Chapter 78 Chad, are you leaving?
Peter took the morning off work to drive Chad to the airport, and it was just as awful as he’d thought it would be. It took all his willpower to not order Chad to stay.
“That everything?” Peter asked, looking around Chad’s dingy apartment. Chad had his duffle bag over his shoulder, all packed and ready to go.
“Yep,” Chad said. He looked around the room like he was looking for a reason to linger.
“I’ll have someone pack your stuff and move you into my place before you get back,” Peter walked up to Chad and pulled him in for a kiss. “Is the furniture yours?”
Chad shook his head.
“Good. We should get going in case there’s traffic on the highway.” He took Chad’s hand and led him out of the apartment and down the stairs. A head popped out of the door leading to the second-story hallway.
“Chad, are you leaving?”
It was Chad’s friend, Topher. He looked at Peter warily, stepping into the hall. Peter just lifted his eyebrow, having no intention of preventing Chad from saying goodbye to his friend.
“Yeah, we’re heading to the airport now.”
Topher walked forward and shook Chad’s hand, and then pulled him in for a one-armed hug. Peter suppressed a growl, knowing that there was nothing even remotely sexual in the show of affection.
“Well, I’ll miss you. Have a nice flight and… holy fuck, is that a claiming bite?” Topher turned to Peter with a shocked expression, looking at him like he’d just found out he’d stolen Chad’s manhood.
Chad just smiled. “Yeah, he asked me yesterday morning. Hurts like a bitch.” He sounded thrilled.
“Wow,” Topher said, his shocked expression falling away. “I guess congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you.” Peter moved next to Chad and put a proprietary hand on his lower back.
“Well, give me a call when you get back so that we can hang out.” Topher shot a nervous look in Peter’s direction, like he was asking if that was okay, and Peter forced a friendly smile. He didn’t want to alienate Chad from his friends, no matter how jealous he was.
Topher relaxed.
“I will,” Chad promised.
They said goodbye, and Topher slipped out of the stairway and back into the hall. When the door closed behind him, Chad chuckled.
Peter gave him a quizzical look as they headed down the remaining stairs. “What’s so funny?”
Chad shook his head. “He’s so scared of you. He thinks you’re terrifying.”
Peter snorted. He was amused that Chad would find the perfectly normal reaction to being in his presence funny. Sometimes he wondered if Chad really understood how intimidating other alphas found him.
They climbed into the car, and much too soon they were pulling into the airport parking garage. Peter wasn’t at all ready to let Chad leave.
“So what do I tell people?” Chad asked, lifting his hand to the bite on his neck. “I mean… do I tell them about us?”
“You’ll be treated differently.” Peter parked the car and turned off the engine, watching Chad’s face to get a sense of what he was thinking. “But I don’t want you to hide it.”
That was an understatement. Peter wanted the whole world to know who Chad belonged to. But if Chad really wanted to keep their relationship on the down low, Peter wouldn’t like it, but he wouldn’t object.
“So you’re okay with me telling people I’m basically married to the boss?”
Peter grinned. “Very okay,” he said. He reached out and pulled Chad in for a kiss, nipping at his lower lip before leaning back.
“Do you want to get married?” Peter asked, curious. Getting married was a small thing compared to being claimed, but a man raised by betas might put more stock in it than Peter would. Plus, he sort of liked the idea of calling Chad his husband.
“Are you proposing?” Chad asked, grinning and bright-eyed. Peter’s lips curved up in a wicked smile.
“I guess I am. What do you say, Chad Brand? Will you marry me?”
Chad laughed and nodded. “Sure, why not?”
Peter growled, pulling Chad in for another kiss. He licked his way down Chad’s neck, clamping his jaws down on the claiming bite and letting his teeth reaffirm his claim. Chad cried out, grabbing Peter’s shoulders and arching his back.
When they finally pulled themselves together, the collar of Chad’s shirt was bloody and he only had half an hour left to check in.
It was much too soon.
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