12. Control

Sablecrest Pack House

The thermometer beeps and Christine takes it out of his mouth, looking at the temperature. She frowns and puts it back down on the table.

"102.4," she says with a sigh. "That's definitely a fever."

Fevers in Shifters were rare. Not only are their bodies built with a mechanism to fight against harmful things, but they are more resistant to bacterias and viruses that would be considered life-threatening to a human.

Which is why only something really dangerous can give a Shifter a fever. This applied to drugs and alcohol as well.

Kieryn furrows his brows at the news and shakes his head, attempting to stand up. Christine only pushes him back down by the shoulder and glares at him.

"You are going to lay in bed as I get some medicine for you, okay?" She stands up and pushes the chair back to its desk in the corner. "I'll ask Menena for some broth, so take a light blanket inside the closet to wrap around yourself while I'm gone."

As she walks out of the room, Kieryn huffs and crosses his arms. 'I'm perfectly fine. I don't even feel that hot.'

He glances at the floor as a sigh leaves his mouth. He knew that Christine would get angry at him if he didn't listen, so it's better to be safe than sorry. He takes a lighter blanket and replaces it with his thick one, covering himself with it as his feet peek out from under the soft material.

Laying his head back onto the pillow, he closes his eyes while waiting for Christine to come back. Soon, he heard the sound of rain pattering on the windows. Turning his head, he saw that the sky turned dark as the rain poured down heavily.

The sound seemed familiar as a memory flashed through his brain– sharp yellow-brown eyes that stared into the deepest parts of him.

He shivered and hugged the blanket around him, keeping himself from the cold breeze. His window rattled, eliciting a gasp from him. He imagined the window suddenly opening and a cold gust of wind blowing into the room.

His fingers become numb at the thought, and he rubs his hands together to get rid of the feeling.

The door opens and Kieryn's head snaps to look at the intruder. It was only Christine, who was holding a bowl filled with broth in one hand and a pill bottle in her other hand. She goes over to Kieryn's side and places the bowl on the nightstand by his desk.

"Okay, I got some medicine that will help with your fever," she says, twisting open the pill bottle. "They're high-quality, so it will work quicker than other medicines."

She takes a single pill and drops it into the cup of water, dissolving quickly into tiny white particles. Lifting it up to Kieryn's mouth, she gestures for him to drink. He frowns and takes the cup in his hands, looking at the water with suspicion.

"It's not a harmful pill or anything," she sighs when she sees his face. "It will bring down your fever before it gets worse and it removes whatever infection caused the fever."

He only sniffs the liquid once before taking a sip. It only tasted like regular water with a hint of ginger to it. He trusted Christine and was sure that she wouldn't put something in his drink. Drinking down half of the cool water, he places it back down on the nightstand.

Christine looks pleased as she gives the bowl to Kieryn. His mouth almost watered at the sight and smell of the broth.

"Take a single pill every 35 minutes so your fever can go down quickly. Once the infection is almost gone, your Shifter body will handle the rest." Christine pats the man's back and walks to the door. She looks back with a small smile. "I have some things I need to do. If you need anything, I'll be where I always am."

Then, she leaves. Kieryn takes a sip of the broth and smiles. Menena wasn't stingy with her spices, and it showed in almost all of her foods. There was a mix of ginger, garlic, and honey in each bite. He sighs at the heavenly taste, quickly drinking it up.

He wanted to get rid of this fever quickly so Christine didn't worry.

Later,

It's been several hours and Kieryn has taken the pills like he was told to. But, the fever didn't seem to be going down. Instead, it became worse and he could feel the effects.

'Were the pills expired?' He pondered, trying to move his weak arm. It only laid limp on the blanket that covered his body.

It couldn't have possibly been out of date. He checked the bottle to make sure it wasn't, and it still had one more year left before it did. So it must have been some other factor.

Kieryn was too out of it to think, only focusing on his uncomfortably hot skin. He tried pushing away his blanket to allow the air to cool him down, but it didn't do anything to help. He tried his hardest to sit up and take the glass of water, gripping onto it so it wouldn't fall.

The water didn't even feel refreshing or help his seemingly unquenchable thirst. Soon the glass was empty and he wished that there was more.

Wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, he can feel the sweat dripping down his head and down his neck. It dampened his shirt as his body felt like it was on fire. He was uncomfortable, but couldn't do anything about it.

'Christine,' he thought, opening his mouth as a hoarse breath came out. His dry throat made it impossible for anything but a wheeze to come out.

He puts his feet on the floor and tries to stand up, his vision immediately blurring. His feet couldn't hold up his body weight and he sways to the side, pressing his hand on the nightstand to hold himself up.

He trudged slowly to the door, making sure to be careful so he wouldn't collapse. His skin only seemed to get hotter as the seconds went by and he only wanted to submerge himself in freezing cold water. But, he had to get Christine and tell her what was happening to him.

He only remembers experiencing something like this in the past, but it wasn't as serious and painful as now.

As he pressed his hand against the wall as he walked. It acted as a support that kept him from falling to the ground. He made his way to the stairs, or at least what he thought was the way to the stairs. His vision blurred so badly that he no longer knew if he was walking down the right hallway. He only continued to walk on until his hand passed over a doorknob.

'A room? If someone's in here, I can ask them for help.' And with that, he turns the doorknob without knowing what was inside.

The door squeaked as he pushed it open. He closed it behind him as his body faltered and he leaned back onto the door. The room was enveloped in a faint vanilla scent, which matched the mood the room was giving.

With a blurry vision, he tries to look around the room. It proved impossible because there was not a single source of light, except for the faint sunshine outside the window. Leading himself into the room, he stumbles and bumps into something.

A loud crash rang in the silent room and a small gasp left his mouth. He looks around before stepping around the mess he made, determining that the coast was clear.

His body leads him to a plush sofa, but instead of sitting on it, his body falters once more. He slumps onto the floor, leaning his back against the base of the sofa. His head hung as he focused on the faint ache in his body.

He didn't know if it was just his ears playing tricks on him, but he swore he heard a door within the room squeak open. Faint footsteps patter around the room before stopping. He wanted to make a noise to alert the person of his presence, but his limbs gave out.

He can only sit there when the footsteps become louder as they come closer to him. He uses whatever energy he had left to raise his head, seeing a blurry dark figure in front of him.

Before he could react, a hand held his throat in a vice-like grip. It squeezed, almost cutting off his air supply. Nails digged into his skin, most likely drawing blood. The figure got closer and he could feel a breath on his face.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" A quiet yet blood-curdling voice says.

Kieryn's eyes widened slightly in shock and realization of that tone. 'Adella.'

When he didn't answer, the hand squeezed tighter. Any more pressure and it could snap his neck. He opened his mouth to let out a strained voice, but it came out weak.

"I said," her voice said with a growl. "What the fuck are you doing in my room?"

Kieryn couldn't raise a hand to remove hers, not like his puny strength could do anything. His half-lidded eyes closed as he felt a choke come out. The hand would leave a bruise for sure, and it might even leave damaged bones in his neck.

The woman got closer, trying to see the face of the intruder who was so bold to enter her room. She planned to crush their neck right then and there when she didn't receive a response. However, the faint scent of honey and lemons wafted up to her nose.

Her grip loosened as her face twisted into confusion. 'Kieryn? Why is he here? And why is his skin so hot?'

That's when her eyes go wide and she drops her hand. Kieryn's body sways and falls to the side, but Adella catches him in her arms before he hits the floor. She presses her hands on his cheek and angles his face towards her, even if she couldn't see it.

The feeling of a weak, but rapid heartbeat sent her into immediate action. She lifts him up with ease, speeding over to the king-sized bed in the middle of the room. Gently laying him down, she presses her hand under his chin, lifting it up to inspect his face in the faint lighting. She forgot all about her anger from the meeting with Arrion and instead filled with worry.

From the way the window was positioned and the angle the sunshine came in, Kieryn could see more of the figure's shape. The woman's long black hair was damp and her body was dressed in a robe. The front was loose, allowing him to see her prominent cleavage.

But Kieryn could only see her long hair, imagining her to look like someone familiar. A woman with straight black hair entered his brain and a small smile rests on his lips. He closes his eyes as he feels the warm hand that he remembered caressed his cheek as well.

That's when Adella speaks, bringing him back to reality. "Kieryn, are you alright? Give me a nod or a shake of your head."

'Help me,' he thought, before his eyes closed.

When Adella doesn't get an answer, she gets closer to him. She scans his face before realizing that he might have fainted.

She immediately stands back up and is about to walk to the door, but a hand reaches up to grip the bottom of her robe. Her head turns to see that Kieryn's face was contorted into that of fear.

'Is it some kind of nightmare,' she ponders before sighing. "This man... Why did you have to come in here when you could have gotten Christine or something?" She whispered.

Then, she lowered her head to press her lips against his forehead. When she pulled away, she was pleased to see that Kieryn looked like he was at peace.

Whatever the reason was, she would stay by her mate's side. No matter how much she wanted to pull away, she only rubbed his hand with a thumb and stayed there. Adella was already losing the power and consciousness to stay away from her mate. She knew that the mate bond's effects were already getting stronger and it would only be a matter of time before she was in too deep.

And yet, that didn't bother her.

The next morning,

The light shone on Kieryn's eyelids, making him peel them open with a small groan. His voice was still small so he couldn't make any more sounds than that.

He turned his head to the side, looking around the unfamiliar room. That's when his memory hit him like a train and he cringed. 'I can't believe I just walked into Adella's room and slept in here. Hopefully I can leave before she sees me.'

His body no longer ached as painfully as before. He sat up and hung his legs over the edge of the bed, preparing to stand up. His legs felt weak, probably from the high fever. His skin wasn't red and burning anymore and he wasn't sweating like he was in a desert.

He sighed in relief before standing up. His body wobbled a bit, his feet still having difficulty holding up his weight. He lifted a foot towards the door, which swung open and revealed the Alpha at the doorway.

Kieryn froze when her eyes zoned in on him, narrowing in anger. He gulped, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

That's when Adella's hard voice broke the silence.

"Sit back down."

He jumped at her commanding tone, but didn't want her to get angry at his disobedience. So, he stepped back and sat onto the impossibly comfortable bed. Adella walks towards the bed with a plastic bag in hand. Kieryn was surprised that she was wearing a more casual outfit than she usually would.

She was dressed in a grey cashmere cardigan that was buttoned up and white high waisted pants. Instead of her usual heels, she replaced them with white flat sandals. Her lips were shiny with pink lipgloss. There was a simple silver ring on her thumb and small studs on her ears.

As she got closer, Kieryn tensed up. He hoped that she wouldn't get mad at him for entering her bedroom without her permission.

Just thinking about all the wrongs he's done made guilt and worry fill his chest.

Adella takes out a pill bottle and a water bottle, setting it down on the nightstand. Her hand almost brushes against his leg, which makes him jump when she gets closer. Adella turns to Kieryn with the water bottle in hand.

"I've brought one of my Pack doctors here," she says. "She told me that your fever wasn't caused by an infection, but by exposure to magic. It's quite normal for those who haven't been exposed to it. She's also told me that the only way for a fever like that to be infrequent is by exposing yourself to magic more."

He takes the water bottle from her hand before looking back down at his lap. He remembered what happened in the pool and couldn't find the confidence to look into her eyes anymore.

"You've been asleep for most of yesterday, so I'm sure you're not so tired now."

That made his eyes widen in shock. 'The whole day? Is Christine worried? Does she know where I am?'

"If you still feel sluggish, you can still sleep more. But make sure to brush your teeth and take a shower." She points to a door. "Bathroom's over there."

As Adella walked away to the second room, he felt himself able to breathe. He realized how Adella was colder than usual, as if him being inside her room annoyed her.

His hands clenched around the water bottle, anxious to know the reason for her attitude. 'She's not mad, right?'

He suddenly felt the need to run out the room. The mere thought of his presence being a bother made his chest tighten.

In the other room, Adella dropped onto a couch with a groan. She rubbed her face in her palms, wanting nothing more to scream.

'Why the hell did he have to be here? Especially when I-' She stopped the thought, hitting her head against the cushion.

Just looking at him made her instinct to jump at him get stronger. She didn't expect to see the man in her room and she almost lost control of the scent.

She thought distancing herself was good, but he always seemed to be near her. Neither of them could stay away, and Adella hated that fact.

'Any other time, just why now?' Adella leaned her head back, looking at the ceiling. 'It's bad enough that you can't get out of my head. I don't want to hurt you, but you've walked into the worst possible place in this mansion.'

She heard the water running in her bathroom, making her groan again. 'Now his scent is going to be everywhere.'

She couldn't help but imagine the thought of Kieryn's bare body under the water. His damp hair, water trailing down his face to his neck, his chest, his legs– every part of him soaking wet. Adella hits her head against the cushion again, shaming herself for thinking such a disgusting thing.

She cursed the mate bond for focusing her mind on this one man. She couldn't even think about important paperwork.

From the corner of her eyes, Adella saw the door push open the slightest bit. Kieryn's head popped out as he looked around. His eyes laid on Adella and he flinched before going back inside the bathroom.

The woman stands up with a sigh, walking back into the bedroom and going over to the walk-in closet. She looked around for a shirt that would fit Kieryn's stature, but she mostly had fitted clothes that were meant for her. She only had a few baggy tops but no pants, so she settled for her biggest shirt and a pair of boxer briefs.

She brings the clothes to the bathroom and turns her head as she holds out her hands. Kieryn opens the door slightly, seeing that she brought clothes for him. He quickly snatches it before closing the door.

Adella runs her hand through her locks as she looks around. She tried to imagine anything but Kieryn's body, which flashed through her mind when she saw his bare chest through the gap after opening the door.

The bathroom door swung open, and she saw Kieryn walk out while hugging himself in nervousness. Her green eyes darkened as they immediately scanned every inch of his exposed body.

The shirt was too small for him, hugging his chest tightly and only reaching down to his upper thigh. Adella saw the boxer briefs that hugged against him, revealing a visible bump that couldn't be hidden no matter how many times he pulled the shirt down.

Subconsciously licking her lips, Adella trails her eyes down his bare legs and neck, his collar bone protruding from the skin. She focused only on that spot for a moment, imagining a deep red mark in the shape of a bite on it. She only came back to reality when she saw Kieryn shifting from one foot to the other.

'I'm making him nervous,' she said with a sigh. She walks back inside the bedroom, brushing her arm against Kieryn's as she makes her way to the nightstand.

Without looking at him, she commands, "Sit."

With only slight hesitation, he sits down on the bed. He moved his legs, feeling uncomfortable that it was bare for the world to see. Especially since the scars he tried so hard to hide were visible. He puts his hands on his knees, rubbing them as he attempts to hide some of his discolored skin.

Adella noticed his action but didn't say anything about it.

That's what made Kieryn even more nervous. The fact that Adella didn't say anything more than a word to him made his leg slightly bounce. His eyes darted all over the room before pointing at the ground.

A soft hand pressed onto Kieryn's jumpy leg, making him flinch at the sudden contact. His breath hitched as he looked up into Adella's softened yet steady gaze. They searched for him, as if looking for the secrets he hid away. It peeled back the layers he put on and it made him afraid.

He was afraid she would see the ugliness inside him and leave.

She doesn't look away. Her gaze softened more as her hands rubbed his knee.

"You don't need to be nervous, Kieryn." She said with a smooth, comforting voice. "I won't harm you in any way. I just need you to take some pills for your fever. Can you do that for me?"

'For me,' the words repeated in his head. His eyes lit up as he nodded quickly.

Adella sees his reaction to the praise and an urge to praise him more eats away at her. She brushes it off before placing a pill between her fingers. She lifts it up to his mouth and presses it against his lips.

"Open." And with a shaky breath, he opens his mouth.

She places the pill on his tongue and opens the water bottle, tilting it into his mouth. He drank down the water along with the pill, and Adella's eyes gravitated down to his throat as it bobbed.

'God, everything this man does is so erotic.' She puts the cap on the water bottle and sets it down onto the nightstand.

"If you feel fine then go back to your room. I have some things to get done," she says, turning to leave.

As she is about to walk away, she feels her shirt being pulled on. Confused, she turns around to see Kieryn tugging on her shirt while biting his bottom lip in nervousness.

He did it without thinking. Even if he wanted to bang his head against the wall for doing it, he couldn't go back.

He wanted to ask Adella why she was so cold. He wanted to know what was on her mind. He wanted her to sit next to him and tell him about all of her troubles.

'It's now or never.' He lets out a deep breath before looking up at Adella.

All the confidence he had built up was slipping away, so without thinking about the consequences, he opened his mouth.

'Did I do something,' he mouthed.

Adella's eyebrows raised and instantly, he regretted saying that. 'I sound so desperate. I'm actually going to bang my head into the wall,' he said, cursing himself.

That's when the woman fully turned her body to face him. She didn't wear her usual light smile, and it was traded for a serious face with furrowed eyebrows.

He gulps and shifts his gaze down, finding it hard to make eye contact with the dark stare she gave. However, she places two fingers under his chin and lifts it up to face her.

Her hooded eyes ran across his face, scanning his reaction. A blush only crawled up to his neck as he opened his mouth to let out a soft sigh at the touch. The electricity buzzed through his body as his eyes threatened to close.

"Kieryn," she breathed, making his heart flutter. "Do you even know what you're doing to me?"

He shakes his head at her question with half-lidded eyes, watching as her face moves closer.

Desire swirled in those dark eyes of hers, darting down to his lips more than once. Her body urged her to claim his lips and so did her brain, but it was her willpower that held her back. She couldn't give in to this mate bond. Not now when her brain was only focused on one thing– and that was to sink her teeth into his supple, unscarred collarbone.

How badly she wanted to claim not only his lips, but him.

He felt the intensity of her gaze and his tongue darted out to swipe his bottom lip. Her eyes trained on the movement before locking eyes with him once more. His heart thrashed wildly and he feared that she could hear it.

"God, I want to do more than just touch you," she growled in his ear. Her fingers moved from his chin to his chest, tugging at the top of his shirt.

His hands twitched, wanting nothing more than to place them on her hips. But, Adella pulled away to face him again. Her lips were so close to his that he could feel her breath mixing with his.

A sudden urge to place his lips on hers made his breath hitch. He could only imagine what they felt like. He bites his bottom lip, trying to push those sinful thoughts out his mind.

Adella uses her thumb to remove his bottom lip, stroking it with slow movements. She got closer, and Kieryn didn't think she could get any closer than she was. Her breasts pushed against him, and he could have sworn he felt the hardened peak of her nipples brushing against him.

His eyes fluttered close at the feeling and a soft sigh came out his mouth. Adella taps his chin to make him look at her, bringing him back to that hooded gaze. Her pupils dilated in her almost entirely black eyes.

He was sure that he looked needy now, his body subconsciously getting closer to feel more of her.

That's when Adella looked down at the swell in his briefs, the organ inside straining against it. It lifted up the bottom of his shirt, hypnotized by her seductiveness. A smirk donned her lips, knowing what she was doing to him.

"I see you want me too," she whispers, her eyes staring back into his. If her eyes could have gotten any darker, then it did. "You do want me, right Kieryn?"

He nods quickly without hesitation, almost as if he's under a spell. The smirk on her face grew wider at his obedience.

"Then, will you allow me to have you for myself?" Her husky voice breathed out, blowing on his lips. "To make you mine and only mine?"

Adella didn't know what compelled her to say that, and she stared at Kieryn to see his face burn up in embarrassment. His eyes darted down to the cleavage that was exposed as her breasts pushed against him. His eyes widened and snapped back to her face so she didn't think he was perverted.

His eyes were hooded as he nodded, anticipating what she would do next. Her smirk turns wolfish as her gaze becomes predatory, scanning every inch of his face to make sure he was certain.

His fate was sealed.

Adella softly brushes her lips against his, a ghost away from him. His breath hitched and his eyes shut, focusing on the feeling of her slippery tongue darting out to lick his bottom lip. He could smell the faint scent of lavender that he liked so much. He allowed her to take full control of him, not moving an inch and just simply waiting for her to fully kiss him.

Instead, she sinks her teeth into the wet bottom lip of his. He jumped before softly sighing as she sucked on it to ease the pain.

She pulls away, leaving him wanting more. She scans his face once more, seeing the red that burned across every part of his skin and his heavy breaths that came out in short bursts. Another smirk crosses her face before she bends down to fully claim those begging lips.

Her pillowy lips felt like clouds and the lip gloss stained his already pink lips. She pressed her lips against him with determination, clearly showing him what she meant when she asked him to be hers.

He follows her lead, not knowing the proper way to kiss someone. When she parts her lips, he does the same as to not make her annoyed with his inexperience. She brings her right hand up to caress his cheek and keep his head still as she had her way with him. Her left hand squeezed his knee and ran up his thigh in a sensual motion. It sent a jolt of electricity straight to his hard-on as his pants became tighter, his lower region begging him to free it.

He squeezes his thighs together to create some friction, but Adella pulls them apart and steps in between them. His hands laid limp, unknowing of where to put it. The woman removes her hands from his body to take his hands, placing them on her hips.

Reminding Kieryn who was in control, Adella slips her tongue inside his mouth. The wet muscle touches his, making his breath hitch as the taste of strawberries overpower his senses. He shyly copies her movements, hoping that he was doing a good job.

'Little boy doesn't know how to kiss,' Adella thought with a quiet laugh. 'How adorable.'

Adella grips the back of his head, softly tugging on his white locks. A barely constrained moan leaves his mouth and his eyes widen at the sound that he made without knowing. Adella finally disconnects herself from him and looks at his flushed, wide-eyed face and lip gloss smeared lips. Heavy breaths come out of his mouth and his half-lidded eyes, unfocused and hazy, darted around her face in a confused gesture.

Her hand grips his chin, nails digging into his skin to make him focus. When his eyes snapped to hers with unhindered attention, an unbridled smile stretched onto her face.

"Remember you're mine," she says with a low tone.

It was commanding– and he had no will to resist.

He nods, accepting what was to come in the future. He let go of his mind and body, giving her free rein of it.

Whether she healed him or destroyed him, he relinquished control of himself to her.