by Macy Blake
“No,” Sol said. He wasn’t going to be the idiot Shaq was. He was perfectly capable of saying no to Drew.
“I didn’t ask you anything,” Drew said.
The smile got wider. And a little evil. Could omegas be possessed?
“Stop smiling at me.”
“You’ll thank me later,” Drew said. He winked—fucking winked—then turned and walked away.
Sol growled under his breath and got up to follow Drew, but Shaq yelled his name.
He marched over to his alpha, ignoring the confused frown he was getting from Cody.
“Take Cody to the cabin,” Shaq said.
“What?”
“Take him. Do what we talked about. Make it happen.”
“Shaq, I can—”
“You can do what your al—er, boss, asks you to do and not argue. Drew and I brought stuff. It’s in the back of my truck. You have to stop to pick up the, er, other things.”
Sol groaned and rolled his eyes.
Cody looked confused. “Um, Shaq?”
Shaq looked toward the kitchen—and seriously, he was a bull in a china shop. If Walt couldn’t hear what was going on and figure out Shaq was meddling, then he got what he deserved—before he leaned in and lowered his voice. “Sol needs to go look over the cabin. Make sure it’s all good for the weekend. But he, uh, he’s not supposed to be—”
“I’m fine.”
Shaq flashed his eyes at Sol. Fortunately, Cody was looking at Drew, who was trying to smother himself to keep from laughing.
“Sol, what happened? Did you get hurt last night? Is that why you never came back?”
Sol scowled at Shaq before turning to Cody. “I’m fine. Just…I’m fine.”
“But you’re not supposed to…do what?” Cody asked.
“No heavy lifting,” Drew provided helpfully.
Sol glared at him.
Drew beamed another smile.
“Sol?”
“Fine, okay. I’m not supposed to lift anything for a day or so, but I’m fine.”
“You don’t want my help?” Cody asked. He had a little wobble in his voice, and Sol ran his hand through his hair.
“That’s not what—”
“It’s fine. I’m sure Shaq can—”
“No. I just… I didn’t think you’d want to be stuck in a car with me.”
Cody shrugged. “It’s for Walt and Shelly.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Drew scowled at him before bugging his eyes out in a pointed fix this now kind of stare.
“Cody, will you help me? Please.”
Cody looked up at him and searched his expression for a moment before nodding. “Sure. Like I said. It’s for Walt and Shelly.”
Drew sighed and leaned against the wall. Sol could feel the waves of disappointment coming his way. He went into the kitchen and grabbed the food he’d made earlier before walking back to the bar.
“Ready?”
“Sure,” Cody said.
“We’ll be back in a few hours,” Sol said.
“Take your time,” Drew chirped. He sounded entirely too perky.
Sol scowled at him. He led the way out to his Jeep and stuck the food behind his seat. Cody stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and shuffled nervously. Dammit. Why did they have to try to help? He’d been doing fine on his own. Even if they had no idea what he was doing. And even if they’d probably be disappointed if they found out what he was actually doing to get to know Cody better.
Sol growled and marched over to Shaq’s truck. He found the promised bag of supplies in the backseat and grabbed them in one hand. He only winced a little.
“Ready?” Sol asked after he stored the rest of the stuff in the Jeep.
“Sure.”
Sol climbed in and buckled up before starting the engine. His music blasted and he didn’t bother turning it down. No need to attempt small talk. He’d no doubt insult Cody and make the whole thing worse than it already was. Sol stole a quick glance over at Cody, but he was staring out the window.
He drove to one of the local strip malls and parked. “I’ll, uh, be right back. Just wait here.”
Cody glanced over at him. “Sure.”
Sol sighed and jumped out of the Jeep. Shaq had said roses, so Sol found a big bouquet of red ones. He personally thought they smelled horrible, but for some reason, they were supposed to be romantic so he grabbed them and paid. Walt owed him for this.
He was so focused on imagining what sort of revenge he’d get out of Walt—a week’s worth of chimichangas was high on his list of possibilities—that he didn’t realize Cody was staring at him with wide eyes until he opened the passenger door and heard Cody’s quick indrawn breath.
“What’s wrong?” Sol asked.
He looked around but didn’t see anything in the parking lot that would have Cody looking so panicked.
“N-nothing.”
“Good. Hold these, okay?”
Sol shoved the vase in Cody’s lap and shut the door again.
He was back around and in his seat moments later.
“Oh, right. For Shelly,” Cody said. He moved around in his seat and adjusted the vase so it was cradled between his legs. Sol didn’t envy that vase. Not at all.
Sol glanced over at him. “Yeah. Shaq said she needed flowers.”
Cody sighed.
“Is that wrong?” Sol asked.
“No. She’ll love them.”
“Oh, good. You just…are you sure?”
“Yeah, Sol. It’s good. Drive.”
Sol turned his attention to the road and tried to figure out what had Cody so messed up. He could never read him, and it had always bothered him. On the one hand, it was like he got every single expression Cody made. But he never seemed to react to them the right way. It took about fifteen minutes to drive to the cabin, and Cody didn’t talk the rest of the way there. Sol focused on the road and pulled off to the side once they got there. He couldn’t help sneaking another look at Cody. Cody’s eyes were wide and he looked around at the clearing with wonder. It was Sol’s favorite place, his own little hideaway that he’d been working on for a few years.
“Sol,” Cody gasped.
Sol grinned. Cody turned and met his gaze then gasped again.
“Nice, right?” Sol asked.
“Nice? Nice? You call this nice? Sol, crown yourself the king of understatement, man, because this is amazing.”
Cody shoved the flowers at him then opened his door.
“Sol.”
Sol got out and tried to look at his pride and joy through Cody’s eyes. He’d made it bigger than he needed, but he’d always hoped it could be a place for his pack to call home so he wanted extra room. Their primary place would always be with their alpha, but Shaq wasn’t the only one driven to provide. It seemed to be part of Sol’s makeup as well. The cabin itself was one of those designs from a catalog. Sol had seen the plan on some advertisement and known it was what he’d wanted. He’d bought the plans without even having any land to build on. It had been a long process, and one he was still working on when he could.
“You like?”
Cody gave him a look that clearly showed he thought Sol was an idiot before he ran up onto the porch. “No wonder Walt wanted to come here!”
Sol grinned and reached for the bags in the back of the Jeep. He had to juggle a bit to get them along with the flowers, but he didn’t want to take away Cody’s enjoyment of the moment. Of course, Cody took one look at him and shot him a scowl worthy of Drew.
“What are you doing? Give me that.”
He ran down the steps and took everything out of Sol’s arms.
“I can—”
“Shut it. Open the door.”
Sol grinned and reached under the porch swing. He kept the spare tucked there and needed to use it since he’d given the one on his keyring to Walt already. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, allowing Cody to go inside. He took the flowers from Cody’s hand and pu
t them on the dining room table. He’d found a place that made big tables out of old, reclaimed barn wood. And the fireplace was built from river rock, half of which he’d gathered himself from his different adventures. If Cody knew about his world, he’d be able to tell him the stories.
That one, with the green flecks, was when the bunyip tried to attack tourists on one of those pontoon boat tours and Shaq had to basically pick it up and throw it through the portal. And that one, with the blue. He’d found it after a merman somehow got brought to shore after getting tangled in a fishing line. It had almost been a scandal, but of course, they’d made things right. That was what they did.
But Cody couldn’t know about his world, which was what made him getting involved with Cody even more dangerous. Then again, Cody would find out sooner or later. Shelly had figured it out, and Shaq made it no secret that he considered their human pack mates very valuable to him. Of course, he did. They were family, even if they didn’t know all the secrets. Cody followed him into the kitchen area and set the bags on the island. He kept looking around, taking in every inch of the space.
Sol unpacked the bags and let Cody wander. He kept a few wine glasses in one of the glass-fronted upper cabinets so he reached up and got them down, ignoring the twinge in his ribs at the stretch. Walt would find his way around the kitchen pretty easily, and Sol had no doubt he had plans to put his culinary skills to the test in an attempt to really impress Shelly, but he could at least have the wine glasses sitting out and ready for the bottle of fancy red wine Drew had no doubt picked out and added to the bags.
Cody stopped at the rear of the main room, silhouetted by the afternoon sun coming in from the floor-to-ceiling windows. It had been an extravagance, but one the builder he’d worked with had helped him achieve. They’d worked for weeks trying to position the cabin just so, and he’d gotten the view he wanted as a result.
Sol couldn’t resist joining Cody. He tried to let him have the moment to himself, but Sol couldn’t give it to him. He stepped up beside Cody and looked out the window as well. Cody leaned into him—not enough to touch, but so close—and Sol couldn’t help but smile.
“Beautiful,” Cody murmured.
Sol turned to him and found Cody smiling up at him. “Yeah.”
The air around them changed in that moment and Sol wanted nothing more than to pull Cody in and confess all his secrets. He clenched his hand into a fist instead. He’d ruin it. He knew he would.
“I brought… no, wait.”
Cody’s head tilted to the side and his expression shifted to a puzzled smile.
“I made…Shit. No. Would you…Goddess save me.”
“Sol?”
“I made food. Will you eat it?”
Sol was highly tempted to go find a cliff and throw himself off of it, but at Cody’s delighted laugh, he managed to refrain.
“You asked,” Cody said with a grin.
“Horribly and awkwardly.”
“But you asked. And yes, if you made food, I will eat it.”
Sol grinned. “Come on. Let me show you the rest of the cabin first.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Cody
Cody wouldn’t have believed such an amazing spot existed so close to his apartment if he weren’t standing in it. Sol’s cabin was perfect. He couldn’t imagine why he didn’t live there. Cody knew from Drew that Sol rented a house not far from where Drew and Shaq lived, but after seeing this place Cody couldn’t figure out why.
“Why don’t you live here?”
If it belonged to him, he would. But then again, if it belonged to him, he would never leave it.
Sol pushed open the double doors before turning to look at him. He shrugged his shoulders and looked out at the view.
“Because I’d never leave.” Sol’s voice was low and deep, full of some emotion Cody couldn’t quite name.
Cody gulped as their eyes met, and the weird tension he’d felt before ratcheted up another notch.
“My bedroom is through here,” Sol said quietly.
Cody’s heart did a funny little dance at the idea of seeing Sol in his bedroom. It was so intimate. But they were just friends…less than friends, really. Coworkers. Acquaintances.
Sol pushed open another door and walked through into a very cozy room with a gigantic bed. Sol opened one of the windows and breathed in the fresh air. Cody tried not to swallow his tongue. He wished he didn’t think Sol was so fucking gorgeous. It didn’t help matters at all.
“Bathroom. I might have gone a little crazy in here.”
Cody couldn’t wait to see. He hurried over and bumped into Sol when he stopped inside the door.
“Sorry.”
Sol winced but caught him before he bounced into the wall. “No worries.”
Cody scowled up at him. “You’re really hurt.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“What happened?”
Sol laid his hand on Cody’s shoulder before gently squeezing it. “I’ll be fine. Look. I put in a Jacuzzi.”
Cody didn’t look. “Sol, I don’t know what you guys do, but I know it’s dangerous. Please, just…if you aren’t okay, just…let me help or something, okay?”
Sol squeezed his shoulder again before releasing it. He lifted his T-shirt, revealing his ribs. His extremely bruised ribs.
“Sol.”
“Doc says it’s not bad, and I’ll be fine in a couple days. I promise.”
Cody reached out to touch but quickly pulled his fingers back. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
Sol grabbed his hand and placed it over the bruises. He let out a little noise that Cody didn’t quite understand. It wasn’t a noise of pain, but it wasn’t like he enjoyed it either. But Sol’s eyes were closed like Cody had some magic gift to make him feel better. Cody rolled his eyes at his own ridiculousness. His hands were probably cold and felt nice against the bruises. It made sense.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” Cody asked.
“I am. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
Cody bit his lip and looked up again. “You guys don’t tell me the truth, though. I know the difference.”
Sol’s hand came up and gripped his shoulder. It shouldn’t be comforting, but it was. Cody found himself leaning closer, even though he shouldn’t. Sol didn’t even like him. He needed to remember that. Coworkers. Acquaintances.
“Sometimes, a secret isn’t yours to tell.”
“Something is going on, though. Something changed, and it’s more dangerous.” Cody held his breath, waiting for the lie. A lie that didn’t come.
“Yes.”
“Sol.” His heart caught, worry filling him at the idea of someone hurting any of his friends. Coworkers. Whatevers.
“I told you I wouldn’t lie. Now, look at the tub.”
Cody looked. And gasped. “Sol.”
Sol gave him a little push that direction, and Cody couldn’t resist. He hopped into the tub and spread his arms out. “We’d both fit in here. Holy… crap, I just said that out loud. I meant—”
Sol laughed and held his ribs. “I know what you meant.”
“I’m an idiot, but you only have yourself to blame because of this awesomeness.”
“And the shower. Nice, right?”
Cody climbed out of the tub, pretending his face wasn’t bright red even though he could feel the heat pouring from his cheeks. “So nice. You weren’t kidding. You totally splurged. Your secret life of crime must pay very well.”
Sol coughed.
“Dammit,” Cody grumbled. “I keep saying shit I shouldn’t. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’d really like to know what goes on in that head of yours.”
“So much,” Cody said with a sigh. “So much.”
“Come on. Let me show you my actual favorite spot in the house.”
“Wait, there’s something better than this?”
Sol held out his hand and Cody grabbed it without thinking. He froze for a second. So did
Sol. They looked down at their clasped hands before looking back at each other. And something in Sol’s eyes… it melted a piece of Cody that he’d kept holed up for a long time.
“Sol.”
Sol squeezed his hand and tugged him along, walking backward out of the room. He didn’t let him go but led him through the main living area and through a closed door. Cody couldn’t help the noise he made after Sol pushed open the door and led him inside. It was perfect. A little reading room with a fireplace and a big over-stuffed chair with an ottoman that looked out over the same amazing view as the living room.
“Holy shit,” Cody gasped.
“Yeah,” Sol said. He released Cody’s hand and went to the fireplace, kneeling and shuffling a couple logs around.
“You keep a fire ready?”
“It’s nice, you know?”
“Yeah.”
“Walt and Shelly will like it. It’s double-sided, so they can start it from the main room, too.”
“No way.”
Sol looked over his shoulder at Cody and nodded.
Cody ran into the other room and squatted down in front of the fireplace. “I didn’t even notice.”
He tried not to stare at Sol’s muscular thighs through the screen. He failed. But he did try. He jumped up and hurried back into the reading room. Sol stood and gestured toward the other side of the room.
“The other guest rooms are down the hall.”
“Sol, it’s amazing.”
Sol grinned and Cody’s breath caught in his chest once more.
“Sit. I’ll warm us up some food.”
Cody couldn’t resist the call of the chair and ottoman. He sank down in it and pulled the blanket off the back. He settled in and listened as Sol moved around in the kitchen. He should offer to help. Sol wasn’t supposed to be doing anything. But he didn’t. He listened and waited. It was a big deal that Sol had asked instead of told. He wanted to give him that moment and see if it helped tear down the weird wall that had developed between them over the past couple of years.
It didn’t take long before Sol returned and handed him a plate. “Teriyaki chicken and vegetables.”
“Wow,” Cody said. “It smells amazing.”