A firm hand on the back of his neck, coupled with the scent of his alpha close by, worked like a soothing balm on his wolf, and Alec relaxed into the touch with a sigh. “Shit.” Opening his eyes, he discovered Cam kneeling in front of him, hand still on his neck.
Instead of being rightly angry with him, Cam’s expression was soft, knowing. “That’s what triggered it, then?”
“I think so. I could smell his blood, and—” He swallowed thickly, and Cam’s grip on him tightened. “—I wanted to rip Wes apart so badly, we had to leave. I couldn’t think straight.”
“I’m not surprised.” Cam stood, and Alec looked up at him. “So Wes arriving is probably not a good thing nor a coincidence.”
Alec shook his head. “No.”
“Do you think Mark’s in danger? And I mean the sort he wouldn’t heal from.”
Alec couldn’t stop the low growl those words caused, but no one said a thing. “He seems to think he’s safe as long as the council are there. Says his absence would be noticed.”
“I tend to agree with him. Newell isn’t stupid.” He met Alec’s gaze, expression hard. “But he is ruthless. I suggest you try and get Mark out of there as soon as the council finish with him, get him somewhere safe. If the council ask about it, he can tell them he felt in danger, after all, he will have just given evidence incriminating his alpha.”
Alec breathed out, trying to remain calm. “I told him to call if he feels threatened. I said we’d help him, no matter what.”
Cam smiled. “And we will.”
“Thank you.”
Slumping back into the sofa cushions, Alec paid little attention to the rest of the meeting. They discussed normal everyday work, which was as important as ever, but Alec’s mind was on Mark. What was he doing? Was he all right? His phone remained silent, but the longer it stayed like that, the less Alec thought it was a good thing.
At ten thirty, Cam wrapped up the meeting. Alec hung back as the others left. When Cam shut the door and came back into the living room, Alec squared his shoulders. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything this morning. With all that talk of bonds—”
“Alec.” Cam walked over to stand in front of him. “Don’t be so hard on yourself all the damn time. It’s exhausting to watch. You’re not a machine, for fuck’s sake. You’ve started the bonding process, whether you like it or not, and it’s okay if your mind isn’t as focused as it normally is. This is a huge deal, and though the timing could have been better—” Alec snorted. “—I’m so very happy for you.”
Alec let out a harsh breath and glanced up at the ceiling. “I hate losing control.”
“I know. But you’d better get used to it because it’s going to keep happening until you either bond or it fades.”
“Wonderful.”
Cam laughed and clapped him on the back. “Just be thankful we’re not near a full moon.”
Alec did the maths. Just over two weeks. Bollocks. That didn’t seem long at all. “Yeah.”
“Is there anything else you want to talk about?”
“No, I think I’ve bared enough of my soul for one day.” Leading the way to the front door, Alec paused before reaching for the handle. He met Cam’s gaze. “Thank you.”
Cam pulled him in for a hug, and Alec sank into it, the scent of alpha wrapping around him like a shield. “I am always here for you. Always.”
He left Cam’s in a much better mood than he’d arrived, and when he reached the flat where they held Felix, he was almost smiling. Seline opened the door when he knocked.
“How’s our guest today?”
She rolled her eyes. “His usual charming self.”
“Alec, what a pleasant surprise. Can’t imagine what you’re doing here.” Felix sat on the floor, back against the cage bars as he watched Alec walk towards him.
Stopping a good three feet away from the bars, Alec sat on one of the chairs presumably left there by the council members. “I hear you told the council the same story you told us.”
Felix flicked his claws out and tapped them on the wooden floor. “It’s not astory, it’s the truth.”
“For your sake, I hope it is.” He ignored Felix’s glower. “Did they believe you?”
“You know what they’re like, they give absolutely nothing away. I have no idea if they thought every word was the truth or that I was spouting a load of bollocks.” He shrugged. “Guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
