𝐃𝐞́𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐫 || 𝐒𝐞𝐨𝐤𝐒𝐨𝐨

Chapter 10

Joshua tossed and turned for a few hours, struggling to sleep. The kiss he’d shared with Seokmin was at the forefront of his mind, reminding him how long it had been since he’d been that close to another person. It didn’t help that Seokmin was right next door, sharing the guest room with Duke. In truth, it was probably only the presence of the second alpha that stopped him from going to seek out Seokmin’s company for the night.

Eventually, he drifted off to sleep and woke to his alarm. Getting up, he washed and dressed, only remembering his guests when he stepped out into the living room as they arrived in from a morning run.

“Early risers, huh?” he asked them as he brewed coffee for the three of them.

“Force of habit,” Seokmin said with a smile, standing close.

His scent, strengthened by the exertion, was thoroughly distracting.

Joshua had to turn and lean over the coffee pot, inhaling the smell of coffee to take his mind off it.

“Save me some of that, will you?” Seokmin said in his ear, his low voice sending a bolt of heat through Joshua.

“Sure,” Joshua said, managing to keep his voice even as he turned to watch Seokmin disappear toward the shower.

When the alpha returned, there was a cup of coffee, a toasted bagel, and some scrambled eggs waiting for him.

“Sorry there’s not more,” he said as both alphas tucked into the food. “I haven’t had time to go shopping.”

“It beats most army breakfasts hands down,” Duke said.

“This might be the nicest cup of coffee I’ve had in years,” Seokmin said in agreement.

“You’re not saying much for the culinary skills of our armed forces,” Joshua joked.

“Well, I didn’t think it was possible to burn baked beans until I enlisted,” Seokmin said with a shudder. “I’ve learned a lot since then.”

Joshua finished his coffee and got a head start on the dishes, keeping half an eye on his phone.

“What time are we leaving?” Duke wanted to know.

Frowning, Joshua turned around to face the alphas. “We aren’t going anywhere. Matt’s coming to pick me up soon, and we’ll head out to do the check.”

“We’ll come with you,” Seokmin said.

“No, you won’t,” Joshua said firmly. “Matt and I are allowed to go as officers of the court. You two being there will only complicate things.”

“It might be dangerous,” the alpha reasoned. “Flint can be unpredictable.”

“This isn’t mine or Matt’s first time doing a welfare check. If we have any concerns, we’ll ask the police to accompany us and assist.”

“Duke and I could wait outside, just in case…”

That was all Joshua needed—two emotionally invested alphas with no ability or incentive to be impartial. They were as likely to inflame the situation as they were to be any help.

“You can’t, and you won’t. I will call you as soon as the check is complete and let you know the outcome.”

Duke pushed his half-full plate away, a shadow crossing his face. “What if everything seems fine? What if Jack appears okay and there’s nothing amiss?”

“Then you know your son’s doing alright, for now. And we move on to our next step.”

He didn’t say what that was, because it wasn’t yet clear to him. A lot hinged on the outcome of the welfare check. Somehow, Joshua didn’t think he was going to find a happy home on the other side of Corin and Flint’s door. He just hoped, for Jack and Duke’s sake, that they had gotten there in time.