“Have they been here at all?”
Another look passed between Mark and Will, and Tim’s stomach sank.
“Maybe.” When Tim’s lip curled up in a snarl, Mark added, “Hey, it was hard to be sure as there’d been a shitload of rain that night.”
A familiar scent wafted down from the top of the stairs and all three shifters glanced up.
“Hey.” Seb stood there in his pyjama pants and a T-shirt, one hand holding his crutch, the other loosely gripping the stair rail. “You were taking ages, so….”
The smell of sex and Tim was all over him, heavy enough to make Tim growl a warning. His teeth itched and his fingers tingled with the need to shift and protect what was his.
“We’re no threat,” Mark murmured.
With a slight nod and a roll of his shoulders, Tim shook off the possessiveness trying to take over and smiled up at Seb. “Hey, sorry. I should have called you.” What he wanted to say was “What the fuck are you doing? You promised to wait until I said it was okay. Anything could have been going on.” But the truth was he’d forgotten about shouting for Seb at all, much preferring him tucked away in the bedroom, as safe as possible under the circumstances.
“Am I okay to come down?” Seb raised an eyebrow, as though he knew just what Tim was thinking.
Tim sent a quick warning glance at Will and Mark, then said, “Yeah, come here. Let me introduce you.”
Holding on to the rail, Seb carefully descended the stairs, his gaze flicking up to the two P-Pack shifters every few seconds. When he got to the bottom, Tim reached out for his hand and drew Seb in behind him, thankful Seb just went with it and didn’t make any smart-arse comment. What he did do was slip his hands around Tim’s waist, hook his thumbs in the waistband of his jeans, and place a soft kiss on the top of Tim’s shoulder.
Tim shivered, both from the feel of Seb’s lips against his bare skin and the way his thumbs rubbed just above his pelvis. He caught the expression on Seb’s face out of the corner of his eye—mischievous.Fucker.This wasn’t a game, but Tim wasn’t about to say that in front of Will and Mark, who were staring as if Tim and Seb were the most amusing thing ever. It stirred Tim’s wolf again, and he let out a low snarl in warning.
Mark held up his hands. “Sorry.” He smiled. “It’s just we didn’t expect you two to be so….”
“So what?” Seb asked, his thumbs still rubbing back and forth in the most teasing rhythm ever.
“Full-on. If it’s all an act, then it’s a bloody good one.”
Mark laughed, and Tim just pulled Seb closer behind him until he was virtually plastered to his back.
He didn’t realise he was growling until Seb leaned up to whisper in his ear. “Hey. Shh. It’s okay.”
“Fine, I get it.” Mark said, more serious this time. “Not an act.”
They’d both been surprisingly honest with him, and Tim felt compelled to share a little more than he normally would. “It might have been suggested that a relationship between us would be beneficial to the pack.” He slid his hands over Seb’s. “But I can assure you, for me, this is all real.”
Mark’s eyes widened; he appeared to grasp that Tim had told him more than he needed to. He nodded and smiled. “I understand.”
Seb rested his forehead against the back of Tim’s neck and exhaled. Tim waited for him to speak, but Seb remained silent. Tim was aware this thing between them wasn’t the same for Seb, but his silence still stung. As did the look of pity that flashed in Mark’s eyes before he masked it.
“Now Seb’s here you can offer him that apology in person,” Tim said, wanting the whole conversation over and done with. He didn’t need pitying looks from anyone, let alone a pair of shifters from another pack, no matter how friendly they were being. His raised eyebrows prompted Mark into speaking.
Mark turned to face Seb, wisely keeping his hands to himself. “On behalf of the Primrose Hill pack, I’d like to offer our sincerest apologies for causing your injuries by our careless actions. Those directly responsible have been spoken with, and nothing like that will happen again. You have our word.”
Mark waited, focus entirely on Seb, even though he could probably feel Tim’s gaze on him.
Seb sighed, his body relaxing into Tim’s as if Tim was a solid weight he trusted to keep him upright. Tim tightened his fingers around Seb’s where they still rested on his waistband, reassuring him that he had him. It felt good to have Seb lean on him like that.
Too good.
Seb lifted a hand and gestured at the two shifters in front of him. “Thanks, I suppose. Is that all you came here to say?”
Mark nodded. “Basically, yes.” He glanced at Tim, and that wry smile was back. “And to check if you two were an actual couple, or if Alpha Harley was full of shit.” When Tim snarled, he added, “Newell’s words, not mine.”
Seb slipped a hand back to Tim’s waist, and something inside Tim settled. “Well, as you can see, we are.”
Mark’s smile was genuine and wide. “See, smell, practicallytaste.”
