Killian stayed under the cold shower longer than necessary, letting the icy water hammer against his skin as if it could wash away the night. Eventually, he reached out and adjusted the temperature. Warm water replaced the cold, and steam slowly began to build up, filling the glass enclosure. He reached for the bottle of shampoo, poured a generous amount into his palm, and worked it through his thick blonde locks. His fingers laced through the strands, forming rich lather as he massaged his scalp.

He showered longer than necessary, scrubbing at his skin as though he could erase every lingering reminder of the garden. Steam filled the bathroom, fogging the glass walls while warm water cascaded over his powerful frame. He washed until his skin flushed faintly red beneath the heat. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The rich earthy scent of sandalwood soap lathered across his body, carrying deep notes of aged cedarwood and polished timber. It blended seamlessly with the clean fragrance of his shampoo, a mixture of cool cypress and fresh mint that cut through the heavier woody notes. Together the scents created something distinctly his. That refined, crisp fragrance still carried a warm, rugged undertone. The freshness of mint lingered at the edges while cedar and sandalwood settled deeper into his skin, like the scent of an expensive forest after rain.

By the time he stepped from the shower, the cloying traces of the garden and Yuki’s lingering arousal that had plagued him were gone. All that remained was the familiar fragrance that had followed him for years. Clean cedarwood, warm sandalwood, cool mint, and the faint sharpness of cypress. A scent that usually calmed him.

The bathroom door clicked open. Steam followed him into the bedroom like a trailing mist. A white towel hung low on his waist. Droplets of water still clung to his body, rolling slowly down the defined lines of his chest and abs before disappearing into the deep V hidden beneath the towel.

The moment he stepped fully into the bedroom, his nose picked up a familiar chocolate musk scent. His jaw subconsciously clenched. His grip tightened on the door handle. Someone was in there. Even before the mist cleared and the other party spoke, he already knew who it was.

"I thought you were going to stay in there until you rubbed off your skin," a calm voice drawled. "What are you so desperate to rub off, Killian?"

A surge of irritation rushed through him, but Killian pushed it down immediately, regaining his composure. His eyes found the figure seated next to the window with a lit cigarette between long fingers. The coy scent of smoke wrapped around the room. Kieran’s eyes seemed darker than usual.

Killian smirked and walked toward the bed. He sat on the edge and used the towel slung over his shoulders to dry his damp hair. "I thought you did not smoke, Doc. You of everyone should know the negative effects of smoking." Killian sneered lightly at his brother.

Kieran chuckled and released a lazy puff of smoke. "I am a werewolf, not human. My lungs can handle this." But that was not really Killian’s question. Kieran was not a smoker like Kaden, and Killian knew that fact well. He did not push further.

"So why are you here?" Killian asked. "Do you not have a patient to handle?"

Kieran leaned forward and tapped the cigarette into the ashtray in front of him, his eyes locked on the burnt tip for a moment. "She is stable now. Asleep actually." He slowly glanced up. His blue eyes met Killian’s directly. "What happened in that garden tonight?" he asked the question that had been on his mind. The thick scent of Yuki’s arousal in the garden wasn’t just the effect of the drugs.

Killian’s expression remained unchanged. "It is exactly as you heard. I sensed something was off, stopped the bastards before they went too far, and alerted you. Then you showed up. What else was meant to happen?" he shrugged, rubbing the towel on his face.

Kieran’s lips curled up slightly. "Is that all?" He asked, clearly not convinced. "If I remember correctly, your mind link suddenly cut off. And not just that, Killian. You know I can feel your emotions if you are being careless or if it is too extreme."

Killian’s breath caught in his throat for a brief second, but he remained calm. "I sensed the conflict and something else that was off. Kaden might have too." He explained smoothly. "What happened, Killian? Are you hiding anything?" Kieran pressed on and he leaned forward.

"Did you touch her? What exactly happened after the link was cut?" Killian’s gaze flickered. There was no way he could admit his mistake. He already felt like trash for crossing that line with someone rather than Eloise.

He would rather take it to his grave.

A low laugh filled the room, laced with amusement. Killian smiled. "What can I possibly hide from your sharp eyes? You seem pretty adamant, like you suspect something happened." He replied, turning the question back on his brother.

"Don’t tell me you had a certain reaction while treating her and are now worried I did something based on your own reaction." Kieran’s face froze for a moment, but Killian was not done. "I heard smoking helps suppress certain urges. Urges which are tied to tonight."

Kieran’s face darkened. He was speechless for a second. He had not expected Killian to turn the situation around so easily. "Smart ass," he cursed under his breath, though neither of their eyes held any real amusement.

"You always have a sharp mouth," Kieran said. "How will you talk yourself out of the fact that you are a healer, Killian? Even if you are not trained like I am, you still possess the gift. You could have helped suppress the effects of the drugs. "

That left Killian momentarily dumbfounded. He glanced down at his hand. A faint white light flickered at his fingertips. There had been another way to control her urges. He had genuinely forgotten. "It skipped my mind," he said honestly, because at that moment his thoughts could focus on only one solution.

Or was that the case? Or had he secretly wanted to do it all along? That thought terrified him.

Kieran’s gaze flickered with suspicion. "You can’t blame me. I do not have your level of self-control and rarely even heal others. I forget I have that ability most of the time." Killian replied, deflecting perfectly.

If Kaden was the one with the most explosive strength. Kieran had the best self-control and the sharpest eyes. Killian, as the leader, was the smartest and the hardest to corner.

The two brothers stared at each other in heavy silence, the steam from the bathroom still drifting between them like unspoken secrets. The night was far from over.