Page 165 of A Broody Mate for the Human

Raffy lets his fingers wander over my arms. “Really?”

“I wouldn’t lie when it’s about consent,” I point out.

He turns around in my arms and cups my face, making me look up at him before bending down for a kiss.

“But you may continue to pamper me,” I whisper against his lips.

Raffy looks amused but doesn’t tease me for it. Instead, he makes sure to ask me what I want on my pancakes, even cutting some fruit for me as a topping and making juice out of the remainder. “Feeling pampered enough?” he asks softly before kissing me on the top of my head.

“For this, I will call yousirnext time,” I promise with a teasing grin.

His eyes flash, and I can see a hint of Nero coming forward. Well, hello there, mate.

*RAFFY*

I’m about to do the dishes with Dave when Alpha Liam links me.

Meet me in my office as soon as possible, in an hour at the latest.

I wish I could stay the whole day with Dave and have him close. He might not show it, but it seems like he really needs me. A couple of days ago, I happened to talk to Portia about what her club does and the lifestyle some of her clients live. I know for Dave and me, it’s more like a little adventure we want to take here and there, not a constant factor in our life. Still, I wanted to be prepared in case Dave really wanted to play.

Portia told me it’s a chemical reaction to the anxiety, the pain, and the high someone feels during such a session. Every high is followed by a drop.

So, I need to make sure Dave never falls too deep. I wouldn’t forgive myself if enjoyment suddenly turned into depression for him.

Keep it safe, sane, and consensual.

I’m still wondering if it’s a true insult to my alpha if I take Dave along with me to the meeting when, to my relief, Ella drops by.

“El!” Dave beams.

“Hey, Dave, Raphael,” she greets us.

“Good morning, Beta Ella,” I greet her politely.

“I completely forgot you’d be dropping by,” Dave says, facepalming himself.

“Don’t worry.” She chuckles. “Yesterday was a long evening. I wanted to come and tell you we don’t need to train if you feel too exhausted.”

Dave looks at her, a hint of a blush on his cheeks, as he probably thinks about what truly exhausted him. “Maybe we could do some stretching exercises?”

She seems to consider his suggestion before she nods. “I can also give you some advice for your posture and show you some exercises to boost your strength.”

“Sounds good.” He looks relieved.

“Actually, this just came at a perfect time,” I intervene. “The alpha just linked me and asked me to come for a meeting. It shouldn’t last long.”

“Oh, you’re right, that’s perfect. Ella and I can train while you are in your meeting,” Dave says. He looks relieved not to be alone. He is not the only one, though. I’m equally relieved that he has some company while I’m talking to the alpha.

I make sure to get to the alpha’s office immediately, not to waste any more time. When I knock at Alpha Liam’s door, he tells me to enter, and to my surprise, Beta Dante and Beta Aryanna are already there. If he awaits me with his two ranked members, it can only mean two things: Either I’m in trouble, or they found out about something that concerns me.

I assume and hope it’s the latter.

“Sit down, Raphael,” Alpha Liam tells me earnestly. His face is serious, and his eyes don’t give away anything.

I follow his command and sit in the free chair next to Beta Dante.

“I’ve called you because what I found out will be of interest to you too.” Alpha Liam pauses. “It happens that Troi and his minions will have a meeting soon. Stella and Jazz managed to locate some of Troi’s men and further spied on them.”