Page 46 of Silas's Sweetheart

One glance around and Silas made a beeline right for him. When he stopped right in Ziggy’s path, he had no way of avoiding him.

“Ziggy, I’ve been looking for you.”

It was all accusation and Ziggy bit back a retort. “I’ve been in a meeting with Monica,” he answered simply, keeping it light. Only with how Silas was cornering him in the corridor, eyes demanding answers to questions that Ziggy didn’t know, nothing felt light inside him.

Fed up with how out of sorts the crazy situation was making him, staying clear and ending what they had was the onlyanswer to protect his already broken heart from further damage. Because Silas’s hot and cold act just wasn’t cutting it.

“Fine. Can I have a word, Ziggy, now? In my office.” His tone was polite enough, but there was steel beneath that suggested saying no wasn’t on the cards.

Except Ziggy wasn’t feeling all that giving towards the alpha, having suffered sleepless nights worrying about his next heat and how his snake was being bitchy with him. He didn’t quite meet Silas’s gaze, not wanting to get drawn into their stormy depths and lose himself. It was fucking hard when the man could tempt a demon from hell.

“I’m sorry, but Jupiter needs me for a meeting in two minutes.” Ziggy made a show checking his watch to make his point.

Keeping clear of Silas was all about self-preservation, and he strictly wasn’t lying. Jupiter just needed him in twenty minutes, not two. Distance was his only chance of gaining some perspective with his heart the only one hurting. Ziggy had an odd, achy sensation in his chest and he didn’t like it.

“I’ll have a word with him. Explain—”

“No, you won’t,” Ziggy hissed, his gaze finally meeting Silas’s. The stormy blue held him captive, and his gut twisted painfully.

No. No, do not get dragged in.

“If you have something work related to tell me, then explain it here.” Ziggy lifted his hand, waving it at the currently empty corridor. “Otherwise, I’ve got to go.”

Silas placed a restraining hand on Ziggy’s arm as he went to move past him. It wasn’t painful, but it made a point.

Ziggy glanced from it to Silas, his gaze hardening. “Please take your hand off me.”

The noise Silas made came out pained. “I’m sorry… I need to talk to you, in private,” he murmured, his head twisting at the sound of voices coming their way.

“About what?” Ziggy lowered his voice. “I’m not playing your games, Silas. I asked for honesty, and you didn’t give it to me—”

“Honesty! You want honesty?” Silas snarled, seeming to forget himself and where they were, getting into Ziggy’s face. “Who was it that said we shouldn’t have sex with anyone else without being honest about it first? Who? Where was your honesty when you werefucking Frey?”

Ziggy’s insides went cold at the hard, flinty tone that matched the glint in Silas’s eyes. Who had told him that? His brain scrambled to come up with something to explain what Silas was talking about. Had Frey mentioned something about their plans for his heat, said they’d fucked? Lied? He didn’t think so. Although Silas had to have heard lies from someone, but who? And why did he believe Ziggy was going to fuck Frey?

Without knowing what Silas was aware of in relation to Frey, Ziggy could not in good conscience discuss their arrangement without his permission. He would not betray the trust Frey put in him.

“I have not fucked Frey,” he said instead, which was the absolute truth. Voices came down the hallway, but Ziggy didn’t take his eyes off the furious man in front of him. “Is this why you ghosted me?”

It all made horrible sense as he calculated back the timeline to when Silas had given him the brush off. So that had to mean, when they fucked the week before last, Silas thought he’d…

The pain that lanced his chest made it hard to breathe at the lack of trust and the feelings of being… used.

“You were planning to, weren’t you,” Silas accused, his attention shifting to whomever was behind Ziggy.

“Planning to…” Ziggy was at a loss for words. Had he created this mess? He shook his head, bewildered at the outcome. “I never broke the rules,” he murmured softly. “I would never disrespect you like that and break your trust. But it seems youthink I did. What Frey needed from me was a friend, not a fuck buddy. So whatever you think you know, you don’t—”

“Silas, I thought we had a meeting with Martin,” Laken interrupted.

Ziggy couldn’t see Laken, but he witnessed Silas’s look of frustration as his jaw thrust out.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Ziggy said.

Only then did Ziggy note that Silas still had hold of his arm. He shook off the hand and murmured softly as he walked past Silas, “I asked you what your issue was, and you weren’t honest with me, so whatever this was between us, it’s over.”

He heard Silas’s gasp, not looking back as Laken spoke.

“What’s with you and why were you holding on to Ziggy’s arm?”

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