"Yes," Lake drew in a shuddering breath, a napkin in hand that Katya had provided from thin air while they were in the kitchen.
If it were any other time, he would blame his reaction to Davian’s absence on being pregnant, but right now he didn’t care. He just missed the Alpha.
Caspian narrowed his eyes but didn’t say a word, choosing a slow-paced game to keep them occupied.
With Asher and Jael’s return came liveliness, Caspian avoided his mate when he leaned in for a kiss, blue eyes blazing. "Why didn’t you tell me Lake was staying over?"
Jael just grabbed Caspian’s discarded controller and got comfortable beside Lake. "How long did he buy it?"
"Until I mentioned I would be sleeping over," Lake replied, reaching out to grab a handful of popcorn.
A short distance from them was Caspian telling Asher off and the Alpha enjoying the view of his fired-up mate.
"That idiot never learns," Jael said with a mouthful of popcorn.
Dinner was lively with a new addition to the table, and although, Caspian was worried about the effects of Davian’s absence on Lake, he was also happy he would get to spend so long with his friend.
Even as he cleaned up after dinner, he made sure to scold his husband some more. "Don’t come back early tomorrow, I have plans with Lake."
Asher just pulled him into his arms, his dark red hair tied up a little too high on his head. "Are you still mad at me?"
"If I was, you’d be sleeping on the couch." Caspian said bluntly.
He would have spent the time after dinner with Lake but his friend had left for his room immediately after dinner, excusing himself for the night.
Asher frowned slightly, dipping his head to the curve of his mate’s neck. "You smell sweet."
Caspian shot him a dark look, not about to be buttered up by his scheming husband. "I always smell sweet." He countered confidently, slipping out of Asher’s arms to head to the walk-in closet.
Thinking about things he could do with Lake tomorrow, he had yet to show his friend the extent of the oddities he had in his closet. They could do that in the morning and then maybe have lunch in a cozy cafe...
While Caspian made plans Asher was still rooted to the carpet in the bedroom. His mate always smelled sweet but there was something a little bit off this time, it was too faint that he couldn’t put a finger on it but it unsettled him all the same.
He was distracted the entire time, even after they got on the bed. Caspian had to be the one to move close to Asher with faint worry in his eyes that he had taken things too far.
He cupped the Alpha’s face with his small hands and spoke in a whisper, "Hey, are you okay? I’m not mad anymore."
Asher shook out of his thoughts and focused on the Omega in his arms, he knew that Caspian had never been upset but he played along. "Are you sure?"
"I am," Caspian melted like butter when Asher tightened his hold on him. "Kiss me..."
His thoughts about Caspian’s scent were pushed to the background, it wasn’t a pressing issue after all, it could just be a normal thing to happen.
In Lake’s room, the Omega was fast asleep on his bed, he was curled up on his side with his phone propped up in front of him.
The conference was an intensive one so although it was 10 PM, Davian was currently at a meeting. His laptop was propped up in front of him, and although his expression was a dangerous one, the only thing on his screen was a sleeping Lake.
The Omega had dozed off earlier while trying to stay awake, and Davian was ready to stay up all night to watch him sleep. It also helped him get through the meeting and stay sane.
Lake’s arms were wrapped around a pillow, his dark hair covering part of his sleeping face. It reminded Davian of the Omega wrapped around him, and he was in a terrible mood all over again.
He wouldn’t change his mind about taking Lake to one of these if he had to do it all over again but it didn’t mean he was handling it well.
The other occupants of the table were quaking in their seats. The Mafia Kings of Haines were a rare breed of Alphas, and although they had business dealings with Mafia King Davian, they didn’t see him often enough to acclimate themselves to the dangerous aura that was constantly around him.
Lake squirmed in his sleep, nearly knocking his phone over. It made Davian’s expression soften imperceptibly, and when Lake settled down again, his shirt had been tucked up slightly, revealing a sliver of skin.
Davian would dive through the screen if he could, but he couldn’t so he was stuck here listening to statistics and monthly reports.
Asher woke up dazed, he stumbled out of bed and nearly went sprawling. His internal clock was working as usual but his body was refusing to get with the program.
He somehow managed to make it to the bathroom without breaking anything or himself, and Caspian was still fast asleep so he would call it a win.
He felt more like himself after a shower, kissing Caspian goodbye before slipping out of the room. Thinking was tasking so he just followed his usual routine and met up with Jael.
Jael gave the Alpha a once-over and frowned, "What’s up with you?"
"Nothing. Slept like shit," Asher gave a generic response although he had slept so well that he hadn’t woken up till this morning.
It was a good enough answer for Jael because the Beta chuckled, "Did Caspian kick you to the ground?"
"Shut it," Asher grumbled, getting into the car a bit unsteadily.
Asher could feel like something was off but just like the night before, he still couldn’t put a finger on it. Jael going over the plans of the day distracted him from the fleeting thoughts, the car going out the gates.