KILL ME HEAL ME

chapter 7

Tyme stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie for what felt like the hundredth time. The tailored suit fit him perfectly, but it did nothing to ease the awkwardness of the situation he'd gotten himself into.

He thought about calling Great and canceling. He could come up with some excuse-work emergency, sudden illness, anything. But before he could even reach for his phone, the doorbell rang.

Tyme sighed, knowing who it was.

When he opened the door, there stood Great, looking effortlessly handsome in a sleek black suit. His usual playful expression was toned down, replaced by something Tyme couldn't quite place-nerves, maybe?

"Wow, Doc, you clean up nice," Great said with a grin, looking him up and down.

Tyme gave a short nod, feeling a bit out of his element. "Let's just get this over with."

Great chuckled, clearly amused. "Relax, it's just a wedding. How bad could it be?"

Tyme didn't respond, stepping aside to let Great in for a moment while he grabbed his things. When they were both ready, they headed out to the car, the atmosphere between them surprisingly less awkward than Tyme expected.

The ride to the venue was mostly quiet, with Great occasionally glancing over at Tyme as if to say something but then deciding against it. Tyme was fine with that-small talk wasn't his strong suit, especially when he still wasn't sure why he had agreed to this in the first place.

When they arrived, the venue was smaller and more intimate than Tyme had expected. Clearly, the private wedding wasn't just a formality-this was a closely guarded affair with only family and a few select friends. The moment they stepped out of the car, Tyme could feel the eyes on them.

Great didn't seem fazed, though. He smiled, greeted a few people, and even waved at his brother and Tonkla from across the way. But as they got closer to the main entrance, Tyme felt Great subtly nudge him with his elbow.

"Ready to meet the family?" Great asked, flashing him a grin that was just shy of mischievous.

Tyme sighed, mentally preparing himself for whatever was to come. "Let's just get this over with."

With that, they walked inside together, all eyes on them as they made their way into the heart of the wedding.

The wedding ceremony itself went off without a hitch-elegant, intimate, and emotionally charged in all the right ways. Korn and Tonkla looked happy, and even Great seemed unusually composed for the occasion. Tyme, who had stayed mostly quiet, observed everything with his usual calm demeanor. But there was one person whose restraint was hanging by a thread.

From the moment Tyme and Great walked in together, Mr. Pacharawit's eyes had been on them like a hawk. His face remained stoic, but his tight grip on his glass and clenched jaw spoke volumes. It was clear that seeing his son arrive with a "date"-and an alpha at that-was not part of the grand image he wanted to present, especially with his business partners mingling around, many of whom were eyeing the pair with interest and whispers.

As the reception progressed, Tyme could feel the tension radiating from across the room. Every time he glanced in Mr. Pacharawit's direction, the older man was either glaring at them or murmuring something to the person next to him. It didn't take a genius to figure out that his blood pressure was likely rising by the second.

Great, however, seemed utterly unfazed. He mingled with guests, introducing Tyme casually as if they'd been friends-or more-for years. He even had the audacity to share a laugh with one of his father's associates, completely ignoring the storm brewing just a few feet away.

By the time dinner was served, Mr. Pacharawit had reached his limit. His face was redder than usual, and it seemed like he was doing everything in his power to remain composed. But the glances he shot toward Great and Tyme spoke louder than words-he wasn't just displeased, he was furious.

Tyme, sensing the hostility, leaned toward Great at one point and whispered, "Your father looks like he's about to explode. Maybe we should-"

Great smirked and interrupted, "Let him. I told you I wasn't going to make this easy for him."

Tyme wasn't sure how this night was going to end, but one thing was certain: Mr. Pacharawit's carefully curated image was crumbling, and Great was having way too much fun watching it happen.

"Great!" his father finally called, his tone filled with barely contained anger. Great turned to face him, casually dragging Tyme along, who was silently battling his inner turmoil.

"Hmm?" Great responded, feigning innocence.

"What is this?" his father demanded, his face flushed with visible frustration. But Great, choosing to play dumb, acted as though he had no idea what his father was referring to.

"What is what?" he asked, pretending confusion, much to Tyme's discomfort as he silently wished for the ground to swallow him up.

His father's patience snapped. "You mean this," Great clarified, then, with a mischievous grin, added, "Oh, right. Dad, this is Tyme, my date. Tyme, meet my dad."

If his father wasn't already furious, this introduction just pushed him further over the edge.

"An alpha?" his father questioned, his voice low but seething. Great nodded with an exaggerated expression, as if it weren't already obvious.

Seeing Great confirm to his father that he was an alpha, Tyme shot Great a puzzled glance but decided to play along. He stood by quietly, watching as the father and son exchanged their heated words. It turns out that Great had assumed Tyme was an alpha when, in reality, he was an enigma.

After the conversation ended, Tyme didn't feel the need to correct Great. The event was nearing its conclusion, and he figured there was no point in bringing it up. They might never even cross paths again, so why bother?

"You're back," grandma said, a soft smile on her face. "How was the wedding?"

Tyme exhaled deeply, taking off his shoes and hanging up his jacket. "It was fine," he said simply, not offering many details. He didn't want to get into the whole situation with Great right now.

"Good," his grandma nodded, her eyes still on him as if sensing there was more he wasn't saying. "You must be tired. Go wash up, I've kept some dinner warm for you."

Tyme smiled slightly at her thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Grandma. I'll be quick."

As he headed upstairs, he couldn't shake the feeling that despite his best efforts to keep things distant, life had a way of drawing him into situations he didn't expect-especially where Great was concerned.