Alpha's Dark Desires
Chapter 76: Morning Embarrassment

Chapter 76: Morning Embarrassment

Elena POV:

The fact that I was still very much naked and sprawled across Kane like a human blanket was bothering me to no end. My brain was doing cartwheels trying to figure out how to gracefully extract myself from this situation. Spoiler alert: there was no graceful way to deal with this.

How did I even end up in this position? Oh, right—wine. Lots of it. And now here I was, pressed against a wall of muscle, practically glued to him. His arms were still firmly wrapped around me, like I was some prized possession he refused to let go of. It was sweet...in an incredibly mortifying kind of way.

My body was pressed against his in a way that was...way too intimate. Every muscle, every inch of him was right there. I couldn’t even think properly. And of course, he didn’t seem to care at all. In fact, he was looking at me like this was the most normal thing in the world.

"Kane," I mumbled, barely peeking up at him through my lashes.

"Hmm?" His deep, rumbly morning voice made my stomach flip in ways I wasn’t prepared to admit.

"I, uh...I need to get up," I stammered, awkwardly gesturing to the fact that I was naked. "You know...clothes?"

He smirked, his grip tightening for just a moment before he loosened his hold. "If you’re embarrassed, don’t be. I told you—I didn’t do anything. You stripped on your own, remember?"

"Don’t remind me," I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "This is all your fault. Who even lets someone drink that much wine?!"

"My fault?" His smirk turned into an amused grin as he arched an eyebrow at me. "You’re the one who insisted you could handle it. Should I remind you how you told the waiter you could ’drink me under the table’?"

I winced. "Okay, fair point. But you could’ve stopped me."

He chuckled, the sound sending a warm shiver down my spine. "Oh, I tried. You told me I was ’no fun’ and that you were a ’free wolf.’"

Oh. My. Goddess. I was never leaving this bed—or this room—ever again.

"Just...stop talking," I muttered, attempting to wiggle out of his arms. But Kane, being the overgrown Alpha that he was, decided that was the perfect moment to hold me tighter.

"You’re going to have to face me eventually, you know," he teased, his voice low and filled with amusement.

I shook my head, my face still buried in my hands. "Nope. I’ll stay right here. Forever."

He laughed softly, the sound vibrating through his chest and against my cheek. "Elena, it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before. Last night wasn’t exactly subtle."

"That’s not the point!" I snapped, finally lifting my head to glare at him. Big mistake. His stupidly handsome face was just inches away, and his eyes were filled with a mix of amusement and...something softer. Something that made my stomach twist in knots.

"Then what’s the point?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"The point is...I don’t know!" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. Oh, great. Now I was pouting like a child. Real mature, Elena.

Kane grinned, his gaze dropping briefly before flicking back up to meet mine. "If it helps, you look adorable when you’re flustered."

I groaned, burying my face in his chest again. "You’re impossible."

"And you’re perfect," he said, his voice softer now. The sudden sincerity caught me off guard, and I found myself glancing up at him again. His expression had shifted, the teasing gone and replaced by something far more serious. "Elena, you don’t have to be embarrassed. Not with me."

His words hit me square in the chest, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. How was this man—this overbearing, infuriating, perfectly annoying man—so good at disarming me?

Kane shrugged, completely unbothered. "You weren’t complaining last night."

I stared at him, utterly mortified. "Kane!"

He laughed, sitting up and ruffling his already messy hair. "Relax, Elena. I told you, nothing happened. And believe me, it wasn’t easy keeping my hands to myself."

The way he said it, his voice low and rough, sent a shiver down my spine. Damn him for being so effortlessly sexy.

"Right," I muttered, trying to focus on not ogling him. "Well, thanks for...you know, not taking advantage of me."

His expression softened, and he leaned closer, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I’d never do that, Elena. You mean too much to me."

My heart did that annoying fluttery thing again, and I hated how much his words affected me. I wanted to stay mad at him—or at least embarrassed—but it was impossible when he looked at me like that.

"Still," I said, trying to regain some control of the situation, "maybe next time, let’s avoid the whole drunken nakedness thing, yeah?"

He grinned, leaning back on his elbows. "Agreed. But for the record, I think you look beautiful either way."

I gaped at him, unsure whether to be flattered or furious. "Kane!"

"What?" he said, completely unapologetic. "Just being honest."

I groaned, throwing a pillow at his head. He caught it effortlessly, laughing as he tossed it aside.

"Okay, fine," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I’ll stop."

"Fine," I muttered, still avoiding his gaze as I shifted off him and tugged the blanket around me like a makeshift toga. "But I’m still getting dressed."

Kane smirked, leaning back against the headboard with an infuriatingly smug look on his face. "Take your time. I’m enjoying the view."

I grabbed a pillow and chucked it at his head. Unfortunately, his reflexes were annoyingly good, and he caught it with ease, laughing like the cocky Alpha he was.

"Keep that up, and I might start thinking you like me," he teased.

I huffed, turning on my heel and marching toward the bathroom. "Don’t push your luck, Kane."

As I closed the door behind me, I could still hear his laughter echoing through the room. Stupid Alpha. Stupid wine. Stupid everything. But as I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I couldn’t stop the small smile that tugged at my lips. Maybe waking up in his arms wasn’t entirely terrible after all.

Kane POV:

Waking up with Elena sprawled across me, soft and warm, was one of those rare moments I’d call perfect. Or at least it would’ve been if she weren’t so tense, her body practically vibrating with embarrassment as she realized her current...undressed predicament. It took everything I had not to laugh outright because, knowing her, she’d probably knee me somewhere I’d rather not think about.

She shifted slightly, her head nestled against my chest, and muttered something incoherent. I tilted my head to catch her words. "What was that?" I asked, keeping my voice low so I didn’t spook her.

She peeked up at me, her face pinker than the dawn outside. "Kane...I, uh, need to get up. Clothes. I need clothes."

Ah, so we were back to shy Elena. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find it adorable. But instead of teasing her like I wanted to, I smirked and tightened my hold around her, just for a moment. "If you’re embarrassed, don’t be," I said casually. "I told you—I didn’t do anything. You stripped on your own, remember?"

Her groan was muffled as she buried her face in her hands, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. "Don’t remind me," she muttered. "This is all your fault! Who even lets someone drink that much wine?!"

"My fault?" I raised an eyebrow, genuinely amused now. "You’re the one who insisted you could handle it. Or did you forget telling the waiter you could ’drink me under the table’?"

The glare she shot me could’ve melted steel. "Okay, fine. Fair point. But you could’ve stopped me."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I tried. You told me I was ’no fun’ and declared yourself a ’free wolf.’" That earned me another groan from her, and I couldn’t help it—I laughed. She was impossibly cute when flustered.

"Just stop talking," she muttered, wriggling in my arms like a trapped kitten. Of course, I tightened my grip again, because why make this easy for her?

"You’re going to have to face me eventually," I teased, my smirk widening as I watched her squirm.

"Nope," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "I’ll stay right here. Forever."

I let out another laugh, the sound vibrating through both of us. "Elena, it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before. Last night wasn’t exactly subtle."

"That’s not the point!" she snapped, finally lifting her head to glare at me. And damn, she was beautiful—even with her messy hair and a scowl that could scare lesser wolves. But I wasn’t lesser, and I couldn’t stop the grin that spread across my face.

"Then what is the point?" I asked, genuinely curious now.

"The point is..." She hesitated, her face going redder by the second. "I don’t know!"

I chuckled again, shaking my head at her adorable frustration. "If it helps," I said, leaning in slightly, "you look adorable when you’re flustered."

Her groan of frustration this time was louder, and she dropped her face back onto my chest. "You’re impossible," she muttered.

"And you’re perfect," I replied softly, the teasing edge leaving my voice. Because as much fun as it was to rile her up, the truth was I meant every word. She was perfect—flaws, awkwardness, and all. And I needed her to know that.

Her head lifted slightly, her gaze meeting mine for a brief moment before darting away. "Fine," she muttered, clearly flustered. But instead of facing me, she shifted off me, yanking the blanket around her like she was preparing to fight off an army. "But I’m still getting dressed."

I leaned back against the headboard, smirking as I watched her. "Take your time. I’m enjoying the view."

Her reaction was immediate. She grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at my head. Unfortunately for her, I caught it with ease, laughing as her scowl deepened. "Keep that up, and I might start thinking you like me," I teased.

She huffed, turning on her heel and stomping toward the bathroom. "Don’t push your luck, Kane," she snapped, slamming the door behind her.

I laughed to myself, shaking my head. Goddess, she was something else. Feisty, stubborn, and so damn easy to fluster. But as much fun as it was to tease her, I couldn’t help the warmth spreading through my chest. She was mine—and not just in the mate bond sense. I wanted her in every way, not just for her body, but for everything she was.

As I settled back against the bed, a small smile tugging at my lips, I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I was. Sure, she’d probably kill me for thinking it, but waking up with her like this—even if it was a bit chaotic—felt right. And for once, I wasn’t worried about the past or the future. All I cared about was keeping her here, in my arms, for as long as she’d let me.