Sacred Flame: His Enemy, His Mate (BL)-Chapter 106: Second heat

Kain Locke

"Don’t tell me you’re still in there, sleeping? By this time of the day?"

"Audrey," I muttered, dragging myself up from the bed with a groan. What does he want

I rubbed my face, still half-asleep. The morning had already been productive, for the fact that I’d gotten Brian ready, taken him to school, even folded the laundry and did everything I believe i was supposed to do that morning. So I just lay the bed back only to get into it again, fatigue was really weighing in me this morning.

I sighed, dragging myself to the door and yanking it open, ready to tell him off.

But before I could say a word, Audrey grabbed my wrist.

"What are you doing?" I tried to yank my wrist off.

But he didn’t explain. Instead, he yanked me down the hallway like I wasn’t barefoot and barely awake.

"Slow down, I’m gonna trip, what are you even—?"

"You aren’t going to fall... you just need to see this." he said, glancing over his shoulder.

And when we finally reached the front door, I opened my mouth to protest, butbhe just theow the door open and pushed me outside, then he leaned in close behind me and muttered against my ear with a smug little grin, "Your man wasn’t joking when he said he wanted to move in."

I blinked.

"What are you talking abou—"

Then I saw the black car parked in front of the house with it’s doors and the trunk popped open. There is Jay and one other man unloading bags, big, heavy suitcases.

"What the fuck," I whispered.

I didn’t even know what I was looking at. I just stood there, stunned, eyes following each bag being placed neatly by the front steps like I was watching my own sanity walk away with them.

After a few seconds, "Where is he?" I asked, turning to Audrey with a dry look.

He shrugged, both palms up like he was surrendering. "Don’t know," he said. "I’m not his keeper."

"I didn’t say you were," I muttered, already turning back to the car, still half-expecting this to be a joke or a misunderstanding.

But then Audrey added casually behind me, "Well, I did see him get dressed this morning and walk right out this door, so... yeah. I guess you were still ’sleeping’ then." he emphasized.

I froze mid-step and slowly dragged a hand down my face.

Of course he did.

I exhaled, no use getting into it with Audrey, he was enjoying this way too much.

Without another word, I stepped outside and made my way toward Jay, he should know where he went right? He knew not to act reckless yet he ..

"Jay," I greeted with a small smile as I stopped beside him.

He nodded and returned the smile, polite as always. "Kain. How are you?"

"I guess I’m good." I smiled, then my gaze dropped to the collection of luggage on the ground, pretending like I didn’t already know exactly whose it was, I tilted my head. "This is... a lot. Who’s all this for?"

"Boss," he said simply. "he asked me to bring them over."

I almost rolled my eyes. Of course he did. But I held it back and let out a little fake gasp instead. "Oh? Where is he then?"

He blinked and glanced toward the house, clearly thrown off. "Isn’t he inside?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I was hoping you knew where he was."

He frowned. "No idea. He only told me to drop these off."

I gave a slow nod, letting that sink in. He was really doing this, moving in like it was the most casual decision in the world.

Then something clicked in my head. "Hey... Felix. He’s your little brother, right?"

He looked a little surprised, but nodded. "Yeah. He is."

I wasn’t shocked anymore. Felix had practically spelled it out the other day. "Why didn’t you bring him along since you’re coming here?" I asked, raising a brow.

Jay let out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck. "Can’t. It’s risky."

"Risky?" I echoed, folding my arms. "Why?"

He gave me a sheepish look. "He’s kind of... obsessed with you."

I blinked.

Jay scratched his head. "And, uh... if he saw you, I don’t think he’d be able to control himself. He might actually try to hug you or jump on you or something."

I stared at him, half-horrified while he gave a nervous chuckle. "And with Boss around? Let’s just say... I like my brother, but I’d also like him to keep his head attached to his shoulders."

"No, Kael’s not goin—" I started, then stopped myself mid-sentence knowing ... that was exactly the kind of thing Kael would do.

I sighed. "Just... bring him next time, okay? Kael won’t lay a finger on him if I’m around."

Jay looked relieved and nodded. "Alright." Then he added, "Could you come around this side? I need to move this in."

I rubbed a hand over my face, feeling the weight of the morning settle back on me. "It’s all clothes, right?"

He nodded slowly, unsure where I was going with it.

"Then take these two back," I said, motioning to the bigger suitcases. "Bring in just that smaller one."

Jay blinked, surprised, but didn’t argue. He hoisted the two large ones back into the car, then picked up the smaller case and headed inside without another word.

I turned back and trudged over to Audrey, dragging my feet like I hadn’t slept in a week. "I’m going back to bed," I told him flatly. "And I mean it this time. Please don’t wake me up again."

But the second I turned to head inside, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me back.

"Wait—" He leaned in and sniffed.

I squinted at him. "What the hell are you doing?"

He sniffed again, nose wrinkling. "You... you smell like... um..."

He trailed off, face twisting in confusion, like the scent was on the tip of his tongue but wouldn’t quite register.

I gave him a dry look.

"Sorry," he said quickly, letting go of my hand. "Thought I smelled something weird. You can go."

That’s weird.

But I didn’t respond. I just turned and kept walking, too tired to care what my scent did or didn’t say. If Kael was moving in, I just want to get back to the bed.

****

I was back in the room, Kael’s luggage still sitting just inside the door where Jay had left it. I hadn’t touched it. Not really. I just... stared at it as I crawled back under the covers.

But sleep wouldn’t come.

I closed my eyes. Opened them. Rolled over. Closed them again.

Still nothing.

Just that there was something else now. My body felt off heavy, restless. Like my own skin was too tight. I wrapped my arms around myself and curled up, trying to shut it all out.

It was stuffy and warm

The kind of warmth that didn’t comfort but clung, humid and sticky, like heat crawling beneath my skin, pulsing low in my belly and flaring with every breath I took. I shifted under the blanket, the sheet dragging over my thighs feeling too rough, too much. I couldn’t get comfortable. Couldn’t breathe right.

And gods... the bed felt too empty.

I reached out, just to feel something, but there was nothing there. Just cold, rumpled sheets on the other side.

I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned. Fuck this.

My gaze shifted to the suitcase, and I sat up slowly, pushing the blanket off with the back of my hand.

I didn’t even know what I was doing until I was already in front of it, crouching low and tugging it open. A few clothes lay at the top, folded haphazardly like they’d been thrown in at the last second.

And then I smelled it.

His scent. His pheromones.

Subtle, and something darker, sharper, that had always driven me a little crazy when he got too close. It clung to the fabric, soaked into the cotton like it belonged there. Like he belonged here.

My chest tightened, throat going dry. I reached out, ran my fingers over the soft cloth of a t-shirt, and brought it closer.

Kael.

The scent curled around me, wrapping tight, and something in me cracked. I held the shirt against my face, breathing it in like I was starving for air. It didn’t make the heat go away, if anything, it deepened it, but at least it soothed the ache underneath.

I stood, grabbing a few more shirts from the suitcase and carried them back to bed. My movements were slow, almost reverent. I tossed them onto the mattress, crawled in, and pulled the softest one to my chest.