Sacred Flame: His Enemy, His Mate (BL) Chapter 82: Turning around

Kael dreaven

How...?

How could I have lost it like that?

I gritted my teeth, knuckles turning white as the scene replayed in my mind like a curse I couldn’t shake.

My voice. The way it shook with anger. And the kind of look on his face when he flinched because he was afraid of .

I scared him away.

The worst part?

I saw the effort he made to care. The small cracks in his walls. The quiet concern in his voice when he spoke to ... like he was reaching out. And how he’ll throw his shits out when I get hurt.

And now?

I ruined it all.

"Damn it!" I slamd my fist into the table. It rattled under the weight of my frustration, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing was.

Didn’t I promise myself I’d be patient? That I’d take it slow and not push him, not break what little fragile thread of what we had left between us?

Now he probably hates more than he claid to.

When I saw him with the Beta last night, I completely lost it. Even the lady who was making food at that hour probably would curse out when she realized there’s no one left at the cafeteria to feed what she made to.

I just got so annoyed at how naive he acts, how he sits calmly in front of the other man and couldn’t tell they probably have their eyes on him.

I dragged my hand down my face, breathing hard, my thoughts loud and chaotic.

Why does everything keep turning out the exact opposite of what I want?

Just when he was starting to see .

Just when he looked at without pulling away like he used to.

Just when maybe—maybe—there was still a chance to make him reciprocate what I had for him.

Why now?

Why this?

The air in my room felt too heavy. So heavy I couldn’t sit still.

And it has been like this since I woke up early this morning.

I grabbed my communicator from the bed, shoved it into my pocket, and reached for my jacket.

I needed to get out of here. Out of the base. Away from these suffocating thoughts.

I couldn’t face him like this.

Not while the mory of him walking away still burned behind my eyes.

Not while I still felt like screaming at myself.

Not while I knew that if I saw him now, I’m not sure I’m not going to make a bigger ss out of the ss it is now.

I stepped into the hallway, shoulders tense, footsteps quick and angry just like when I walked into my room and slamd the door shut last night.

And to say sowhere deep down, I wished he’d stop yesterday, That he’d show up from behind or knock at that door and say sothing. Anything.

But it never happened,

And silence was all I had.

I walked out of the base and made my way into the woods until I was out in the open.

The wind hit differently on the island.

Cold, sharp, and clean, unlike the stale, tense air of the base. It didn’t ease the chaos in my chest, but at least it gave space to breathe.

The ship was already waiting. I got on it quickly, shoulders hunched like I was trying to shake off sothing still clinging to .

I clenched my jaw.

Rembering the fact that I had planned sothing today. Sothing simple, but aningful.

I was going to take Kain on a cruise ride. Let him see the sea—let him breathe in the horizon the way I used to when things got too loud in my head. I thought... maybe it would help him too. That just maybe, he’d smile and laugh.

But as it turned out...

I scared him instead.

I ruined it.

Jay stepped out of the ship as well, looking as tall and solid as ever. His dark red hair was tied up loosely, a few strands brushing across his cheek as the wind tousled it. He was lighting a roll of tobacco until he noticed .

The mont his gaze caught mine, he snuffed the fla out with two fingers and tucked the roll back into his trousers pocket.

"I saw your ssage," He said, his voice steady, but there was a hint of uncertainty. "Where would you like to go this ti?"

"Anywhere," I muttered, brushing past him. "As long as it’s far from here."

He fell into step beside , nodding as if he expected nothing less.

"Is Caspian here?" he asked, almost hesitantly and I scoffed.

"Is that what you thought? You assud that was the reason I wanted out of here?"

"No, no—" He quickly corrected himself, a small frown pulling at his lips. "I just... thought, with the sudden ssage I got from you earlier, maybe he ca here after all."

"No," I said. "Shouldn’t he be in his fortress?"

He shook his head. "Left. Didn’t say where. Not even his bodyguards know."

That made pause.

He gave a sideways look. "Honestly, when I saw your ssage, I thought maybe he ca here."

Jay was among the few people that worked for in secret, he had no plenty job than to stay behind the screen and watch the little footage he could access in father’s house, so we rarely see each other except for the night at the party where he had made so snarky remarks about kain which really got on my nerves.

I shook my head. "No. He’s not here."

He humd, more to himself than to . "Strange..."

I didn’t answer that. I didn’t want to go down that rabbit hole. Instead, I asked, "So... who’s watching over the system while you’re out here?"

"My little brother."

I exhaled through my nose, "He’s back?" I asked, staring at him, brows slightly furrowed. "Thought you wanted him away from a life like this..."

Jay didn’t answer right away. His eyes avoided mine for a mont, "He managed to track down," he finally said, voice low. "Said... so friend of his got kidnapped."

Friend, huh?

I stared at him for a beat.

"Tch..." I chuckled lightly and leaned back against the railing. "Got so smoke there?"

Jay looked at like I’d grown two heads.

"Thought you quit," he said.

I shrugged. "A stick or two sotis won’t hurt."

Without another word, he turned around and went inside. A few seconds later, he ca back with a crumpled cigarette pack and a scratched-up lighter. He handed them to quietly.

I lit one, took a slow puff. The smoke hit my lungs rougher than I expected. It had been a while. Too long, maybe.

"Tastes like I rember," I muttered, handing the lighter back.

He lit one for himself too.

He looked away, blowing smoke toward the sea breeze. "Didn’t think you’d actually ask for it."

I let out a dry chuckle. "You still rember I hate the sll of tobacco."

He nods

Fair enough.

The wind brushed past us, quiet for a mont. I watched the gray sky blue with the endless tal skyline,

"Where’s the ship headed?" I asked.

"So place at the south deck," he replied. "We were tracking activity in that sector. Would you like to stay in a hotel when you get off so I can make an arrangent for that?"

I stared at him for a mont. He didn’t look in the eye.

"Turn it around."

Jay blinked. "Sir?"

I didn’t repeat myself

If it were before, I would’ve let him know there’s no use calling sir, but I guessed he got himself used to it again after the boundaries he scale through the last ti by thinking kain was a bitch, even saying it to his face. After all, I purposefully invited him to the party. But not to insult that person.

Anyway,

Caspian... Jay said he was out. But things don’t just vanish. Power like that doesn’t just disappear. And then there’s that damn android copy that ca by the other day... the way it moved, everything about it was suspicious.

But what really got was the logo on the docunt it carried, which obviously belonged to my mother’s company.

There’s no way that logo should show up in my father’s house, unless he’s trying to take steps ahead of this ti. Even if he hadn’t started on it already.

"Didn’t they say father is out?" I said, mostly to myself. This is probably one in a hundred events. Because he rarely leaves that house of his unless it’s for an important reason

"Definitely. Went out this morning."

I dropped the half-smoked cigarette and crushed it beneath my boot. Then I looked him in the eye, smirking just a little.

"Change of plans. I’m infiltrating my father’s fortress today."