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“Are you telling me we were—it took—that was three hours?!”

Royce’s cheeks flushed pink, and he rubbed the back of his neck. A gush of slick soaked Theodore’s briefs.

Darn it all, he needed to go to the store and get a pack of the extra absorbent briefs for omegas. He didn’t have any because, of course, he hadn’t gone into heat in years. Based on how Royce’s nostrils flared, he knew exactly what was sticking to, and flooding, Theodore’s skin right now. Fabulous. Theodore wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Betas never had this issue.

“If we stay in this cabin together all day, we’re going to end up doing something stupid,” Theodore proclaimed before shoving a second pastry into his mouth. To his utter horror, Royce’s face fell, the smile on his face going from carefree to tight in an instant, the gold draining from his eyes.

Crap! The alpha would have interpreted that as Theodore rejecting him and the mate bond. But of course, he had to remember Theodore saying he didn’t want a bond. He was being hunted by traffickers. A mate bond was the last thing on his mind.

Before he could deduce what to say to make Royce feel better, he spoke up.

“I was thinking of going to see Argus and Lucy today,” Royce said. “I need to report to him what’s been going on and why I haven’t gone into work. Would you want to come with me? Maybe if you’re up to it, you could explain to him why you’re hiding, and he can get the enforcers a plan of action to keep you safe.”

Theodore didn’t miss the tight edge to Royce’s voice, or how his eyes were fixed on the counter, his fists clenched. Oh yeah, Royce was feeling some kind of way about Theodore calling this situation ‘doing something stupid.’ He had to know Theodore meant the mate bond was stupid, giving in to their primal desires was stupid, not Royce. Then again, why did Theodore care?

He and Royce didn’t know each other.

Yes, they’d bonded over Royce caring for Theodore while he was sick, but that was nothing compared to the foundation of trust needed to accept a mate bond. Royce had to recognize that.

Theodore thought all this over while shoveling pasta into his mouth. When had he gotten so ravenous? He pouted at his empty bowl.

“Here, you can have mine.” Royce slid his pasta in front of Theodore, then took the empty one to the sink.

“It’s okay, you can eat.”

“Just eat the damn pasta, Theo. I can hear your stomach. Besides, the enforcer office is typically stocked with food.”

“I’m not going.”

“What?”

“To the enforcer office or Argus’s office at the Town Hall. I don’t … feel comfortable being around that many alphas right now. I’m a little … pungent.”

“If anyone ever calls you ‘pungent,’ I’ll break their damn nose, but I get what you mean.” Royce sat down at the kitchen table; any trace of hurt that’d been there prior was gone. “Are you— how are you feeling? I mean … I didn’t hurt you, did I? My wolf knew he wasn’t supposed to bite you. I’m sorry if he got carried away. I had a stern talking with the furry bastard while you were in the shower.”

Theodore was taken aback. Was it possible Royce was the most considerate alpha in existence? Or was that his dirty hormones talking?

“I’m fine, I promise I’m not just saying that. My body is designed to take knots, remember?” He tried to smile, but his face was on fire. “It craves it right now, actually. If it can’t have that, well, what we did is the next best thing.”

Royce nodded seriously. Theodore appreciated that he didn’t try to make a crude joke or comment.

“If I’m going out alone, do you need me to pick anything up?”

A package of slick-absorbing briefs? Theodore thought it but didn’t voice it. He knew Royce would get them from the pharmacy for him, no questions asked, but Theodore could only handle so much embarrassment in one day.

“Unless there’s something specific you wanted for dinner, I can’t think of anything.”

“Do you want me to call one of my neighbors to sit with you so you aren’t alone, in case something happens?”

“No. I’ve actually been wanting to get back to the vet clinic. Gerald can do some stuff by himself for the patients, but there’s a lot they still need me for. And there are a few patients I’ve been wanting to check up on.”

“Alright, I’ll be back in a few hours. I wrote some phone numbers down on the fridge pad, local offices and whatnot.”

“Thank you.” Theodore meant it as a thank you for so much more than the phone numbers. But his mouth had gone dry. He was finally able to swallow the lump in his throat when Royce was pulling a shirt over his head and opening the door to leave.

“Royce,” he called out. He turned. “Gage Prescot, that’s the name of the alpha from Seerinoga that killed my father and mother and …”

“Gage Prescot,” Royce repeated the name. “Consider him dead.”