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Tala’s entire body committed to her shriek, her spine arching against the high chair’s straps, both fists slamming the tray hard enough to launch a sippy cup off the edge. Colin caught it without looking and set it on the counter behind him.

“Hi, Roo,” Colin said drily, stepping back from the high chair. He knew when he’d lost his own daughter’s attention.

Ruari kissed Cassian on the way past, already crossing the kitchen with his eyes locked on Tala. He deposited a brown paper bag on the table as he went, and Diwa had it open before it touched the surface, pulling out a pain au chocolat.

Ruari crouched beside the high chair, his bad knee popping, and held out his palm.

The smashcake sat in the centre of it, palm-sized, golden-domed, with a cap of yoghurt frosting. Freeze-dried raspberry and blueberry dust covered the top in a fine pink-and-purple drift.

“Right, madam. Same as always,” Ruari murmured, keeping it just out of Tala’s reach. “This has got banana-date sponge. Yoghurt frosting. Raspberry-and-blueberry dust, which I toasted myself at half three this morning because you deserve the best and your dad would kill me if I used shop-bought.”

Tala lunged for the cake. Ruari held steady, tilting it for her.

Ruari placed the smashcake on Tala’s tray and total destruction was achieved in eleven seconds.

Her fist hit the frosting first, punching a crater in the yoghurt cap that sent a spray of berry dust across the high chair, Colin’s shirt, and an impressive section of wall. She grabbed a fistful of sponge, crammed it into her mouth, and drove her other hand through the base, splitting the cake in two and sending half of it onto the floor, where it landed frosting-down on the tiles with a wet slap that made Colin close his eyes.

Tala screamed with joy. Her face was purple and pink and smeared with banana-date sponge, frosting in her eyebrows, a single freeze-dried raspberry stuck to her cheek like a beauty spot. She kicked her legs against the high chair and shrieked “ROO!” again, reaching for Ruari with hands so comprehensively covered in cake that she left perfect frosted handprints on both of his forearms when he bent to kiss her forehead.

Cassian swiped his finger through the frosting on Tala’s tray, and stuck it in his mouth.

The yoghurt tang hit first, then the banana, then the raspberry dust fizzing on his tongue.

“Oi,” Ruari said. “That’s Tala’s.”

“Had to check,” Cassian told him, licking his finger clean. “Quality control.”

Ruari slid into the chair beside Cassian. Diwa set a plate in front of him: longganisa, garlic fried rice, a fried egg with crispy edges, and a small dish of atsara that he nudged forward an inch. “Made the atsara fresh.”

“Cheers.” Ruari picked up a fork and got to work.

Cassian reached across and stole a piece of longganisa off his plate. Ruari, still chewing, put his arm round the back of Cassian’s chair.

Cassian was reaching for a second piece when Diwa stopped eating.

Diwa had his mobile tilted towards Colin, one hand cupped around the screen. Colin’s jaw tightened as he read. Then Diwa got to his feet, crossed the kitchen, and held the mobile in front of Ruari’s face.

Cassian watched the three of them have an entire conversation in silence. Ruari’s eyes moved across the screen, then lifted to Colin and Diwa.

Ruari’s arm tightened around the back of Cassian’s chair, drawing him closer until their shoulders pressed together, and Colin pulled out the chair opposite.

“Cass.” Colin folded his hands on the table. “Felix is all right. He’s safe, and he’s not hurt. But it looks like there’s been a bit of an incident that’s been picked up by the news.”

Cassian’s hand found Ruari’s knee under the table and gripped hard.

Ruari covered it with his own. “He went into an unexpected heat,” he said. “He wandered out of the house before anyone could get to him. An alpha found him, a good one, Cass. He brought Felix home, stayed with him, made sure he was safe.”

Cassian’s breath came out in a rush. “But he’s so afraid of alphas, Ruari!”

“He’s home. He’s fine,” Ruari reassured him. “But he was in high heat, and at one point he stripped off and came on to the alpha who was looking after him while someone took a video of the whole thing. It was a medical emergency, but unfortunately the video got picked up by the press before anyone could get ahead of it.”

Cassian was on his feet instantly. “I need to go to him.”

“Cass.” Ruari took his wrist. “Sit down.”

“He’ll want me there. He’ll want — I can bring him pastries, I can bring Fallon’s treats, the ones she likes from PawsFurever.”

“Cassian.” Ruari pulled him down onto his chair. “Listen to me. His body did something he didn’t choose, in front of a stranger. The last thing he needs right now is people turning up unexpectedly at his door.”