No, the four of them were in with Newell for a while this morning. Now they’re interviewing the betas, one at a time.
Let me know if anything happens, might see you later.
Ok.
Shoving his phone into his pocket, Mark hurried into the loo before the others thought he’d got lost or something.
An hour later, Mark had started to flag. Not used to getting up so early, his body was protesting and he’d yawned three times in the last five minutes.
Carole, the older of his two co-workers, laughed at him and pointed to the old-fashioned clock on the wall. “It’s only ten fifteen for God’s sake. I thought you shifters were supposed to have stamina?”
Mark couldn’t even be bothered to defend his fellow shifters. “Clearly whoever told you that was a liar.”
She laughed again. “Go take your lunch break before you fall asleep. Oh wait.” She turned to the machine behind her, messed with a few of the things on it—Mark hadn’t paid all that much attention earlier—and then handed him a small cup. “Drink this.”
He eyed it dubiously. “Espresso?”
“Yep. Double. That should perk you right up.”
“Thanks.” He didn’t have the heart to remind her it didn’t quite work the same way on shifters. Instead he gave her a big, genuine smile. As co-workers went, these two weren’t half bad, and he needed all the help he could get.
Just as he turned to go through the staff-only door, someone came into the shop, and Mark stopped dead in his tracks, his stupid stomach all aflutter. He’d recognise that scent anywhere.
Coffee in hand, he half-turned to see Alec standing in front of the counter, hair a tousled mess from the wind, and dark eyes as intense as ever. And wearing a fucking suit. A charcoal, well-fitted suit, with a white shirt and dark-red tie. Mark didn’t need the coffee anymore; he was wide awake. He took a sip anyway, just for something to do instead of drool.
Carol’s eyes lit up and she was at the counter like a shot. “Can I help you?”
Mark almost choked on his coffee. Her voice never normally sounded like that. To his amusement, Alec’s gaze shot straight to him.
“Actually I wanted to take Mark out for—” He glanced at the clock. “—brunch. I heard you say it was his lunch break.” He winked and Mark grinned back at him.
Yes, brunch sounded like an excellent idea.
Carole sighed, graciously accepting defeat. She faced Mark and plucked the coffee cup out of his hand. “I don’t think you’ll be needing that now.” As she passed him to put it in the sink, she whispered, “I bet he’s got stamina.” She must have pegged Alec for a shifter—he was huge and oozed raw animal power—but she’d clearly forgotten he had supernatural senses.
Alec coughed at her remark, Carole went bright red as realisation set in, and Mark laughed.
“Okay then, I’ll be back in an hour.” He left his apron under the counter and followed Alec to the door. Once outside, Mark glanced around nervously. As happy as he was to see Alec after such a shitty morning, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. “You didn’t think to text me first?”
Alec shrugged. “It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.”
Somehow Mark doubted that. He suspected Alec wasn’t a fan of spontaneity. “Should we be doing this?”
“What, talking?” Alec regarded him curiously. “You’ve been back to your building smelling of my jizz, yet you’re worried someone might see ustalking?”
Well, when he put it like that. But still…. “The council’s here now, though. Won’t it look suspicious?”
Alec sighed, then met Mark’s gaze, pinning him to the spot. “If a council member asks me about you, I’ll tell them the truth. What we’ve done is probably ill-advised but only because of the possible complications. There’s no pack law that says we can’t fuck.”
“I know, but the investigation—”
“Is for very specific allegations.” He sighed, and Mark knew what was coming. “I can go if this makes you uncomfortable.”
Mark should tell him to go. It was the sensible thing to do, at least until all this was over and done with. But he’d never had the best willpower, and Alec in a suit wasn’t something he could turn away. “I don’t want you to go.”
They’d walked a few feet away from the coffee shop, enough that he could tug Alec around the corner into the side alley and sort of out of sight. Careful of that expensive suit material, Mark positioned himself against the wall and pulled Alec to him.
Alec ducked his head to the crook of Mark’s neck and breathed him in. Their bodies weren’t quite touching, but Mark felt the heat from him all the same. His whispered “So, I don’t make you uncomfortable?” sent a shiver down Mark’s spine, his cock filling in the tight confines of his uniform trousers.
