Page 23

Ziggy

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

He had nowhere to run without making it obvious as Silas stalked down the corridor, determination etched into his tight features. Slowing his step, Ziggy pasted on a pleasant smile, praying it hid his inner turmoil.

One glance around and Silas made a beeline right for him. When he stopped right in Ziggy’s path, he had no way of avoiding him.

“Ziggy, I’ve been looking for you.”

It was all accusation and Ziggy bit back a retort. “I’ve been in a meeting with Monica,” he answered simply, keeping it light. Only with how Silas was cornering him in the corridor, eyes demanding answers to questions that Ziggy didn’t know, nothing felt light inside him.

Fed up with how out of sorts the crazy situation was making him, staying clear and ending what they had was the only answer to protect his already broken heart from further damage. Because Silas’s hot and cold act just wasn’t cutting it.

“Fine. Can I have a word, Ziggy, now? In my office.” His tone was polite enough, but there was steel beneath that suggested saying no wasn’t on the cards.

Except Ziggy wasn’t feeling all that giving towards the alpha, having suffered sleepless nights worrying about his next heat and how his snake was being bitchy with him.

He didn’t quite meet Silas’s gaze, not wanting to get drawn into their stormy depths and lose himself.

It was fucking hard when the man could tempt a demon from hell.

“I’m sorry, but Jupiter needs me for a meeting in two minutes.” Ziggy made a show checking his watch to make his point.

Keeping clear of Silas was all about self-preservation, and he strictly wasn’t lying.

Jupiter just needed him in twenty minutes, not two.

Distance was his only chance of gaining some perspective with his heart the only one hurting.

Ziggy had an odd, achy sensation in his chest and he didn’t like it.

“I’ll have a word with him. Explain—”

“No, you won’t,” Ziggy hissed, his gaze finally meeting Silas’s. The stormy blue held him captive, and his gut twisted painfully.

No. No, do not get dragged in.

“If you have something work related to tell me, then explain it here.” Ziggy lifted his hand, waving it at the currently empty corridor. “Otherwise, I’ve got to go.”

Silas placed a restraining hand on Ziggy’s arm as he went to move past him. It wasn’t painful, but it made a point.

Ziggy glanced from it to Silas, his gaze hardening. “Please take your hand off me.”

The noise Silas made came out pained. “I’m sorry… I need to talk to you, in private,” he murmured, his head twisting at the sound of voices coming their way.

“About what?” Ziggy lowered his voice. “I’m not playing your games, Silas. I asked for honesty, and you didn’t give it to me—”

“Honesty! You want honesty?” Silas snarled, seeming to forget himself and where they were, getting into Ziggy’s face. “Who was it that said we shouldn’t have sex with anyone else without being honest about it first? Who? Where was your honesty when you were fucking Frey ?”

Ziggy’s insides went cold at the hard, flinty tone that matched the glint in Silas’s eyes.

Who had told him that? His brain scrambled to come up with something to explain what Silas was talking about.

Had Frey mentioned something about their plans for his heat, said they’d fucked?

Lied? He didn’t think so. Although Silas had to have heard lies from someone, but who?

And why did he believe Ziggy was going to fuck Frey?

Without knowing what Silas was aware of in relation to Frey, Ziggy could not in good conscience discuss their arrangement without his permission. He would not betray the trust Frey put in him.

“I have not fucked Frey,” he said instead, which was the absolute truth. Voices came down the hallway, but Ziggy didn’t take his eyes off the furious man in front of him. “Is this why you ghosted me?”

It all made horrible sense as he calculated back the timeline to when Silas had given him the brush off. So that had to mean, when they fucked the week before last, Silas thought he’d…

The pain that lanced his chest made it hard to breathe at the lack of trust and the feelings of being… used.

“You were planning to, weren’t you,” Silas accused, his attention shifting to whomever was behind Ziggy.

“Planning to…” Ziggy was at a loss for words.

Had he created this mess? He shook his head, bewildered at the outcome.

“I never broke the rules,” he murmured softly.

“I would never disrespect you like that and break your trust. But it seems you think I did. What Frey needed from me was a friend, not a fuck buddy. So whatever you think you know, you don’t—”

“Silas, I thought we had a meeting with Martin,” Laken interrupted.

Ziggy couldn’t see Laken, but he witnessed Silas’s look of frustration as his jaw thrust out.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Ziggy said.

Only then did Ziggy note that Silas still had hold of his arm. He shook off the hand and murmured softly as he walked past Silas, “I asked you what your issue was, and you weren’t honest with me, so whatever this was between us, it’s over.”

He heard Silas’s gasp, not looking back as Laken spoke.

“What’s with you and why were you holding on to Ziggy’s arm?”

He didn’t linger to hear what Silas’s reply was. He was still reeling from realizing Silas thought he would fuck someone else after he’d expressly made the rule. Though, he got this was something he created all on his own.

Back in his office, the shaking started, and he paced the room like a caged animal, his snake abnormally quiet. He went to his desk and dialed Wilder’s number without a second thought.

“Hello Wil—”

“Wilder, it’s me. Have you got five minutes to spare?” he asked before he could say anything. “I really need someone to talk to.” Ziggy needed to talk before he did something stupid. Like shift and head after Silas and make him apologize, after he’d squished him some.

Nothing.

There was most definitely something up with his snake.

“—ten if that works?”

“What? Yes, ten minutes is fine. Could you come to me?”

“Yep, no bother.”

After he put the phone down, he continued to pace to work off the feelings running amok inside him.

He’d no clue how much time had passed when Wilder sailed into his office, beaming in such a way that Ziggy paused at seeing how happy he looked.

“Why are you grinning like that? Did you pull another stunt?”

Wilder closed the door and then booty popped over to Ziggy and danced around him. “Let’s just say that now I’m not directly working with Jupiter, it’s easier to do all the things that annoy him.”

Ziggy shook his head at the unrepentant raccoon and grinned, his own woes shoved aside. “I’m so happy for you,” he said, tongue in cheek. “Dare I ask what you’ve done… this time?”

Wilder was a little crazy when it came to Jupiter, and Ziggy knew the signs of someone falling in love. He witnessed it in the mirror when he stared at himself.

“Jupiter might have lost his little black book of phone numbers for a little while and when he got it back, the names might have gotten replaced with numbers.” He blushed and waved a hand in front of his face like a fan. The look on his face was priceless.

Ziggy hiccupped back the laugh. “You’re asking for trouble.”

Wilder came to him and slung his arm around Ziggy’s waist and rested his head on his shoulder, grinning cheekily at him. “I’ve decided that sometimes you have to play dirty to get what you want.”

Ziggy chewed his lower lip, hating the thought of the raccoon ending up disappointed if he didn’t get what he wanted. “If you’re sure. Just be careful you don’t lose more than you bargained for.” He squeezed him back, offering a supportive smile. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

The sniff was undignified as Wilder swiped at his nose. “I’m already hurting…” he swiped once more at his nose and shook his head. “I’m not here to talk about Jupiter, what did you want?”

Ziggy sighed half-heartedly. “I… it doesn’t matter.”

Tugging free, Wilder tutted at him and wagged a finger. “No, mister, tell me why you sounded upset when you called me.”

“Have you heard any gossip about me… and Frey?”

“No, I haven’t. Why? Should I have?” Wilder frowned, looking worried.

“’Cause… shit, if I tell you something, do you swear to keep quiet?”

“I swear. I know everyone thinks I’m a mischief maker, but I would never betray a friend. You were there for me. Listened and didn’t judge me. I hope you know I’ll never share any secrets you tell me.”

Taking a deep breath, Ziggy gave in to the need to talk. “Silas is pissed at me ‘cause he thinks I did something with Frey,” Ziggy muttered, the hurt returning at the accusation, some of which was his own doing.

Wilder went all round eyed. “You did what with Frey?”

“I didn’t do anything, but that’s beside the point. Silas believes I did something I didn’t and instead of asking me… I think he used me.”

“I… shit… I’m not sure what to say to that, when the only way I’m thinking he used you was for…”

“Sex.”

“OMG! You’re dating Silas?” he squealed so loud, Ziggy checked the door to his office was shut tight.

“We aren’t dating. He doesn’t do dating.

No, just fucking is all we’re doing. Or we were doing, until he started ghosting me, then…

” Ziggy went back to pacing, holding back all the information relating to Frey.

“I’m so fucking confused.” He slumped into his office chair and stared at Wilder, who looked confused by the wrinkle between his brows.

“So you two are…”

“Over. As I say, we weren’t dating, so there’s nothing to be over, I suppose.”

Wilder came around the desk and crouched in front of Ziggy, placing his hands on his knees. “How do you feel about that?”

The sigh was all dejection at the question that made his chest hurt. “He was clear, just sex, so what I feel is irrelevant when I knew the rules going in.”

Wilder jerked upright as they both looked at the ringing phone on the desk like it might bite them.

“Shit, that’ll be Jupiter. I better go.” He rose and gave Wilder a brief hug.

“Thanks for listening, but as I said, can you keep this to yourself? No one knows and I wouldn’t want to embarrass Silas. ”

Wilder didn’t let go, and squeezed him hard. “Cake club. What’s said in cake club stays in cake club.”

Ziggy chuckled and reached for the phone, checking the extension number as he answered, “I’m on my way.”

“Can you go via Monica’s and grab the stack of magazines I’ve asked for,” Jupiter asked distractedly.

“Will do.”

Ziggy grabbed his iPad and the two files he’d created for the meeting and gave Wilder a pointed look. “Trust you to bring it back to cake.”

“Absolutely cake rules. But I’m talking of the magnificent cake, not the stuff you made that was so not cake it was—”

It felt good to belly laugh as he strolled to the elevator. “I did warn y’all.”

Wilder stopped at his office door and winked. “You did, but we all thought you were kidding.”

“You know better now!” And so did he.

Avoid Silas at all costs.