~Chapter 8~
The rising sun rays filter through the window, and it wakes me up with a slow grunt.
I open my eyes with difficulty. For a second, everything is blurry. Then reality hits me at the same time with a terrible headache.
"Ugh..." I mutter, bringing a hand to my forehead.
When I try to stand up, my back immediately protests, and my muscles seem to scream with every movement.
I stop halfway and stay like that for a few seconds, breathing deeply.
My head is throbbing, my mouth is dry, and I feel like every cell in my body regrets last night's decisions.
I rub my eyes and look around the room.
Only now do I realize where I really am.
Cedric's room.
My heart jumps strangely in my chest.
I let my gaze slide around the room, trying to gather my scattered memories. The party. The music. Emy. The drink. The quiet hallway. Cedric’s gaze.
And then…
My face instantly turns red.
“God…” I whisper to myself.
I lean back against the pillow for a second, trying to gather my thoughts.
My brain seems to be reliving fragmented scenes from last night, each one making my heart beat faster.
I slowly turn my head to the other side of the bed.
And only then do I notice whether or not Cedric is there.
For a moment I sit completely still, just watching.
My breath hitches in my chest.
Because suddenly, I realize that this morning could be a lot more uncomfortable than I expected.
For a few seconds I remain completely still, looking at the other side of the bed.
Cedric is there.
He lies on his back, one arm thrown over his eyes as if trying to shield himself from the light coming in through the window.
His hair is slightly tousled, and his breathing is calm, slow.
He looks… asleep.
I swallow hard.
For a moment, I consider getting up quietly and leaving.
It would probably be the easiest solution. No one should know I was here.
I try to move slowly, but the moment I shift my weight onto my elbow, my back brutally reminds me of last night.
“Ah…” I let out a small groan involuntarily.
Cedric moves immediately.
His arm falls from his eye, and his green gaze finds me instantly, still slightly blurred by sleep.
He blinks a few times, then the corner of his mouth lifts in a lazy smile.
“Good morning,” he murmurs, his voice hoarse from sleep.
I blush instantly and look down at the floor.
“It’s not a good morning,” I mutter, putting my hand to my head again.
Cedric laughs softly.
He props himself up on his elbow and looks at me for a few seconds, analyzing me with that calm expression that seems to say he already knows what I’m thinking.
“Headache?” he asks.
“And head… and back… and I think pride,” I mutter.
His laugh gets a little louder.
“Tequila,” he says simply.
“You,” I correct him immediately, giving him an accusing look.
Cedric raises an eyebrow.
“I didn’t make you drink. ”
I open my mouth to protest… but stop myself.
Because technically he’s right.
I sigh and sink back down onto the pillow.
For a few moments, we both remain silent, staring at the ceiling.
The morning light fills the room, and outside we can hear birds and the wind stirring the leaves by the lake.
It’s quiet.
Strangely quiet.
After a few seconds, Cedric speaks again.
“Idris.”
I turn my head to him.
His gaze is different now.
More serious.
“Regrets?” he asks calmly.
The question hangs in the air for a few seconds.
My heart beats a little faster.
I think back to last night.
The party. The way he looked at me. Everything that happened after.
I take a deep breath.
“I don’t know yet,” I say honestly.
Cedric looks at me for a few seconds…
then nods slightly, as if my answer is exactly what he expected.
“Right,” he murmurs.
He gets out of bed and stretches a little, and I quickly look away from the window, pretending to be very interested in the lake.
Cedric notices and smiles slightly.
"Relax," he says.
"I don't bite in the morning."
I glance at him.
"That's not helping me at all."
He laughs again, and the tension in the room breaks a little.
I look back at him and try to look as serious as I can.
"I don't remember but..." I start but stop because it's too weird to ask.
"But..?" he says and gets out of bed and comes to my side.
"...did you use a condom?" I ask softly and put a hand to my forehead.
"Yes, Idris. I did," he says and lifts my head.
"It's not like an Alpha can stay Pregnant, right?
" He says ironically and rests his head in the crook of my neck, leaving me with small kisses.
"Yeah...I'm a Alpha" I say, trying to sound as natural as possible.
He mumbles something satisfied and moves away a little, probably convinced that the discussion is over there.
But chaos is already starting in my head.
You idiot…
My inner voice is almost screaming.
I run a hand over my face and close my eyes for a second.
You did something stupid.
A really stupid thing.
Cedric moves around the room, probably searching through the drawers for something, but I can barely hear him.
My thoughts are racing.
You should have told him…
That I’m beta.
That I shouldn’t even be here.
I swallow hard and bite the inside of my cheek.
What if…?
Just the thought makes my stomach clench.
Last night comes back to me in fragments: Cedric’s laugh, the way he looked at me, the fact that I almost didn’t even notice the time.
It was all a mix of booze, adrenaline, and impulse.
And… more rounds than was probably a good idea.
I rub my forehead, feeling the headache coming back.
God… I hope not. ??
I don’t know if it’s paranoia or just panic, but the idea sticks in my brain like an annoying echo.
Cedric turns to me with a glass of water.
“Drink this,” he says simply.
I look at him for a few seconds, then pick up the glass and drink almost half of it in one go.
The cold water helps a little.
Cedric leans against the desk and looks at me with a slightly curious smile.
“You look like you’re trying to solve an existential mystery,” he says.
I freeze for a second.
“Maybe I’m trying,” I mutter.
He raises an eyebrow.
“That serious?”
I look at him for a moment, then move my gaze to the window overlooking the lake.
The morning light makes the water sparkle peacefully, as if nothing in this world could be complicated.
If only they knew…
I think.
But for now I’m silent. Because I have no idea how to start this conversation.
Then someone knocks on the door.
Twice.
I freeze.
Cedric stops moving too.
A familiar voice comes from the other side of the door.
“Cedric? Are you awake?”
Rowan’s voice.
And my stomach instantly knots.
Cedric is about to go to the door but I stop him.
“Go take a bath, you stink. I’ll answer,” I mutter and he looks at me confused.
"Take that sweatshirt from there, it's sure to reach below my ass" he says a little annoyed but then he comes and kisses me on the lips without me accepting it and goes into the bathroom.
I quickly get out of bed and regret this decision because it feels like I'm walking on fire now. I change even faster, meaning I take that sweatshirt that covers half of my 1.80 that I have..I think Cedric is 1.90 or even more.
"Idris?" It's heard again and I realize I've forgotten about him so I go to the door as easily as I can.
I open the door and if I look ugly, then he looks more like a world war.
"Dude...what happened?" I say mumbling trying not to laugh.
"Jesus Christ what happened last night, Walden!
" He whispers and pulls me out of the room by the hand.
"Hey..." I say but he pulls me towards a room and we go in and there's Otis sleeping.
He lets go of me and I carefully sit down on a chair that when I sat down.
..I was frowning heavily.
"So? What happened?
" I ask, seeming interested in what he's saying.
"I think I found my mate" he says and he seems totally demoralized.
I look at him a little worried and ask:
"Is it bad?
"
"No...it's just..." He starts but puts his hand to his head "it's a boy, Idris" he whispers and drops to the ground.
I slowly get up and go to him, sitting down even more slowly, but I accidentally make a sound and quickly look at Rowan, who doesn't seem to hear me.
Thank God.
"Does this bother you, Rowan?
" I finally ask, and he turns to me.
He looks at me for a few seconds without answering.
Then he leans his head back, leaning it against the wall, and sighs deeply.
"No... that's not the problem," he murmurs.
I raise an eyebrow slightly.
"So?
"
Rowan runs his hands through his hair, visibly frustrated.
"The problem is... I wasn't ready for this." He pauses, then continues more slowly. "I mean... your mate should be the perfect person for you, right? The person who turns your whole universe upside down." He looks down.
“I saw him too… and the first thing I felt was panic.”
I sit there for a few seconds, trying to process.
“Why panic?” I ask.
Rowan shrugs.
“Because I don’t know him. Because I don’t even know if he feels the same way.” Then he looks at me directly. “And because… if he’s a boy… it complicates things at the academy.”
I make a small face.
“The academy complicates everything anyway.”
Rowan lets out a short, tired laugh.
“That’s true.”
For a few seconds we both sit in silence.
From the corner bed, Otis snores softly, completely absent from our conversation.
Rowan rests his elbows on his knees.
“I don’t even know if I should tell him,” he murmurs.
I watch him closely.
“Do you know his name?”
He nods.
“Yes.”
“And?”
Rowan hesitates for a moment.
“I don’t think he’s ready to hear that.
”
I study him for a few seconds.
“Rowan.”
He looks up at me.
“Mates don’t come for nothing,” I say quietly.
“If the universe put that person in your path… there must be a reason.”
Rowan stares at me for a long time, as if trying to decide whether to believe me or not.
Then he sighs again.
“Maybe you’re right. ”
At that moment, Otis shifts in bed and mumbles something unintelligible, turning to the other side.
Rowan glances at him and then back at me.
"But before I deal with my existential drama..." he says softly, narrowing his eyes.
I immediately realize something is wrong.
"Idris."
"Yeah?"
His gaze slides over the oversized sweatshirt I'm wearing.
"Why were they in Cedric's room?" he asks, and it seems like he's recovered from the depressing moment.
"I...mmh..." I start and he laughs softly.
"I have a question but I want you to answer honestly.
I'm really worried about you." He says and he looks serious.
"I'm listening," I say and smile slightly.
"Did.... use protection? Like, you said you're a beta and you could get pregnant with an Alpha," he asks and finishes the last sentence more slowly.
I pause for a moment and look out the window of their room.
"He said yes, I hope it's true," I say and he nods.
Rowan nods slowly, but he doesn’t seem completely at ease.
“I hope so,” he murmurs. “Cedric doesn’t seem like the type to be…
irresponsible.”
I don’t answer right away.
I play with the sleeves of my too-long sweatshirt, tugging the material over my fingers.
The same idea is still playing in my head.
I hope not.
Rowan looks at me for a few seconds, then sighs and leans his head against the wall.
“Anyway… I think you had a more interesting night than I did,” he says with a tired smile.
I raise an eyebrow.
“You just said you found your mate.”
“Yeah,” he says.
“But I just saw him.”
He pauses and turns his head to me.
“You… you definitely did more than just see someone.”
I feel my face heat up.
“Rowan.”
He laughs softly.
“What? I’m not judging you.”
He raised his hands in a defensive gesture.
"I'm just saying."
From the bed, Otis makes a strange noise and turns around again, pulling the blanket over his head.
We both stop and look at him.
After a few seconds, Rowan whispers,
“If he wakes up and starts talking… we’re done for.
”
I smile slightly.
“Otis won’t wake up if the academy blows up.
”
Rowan nods.
“Right.”
For a few seconds, it’s quiet again.
Then Rowan looks at me again, this time much more intently.
His gaze drops from my face to my neck…
then to my hoodie.
He frowns slightly.
“Idris.”
“Yes?”
“You have… a mark on your neck.”
I freeze.
I instinctively raise my hand to my neck.
“What kind of mark?” I ask, trying to sound calm.
Rowan raises an eyebrow.
“The kind of mark that screams Cedric.”
“It’s not screaming,” I say quickly.
Rowan starts to laugh, but tries to keep it quiet.
“Dude… you’re wearing his hoodie, you have a mark on your neck, and you left his room this morning.
”
He pauses dramatically.
“I don’t have to be a detective.
”
I cover my face with my hands.
“Please shut up.”
He’s still laughing softly.
“Okay, okay.”
After a few seconds, though, his expression turns a little more serious again.
“But… be careful.”
I look up at him.
“Cedric’s not… simple.”
Before I can answer, the door to the room opens suddenly.
We both turn our heads.
Standing in the doorway is…
Cedric.
His hair is still damp from the shower, and his gaze immediately goes from me to Rowan.
Then to the sweatshirt I’m wearing.
The corner of his mouth lifts slightly.
“Interesting,” he says calmly.
Rowan blinks.
“What’s interesting?”
Cedric shoves his hands in his pockets and says very casually:
“The fact that Idris disappeared from my room… and I found him here.”
He looks directly at Rowan.
“With you.”
The silence in the room instantly becomes… tense.
Cedric stands in front of me for a few seconds without saying anything.
His gaze goes from me… to Rowan… then back to me. His expression is calm, but something in his eyes has changed.
Rowan notices immediately.
And, obviously, he decides it's the perfect time to be annoying.
“Wow,” he says softly, leaning back against the wall.
“I didn’t know you had a recovery service for…
lost things.”
Cedric raises an eyebrow.
“Lost things?”
Rowan nods his head at me.
“Idris.”
I close my eyes for a second.
Perfect. That’s exactly what I needed.
Cedric doesn’t laugh.
“It’s not lost,” he says calmly.
“It just… left without saying anything.”
Way too close now.
I can smell his soap and warm water, and my brain decides this is the perfect time to stop functioning normally.
Rowan watches the scene with a wide smile.
“Aww,” he murmurs. “That sounds almost possessive.”
Cedric turns his head toward him.
“Almost?”
Rowan raises his hands.
“Okay, okay. Very possessive.”
I try to appear invisible on the floor.
Cedric looks at me again and grabs the sleeve of my sweatshirt lightly.
“You left without waiting for me,” he says.
“Rowan was knocking on the door,” I mutter.
Rowan raises a finger.
“I confirm. I’m the innocent witness here.
”
Cedric ignores him completely.
He shifts his gaze to my face and leans down a little so that only I can hear him.
“You know you left my bed wearing my sweatshirt, right?”
I feel my face heat up instantly.
“You said to take it,” I say.
Cedric smiles slightly.
“I didn’t say steal it.”
Rowan lets out a short laugh.
“Oh, this is getting more and more interesting.”
Cedric glances at him.
“Are you having fun?”
“A lot,” Rowan says.
“Especially since yesterday you were still pretending that Idris was annoying you.”
Cedric doesn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he looks at me… then at my neck.
His eyes narrow a little.
Rowan notices too.
“Ah,” Rowan says with a devilish grin.
“Did you see that too?”
I freeze.
Cedric reaches out and lifts my chin slightly.
“Don’t try to scare him,” I say quickly.
“Don’t scare him,” he says calmly.
But his fingers lightly brush the skin of my neck.
Exactly where Rowan said the mark was.
Cedric smiles softly.
“I’m just admiring my work.
”
Rowan bursts into laughter, but puts his hand over his mouth to keep it from making too much noise.
“God… Cedric, you’re not even trying to be subtle.
”
“I don’t feel the need,” Cedric says.
I want to disappear through the floor.
“Can we not talk about this?” I mutter.
Rowan raises an eyebrow.
“About what? About disappearing all night with the most annoying Alpha in the academy?”
Cedric turns to him.
“Do you have a problem with me?”
“Oh, no,” Rowan says.
“I’m just noticing.”
Cedric takes a step closer.
“You notice a lot.”
“He’s a talent.
”
The tension in the room rises slightly.
I look between them.
“Do you two really want to fight now?”
Rowan shrugs.
“No.”
Cedric says at the same time:
“No.”
Silence.
Then..
“Why are there so many people in our room, Rowan?”
The sleepy voice comes from the bed.
All three of us turn our heads.
Otis sits half-up in bed, his hair completely disheveled and his eyes barely open.
He looks at me.
Then at Rowan on the floor.
Then at Cedric by the door.
He blinks.
Twice.
“Wait…” he mutters.
He rubs his eyes.
“Why are there three people in the room at this hour?”
Rowan smiles broadly.
“Good morning, Otis.”
Otis looks at me again…
then at the oversized sweatshirt I’m wearing.
I freeze.
Otis looks slowly at Cedric.
Then at me again.
And says, completely confused:
“…what the hell did I miss?”
Rowan can’t take it anymore.
“A lot,” he says.
Otis suddenly stands up again.
“WHAT did I miss?”
I glare at Rowan.
Rowan raises his hands.
“Hey, I’m not saying anything.
”
Cedric, on the other hand, seems extremely relaxed.
He leans against the wall with his arms crossed.
“Idris just slept in my room,” he says calmly.
Otis looks at me.
Then at my neck.
Then back at Cedric.
“He slept.”
“Yeah,” Cedric says.
Otis pauses for a long moment.
“So… and that mark on your neck?”
I feel my face turn red instantly.
Rowan bursts out laughing.
Cedric smiles slowly.
“Accident.”
“ACCIDENT?” Otis repeats.
Rowan nearly falls backwards laughing.
“Cedric, I swear you have zero talent for lying.”
Cedric shrugged.
"I wasn't lying."
Otis looks at me like he’s trying to solve an impossible puzzle.
“Idris.”
“Yeah.”
“You disappeared from the party with Cedric.”
“Maybe.”
“You slept in his room.”
“Technically… yeah.”
“You’re wearing his hoodie.
”
“Apparently.”
Otis rubs his face with both hands.
“And you want me to believe that you just… slept.”
Rowan turns to Cedric.
“Dude, I don’t even believe you.”
Cedric looks at me again.
His gaze is amused… but also a little possessive.
“He doesn’t have to believe,” he says.
Otis raises a dramatic finger.
“NO.”
He gets completely out of bed now.
“Don’t get away like that.
”
Rowan rubs his hands together.
“Oh, the interrogation is coming.”
Otis starts pacing the room like a detective.
“Question one,” he says. “When did this happen?”
I open my mouth.
“Don’t answer,” Cedric says calmly.
Otis turns to him.
“Don’t tell me what to do in my room.
”
Rowan raises his hand.
“Technically it’s our room, yes.
”
Otis ignores him.
“Question two,” he continues.
“Who started it?”
I want to die.
Cedric says casually,
“Me.”
Otis freezes.
Rowan bursts into laughter again.
“God, he’s not even hiding.
”
Otis turns slowly to me.
“Idris.”
“Yes?”
“You… agreed?”
I feel Cedric’s gaze shift to mine immediately.
The room suddenly goes quiet.
I swallow hard.
“Yes,” I say quietly.
Cedric seems pleased with the answer.
Rowan smiles.
Otis, on the other hand, puts his hands on his hips.
“Okay.”
He pauses.
“Last question.”
I’m already regretting my existence.
Otis points at Cedric.
“Why do you look like someone just tried to steal your favorite toy?”
Rowan nearly falls off his chair laughing.
Cedric raises an eyebrow.
“Because Rowan took it out of my room.”
Otis slowly turns to Rowan.
Rowan raises his hands.
“Hey! I was just knocking on the door!”
Cedric says calmly,
“And now Idris is in my hoodie… in another Alpha’s room.
”
Silence.
Otis blinks.
Rowan blinks.
I blink.
Then Rowan smiles broadly.
“Oh.”
He pauses dramatically.
“He’s jealous.
”
Cedric stares at him.
“I’m not jealous.
”
Rowan puts his hand over his heart.
“That’s exactly what a jealous Alpha would say.
”
Otis bursts out laughing.
I want to disappear.
Cedric just looks at me for a few seconds…
then says calmly,
“Idris.”
“Yeah?”
“Back to my room.”
Rowan raises an eyebrow.
Otis whistles softly.
“Okay, this is getting interesting.”