Wilkie glared. “Why not?”
“Because.” Gage didn’t want Ulric to see him differently. He didn’t want Ulric to feel obliged to pay, he didn’t want to turn their relationship into a money thing. He didn’t want to be an alpha who had to rely on someone else to fix his problems. “It’ll mess up what I have with Ulric,” he said. “Please don’t.”
Wilkie stared at him for a moment. Then his shoulders sagged. “But I don’t want you to be sad, either.”
“I’ll manage.” Gage smiled crookedly. “I’m an alpha. We fix things.”
Wilkie rolled his eyes; Gage kissed him on the forehead. Then he ushered Wilkie back into the kitchen, sitting him down. “Don’t fill your stomach with that soup,” Gage told him. “You’re eating a burger tonight.”
“You said half a burger!” Wilkie protested.
“I changed my mind.” Gage ruffled his hair. “You need to eat better, Wilkes.”
Wilkie scowled. When Gage turned back to the stove, someone came up behind him, sliding warm arms around his waist. Gage’s heart missed a beat. Ulric rarely initiated hugs with him, so this—it was special.
Ulric leaned into his back. “You’re a good brother.”
“I’m just looking out for Wilkes because he won’t look out for himself,” Gage muttered.
“Hey!” Wilkie scowled.
“Just the truth,” Gage retorted.
“But who’s going to look out for you, Gage?” Ulric asked.
Wilkie laughed. “I think I like you, Ulric.”
Ulric snuffled awkwardly, his face turning pink. Gage’s instincts rumbled. “Hey. Don’t you go flirting with him, Wilkes. He’s mine.”
“He’s your friend,” Wilkie said. “I can flirt with him all I want.”
Would Ulric... respond to that flirting? He’d said he only liked alphas, but... Gage turned, wondering if he needed to stake his claim in front of Wilkie. Ulric laughed softly. “Jealous, Gage?”
“I’m not,” Gage growled.
“I like omegas enough to dance with them,” Ulric said, holding his hand out toward Wilkie.
Wilkie frowned. “I don’t know how to dance.”
Ulric wriggled his fingers, beckoning him over. “Just don’t step on my feet.”
He pulled Wilkie into an awkward dance—was that a waltz? Who even danced waltzes these days? Ulric talked Wilkie through a short segment of a dance, showing Wilkie where to put his feet, and where to move next. Wilkie fumbled some, but Ulric corrected him patiently each time.
He felt... a bit like a teacher. And maybe also a dad. Gage had the distinct impression that Ulric would make a great father.
Ulric began counting out the beats, pulling Wilkie closer as they did a series of fumbling steps through the kitchen. Gage knew it was just a dance, and he knew Ulric wasn’t interested in Wilkie, but damn, he should be the one in Ulric’s arms.
“Sounds like there’s a growling dog in the kitchen,” Wilkie said, sending Gage a shit-eating grin. “Maybe I should stand closer—”
Wilkie tripped and face-planted across Ulric’s chest.
In a heartbeat, Gage was on the other side of the kitchen, crowding up against Ulric’s back, sliding his arm between Wilkie and Ulric. “Fuck off, Wilkes,” Gage muttered. “Mine.”
“Not yours until you mark him,” Wilkie said, lifting his eyebrows.
Ulric sucked in a sharp breath.
Gage growled. And he sank his teeth into Ulric’s skin—not his scent gland, but close. Then he bit harder, sucking on Ulric’s neck so hard that he’d leave a hickey there. A big damn one. “Mine.”
Ulric grunted. “Fuck.”
Wilkie released Ulric so fast, Gage’s instincts rumbled with delight. “Gross,” Wilkie said. “Don’t do that with me around.”
Gage shoved Ulric against the wall and sucked on his neck, hard enough that Ulric’s breath hitched and he curled his fingers into Gage’s hair. “What the hell, Gage?”
But his pulse raced beneath Gage’s tongue. Gage bit harder, tasting Ulric’s sweat from the workout earlier. “Mm. Mine.”
By the time he released Ulric, there was a prominent pink spot on Ulric’s neck, that would turn into a bruise tomorrow. And Ulric was flushed a dark red. He looked wonderful.
“You free this Saturday?” Gage growled. He wanted a whole day in bed with Ulric, he wanted to mark the rest of this alpha. Until every inch of his body was all Gage’s.
Ulric winced. “I, uh. I have to go to Highton.”
He hadn’t mentioned that earlier. “I’ll come with you,” Gage said.
“No! I mean, I have an appointment. It’ll be inconvenient.” Ulric eased himself away, suddenly unable to meet Gage’s eyes.
“I’ll wait until it’s over. There’s a couple of good restaurants there.”
Ulric winced. “No, it’s fine. I’ll go with you another time.”
Why was he so uneasy about Gage going to Highton with him? Gage frowned. “What’s wrong? What’re you going there for?”
“Nothing.” Ulric squirmed. “I mean, it’s something. Nothing important.”
Gage stared, trying to figure this out. At the back of his mind, little alarms rang. “At least tell me what’s going on.”
“I have to go meet someone.”
“Who?”
Ulric shrugged. “Just—someone. No one you need to see.”
He couldn’t be meeting some secret lover that Gage didn’t know about. Ulric wasn’t that sort of person. But why didn’t he trust Gage with his concerns? “It’s a long drive to Highton. I’ll drop you off,” Gage said.
“No. I’ll be fine.” Ulric pursed his lips tightly.
“Is someone going to Highton?” Wilkie poked his head back into the kitchen. “I need to hitch a ride there.”
Ulric stared at him for a long moment. Then he sighed. “I can take you.”
“But not me?” That just wasn’t fair. Gage narrowed his eyes. “Ulric.”
He would trust Ulric with his life. Wouldn’t Ulric trust Gage with the same?
“The burgers are burning.” Ulric pointed at the stove. Gage thought he was trying to fake his way out at first, except he smelled the faint smoke.
Gage swore, whirling around to save the burgers. It wasn’t like him to burn those things. But it wasn’t like Ulric to keep secrets, either.
By the time he turned back, Ulric had disappeared from the kitchen.
21
The Box At The Back Of The Fridge
Ulric crept down the stairs, his heart thumping. His stomach felt like it was about to digest itself.
All night, he’d cooped himself up in his bedroom, unwilling to go out and
