“Right.” Leyden grabbed another folder, fighting back a smile. “Let’s get through them.”
Leyden tried focusing on the next application, but his attention kept drifting. Connor had pulled up what looked like property records, cross-referencing an applicant’s claimed residency with actual ownership documents. The man’s brow furrowed in concentration, fingers moving across the keyboard with practiced efficiency.
“Found another discrepancy,” Connor muttered, more to himself than Leyden. “The application says he lived in Montana for five years, but the property records show he sold his house there after eighteen months.”
Leyden shifted in his seat. Something about the way Connor worked - that intense focus, the quiet confidence, the methodical dismantling of lies - was doing things to him. His wolf rumbled appreciatively, and heat pooled low in his gut.
Fuck.
Connor glanced up. “You okay?”
“Fine.” Leyden’s voice came out rougher than intended. He cleared his throat. “Just thinking about how many applicants lie on their applications.”
“Most of them.” Connor returned to the screen. “That’s why background checks matter. People assume we’ll take their word for it, especially if they’re moving from distant packs where verification seems difficult.”
“But you don’t assume anything.”
“Nope.” Connor pulled up another window, scanning what appeared to be court records. “Assuming gets people hurt. That destroys pack bonds. In the long run it’s better to verify everything.”
The clinical efficiency of it, the absolute competence – Leyden swallowed a groan as he felt his body responding despite knowing Connor wouldn’t appreciate it. They were working. Connor was helping secure the pack’s safety, using skills most wolves didn’t have, making Leyden’s job easier.
And Leyden was getting hard watching his mate dismantle false credentials.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Connor leaned back, rubbing his eyes. “This guy’s clean, actually. Everything checks out. Military background, honorable discharge, worked as an enforcer for two different packs with verified references from both alphas.”
“Good.” Leyden stood abruptly, nearly knocking his chair over. “I…uh…need to use the bathroom.”
Connor’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded. “Sure.”
Leyden walked stiffly toward the attached bathroom, grateful for the privacy. Once inside with the door locked, he leaned against the sink, staring at his reflection.
A competence kink. I’ve developed a fucking competence kink for my mate.
It shouldn’t surprise him. Connor was everything Leyden valued in a partner. And watching that intelligence in action, seeing Connor protect the pack through thorough investigation rather than brute force – although he’d done that, too…He complements me in every way.
Yeah. Arousal made perfect sense.
But Connor didn’t feel desire the way Leyden did. And Leyden refused to make his mate uncomfortable or pressure him in any way.
Which meant handling himself.
Unzipping his jeans, Leyden wrapped his hand around his cock. He kept his thoughts carefully neutral - not imagining Connor, not fantasizing about what might never happen. Not thinking about anyone at all, just taking care of a biological function so he could return to work without embarrassing himself.
It didn’t take long. The arousal had been building for the past hour, and relief came quickly, and fortunately, quietly. Leyden cleaned up, washed his hands, checked his face wasn’t overly flushed, and took several deep breaths before heading back to the office.
Connor had been busy in his absence. The scattered folders now sat in neat stacks - approved applications on the left, rejections on the right, pending reviews in the center. Connor had also made notes on the whiteboard mounted on the wall, listing enforcement positions that needed filling and ranking them by priority.
“I organized while you were gone,” Connor said, not looking up from his laptop. “Figured it would help with scheduling interviews.”
Leyden stared at the whiteboard, at the clean stacks of folders, at his mate who’d taken initiative without being asked. Who’d anticipated what Leyden needed and handled it efficiently.
The arousal threatened to return. Leyden firmly shut it down.
“This is perfect,” he managed. “Thank you.”
Connor shrugged, but pleasure hummed through their bond. “We still need to review the pending ones, but I wanted to separate the obvious decisions first.”
