Page 19

Silas

The weekend had been torturous. His imagination had gotten a workout at all the possibilities of what Frey and Ziggy were up to.

With his firsthand knowledge of just what Ziggy could offer a bed partner, he’d spent most of the time hiding in his room after losing his temper once more with Booker, resulting in a damaged laptop.

Then, to top it off, he’d taken a pot shot at Jupiter and upset him.

He’d eaten crow and apologized but he’d seen how the shadow of hurt had not lessened.

So in the end he’d stayed clear, sulking in his bedroom.

His brothers were far too observant and already looking for another target with Taylin out of the picture, having moved in with Hollis. Everything there was moving at warp speed, Silas just didn’t get why.

He’s happy… whereas you are not!

He released a sharp exhale at how fucked up he really was.

“Somethin’ up?” Ethan questioned, bringing his attention back to the call they were having. One he wasn’t paying attention to, despite having thought it would help keep his thoughts from Ziggy.

Work had been his only option to distract himself, because hunting down Frey’s address and dragging Ziggy out by his hair was a step too far—possibly.

Instead, Silas had been in the office since six am and, knowing Ethan would be up and free at this time, he’d called him.

Now he rolled his eyes at his computer, glad that Ethan couldn’t see his expression.

“Nope, have you sent out the emails with the offers to the new hires?”

Over the weekend, Silas had used some of his time to catch up on ranch business. Ethan had arranged interviews the day before for the new ranch hands they needed. They’d used Zoom to carry them out in Dad’s home office. From the six applicants, they’d chosen three men.

Silas hadn’t been sure about the last one, Amos, a little omega who looked as if a strong wind would blow him over.

Or that a day doing hard manual labor on a ranch the size of Darling Ranch would send him running for cover.

Silas allowed Ethan to guide him, and he’d see which way the cards fell, but his gut said the guy wouldn’t go the distance.

Ethan was an excellent judge of character, unless it came to his pecker. When that ruled, he could lose sight of the wood for the trees. Amos was most definitely Ethan’s type.

“Of course I did. I have an ass for a boss who’ll ride me hard if I didn’t,” he quipped back, and Silas was back to rolling his eyes.

“The only person riding your ass is—”

“I wouldn’t go there, boss, unless you want me to talk about—”

“Shut up, asshole,” he said with no heat. Ethan was the only person who knew what Silas’s preferences were when it came to sex after he’d stumbled across him and an omega late one night in the hayloft on the ranch.

“Have they all replied?”

“Yep, and accepted. I sent the stuff to the accountant to sort out payroll and start dates. I had a word with Cranny about the cabins to see which were free.”

“Good—”

“Sorry to interrupt but Pam says Booker… needs you.” Wendy’s worried stare got him hustling out of his seat.

“Shit, I’ll call you back later, Ethan.” He didn’t wait for Ethan to answer before cutting off the call. He ran and charged into Booker’s office, going straight to him at the visible distress. He looked like a wild, untamed bear wearing a suit.

“What… argh, shit Booker! What do you need?” He felt how Booker shook as he ran hands over his back, focusing on his breathing, which was erratic.

“Not sure… Frey is in the building.”

“Isn’t he…” Wait. What the fuck?

He didn’t have time to question what it all meant. He’d given in and checked the heat diary, so he knew Frey wasn’t supposed to be back at work until tomorrow.

“Breathe. Fuck Booker, breathe for me. In and out, slowly. Come on, you know the drill, work with me Booker,” Silas cajoled continuously, while working to keep his own stress levels down, despite questions swimming around his brain like sharks ready to attack him.

Some minutes later, Hollis stepped into the office. “I hope this is…” He gave Silas an alarmed look. “What’s wrong?”

Booker’s eyes opened, and he growled ominously.

Silas considered his options. “Get Frey out of the building, now!”

It seemed like the best solution if Frey was in heat. They didn’t need an alpha rampage in the building, with Booker leading the charge.

“What…” Hollis frowned and stepped closer to Booker’s desk. His gaze swept over Booker, and he blushed. “Oh… I see .”

See what? Silas looked from the tense man to Hollis and back, at a loss.

“You see nothing,” Booker forced out.

Hollis quietly shut the door to the office, blocking out those who were in the hallway, gawping at the show they were putting on.

“He’s not in heat,” Hollis advised softly, holding Booker’s gaze.

“He is,” Booker snapped back, his teeth clacking together.

“No, he’s not. I can’t say more than that. It’s up to Frey to explain, if he wants to. ”

Silas worked not to gawp, then grinned at what that meant. Ziggy hadn’t…

“He is,” Booker insisted.

Silas’s hands paused in the action of trying to soothe Booker, feeling the need to agree with Hollis, for reasons he did not want to explore right then. “Hollis seems pretty sure—”

“I’m telling you, I know what I smelled in his office,” Booker stated, argumentatively.

“Don’t bite my head off. Think about it rationally.

” Silas moved to look directly at Booker, the feelings of relief that Frey and Ziggy hadn’t been…

“If Frey was indeed in heat, do you think he’d have made it into the building?

Through reception and up to his office without one alpha noticing?

” There was no way in hell the security team who man the downstairs reception would not have noticed an omega in heat.

“My nose…”

“Scented what?” Silas questioned, wanting the reassurance as much as Booker needed it.

Booker’s lips snapped together, and he wore a pained expression when he muttered, “I’m okay now.”

He didn’t sound or look okay, far fucking from it. “Are you sure?” Silas asked skeptically, holding Booker’s stare, searching for answers.

“Yeah… I’m fine, honest. You can both leave.”

He was lying.

Hollis remained where he was, as did Silas.

“Go, I got shit to do.”

Silas stayed right where he was.

Booker gave a very loud, disgruntled sigh. “Listen. My bear smelled Frey and because we expected him to be home… in heat… we got it wrong. It appears.”

Silas stared at him, unable to conceal his concern. Obviously, Booker had scented something. Had Frey and Ziggy had sex, after all?

“Seriously, I’m fine. If you say Frey isn’t in heat, then great, he can pick up the slack, as Monty isn’t all caught up on the list I gave him Friday.”

“Please don’t hound Frey… he’s…” Hollis pushed up his glasses, looking indecisive, something he never was, setting off alarm bells for Silas.

“He’s what?” Booker asked cagily.

“What he’s shared with me… Please, just don’t go all bear on him, you might frighten him.”

Booker swung around his desk so fast the thing shifted a good inch as Hollis turned to leave. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Hollis shrugged, looking very uncomfortable. Something else that was unfamiliar to Silas. “Be gentle with him.”

Hollis left, and Booker twisted to glance at Silas. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”

He had to get a hold of himself, only his grin wouldn’t be contained at what it all meant… for him . “What? Other than the obvious that you can be a grumpy asshole?” he said, working to deflect.

Booker flipped his middle finger at Silas, scowling. “Fuck off. You’re as grumpy as me. It’s why we became friends.”

Silas’s grin got bigger before he strolled to the door. He looked over his shoulder. “You ain’t never had to talk me off the cliff, have you?”

“That might be so, but never count your fucking chickens before they hatch,” Booker called after Silas, who shook with laughter.

It was never gonna happen.

Silas had gone round and round in circles over what he wanted to do now he knew that Frey and Ziggy hadn’t spent time together.

Yep, he wasn’t dwelling on that, not when it turned his guts into an unraveled ball of wool someone had tried to gather, only to make matters worse by creating more knots.

So he’d planned and timed a call to Ziggy, making sure Wilder wouldn’t come back.

And he’d told Wendy to go home when he heard she had a planned date with her wife.

He saw it as the universe aligning when Ziggy answered his call.

If he sounded surprised by the summons to Silas’s office, it was to be expected after the avoidance.

He took off his suit jacket and removed his tie while he waited for Ziggy to arrive, his blood already thrumming with expectation. They could go back to the way things were, only he’d have to make a point about whatever the thing might or might not have been happening with Frey.

Can you hear yourself? You can’t go back to the way things were!

I can and it will!

For weeks he’d craved what Ziggy could offer him, but he’d denied himself because…

The less thought about that, the better. He’d make a point that he didn’t like to share as Ziggy’s point about being honest still stood.

As the seconds ticked down, his pulse quickened with the thrill of what was to come. At the brief knock, he rose to walk to the door, calling out, “come in,” as he reached it, already anticipating his moves.

His breath hitched, his gaze roaming hungrily over the man he’d denied himself for too long. The man who quirked an eyebrow at him and gave him that commanding look that called to Silas’s need.

There was the briefest of hesitations as Ziggy scrutinized him, then his eyes glinted with dark desire that left Silas aroused. “What do you want?”

All Silas could smell was Ziggy, no hint of Frey. “You.” He didn’t hesitate, even when he saw a flash of confusion in the other man’s eyes.