A King to be Feared by Brea Alepoú

Mind made up,Gin marched down the hall with a single thought in his head. He wanted to be a part of them. To have the love that they clearly held for each other. Gin craved to belong somewhere more than anything else. It had been him and Kyo since he was fourteen and they were taken from their parents. Once Kyo’s power showed, she’d been taken first, and Gin slowly started to show promise as well. It wasn’t in magical items, but his shifter capabilities were recognized.

His parents had been the lowest of the explicit food chain. They hadn’t even held enough power to be hunters. They lived more like humans who drank blood and had slightly more strength than humans.

Gin knocked on Kyo’s door. He’d walked over to Titos’s room earlier, hoping to entice him and all his keepers into breakfast and sit out on the patio. Maybe Gin would get to talk more with Titos and get to know him even better.

The door opened, and Gin wasn’t surprised at all to see Liby coming out. They’d been there longer than they stayed in any place. Gin moved out of the way for Liby; she nodded at him, and her face stayed blank. She made her way toward the direction of Titos’s room. Gin’s heartbeat sped up, and his palms began to clam up. The sounds he’d heard coming from the door had made him all too aware he wanted to be in there with them. Where he belonged.

“Oh, I thought you’d be all over Titos this morning,” Kyo said, opening the window and lighting up a joint.

Gin joined his sister, making sure to close her door. He leaned against the wall and stared out the window at the view that was quickly becoming common and comforting.

“Yeah, I would be if I was one of them,” Gin said. He took the offered joint and inhaled the intoxicating smoke.

“And that’s something you want?” Kyo asked.

Gin let the smoke out in a steady stream and took another hit before answering his sister. “Is that so wrong?”

He felt Kyo’s eyes on him, but Gin stayed staring at the view of trees and manicured lawn.

“No, I don’t think it’s wrong, and so far Titos is nothing like any ruler I’ve encountered.”

Gin’s shoulders relaxed, and the ball of unease unfurled. He and Kyo had long ago agreed they never wanted to be keepers. To most rulers, they were nothing but slaves to be used as pawns for more territory and power.

“Right?” Gin smoked a bit more before pushing off the wall. “Do you think you will stay?” That had been the reason why he’d come. Deep down, Gin knew even if his sister had disapproved of him wanting to become a keeper, he’d still have done it. The pull to be with Titos was strong, and it felt as if it grew stronger by the day. It nearly physically hurt not to be bonded with Titos. To be able to hold his hand and kiss him whenever the need hit him.

“I want—” Kyo finally looked at him. “Liby is here, and I don’t feel like we are held captive, but what if things change?”

“They won’t, at least not in the way you’re thinking,” Gin said. He had no doubt in his mind that Titos wouldn’t turn out like other rulers. He was so different.

Kyo lightly punched him in the arm, and Gin rolled his eyes at his sister.

“Yeah, if you’re sure, then I’ll stay. Couldn’t possibly leave my only idiot brother to fend for himself.”

Gin’s shoulder bumped his sister. “Yeah, you sure it’s because of me and not the fact that you and Liby might make it work this time?”

Kyo’s face went red, and she put out the joint and started pushing Gin to leave. “You talk too much. Why don’t you go find one of the guys or something.”

Gin remembered the sounds coming from the bedroom, but they had to be done by now, right? He felt mellow and laughed at his sister avoiding his question.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll leave.” He turned around to say something, but Kyo slammed the door in his face. It only made him laugh more. His sister was tough, and she tended to have a heart of steel except for when it came to Gin and Liby.

He turned away from the door and started down the hall. He was glad his sister and Liby could finally be together. Kyo might have put up a front, but he’d seen how happy she was when they’d gotten the call from Liby that their services were needed. His sister had been ready to leave the same day and make it an overnight trip, regardless that they had been in a middle of a job.

Gin’s mind was so lost in thought, he ran right into someone. He blinked rapidly as his arms wrapped around him. Gin swallowed thickly. There staring him down was Kail, the one keeper who seemed unsure about him.

“Uh.” What the hell was he supposed to say?

Kail’s lips quirked up in a small smile. His deep tanned skin practically glowed with the light shining behind him. He looked like some kind of god. A few long strands of hair fell free from his messy bun. Gin was so enamored as he took Kail in he’d forgotten that he was still in the man’s arms and hadn’t bothered to straighten himself up.

“How much longer are you going to stare? At this rate, it would be quicker to drop you,” Kail said.

And yet Gin felt his arms tighten around him. He shook his head. “Yeah, that’s true, but this is comfortable,” He gave more of his body weight to Kail and feigned fainting.

A soft chuckle bubbled out of Kail. “Gin, stop playing around.”

Gin loved his name on the man’s lips. He’d thought he’d just want Titos, but he knew that had been very much wrong. He wanted it all.

Gin reluctantly stood back up and righted himself. He tucked the gold strand of his hair behind his ear, showing off a bunch of the piercings. He noticed Kail had tattoos, the small glimpses he was rewarded.

Gin fixed his black jean jacket, not sure where to go from there. It was so easy to flirt with Titos and Mazki. He could be serious with Seth and Adom. And he literally didn’t need to say anything around Alfrik; the giant of a man seemed content just to sit in silence. Kail was an anomaly Gin wanted to figure out.

Kail shrugged. “Well, now that you’re good.” He sidestepped and went to move around Gin.

His opportunity was slipping away.

“Where are you headed off to?” Gin finally asked.

Kail stopped and stared at Gin for a long while. His dark blue eyes seemed to study him intently. “Downstairs. Ginger had them place gym equipment in one of the spare rooms.”

Gin wasn’t a fan of working out, but watching Kail get sweaty might not be such a bad idea.

“Mind if I join you?”

Kail’s gaze swept over him and stayed glued to Gin’s shoes. They were his favorite leather black platform boots with buckles.

“In those?” Kail asked.

Gin shrugged. “You’d be surprised how easy it is to move in these.”

Kail looked skeptical. “Yeah, I doubt that. I bet they are heavy as hell.”

They were, but Gin had long ago gotten used to them. Walking in them felt normal, and he was more than capable of running in them, not to mention they hid some secret weapons of their own.

“Fashion is worth it.”

Kail’s gaze went up and down on Gin again, making him shiver. It felt as if Kail touched him as he took Gin in completely.

“Sure,” Kail said.

Not as enthusiastic as Gin was hoping, but it wasn’t a no either. He turned to follow Kail downstairs and to the room that was practically a glorified gym. There was every machine possible and even a lifting section.

“This was one of the spare rooms?” Gin asked. He whistled as he took it all in. Who the fuck slept in there, a giant?

Kail stopped short and looked around the room. “When I mentioned that I’d like a place to work out, I wasn’t expecting this.”

Gin chuckled and moved next to Kail. The thinnest sliver of air was between them.

“You joining?” Kail asked as he started stretching.

Gin was too occupied watching the man bend every which way that his response was slow, and it took Kail standing up straight and staring at him and waving at Gin for him to actually answer him.

“Uh, no?”

Kail stared at him for another beat before shrugging and hopping on the treadmill. Gin found himself a spot on a bench on the far wall. He could see the entire room, and his gaze instantly zeroed in on Kail.

Kail went for a run and then hopped on another machine, and all too soon, his shirt was being tossed haphazardly across the room. He seemed to lose himself in exercising, and Gin would have believed that the man had forgotten he was there, but he’d caught Kail staring at him one or two times.

A bead of sweat rolled down his chest and shimmied its way in the middle of Kail’s abs before disappearing in the waistband of his shorts. Gin swallowed thickly as he took in all the tattoos that decorated Kail’s body and the way his muscles bunched every time he pulled himself up.

Gin made a mental note to thank Ginger personally. He wondered if she liked chocolate or flowers.

Kail dropped down, and Gin was up, handing him his towel. Kail gave him a lopsided smile.

“Are you just going to watch or work out as well?” Kail asked.

Gin nodded.

Sweet laughter echoed around the room, and the effect of it punched him right in the chest. He rubbed absentmindedly at the area.

“Nodding isn’t really an answer. Why don’t you just try something? I’ll even help you,” Kail said.

Gin’s brain short-circuited. “You just want to see me sweaty and struggling.”

Kail cocked a brow at him. “Isn’t that why you came in here with me?”

Gin choked on his own tongue as he tried to come up with a response.

“Okay.” Gin took a step forward, but Kail lifted his hand up and halted him.

“Take off the jacket and some of the jewelry. It might get in the way.”

Gin gave Kail a smile. “Are you just trying to get me naked?” The words slipped out without thought. He stopped and turned to gauge Kail’s reaction.

“Possibly,” Kail said, shrugging.

Gail felt his mouth drop open. What was he supposed to do with that information? He was sure Kail would never truly warm up to him. The man had made such a big deal about Titos not needing anyone else.

Kail closed the distance between them and helped Gin close his mouth. “Come on.”

Gin nodded, lost for words. He stripped his jacket off and took off all of his bracelets and rings. He felt more naked with his jewelry off than if Kail had asked him to take his clothes off. He shook the feeling off and followed Kail over to the pull-up bar.

“Alright, grip the bar, and make sure to tuck your thumb under your fingers for a more secure hold,” Kail coached.

Gin was just praying he didn’t make a complete fool of himself. He was in shape, but he was more of a run-for-his-life kind of guy, not the pull-ups and lifting weights kind.

He glanced over his shoulder at Kail and caught the man’s reassuring smile. Yeah, Gin could do this, and maybe it would earn him more Kail points.

He jumped up and hung limply from the bar. “Uh, so now what?” His body swung a little bit until warm hands touched him, making him all too aware that it was just him and Kail in the gym.

“Steady yourself. Here.” Kail’s fingertips grazed over the small sliver of flesh that was bare thanks to his shirt rising up. If Gin’s brain was having trouble before, it was getting close to complete shutdown now that Kail was touching him.

Gin didn’t question how the others affected him; he just knew they did, and it felt right. Gin shook his head to focus.

Warm breath ghosted over the back of his neck. “Okay, try and pull up. I’m here to help if needed.”

Gin was proud of himself as he pulled his own body weight up three times before his arms started to shake. Kail had made it look easy, busting out twenty reps back-to-back. Sweat beaded on his brow, and once again those distracting hands were on him.

“Great job,” Kail said.

The praise was a hot ball in the pit of Gin’s abdomen. If he had the upper-body strength, he’d go for another one. Without his say-so, his grip decided to cave under his weight, and a yelp left him. It wasn’t a far drop at all but unexpected, to say the least. Kail’s arms wrapped around him, and Gin was pressed against his chest.

Yeah, there was no doubt in his mind he wanted to join them and not to be just with Titos. Gin wanted the whole package.