ALPHA UNIVERSE #5: DESIROUS

CHAPTER 50

The morning light had yet to break through the horizon, but the early warmth of the air was already comforting, wrapping the room in a tender embrace. It wasn't the sun that made the house feel alive, but the heartbeat of anticipation—quiet and strong, pulsing through the walls, and vibrating with the emotions hanging in the stillness.

Jeno moved quietly, the sound of his footsteps muffled against the soft carpet. The person who had tried so hard to stay awake to welcome him home was, ironically, asleep. He smiled to himself, knowing the effort she'd put into waiting for him would be forgotten the moment she felt his presence.

He carefully set down his bags, letting his coat fall over them in a heap. He'd only been away for two months, but it felt like a lifetime. The distance, the yearning, the ache in his chest—all of it dissolved in the space between them. He didn't need to wait any longer. He wasn't going to.

He slid into the bed beside her, his weight sinking the mattress with a soft creak. For a moment, he just watched her, taking in the way she breathed, the calm expression on her face as she slept, so unaware of his arrival. His heart swelled with affection, and the tenderness in his gaze was evident. He leaned back against the headboard and studied her—a living, breathing reminder of everything he fought for.

His finger brushed gently across her smooth cheek. The sensation of her skin under his touch was enough to make him pause, as if memorizing the feeling. Harin's face twitched, her nose scrunching slightly at the sensation, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

She shifted slightly, the softest murmur escaping her lips, but it wasn't enough to wake her fully. Jeno's smile deepened, the playful glint in his eyes matching the soft warmth in his chest.

"My dearest alpha," he whispered, the words a caress against the still air. "Sleeping in, hm?"

"Mmmhm, Jen, it's early," she mumbled, voice thick with the haze of sleep.

But as the sound of his voice settled in her mind, the pieces clicked together. She blinked once, then twice, before her eyes shot open, wide with disbelief.

Jeno chuckled softly. "Good morning, beautiful."

"JENO!?" Her voice shot up in surprise, and he laughed even harder.

"Ah, it's early, and you're already shouting?" He grinned, but the playfulness in his tone faltered as he saw the startled expression on her face. "Vida, you're not seeing a ghost, are you? I'm your alpha."

Her gaze flickered between disbelief and joy. "You're real?" she asked, her voice almost incredulous.

"Duh," he replied with an easy smirk, his brow arching.

"Don't just duh me!" she retorted, a laugh barely escaping her lips.

Jeno rolled his eyes dramatically before, with a swift movement, he pulled her into his lap. Her hair was tangled in wild waves, her eyes still heavy with sleep, and her lips—slightly cracked and dry—held that familiar softness he couldn't resist.

He cupped her face in his hands, his touch gentle yet firm, as he leaned in to kiss her forehead, then the tip of her nose. His lips trailed down to her mouth in a soft kiss, before moving lower to the mark on her neck. The spot where he'd left his claim on her, now heated from the proximity, felt like the most natural place to be.

"So," he asked again, his voice low and teasing, "am I real or not?"

"Holy shit," she breathed, the shock still lingering in her voice, but her expression shifted quickly to something more playful. "Jeno, I still haven't decorated the house for Christmas!"