Zander POV
Alastair wasn't answering his usual calls. His office had been empty all day. A subtle ache tugged at Zander's chest, sharper than he expected. He could smell him—just faint traces, lingering in the city air when he passed certain streets, a whisper of the pheromones that always made Zander's instincts flare.
He's close. And yet… not here.
Zander clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to track him down. The professional part of him argued restraint, but another, deeper part—possessive, Alpha, protective—rebelled at the thought of Alastair alone, vulnerable, unguarded.
Alastair POV
I sank into the couch, resting my hands over my still-sensitive body. My heat had passed, but its echoes lingered in every nerve. My thoughts inevitably drifted to Zander—his voice, his eyes, that calm control that could steady me even without knowing how much I needed it.
Why hadn't he come? Was he busy? Or… did he not care enough? The thought tightened my chest.
Even in the quiet of my home, the absence of servants, the shadows of the room, I felt exposed. My cousin's earlier visit hovered in memory, confusing and unsettling, yet it wasn't Zander. Not Zander.
Zander POV
I couldn't ignore it any longer. Something was wrong. His absence, the faint trail of pheromones only I could detect—it was an alarm I couldn't silence. I would check on him. Carefully. Quietly. But I needed to see him. To make sure he was safe.
Alastair POV
I closed my eyes, imagining Zander's presence, wishing it was real. Even in my vulnerability, even with my body still humming from heat, my mind was fixated on him. If only he knew, if only he could see me now…