Sacred Flame: His Enemy, His Mate (BL) Chapter 103: Banging a friend’s man

Kain Locke

I didn’t stop dragging Kael until we were well outside the house. The cold air hit my face, but it didn’t do much to cool the heat crawling up my spine.

The second we were far enough, I yanked my hand away from his and turned on him, "What the hell was that back there?"

He looked at like I’d just asked what color the sky was. "What?"

My jaw clenched. That look on his face, composed, smug, like he didn’t just nearly cause a scene in front of everyone, made my blood boil.

"Don’t ’what’ ," I snapped. "Why were you picking a fight in there?"

Kael shrugged, eyes drifting past like the conversation didn’t matter. "I wasn’t."

"You weren’t?" I took a step closer. "You provoked him, Kael."

"Yeah, I did," he said, too casually. "Didn’t he have so grudge against as well? I was just helping him show it."

I let out a shaky breath, struggling to keep my voice from rising. "This isn’t a damn ga. You don’t get to waltz in and start ssing with people who have been there, who actually risked their all so I could be here, just because you feel like it. You don’t get it,do you?" I muttered. "Do you even have any idea of what it’s taken to build even a shred of peace here. And now you—"

"I do know," he cut in quietly.

I looked at him, and he looked... different. Not smug. Not cocky. Just tired.

"I know what it took you to survive, and I’m not here to destroy that. But I an every single thing I said in there, I really do miss you, and even though I know I don’t deserve coming back to you, but I couldn’t help it."

My breath hitched, but I masked it by looking away. I didn’t want to hear this. Not now. Not when everything in my life was already hanging by a thread.

"You can’t keep doing this," I said quietly. "Showing up, stirring things up, then acting like it’s justified."

"I’m aware you have every justified reason to be mad and hurt," he said. "But I’m not going to pretend like I don’t care either."

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, hard. This was too much.

"I need space," I said, stepping back. "Just... give a minute to breathe, Kael."

His jaw twitched, like he wanted to argue, but then he nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Alright," he said simply.

And sohow, that was more terrifying than anything he could’ve said. But I was glad at least that he didn’t try anything funny.

After so ti, minutes, maybe more, I stood there in silence, arms folded tight across my chest, whatever I wanted to say felt too heavy, and my chest was too tight to let them out.

Kael stayed where he was, a few steps away, just... waiting. No pushing. No smug remarks. Just stillness. Like he knew I needed space to untangle the storm inside .

Eventually, I spoke, my voice low and quiet. "What do you want?"

His answer ca without hesitation, "I said it inside already, and I’ll say it again, I want you. And my son."

My throat tightened and I turned to face him, eyes narrowed. "When did I ever give you the right to call him yours?"

His expression shifted, like I’d slapped him. Good, But he didn’t back down. He took a step closer, slow, like approaching a wounded animal.

"I know I wasn’t there. I know I didn’t even know. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s mine too."

I laughed, bitter and low. "You think biology is all it takes? You think you just showing up after five years on the train, and the fact that you’ve been communicating with him behind back then when you have him at your hideout makes you his father?"

"No," he admitted, his voice rough. "I don’t. I know I’ve missed everything that mattered. His first steps. His first words. Every scraped knee and night he cried. I missed all of it. And it kills . But I still want to try."

I looked away again, because if I didn’t, I might’ve scread. But to be true to myself, he is Brian’s father, and even though he wasn’t there, that didn’t change that fact. Plus the fact that although I don’t understand the man, but that night his father had Brian, after seeing the kind of power Caspian has over him made realize sothing.

He was no different from ... a puppet on strings. Maybe a rebellious one, but he’s still one.

And even though I tend to convince myself that he’s the villain, he has done several things to hurt . But that didn’t change the fact that the one who took everything from , was but his father. Not him.

So I was conflicted.

And hearing his apology... it didn’t make things better. It made it worse.

Because the truth is I wanted to hate him. Needed to. It was easier that way. Safer. Cleaner.

But I rembered that first month without him like it was branded into my bones.

It was hell.

Even though Alec and Audrey were there, even though they gave everything they could, I still found myself turning around, expecting to see his annoying face in the doorway. Still waited for that stupid smirk, that smug voice saying sothing reckless just to get under my skin.

I hated how much I missed him.

And maybe that’s the part that pissed off the most.

Because deep down, so stupid part of still wanted him around. Still hoped that maybe, just maybe, he’d show up. Apologize. Make it right.

And now he has.

But it just hurt all over again.

I looked at him standing there, hands shoved in his pockets like he didn’t know what to do with them, and for a second, I hated how human he looked.

Like soone who could actually feel sorry.

Like soone I used to love.

And I couldn’t tell anymore if I was angry at him or angry at myself for still caring.

I couldn’t form anything coherent to say, not with the way Kael was looking at , like I was still his to claim. So I just muttered, "You should probably get going."

But he didn’t move. Instead, he said, soft and sure, "I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to stay, Kain."

"You.."

"I want to stay. Wherever you are... that’s where I wanna be."

Damn him.

***

Later that evening,

I was trying not to think about it. I really was.

Audrey gestured toward the pie cooling on the cabinet. "Take that to the dining table, will you? I’ll be right behind you with the stew. Just in case Alec wants sothing warm for once."

I gave a small nod, picked it up, and headed toward the dining room. But just as I was placing the dish down, his voice murmured behind .

"Don’t you think he’s in a good mood today?" he said like he was trying not to laugh. "I can hardly believe that’s the sa crybaby from before. See? Tell you there’s a bright side to your man sticking around."

I didn’t even answer. Just rolled my eyes and gave him a glare as I looked toward the corner.

Brian was on the floor, giggling like crazy as Kael made so weird car noise and pushed a toy truck toward him.

That’s right, he refused to leave.

And all it took was the promise of a steady food and needs supply chain, and a couple of luxury brands for Audrey to practically roll out the damn welco mat and pull him inside the house.

I put the pie down on the table a little harder than necessary, turned to Audrey, and gave him a pointed look. "Why are you grinning like that?" I asked, watching him trying and failing to hold back a laugh with a confused look on my face.

Audrey’s lips twitched as she ladled soup into a bowl. Before she finally spoke up, a hand scratched the back of his neck like he was trying to play innocent. "It’s nothing. Just... thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

He bit his lip, clearly enjoying this way too much. "Now that your gorgeous man is here,"—he emphasized ’gorgeous’ in the most annoying tone possible—"and we’ve only got two bedrooms... I an, one’s already mine which I share with Alec. And you know he crashes on the couch most of the ti, which rules out the living room. So..."

I narrowed my eyes. "So what?"

"So," he said with a shit-eating grin, "Kael sharing a room with Alec is already off the table, after all you won’t want them ripping their throat out. And ? It’s not like I wouldn’t love to share my bed with him, but y’know... I don’t bang my friend’s man."

"He’s not—"

"I know, I know," he waved. "Your man, your Alpha or whatever, that is not the point. The point is, unless you’re kicking him out, that only leaves him sharing your room with you and Brian... also," his voice dropped into a whisper, "I can spare you a few condoms. Of course you can choose to go all raw, that will leave one more baby! Might even be a girl... exciting!"