Alpha's Dark Desires Chapter 76: Morning Embarrassment

Elena POV:

The fact that I was still very much naked and sprawled across Kane like a human blanket was bothering to no end. My brain was doing cartwheels trying to figure out how to gracefully extract myself from this situation. Spoiler alert: there was no graceful way to deal with this.

How did I even end up in this position? Oh, right—wine. Lots of it. And now here I was, pressed against a wall of muscle, practically glued to him. His arms were still firmly wrapped around , like I was so prized possession he refused to let go of. It was sweet...in an incredibly mortifying kind of way.

My body was pressed against his in a way that was...way too intimate. Every muscle, every inch of him was right there. I couldn’t even think properly. And of course, he didn’t seem to care at all. In fact, he was looking at like this was the most normal thing in the world.

"Kane," I mumbled, barely peeking up at him through my lashes.

"Hmm?" His deep, rumbly morning voice made my stomach flip in ways I wasn’t prepared to admit.

"I, uh...I need to get up," I stamred, awkwardly gesturing to the fact that I was naked. "You know...clothes?"

He smirked, his grip tightening for just a mont before he loosened his hold. "If you’re embarrassed, don’t be. I told you—I didn’t do anything. You stripped on your own, rember?"

"Don’t remind ," I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "This is all your fault. Who even lets soone drink that much wine?!"

"My fault?" His smirk turned into an amused grin as he arched an eyebrow at . "You’re the one who insisted you could handle it. Should I remind you how you told the waiter you could ’drink under the table’?"

I winced. "Okay, fair point. But you could’ve stopped ."

He chuckled, the sound sending a warm shiver down my spine. "Oh, I tried. You told I was ’no fun’ and that you were a ’free wolf.’"

Oh. My. Goddess. I was never leaving this bed—or this room—ever again.

"Just...stop talking," I muttered, attempting to wiggle out of his arms. But Kane, being the overgrown Alpha that he was, decided that was the perfect mont to hold tighter.

"You’re going to have to face eventually, you know," he teased, his voice low and filled with amusent.

I shook my head, my face still buried in my hands. "Nope. I’ll stay right here. Forever."

He laughed softly, the sound vibrating through his chest and against my cheek. "Elena, it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before. Last night wasn’t exactly subtle."

"That’s not the point!" I snapped, finally lifting my head to glare at him. Big mistake. His stupidly handso face was just inches away, and his eyes were filled with a mix of amusent and...sothing softer. Sothing that made my stomach twist in knots.

"Then what’s the point?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"The point is...I don’t know!" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. Oh, great. Now I was pouting like a child. Real mature, Elena.

Kane grinned, his gaze dropping briefly before flicking back up to et mine. "If it helps, you look adorable when you’re flustered."

I groaned, burying my face in his chest again. "You’re impossible."

"And you’re perfect," he said, his voice softer now. The sudden sincerity caught off guard, and I found myself glancing up at him again. His expression had shifted, the teasing gone and replaced by sothing far more serious. "Elena, you don’t have to be embarrassed. Not with ."

His words hit square in the chest, and for a mont, I forgot how to breathe. How was this man—this overbearing, infuriating, perfectly annoying man—so good at disarming ?

Kane shrugged, completely unbothered. "You weren’t complaining last night."

I stared at him, utterly mortified. "Kane!"

He laughed, sitting up and ruffling his already ssy hair. "Relax, Elena. I told you, nothing happened. And believe , it wasn’t easy keeping my hands to myself."

The way he said it, his voice low and rough, sent a shiver down my spine. Damn him for being so effortlessly sexy.

"Right," I muttered, trying to focus on not ogling him. "Well, thanks for...you know, not taking advantage of ."

His expression softened, and he leaned closer, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I’d never do that, Elena. You an too much to ."

My heart did that annoying fluttery thing again, and I hated how much his words affected . I wanted to stay mad at him—or at least embarrassed—but it was impossible when he looked at like that.

"Still," I said, trying to regain so control of the situation, "maybe next ti, let’s avoid the whole drunken nakedness thing, yeah?"

He grinned, leaning back on his elbows. "Agreed. But for the record, I think you look beautiful either way."

I gaped at him, unsure whether to be flattered or furious. "Kane!"

"What?" he said, completely unapologetic. "Just being honest."

I groaned, throwing a pillow at his head. He caught it effortlessly, laughing as he tossed it aside.

"Okay, fine," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I’ll stop."

"Fine," I muttered, still avoiding his gaze as I shifted off him and tugged the blanket around like a makeshift toga. "But I’m still getting dressed."

Kane smirked, leaning back against the headboard with an infuriatingly smug look on his face. "Take your ti. I’m enjoying the view."

I grabbed a pillow and chucked it at his head. Unfortunately, his reflexes were annoyingly good, and he caught it with ease, laughing like the cocky Alpha he was.

"Keep that up, and I might start thinking you like ," he teased.

I huffed, turning on my heel and marching toward the bathroom. "Don’t push your luck, Kane."

As I closed the door behind , I could still hear his laughter echoing through the room. Stupid Alpha. Stupid wine. Stupid everything. But as I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I couldn’t stop the small smile that tugged at my lips. Maybe waking up in his arms wasn’t entirely terrible after all.

Kane POV:

Waking up with Elena sprawled across , soft and warm, was one of those rare monts I’d call perfect. Or at least it would’ve been if she weren’t so tense, her body practically vibrating with embarrassnt as she realized her current...undressed predicant. It took everything I had not to laugh outright because, knowing her, she’d probably knee sowhere I’d rather not think about.

She shifted slightly, her head nestled against my chest, and muttered sothing incoherent. I tilted my head to catch her words. "What was that?" I asked, keeping my voice low so I didn’t spook her.

She peeked up at , her face pinker than the dawn outside. "Kane...I, uh, need to get up. Clothes. I need clothes."

Ah, so we were back to shy Elena. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find it adorable. But instead of teasing her like I wanted to, I smirked and tightened my hold around her, just for a mont. "If you’re embarrassed, don’t be," I said casually. "I told you—I didn’t do anything. You stripped on your own, rember?"

Her groan was muffled as she buried her face in her hands, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. "Don’t remind ," she muttered. "This is all your fault! Who even lets soone drink that much wine?!"

"My fault?" I raised an eyebrow, genuinely amused now. "You’re the one who insisted you could handle it. Or did you forget telling the waiter you could ’drink under the table’?"

The glare she shot could’ve lted steel. "Okay, fine. Fair point. But you could’ve stopped ."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I tried. You told I was ’no fun’ and declared yourself a ’free wolf.’" That earned another groan from her, and I couldn’t help it—I laughed. She was impossibly cute when flustered.

"Just stop talking," she muttered, wriggling in my arms like a trapped kitten. Of course, I tightened my grip again, because why make this easy for her?

"You’re going to have to face eventually," I teased, my smirk widening as I watched her squirm.

"Nope," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "I’ll stay right here. Forever."

I let out another laugh, the sound vibrating through both of us. "Elena, it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before. Last night wasn’t exactly subtle."

"That’s not the point!" she snapped, finally lifting her head to glare at . And damn, she was beautiful—even with her ssy hair and a scowl that could scare lesser wolves. But I wasn’t lesser, and I couldn’t stop the grin that spread across my face.

"Then what is the point?" I asked, genuinely curious now.

"The point is..." She hesitated, her face going redder by the second. "I don’t know!"

I chuckled again, shaking my head at her adorable frustration. "If it helps," I said, leaning in slightly, "you look adorable when you’re flustered."

Her groan of frustration this ti was louder, and she dropped her face back onto my chest. "You’re impossible," she muttered.

"And you’re perfect," I replied softly, the teasing edge leaving my voice. Because as much fun as it was to rile her up, the truth was I ant every word. She was perfect—flaws, awkwardness, and all. And I needed her to know that.

Her head lifted slightly, her gaze eting mine for a brief mont before darting away. "Fine," she muttered, clearly flustered. But instead of facing , she shifted off , yanking the blanket around her like she was preparing to fight off an army. "But I’m still getting dressed."

I leaned back against the headboard, smirking as I watched her. "Take your ti. I’m enjoying the view."

Her reaction was imdiate. She grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at my head. Unfortunately for her, I caught it with ease, laughing as her scowl deepened. "Keep that up, and I might start thinking you like ," I teased.

She huffed, turning on her heel and stomping toward the bathroom. "Don’t push your luck, Kane," she snapped, slamming the door behind her.

I laughed to myself, shaking my head. Goddess, she was sothing else. Feisty, stubborn, and so damn easy to fluster. But as much fun as it was to tease her, I couldn’t help the warmth spreading through my chest. She was mine—and not just in the mate bond sense. I wanted her in every way, not just for her body, but for everything she was.

As I settled back against the bed, a small smile tugging at my lips, I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I was. Sure, she’d probably kill for thinking it, but waking up with her like this—even if it was a bit chaotic—felt right. And for once, I wasn’t worried about the past or the future. All I cared about was keeping her here, in my arms, for as long as she’d let .