11.

CHAPTER: WHERE ARE YOU, KITTEN?

Kieran leaned against his car, amused as he scrolled through his phone.

It was late, and by now, Noah should’ve been curled up in his apartment, buried in books, wearing one of those oversized sweaters that swallowed his frame. Maybe sipping tea, maybe dozing off with his hair falling over his face like a dark halo.

That’s where he should be.

But he wasn’t.

Kieran’s smirk faltered as he stared at the dimly lit window of Noah’s apartment from across the street. No glow from a bedside lamp. No shadow moving inside. Nothing.

His kitten wasn’t home.

A slow, dark thrill curled in his chest. How unexpected.

Kieran tapped his fingers against his phone, considering. It wasn’t like Noah to be out late. The little thing barely socialized beyond work.

So where the hell was he?

Curiosity sharpened into something darker as he pulled up an app on his phone—one he had installed weeks ago, embedding a tracker in Noah’s devices without him ever realizing it.

Kieran wasn’t careless. He made sure to know where his kitten was at all times.

His breath stilled as the location loaded.

A club.

He was at a club.

For a second, he just stared at the screen, processing the audacity of it.

Then, the smirk returned—slow, sharp, dangerous.

“Well, well…” he murmured, eyes glinting with something predatory.

His Little Noah was being bad.

And Kieran always made sure to punish bad behavior.

******"

Noah's POV:-

Noah shifted awkwardly under the dim neon lights, fingers curling around the drink Emma had handed him earlier. The music pulsed in the background, a rhythmic hum that vibrated through his chest, but his mind felt distant, still caught in the hazy guilt of being here at all.

He shouldn’t have come.

But Emma had insisted, and everyone had been so excited about the engagement that saying no had felt… wrong.

So here he was.

And, unfortunately, so was he.

The man had approached him not long after he arrived—a little too tall, a little too charming, with slick dark hair and a confident grin. At first, Noah had thought he was just being friendly, but now…

Now, the stranger was leaning too close, his cologne too strong, his gaze dragging over Noah like he was something to be unwrapped.

“You’re really quiet,” the man—Jake? Jason?—murmured, his voice dipped in amusement. “I like that. The shy ones are always the most fun.”

Noah’s grip tightened around his glass. “I—I should probably get back to my friend.”

“Relax,” the guy chuckled, setting a hand on Noah’s waist as he slid a drink toward him. “I bought this for you. Thought you might loosen up a little.”

Noah froze.

The touch was light, barely even there, but it still sent a jolt of unease through him.

A month ago, he wouldn’t have reacted so sharply. A month ago, he would’ve just awkwardly excused himself and moved on.

But now?

Now, there was something crawling under his skin—something suffocating, something watching.

Kieran’s presence haunted him even when he wasn’t there.

Even now, he could almost hear that low, wicked voice whispering in his ear. Mine.

Noah swallowed hard, stepping back. “I—um, I don’t really drink much. But thanks.”

The guy frowned, his gaze flickering with something almost impatient. “Come on, one sip won’t hurt.”

Noah’s heart thumped uncomfortably. He glanced toward Emma, but she was caught up in conversation across the bar.

He was alone.

And suddenly, he wished—no, dreaded—that a certain someone was here.

Because if Kieran saw this…

Noah shivered.

*******

UNHINGED DESIRE

Kieran's pov:-

Kieran didn’t expect to end up here.

Didn’t expect the creeping annoyance to turn into something visceral, primal, the second he tracked Noah’s location and realized where he was.

A club.

His Noah in a fucking club.

It was almost amusing at first. The little kitten barely even left his apartment, always tucked away in his safe little world of books and tea and quiet solitude. The thought of him here—lost among flashing lights, sweaty bodies, and hands that didn’t belong anywhere near him—sent a dark thrill rushing through Kieran’s veins.

But when he stepped inside, when his sharp eyes landed on the delicate figure bathed in neon glow, all amusement was ripped from his lungs.

He froze.

Noah stood near the bar, looking like a vision straight out of Kieran’s darkest, filthiest dreams.

Sinful clothes.

Delicate wrists.

Soft, shining lips that glistened under the club lights.

And worst of all—worst of all—another man leaning in close, whispering something into those ears that only Kieran should be allowed to touch.

A slow, dangerous exhale left Kieran’s lips.

He swore he saw red.

His fingers curled into fists at his sides, every muscle coiled tight with the violent urge to drag Noah away, to lock him somewhere safe where no one else could see him—where no one else could touch what belonged to him.

The possessiveness surged, heady and intoxicating, twisting into something darker.

His eyes traced the sinful curve of Noah’s throat, the dip of his collarbone, the way the hem of his clothes teased against porcelain thighs that should never—never—be shown to anyone but him.

Fuck.

A hot rush of arousal slammed into his gut, raw and ruthless.

He imagined it—pressing Noah against the wall, ruining him right here, where everyone could see who he belonged to.

Fucking him so thoroughly, so deeply, that no one would ever dare look at him again.

Mine.

His tongue swiped over his bottom lip, breathing ragged, heart pounding.

He had to get him out of here.

Had to teach him.

Because Noah—his sweet, oblivious little professor—still didn’t understand what it meant to belong to someone like Kieran Wolfe.

******

Kieran moved like a predator in the dark, weaving through the bodies with sharp, controlled steps. His muscles were wound tight, his pulse slow and dangerous, his gaze never leaving him.

Noah.

His kitten. His sweet, delicate little thing who had no idea the kind of attention he was drawing, no idea that his very presence in this place was a sin Kieran would not forgive.

And then—

Then the bastard touched him.

It was subtle. A brush of fingers along Noah’s arm, a casual lean-in, lips too close to that soft skin. Kieran heard the man's voice, too smooth, too fucking smug as he whispered something against Noah’s ear.

"You’re too pretty to be alone, sweetheart. Come with me, yeah? Let me show you a good time."

Noah stiffened. He gave an awkward laugh, hesitating, not outright rejecting him. And that—that—was enough to shatter the last thread of Kieran’s control.

Something inside him snapped.

Heat licked up his spine, thick and molten. His breath left him in a slow, sharp exhale as his vision blurred, the edges tinged with red.

He was there before he even realized it, stepping out of the shadows, his hand clamping down on the stranger’s wrist like a steel trap.

A cruel grip. A bone-snapping grip.

The man jolted, startled, turning—only to freeze when he met Kieran’s eyes.

Kieran smiled.

A slow, dark, lethal thing.

Noah gasped softly, startled, those wide, innocent eyes snapping to him in shock. Kieran ignored him.

His gaze was locked onto the filth who had dared to touch what wasn’t his.

“Didn’t your mother teach you not to put your hands where they don’t belong?” Kieran murmured, voice low, taunting. His fingers flexed, tightening. The man winced.

Noah let out a nervous little sound. “K-Kieran—”

The man scowled, trying to shake him off. “The fuck is your problem, dude?”

Kieran’s smirk widened.

“My problem?” He tilted his head, amused at the audacity. “You see, dude, my problem is that you’re breathing a little too close to something that doesn’t fucking belong to you.”

Noah sucked in a sharp breath, eyes darting between them. “Kieran, stop—”

Kieran didn’t stop.

He leaned in, close enough for the man to see the storm raging in his eyes, close enough for him to feel the darkness licking at the edges of Kieran’s composure.

“Now,” Kieran said, voice dropping to something silky and razor-sharp, “you’re going to walk away, right now.”

The man glared, jerking his wrist—but Kieran didn’t let go.

Instead, he squeezed.

Hard.

The man gritted his teeth, eyes widening as pain flared across his face.

Kieran’s smile didn’t falter. “Or I can break this little hand of yours and make sure you never touch anyone again. Your choice.”

Silence.

Tension crackled in the air like a live wire.

Then—

The man ripped his hand away, cursing under his breath. He shot Noah a final glance before scoffing, backing away.

Smart choice.

Kieran turned, finally facing Noah.

His kitten looked stunned, blinking up at him with parted lips and flushed cheeks.

So damn pretty.

Kieran’s blood still burned, the taste of violence still fresh on his tongue. His fingers itched to grab Noah, to drag him away, to remind him who he belonged to.

Noah swallowed hard. “Kieran… what—what the hell was that?”

Kieran tilted his head, gaze dark, hungry.

“Kitten,” he purred, reaching out—tracing one slow, possessive finger down the curve of Noah’s throat.

“You really shouldn’t let just anyone touch you.”

******

The air was thick, suffocating, charged with something dark and electric. The neon lights of the club flickered against the damp alley walls, but Kieran only saw red.

The bastard hadn’t walked away.

No. He had the fucking audacity to turn back... he approached them again while they're leaving the club.

And then he said it.

"You think he doesn’t want it?" The man smirked, cocky, arrogant, already dead. "Please. Look at him, he was—shaking, blushing. He likes the attention, sweetheart. You’re just too fucking dumb to see it. ,  He'll probably like when I'll fuck him."

Kieran went still.

Too still.

A dark, bottomless silence swallowed him whole.

Noah gasped, stepping forward, reaching out like he could stop the inevitable. "Kieran—"

But it was already too late.

Because Kieran moved.

Fast.

A blur of motion—his fist connecting with the man’s jaw so hard it cracked. The sound was sickening, bone meeting bone, a snap of cartilage. The man barely had time to choke on his own breath before Kieran grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the brick wall.

The impact sent a sharp shockwave through the alley.

The man let out a strangled groan, struggling, but Kieran was already on him—gripping his throat, pinning him, squeezing just enough to watch the panic bloom in his eyes.

"You shouldn’t have said that," Kieran murmured, his voice eerily calm, dripping with something deadly.

The man clawed at Kieran’s wrist, gasping. "F-fuck—"

Kieran wrenched him forward and then drove his knee into his ribs.

Once.

Twice.

A wet, sickening pop.

The man screamed.

Noah cried out, eyes wide, hands flying to his mouth as he stumbled back. "Kieran, stop! You’re—"

Kieran didn’t stop.

He let go just long enough for the man to crumple forward, coughing blood onto the pavement. And then—before he could even think about getting up—Kieran grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face into the concrete.

Another crack.

A wet splatter.

Blood smeared against the ground, thick and dark, pooling beneath the man’s shattered nose. His groan was weak now, desperate. He twitched, barely moving.

Noah screamed.

"Kieran—please!" Noah’s voice was frantic, scared. "You’re going to—he’s going to die!"

Kieran stood over the man, chest heaving, fingers twitching.

He wanted to.

Every muscle in his body screamed for it. The man was nothing. Nothing. It would be so easy to end this, to crush him beneath his boot, to make sure he never looked at Noah again—never breathed again.

But then—

A sob.

Small, shaking, helpless.

Kieran turned.

Noah was trembling, hands gripping his own arms, his beautiful lips parted, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. He looked terrified.

And it hit Kieran like a bullet to the skull.

He was crying.

Because of him.

For the first time, the rage cracked. The haze lifted just enough for something else to creep in.

A sick sort of guilt.

He clenched his jaw, fists still tight, the man's blood still warm on his skin. His breathing was heavy, uneven, like he was trying to rein himself in—like he was seconds away from snapping all over again.

Noah sniffled, blinking rapidly. "Please," he whispered. "Kieran, let’s just go."

Kieran exhaled through his nose.

Slow. Controlled.

Then, without a word, he stepped back.

The man didn’t move. He was still breathing—barely—but Kieran didn’t care. He turned on his heel and walked toward Noah, gaze dark, unreadable.

Noah hesitated, taking half a step back.

That hurt more than it should have.

Kieran didn’t say anything. He just reached out, curling a hand around Noah’s trembling wrist. His touch was surprisingly gentle compared to the violence he’d just unleashed.

But it wasn’t a request.

It was a claim.

"Let’s go, kitten," he murmured.

And Noah didn’t resist.....

*******

The air in Kieran’s apartment was thick, suffocating. A dark silence stretched between them, the only sound the sharp click of the door locking behind them.

Noah stood frozen in the center of the dimly lit room, his breathing uneven, his fingers trembling at his sides. His flushed face, his parted lips, the way his chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths—he was stunning.

Kieran leaned against the door, his sharp gaze raking over him. Really looking.

And fuck.

He had never seen anything more sinful.

The little kitten was gorgeous.

The tight, silky fabric of his shirt clung to his delicate frame, riding up just enough to tease the soft skin of his waist. His pants, fitted and obscene, molded to every perfect curve. But it was his face that ruined Kieran the most. The faint gloss on his lips, the smudged eyeliner making his doe eyes look even bigger, more innocent, more ruinable.

A slow, hungry smirk spread across Kieran’s lips.

"Look at you."

Noah swallowed hard. "K-Kieran—"

"You let them see you like this?" Kieran’s voice was dangerously low, thick with something dark and starved. He pushed off the door, taking a slow step forward. "Let them touch you? Let them flirt with you?"

Noah backed up instinctively, his breath hitching. "I-I didn’t—"

But Kieran didn’t let him finish.

In a flash, he was on him—gripping his chin, tilting his face up. Their bodies collided as he pressed Noah against the nearest wall, trapping him between his arms.

Noah gasped, his wide, glassy eyes staring up at him.

"Who were you looking pretty for, kitten?" Kieran murmured, his thumb running over Noah’s slick bottom lip. "Them?"

Noah shivered. "I—"

"Or was it for me?"

Before Noah could answer, Kieran crushed their mouths together in a brutal, starving kiss.

Noah whimpered, hands flying to Kieran’s chest, his fingers curling into the fabric like he wanted to push him away—but didn’t.

Kieran devoured him.

His lips moved roughly, demanding, taking everything Noah had to give and more. His teeth nipped, his tongue forced its way inside, swallowing Noah’s soft little noises, stealing his breath like he owned it.

Because he did.

Noah trembled beneath him, weak, melting—exactly how Kieran wanted him.

When Kieran finally pulled back, he didn’t go far. Their breaths tangled, foreheads nearly touching. Noah’s lips were swollen, wet, his pupils blown wide with something dangerously close to surrender.

But Kieran wasn’t finished.

"Tell me, kitten." His voice was a rasp, his fingers curling tighter around Noah’s waist. "Did you want his hands on you? His mouth?"

Noah shook his head frantically, his breath stuttering. "N-No—"

"Then why were you there? Dressed like this? Looking like a fucking angel sent to be ruined?"

Noah’s lips parted, but no words came. His hands trembled against Kieran’s chest.

Kieran exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening against Noah’s waist as he leaned in, his breath warm against his ear.

"Next time you want attention, kitten, you come to me." His voice was a promise. A threat. "Only me."

*****

The moment was feverish—too hot, too intense, spiraling out of control.

Kieran’s hands were everywhere, gripping, claiming, taking as he yanked Noah’s silky shirt over his head and tossed it aside like it was nothing.

Noah gasped, barely able to react before Kieran crushed their bodies together, his bare skin burning against Noah’s.

"Fuck—look at you," Kieran growled, his hands sliding over Noah’s trembling ribs, feeling the way his breath hitched and stuttered beneath his touch. "So soft, so fucking perfect."

Noah’s nails dug into Kieran’s shoulders, his head tilting back against the wall as Kieran ravaged him.

Teeth scraped over his collarbone. A sharp, possessive bite. Then another. And another.

Noah whimpered.

"K-Kieran—"

Kieran groaned at the sound, gripping Noah’s waist harder, pinning him in place. His mouth trailed lower, dragging over Noah’s flushed skin, leaving dark, bruising marks in his wake.

"Mine." He bit down on Noah’s shoulder, sucking hard enough to bruise. "Fucking mine, kitten."

Noah’s breath was uneven, his fingers trembling against Kieran’s skin as he tried—failed—to push him away.

"S-Stop—y-you can’t just—"

"Can’t just what?" Kieran rasped, his lips tracing over the fresh marks he’d left, his tongue flicking over each one as if soothing the bruises he wanted there. "Remind you who you belong to?"

Noah shuddered.

Kieran smirked.

"You like it, don’t you?" he murmured, his voice thick with amusement as he nipped at Noah’s throat again, dragging his teeth over the sensitive skin. "You like when I ruin you."

Noah shook his head, desperately. "N-No—"

But his body betrayed him. The way his breath came in ragged little gasps, the way his thighs shook, the way his fingers curled into Kieran’s skin like he needed him closer.

Kieran groaned against his throat, rolling his hips forward, grinding against him.

Noah gasped. His hands flew up to clutch Kieran’s hair, but he didn’t push him away.

Kieran laughed, dark and low.

"Liar."

******

Noah could barely breathe.

His body was trapped—pinned—between Kieran’s scorching heat and the cold wall behind him, the contrast making him shudder. His head spun, clouded with something thick and dangerous as Kieran’s hands roamed, gripping his hips too tightly, his fingers digging in like he wanted to leave permanent imprints.

"So fucking pretty," Kieran murmured, his voice husky, thick with wicked amusement. His breath was hot against Noah’s flushed skin as he rolled his hips forward, pressing their bodies together in a way that made Noah’s knees go weak.

Noah gasped, fingers twitching against Kieran’s arms, trying—failing—to push him away.

But Kieran was relentless.

"What’s wrong, baby?" he purred, pressing in harder, the friction sending sharp, unbearable shocks up Noah’s spine. "You’re shaking."

Noah was shaking. His breath was coming in sharp little gasps, his stomach twisting with something wrong, something hot and shameful as Kieran rubbed against him, slow at first, then harder, rougher.

"Fuck," Kieran groaned, dragging his lips down the side of Noah’s neck, lapping at the bruises he’d already left behind. "So good, kitten. You feel so fucking good."

Noah whimpered, his hands fisting in Kieran’s hair, his nails digging into his scalp.

"K-Kieran—s-stop—"

But his voice was thin, breathless, weak.

Kieran only chuckled, dark and wicked, before pressing closer, his muscles tensing as he rutted against him, sharp and needy, his breath ragged and heavy in Noah’s ear.

Noah’s body burned.

Heat curled in his stomach, tight and unbearable, his breath coming in sharp little pants as Kieran moved against him.

"Kieran—" Noah gasped, trying to twist away, to fight it—

But his body betrayed him.

His muscles tensed. His back arched. His whole body shuddered as heat crashed over him, sending him spiraling into something dark and shameful.

Noah came undone.

Silence stretched.

His body trembled, his breath hitching as horror crashed into him.

Kieran, on the other hand—

Laughed.

Deep. Wicked.

Noah’s breath hitched.

"Oh, kitten," Kieran grinned against his skin, dragging his lips up to Noah’s jaw. "Look what you did."*

Noah’s whole body burned, his heart hammering in his chest. "I—I didn’t—"

Kieran hummed, tilting his head as he mocked him, his voice syrupy and dark. "What was that? Speak up, baby."*

Noah’s throat felt tight.

Kieran smirked, eyes flashing with amusement as he traced a finger down Noah’s heaving chest.

"You made a mess," he murmured, lips grazing Noah’s ear, making him shiver. "Should I clean you up?"

******

Noah still trapped beneath him, panting, his body still trembling from his own betrayal. His cheeks burned with shame, but Kieran’s wicked laughter only made it worse.

"Oh, kitten…" Kieran murmured darkly, his lips brushing against Noah’s ear. "You came so easily, didn’t you? Just from me grinding on you."

Noah turned his head, refusing to meet Kieran’s gaze. " Stop…"

But Kieran wouldn’t allow that. His fingers gripped Noah’s jaw, forcing him to look up. "Say it. Tell me who made you come, baby."

Noah bit his lip, his pride battling against the truth. But Kieran’s smirk deepened. "That’s alright. I already know the answer."

His hands trailed lower, unbuttoning Noah’s pants with slow, deliberate precision. Noah stiffened, his breath hitching as Kieran’s fingers ghosted over his skin.

"What—what are you doing?" Noah stammered, his voice weak.

Kieran licked his lips, eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "Claiming what’s mine. You think you can let another man put his hands on you and get away with it?"

Noah shuddered as Kieran’s fingers slid inside his waistband, a possessive touch that sent a shock of heat through his core.

"Kieran—"

A sharp gasp tore from his lips as Kieran leaned down, his tongue tracing along Noah’s throat. "Shh… I’ll take care of you, kitten. Just like I always do." With that Kieran bit him hard just above his collarbone.

Noah’s breath came in shallow pants, his mind swimming. He knew he should fight, push him away, but Kieran’s grip was firm, his touch intoxicating.

And then Kieran’s voice, husky and dripping with sinful amusement, whispered against his skin, "This little cock belongs to me too, doesn’t it?"

******

Kieran kissed him deeply, possessively, his tongue claiming every inch of Noah’s mouth before pulling back with a satisfied smirk. He ran his fingers through Noah’s hair, tilting his chin up. "Be good for me, baby. I’ll see you tomorrow. And I promise you… I’ll punish you next time if you try to pull that kind of stunt again...."

With one last lingering kiss, Kieran pulled away, leaving Noah breathless, trembling, and utterly marked as his own.