as he came to stand next to Aiden. “I must say, I’m loving the chain-free look.”
“Me, too.” Aiden grinned over his shoulder at Skyler. “Gunmetal just isn’t my color.”
“No shit. And I have to say all that clattering was driving me crazy.” Skyler got to work pulling out more pans. “Let’s make some French toast to go with these eggs, shall we?”
Aiden worked alongside Skyler. They bantered back and forth as Devon sat quietly at the counter next to Josef. Every now and again Aiden would look at him, and Devon would smile, but he could tell something was bothering him. Aiden just wished he knew what it was.
* * * *
Viktor’s words cut deep. He was acting like a newlywed, and that wasn’t right. Already he’d grown attached to Aiden. Letting him go got more difficult by the second.
“Yo, Devon?” Josef waved a hand in front of his face. “Any calls this morning?”
Shaking his head, Devon looked toward his friend. “No, not yet.”
“It’s still early.” Josef poured some sugar and milk into his coffee mug. “I bet we’ll hear something by this evening.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” He picked up his fork and started to eat the eggs Aiden made for him. He chanced a glance over to his mate, but Aiden had his back to him.
Devon watched as Aiden moved around the kitchen as if he belonged there. He made more eggs while Skyler made French toast. They joked back and forth, laughing at the playful insults they hurled at one another. He had been right. Aiden and Skyler did get along perfectly.
Devon finished the rest of his coffee and put his dishes in the sink. He needed to put some distance between him and Aiden.
“Skyler, do you mind hanging out with Aiden?” Devon asked as he walked toward the door. “I’ve got some things in my office to work on.”
“Of course not. He’s the only good conversationalist around here,” Skyler answered, not seeming to notice Devon’s distress.
Aiden looked up and gave him a weak smile and curt nod. Devon wanted to race across the room and kiss him good-bye but he held back. He had to make it easy for Aiden to be able to walk away from him.
Devon raced down to his office and slammed the door shut once inside. He had some non-pack-related work to finish up. Time flew by as he went through papers and wrote up job proposals. He never heard when Viktor came into the room.
“Any word?”
Devon glanced up then back down to the papers lying on his desk. “Nope, not a peep. It’s still early yet, Brother.”
“Where’s your little pet?” Viktor sneered.
Devon dropped his pen and slowly raised his head up to meet his brother’s stare. His jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth tightly together. “His name is Aiden, and he’s not my pet.”
“No he’s something much worse.” Viktor sat forward in his chair. “He’s a problem, and he needs to be dealt with.”
“Excuse me? Tell me how he’s a problem.” Devon wanted to jump across his desk and punch his brother right in the face, but that would get him nowhere.
“He’s your mate, and your affection for him is clouding your goddamn judgment.” Viktor stood and began to pace the floor. “The end game here is getting Erik back, not you getting laid.”
“Brother, watch your tone. You know Aiden is my mate, so this is about more than just fucking him.” He tracked his brother’s movements, readying to pounce if the opportunity arose.
“Whatever, he’s just an ass for you to fuck that you need to be able to send on his merry fucking way when it’s time.”
That was it. Devon lunged across the table and pinned his brother to the wall. “You selfish, inconsiderate little shit. I’m giving him up for you, Erik, and the pack. So please stop tearing down what he and I are to one another.” He held his forearm against Viktor’s throat.
“I’m doing this to you keep you focused. All we’ve done is to get Erik back. I’m sorry that he’s your mate, but you
“Me, too.” Aiden grinned over his shoulder at Skyler. “Gunmetal just isn’t my color.”
“No shit. And I have to say all that clattering was driving me crazy.” Skyler got to work pulling out more pans. “Let’s make some French toast to go with these eggs, shall we?”
Aiden worked alongside Skyler. They bantered back and forth as Devon sat quietly at the counter next to Josef. Every now and again Aiden would look at him, and Devon would smile, but he could tell something was bothering him. Aiden just wished he knew what it was.
* * * *
Viktor’s words cut deep. He was acting like a newlywed, and that wasn’t right. Already he’d grown attached to Aiden. Letting him go got more difficult by the second.
“Yo, Devon?” Josef waved a hand in front of his face. “Any calls this morning?”
Shaking his head, Devon looked toward his friend. “No, not yet.”
“It’s still early.” Josef poured some sugar and milk into his coffee mug. “I bet we’ll hear something by this evening.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” He picked up his fork and started to eat the eggs Aiden made for him. He chanced a glance over to his mate, but Aiden had his back to him.
Devon watched as Aiden moved around the kitchen as if he belonged there. He made more eggs while Skyler made French toast. They joked back and forth, laughing at the playful insults they hurled at one another. He had been right. Aiden and Skyler did get along perfectly.
Devon finished the rest of his coffee and put his dishes in the sink. He needed to put some distance between him and Aiden.
“Skyler, do you mind hanging out with Aiden?” Devon asked as he walked toward the door. “I’ve got some things in my office to work on.”
“Of course not. He’s the only good conversationalist around here,” Skyler answered, not seeming to notice Devon’s distress.
Aiden looked up and gave him a weak smile and curt nod. Devon wanted to race across the room and kiss him good-bye but he held back. He had to make it easy for Aiden to be able to walk away from him.
Devon raced down to his office and slammed the door shut once inside. He had some non-pack-related work to finish up. Time flew by as he went through papers and wrote up job proposals. He never heard when Viktor came into the room.
“Any word?”
Devon glanced up then back down to the papers lying on his desk. “Nope, not a peep. It’s still early yet, Brother.”
“Where’s your little pet?” Viktor sneered.
Devon dropped his pen and slowly raised his head up to meet his brother’s stare. His jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth tightly together. “His name is Aiden, and he’s not my pet.”
“No he’s something much worse.” Viktor sat forward in his chair. “He’s a problem, and he needs to be dealt with.”
“Excuse me? Tell me how he’s a problem.” Devon wanted to jump across his desk and punch his brother right in the face, but that would get him nowhere.
“He’s your mate, and your affection for him is clouding your goddamn judgment.” Viktor stood and began to pace the floor. “The end game here is getting Erik back, not you getting laid.”
“Brother, watch your tone. You know Aiden is my mate, so this is about more than just fucking him.” He tracked his brother’s movements, readying to pounce if the opportunity arose.
“Whatever, he’s just an ass for you to fuck that you need to be able to send on his merry fucking way when it’s time.”
That was it. Devon lunged across the table and pinned his brother to the wall. “You selfish, inconsiderate little shit. I’m giving him up for you, Erik, and the pack. So please stop tearing down what he and I are to one another.” He held his forearm against Viktor’s throat.
“I’m doing this to you keep you focused. All we’ve done is to get Erik back. I’m sorry that he’s your mate, but you
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