Page 6 of Alpha’s Sunflower Smiles (Sweet in Silford #8)

Chapter 6

Pete

I ’d just heard back from the company that was going to replace Wilfred’s back door and I wanted to go and tell him that they’d be there tomorrow.

I may have got just a tiny bit carried away, asking them to check the security of the whole place and paying for the best door and the most efficient locking system they had.

Wilfred didn’t need to know that, though.

All he needed to know was that the door would be replaced tomorrow and he would be safe in his workshop.

It felt good to know that he was protected and even better to know that I was the one protecting him.

We might be only friends at this point but he was important to me and my instinct was to look after him.

It settled me.

The door chimed as I entered the shop and I was already smiling as I entered and the familiar smell of the place greeted me like an old friend.

Unlike Wilfred, who usually did greet me like an old friend and wasn’t there to do it this time.

I stood in the doorway, almost as though I wasn’t sure what to do from here.

This had never happened before.

Wilfred was always behind the counter, ready with a big smile, or pottering about putting his crafts on the shelves, ready with a big smile…

The smile was A Feature.

I hadn’t realised until then how much I’d been banking on seeing that smile today.

I felt my good mood teetering in the balance and looked around, double-checking he wasn’t hiding somewhere.

He wasn’t.

There was nowhere to hide.

I closed the door behind me and moved across the shop.

Richard had made it clear last time that the workshop was out of bounds but a horrible fear lodged in my gut that Wilfred would be out there, alone, unprotected or injured and no customers would find him.

I’d find him, though.

I’d keep Wilfred safe and looked after.

Just as I reached for the handle, I heard the first sound.

It made me pause.

It was a low moan.

Exactly the sort of moan that someone might make if they were being pleasured.

The moan was followed by the wet sounds of kissing.

I liked to think that I was a rational man but something in me snapped.

I lost it.

Throwing open the door, I stormed out into the workshop, furious that anyone would bring Wilfred back here and—

Okay, my problem was that the someone who’d brought him out here wasn’t me.

The door thudded against the wall and I instantly saw who was making the sexy noises.

A large alpha was pressing Wilfred against the far wall, rubbing his body all over my- all over that man.

“What are you doing?” I asked, and didn’t even care that I could hear the alpha growl in my voice.

The alpha was taller than me and, as he spun around, his fists drew up instinctively.

His lips were red where they’d been kissing and his eyes were unfocused.

I growled again and stepped forward, adrenaline surging through me.

Then I heard a sweet, soft voice from behind the alpha.

“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe this.”

That was not Wilfred’s voice.

I moved across the room and had the courtesy to make sure I didn’t actually move nearer to the couple.

An alpha who’d been interrupted while his blood was pumping was likely to kick off at the presence of another alpha and I didn’t want to break any of Wilfred’s lovingly-made crafts with a brawl in the middle of his workshop.

Not unless I had to.

When I had moved far enough, I managed to catch sight of a little omega behind the alpha.

He looked to be about the same age as Richard, and he was cute, if you liked that sort of thing.

He was currently blushing and had both his hands over his face.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I-I’m Ronnie. This is our alpha, Ty.”

Ty had apparently come down from the initial shock enough to loosen his hands and he raised one in greeting.

Ronnie said, “Please don’t tell Wilf.”

“Why not?”

To be honest, that hadn’t been my first thought anyway, but my body was still jangling with the aftershocks of the adrenaline rush and I needed time to calm down.

Sometimes being an alpha was annoyingly impractical.

“Because he’ll laugh,” said Ronnie.

Yeah?

Part of me was tempted to tell Wilfred about this just to test that theory.

Hearing that man laugh was like nothing else and I’d do quite a lot of things to make it happen.

Even tell tales on couples making out in his workshop.

The alpha, Ty, cleared his throat.

“To be fair, Wilf will find this hilarious. You just keep getting busted, don’t you, Ronnie?”

Ronnie took one hand away from his flaming face just long enough to smack Ty’s chest.

“Hey, you’re not meant to find it funny, too. You just got busted as much as I did.”

Ty grinned.

“Yeah, but I’ve only been caught making out with my boyfriend once. You’ve been caught how many times now?”

Ronnie’s cheeks had been settling down to a more natural colour but he went bright red again and covered his face.

“Oh my gosh, I just can’t. It’s not my fault! Alder invites me into his office and then—”

Ty chuckled.

“And then what are you supposed to do but make out with him against his desk, right?”

Ronnie squeaked, “Pretty much. Besides, I don’t think we’d have got caught so much if Alder hadn’t busted Liam and Waggoner quite so often. I think Liam has learned Alder’s timetable so he knows when to surprise us as payback.”

I decided, since I didn’t know these people, and I had no idea why Ty was fine with his omega making out with someone else but that was their business and not mine, it was time to interrupt this little confession.

“Where’s Wilfred?”

“He went out.”

“I worked that out, thanks. Where is he?”

Ronnie glanced at Ty, and I faced the other alpha.

He cleared his throat and said, “He had some business meetings to attend.”

“Where?”

“Look, we don’t know the details, alright? We’re just minding the shop while he’s away.”

“What about Richard?”

“He’s at lectures today.”

“Is that door locked?” I nodded at the back door.

“You ask a lot of questions.” It was the alpha who said it but he didn’t seem to be challenging me on it, which I was grateful for.

Some alphas got competitive and, now my blood pressure was returning to normal, I wasn’t interested in any of that.

“I’m curious,” I said, and walked over to the door, testing the handle.

I was pleased to find it locked.

At least Wilfred had taken my warning seriously.

“He’s getting that door replaced,” said Ty.

“Is he?” I didn’t think these two random people needed to know that I was the one arranging that, especially as I couldn’t actually rationally explain away my need to do that.

Anyone who heard me talk about it would know instantly that I had it bad for Wilfred and my alpha instincts were firing inside me to protect my man.

Yeah, I didn’t need these two to know that.

“I’ll see if I can catch him later,” I said.

And, obviously, what I meant by that was I’d go back to my office and look up at the slightest movement out the window until I saw Wilfred return.

It was a long afternoon and, as I’d expected, I hadn’t been able to settle to anything because I’d been staring out the window, waiting for Wilfred.

I had to wait another twenty minutes after that before I saw Ty and Ronnie leave the shop and then I figured it was safe to go over there.

This time, when I walked in, Wilfred was right there where he was meant to be, in his shop, beaming at me.

I smiled in return.

“Hey, you were out earlier. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, I was just arranging some supply deliveries, that’s all. I normally do it when Richard’s here but I had to do it today. Luckily, Ty and Ronnie popped by and said they’d watch the shop for me. Didn’t you see them?”

I gave a cough.

I’d seen more than I’d bargained for, actually.

“Yeah, I saw them. I just wanted to tell you that the door will be fixed tomorrow. Is that still convenient?”

He looked nervous and licked his lips, which I fixated on.

“Yes, that’s fine. You know, you really don’t need to go to all this bother for us, you know.”

“I want you to be safe.”

“Thank you. Can I, um, make you a cup of tea?”

I smiled.

“Yes, please.”