Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers-Chapter 645: His Beef With The Record Book

Kieran:

I walked out of the bathroom with a towel draped over my shoulders, still rubbing my hair dry.

Water droplets clung stubbornly to my skin, sliding down my chest and over my abs as the warm air of the bedroom welcomed me. Normally, I would have bothered putting on a shirt before stepping out.

But tonight?

Tonight the plan had been very different.

Tonight the plan had been to seduce my mate.

Unfortunately, the moment I stepped into the bedroom, I realized my carefully imagined plan had already failed.

Evaline was sitting at the study desk.

Again.

Her entire attention was locked onto the thick record book spread open in front of her. One elbow rested on the desk while the fingers of her other hand absentmindedly traced a line of text as she read.

She was completely absorbed in the book, completely unaware of the world around her.

Or at least… that's what it looked like.

My eyes narrowed slightly.

Over the past month or so, I had developed a very personal problem with that book.

A very serious problem.

Because apparently that thing received more of her attention in one night than I managed to get in an entire week.

Which was honestly insulting.

I leaned against the doorframe for a moment, watching her quietly.

Her long was pulled up. The outer gown of her nightdress had slipped down her left shoulder, leaving her shoulder bare expect for the thin strap of her inner gown. The warm light of the desk lamp casted a golden glow over her face.

She looked beautiful, focused, completely lost in whatever secrets that book held.

And I was starting to hate it more and more every day.

I pushed away from the doorframe and walked into the room, still rubbing my hair with the towel.

Before I could even say a word...

"Go to bed first."

I froze.

She hadn't even looked up from the book.

"I still need to read more," she added calmly.

Another blow.

My jaw tightened slightly.

So she had sensed me entering the room after all. And yet… the book still won.

Unbelievable.

But I wasn't giving up that easily.

I walked over to the desk and stopped right beside her chair. Then I leaned back against the wooden desk, folding my arms across my chest while staring down at her.

That finally got her attention.

Her amber eyes slowly lifted from the page, moved up, and then… they paused.

Her gaze traveled across my bare chest. Then over my abs. Then finally returned to my face.

For a brief moment, hope sparked inside me... until she spoke - "You should dry your hair properly before going to bed."

Silence filled the room.

My arms slowly dropped to my sides, and I just stared at her while she looked back at me innocently... like she hadn't just crushed my pride as a man.

I reached forward without another word.

Before she could react, I grabbed her by the waist and lifted her straight out of the chair.

"Ki-!"

A second later she was sitting on the edge of the desk instead.

I shifted immediately, trapping her there between my body and the desk. Then I planted my one hand firmly beside her on the wooden surface, and with my other hand, I reached over…

And snapped the book shut.

The loud thud echoed in the quiet room.

Evaline blinked at me in complete shock. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked up at my face.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then she tilted her head slightly. "Why are you looking mad?"

I let out a short breath.

"How can I not be mad?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"When you are giving that damn book more attention than me."

The moment the words left my mouth, I noticed the tiny flinch in her expression - not because I was harsh, but because of how I had referred to the book.

Her lips twitched slightly.

"You must be really mad," she said softly.

"Why?"

"You called it the damn book." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

I didn't even bother denying it.

She sighed quietly. Then her gaze softened.

"I'm sorry."

That caught me off guard.

"For ignoring you," she added.

Her fingers rested lightly against my chest as she spoke.

"And the others too."

I frowned slightly.

"Eva-"

But she shook her head gently. "It's not like I'm not aware." Her voice grew quieter. "I never mean to ignore the people around me."

Her eyes drifted briefly toward the closed book.

"But I keep getting immersed in things… and then I unconsciously pull away from everyone else."

Her gaze returned to mine.

"I never mean to hurt any of you."

Something inside my chest twisted slightly.

Great.

Now I felt like a complete jerk.

"Stop," I said quickly.

She blinked in surprise and asked, "Why?"

"Because now I'm the one feeling guilty."

A soft laugh escaped her.

Then she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer.

The warmth of her body pressed against mine as she looked up at me with that gentle smile of hers.

"So," she murmured. "What did you want to do?"

My brain suddenly decided this was the perfect time to forget how to function.

All the confidence I had walked out of the bathroom with earlier?

Gone.

Completely gone.

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Isn't it obvious?" I muttered.

Her smile widened. One of her hands slid up to my chin and she tilted my head slightly so I had no choice but to meet her gaze.

Her eyes sparkled with quiet amusement for a moment, then she leaned forward... and kissed me.

It wasn't a teasing kiss. Or a playful one.

It was soft.

Sweet.

Her lips brushed against mine gently before lingering there for a moment longer.

My breath caught slightly in my throat.

When she finally pulled back, she moved closer to my ear. Her warm breath brushed against my skin as she whispered, "I like your idea of spending the night."

My heart jumped.

But before I could respond... the bedroom door suddenly opened.

Both of us turned as River stepped inside like this was the most normal thing in the world.

He looked between us calmly.

"Do you mind," he asked casually, "if I join?"

And just like that…

The night got a lot more interesting.