Chapter 37
Peter was disappointed when he didn’t see Chad in the gym the next morning. He went through his usual weightlifting routine, looking around to see if Chad was anywhere to be seen, and then spent forty minutes on the treadmill.
The gym was busy, but no one approached him or talked to him. That wasn’t unusual. Most of his employees—even his team leaders—found him intimidating and stayed away unless explicitly summoned. But that was how Peter liked it.
As he stepped off the treadmill, his body covered in a fine sheen of sweat, Merchant came strolling up to him.
“You’re looking extra mean today,” the man said with a grin. “Having a bad day, or are you just scaring the grunts?”
Peter would have rolled his eyes if it weren’t beneath him.
“Can I help you with something?” Peter asked, grabbing his towel and wiping his face and neck. Merchant shrugged.
“I don’t know. I tried calling you, but that prissy little beta of yours with the tight ass told me you were here.”
Peter started walking toward the locker room, wondering if he needed to warn Merchant off doing anything with his assistant. David was competent and unobtrusive, and Peter didn’t want to lose him just because Merchant thought he had a nice ass.
“And you called me because…?” Peter asked, stopping at the water cooler for a cup of water.
“Well, after you called me about that Brand kid I’ve been keeping my ears out, and this morning he used the company discount to book an airline ticket back home. I figured you might want to know…”
Peter felt regret well up inside him like a hungry parasite. He should have taken the time to talk to Chad before they went to sleep and made sure that he was okay. And even then, he should have stayed with Chad after. His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Merchant nodded.
“That’s what I thought,” he said, crossing his arms. “You want me to deal with him? I could get to him before he makes it to the airport and see if he’s already called a lawyer.”
Peter clenched his jaw. He didn’t think that Chad would sue. He wasn’t the type. But still, Peter didn’t really know him. If he did try to get back at Peter using legal means, he had an excellent case.
“Go talk to him,” Peter said, deciding that he couldn’t just put his head in the sand and hope that Chad didn’t hold that much of a grudge. “But just talk. See where his head is. Either way, don’t stop him from getting on the plane.”
Merchant looked a little surprised by the instruction. He lifted his left eyebrow and uncrossed his arms. “Any reason why he’s getting the kid glove treatment?”
Peter narrowed his eyes, annoyed at the implication that he owed Merchant an explanation. Merchant twitched, nervous in the face of Peter’s displeasure, but he held his ground and managed to keep his expression unbothered.
“We spent the night together,” Peter said, figuring that Merchant should know if he was going to talk to Chad.
“And by spent the night together I’m guessing that you mean you fucked him silly and made him call you Daddy.”
Merchant’s smarmy grin was a step too far.
Peter’s attack was driven entirely by instinct.
He kicked Merchant’s legs out from under him and put him in a chokehold before the other alpha even had a chance to cry out.
With his opponent subdued, Peter managed to get his instincts under control by the skin of his teeth.
He felt wild.
Catching sight of himself in the mirror, Peter was shocked to see that his teeth were bared, sharp and deadly. Merchant was lucky he hadn’t torn his throat out.
He let go of Merchant’s neck and pushed him forward so that he fell to the floor. He still felt wild and pumped, and the reaction was as confusing as it was natural.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was like that,” Merchant choked, staying on his hands and knees. Looking around, Peter was unsurprised to see that the gym had completely cleared out.
“Like what?” Peter growled. The urge kick Merchant down and force him to show his belly was hard to get a handle on.
“I didn’t know he was your mate,” Merchant said.
Peter scoffed and said, “That’s ridiculous.” But the words felt false in his mouth. He’d never reacted to anyone like he had Chad. They couldn’t really be mates, could they?
Peter wasn’t stupid. He didn’t believe in that whole true mates nonsense that some people believed in, but he did believe that some people were biologically more compatible than others.
If you had someone you were extremely compatible with, it would manifest in much the same way as the true mate cliché.
“Just go talk to him and figure out what he’s thinking, and then come see me in my office,” Peter said, marching toward the locker room without a look back.
This whole thing was a mess.
***