Alec nodded. “Of course.” Careful to keep the jacket from touching him, Alec left the room and headed down to his flat.
Tim leant on the wall next to his door. He looked up and smiled. “Hey. Thought you were never coming out.”
Alec held up the jacket. “Have to take care of this.”
“Is that all?” He gestured to Alec’s face. “You’ve got sort of a pinched expression.”
“Do I?” Fishing out his keys one-handed, Alec then opened the door and went inside. Tim followed.
“Yes. But I won’t pry. That’s not why I’m here.”
Alec walked through to his bedroom and stopped in front of his wardrobe.
Tim paused in the doorway. “What are you going to do with it?”
“Not sure. Can you have a look inside and see if there’s anything suitable.”
Opening the wardrobe doors, Tim glanced at the row of hangers. He pointed at a zipped-up bag at the end. “What’s in there?”
“One of my suits; I had it dry cleaned last week.”
“Have you worn it since?”
“No.”
Tim grinned. “That’s probably the most scent-free thing you’ve got.”
“Agreed.”
Between them, they swapped out the suit for Mark’s jacket and hung it back on the rail. Alec’s flat was more secure than the meeting room, and they had no safe or anything big enough to fit it in. That would have to do.
He led Tim back out to the living room and sank into the nearest chair. “So, why did you come here? I take it it’s not in any professional capacity?”
Tim sat on the sofa, elbows resting on his knees. “No. Not unless you’re hiding a life-threatening injury?”
“I’m not.”
“I just wanted to see how you were doing, considering. I heard a bit of your and Cam’s conversation earlier, and I was worried.”
Alec sighed and closed his eyes. “Fuck, not you too. I’m fine, honestly.”
“I know what day’s coming up, but you’re not usually that reckless. At least not until the actual anniversary. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but Mark Appleton? What the fuck were you thinking?”
Tim was the only person other than Cam or the betas who could speak to him that way and not find themselves thrown against a wall. Even so, Alec wasn’t fond of his tone. “If you listened to our conversation, then you heard Cam say it’s no big deal.”
“I know but—”
“Leave it, Tim. Please.”
The silence stretched between them until Tim eventually gave in and broke it. “Okay. Sorry if I pissed you off. I’m just worried.”
Alec rubbed his eyes, tiredness setting in. “I know. And thank you, but there’s no need. It was just a shit day yesterday that triggered a few memories. I needed to let off some steam. It’s done.”
A slow smile spread across Tim’s face. “I’d give anything to be a fly on the wall when Newell finds out. He’s going to be so pissed off.”
An uneasy feeling settled just under Alec’s ribs. “He is.” Alpha Steven Newell had willingly gambled the life of one of his pack to gain leverage against Cam.
“And that’s just when people say they saw you together at one of his clubs. Imagine if he knew the pair of you fucked?” Alec didn’t say anything and Tim’s eyes narrowed, his smile vanishing. “Please tell me you did your best to make sure Mark didn’t smell like the two of you’d had sex all night?
