Kacie
A temple in Viktor’s temple pulses fiercely and for a moment, we stare at each other. My whole body clenches up when my mate’s eyes linger on me. I feel an explosion of angst and hope spread through my body.
“Look,” Jake says. Viktor’s eyes dart to him and if looks could kill, Jake would be a dead man. I don’t miss the shudder that takes over his body as he looks Viktor straight in the eye. “It’s not as bad as you think, Viktor. If you’d let me explain—,”
“You’ll address me as Alpha,” Viktor growled. “I think I’ve got a clear picture of what happened last night without you giving me fucking details, Beta,” Viktor said, his voice as cold as his glare. The calm anger radiated from him and I feared for Jake. All I could do was stare at him, I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to ask him what I could do to make this better but the words were stuck in my throat.
Jake moved beside me and took a seat on the sectional. I followed him and sat on the other side of the sectional and fidgeted with my fingers.
“This was supposed to be a romantic trip for us. We’ve been busy with training and protecting the pack, I figured it was time for a much-needed break. I purchased this for us to come to when we had time for ourselves,” Viktor said. “I spoke to the elders, drove hours to come back to you, bought flowers in town, and walked in on you with my Beta.”
My lip trembled.
I know how much he hurts. I can feel his pain and it’s suffocating. My heart breaks knowing I’ve done this to him, to us. I wrap my arms around myself protectively as tears prick my eyes again. I’ve still got some to spare.
“I think you need to listen to me,” Jake said as he leaned forward.
“Is that a fucking challenge?” Viktor asked. “No, YOU listen. You don’t get to speak. If I was half the Alpha I’m supposed to be, you would have already been dead.”
None of us say a word. The air is thick with tension and I squeeze one of my fingers tightly between my thumb and my index finger.
“What are we doing here, Alpha?” Jake repeated my question. “If you aren’t going to kill us, why are we here?” He asked. My mate doesn’t bat an eye and I squirm.
What the fuck have we done?
“Did you think of me?” Viktor asked. I gasped and lifted my head to look at my mate. I was surprised to find the question wasn’t aimed at me. My mate’s eyes were on Jake, our Beta, our friend. An emotion flickered through his expression and he fought it tooth and nail before giving in.
“Yes,” Jake confessed.
“Yes, what?” Viktor asked in that calm cold tone.
“Yes, Alpha,” Jake answered.
“Did she come for you?” Viktor asked and memories of last night flashed across my mind.
“Yes,” Jake whispered. I closed my eyes, my breathing hitched, and my cheeks felt warm. “I was leaving,” Jake said. “I was leaving her, I made sure she made it back to the room. She was falling all over the place and as her Beta, I didn’t hesitate to help her. I was keeping her safe for you. I knew she was drunk, I knew she wasn’t all there but,” his voice trailed off.
“But what?” Viktor asked hoarsely.
“She dropped to her knees and I-I, we didn’t do anything,” Jake said. “You’re going to sit there and lie to me?” Viktor asked.
“I’m not ly-,” Jake started but Viktor cut him off.
“I’m not an idiot, Jake. I walked into the room and smelled you, the both of you.”
“She mistook me for you,” Jake said. Viktor didn’t say anything but his eyes widened slightly. “She isn’t at fault. She was so far gone, she thought I was you.” Jake inhaled deeply before continuing. “I pulled her to her feet and got her into bed. I was tipsy but I swore to myself I wasn’t going to do anything. I wasn’t going to betray you. I was going to guard her like I have before when it was the two of you. I was just going to sleep in the bed instead of on the couch.”
“So you both woke up in the morning and decided to betray me when you were clear-minded?” Viktor asked, his voice shaking.
“No,” Jake started, “She was on top of me and I didn’t fight her.”
Viktor clenched his jaw as he closed his eyes.
“I was still dressed, she thought I was you as she rode me but we were dressed. Yes, she came. Yes, I came but it was your name she moaned,” Jake confessed. His eyes plead as he confessed to his friend, his Alpha, his King.
My eyes turn to Viktor and I see the way his shoulders loosen. This revelation doesn’t make it any better but I can see the change in him. It’s only a little bit but I don’t miss it.
“But you knew,” Viktor said. “You knew and you liked it.”
Jake swallows.
“Yes,” Jake answers.
“Say it,” Viktor ordered.
“I liked it,” Jake says.
“You liked what, Jake?” Viktor asked.
Don’t.
Don’t.
Don’t.
Jake turns to look at me, his breathing hollow as he looks me in the eyes. “I enjoyed every minute of her on top of me. I liked watching her grind on me. I savored every moment of her moving on me like the fucking Goddess she is.”
Viktor’s face is miserable and I hate that Jake’s saying this. I hate that he’s hurting him. I hate that I liked it too. I hate that I loved it. It didn’t matter if I thought he was Viktor, I should have known it wasn’t. I should have thought with my head and not with… well.