Lucan lay like a boneless mass on the bed, too tired to even lift a finger. “You’re a strange contradiction,” he said. “You look so proper and classy, but you have a dirty mind.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Maz gave him a last kiss, then pulled out.
Lucan winced as his ass signaled the veracity of Maz’s earlier statement that it was well fucked. And dripping, for that matter, though Lucan had always found that a strangely sexy feeling. It should feel gross, but it didn’t. It felt dirty but in the best way.
Maz rolled off him, then pulled Lucan on his side, letting him rest with his head on Maz’s shoulder. That was an unexpected gesture for what was supposed to be casual sex, but Lucan liked that he wasn’t getting kicked out right away. “I’m gonna need a few minutes to recover,” he said and yawned.
“If you want to shower, you’d better do it now. You’re about to crash hard after taking blockers.”
Lucan groaned. “I don’t want to get up.”
“Wanna shower together?” Maz rubbed his back. “You can crash here if you want. There’s another bed anyway…or you’re welcome to share mine.”
“I’m a little confused.”
“Because I stressed I only wanted casual sex, and yet I’m suggesting you spend the night?”
“Well, yeah. Not that I mind, but I’ll admit I’m curious.”
Maz sighed, but he still held Lucan close. “I’m a caretaker. It’s at the very core of who I am. So seeing how tired you are, I want to offer you to stay because I know it would be better for you.”
“And you don’t mind?”
“No. I know it sounds like an impossible contradiction, but I like taking care of people, including my lovers. I just don’t want them to have expectations beyond that.”
Lucan smiled, touched by Maz’s obvious big heart. “So, you’re saying I should enjoy it but not expect you to propose anytime soon?”
Maz was quiet for a beat. “Please tell me that was a joke.”
Lucan rolled his eyes, even though Maz couldn’t see that. “Duh.”
“We need to work on your sense of humor, Whitefield. Damn near gave me a heart attack there.”
Lucan rubbed Maz’s chest. “Aw, and it’s such a big, soft, mushy heart.”
“Are you mocking me? Because it feels like you’re mocking me, and you should know I’m really tall and strong and also a doctor and let’s not forget an alpha.”
Lucan snorted. “And your point is?”
Maz tickled his side, and Lucan jerked in shock. “That you should be more careful who you mock because I have my ways of getting revenge. Come on, let’s get you clean.”
The air was light between them as they showered, not kissing or touching, yet more intimate than Lucan could have imagined. After he’d toweled himself off, he put his underwear back on. He looked from the empty twin bed in Maz’s room to Maz’s full-size one. It had been so long since he’d been held, since he’d felt like he belonged somewhere. Yes, he did belong here, in this pack, but his heart still ached at times. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Maz, who had put his boxer briefs back on again as well, stretched out in his bed, holding his arms open. “Come here, habibi.”
Lucan crawled in bed next to him, sighing with pleasure when Maz tucked them under the covers, then flicked off the light. He was asleep in no time.
8
The clinic was quiet that morning. Sando usually had his door open, so sounds of whatever was happening in the building always reached his ears. He liked knowing he wasn’t alone. It made him feel like he was part of the team that worked in the clinic. He might not excel at social situations, but he did like having people around him. Maybe because he’d spent most of his life with his father as his sole companion?
When he’d been a teenager, he’d brought up his questions about his paternity. Once. His father’s explosive reaction had made crystal clear that the topic was not open for discussion. Sando had never asked about it again, even though it was hard to let go. Who were his biological parents? Did he have a mom? A daddy? An alpha father? It seemed more and more likely he’d never find out, and that was not a prospect that made him happy.
He sighed as he leaned back in his desk chair, stretching his arms above his head. The lack of noise coming in from the clinic was distracting. He’d gotten used to the hustle and bustle in the week it had been open. Lucan wasn’t around either. He was helping Palani with something in the main house and had apologized ahead of time that their lunch most likely wouldn’t happen. That, too, was something he’d gotten used to.
Lucan was so nice, and Sando admired his ability to talk to anyone. He was smart and witty, not super extrovert but also not afraid to speak up when needed. Calm, kind. Like how Sando wanted to be, but of course that would never happen. He’d have to accept he’d always be a slightly awkward, socially inept nerd.
When Sando had brought up his worries about not fitting in, his father had always dismissed it. “You weren’t born to fit in. You were born to stand out, to excel.” It sounded lofty and inspirational, but it hid the fact that such an existence could be lonely. His father might not mind, but Sando did. Being a genius wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
“Hey, Sando.” Enar stuck his head around the door. “How are you?”
Sando gestured at his computer. “Staying busy. Trying to make sense of all the data.”
Enar stepped inside, then leaned against the wall. “Do you like that kind of work?”
Sando shrugged. “It’s part of the job.”
“Sure, but that doesn’t mean you have to like it. Take me, for example. I love seeing patients, but I hate the paperwork. It’s an essential part of my job, but I still hate it.”
Huh. Sando had never looked at it that way. “I definitely like working in the lab or studying patterns in blood samples more than the data analysis. Maybe because…”
He stopped talking. Admitting that data analysis was what he’d mostly been doing until his father had disappeared sounded awfully ungrateful, didn’t it? As an omega, he should count himself lucky his father had wanted him to work with him in the first place. Complaining that his father gave Sando the menial jobs while doing the more interesting stuff himself wasn’t fair. Of course he’d delegate that kind of work to Sando. His father had way more knowledge and experience than him. Sando was a beginner in all this. His father had told him that often enough.
“Maybe because what?” Enar asked.
“It’s still relatively new for me,” Sando finally said. “I’m nowhere near my father’s level of expertise, so what must’ve been routine for him is still exciting and fresh for me.”
“That makes sense. I wanted to ask you something else. Do you have a moment to chat?”
What could Enar want to talk to him about? His heart skipped a beat. “Is there news about my father?”
Enar shook his head. “I’m sorry. The PI we hired couldn’t find a trace of him.”
Sando let out a long sigh, his heart contracting painfully. “He’s dead, right?”