Witch in wolf's clothing - Namaari

Chapter 43: Sunscreen

Namaari’s POV

The next morning, Nikolaj woke me up early for training. We spent the entire morning on the training field, pushing each other to our limits. Afterward, I took him to lunch with Kieko, Ebony, and Willow. Now, we’re heading to the beach to relax and enjoy the afternoon.

We arrive at the beach and spread out our towels. Kieko and Willow race toward the sea, eager to splash around. Ebony lingers behind, making a phone call to her mate. I glance at Nikolaj, who’s already lounging on his towel, soaking up the sun.

“Do you know if the triplets are coming?” I ask, trying to sound casual.

Nikolaj props himself up on his elbows and gives me a thoughtful look. “Those few days I was away seem to have done wonders for you all. It looks like you’re getting along well with them. Okay, you and Kaynim are still the same, but Zyméo and Tazzym... you seem to get along with them.”

I nod, trying to gauge his reaction. “Yeah, we’ve gotten to know each other better.”

I consider telling him the truth about being mates but hesitate. Before I can say anything, Nikolaj continues, “I’m glad they treated you well while I was gone. It’s good that you can get along with them after everything that happened in the past, but I’m also glad you’re not too close. They’re players, and I don’t want to think about them putting their hands on my little sister.”

I swallow hard and force a laugh. “Yeah, imagine if they were my mates.”

Nikolaj chuckles. “We would already know that, sis. And besides, as much as I like them, you deserve better—someone who respects women. So... thankfully, they’re not your mates.”

He smiles and lies back down, closing his eyes against the sun. I swallow again, realizing it’s not the right time to reveal the truth. Not yet.

“By the way,” Nikolaj murmurs, “to answer your question, yeah, they’re coming by later. They just messaged. They’ll chill for a bit, and then we’ll discuss business.”

I nod. Ebony finishes her phone call and grabs my hand, pulling me toward the sea where Kieko and Willow are already playing.

Standing in the water up to my knees, I can feel the cool waves gently lapping against my legs. I'm wearing my short sports shorts and a white T-shirt, which is already starting to cling to me from the splashes. Kieko, Ebony, and Willow are in full swing, splashing each other and laughing. I join in, the worries of the day melting away as we play.

After a while, we head back to the beach. A group further down calls out, asking if we want to join them for a game of beach volleyball. We nod enthusiastically and jog over to join them. I throw myself into the game, diving for the ball and laughing with my friends. When I score a point, I cheer and jump around, feeling a rush of pure joy.

Mid-jump, I spot the triplets arriving, making their way over to Nikolaj. All three are staring at me—Tazzym and Zyméo with broad smiles. I shake my head slightly, signaling that I haven’t told Nikolaj anything yet. Their smiles waver.

“I’m going to grab a drink,” I tell the girls. They nod, still engrossed in the game.

Jogging over to Nikolaj and the triplets, I wave and say, “Hey, guys. Want to join us for volleyball?”

Tazzym grins, “Yep! Let’s do it!”

Kaynim, however, shakes his head. “I’ll stay here with Nikolaj and catch up a bit.”

Zyméo stands up, ready to join. I quickly gulp down some water and head back to the game with Tazzym and Zyméo. We play a few more matches, and the fun is intense. For a moment, it feels like everything is perfect.

Eventually, we all collapse onto the sand, basking in the sun and chatting lazily. Out of nowhere, someone calls out, “Hey!”

I recognize the voice immediately and look up. “Ezekiel! Glad you could make it.”

Kaynim’s response is immediate and pointed. “Shouldn’t you be training or something?”

Ezekiel shrugs and answers politely, “Hello Alpha’s. No, my training is done for now. Ari invited me to come.”

The triplets’ attention snaps to me, their expressions less than thrilled. Ezekiel approaches and sits down near me. The triplets continue to watch me and I can’t help but laugh a little awkwardly, trying to ease the tension. “I thought it would be nice for Ezekiel to join us. No big deal, right?”

Zyméo and Tazzym exchange a glance before nodding slowly. Kaynim, on the other hand, keeps his gaze on Ezekiel, clearly not as easily swayed.

The atmosphere remains tense for a moment, but I hope that the presence of my friends and the beautiful day can help everyone relax eventually.

Time passes, and Ezekiel constantly suggests activities, always involving me. He insists on burying my feet in the sand, and when he asks to take photos, Zyméo and Tazzym quickly volunteer to take the shots instead. As the sun climbs higher, Ezekiel offers to apply sunscreen on me. Just as he’s about to start, Kaynim intercepts him, his hand gripping Ezekiel’s wrist firmly. Kaynim’s eyes darken, and he growls, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Alpha Kaynim, relax,” I say quickly. “He just wants to help with the sunscreen—”

“Princess,” Kaynim cuts me off, “not everyone is allowed to touch you. Certainly not an ordinary Gamma.”

I huff in frustration, “Oh, but you can, right?”

Kaynim’s eyes bore into mine. “I’m an Alpha. I’d say I’m more than qualified.”

Before the tension escalates further, Willow jumps up, grabbing the sunscreen bottle. “There, problem solved. Girlfriends are always the best qualified,” she says with a laugh, starting to apply sunscreen to my neck.

When no one is looking, I stick my tongue out at Kaynim. He moves closer and whispers in my ear, “Princess, be careful or I’ll show you what I can do with my tongue.”

My cheeks flush deeply. “What are you two whispering about over there?” Nikolaj calls out.

“Ah, nothing special,” Kaynim replies, smirking at me before looking away towards Nikolaj. However, his smirk fades as he notices Alpha Reed approaching.

“What’s he doing here?” Zyméo asks.

Nikolaj replies, “I invited him. For the business discussion later. We could use his input on strategies regarding the rogue attacks.”

"Why don't we immediately invite every single man?" Tazzym mumbles. I try to hold back my laughter.

Kaynim’s POV

Alpha Reed greets everyone politely, and they return his greetings with equal courtesy. When he reaches Namaari, he takes her hand and places a kiss on it, saying, “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Princess.”

Kaino growls in my mind, and I have to exert every ounce of control not to shift and attack Alpha Reed. I can’t let on how much this affects me. I glance at my brothers and see they’re struggling too, their eyes flickering to black. Alpha Reed suggests he could use some refreshment after the journey and asks if anyone wants to join him in the sea.

Kieko mentions they were just in the sea, but Alpha Reed, with a mischievous grin, suddenly lifts Namaari and runs with her towards the water. She screams and laughs simultaneously. I turn to Nikolaj and say, “Shouldn’t you stop Alpha Reed? Isn’t he getting too close to your sister?”

Nikolaj shrugs, “He’s not doing anything wrong. Besides, I think Alpha Reed is a good catch for my sister. Too bad he isn’t her mate. He’s respectful and has innovative ideas.” He laughs, adding, “You might even learn something from him.”

Tazzym stands up, “I’m going for a swim too.” Zyméo gets up and pulls me to my feet, “We could use some refreshment too; we haven’t been in the water yet.”

The girls try to stifle their laughter. I shoot them a stern look and ask, “What’s so funny?”

Willow laughs, “Sorry, Alpha, nothing at all. Go ahead and join Namaari in the water; she’ll enjoy it.” She winks.

I stomp towards the sea with my brothers. I see Alpha Reed toss Namaari into the water.

Tazzym mind-links me and Zyméo, "Ow no he did not! I'm going to kill him."

Zyméo responds, "Calm down, nobody knows she’s our mate yet. Alpha Reed wouldn’t act like this if he knew. He’s an honorable man."

Tazzym retorts, "Honorable? Look at him! He just threw our mate into the water and…"

I see Namaari standing up in the sea, laughing, but her white shirt is now completely see-through, revealing she has nothing on underneath. I notice Alpha Reed staring before he politely looks away. I growl loudly, and Alpha Reed looks up. By this time, my brothers and I are waist-deep in the sea.

I shout at Alpha Reed, "Are you out of your mind? She could get sick, and you can’t treat a Princess like that!"

Alpha Reed, looking somewhat embarrassed, replies, "I didn’t mean any harm, and Namaari seemed to enjoy it."

Zyméo helps Namaari stay upright in the water and guides her to shallower depths while Tazzym positions himself to shield her from prying eyes. Alpha Reed retreats from the water, visibly uncomfortable, while I retrait also until I remain standing with just my feet in the water. Zyméo, Tazzym, and Namaari join me.

Namaari turns to me, "You’re overreacting, Alpha Kaynim. You didn’t need to yell at Reed like that. We were just playing around."

I reply, "Oh, it’s just Reed now, not Alpha Reed. And playing around? Everyone can see your breasts. Is that what you intended?"

Namaari looks down, her cheeks reddening. She crosses her arms quickly and mutters, "Shit."

I step closer, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "Only for us, Princess. Whether you hate me or not, no other man but your mates should see your body like that."

Meanwhile, Tazzym takes off his shirt and hands it to Namaari. She quickly puts it on and thanks Tazzym. "Can you all give me some space now? Everyone’s staring, and they don’t understand why you’re being so protective. It’s already hard enough."

Namaari walks away, passing Alpha Reed, who offers his apologies.

Zyméo comments, "We need to keep an eye on Alpha Reed. I think he’s interested in Namaari. What if he wants her as his chosen mate?"

Tazzym growls, "Over my dead body."

I think, and over my dead body too.