Page 14 of Alpha’s Sunflower Smiles (Sweet in Silford #8)

Chapter 14

Pete

I knew that being jealous made me an ass but I couldn’t help it.

Wilfred was happy to go into work and spend the day with another man and I was grouchy about it.

My possessive instincts would settle down soon but for the first few days of a new relationship – especially one that meant as much to me as this one did – I was fighting the urge to drag my man home like a caveman.

The way he’d melted against me when I kissed him this morning had gone a long way to soothing me.

As I drove us both back to the shop, I took his hand and let the physical contact continue to do that.

Wilfred looked out of the window and his lips were drawn up in a half smile.

I wasn’t sure whether he was just thinking happy thoughts or whether he was completely onto me.

At least he wasn’t unhappy, either way.

When we got to the shop, I recognised the three people standing outside it.

One was the alpha, Ty, and his omega, Ronnie.

They were watching the mad professor pace up and down.

Nice to know that he was real and not a figment of my imagination.

He must be Alder.

I’d barely parked up when Alder came bounding over and opened Wilfred’s door, flinging it open and trying to hustle Wilfred out.

I was annoyed again.

I’d wanted to open Wilfred’s door for him and help him out.

It was the sort of small act I could do to make my alpha side feel like I was taking care of and protecting my man, without getting possessive and growly about it.

I think I glared at everyone as I got out the car and locked up, watching Alder hurry Wilfred to the shop, already saying, “Come on, come on, I want to play with your things. I’ve got more questions .”

Wilfred was laughing so hard he could hardly get the key in the lock and Alder took hold of his hand to guide him.

Wilfred let him.

Was that Alder flirting?

It was hard to tell because they fell through the door in a flurry and Ty ushered Ronnie in straight after before following them inside.

I was left standing in the street by myself.

When I did get inside, Wilfred was nowhere to be seen.

I had to go looking for him in his workshop.

He was showing Alder a clay pot and Alder took it gently out of Wilfred’s hands.

Wildred beamed at him.

I really couldn’t tell if they were flirting or not.

Wilfred seemed oblivious, so maybe I was reading too much into it.

Ty watched them and I stood back and studied the other alpha.

He was watching the pair of them at least as intently as I was and, if I wasn’t mistaken, there was pure lust in his eyes.

I couldn’t blame him for feeling that way because it was one of the hottest sights I’d ever seen.

Wilfred’s whole being was alight with joy and it was so, so sexy.

I just didn’t like that the other alpha had noticed.

He might try to woo Wilfred away from me.

It was five minutes later, when both Wilfred and Alder were wearing aprons and were ready to sit down to work that Wilfred finally looked up at me.

He met my eyes and smiled as though we were both in on a joke, and I felt my own lips respond and smile back.

“What are you going to do today?” he asked.

I folded my arms, “I’m staying.”

“Oh? Won’t you get bored?”

Ha, if he thought I was leaving him here with Ty, he had another thing coming.

“No,” I said.

Wilfred’s forehead crinkled and he looked adorably worried.

Before he could respond, though, Alder waved an imperious hand.

“Oh, Pete can help Ty with the CCTV. They can go and be all alpha-y together.”

I looked at Ronnie.

What about him?

Ty stepped forward, sliding his arm around Ronnie’s shoulders and partially blocking him from my view.

Looked like I wasn’t the only one whose alpha instincts were firing hard today.

Ronnie looked up at him.

“Is it okay if I stay here with Alder and Wilfred or do you need me in the other room?”

“You stay here, kitten. Enjoy yourself. Pete and I can handle it.”

Alder called, “Yes, and if they can’t, Wilfred and I can sort them out.”

Ty and Ronnie shared an amused look and I was sure I heard Ty mutter, “Of course you can.”

I retreated into the shop, wishing I could go over there and kiss Wilfred goodbye first, even though I was only going next door.

Just as I stepped through the doorway, Alder called, “Ty? Don’t let that alpha be mean to you. He’s gone all possessive of Wilfred and that’s very sweet in an annoying way, but it doesn’t mean he can bully you. If he tries it, let me know. I’ll kick him.”

Ty followed me into the shop, blinking in a slightly bemused way.

He closed the door and looked at me, his head cocked to one side.

“Is that true?” he asked.

“That I’m feeling possessive at the moment? Yes. Why, is it true that your omega will kick me?”

Ty sighed.

“Unfortunately, yes, that is true. But he probably won’t. He’s just very protective.”

I studied him closely.

He was a big alpha, but he didn’t hold himself aggressively.

In fact, as I thought about it, I’d only seen him follow his two omegas around and do what they told him.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t after Wilfred, though.

And Wilfred wouldn’t be able to tell me because, as I could attest, he was the absolute worst at working out whether people had been flirting with him.

“You’re in a poly relationship?”

“Yes.”

“Are you after Wilfred as well?”

Might as well be blunt.

I needed to know.

Ty’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

“Um, no? Not that Wilfred’s not great because he is, and he’s very attractive, but I’ve really never noticed him like that. I’ve kind of got my hands full already, you know? Alder counts as at least two people, what with all the energy he has and all the trouble he gets himself into, and Ronnie has at least two people’s sex drive.”

The alpha began to blush and, I had to admit, it was adorable.

I began to feel much more warmly towards Ty.

“Perhaps we could pretend I didn’t just over-share?” he suggested.

“That’s fair. I apologise for being blunt.”

Ty shrugged.

“I’m used to it with Alder. So when did you and Wilfred get together?”

“Last night.”

“Ah, that explains it. Still brand new, huh?”

I nodded.

I was fighting the urge to go back into the workshop and put my hands all over Wilfred again.

Ty helped focus me.

He looked around at the bag of equipment he’d brought in and said, “Why don’t we get this CCTV set up? That way, you can be sure Wilfred is safe all day.”

Those were the magic words.

All my attention turned towards the prospect of making my man’s shop safe for him to be in.

It was the best outlet for my protectiveness that I could get.

With a nod of gratitude to Ty, I said, “Thanks for understanding. Why don’t you tell me what you want me to do?”

He grinned and came over to the bag and began to unload things, spreading them across the counter.

We had just got everything out of the packaging when the door to the workshop opened and Ronnie’s head peeped out.

He turned and called over his shoulder, “No, they’re not fighting. I think they’ve bonded.”

The door snapped shut again and I finally had the sense of humour to snigger.

My instincts had settled, now that I was sure Ty wasn’t coming on to Wilfred and now that we were making Sunflower Smiles more secure.

Ty said, “Guaranteed, Alder sent Ronnie to check on us because he’s so cute neither of us could stay angry if he came into the room.”

“I see what you mean about having your hands full. I’m happy for you.”

Ty’s eyes went soft as he thought about his boyfriends and I realised that he’d never looked at Wilfred like that.

“Thank you. They’re the best. Even when they’re bossing me about.”

Having spent ten minutes with Ty, actually talking to him and working together, I had a much better handle on him now.

I suspected that what he meant by that was that they were the best especially when they were bossing him about.

I’d never met an alpha like him, at least not one who was happy to be themselves openly, and I wondered whether Ty was unusual or whether I’d just had a very small, stereotypical social circle before.

Ty began to chat.

“I’m glad for you, too. Not to put too fine a point on it, I’m happy for Wilfred that he found someone who takes such good care of him. He’s probably the most generous man I know. He gives away a lot. Not just physical stuff – although I’ve heard Richard harangue him for doing that more than once – but he gives his time, too. He’s here today just because Alder wants to learn about pottery. He deserves to have love.”

I tensed.

I hadn’t said I loved Wilfred.

Although…

I had knotted him.

And, yeah, who was I kidding, I loved Wilfred.

It was just I’d rather I told him that first, before everyone else went around mentioning it.

Ty paused.

“Sorry, did I overstep?”

“No, don’t worry about it. I just realised I’ve been very slow about this whole thing. Everyone else seems to have moved on in our relationship much faster than we have.”

Ty chuckled.

“Yeah, but Alder’s been bugging me about setting Wilfred up for ages. We just couldn’t work out who he liked. He smiles at everyone and it took me ages to realise he was just happy to see everyone and wasn’t flirting.”

“He’s not that good at noticing.”

Ty snorted.

“You can say that again. Still, you managed to make it clear enough to him.”

“Yep,” I said, and let myself feel smug about it for a moment.

I’d managed to seduce Wilfred and he was now officially my boyfriend.

And, if being explicit about what I wanted was the way to make it clear to him, I could keep doing that.

I already had an idea of what I wanted next but it was far too soon.

I’d have to wait.