Ugh. Leo fucking hates all the pomp and circumstance. Leo has always been of a mind that a celebration of life was a better way to remember a loved one than sad eulogies and somber suits.
It’s the latter that had killed most of Leo’s day. Shopping for suits while pretending to mourn their beloved alpha had been anordeal—and one worse than Leo could have imagined, even with his feelings about funerals in general.
Hauling Luca and the increasingly pissed-off Gideon to the high-end tailor in the heart of the city had been an exercise in patience and perseverance.
Color Leo surprised when it wasn’t Luca who proved to be the most difficult mate today.
He’d fully expected that wrangling Luca into a suit would be the worst thing he had to do today, but it had been surprisingly (suspiciously) easy.
When Luca had realized the suit had pants instead of his preferred skirt, he had still been a superstar.
Sure, in retrospect, Leo’s effusive compliments about how good he looked and how proud he was of his mate for forgoing a public boycott had probably fueled his manic, joyful rampage through the next department store—happily throwing packages of t-shirts and socks into the shopping cart until Leo and Gideon had to finally distract him with a latte so they could figure out what the alpha team was wearing to infiltrate Carnell’s fortress behind the scenes.
What did one wear to capture (kill?) a vicious magic user?
While he and Gideon had debated, Luca had wandered off with his 60% whipped cream confection into the children’s section, returning with an armload of onesies and pacifiers, as well as two stuffed toys: a little gray mouse and a rainbow butterfly.
Frozen at the sight, Gideon had stared into the cart like he was waiting for that mouse to scurry up his pant leg and bite him.
After that, well, it had only gone from bad to worse, with Gideon locked down in silence until Luca had taken the silent Gideon out to the CR-V while Leo had checked out.
Did he buy the stuff Luca picked out? Yes, he did.
But did he leave it in the car, wedged into the lining of the suitcase they’d also purchased? Of-damn-course. They were too cute to leave behind, and even though they gave him pause to think about being Leo-Dad, he was really excited.
Leo had decided—all alone, by the way—that Team Alpha would wear black t-shirts and cargo pants. Gear that wouldn’t draw attention and still be flexible enough to fight in.
It’s not his take-charge fashion choices that put that smile on his face, though; it’s those sweet plushies and soft baby pajamas.
Letting the smile in question slip away, he pats Rowan’s thigh.
“Just thinking about when this is all over.” He nods toward Rowan’s pants. “You okay in those? They fit okay?”
The t-shirt is stretched to its limits over Rowan’s ever-broadening shoulders and chest. Setting the Wolf free has somehow bulked Rowan up beyond even what he had been before they’d arrived in Florida.
A sight to behold—Leo has not a single complaint.
“Yeah, they pinch in the crotch, but it’s not the first time.” The younger alpha shrugs, standing so he can adjust the front of his pants.
Regardless of whether they’re comfortable, they certainly are flattering.
“Hey, baby, my eyes are up here.” Rowan tilts his chin up with a grin and a wink.
Oh boy. That wink and the growledbabydo things to Leo that he shouldn’t be thinking about when, as Rowan had said, he’s dressed for a funeral and thinking about murder.
Finn appears in the door and points an accusing finger at them both. “Oh, no, you don’t. There is no time for that.”
Handsome in his matching stealth ensemble, he crosses his arms over his chest, broad shoulders and studious glasses not helping Leo get his dirty mind back on track—becausewhew. The all-black ensemble gives the alpha an unexpectedly dangerous air.
“Let’s go, you two. Jay is—” Finn makes his hands into claws before adding, “And Nix is no better.”
Sighing, Rowan kisses Leo before pinching his nipple and whispering, “Later, baby. See you outside, yeah?”
Yeah, later. Whatever that looked like.
Despite his early daydreams about the babies, Leo hasn’t let himself think about what’s going to happen after right now, limiting his thoughts to one minute at a time to ease his worry about all the million possible outcomes.
Grabbing his jacket off the hanger dangling off the curtain rod, he follows the rest of the pack out the front door onto the front step.
