Zinn gulped. “I am,” he murmured.
“It’s…strange.”
“Maybe a bit. But it won’t always be.”
“Yeah…yeah, I think you’re right.”
Zinn swatted his cheek as a tear escaped. “I’m so happy to meet you.”
“Me too.” Ryde nodded solemnly, then pointed at Wes and Assa. “Those are my fathers, Dad and Pop.”
Zinn’s reply was equally grave. “Yes. I’ve met them. I’m very grateful your parents are such wonderful men.”
Those words must have settled something in Ryde’s mind. Assa glanced at Wes, who looked as astonished as he felt. Their conversation last night had not led them to believe Ryde’s reaction to seeing Zinn would be…this. Leave it to their mercurial child to keep his own counsel.
“Can I introduce you to my partner, Calder?” Zinn asked.
“Okay.”
“He has two kids of his own who live here too, but they’re out right now. His older son works at a pizzeria. We thought we’d go there after the movie, if that’s okay?”
“I love pizza. As long as there’s not too much sauce.”
Zinn blinked. “That’s—I don’t like a lot of sauce either.”
They entered the house and Assa saw that Calder had been standing nearby, giving Zinn space. He marveled anew at how different Calder was from Jeral. Assa’s alpha father had never missed an opportunity to insert himself into any situation, believing the role of an alpha was to dominate every interaction. He’d never met an alpha as quiet as Calder. Quiet, and yet obviously powerful.
Assa and Wes didn’t need to stay long to ensure their son was comfortable. Zinn had made a plan to go to a movie and the pizzeria, but he and Ryde were immediately engrossed in one of Zinn’s sketchbooks.
“Hopefully, I can get them away from the drawings so we aren’t late,” Calder said fondly. “Another day when we have more time, we’ll give Ryde a tour of the bakery. After the cake Zinn did for his birthday, he might enjoy seeing some of the in-process ones.”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing those myself,” Assa said.
“Later.” Wes ushered Assa toward the door. “Because now that we know everyone is okay, we should leave for our date.”
Assa’s stomach somersaulted. He could not wait to see Valentin.
“Have fun,” Calder smirked.
“Yes, have fun,” Zinn chimed in distractedly, engrossed in his conversation with Ryde.
Assa watched them on the couch, feeling that soul-deep rightness again.
He experienced the same sensation twenty minutes later, when he and Wes stood on the threshold of a different door. The one that opened to Valentin’s apartment.
***
Valentin lived on the fourth storyof a nondescript condo building near The Cracked Heart. To Assa, this choice of living space, along with the light blue button-down and casual jeans he wore, made the alpha seem slightly less polished than the man they’d had wild primal sex with—in a good way. An accessible way.
A lot of the initial mystique surrounding the club owner had been put into perspective by their text chain over the past few weeks. While there had been sexy pictures, and some unmistakable innuendo, there had also been funny memes and random asides. Assa could easily recognize Valentin’s cat, Decoy, since he’d seen so many photos of him. Last week, Valentin gave Wes a recommendation for an electrician near the university, and yesterday, the alpha sent a picture of his lunch asking whether a burrito could ever be too big.
Assa had expected Valentin to kiss them or pull them into a hug. Instead, he shyly led them into his living room. Hazy sun sprayed across the wooden floor planks and beige walls, coming in through curtainless windows. Assa clocked the lack of accessories but noted that there was a plush couch and dining set, a TV, and a coffee table.
“Have you been here long?” he asked.
“Bought it about a year ago,” Valentin said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “But I’m at the club so much, I haven’t really found time to do anything with it.”
“Is your cat around?” Wes asked, looking side to side. The space was open concept, so there weren’t many hiding spots.
