Fated and Claimed by Four Alphas-Chapter 166: Promise

*************** 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

~Spring's POV~

Before I could protest, his mouth found the curve of my jaw, soft at first, then lingering longer, his lips tracing the sensitive line of my neck.

My breath hitched when he grazed his teeth lightly against my skin.

"Storm…" I whispered his name as if to warn him, but it came out more like a plea.

"If you want me to stop, I will," he enunciated, his breath ghosting against the shell of my ear, making me shiver. "But if you don't, Spring, I won't hold back much longer."

I hesitated for half a heartbeat… and said nothing.

I did not need to speak to say it… my hesitation was all the answer he needed.

Storm's hands slid down my arms, slowly as though mapping every curve, every inch of me he'd been dying to touch.

His fingertips brushed my waist, lingering there, feeling the soft fabric of my dress beneath his calloused hands.

He exhaled harshly, his forehead dipping to rest against the crook of my neck.

"You have no idea how many times I've imagined this," he whispered hoarsely. "How many nights I've wanted to taste you, hold you, claim you…"

My entire body felt like it was humming, every nerve alive and attuned to him.

I wanted to answer, to tell him he wasn't alone in that longing, but the words were caught in my throat as his lips found my collarbone, leaving slow, burning kisses down to the swell of my chest where the neckline of my dress began.

My fingers fisted his shirt, tugging him closer without realising it. My head tilted back slightly, giving him more access, and he groaned against my skin, his restraint visibly fraying with every passing second.

"Storm…" My voice was shaky, breathless. "We… we shouldn't…"

"I know," he said against my skin, though his mouth never stopped moving. "But I don't care."

When his hand slid to the small of my back and gently pressed, I found myself straddling his lap before I'd fully processed how I got there.

The blanket beneath us was soft, but his body was warmer, solid and grounding beneath me.

I could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat through his chest, matching mine beat for beat.

Storm's hands framed my hips, as though he was holding me in place while letting me decide how far we went. His self-control made my chest ache, made me fall for him even harder.

It was never this way with Rael. We were wild and gentle sometimes.

I threw those thoughts away and focused on the guy beneath me.

Cupping his face between my hands, forcing him to meet my gaze. His eyes were wild, golden flecks swirling in that icy-blue.

His breath was ragged as if he was fighting himself with every second.

"I want you," I whispered, my voice trembling but not from fear, but from the weight of the truth. "But… I want to do this when nothing is hanging over us. No Serissa. No king's decree. Just us."

Storm froze as his chest rose and fell beneath my palms. For a moment, I thought he'd argue, thought he'd push, but instead, his hands slid up my back, pulling me close until my forehead pressed to his.

"Then we wait," he said finally. "I'll break the engagement, Spring. I don't care what it takes. When I have you… I want it to be without chains."

Tears prickled at my eyes, but before I could speak, his lips claimed mine again. This kiss was different, no longer too heated, but slower, softer, and no less intense.

It was a vow written in the press of his mouth, in the way his thumb brushed my cheek, in the way his entire body seemed to tremble just from holding back.

When we finally broke apart, we sat there beneath the glowing lanterns and the darkening sky, clinging to each other as though the world might try to tear us apart at any moment.

"Just know, I'll have you as mine, forever."

"I can't wait," I whispered back, leaning against him.

****************

~River's POV~

Ever since I met Spring, Rhys had been acting strangely… more guarded, more protective, and it was honestly beginning to piss me off.

He barely used to give me the time of day, and now, suddenly, he's there, holding out a tissue like some knight in shining armour, after she sneezes.

But luckily for me, I hadn't seen her anywhere in the last three days I had visited the house. Not once.

The thought alone made a slow, guilty sort of satisfaction curl in my chest. Had she finally left? I wanted to ask Rhys, but if I so much as hinted at my delight over her absence, he'd get defensive. Maybe even suspicious.

"River?"

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts, and turned toward Zoey. She raised a brow, looking concerned.

"Did you say something?" I asked.

"Yeah," Zoey replied, leaning in over the table. "You spaced out… again."

"That's the third time this evening," Catherine cut in, swirling the straw in her cocktail lazily before giving me a knowing smirk. "What's gotten into you, girl?"

"Nothing," I said, sighing as I sank lower into the plush seat of the booth.

"Oh, honey…" Catherine tilted her head like a predator spotting prey. "The word nothing almost always means something."

Zoey, always the calmer one, agreed quietly with a nod. "And judging by that face, I'm guessing it's boy trouble?"

I hesitated, then slouched my shoulders in defeat. "It's… not exactly boy trouble," I admitted. "I just…" I chewed on my bottom lip before blurting, "I can't stop thinking about Spring. About Rhys. About whether he's hiding something from me."

Catherine's brows shot up, her eyes lighting with intrigue. "You still think there's something going on between them?"

Zoey groaned immediately, pressing her fingertips to her temples. "Oh, River, no. Rhys would never. She's his sister."

"Adopted sister," I muttered sharply.

Zoey shot me a pointed look. "That doesn't change anything. He won't be with her. Stop your..."

"You don't see the way he looks at her," I snapped, the frustration bubbling higher. "The sudden overprotectiveness. The secrecy. Something's off. And I'm telling you, it's not just in my head."

"Or maybe," Zoey said softly, reaching for her drink, "you're overthinking and setting yourself on fire for no reason."

Catherine, of course, leaned back with a grin that screamed agent of chaos. "Or maybe she's right. I've seen men act weird for far less than a girl like Spring."

"Cath!" Zoey hissed, glaring at her.

"What? I'm supporting my friend." Catherine winked at me, taking a sip of her drink.

Zoey groaned again, throwing up her hands in surrender. "Fine. But, River, don't spiral. Please."

I nodded vaguely, forcing a smile. "I just… I need to powder my nose. Then, when I come back…"

"When you come back," Catherine declared after me, raising her glass, "we are dancing. Tonight, you're having fun, even if I have to drag you onto the dancefloor myself."

Zoey sighed but didn't argue.

I slid out of the booth, smoothing my dress and taking three quick steps…

And slammed straight into someone.

A sharp yelp escaped me as my drink nearly toppled. "Hey! Watch where you're…"

The girl I'd bumped into straightened, her own startled expression morphing into one I knew all too well.

It was none other than…

"Rose."