Page 97 of Alpha Heat

Urho choked on his own saliva, surprise like a punch in the gut. “Why do you say that?”

“Because I don’t want to do any more drawings or prints of Xan with this expression on his face. I want to capture the expressionyougive him: ease, trust, hope.” He nodded thoughtfully, and then turned to another table, grabbing a pencil and a large sheet of paper. “I want to capture the change in him since you came, since you eased his pain and self-loathing.”

Urho’s throat grew tight. He glanced at where the paper had fallen to the floor. “But what about the stone you etched today?”

Caleb shrugged. “I’ll give it to the gardeners. They’ll find some use for it. They always do.”

The hard work that had gone into the failed print left Urho with an empty feeling in his heart, but Caleb shrugged it off like it wasn’t anything to spend time worrying about.

“And the print itself?” Urho asked, nodding to the abandoned piece on the floor.

“Trash,” Caleb said.

“In that case, may I have it?”

“You want a reminder of how sad he used to be?” Caleb asked, surprised.

Urho picked the paper up from the floor, studying it carefully. It was still beautiful despite the smears and wrinkles from Caleb’s careless treatment. “I want a reminder of what I have to lose.”

Caleb nodded. “Take it. And stay here, Urho. Build a new life with him.” Then Caleb looked up from where his pencil flew all around the fresh sheet. “A new life withus.”

Urho stepped closer. Peering down into Caleb’s sincere face, he asked, “You’d want that? For yourself? For more than just Xan’s happiness?”

“While my alpha’s happiness is more than enough reason to want you here, the truth is, I like you. I trust you. I let you into my studio, after all. Not even Xan has been in here.” Caleb touched his arm and smiled up at him, a new kind of smile, a vulnerable and completely honest one. “So, yes, Urho, I’d like you to make Lofton your home.”

“So what wasit like in there?” Xan asked. He’d been curious all day and more than a little jealous.

His head rested on Urho’s naked chest, and he trailed his fingers up and down Urho’s forearm, feeling the small prickle of his dark arm hair beneath his fingertips.

“Messy,” Urho said, his voice still tired after their long lovemaking session.

“Is he any good at it? Or am I just feeding into his delusions by buying him all those supplies?”

“He’s excellent,” Urho said, sitting up and jostling Xan from his comfortable resting place. “Here. Let me show you.”

Rising from the bed, he crossed to the desk by the table. The view wasn’t as good as in Xan’s room, but they’d found the beta servants changing the sheets when they’d come up after Xan had arrived home, so they’d opted for Urho’s room instead. Still, the town made for a beautiful scene, too, stretching away into the horizon, and the colorful buildings shone in the failing late-afternoon sun.

Urho returned with a rather large sheet of paper that he handed over to Xan. Staring up at him was his own face with an expression of such sadness that Xan felt overexposed. The likeness was good, though, he couldn’t deny that. Except for his hair twisting into a bird’s nest. He kept his hair very neat, thank you very much, Caleb.

“He did this?”

“He’s talented,” Urho said. “Rosen would probably claim it’s far too representational. But he’s a snob, so of course he would say that.”

Xan continued to stare at the picture. “Caleb’s a bit of snob too.”

“In his own way,” Urho agreed. He tugged Xan close again, so they rested together naked and warm in Urho’s soft bed. Xan snuggled up, breathing in Urho’s scent and the mixture of them together.

They both stared at the paper. “Do you like it?” Urho asked.

“It’s not what I expected.” Xan tilted his head and frowned. “Is that how Caleb sees me, do you think? Sad with a bird’s nest where my brain should be?”

“I think Caleb loves you,” Urho said softly. “He told me he wasn’t satisfied with this piece. He’s going to do another one that will capture you better.”

“Oh.” Xan frowned. “What was wrong with this one?”

“You’d have to ask him,” Urho said, but his tone gave away that he knew the reason. “Perhaps after making it, he missed your smile. I know that’s my favorite of your features.”

Xan sat the print aside on the small table by the bed before curling up on Urho’s chest again. “Are you going to keep it?”