“It’s a side hustle,” Titan admitted, relieved. “I hired Mathlin to help me with it since it’s something I can still do, now that my bakery income is hitting rock bottom.”
Gav frowned deeply. “Ti, if you need help with the bakery, all you have to do is ask.”
Titan shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “It’s a lot of hard work. I’m not going to ask you to wake up at 3 AM every day, for weeks, to help me with it.”
“But we can all chip in a little,” Ottis said. “Our pack isn’t small. It’s not too much to ask.”
It kind of was. Deep down, Titan was a little ashamed that he wasn’t making as much money as some of his other alpha brothers. He didn’t want the pack to help him, only to find out that Twin Buns was struggling. Twin Buns had been his dream foryears.
“Let me think about it,” he said eventually.
Gav nodded. “That reminds me—are you gonna fulfill that order for Aunt Yasmin’s party? She’s been asking about her cupcakes. I wasn’t sure what your plans were, so I didn’t want to cancel them without talking to you first.”
“Thanks,” Titan said, hating that he would probably disappoint Yasmin anyway. She loved his cupcakes, and she was his favorite aunt.
“I’ll help,” Mathlin said.
Titan drew a sharp breath. “You sure?”
Mathlin nodded. “You’ll have to make sure I don’t mess up. But we can sell the practice ones if they turn out okay, right?”
“Yeah,” Titan said, a weight rolling off his shoulders. “That sounds good.”
“That means you’ll get to show off your fake boyfriend at the party,” Ottis said brightly. “Yasmin invited non-pack, too.”
“Oh.” That would mean putting on a show... and it would be an excuse to have Mathlin close.
Titan couldn’t help it; he blushed. Ottis and Gav’s eyebrows shot up.
“What?” Titan grumbled.
“This is going to be so good,” Ottis said with a grin.
“You know what would make it better? Pickup lines!” said Hamilton’s disembodied voice. “I have pickup lines for all of you!”
“No thanks.” Ottis shuddered and limped toward the exit. Then he paused and gave Titan and Mathlin a last look.
Was it Titan, or did Ottis seem worried?
He decided not to ask.
“I have a copy of 699 Pickup Lines,” Gav said proudly. “I can help you pick out a few.”
“Please don’t,” Titan said.
“Picking out pickup lines is my job!” Hamilton crowed. “I’ll make a list that you can read in front of the bakery customers.”
Titan cringed. “My customers might sue me for harassment. On Mathlin’s behalf.”
Hamilton snickered. “Those unenlightened souls.”
“Maybe they would rather stay blissfully ignorant!” Ottis said while dragging Gavric to the front door.
“Actually, you should visit the bakery,” Mathlin blurted. “Right now, it looks like the inside of someone’s asshole.”
Ottis and Gav stopped dead in their tracks. Titan groaned. Hamilton cackled.
“What?” Ottis said faintly, turning back.
