Forbidden ( a BxB Furry Romance )

Chapter 11

The soft morning light crept through the blinds, signaling the start of another day. Kael woke first, blinking his blue eyes open to the quiet dorm room. He stayed still for a while, savoring the warmth of Silas's arm draped over him, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.

It had taken time for Kael to let himself get used to moments like this. He still struggled to believe he deserved them. The peacefulness, the safety—it was so different from the life he'd left behind.

But even as he lay there, a familiar tension coiled in his chest. His phone, sitting on the nearby nightstand, had buzzed incessantly late into the night. He'd ignored it then, not wanting to ruin the comfort of being with Silas. Now, though, the weight of it lingered in his mind.

Kael carefully slipped out of bed, trying not to wake Silas. His tail brushed against the blanket as he padded quietly to the desk where his phone lay. Unlocking it, he saw what he'd been dreading: a string of messages from his parents.

Come home this weekend.
It's been too long since we've seen you.
You're still part of this family, Kael. Stop avoiding us.

The words felt more like demands than invitations. They always did. Kael's stomach churned as he scrolled through the messages. Memories bubbled up unbidden—sharp words, cold glares, and the lingering sting of betrayal.

"Kael?" Silas's groggy voice cut through his spiraling thoughts.

Kael flinched, quickly locking his phone and turning to face Silas. "Yeah?" he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Silas propped himself up on one elbow, his amber eyes soft with sleep but alert enough to notice Kael's tension. "You okay?"

Kael hesitated, the words caught in his throat. He didn't want to drag Silas into this, but hiding it felt worse. "It's... my parents," he finally admitted, his ears drooping slightly.

Silas frowned, fully awake now. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, sitting up. "What happened?"

Kael ran a hand through his fur, his shoulders hunched. "They want me to come home this weekend."

Silas's frown deepened. "And you don't want to?"

Kael shook his head. "It's not that simple. They don't ask—they expect. And if I don't..." He trailed off, his tail curling tightly around his leg.

Silas stood and crossed the room, stopping in front of Kael. He placed a hand on Kael's shoulder, his touch firm yet gentle. "You don't have to go if you don't want to," he said, his voice steady.

Kael looked up, his blue eyes clouded with uncertainty. "You don't understand. If I don't go, they'll make me regret it. They'll find a way to remind me how much I owe them, how much of a disappointment I am..."

Silas's jaw tightened, his amber eyes flashing with anger—not at Kael, but at the people who had made him feel this way. "Kael, you don't owe them anything. Not if they've treated you like that."

Kael's ears flattened, his gaze dropping. "They're still my parents," he whispered. "And part of me... part of me still hopes they'll change."

Silas softened at the admission, his hand sliding down to take Kael's. "I get that," he said quietly. "But you don't have to face them alone. If you decide to go, I'll be there with you. And if you don't... we'll figure it out together."

Kael's grip on Silas's hand tightened, a flicker of relief cutting through his anxiety. "You'd do that?"

"Of course," Silas said without hesitation. "You're not alone in this, Kael."