JAY JAY POV
I groaned, burying my face in the pillow as the morning light pierced through the curtains. My body felt like lead after only four hours of sleep. Beside me, Keifer shifted, his arm tightening instinctively around my waist before the noise from the hallway registered.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"KUYA, WAKE UP!" Keiran's voice boomed through the wood of the door, sounding way too energetic for ten in the morning.
"Kuya, it's important!" Keigan piped up right after."You have many nights with Jay later, but this is first!"
Keifer's eyes snapped open at the mention of "many nights," and he let out a long, tortured growl. He didn't move to get up; instead, he just stared at the ceiling with an expression of pure, unadulterated exhaustion.
I groaned, burying my face in the pillow as the reality of morning hit me. My body felt like lead after only four hours of sleep. Beside me, Keifer shifted, his arm tightening instinctively around my waist before the noise from the hallway registered.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"KUYA, WAKE UP!" Keiran's voice boomed through the wood of the door, sounding way too energetic for ten in the morning.
Then came Keigan's voice—lower, calmer, but with that unmistakable edge of seriousness that always made people listen. "Kuya, it's important. You'll have plenty of nights with Jay later, but you need to handle this first."
Keifer's eyes snapped open at the mention of "many nights," and he let out a long, tortured growl. He didn't move to get up; instead, he just stared at the ceiling with an expression of pure, unadulterated exhaustion.
"Oh, dear God," Keifer muttered, his voice gravelly and thick with sleep. He turned his head to look at me, his hair a chaotic mess. "When can I ever sleep peacefully?"
I giggled, the sound a bit scratchy from our all-nighter. I reached out and patted his cheek sympathetically. "Probably never."
"I'm going to exile them," he threatened, though he made no move to actually get out of bed.
"KUYA!" Keiran shouted again, followed by the sound of Keigan likely pulling him back from the door.
"We're waiting downstairs, Kuya," Keigan called out firmly. "Five minutes."
Keifer looked at me, a desperate glint in his eyes. "If Keigan is the one calling the shots this early, it actually is important. Or he's just tired of Keiran's shouting."
"Go," I urged, playfully pushing his shoulder. "If it's serious enough for Keigan to be at your door at 10 AM, you should probably see what it is. I'll be here... probably falling back into a coma."
Keifer sighed, a heavy, dramatic sound, and finally sat up. The movement exposed the Jay Jay tattoo on his chest, and for a split second, his gaze softened as he looked down at me, ignoring the chaos outside.
"Thirteen days until we're married, Jay," he whispered, leaning down to plant a quick, grumpy kiss on my forehead. "After that, I'm locking the door and disabling the doorbell."
I watched from the bed as Keifer swung the door open, looking every bit the grumpy, sleep-deprived Serpent King.
Keigan and Keiran were standing there, taking in the sight of their brother. Keigan, ever the observant one, let out a dry smirk. "Kuya, it would help if you actually wore clothes other than your boxers."
I felt the heat rush to my face and quickly scrambled out of bed, grabbing my silk robe to cover up.
"Kuya, what did you two even do last night?" Keiran asked, his eyes darting between my disheveled hair and Keifer's bare chest.
"Nothing," I said quickly, walking over to stand beside Keifer.
"Nothing because of you," Keifer added, cutting a sharp glare toward Keiran.
Keiran looked genuinely baffled. "What did I do?"
"You banged on the door and ruined the moment yesterday," Keifer grumbled, clearly still bitter about the interruptions to our 'almost' make-out sessions.
"Enough!" I hissed, nudging Keifer in the ribs. "Stop traumatizing your brothers."
Keigan, however, wasn't looking at Keifer anymore. His gaze settled on me, and his eyebrows rose slightly. "Umm, Jay? It would also help if you hid your bite marks." He pointed a finger toward his own neck to indicate where mine were.
My hand flew to my neck, and I felt my face turn a shade of red that probably matched the marks. I whipped my head around to glare at Keifer. Asshole.
He didn't even have the grace to look guilty. He just smirked, a dark, satisfied glint in his eyes that said he was proud of his handiwork.
"Keigan," Keifer said, finally shifting back to his serious tone. "What is so important that you had to ruin our sleep?"
Keigan's expression straightened immediately. The playfulness vanished. "Right. Kuya, Uncle Keir is downstairs. Hurry up. And Jay? He specifically said he wants to see you, too."
My heart skipped a beat. Uncle Keir.
I had heard plenty about him. He was one of the Elders—those whispered-about figures who held the real power and tradition behind the families. From what the girls had told me, he was the kindest among them, but 'kind' for an Elder didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. He was still incredibly serious, and his presence usually meant something major was about to happen.
"Uncle Keir?" Keifer repeated, his posture tensing. He wasn't just grumpy anymore; he was alert. "Why is he here today?"
"He didn't say, but he's waiting in the study," Keigan replied.
Keifer turned to me, his hand resting briefly on the small of my back. "Go get dressed. Wear something...beautiful even though you look beautiful with any dress. We don't keep Uncle Keir waiting."
I rolled my eyes as I headed for my suitcase, but I couldn't stop the small smile tugging at my lips.
"Asshole," I muttered under my breath. Even with his brothers standing right there, even with an Elder of the family waiting downstairs to potentially grill us, he still found time to flirt.
I sifted through my clothes, looking for something that struck the perfect balance between elegant and comfortable
" I finally settled on a structured, high-neck midi dress in a deep emerald green. It was elegant, serious, and most importantly, the high collar did a fantastic job of hiding the "souvenirs" Keifer had left on my neck.
While I changed, I could hear the low rumble of Keifer's voice in the hallway, likely giving Keigan and Keiran some last-minute instructions or—more likely—threatening them again for the early wake-up call.
I took a deep breath, smoothing out the fabric of my dress and checking my reflection. My eyes looked a bit tired from the all-nighter, but there was a new glow there, too. Last night changed things. We weren't just a couple playing a game of rules anymore; we were partners.
I stepped out of the room to find Keifer waiting for me. He had traded his boxers for a crisp white button-down and dark trousers. He looked every bit the powerful leader people feared, but when his eyes landed on me, that hardness melted just a fraction.
"Better?" I asked, gesturing to my fully covered neck.
He stepped closer, his fingers ghosting over the emerald fabric of my collar. "A shame to hide them," he whispered, his voice low enough that his brothers couldn't hear. "But Uncle Keir is old-fashioned. He might actually have a heart attack if he saw how possessive I'm being."
"Focus, Watson," I teased, patting his chest and feeling the solidness of the "Jay Jay" tattoo beneath his shirt. "Uncle Keir is waiting. Let's go see what the kindest Elder wants from us."
He took my hand, his grip firm and steady. "Whatever it is, we handle it together. Stay behind me if he gets too intense, but knowing you, you'll probably be the one lecturing him by the end of the hour."
"I make no promises," I smirked.
We made our way downstairs, the silence of the house feeling much heavier than it had a few minutes ago. As we approached the study, I saw a tall, distinguished man sitting by the window, sipping tea with a calmness that felt both welcoming and intimidating.
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