He slid a breath in. 'Useless.'
It's a territorial display, nothing more. That was the only answer. Noah was a power player. This was a move to solidify a claim. But the logic felt thin, like... He couldn't name it, but it didn't account for the exhaustion on the alpha's face, or the flat, raw sound of his voice.
Levi watched Noah's eyes drift closed again, the tension in the jaw slowly easing. He wanted to reach out, but didn't.
Noah watched him. Neither moving nor speaking. Just watching with that same exhausted honesty written across his features.
Levi leaned into the couch. Not right next to Noah, there was still space between them, but the action made it feel like their scents started mingling properly. Close enough that the bond stopped pulling quite so hard.
They sat in silence. Both staring out at the city lights bleeding through the windows. Minutes passed. Neither of them spoke.
Eventually, Levi shifted slightly closer.
