William had come to visit him! Steve couldn’t stop grinning. This was the best day ever.
* * *
An hour later, Steve was sitting on the couch with his brother, drinking a beer and feeling like he could burst with how happy he was.
“You should have claimed him when you had the chance,” William said, punching Steve in the arm after he’d finished telling him about Dylan.
“Is that what you would have done?” Steve said, his mocking tone speaking for itself.
William snorted. “No, but I’m not an uber alpha like you.”
Steve preened. He hadn’t felt like much of an alpha growing up – not compared to his dad and older brother – and that inadequacy had only strengthened on meeting and losing a fight to both Ryker and August. It was easy to forget that compared to ninety-nine percent of alphas out there, he was actually pretty badass.
Alphas as dominant as Ryker or his dad were rare, and compared to most, Steve was a dominating beast.
“I wish I had,” Steve said, thinking back to the first time he’d smelled Dylan. He’d been so surprised, and he hadn’t had time to think or strategize on how to get Dylan to go out with him.
Not that it mattered. He’d already been taken.
“But you’re friends with him now?”
William didn’t sound like he bought it, and Steve laughed.
“I am. He’s a nice guy.”
“And you no longer want to make sweet, sweet love to him?”
Steve punched him. William could be such an annoying little shit.
“Shut up. Of course I still want to get with him, but he’s taken. That ship has sailed.”
“You haven’t thought of joining their pack?”
William’s voice was deceptively casual, and when Steve looked at him, he refused to meet his gaze. Steve stared at him in disbelief.
“No, because I’m not an idiot. Dad would come down here and slaughter them if I tried to join their pack.”
William relaxed, and Steve narrowed his eyes.
“Is that why you’re here?” he accused. “Dad’s spies reported that I’m friends with them, and so he sent you to make sure I don’t do anything stupid?”
William’s guilty silence was answer enough. Steve let his anger rumble in his stomach for a second, but then he squashed it.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay, too,” William defended himself. “I’ve been asking Dad if I could visit you since you moved away. You didn’t even say goodbye.”
William sounded miserable, and Steve instantly forgave him. It wasn’t William’s fault that their dad was an overbearing asshole.
He pulled him in for another hug and patted his back.
“I know,” he said, releasing him. “I’m glad you’re here. And you can tell Dad that I’m not joining any packs.”
“Would you come home if he let you take a job with the Fairbanks Police Force?”
“Is that what he’s offering?” Steve asked.
“You’d have to promise to quit when Marcus takes over as pack alpha so that he has someone he can trust helping him.”
Steve had wanted to work in Anchorage, but he could settle for Fairbanks. When Marcus was alpha, he wouldn’t keep him away from his job for longer than he actually needed him.
