Sacred Flame: His Enemy, His Mate (BL)-Chapter 80: holding back

Of course, it was Alec.

My chest tensed up for a second—not because I was scared, but because I’d honestly forgotten about him. Which... made me feel kind of bad. I hadn’t seen him since that day. The one where he suddenly got called away and left without saying anything. That same day I ended up stuck on Kael’s floor and, well... everything spiraled from there.

A lot had happened.

Alec walked over, casual like always, holding two bags of chips he had just pulled from the vending machine.

He dragged a chair next to mine and plopped into it with a soft thud.

"Where have you been?" he asked, eyeing me in that straightforward way he always did.

I cleared my throat, trying to sit a little straighter. "Sorting some stuff out," I said vaguely, skipping the part where I almost got sandwiched by two trailers, how I’d fallen into the water, got chased by dogs, kissed into oblivion, and then carried through the hallway like a bag of rice. No need to bring all that up right now.

Alec tilted his head. "No one seemed to know where you went. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d see you back here tonight."

That made me blink. So... he hadn’t heard about the Kael hallway incident? Thank god. Thinking about it, I didn’t see him during dinner either.

I tried not to look too relieved. "I haven’t seen you around either," I said, keeping my tone casual.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I went on the last mission. Half the base did. It was a mess." Then, after a pause, he added with a soft laugh, "Actually, I’ve been looking for you. Wanted to apologize for leaving so suddenly back then. I didn’t mean to just disappear."

My eyes flicked toward him. I remembered how rushed he’d looked that day. Like someone had yanked him out of here with a tight leash. I’d been curious, but I kept the question to myself. Whatever, or whoever, that was, or what he went to do that day probably wasn’t my business. And I didn’t want to pry.

He didn’t seem too eager to talk about it either. He Just gave me a quiet nod and then held out one of the chip bags. "Are you here alone?" he said, glancing back.

I reached out, about to accept it, when another hand suddenly swooped in and snatched the bag straight from his fingers.

"I will take that. "

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

But I still did. And there he was, Kael, standing behind me, just that, his usual irksome smile wasn’t on his face, rather he looked... Pissed. He wasn’t even holding the food he went to get.

I blinked at him. "Did you just...?"

"You look like you could use some help. So I accept it for you." he answered.

"Well..." I gulped hard, switching glances between them. "Uh... guys?"

Alec smiled a little and said with his eyes still locked on kael, "it never strikes me you would fancy something like this. After all, I never could’ve thought I’d one day see Kael dreaven with a snack, no less snatching one."

The air snapped taut immediately and, even though Kael’s expression didn’t change, but I swear the temperature dropped two degrees lower.

What is Alec also doing??? I’ve heard quite some sort of things about him. But I never knew he was courageous to the extent of talking back to Kael. Prior to the fact that I didn’t even have that courage until recently, and I was so darn sure it was because of the interest he said he had in me that he wasn’t getting mad over it.

"Neither do I recall asking for your opinion," Kael said slowly, tossing the chip aside like it was a dirtbag and finally stepping around the chair. He stood right in front of Alec now, inches away.

"The chips were meant for kain. You could’ve just got one from the machine yourself other than getting in the way to get what’s not yours, only to throw it all away."

Kael’s smile was cold. The kind that makes your skin crawl.

"Kael..." I stood, trying to wedge myself between them like a human wall. I know fully well where this is likely going to end. "He was only being friendly by offering that chips... There’s..."

"It’s not about the chips," Kael said, cutting me off before I could finish talking.

"Really?" Alec laughed, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Because from here, it kind of looks like you’re about to throw hands over a bag of snacks."

Why would he talk back? Didn’t he see I’m trying to get things into control here?

Kael smiled. It wasn’t the kind you’ll find on a comedy show.

It was the kind of smile you see in nightmares. Quiet. Cold. Lethal.

"Gutsy." He said,

Then before I could blink or even stop him,

Smack.

The sound echoed across the cafeteria as Kael’s backhand struck Alec’s cheek, hard enough to send him stumbling off the chair.

"Kael!" I gasped, grabbing his arm. "What the hell?!"

Alec held his cheek, breath heavy. But even with a red mark blooming across his face, he looked up at Kael with something between a smirk and a challenge.

Kael’s voice dropped, dark and sharp. "You touch what’s mine, or talk to me like that again—and something else will be piercing through your skull."

"Okay! Enough!" I shoved Kael back, not that he moved much. "Can someone please tell me what’s going on here? Why are you two acting like you’re in some kind of turf war?"

Neither of them answered.

Kael was still glaring at Alec, shoulders tense, fists twitching like he was holding himself back. Alec, despite the blow, didn’t look scared. I could say he looked more of frustrated.

"We were just talking."

"Exactly," Kael hissed. "Just talking. That’s all it takes, right? A few nice words and suddenly you forget who’s been beside you this whole time?" he huffed out before stepping back and ran a hand through his hair. He looked like he wanted to tear the whole place apart, but he was keeping it together—for now

My brows furrowed. "Wait—what?"

"Tell him to stay away from you. Or next time, I won’t use the back of my hand."

"Come on," he said right after, grabbing my wrist firmly. "We’re leaving."

"Where to?"

"I brought you here, and I get to decide when to leave. "

"But.." I glanced back at Alec, who was now rubbing his cheek with an expression I couldn’t read at that moment.

And honestly?

I had no idea what the hell just happened.

Kael didn’t say a word. He just started pulling me up the stairs like I weighed nothing.

"Kael—hey—let go," I muttered, but he didn’t even look back even as he took the stairs.

By the time we reached the second floor, I’d had enough.

I finally yanked my hand away from his grip, "Seriously, what the hell is your problem?"

He stopped, turning toward me slowly like a storm cloud in human form. "My problem?"

"Yes!" I snapped, "You just hit someone out of nowhere and dragged me like a sack of potatoes, what’s gotten into you?"

"He was touching you."

I blinked. "He handed me chips."

He took a step closer with his eyes darkening at me. "Yeah. A chip. He handed you a bag of chips all while looking at you like you belonged to him."

"Belonged?" I asked, folding my arms tightly. "There isn’t anything like that, he was just being nice!"

"Exactly," he said, voice low. "You never notice. You don’t see how they look at you."

"You’re being unreasonable, even with that. It doesn’t mean you can go around hitting people just because you don’t like the way they look at me."

Kael’s fingers twitched at his side. "I told you," he muttered. "I’m not holding back anymore."

"Then try telling me things, Kael. Talk. Don’t punch. Don’t drag. Don’t act like I’m some object that needs guarding." At least we’re two mature people.

His face twitched slightly, something flickering in his eyes. I wasn’t sure if it was guilt or confusion or both.

"I just—" he started, but the words trailed off.

I took a step back. "You can’t just appear when it suits you and blow everything up. If you want something from me, then you damn well better say it."

"How many times do I have to say it? It’s not anything you don’t know! I want you. I said it before. And you knew it."

Kael looked like he wanted to say more. His jaw clenched, then unclenched, and his hand went through his hair again like he needed to physically force the storm out of himself. His chest rose and fell rapidly. He was seething—but not the kind of fury that made him reckless. No, this was something deeper. It was the frustration of wanting something so badly and not being able to touch it without ruining it.

I stared, unsure what to do with the weight between us. His words kept echoing in my head.

Damn him.

"Why do you do this?" I whispered. "Say things like that and then shut down again?"

Kael’s eyes snapped to mine. "Because every time I get close to you, you pull back like I’m a curse, some kind of plague. But the moment someone else looks at you—"

"You can’t go around attacking people for that," I cut in, heat flaring in my chest.

He took a step forward, and I immediately backed up, only to find the wall behind me. My breath caught.

"You want the truth?" he asked, voice like gravel and heat. "Fine. I hate it. I hate the way they look at you. I hate when you smile at them when you never did a little of it with me. I also fucking hate it when you talk to other people, laugh with them like you’re not mine. And yeah—maybe you’re not, not officially, but don’t act like nothing happened between us."

I swallowed hard, my spine pressed against the wall now. His presence loomed over me, warm and wild and impossible to ignore.

"You say you hate me," Kael murmured, stepping into my space, so close I could feel his breath. "But if you’re not going to admit you like me, then..."

He leaned in, voice dropping into a dangerous whisper, "You wouldn’t mind coming into the room again, right? You like it when I kiss you senseless, when you lose your mind when you come undone, don’t you?"

My breath hitched.

He didn’t wait for an answer. His hand came up, bracing the wall beside my head as his mouth found mine with a force that left me stunned.

He kissed me senseless, hungry, desperate, like he was trying to taste every part of me he couldn’t have before. My fingers curled into his shirt out of instinct, holding on because my legs felt like they might give out. His body pressed into mine, and—

Shit.

He pulled away just enough to murmur against my lips, his forehead still resting against mine.

"Look at you always declaring hate..." he said, voice low and mocking. "But now you’re rock hard for me." he brushed his hand over my erection as he looked down.

My heart thudded like a war drum. I hated him. I wanted him. I didn’t know where one emotion ended and the other began anymore. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Kael stepped back, slowly, like he was forcing himself to. I hated the emptiness instantly.

Then he whispered with a smirk that didn’t quite reach his eyes, "Goodnight, Locke."

He turned, walked down the hall, opened his door, and slammed it shut right in my face.

And there I stood, back against the wall, my entire body still burning from his touch, my mind completely blank.

Normally he wouldn’t leave without looking back... But now he.. was he really angry?