The One

Morning Happiness

 The following morning, however, Karol woke groggily, her head throbbing like a disco party gone awry and her body sore as if she had just wrestled a bull. She cradled her aching head in mild frustration, lamenting, 'Oh God, why am I sore everywhere?'

With great effort, she pried her eyes open, her surroundings appearing foreign and surreal. As her gaze landed on a bare-chested figure beside her, a wave of horror swept over her, and she cursed silently, 'Fuck me! What the actual hell did I do?'

Internal screams echoed in her mind as she endeavoured to gently shift the slumbering hunk sprawled across her chest. She nudged his hand, but instead of relinquishing his hold, he instinctively tightened his grip, pulling her closer to him in a spooning embrace that felt both comfortable and dangerously compelling.

'FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!' she screamed internally. 'How the bloody hell do I escape this now? Wait!'

Her shift was suddenly interrupted by a shockingly intimate caress against her thigh. 'Wait! Hold up! Is that... what I think it is?'

Oh yes, she was right; the moment she shifted again, that very thing stirred against her, making their positions meld into a precarious arrangement that left her half-lying on his exposed body. 'Bloody hell! This is perilous. It's right there! One wrong move and I'll be in deep trouble. Shit!'

'Someone, anyone, help me, Goddess?! God? Or any deity out there?' she silently pleaded, but received only a deafening silence in return. 'No?!'

As their positions adjusted again, he pinned her leg against his lower abdomen, a mischievous projection stirring at the most inopportune moment, twitching in response to her attempts to create space between their bodies. 'God? Goddess? Deity? Are you listening? Hello?!'

'Fine! If you're going to ignore me, then I shan't pray to you again,' she fumed, annoyance building as her frustration morphed into determination. 'Why do you have morning wood, you daft idiot! And who the hell are you?'

Attempting to lift her head for a glimpse of the man who had inexplicably invaded her slumber, she tried and failed repeatedly. Minutes ticked by in this absurd tableau until she finally resolved to detach herself. With a strategic wriggle, she managed to slip away, earning herself a small victory as he unconsciously loosened his hold.

'Phew... Thank you, God or Goddess, or whatever's out there. I'll pray and believe that you heard me, and I appreciate your assistance,' Karol muttered in silent prayer, offering gratitude to the universe.

With a smooth motion that was surprisingly difficult given her aches, she rolled out of bed, fighting through the discomfort whilst scanning the chaos for her clothes—only to find them missing.

Glancing at the undeniably attractive yet exasperatingly nude man, recognition crashed over her like a tidal wave, memories flooding her mind despite her desperate attempts to block them out. 'No, no, no!' she chastised herself, shaking her head as if to physically rattle the images awake.

With careful determination, she shuffled over to the walk-in closet, half-stumbling as she grabbed the nearest garment and slipped it on. Stealthily, she tiptoed from the room, a ninja on a mission, skillfully avoiding detection—even from her deeply slumbering mate.

Upon returning to the Randale house, she executed her homecoming like a master thief, gliding into her room with the grace of a phantom, relief washing over her like cool water. The instant she let her guard down, however, her eyes widened as a creeping sensation slid down her thigh, awakening a chilling realisation that she had truly messed up.

Frozen in shock for a few moments, Karol rallied herself and darted to the shower, determined to cleanse every fibre of her being, scrubbing away the remnants of her chaotic night. Emerged fresh and renewed, she journeyed to her son's bedroom.

After watching him sleep for a moment, she hopped onto the bed, enveloping Luka in her embrace, the comforting scent of home mingling with that of his father as he nestled closer, purring softly. Together, they drifted into the peaceful depths of slumber, the chaos of the night fading into a distant memory.

Meanwhile, back at the mansion, just minutes after her daring escape, Christian jolted awake, his heart racing as he scanned his dimly lit bedroom for his missing mate.

'Where did our mate go?' he queried Arlo through their mind link, urgency threading his thoughts.

'I bet she's at the house, probably trying on a dress or something,' came Arlo's nonchalant reply, accompanied by a sleepy yawn.

'And how do you know that?' Christian challenged, a frown tugging at his brow.

'Because that's exactly what I would do. But enough of that—let's get our sweaty arses into the shower and freshen up before we dash over to our mate's place,' Arlo suggested, unfazed.

A few moments later, Christian emerged from the shower, invigorated and ready to go claim his runaway mate. Before heading towards Randale's house, he flung open the windows and linked with his pack members.

'Betty, please clean my room,' he instructed.

'Yes, Alpha. On my way,' Betty's reply chimed back instantly.

As Christian strode out of his room, the housekeeper entered, just as he was about to set off for his mate's house. A sudden jolt of awareness hit him as he caught Betty's mind link.

'Alpha, there are women's clothes in your room. Would you like us to wash them or dispose of them?'

'Wash them with mine, don't separate. After that, keep them neatly in my closet,' Christian ordered, his focus unwavering as he continued his journey to his mate's house.

Arriving at Randale's, Christian knocked twice and was greeted by Sharon, who was cradling Keira.

"Oh, morning, Christian! Come in," she beamed.

"I didn't know you were back. I thought you were busy," he replied, stepping over the threshold.

"Just flew in this morning with the kids and Jason. Speaking of, if you're looking for him, he's in the kitchen helping with the dishes," Sharon said, before heading into the living room, leaving Christian to navigate towards the kitchen.

"Yo, my man!" Jason flashed a smirk, his eyes glinting with mischief as he met his best friend's gaze.

"Good morning—mornin', Mum, Dad!" he greeted Anna and William, who were nearby.

"Did I miss something?" Christian asked, feigning innocence.

"No, you did not, Dad. I'm just in a happy mood," Jason responded, a playful gleam in his eyes.

"Come with me, honey, and I'll fill you in," Anna said, tugging her husband out of the kitchen, throwing Christian a knowing wink over her shoulder.

"Of course, you're in a happy mood, you rascal," Jason muttered loud enough for Christian to hear, earning a chuckle from him as he settled into the moment.