Page 18 of Undone
Without saying anything, Anthony poured himself a drink and took the chair across Michael’s desk.
They stared at each other. Anthony was quiet, nursing his drink idly.
Michael wished he had one too—something to keep his hands busy. “So, this is awkward,” he said with a wry smile. “We really should have just pretended it didn’t happen.”
Anthony’s dark eyebrows drew together. “It’s not something we should ignore. My Voice shouldn’t have worked on you. It could be a serious health issue.”
Michael grimaced, but Anthony was right. Without all the facts, he could have believed himself terminally ill as well. Alphas lost their Voices—and the ability to resist other alphas’ Voices—close to their deaths. No wonder Anthony had jumped to that conclusion.
“I’m not sick, Ant,” he said softly.
“Then why? How?”
Michael shrugged. “My guess is being around your unnatural rut on Belith fucked something up in me. I’m sure it’ll pass. Just a little side effect.”And never mind that these days I can’t come without stuffing something in my asshole.
His face warm, Michael forced himself to keep looking Anthony in the eye.
“Are you saying you’ve been struggling with this issue for weeks?”
“I didn’t know there was an issue,” Michael said stiffly. “Other alphas don’t exactly go around using their Voices on me.”
Anthony shifted a little in his seat, but he didn’t look particularly guilty. His gaze remained on Michael, steady and thoughtful. “You’re not telling me something.”
Michael’s pulse quickened. “I don’t know what you mean.”
The look Anthony shot him was decidedly unimpressed. After a moment, he said, “I could smell it. Your arousal after I used my Voice.”
Michael froze, his breath caught in his throat.
“What the fuck are you implying?” he ground out at last, his face hot. “Get out.”
Anthony didn’t move. “I’m not implying anything, Mike,” he said, his tone still steady. Placating. “I know you aren’t like that.”
Michael glared at him. “Like what?”
Grimacing, Anthony took a sip from his drink. “Come on, we both know there are alphas who are attracted to other alphas. It’s rare, but it happens.”
It did. Of course it happened sometimes. Alpha-alpha relationships never worked long-term because of how toxic they turned thanks to incompatible pheromones, but sexual attraction could happen sometimes. Granted, it was very rare, exponentially more rare than same-sex relationships on planets that didn’t have alpha and omega designations.
“Even if you were into it, I wouldn’t have a problem with it,” Anthony said after a moment. “I’m not a bigot.”
“I’m not into other alphas,” Michael snapped, bristling at the suggestion.
“I didn’t think you were,” Anthony said, meeting his gaze steadily. “I know you were into Li. But. I also know what I smelled this evening.”
Michael pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes as failure crashed over him. All his efforts to salvage their friendship from awkwardness had been wasted. Anthony wasn’t going to let it go.
With a heavy sigh, Michael rose, crossed to the minibar, and poured himself a drink.
“I lied to you,” he said, his back to Anthony. It was easier to tell him the truth when he wasn’t looking at him. “Your rut didn’t just end on Belith.”
The silence that followed was dense. Weighted. Like a room slowly filling with smoke, it pressed against Michael’s throat and settled in his lungs like ash.
“You mean...” Anthony said, his voice ringing with tension.
Michael gulped his drink, put the glass down, and turned back to him. He forced himself to meet Anthony’s gaze. “I had to do it, Ant,” he said. “There was no other choice.”
Anthony stared at him, his body gone still. Alert. The way a predator went still—not to rest, but to calculate. Every inch of him was still, even his hand holding the glass. “What,” he said, without any inflection in his voice.
