. "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel obligated to be my cook full-time. You have your work too," he muttered, emphasizing the last part.

I understood exactly where his hesitation came from. He would rather not add another responsibility to the ones I already had; to protect him, to fuck him, yes. Now cooking?

But I didn't mind.

"I do want to do it, Kay." I sat next to him, gazing into his eyes. "My work can be done throughout the day, I can finish stuff in the evening, and to be honest, I really love to cook for you, I want to see you enjoying my meals, and see your smile—" I stopped myself in time and pursed my lips, not wanting to fall into an overly romantic tone.

I learned my lesson well, I knew not to go into that territory.

Kay stared at me intensely for a few seconds. "I do love what you cook, Rain. You always hit my taste perfectly," he admitted quietly. "And I'd much prefer you over Garret."

"I'm glad to hear it, Kay," I said in a solemn tone, and he smiled softly.

Adam cleared his throat a bit too loudly, drawing our attention to himself.

"I'm overjoyed that things are going so well, but I need a final answer from both of you before calling Garret off. He's waiting for my call. Rain, are you sure? And Kay, are you okay with Rain cooking for you? You both should consider what makes you most comfortable," Adam asked.

"I'm one hundred percent on board. I will cook for him," I replied confidently.

Marco huffed. "Well, maybe we can try it for a week. If there are any issues, we'll make a final decision after that time. Okay?" he proposed, sounding a bit cautious.

Adam nodded in agreement. "I would suggest that too. And Garret has to come anyway to clean the house. You should know that I might be out a lot, and Marco will be as well. We have a ton of stuff going on. We've been putting off a lot of work, and we need to catch up," he said, glancing at his older brother.

"Thank you so much for being there for me, Adam, Marco," Kay suddenly said in a serious tone. "I don't know what I would have done without you. I appreciate how much effort you put into helping me to get out of the worst period of my life."

Marco just shook his head. "It's a given, Kay. We hope things will only get better from now on. Even with the whole police thing going on, I'm happy to see you're in a somewhat better place, and Rain is here to offer help in our absence."

Adam smiled. "Marco is right. It was what had to be done. We were happy to help, and we're calmer going back to work knowing you have Rain's support."

Listening to them, I began to think that there was more to their words than it seemed at first. Were they… creating more space for us to get to know each other in a more intimate setting without them hovering around?

Did they discuss it and decide it was time to step back so that Kay and I could actually be… in a relationship?

The timing was rather weird; after what happened yesterday, one would think they would be even more concerned for Kay's safety. But I had a feeling they were also putting two and two together and realizing there was more going on here than met the eye.

"We'll be good," I assured them. "All of Kay's needs will be met."

"I'm sure of it," Adam murmured with a meaningful look.

The minute after they left, Kay put the tray aside and threw the blanket onto the floor, making an inviting gesture—a subtle smile on his face.

Of course, I accepted the invitation.