Sacred Flame: His Enemy, His Mate (BL)-Chapter 60: Jealousy

Kain Locke

"He’s not my man, Irene! How long do I have to repeat it? And why the hell is he allowed to go to the party?" I whisper-yelled, throwing my hands up.

Irene just laughed, completely unbothered.

"If you can be there, so can I," Kael said, shrugging as he slipped his hands into the coat pockets of the dark pants and shirt he wore.

The clothes were supposed to be his size, but the trousers clung a little too tightly around his thighs and stopped just above his ankles. The way he stood there, completely unfazed by it, made it even funnier.

I couldn’t hold it in any longer, "You look ridiculous." I groaned, stepping out of the house followed by Irene who shut the door behind her.

Thinking about it, the house looks smaller outside, but it was somehow spacious enough inside, I mean there’s a kitchen, Irene’s room, sitting room, the room with the basement and the one Keal’s currently staying in.

He tilted his head slightly, like he hadn’t heard me right. "Come again?"

Irene, on the other hand, smiled. "I think it looks good on him."

I snapped my head toward her. "You think? Irene, weren’t you the one saying the clothes should fit? Look at him! He looks like a noble who outgrew his wardrobe overnight."

"Jealous?" he smirked again, giving me that look that read he was having a whole lot of fun doing this.

I scoffed. "Of what? Your highwater pants?"

He let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "You brought them. So it’s normal I wear them right?"

I was about to retort when Irene suddenly said, "I don’t see the problem. He cleans up well, and he’s got the confidence to pull it off. Moreover they look good on him."

I frowned. "You’re defending him?"

She gave me a knowing look. "Why wouldn’t I?"

That stopped me for a second. Irene didn’t know anything about Kael before today, so why was she so quick to back him up like it’s something they both did everyday, then, to make it worse, Kael turned to her and grinned. A real, easy grin. "You see? Even this..." he ran his eyes over Irene then he smiled, "Gorgeous lady thought i’m a real catch."

I blinked, looking between them.

Irene was acting like she knew Kael, like this was some inside joke between them. And Kael, for all his usual irritation and sharp-edged temper, was not there...he was playing along. Too easily. Too smoothly.

I narrowed my eyes. "Alright. What’s going on here?"

Kael casually walked over to Irene and threw an arm over her shoulder like they were old friends. Making the old lady blush, "What do you mean? Irene and I understand each other. Right gorgeous?" he curled his lips.

Irene nodded, completely unbothered by the gesture. "Right handsome. Seems like you’re just out of the loop child."

"Out of the loop? I mean he just woke up and you two just met." This is driving me nuts.

Kael smirked. "Did we?"

Irene smirked. "Did we?"

I stared at them, deadpan. Oh, for fuck’s sake.

He was messing with me, I knew that much. But Irene? She was so composed in the meantime I knew her, and now here she was, teaming up with him to drive me insane?

Kael let out a laugh, shaking his head. "You should see your face right now,"

I shot him a glare. "You also should see your pants right now."

Irene chuckled, stepping away from Kael’s hold. "Alright, alright. Let’s not keep the party waiting. Karen will surely scream her throat out we’re more minutes late."

Kael adjusted his coat, flashing me a cocky grin. "See? She’s reasonable. Unlike some people."

I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down my face. "I regret getting involved in this whole thing!"

"But I don’t." He winked, turning to keep going. Does he know where the party is? Obviously not, I don’t even know it.

Irene walked past me, following him without hesitation.

I lingered for a second, watching them walk away before following them.

****

The pine tree stood tall against the sky, its branches swaying gently in the breeze. A few lanterns hung from its lower limbs, casting a soft, flickering glow over the gathering.

The crowd wasn’t large, maybe twenty people at most, but the energy was warm, laughter spilling into the cool air like embers from a fire.

Children darted around, their kites soaring high above them, the fabric rustling as they tugged at the strings.

I spotted Ryan effortlessly where he crouched beside a group of them, helping a boy fix a broken kite, his shirt sleeves were rolled up, his expression patient as he attached the rope back to it.

I lingered near the edge of the gathering, watching the scene unfold. It was peaceful. A kind of moment I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Before I could get too lost in my thoughts, Irene appeared at my side, a knowing look in her eyes.

"Come on, I want to introduce you to someone," she said.

I barely had time to register her words before she was already steering Kael away from me. Wait a minute, isn’t she taking me?

Kael threw me an amused glance over his shoulder but didn’t resist.

Good. At least he wasn’t my problem for now.

I turned back toward Ryan, just in time to see him straightening from where he knelt. When his gaze landed on me, he smiled and made his way over.

"Hi," he greeted, brushing his hands off on his pants. "Didn’t think you’d show."

I shrugged. "I wanted to, Irene agreed and brought me."

Ryan chuckled. "She has that effect." Then, tilting his head slightly, he asked, "Your friend’s already awake?"

I blinked. Friend?

Oh. He was talking about Kael.

I exhaled, relieved. Finally, someone who didn’t think I was some kind of bonded Omega to him.

"Yeah," I said, crossing my arms. "Woke up earlier than expected."

Ryan hummed, nodding. "He must be very strong then."

Or just stubborn as hell.

Ryan didn’t dwell on the subject, though. Instead, he clapped a hand on my shoulder, leading me toward the center of the gathering.

"Since you’re here, there’s some things I want you to try."

For a while, it was... nice. Simple.

Ryan showed me how to carve small wooden tokens that the kids tied to their kites. We tried our hand at a makeshift archery station, where I somehow managed to hit the target, even if it was off-center.

There was food, roasted meat, warm bread, and spiced cider. The kind of meal that settled deep into your bones, making the afternoon, even a cold night bearable.

"Check this out." Ryan said, clapping his hand together as he jumped and plucked an apple from the ones tied to the tree. "You try it." He said to me,

I was just finishing a piece of my own fruit when a gust of wind sent a speck of dust straight into my eye. I winced, rubbing at it, but the irritation only worsened.

"Hold still," Ryan said, stepping closer and gripping my face, making my face flush red, "Let me..."

Before he could even finish, a hand shot out, grabbing his wrist in a firm grip.

The air around us shifted, turning taut like a drawn bowstring.

I didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

Before I could say anything else, he yanked Ryan’s wrist off mine and pushed him away slightly before dragging me after him.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded, as Kael dragged me away without so much as a glance at Ryan.

His grip was tight, possessive, the heat of his fingers pressing through the fabric of my sleeve. "Stop this... what are you doing?"

Kael didn’t answer immediately. He stopped just far enough from the others, then turned, his gaze sharp as it locked onto mine.

"You got something in your eye?" he asked, voice lower now.

I scowled. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with you dragging me away like that?" I asked, getting so irritated and pissed at his action.

"I’ll blow it for you."

I gaped at him. "What?"

"I said I’m going to blow it for you! You didn’t think I’d just stand there while another man got that close to your face, did you? When do you even start to grow closer to other men! This is an unknown territory and you’re already getting comfortable, acting all familiar with a fucking..."

"Ryan was just being kind! And what does that have to do with you? Who I get familiar with is my business not yours! So you don’t get to meddle in it!" I snapped angrily.

I wish I hadn’t said as soon as it came out because his eyes darkened almost immediately as his gaze hardened on me. He was emitting pheromones, so dark and raw that I felt my limbs growing soft.

My throat run dry and I gulped dryly, I couldn’t argue further, just petrified there by his Alpha aura,

Thankfully Irene suddenly appeared between us, her hands casually clasped in front of her.

"Alright, alright, you were out of sight, I thought you’re gone already, well why are you two here any..." she trailed off when she sensed how tense it was between us,

Kael let out a sharp breath through his nose, then, just like that, he let go of me, practically shoving me forward. I would go tumbling down if I didn’t catch myself in time. He turned and strode away, his mood visibly soured.

Irene sighed, then exchanged glances between me and his retreating back, "What is happening here?"

I ran a hand down my face. "I don’t know what his problem is. He was just..." I exhaled visibly frustrated,

She only smiled knowingly and said nothing more, only leading me back to the pine tree where people were now chanting,

"KAREN! KAREN! KAREN!"

The name was chanted by nearly everyone present, the sound full of excitement and admiration.

I turned, searching for the source, and that’s when I saw her.

A woman, tall and broad-shouldered, stood near the base of the pine tree, her dark skin glowing under the lantern light. Her dreadlocks were pulled back from her face, and when she smiled, it was bright, having the kind of warmth that could melt through winter itself.

So this is Karen?

She moved with confidence, weaving between the villagers with an ease that spoke of deep familiarity.

The children swarmed around her, tugging at her sleeves, showing her their kites and carvings. She laughed, ruffling their hair, giving each of them a moment of her time.

She carried an air of authority, but there was no stiffness to it, no weight of expectation. She was someone they respected, but more than that, they loved her obviously. And she’s an Alpha. A female Alpha.

I watched as she picked up a small girl and spun her around, the child’s delighted shriek ringing through the space.

For a moment, I forgot about Kael. Forgot about my own unease.

The celebration continued for a while longer, but as the day deepened, the atmosphere slowly began to change and it was growing dark.

By now, people had started to drift away, heading back to their homes I guess.

The lantern light seems brighter now since it was already dark around us.

After a while, there were only five of us left.

I glanced around, realizing Kael was nowhere to be seen. He left earlier, and he didn’t return after that. But why was he so angry? I saw nothing wrong in what happened so why was he making a fuss about it? And I hated to admit how scary he looked back then. I’ve gotten so used to the playful and sarcastic side of him, resulting in me forgetting this guy can be brutal.

But I didn’t have time to think about him.

Because now...

Now was the part where the real reason for this gathering began.