In two weeks, Kade’s parents and brothers will be kicked out onto the sidewalks, too.
“Take your leave,” Alastor Henry says, making a note in his organizer. “Come back when you have something of value to say.”
Felix flinches, his ears ringing. He’s Alastor Henry’s son, and all he does is beg. His father’s voice echoes in his head. You could have done better. Taylor was named one of the top five employees in his firm.
Heart thudding in his chest, Felix drifts along the winding driveway, past the iron gates. What had gone wrong? Why can’t I be better?
He can’t tell Kade about this. Kade has always known that Felix’s family is rich, but Felix has never mentioned his father’s position as a landlord. He hadn’t wanted Kade thinking he needs to be wealthy too, hadn’t wanted his alpha comparing himself to Alastor Henry.
What can he do to help Kade’s family? Kade’s parents had taken him in, treating him as their own; Kade’s mom mended tears in his clothes, Kade’s dad showed him how to score in basketball, and even Kade’s brothers had shared their cookies with him.
They don’t deserve to be thrown out on the streets. But they aren’t welcome in his father’s mansion, and Felix doesn’t have much money scrounged up to help with their pending bill. Maybe they can all bunk in the rental home he and Kade share.
He doesn’t realize he’s home until the cottage comes into view. The tiled red roof burns into his eyes, and the curtains are drawn—Kade’s home, maybe working on his laptop. Felix’s stomach plummets.
At the door, he thinks about not stepping inside at all. If Kade has somehow made the connection between Felix and the evictions, he would be furious with Felix. That his omega could wreak so much damage on his parents and siblings. That his omega doesn’t have the power to prevent it at all. The Brentwoods’ rental bill hasn’t shown up yet, but once it does...
Cold horror slides over Felix’s skin. He can’t ever let Kade know how he and his father are connected to the evictions.
I don’t have to tell him anything.
Felix sucks in a deep breath, pushing the door open.
Inside, soft music croons through the hallway. Felix shuts the door quietly behind himself, trudging toward the study. Kade’s at his desk, headphones over his ears, drumming his fingers as he scans the black-and-white windows on his screen.
Felix tiptoes into the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water. He should eat. But he isn’t hungry, and he sees the mansion in his mind again, his father’s disapproving stare. Felix isn’t good enough. How can Kade even tolerate him?
He twists the knobs on the stove, watching as the electric burner comes on, glowing red-hot. Waves of heat radiate into his chest.
He turns the burner off. On again, then off. On again, then off.
“Didn’t think you were home already,” Kade says behind him, his voice light.
Felix jumps, his heart slamming painfully into his ribs. “Oh! I didn’t think I—I should bother you. You were busy.”
Kade shrugs, the light in his eyes dulling. “Something wrong?”
“Nothing,” Felix says, his pulse in his ears. Does Kade always read him this easily?
His alpha steps over, slipping his arms around Felix’s waist, warm and strong. Felix’s back bumps lightly against his chest. It feels safe in Kade’s arms. Comfortable. Felix wants to lean into him, but he shouldn’t.
Kade slides a hand up his chest. The heat of his hand soaks into Felix’s sternum, and Felix allows himself to relax. Kade kisses his ear. “Sam said he’ll be home this weekend. Said he won’t mind taking us out to the coast for a dive. You wanna go?”
“Sure,” Felix says, looking at the record covers on their kitchen walls, the ink doodles he had drawn that Kade picked out and pasted on the cabinet doors. “That sounds like fun.”
Kade noses at his hair, then reaches up, kneading Felix’s shoulders. “You’re tense. You went back to your dad’s place?”
Felix forces his body to relax. “Just had a bad run-in. It’s okay,” he says when Kade narrows his eyes. “I’m fine.”
“Still tense.” Kade trails kisses down Felix’s neck, slipping his hands up under Felix’s shirt. “Tell me?”
Felix shivers at his touch. It would be so easy to forget the visit, except he glimpses the wall calendar and the empty squares stretching out in April. Two weeks.
“Hey,” Kade says, turning him around. He kisses Felix, pushing him up against the midnight-blue counters, cupping Felix’s face in his large hands. “C’mon, tell me what’s wrong.”
Kade smiles encouragingly, handsome. Felix’s heart squeezes.
He only notices then that his alpha’s shoulders are tight, too, a soft light in his eyes slowly growing brighter. He focuses on that, desperate not to think about his own guilt.
“Tell me why you’re all excited,” Felix says, leaning into his bondmate, kissing up his throat. Kade smells like pine and cedar, and Felix loves this smell, loves this man.
“I’ve got something coming up,” Kade says, grinning roguishly. “It’s a secret.”
When did you start keeping secrets? Felix squeezes his ass lightly. “You can’t hide it from me like that.”
“Sure can.” Kade’s eyes gleam.
Felix pretends to pout, to distract Kade from probing about the visit. “That’s not fair. Tell me!”
Kade’s breath hitches. He grins wider, reaching down to touch his pocket. “It’s a surprise.”
But Kade wants to talk about it, or he wouldn’t even mention the secret. Curious, Felix slips his hand down to Kade’s pocket.
Kade snags his wrist, his fingers callused and gentle. “No,” Kade says, but his eyes shine. “Not yet.”
“Please?” Felix whines. What are you so excited about? He makes a cutesy face.
Kade chuckles, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You really wanna know?”
“Yes!”
Kade reaches into his pocket. Felix holds his breath, unable to help his smile. Is it a coin, or movie tickets, or maybe even plans for a trip somewhere?
Kade pulls his fingers out, a tiny piece of silver in his fingers. He lifts it up between them, his face tipped toward
