Page 10

Silas

In principle, when Dad had said he and Popi were retiring and laid out the plan, Silas had understood what it meant.

Now, with the press conference looming the next day and all the shit with Taylin disappearing off for days and coming back mated to Hollis—shock fucking horror with all the damn tears—Silas felt he'd gotten a fist to the face. In part, that had to do with his own situation, when he’d felt a sliver of jealousy at his brother’s happiness.

Taylin was like a damn dog with two dicks at getting what he’d wanted—Hollis, his long-term crush. They might have all taken the piss out of Taylin because he’d mooned over Hollis for years, but they were all happy that things had worked out, despite the inconvenience of it all.

Had Silas bitched about the potential impact this would have with Hollis having a casting vote in the company?

Yes, he fucking had. Popi and Dad had argued over decisions when they didn’t agree.

It put strain on a relationship and Silas had witnessed it firsthand.

Popi and Dad had years together to get them through the tough times.

Silas worried, with the newness of Taylin’s and Hollis’s relationship, that it would fuck things up.

He’d hate that for them, despite all the bitching he’d done in the alphahole group chat.

That was only part of why he wasn’t ready for the press, because he understood better than anyone that many hated divergents.

He’d suffered the bullying for years. The betrayal of those who said they loved him.

No amount of therapy and family support removed the hidden scars on his heart or the ones his body bore from beatings.

He could fight with his fists, sure, but what he didn’t know how to defend against was a deluge of hate.

It had made him shy away from being the center of attention.

Those years of being bullied and trying to blend made it a hard habit to consider breaking.

Was it too late to change things up? Booker would make a better figurehead. He’d just tell everyone to go to hell. Silas released a wry chuckle at the thought of his brother going all bear on the press.

“Since you’ve been sitting there for the last hour brooding after everyone disappeared off, what’s got you laughing all of a sudden?

” Dad asked, dropping the latest Starling Fashions magazine he held to give Silas his full attention.

It was something that Dad did without effort.

Made the person he was speaking with the whole of his focus.

It, Silas believed, was why he was so successful at business.

He missed nothing. Silas also got Dad had stayed up late with him because he’d figured Silas was… nervous?

“Booker going all bear on the press tomorrow,” he replied, still grinning at the idea.

Dad joined him, his shoulders shaking as he laughed aloud. “As your brother has no patience with time wasters, it’s a very real possibility.”

The thought sobered Silas because Dad wasn’t wrong and they didn’t need any negative press. “Are you sure this is the right decision, Dad?” Silas asked quietly, staring at the man who had such a fierce love for his family.

Silas had been one of the fortunate ones, having two parents that loved him unconditionally despite him being divergent.

At school, he’d learned the hard way that not everyone was as accepting.

Still, he was one of the lucky ones. His five adopted brothers were too, when they’d become part of this family.

Someone once asked him the stupid question of whether he felt pushed out because some of his brothers required so much emotional support. Silas had never questioned his extended family. Popi had such an endless well of love, it seemed only fair that others got to share it, too.

Somehow, those that had found their way into the family fit.

Yes, they argued, bitched and fought occasionally, that made no difference to the love they all shared for their family.

He was positive both Kari and Kodi felt the same.

What bothered Silas right now was being the oldest, if only by a few months.

How was it logical that he should be the one who was going to be the figurehead of a company?

One who would be very much in the public eye, a place he didn’t want to be.

The silence in the room lengthened as Dad scrutinized him. “Is this why you’ve been hiding out?”

“W-What,” he spluttered. “I’ve not been hiding out.

I’ve been working my ass off juggling all my additional responsibilities while still managing aspects of the ranch.

” Was he blushing? It sure as hell felt like it!

Did he sound as panicked as he felt? Crap, had the others noticed he’d spent time locked in his office?

His sexy, fun time with Ziggy hadn’t progressed beyond his office yet. Silas didn’t think too hard on the why, because he’d been the one to make it clear that what was happening with Ziggy was just sex. Going to Ziggy’s place felt like it would introduce an element of ‘dating’ vibes.

They hadn’t talked about it, not that they did much talking out of work hours.

After the first time he’d lost control in the office, he had made a rule that they only had sex when the work day finished.

It was lowering that he was the one who, twice, had tried to initiate something before the day’s end.

Ziggy, the fucker, was much better at being restrained.

“Are you listening to me?” Dad enquired, in an amused tone.

He was definitely blushing, his face an inferno as he looked anywhere but at the man sitting opposite him. “Yes… yes I am.”

“Then answer my question.”

Darnation.

He scowled and continued to blush, scrabbling to figure out what he had missed. “Okay, you caught me,” he finally said. “You can’t blame me for being distracted.”

“It’s the cause of the distraction that bothers me… if it’s work .”

Returning his attention to Dad, Silas sighed. “Work is most definitely a distraction. I don’t want to be in the public eye.”

“Is this solely ‘cause you’re divergent? Or something else?”

Dad never shied away from the hard questions, and Silas cursed. He got up to pace off his growing agitation when he wasn’t prepared to discuss Ziggy and how that connected to the past.

“What if I make an ass of myself?” He swung around to look at the man who made everything look so damn easy. “You’re a very hard act to follow, Dad.”

Dad got up and came to take hold of Silas’s hands, squeezing them. They were the same height but Silas still felt like the small boy who needed his dad to make it all better for him.

“You aren’t following me, my darling boy. You’re going to forge a new path, just like you did when you bought your ranch with no help from me or your popi. I have every faith you’ll find your way, one that works for you. You always have, despite what life has thrown at you.”

He tugged his hands, bringing Silas in, and then hugged him hard. “You’re an amazing man. One I’m extremely proud of. Be true to you and it will be enough.”

Silas released a shuddery breath and held on, needing a minute to get himself back under control as his eyes filled with tears at the unwavering support and love. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you.” He eased back his hands, holding on to Silas’s arms as he held his gaze with a fierce look of determination. “Remember, I’m always here if you need to talk about… anything.”

Silas’s stomach dipped, picking up something that suggested Dad knew there was something besides work going on for him.

The man had an uncanny knack of seeing what Silas didn’t want seen.

He didn’t sigh, but it was a close call when he considered if someone had figured out why he’d bought industrial strength air fresheners and insisted on the windows remaining open in his office overnight, to get rid of the smell of sex.

He hoped like hell they hadn’t. He wasn’t ready to give up what he had going with Ziggy yet. Sex without strings, a dominant omega who dressed up for work? Yeah, giving that up wasn’t anywhere on the agenda.

Should he be worried about that?

“Fancy a beer?” Dad asked, bringing Silas’s attention back to him.

“Yeah, why not?” He walked after him, wanting a distraction. Only this time, it had nothing to do with work. “What do you make of Taylin coming home mated tonight?”

“I hate that I have to be paraded like some fucking chimpanzee in front of an audience,” he complained, not for the first time since he had sat at the counter with a plate of waffles and bacon in front of him.

Bessie bustled about around him making sympathetic noises. She was good at just listening and letting him vent. The beers the night before gave him a wooly head and a bitchy attitude.

“You just be you and it’ll all be fine.”

Silas choked on the piece of waffle he was chewing as he drew in a breath at the image of him tied to his office chair came to mind with her comment.

Bessie quickly slapped him on the back as he coughed so hard his eyes watered.

“Have a drink. Come on, sweetie.” She shoved his glass of juice at him, not stopping the back slapping.

“I-I’m fine,” he spluttered.

Bessie’s snort said she didn’t believe him, so he took the glass and drank the orange juice down in one gulp.

“It’s all this worry that’s making you choke. Those… those… a-holes just look to find an easy target to spill their nonsense about. Don’t let them get to you, sweetie,” she continued, getting the totally wrong idea. Not one he was going to dissuade her from. Not in a month of Sundays.

Popi appeared and rushed to him, fussing. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he coughed out, his throat a little scratchy.

“Doesn’t sound like nothing to me, your voice is hoarse.” The frown deepened and the fine lines around his eyes became more obvious as a hand got placed on his forehead.

“Popi, I’m fine, I don’t have a fever. I inhaled and swallowed at the same time, and a piece of waffle went down the wrong hole.”

“What hole did you get wrong this time?” Jupiter asked, strolling into the kitchen dressed in a suit that flattered him. “I thought at your age, you’d have that all figured out.” The sexual innuendo got an eye roll from Silas, a giggle from Bessie, and a tut from Popi.

“I don’t think there is any need for that, Jup,” Popi scolded, then spoiled it by giving Jupiter a cheeky wink.

“Don’t encourage him, Popi.”

Jupiter bypassed Silas to go to the refrigerator and grabbed the pre-made smoothie Bessie prepared for him.

He leaned against the counter looking at them.

His eyes, the palest of blue that could sometimes appear colorless, glittered with mischief.

“Who needs encouragement when you’re such a big target? ”

“You be nice,” Bessie said, waving a finger at Jupiter. “It’s not right to talk about people’s weight.”

Jupiter snorted, but kept his thoughts to himself as Silas got up, deciding he was done with breakfast.

Popi, who had gone to fill his coffee cup, glanced at him as he approached, “Are you okay?”

He searched Silas’s expression, and the frown reappeared even as he did his best to conceal the anxiety that he felt at what was happening in a few hours’ time.

The press had already caught wind—which they’d anticipated would happen—and had tried to get quotes before the press conference planned for today.

He bent and kissed Popi on the cheek, inhaling the soft scent he wore, before replying, “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to put the poster boy over there in front of them and let his stunning beauty blind them, so they forget all about me.”

He left the room grinning at hearing Jupiter choke on his smoothie, then shout out, “No fucking way are you throwing me under the bus!”

Three hours later, the grin was nowhere to be seen as Silas masked his emotions. The reporters filed into the boardroom set up for this occasion. Monica, Dad’s old personal assistant, looked formidable as she directed the crowd to their seats.

Many vied to get to the front while Silas blocked out the conversation, rehearsing the contents of the press pack in his mind. He didn’t want this, but he wasn’t going to reveal that to this bunch of assholes.

Kari whispered in his ear. “We got you covered.” He settled in his seat, then the madness began.