LAST DARE
1202 Words
AIDEN
The day had passed fairly well. I was halfway under my blanket, lights off, brain finally starting to shut up, when my phone pinged.
One notification.
I rolled over, squinting at the screen.
Kaito.
Final dare.You’re spending the night in my room.
I sat straight up.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Across the room, Liam looked up from his laptop.
“What?”
“He sent the last dare,” I said slowly.
Liam grinned. “Oh? What is it—”
“I have to spend the night in his room.”
The grin dropped.
“Oh.”
I frowned. “What? It’s just a room.”
Liam closed his laptop. Turned fully toward me. “No, man. It’s not just a room.”
Now I was officially uneasy. “You’re being weird.”
“Kaito doesn’t do sleepovers,” Liam said. “Ever.”
I blinked. “What does that mean.”
“It means,” he continued, “top-class alphas don’t share space unless they have a reason. Privacy is currency here. Territory, control, reputation—all of it.”
I swallowed. “You’re telling me his room is… what. Sacred ground?”
“Pretty much,” Liam said. “He’s ranked. Faculty favorites him. No roommate by choice, not assignment. People joke his door might as well be a vault.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“And yet,” Liam said lightly, “you’ve been invited ."
“It’s probably just part of the dare,” I said. “One last flex. Nothing happens.”
Liam studied me. “I’m sure it is. But still—people will notice.”
“Notice what?”
“That you’re the exception.”
“When?” Liam asked.
“Tonight.”
He let out a low whistle. “Bold.”
I rubbed my face. “Say it. Tell me this is a bad idea.”
Liam hesitated. Then shrugged. “I think it’s a dangerous idea. Not in a ‘run’ way. In a ‘pay attention’ way.”
I snorted. “Comforting.”
He stood and clapped my shoulder. “Just… don’t let the tradition push you into anything you don’t want. Dares end. Reputations don’t.”
I nodded, heart thudding a little too hard.
“Text me if it gets weird,” he added. “Or if you chicken out.”
I grabbed my jacket, phone already in hand.
" On my way, I typed back."
The reply came almost instantly.
I paused at the door, taking one last breath in the safety of my own room.
One night.
One room.
One final dare.
Kaito’s door was exactly where Liam said it would be. Top floor. End of the hall. No noise. No nameplate.
I adjusted the sleeves of my black hoodie, grounding myself in the fabric, and knocked once.
The door opened almost immediately.
The hit was instant.
Alpha pheromones—dense, sharp, unmistakable—rolled out into the hallway .
My breath caught before I could stop it.
“Hey,” Kaito said, stepping back to let me in. “You made it.”
I nodded quickly and crossed the threshold.
The space amplified everything. The scent, the presence, the sheer territorial weight of the room. My instincts flared hard, control slipping just enough for my heart to start racing.
“Nice place,” I said, voice steady through effort.
“Yeah,” he replied easily, closing the door behind me. “Most people don’t get past that line.”
My chest tightened.
I took a step forward, then stopped abruptly, swallowing as another wave hit me. Citrus threatened to bloom.
No.Not here.
“Hey—uh,” I said quickly, turning it into impatience before it could sound like fear. “Where’s your bathroom?”
Kaito glanced at me, mildly surprised. “Now?”
“Long night,” I said with a shrug. “Caffeine regrets.”
That earned a short laugh. “Fair. Down the hall, left.”
“Thanks.”
I didn’t wait for more. I moved fast , shutting the bathroom door behind me and locking it with shaking fingers.
The second I was alone, I sagged against the sink.
“s**t,” I breathed.
The mirror reflected someone calm on the surface—jaw set, eyes focused—but my hands were already digging into my pocket.
Inhibitor injector.
I rolled up my sleeve just enough and pressed it in, biting back a hiss as the cool burn spread. I counted my breaths.
The pressure eased slowly.
I splashed water on my face, straightened my hoodie, and stared at myself one last time.
When I unlocked the door and stepped back into Kaito’s room, he was leaning against his desk, phone in hand, completely at ease.
“Everything good?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said smoothly. “All set.”
He nodded, none the wiser, and gestured toward the couch. “Make yourself comfortable. It’s just a night.”
I sat down, muscles tight but controlled, heart finally slowing.
I hadn’t even fully settled on the couch when Kaito moved toward the kitchenette built into the corner of the room.
“Drink?” he asked over his shoulder. “I’ve got juice. Water. Something stronger if you’re into bad decisions.”
“Juice is fine,” I said quickly. “Whatever’s easiest.”
He grabbed a bottle from the mini-fridge—orange, by the look of it and tossed it to me.
“Relax,” he said, amused. “I’m not interrogating you.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” I muttered, twisting the cap open and taking a sip.
Kaito leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, watching me .
I lowered the bottle. “So,” I said, keeping my tone light, alpha-casual, “what exactly do you want me to do tonight?”
He blinked. “What do you mean?”
“It’s the final dare,” I said. “There’s always a catch. A task. You don’t strike me as the ‘crash on the couch and call it done’ type.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “You’d be surprised.”
I waited.
He studied me for a moment, then shrugged. “Honestly? Nothing dramatic. No errands. No performances.”
“Then why this?” I pressed, gesturing vaguely at the room. “Why invite me here?”
I frowned. “You’re telling me my last dare is… existing?”
“Staying,” he corrected. “No masks. No posturing. Just… be normal.”
I took another sip, buying myself a second. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” he said. “We’ll talk. Or not. Sleep. Or don’t. You crash here, the dare’s complete.”
I nodded slowly, forcing my shoulders to loosen. “Okay.”
Kaito’s gaze lingered on me, curious but not probing. “If it helps,” he added, “you can take the bed. I’ll take the chair.”
I shook my head immediately. “No. Couch is fine.”
“Suit yourself.”
" On second thought, there's something I'd like you to do. "
I knew it.This was too good to be true.
- Writer
