He grinned and reached between them to adjust himself. “Maybe a little.”
Alec’s soft huff of laughter was a surprise. Mark never expected him to be this way, and each time he caught a glimpse of another side to Alec’s personality, it made him greedy for more. He slid his hands into Alec’s hair, then guided his head up for a long lingering kiss that left him breathless and hard.
“You’ll smell like me again.” Alec stepped close, finally pressing his body against Mark’s.
“Co-workers are human.”
“What about any shifters that come into the shop?” He kissed Mark again, stealing his answer, and Mark was in no hurry to stop him. His mind had gone blank; he couldn’t think of a suitable reply anyway.
When Alec drew back, he hooked his fingers in Mark’s belt loops and rubbed his thumbs over Mark’s hips.
Even through the material, his touch was electric. Mark desperately wanted to go somewhere and get naked. But he had to get back to work soon-ish. And also he was fucking starving. Breakfast had been hours ago. And pack rules or not, they shouldn’t be doing this in the street. No need to invite trouble. It would find them soon enough at this rate.
“Did you mean that about brunch? Or was that just a line?”
Alec cocked his head when Mark’s stomach rumbled. “I meant it.”
Thank fuck. “Good. There’s a nice little cafe a few shops down.”
Stepping back, Alec gestured for him to go first. “Lead the way.”
They walked down the street, not quite touching but close enough that their arms brushed. If Mark didn’t know better, it might feel like a date. “Can I ask why you’re not back at your pack building, or is that against the rules? And why the suit?”
Alec glanced down at him, smirking. “You don’t like it?” He brushed a hand down the front of it, drawing Mark’s attention to the way it fit him like a glove. Fuck, he was hot.
Trying to hide his reaction was pointless. “You know how much I like it. Stop looking so smug.”
Alec laughed, his eyes crinkling in amusement, and Mark’s breath caught at how young and carefree he seemed in that moment. They reached the cafe and Alec’s smile dimmed. “I don’t have long. I’ve just come from the warehouse.” He opened the door and waited for Mark to go in first. “I had to get some papers for the council.”
Mark huffed. “Don’t you have all that information online?”
“Yes, but this particular information can only be accessed from the warehouse computers at the minute. So I had to come and get it myself.”
He wanted to ask what the council could possibly have wanted to see from the warehouse but figured Alec wouldn’t tell him. So instead he just smiled. “How fortunate for me.”
As they queued up to pay for their sandwiches and drinks, Alec whispered, “Me too.”
Too early for the lunch rush, they easily found a table in the corner. Predictably, Alec took the seat with his back to the wall, giving him a view of the whole room. At Mark’s amused look, he shrugged. “I like to be aware of what’s going on around us.”
Mark took a quick look around the cafe as he sat down, subtly scenting the air. A couple of faint pack scents hung around, but nothing new. They were the only shifters in there. “I think we’re safe.”
Alec met his gaze, expression suddenly serious. “You can never be too careful.”
Hadn’t they just established they weren’t technically doing anything wrong? He opened his mouth to say as much, but Alec gestured to their unopened food.
“Eat your lunch.”
Mark unwrapped his sandwich, not because Alec told him to, but because he was starving. They ate in silence. All the while Mark couldn’t help but wonder what was going on at their respective pack buildings. Curiosity burned inside him; he had no real idea what was happening at his own pack let alone at Alec’s.
After washing down the last of his sandwich with a swig of water, Mark set the near empty bottle on the table. “We’ve apparently got the council leader heading up the investigation into P-pack.”
Alec’s gaze shot to his. “Mark.”
“What? It’s not like that’s secret information. One of us was probably going to end up with her. She’s a little…intimidating.”
Alec screwed up his rubbish into a ball. “Alpha Karin Wallace is honest, loyal, and fair. She won’t be swayed by opinions or personalities, just facts. But yes, she’s very… formidable.” To Mark’s surprise, he laughed. “I would love to have seen Newell’s face when she walked in.”
Mark grinned. “Will said he was less than enthusiastic about it.” One second it was all laughs and easy banter, then it dawned on Mark he was disrespecting his alpha with a shifter from another pack. Out in public. Mark fucking Alec would irritate Newell if he found out, but taking the piss out of him with an R-pack beta would make Newell furious. Mark shuddered at the thought. “Shit. I shouldn’t really talk about him that way.”
