The apartment was quiet, sunlight spilling through the blinds in thin golden stripes, illuminating dust motes floating lazily in the air. Kaein had just returned from his seminar, suitcase in hand, and the moment he stepped inside, Lior's presence seemed to fill every corner of the home. Not with sound or motion, but with an invisible, magnetic pull—the subtle wave of pheromones that only a Lunar could emit and only an Alpha mate could sense so acutely.
Lior was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, but his gaze followed Kaein as he moved, tracking each step with a predator's precision. The desire was palpable—not lustful in its urgency, but a deep, instinctive need to have his Alpha close, always, to claim and tether him to the space they shared.
"You're home," Lior murmured, voice low, just above a whisper, but it carried an unspoken command. His stride across the kitchen was deliberate, closing the distance between them, until Kaein felt the faint heat radiating from Lior's body even before their shoulders brushed.
"I am," Kaein replied, dropping his suitcase with a soft thud. "You… were waiting?"
Lior smirked, leaning down to brush his lips against the side of Kaein's neck, inhaling deeply. The scent of Kaein—tempered Alpha heat mixed with the faint aroma of freshly laundered clothes—made his chest tighten. "Of course. I can't… stand the idea of you being gone. Not even for a moment."
Kaein shivered at the touch, hand instinctively reaching to press against Lior's chest. "You're… always so… clingy," he teased, voice trembling slightly under the warmth spreading through his body.
"I can't help it," Lior murmured, eyes darkening with that familiar, unspoken intensity. "You're mine, Kaein. And I need you. I want you here, with me, every moment. Even when you're technically free to leave…" He trailed his fingers down the line of Kaein's arm, brushing lightly, possessively.
Kaein's lips parted in a soft gasp, and he leaned into the touch, the pheromones wrapping around them both like invisible threads. "I… I know," he admitted, voice low. "And… I want to be yours too."
Lior's grin was slow, predatory, but tempered with affection. He pressed a soft kiss to Kaein's temple, letting the scent of him saturate the air. "Good. Because I… I can't bear even the thought of someone else being near you. Not when I exist to keep you tethered to me."
The day unfolded with ordinary activities—a shared lunch, folding laundry together, running errands—but Lior never left Kaein's side. Every brush of his hand, every lingering glance, every subtle brush of lips against neck or shoulder was a quiet claim, an instinctive way of tethering his Alpha to him. Even when Kaein made coffee or sorted paperwork, Lior would circle behind him, inhale the faint scent of hair and skin, murmuring soft, possessive phrases that made Kaein flush.
"You're intoxicating," Lior whispered one afternoon, resting his chin lightly on Kaein's shoulder as they sorted documents on the kitchen counter. "Every part of you… I want it all."
Kaein leaned back, pressing his head against Lior's chest, letting the warmth and weight ground him. "I don't… mind," he murmured, voice soft but steady. "I like it… having you so close."
The urge in Lior built naturally, like tide rising without warning. It wasn't just lust—it was instinct. The unrelenting desire to possess, to claim, to tether the Alpha who was his mate permanently, even in these small moments. He caught himself brushing fingertips over Kaein's hips, trailing them down to the small of his back, inhaling the faint pheromonal spike of arousal. Every inhale, every touch, every subtle claim was like rehearsing for the permanent marking that had already cemented their bond—but done in daily life, playful, sensual, teasing.
Nightfall brought them to the bedroom, but not with urgency or ritual—it was just natural, flowing, a continuation of the day. Lior's hands roamed, tracing every curve, every line of Kaein's body while he whispered claims and praises. "You're mine… only mine," he murmured against Kaein's lips. "And I'll never… let go. I need this… I need you."
Kaein shivered, hands threading into Lior's hair, lips meeting his in a slow, seductive kiss. "And I… need you too," he whispered, letting the tension build as Lior's hands explored, teasing, pressing, claiming without rush. "Every day… with you…"
The night stretched lazily, a tapestry of touches, murmurs, whispered promises, and stolen kisses. Lior's possessive instincts drove him to brush skin against skin, lingering in places where only pheromonal contact could communicate desire and claim. Kaein responded in kind, melting into his Lunar, letting him dictate the rhythm of touch, the cadence of scent, the intimacy that blended trust, passion, and longing.
Morning light crept across the bed, catching strands of Kaein's hair as he pressed a lingering kiss to Lior's collarbone. "I… can't imagine a day without you," he murmured.
Lior tightened his hold, pressing a kiss to the top of Kaein's head. "And you won't," he replied, voice low, heavy with possessive promise. "I'll make sure of that. Every moment, every breath… I'll keep you by my side. Always."
Even as Kaein prepared to leave for a seminar, packing lightly, Lior stayed close, brushing fingertips along his back, pressing lingering kisses to wrists and neck. "I'll be here when you return," he murmured, tailing Kaein's movements, eyes dark with longing and instinct. "And you'd better not test me… because I'll find ways to remind you. Every day."
Kaein smiled softly, pressing one last kiss to Lior's lips. "I won't… not when you make it so… impossible to resist."
And as Kaein left the apartment, Lior lingered by the window, watching the door swing shut. The pheromones in the air thickened subtly, the instinctual longing coiling tighter in his chest. His Lunar need to possess, to tether, to remain intertwined with his Alpha, pulsed stronger than ever. Even a week apart, even short hours, Lior knew he would find ways to remind Kaein—soft touches, lingering looks, whispered claims—until every corner of their life was infused with the undeniable, inescapable presence of his desire.