CHAPTER 16
An all-consuming rage hit Alec like a Mack truck. He hadn’t even realized he growled until he saw Kian look back at him with an odd expression on his face. His usual control was gone, leaving only the need to kill.
Acting on instinct, he took several steps toward the room he entered. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, probably knock down the door before punching the guy who dared touch Kian. A smile came to him at the thought of hitting him, breaking his nose.
Not paying attention to anything else going on, Alec hadn’t noticed that several people had been watching him. The intent in his eyes was clear to all around him. His walk was more like an animal hunting its prey. The crowd parted as he stalked forward. There was no one who was willing to get in the way, afraid of what he would do.
No one, that is, except Kavi. Steps away from the door, his hands clenched into fist as he prepared to break it down when Kavi planted himself in his path. With his arms crossed casually over his chest, eyebrows raised in question, Kavi asked, “Just where do you think you’re going?”
His voice was low and menacing. “Out of my way.”
He saw the fear in his brown eyes that had flecks of amber in them, not that Alec cared. The only eyes he wanted to stare into were cerulean blue that often seemed to cling to his like a lifeline.
There was no denying the predator in him was more than a little excited to see it in Kavi’s fear, but he wasn’t the object of his rage. The only person he wanted to see tremble in terror was that asshole, John, who’d dared to put his hands on Kian, who belonged to Alec and only Alec. But Kavi stood his ground and challenged him. “Why, so you can hurt him again?”
The words were sharp, striking him like a sword through the heart. Alec tried not to wince at the too accurate barb he’d thrown at him. As if he’d stuck a pin in a balloon, the rage that had consumed Alec drained from his body. He’d promised himself he’d stay away from Kian, yet, there he was following him - no stalking him.
His shoulders sagged in defeat and he didn’t say anything. Kian deserved to be happy. How could Alec stand in his way with another guy? His hands clenched at the thought of Kian with someone else. The fury returned in full force even as he knew he didn’t have any right to feel it.
Kavi watched his turmoil, refusing to budge from the spot in front of him. “Look, I don’t know what your deal is but if you want to be with Kian, then be with him.” He pointed at the door Kian had entered. “Go in there, stop him from making a big mistake and tell him how you feel.”
Kavi’s finger swung from the door to Alec’s face. “But I am warning you.” There was steel in Kavi’s voice as he said, “If you do, don’t even think about changing your mind. You’ve fucked with his head enough and I know how to handle a gun. I can – and will – change you from a rooster to a hen in one shot. Got me?” Fuck, Kavi was scary. Returning to his original pose with his arms crossed, Kavi asked. “So are you man enough to do what’s right?”
Then he walked away, leaving Alec standing there trying to figure out what the right thing was. Suddenly, as if answering his prayers, Kian opened the door practically running out of the room and right into his arms.
He couldn’t imagine why his prayers had been answered but he knew what he had to do and Alec wasn’t about to ruin it again by pushing his mate away. It was time for him to man up and admit his feelings for Kian.
He just hoped it didn’t get them both killed.
Kian hadn’t been able to look away from that big bed. He’d closed his eyes a couple of times, willing it to not be there when he opened them. Yet, each and every time it not only was there, but it seemed to be taunting him for his stupidity. Lips touched his neck making his senses even more disoriented.
He desperately tried to mentally clear his head, but no matter what he did, the room continued to spin making it impossible to focus. Kian once more attempted to concentrate when his stomach lurched. Without any more warning than that, he started throwing up.
“Son of a bitch.” John yelled before he ran into the bathroom.
The fog lifted a bit as Kian had gotten rid of some of the alcohol. It wasn’t a lot, but enough to spur him into bolting from the room. Only he would end up literally running straight into the person he’d been avoiding in the first place.
“This is all your fault.” Kian didn’t know what made him say that. Then again, thinking wasn’t exactly his forte at the moment. It was hard to have a clear thought when his head was spinning too much to make sense of anything. Nor did it help that Alec was near, causing what few brain cells that had been working to go on the fritz. This was Alec’s fault.
Not caring that others could hear, Kian yelled, “What’s wrong with me that you can’t love me?” The moment the words left his mouth, Kian’s brain came back online. Mortified at what he’d said, he took off. If he was lucky, no one would follow him, especially Alec. Then again, what part of his miserable life had him believing for an instant that luck would be on his side?
Racing from the party, Kian tried his best to make it home. The further he went, the more he realized running hadn’t been a good idea.
Not that it could truly have been called running. Stumbling would be a better description. Everything around him was spinning, including the sidewalk he was doing his best to walk along. If he could just make it home, Kian swore he would never drink again, no matter what.
Oh God . He was going to be sick again. Bending over some bushes, Kian threw up. His hand was pressed against the trunk of the tree trying to stop him from falling into the bushes as his stomach rolled again.
Heat sufficed his body as he held his hair out of the way with his other hand. It felt like he was getting a fever - the heat spread across his back when he stood up. A hand wrapped around Kian’s waist pulling him against a rock hard body. Alec.
“Are you alright?” he whispered, causing Kian to silently berate himself for the desire that swept through him at having Alec near.
All he could manage in response was a groan. Words meant thinking and that just wasn’t possible when his head wouldn’t stop spinning long enough to do that.
Suddenly, he was lifted off the ground and cradled in Alec’s arms. Too woozy to protest, Kian curled against his chest resting his head against Alec’s shoulder.
He carried Kian as if he was nothing more than a feather. “Don’t you get tired of always rescuing me?” The question was more of a moan than true words but clearly Alec understood them.
Chuckling a little, Alec replied, “Not at all.”
“You should put me down or I might just throw up on you,” Kian warned.
And damn if Alec hadn’t given the perfect answer. “It will wash off. Plus it will give me a reason to finally do laundry. But there is nothing in this world or mine that would stop me from holding you.”
Why? Just why did he have to be so damn sweet? Kian needed to remember each and every time Alec had rejected him instead of this moment. So why had those times fled from his memories suddenly?
Was he destined to endure one torture after another? Between hoping each foster family would want to keep him, to praying that Alec would finally admit he cared for Kian, it was as if he refused to learn that all important lesson. No one wanted him. Yet, snuggled in Alec’s arms, Kian found himself once again praying this would be the time Alec would finally accept what Kian was positive was happening between them.
“I do accept we have something special, Kian. Never believe I don’t feel the connection between us,” Alec said, causing Kian to cringe that he’d said all that out loud. Stupid alcohol.
Alec chuckled. “I admit you should probably stop drinking but I like the fact that you are saying what you’re feeling. Just know, it isn’t that I don’t care, but there are other forces that are interfering with us being together.”
Humiliated that he couldn’t seem to stop from speaking every thought out loud, Kian buried his head in Alec’s chest letting the blackness shut out everything else.