My favorite alpha [chanlix]

2. Self-quarantine

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　☆　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

The very next evening Minho strained his piercing, cat-like gaze on Felix from across the room. The alpha was lounging in a voluptuous cross-frame chair in Felix's sitting quarters, one slim leg thrown over the other, both hands braced atop a pair of curved armrests. Bejeweled rings gleamed on his fingers and a thick, golden circlet sat atop the crown of his head, heavy with chunky emeralds and rough diamonds in its frame. His head was tipped back artfully, dark lashes lowered over inky eyes. The alpha had this deceitfully tranquil demeanor about him that put Felix instantly on edge. Minho was never doing things without purpose, even when he looked bored or just seemed to be lazing around the numerous sitting rooms of the castle he was most likely figuring out the very next step in whatever current, nefarious plan that he might be – or might not be – plotting.

In fact, throughout the whole day Felix had braced himself to get lectured for sneaking around the northerners. Heck, he had even expected at least one of his older brothers, well Changbin mostly, to barge into his rooms first thing in the morning and give him an earful. It was not particularly uncommon for them to get their clever heads together and concoct some sort of ridiculous reason as to why Felix should do exactly as they say. Even when they were all kids, his brothers would go as far as to tell him these outrageous, made-up stories of bloodthirsty beasts roaming the cold halls of the castle just to keep him from sneaking out of his bedchamber at nights. But in the end, nothing of the sort had happened this time around.

Felix felt almost put out. That is, until now.

The younger man fidgeted in his seat on a satin sofa, pinned under his older brother's watchful gaze, anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop. The silken fabric of his ruffled nightshirt rustled gently in the otherwise quiet space between them, the silence only interrupted by the occasional cracks and snaps coming from the big fireplace inside the room.

"Felix, I was wondering..." Minho finally drawled after a few loaded minutes, front teeth flashing between the upturn of his jutting lips. "Did you perhaps run into someone last night?"

"Um..." Caught off guard by the question, Felix averted his wide-eyed gaze, biting on his lower lip. Panicked thoughts raced immediately through his head, like a cart wheel coming to a sudden halt on a hazy image of the broad shouldered, red haired northerner that had smelled so comfortingly of bonfire and sandalwood – of cozy warmth amidst a chilly winter. It kind of made Felix want to burrow deep down into the alpha's blazing warmth and nestle, make a home for himself inside his heart.

Wait a second now. Felix blinked perplexed.

Where had that come from? He swallowed down the primal urge that sat like a lump inside his throat, pressing his whimpering wolf back down below the surface before Minho could notice the embarrassing spike in his scent.

"Uh, I don't think so? No?" An awkward, wheezy laugh bubbled up inside of Felix. "I mean – there were a lot of people there yesterday. It would've been impossible not to walk into anyone with that crowd," he explained, skirting around the truth, while rubbing sheepishly at his flushed neck. "But I didn't stay too long, so no one should've recognized me. It was just you and Changbin. Really."

Bless the Moon Goddess that it was just the two of them right now, Felix thought with great relief. Minho was known to have keen instincts. A leading question like that would have landed Felix in trouble had it been asked in the presence of the rest of his family. Changbin's temper would have definitely shot through the roof at the mere implication of Felix getting near some strange alpha.

Felix's nose scrunched up in distaste. Ew. Changbin had a brother complex.

"But why do you ask? Did anyone say anything? Or was it impolite of me not to be at the banquet last night? Did my absence put father in a bad light?"