"Am I?" Liam said back in a low voice. "You keep saying that I'm too good. Can't you point out perfectly good flaws I have?"
Such as him being a jealous prick and too much of a coward to do anything about it. Such as him unwilling to go against his parents in fear that they would take away the life that he built. Such as the fact that he only has eyes for one person, and for a long time, Liam put Mar on a pedestal knowing fully well that they're both on the same level, but the platinum blond alpha viewed his best friend as an unreachable goal. Almost religiously.
"I..." Mar paused for a few seconds, then he broke down in a desperate laugh. "You... What flaws do you have? You're a golden boy, Liam. You're a golden boy, oh so perfect. We didn't even drink, and I sound kinda drunk."
The platinum blond alpha's sky blue eyes looked at his best friend. The dark room only allowed him to see so much, but he could feel everything from the stiffness of slender fingers on his chest and the frustrated pheromones in the air.
"An male alpha born from an alpha female." Those slender fingers cupped Liam's cheeks for the second — third? — he lost count today.
An alpha male who was made out of two alphas, Liam and his sister (and any unborn siblings if their parents want to have any in the future) were guaranteed to be alphas because Dr. Ariel Altenburg is an alpha female who agreed to marry Dr. William Velison, an alpha male from a long generation of alpha males. She took his last name, so now they have a pair of Dr. Velison. The pair of Dr. Velison created another pair of soon-to-be Dr. Velison. An alpha male born from an alpha female is highly sought after, because for some reason people think that their scents are stronger? That can be one topic for Liam to look into later.
Mar leaned down closer until their faces were only a few inches apart.
"No one compares to you." The black haired alpha bared his teeth, but instead of feeling the hostility, Liam's heat skipped a few beats before beating faster as his companion continued, "Strong and capable, very intelligent and preceptive, everyone wants a piece of you. But here you are, underneath another alpha male who isn't really an alpha male. Is that your flaw? You'd let me walk all over you like this?"
"Yes." The word barely came out, and the taller alpha felt heat rushing into his face and his...
Fuck... Why is he getting turned on inappropriately now?
The black haired alpha noticed it, too, and purple eyes went from serious to shocked to embarrassed, and then back to serious in the matter of seconds.
"You think I don't have a flaw?" Liam's voice came out hoarse and gravely, and his chuckle was more nervous than not, but it did its job of lessening the tension between them. With his hands holding his companion tight, his lips opened before his brain could process what he said, "I am obsessed with you, Mar. Since we were kids. I'm fucking wasted on your scent, and ya know that. I... Even if whatever we're having now doesn't work out, I'd still be your friend."
Purple eyes closed, and soon their foreheads touched. Blue eyes widened when he heat heat on his best friend's forehead, even with thick black hair scattered across them and smushed up against their forehead, the heat was still there. It's not a burning fever, but it's the familiar heat of blood rushing to one's face when they're angry or embarrassed or—
"You're too good to me." Mar mumbled once again.
Hot tears fell on Liam's cheeks, and they're not his own. His fingers loosened on his best friend's shirt, instead his arms wrapped around his companion's body again.
"No matter what happens, I'll be here for you." The platinum blond alpha closed his eyes and held his best friend to himself. "I can promise anything. You just gotta trust me."
Their foreheads were still touching until Mar moved and laid his head on the taller alpha's collar bone again. Fortunately, the blanket didn't fall off them. Slender fingers held on to Liam's side, and he took in the scent of vetiver from his companion's hair.
"Sing for me." Mar whispered.
"You know I can't sing to save my life." The platinum blond alpha replied, a small smile came on his face.
"Sing for me anyway." Slender fingers wrapped more securely around the taller alpha's chest.
Even though they're on the fancy uncomfortable couch, they find comfort in hugging each other like this. Liam gently rubbed circles into his best friend's back, feeling the tense muscles relaxed under his touch was satisfying. "What do you want to hear?"
"What do you want to sing?" Plush lips mumbled into the nook of Liam's neck, and the taller alpha sighed.
What can he sing without sounding like a wolf choking on wood and dying? Right...
"You ask me if I will come with you..." The platinum blond alpha's voice was flat, not fitting to sing. He has always been tone deaf, not one for musical instruments nor vocal chorus, but he will do anything for the alpha who's laying on top of him and crying into his shirt. "You whisper in my ear..."
He had chosen the only song he knew the lyrics to perfectly. It's no secret that he's a fan of classical music, and having him sing a poem written three centuries ago isn't a surprise.
"You ask me if I take your hand," Liam tried his best to mimic the melody in his head, but he failed miserably. His parents had a vinyl of the song, and the piano room in the White Pearl Mansion also has one, too. "I have no reason to refuse."
Mar hasn't pointed anything out yet, so he continued singing, "You whisper in my ear—"
"We have nothing in this world to fear." The black haired alpha's melodic voice finished the first verse.
Liam could hear a ghost of a smile in his companion's words.
Thanks for reading! Power stones and comments keep this author going! Gifts are appreciated!
The sunrise is a beautiful thing, but Arkham the butler didn't get to see it because he's late. He woke up late, so he missed the sun rising above the horizon of the deep blue sea. Dawn is when the butlers rise, and he felt ashamed that he slept so well last night. It's only his third day in the White Pearl Mansion, and he doesn't want to be kicked out so soon.
Especially when he barely has any information worth reporting. Sure, he reported everything, but nothing's new and everything is just family drama, from Vijay Patrikovsky Aster and Ji Jing Devin's running away together into the sunset to shitfuckery that was the family dinner where his beloved (sarcastically) young masters Marnette Silverin Aster and William Velison Junior left early. They were so nice to him, going as far as to dismiss him early, wish him a good night and open the door with their hands full, but they definitely have something to hide.
Just like the others at the mansion, the two young alphas kept their lips shut and changed the subject when the new butler brought up anything remotely related to Mr. Aster and the mothers of his children. He hasn't annoyed any of the Aster children enough to be reported. Yet.
Currently, green eyes are staring at Petrov, the head butler, as he lectured Arkham along with a fellow butler named Armani. Armani is as new as Arkham, but the blond haired blue eyed beta came to the mansion genuinely to work as a butler. Unlike Arkham. However, just like Arkham, he's being scolded for waking up late, and just like Arkham, he's sleeping in room thirteen.
Yes, both Arkham and his fellow butler — roommate — work buddy or whatever woke up late. The sun was well over the mountain when their door was kicked open, and there was Petrov whose forehead reflected the morning sun rays, and he threw them off their beds. Apparently, their alarm clock wasn't plugged in, but even then, Arkham shouldn't have overslept. He's a spy after all, an agent who finds and delivers confidential information, sleeping soundly in enemy territory isn't good for them, no matter how comfortable the bed was.
"You're lucky the kids you look after won't wake up until noon..." The head butler's fingers pitched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his forehead in disappointment. "Young Master Marlin and Martin won't even leave their room if they have enough food, but that doesn't mean you can sleep in."
"Yes, sir!" Arkham put on his innocent face, looking a little guilty and a little sad. Hopefully that will convince the head butler to not punish him. He's still in his pajamas, and his fellow butler Armani is only wearing a pair of black shorts.
Just as Petrov was about to say something, the thirteenth butler room's door was slammed open by none other than Matteo, a large beta male with dark skin and an amazing buzz cut who could pass as an alpha with his appearance alone. As far as Arkham knows, Matteo has been working for the Aster family for seven years. He's a veteran, but not as old as Petrov who has been Mr. Aster's lap dog for almost two decades.
"Petrov." Matteo nodded at the head butler in greeting before his dark eyes moved to the two younger butlers. "Armani, Arkham, did you drink out of your water flasks or the fridge water in the communal fridge?"
"I filled my flask water with the water from the communal fridge at around 10pm." Arkham looked at Matteo with the same innocence in his eyes as he did with Petrov. He didn't do anything wrong; he followed the protocols and everything; he just woke up late.
There's still the question of why is the dark skinned butler asking about drinking water.
"And you?" A single finger pointed at Armani, and the blond butler started sweating nervously.
"Armani?" Petrov's stern voice finally made the young butler talk.
"I drank from Arkham's water flask." Blue eyes squeezed shut after he admitted it.
Arkham appreciated the honesty, but honestly, he's angry and confused. Why the hell did his roommate/ fellow butler/ work friend drank from his fucking water flask? Each butler has their own water flasks that's given by them on the first day they arrived at the mansion.
Instead of shouting at Armani, Arkham just glared at him.
"You were in the shower, and I was thirsty!" The blond butler stuttered out. "I was too tired to get out of our room and refill my flask, so I used yours!"
That's kinda on Arkham too. He didn't notice some of his water was missing. Hell, he barely drank any before he went to bed, and Armani was already asleep by the time the spy got out of the shower. The shower is the only time Arkham can actually send reports to his crew outside of the mansion, and no one questioned him when he brought his phone into the shower.
Back to the matter at hand, Arkham blinked at his fellow butler Armani. The blond butler gave him a nervous laugh. "I'm sorry, Arkham. You can drink from mine if you wanna—"
"Enough." Matteo's voice got the two new butler's attention. "The communal water was laced with crushed sleeping pills."
"What?" Petrov turned around to face the younger veteran butler, his eyebrows knitted together in a frown.
"If you fill your flasks with water from the communal fridge after 10pm, then your water will contain some sedatives." The dark skinned butler explained the situation in his usual heavy tone. "I didn't know until I had to have some this morning. The water didn't taste right, so I had Lin check it. She found traces of a sedative, so someone must have crushed up some over the counter sleeping pills."
"Find the idiot who organized this prank." Petrov ordered as he walked out of the room.
"We found her." Matteo's voice stopped the head butler in his tracks. "She's a rat."
Fuck, Arkham was the only spy his organization sent.
Thanks for reading! I apologize that today's update is a little late.