By the time the sun had started to set, Jael was already long gone.
He had other things to attend to, and Asher hadn’t exactly been excited to have him for company.
He made his way back to the club when it was time for them to leave, because he didn’t trust Asher to drive himself home...
Jael parked haphazardly on his way into the parking lot of the club, because just as he drove in, Asher had been getting into a car.
He jumped out of the car and strode over to the car the Alpha had just snuck into, pounding a fist on the driver’s window.
"What are you doing?"
Asher shot him an icy glare through the glass, it was good to see that the Alpha’s mood hadn’t improved the entire time he had been away.
"Going home. Get out of the way, or I’ll run you over."
Jael wasn’t even in the way for Asher to make that threat, but he would rather the Mafia King got back to his mate in one piece.
"Yeah, no can do." He popped opened the driver’s door. "Get your ass in the passenger seat. I’m driving."
Asher hesitated for a moment and Jael could swear that he had seen the Alpha contemplate to drive off while he was literally half way inside the car.
But he didn’t, listening to him instead. Which was great decision making on Asher’s part because he had been reading to chase him down.
Asher tapped his foot impatiently as they drove off, and Jael once again wondered why he didn’t just go back to the mansion earlier.
There had been no reason for him to willingly choose to torture himself, but Jael had already removed himself from the situation.
The afternoon had gone great for him too, the men had been the most efficient they had ever been, and it was a little humorous that all that was needed to achieve that was some sandwiches.
He had spoken to Caspian and the Omega had sounded fired up, so honestly, the only person having a shitty day was Asher.
Caspian had even asked if they had eaten lunch, Jael had of course, he had eaten mints for lunch.
Asher was too much of a bitter bastard to even feel hungry so he had been honest with Caspian on that front.
But with him in charge of dinner as well, he knew Asher would be well fed.
Jael glanced surreptitiously at Asher, the tapping hadn’t stopped, and the Alpha kept swivelling his head from side to side like they were committing a crime.
Well, technically they were, because Jael was going above the speed limit.
But he had a great reason for that, he had an unstable Mafia King in the car, that was enough to make him constantly keep his foot on the pedal.
Asher was already out of the car before he parked, and Jael followed right after him.
Not because he was worried about what Asher would do, but because he wanted to see Caspian before the Alpha stole him for himself.
Jael frowned when he realized that Asher was in fact, not heading to the kitchen where his Omega definitely was.
"Where are you going?"
"To Caspian." The Alpha deigned to reply, his tone gruff.
"Caspian isn’t in your bedroom." Jael said, slowing down.
"Where else would he..." Asher already started to demand, only to instantly deflate.
"In the kitchens," Jael helpfully supplied.
"Right." Asher grumbled, changing directions.
A hallway away from the kitchen, they could already hear the loud noise of cooking.
Jael frowned, leading the way this time.
"Is it always this loud when they cook?" Asher said his thoughts out loud.
I hope the fuck not," Jael muttered, concerned as the raucous noise got louder the closer they got.
Opening the door to the kitchen didn’t make things better, it was outright chaos in the kitchen, kitchen staff running around, the scent of food filling the room.
It was also noticeably warmer, steam filling the large kitchen.
Right in the middle of the ruckus was Caspian.
Jael had to stop in the doorway and just stare.
He had heard a little bit of insight on what Caspian had been up to since he went off to the kitchens in the morning, but it didn’t prepare him for how... involved the Omega would be.
He thought that he would just be in charge of the records, and maybe sit in some other room giving orders.
He didn’t expect to find him in an apron effortlessly running the kitchen like the military.
He didn’t even try to step into the kitchen, he would rather not have an entire steaming pot of food end up down his front.
Caspian caught sight of them soon enough though, and when he did, he immediately walked over with a smile on his face.
"You guys are back early," He beamed, trying to look around him to get a proper look at Asher.
"Dinner isn’t even ready yet."
Jael stepped back, and Caspian followed suit, shutting the door behind him as he did so they could have a conversation without raising their voices.
"We can wait," Jael said with badly hidden amusement. "You seem to be really busy."
"We miscalculated how much time it would take to prepare dinner for so many people," Caspian immediately launched into a detailed explanation.
His eyes were animated as he spoke, his pink tinged face damp from the warmth of the kitchen.
"Well, we didn’t exactly miscalculate that. It just took way longer to shop than we thought it would."
While he spoke, he had the entirety of his attention on Asher, but the Alpha seemed to stare right through him.
Jael knew enough to figure out that Asher was absolutely crushed, nothing had gone right for the Alpha all day.
He almost felt bad for him.
"We should let you get back to it," Jael said, the only one seemingly capable of speech.
Caspian looked like he was about to say something else but the door opened then, a kitchen staff poking her head out.
She had been about to say something to Caspian but she immediately wilted at the sight of Asher.
That was Caspian’s cue to return to the bustle of the kitchen, the kitchen staff speaking to him as they walked in.
Something about spring onions going missing...
Jael turned to Asher after th scene that just unfolded, and the Alpha was surprisingly calm.
Color Jael impressed, he had been expecting to have to chain up the Alpha.
Instead he sighed and returned his look. "Want to watch a movie with me before dinner?"
Jael would rather not, the last time he watched a movie with just Asher, the idiot had fallen asleep and he had to drag him to his room.
But he couldn’t help but feel bad for him, this was also a new side of Asher.
It was unlike him to mope and sigh instead of lashing out and impulsively going after what he wanted.
It was a clear sign that he had accepted that Caspian was just too busy to be available whenever he wanted to see him... and that was progress.
"Sure," He agreed, watching movies with Caspian was more fun but he could be nice.
"Meet you in the movie room in fifteen." He said as he walked off.
Asher watched him do so, pushing a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh as he started for the bedroom.
When he saw Caspian in the middle of the kitchen, his first thought had been to lock him up in the bedroom.
Because that went so great last time.
But beyond what he wanted, he saw that Caspian was genuinely happy.
Usually, the Omega spent the entire day waiting for him to get back home, and before Caspian registered his presence and broke into smiles at the sight of him, he didn’t really look happy.
A little selfish and obsessive part of him wanted Caspian’s happiness all to himself, but it was quickly overshadowed by the part that just wanted him happy.
It was a really hard hit to rush home to see Caspian only to find the Omega too busy for him.
But if Caspian could do it every single day, so could he.
"Fuck, I’m bored." He grumbled.
Jael shot him a cold look, "Say that again and I’m locking you out of the movie room."
They had been watching movies for less than fifteen minutes and the entire time Asher had been whining.
It was making Jael start to reconsider his plans to be nice to him.
Asher didn’t say it again but he groaned miserably, and then sighed, and then placed his head in his hands, looking wretched.
"Why did I agree to this again?" Jael muttered under his breath.
He had put on a gory, horror movie because very little else would be able to keep his and Asher’s attention without Caspian in the room.
But all he could hear were sighs and groans of misery from the mooning Alpha next to him.