Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

Cain was once again left speechless by Jayden's behaviour. She was so nonchalant about being in his dorm room.

Jayden gave another quiet yawn before shifting slightly, her cheek brushing against Cain's bicep as she nestled in closer. Her hair tickled his skin, and she didn't seem the slightest bit concerned that they were practically tangled up together.

Cain's mouth opened, then closed. He tried to speak but no words came out.

Jayden blinked up at him, finally noticing the stunned expression on his face. A faint smile tugged at her lips.

"What?" she asked, her voice still drowsy and smooth. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Cain stared at her, his voice cracking as he asked, "Why are you in my bed?"

Jayden raised an eyebrow, tilting her head as if she hadn't expected the question.

"The Present. You became mine."

"I wasn't aware that's how sparring matches worked," he muttered, still trying to process the fact that she was curled up against him like this was normal.

Jayden stretched lazily, clearly not interested in his protest. "It does when you're stronger. Which I am."

Cain bristled. "That's not— You can't just—"

She cut him off with a soft laugh, eyes still half-lidded as she gazed at him. "You gonna stop me?"

Cain opened his mouth. Closed it again.

Jayden smirked and lightly tapped his chest. "Didn't think so."

He exhaled sharply, more overwhelmed than angry. "You know this is insane, right?"

She shrugged as she remarked "This is the culture of my hometown."

Cain blinked. "Claiming people?"

Jayden nodded, resting her chin lightly against his shoulder. "The strong take. The weak follow. That's just how things work."

"That's not culture. That's barbaric."

Jayden shrugged again, clearly unbothered. "It's honest."

She paused, then added with a soft mumble, "Besides... I like you."

Cain froze. "What?"

Her eyes widened slightly as if she hadn't meant to say it quite like that. A faint blush bloomed across her cheeks, but she didn't look away.

"I like you," she repeated, firmer now even though her ears were turning pink. "So... yeah. You became mine."

Cain stared, completely thrown off by the unexpected honesty and the sudden flush on her face. Of all the things he expected from Jayden, vulnerability wasn't one of them.

"You're blushing," he said quietly.

Jayden scowled and buried her face against his shoulder. "Shut up. You're mine. That's all that matters."

Cain opened his mouth to protest, but Gaius's voice echoed in his mind, smug and wheezing with laughter.

"Oh, she got you. Hook, line, and soul. You poor bastard."

Cain groaned and let his head fall back against the pillow. He wasn't sure what just happened, but one thing was painfully clear.

He had no idea how to handle her.

Cain glanced down at the girl draped across him, her warmth seeping into his skin, her words still echoing in his head.

He hesitated before asking, "So... what now?"

Jayden peeked up at him, her blush fading but her smugness returning. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... you're claiming me or whatever. Does that mean you're going to be in my bed every night? Walk around campus telling people I belong to you? What does this mean?"

Jayden stretched again, clearly content with the chaos she had caused. "It means what it means. You'll get used to it."

Cain looked at her, mouth agape, brain struggling to keep up.

Cain's mind flicked to Abel. The way Abel had been obsessing over Jayden, practically stalking her every move. If Abel saw her now half-dressed, comfortably sprawled across Cain's bed, wrapped in Cain's shirt, he would probably lose his mind. The thought made Cain grin despite himself.

"Imagine Abel walking in on this," Cain said quietly, a smirk tugging at his lips. "He would have a total meltdown. Heartbroken, jealous, and completely wrecked."

Jayden laughed softly, her eyes sparkling. "Good. Let him stew. If he wants to fight for me, he is going to have to get through you first."

Cain chuckled, shaking his head. "You really do not hold back, do you?"

She shrugged, resting her head back on his shoulder. "Someone has got to keep you on your toes."

The room fell into a comfortable silence. Cain felt a strange warmth spread through him, not just from her presence but from the new feeling of companionship.

Then an idea struck him.

"Hey," Cain said, reaching for his phone, "let us take a picture. A selfie."

Jayden raised an eyebrow, amused. "A selfie? Now?"

"Yeah," Cain said, grinning. "So Abel can see it. Imagine how furious he would be."

Jayden smirked and scooted closer. "Fine. But only if you are in it too."

Cain positioned the phone, angling it just right. He caught the soft light filtering through the window, the warmth in Jayden's eyes, the slight mischievousness in his own expression.

"Ready?" Cain asked.

Jayden gave him a playful nod.

Click.

They both stared at the screen, the image capturing the perfect mix of surprise, amusement, and something unspoken between them.

Cain smiled wider. "That is going to drive Abel crazy."

Jayden then frowned as she growled "He deserves to be stomped into the ground. I hate men who stare at me with such impure gazes. It's honestly gross!

Her smile then twisted into a fierce scowl as she stared at the selfie on Cain's phone. "If you dare to lose to trash like this, I'll kill you myself."

Cain chuckled awkwardly, a chill running down his spine. He wasn't sure if she was joking or not.

"I'm serious," she added, her voice low and sharp. "No disappointing me."

Cain swallowed hard, glancing at her with wide eyes. "Right. Noted."

Cain shivered slightly, the weight of Jayden's words sinking in. She wasn't joking. Not even a little.

He looked at her, eyes wide, trying to find the right response but coming up empty.

Jayden just smiled, eyes gleaming with fierce determination. "I don't care if you're the strongest or the weakest. If you lose to trash like Abel, I'll personally make sure you regret it."

Cain gave a nervous chuckle, feeling a cold sweat trickle down his back. "You really mean that, don't you?"

She nodded firmly. "Dead serious."

Cain shook his head as he once again looked at the ceiling.

Everything since he had gotten back was just insane.