Chapter 23
SWEETY GRENADE
Johnny
Taylor grunted in his sleep, cheek pressed to Johnny’s chest, and Johnny just watched as his eyelashes twitched and his low, rumbling breaths turned shallower.
“What time is it?” Taylor mumbled, wiping his mouth across Johnny’s shoulder when he finally woke up.
Craning his head, Johnny planted a heavy kiss on his mouth—morning breath and all.
“Six.”
Taylor shifted up the bed, leaning on his elbow. His skin was warm with that post-wake-up flush, his hair sticking up on one side. “Is William awake?” he asked, pressing his face into the crook of Johnny’s neck.
Johnny glanced towards the bedroom door, even though it was still closed. “Haven’t heard him yet.”
It was then he noticed his little crucifix that was hanging by a cord above the light switch had been turned towards the wall. The corner of his mouth twitched.
“Tay, did you turn my cross around when you came in last night?”
Taylor snorted, swivelling his head away. “Might have. Didn’t want tiny Jesus judging me while I had my mouth around your cock. I’m definitely not getting into heaven.”
He squeezed Taylor’s bicep, grinning. “It doesn’t work like that, dude.”
Taylor crooned, tangling a leg around Johnny’s. “JP, did you stop going to church because of me?”
Well, out of all the questions Taylor could have asked, that was not the one Johnny had been expecting. Running his tongue over his chapped lips, he said, “Honestly? Yeah, kind of. Our lives were so different when we met, I thought it might freak you out.”
Taylor sniffed, turning his gaze towards the ceiling.
“It did a bit. But I wish you wouldn’t have stopped just to save my feelings.
I…” His fingers drifted up Johnny’s chest and he touched the silver cross around his neck.
“I… I’d like to go with you sometime. With the pack.
N-not saying I’m going to become a Christian.
Fuck no. No offence, obviously. But… it looks kind of fun. ”
Warmth flooded Johnny’s chest—not because he wanted Taylor to become a Christian either, but because it was the first time he’d ever asked. “You just want to go to the buffet afterwards, don’t you?”
Taylor sucked his teeth. “Yeah, busted. But the singing and dancing is sick as hell too.”
Laughing, Johnny turned and nuzzled into Taylor’s chest. “Yeah, African churches are more lively than Anglican, that’s for sure. I, uh—” He hesitated, pressing his tongue to the corner of his mouth. “I’ve been thinking about some other stuff too.”
Taylor snaked an arm around him, pulling him in tighter. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Nervous energy twisted his gut. “I don’t… Just that… I might not want to be in the police forever.”
Taylor’s back went stiff, but Johnny just stroked little circles into his hairline, steeling himself.
“How do I put this? I only joined because of you. I thought—fuck.” He drew in a breath, inhaling Taylor’s scent.
“When we turned eighteen I genuinely thought you’d leave.
I thought you’d go off, find some pretty omega and that would be it.
I wanted… I wanted us to stay together, even if it was only at work.
I thought… I wasn’t sure you’d stay with the pack.
But now I look at Maman and Papa, and how they aren’t getting any younger.
I want to help out at the restaurant more.
I want them to be able to spend more time with the kids and each other. ”
Taylor’s mouth was in his hair, and Johnny could feel it working furiously.
Eventually, he let out an almighty sigh and pulled the sheets over their heads.
“Leave you?” Taylor said, cradling Johnny’s face between his hands.
“Leave you? Are you fucking kidding me, dude? I thought you were going to leave me!” His voice was getting louder, so Johnny shushed him, pulling the blanket tighter around them.
“Fuck me, JP. We’re just idiots, aren’t we? Absolute throbbing dickheads.”
Johnny frowned. “Speak for yourself.”
There was a click followed by a creak on the landing, and both their heads popped up from under the sheets. There were soft footsteps as William tiptoed across the landing and into the bathroom.
“Time’s up,” Johnny whispered, running a hand over Taylor’s shoulder. “Time to face the consequences of your actions, mon chéri.”
The morning had been going fairly well, in Johnny’s opinion. William looked happier, smelled better, and they’d even had time to order two home testing kits from the sexual health clinic before setting off to the pack house.
Well, he could safely say that his optimism had peaked too soon, and that taking William to the pack house had been a mistake.
A terrible, should-not-have-laughed-in-the-face-of-danger kind of mistake.
Because even a kilo of sweets couldn’t have prepared them for how wildly territorial two pre-teen female alphas could be.
“Get him out of here!” Gabriella snarled, pacing back and forth across the living room. The effect was ruined a little by her pink bunny pyjamas, Hello Kitty eye mask and silk bonnet flopping all over the place.
Clementine, on the other hand, planted herself in front of Maman with a look of simmering rage.
He and Taylor had William nestled between them, his back ramrod straight and eyes wide as he clutched the sugar hearts to his chest.
“Now, listen—” Taylor began, but was quickly cut off by Gabriella ripping off her bonnet like a knight throwing down a gauntlet.
“I don’t want to listen. I want—”
“Girls,” Maman sighed, stepping forwards to run her fingers through William’s tangled hair, tipping his face up with her finger.
He stood completely still, eyes down and mouth twitching.
Betas were good at that—staying still, making the rest of the world forget they were there as everyone else blew up around them.
“Hello, William,” she said encouragingly.
“Hello,” he replied, voice quiet.
“Don’t speak to her!” Gabriella shouted, launching herself across the living room.
Johnny threw out his good hand, holding her at arm’s length with a palm to her forehead.
She flailed, kicking and grabbing the air.
“Get him, Clem!” she cried, baring her teeth so ferociously it made William step back.
Taylor caught him by the shoulder, keeping him in place whilst Clementine stalked around the edge of the living room. “Don’t you start!” he shouted, pulling William under his arm.
“Girls!” Maman snapped, making the two baby alphas stop posturing immediately. It even made Johnny’s skin prickle, because Maman was nothing if not a pack matriarch.
She let out a long sigh and looked William up and down, eyes softening when she saw the way he pressed into Taylor. “How’re you feeling?” she said, reaching for his face again but stopping when he jerked back.
He didn’t answer, only stared at the floor.
“Would you like something to eat?” she said softly, tipping her head towards the kitchen. “We’re making pancakes, if you’d like some?”
“He is not having our pancakes,” Gabriella growled, trying again to make a grab for William.
Someone cleared their throat from the bottom of the stairs, and when they looked up Papa was there with Marty under his arm.
“I think you’re forgetting someone,” Papa said, kissing the top of Marty’s head. Marty buried his face in Papa’s chest, looking at William from the corner of his eye.
“Yeah! Get him, Marty!” Gabriella cried, waving her arms about.
“William,” Papa began, squeezing Marty’s shoulder as he led him over, “is there something you’d like to say to my son?”
William’s top lip curled back as though he was an alpha, but even then he started to back away.
“It’s alright. We talked about this, remember?” Taylor said, squeezing his shoulder. William shuffled on the spot for several seconds, gripping the sweets even tighter.
Letting out a breath, Marty uncurled himself from Papa’s waist, the hem of his Sonic the Hedgehog pyjama bottoms dragging over the wooden floor as he moved to stand in front of William. Rubbing the side of his neck, he said, “You really hurt my ear, you know?”
“Yeah! You deserved to get punched!” Gabriella growled. Maman gasped and ushered her towards the kitchen.
William swallowed, the click of his throat as loud as his heartbeat. “I’m so—rry,” he mumbled, as though the words were completely foreign.
“Pardon?” Marty said, dropping his head and stepping towards him.
“I said I’m sorry, alright? For hurting your ear. It was shitty of me.” The words were snappy, but his face looked sincere. “I… I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just wanted to play with you.”
Marty narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. “So why didn’t you?”
Johnny glanced at Taylor over the top of William’s head, both of them trying not to smile.
William shrugged again. “I don’t know. Dad said I’ve gotta show people who’s boss.
I didn’t… I wanted to play basketball with you, in your garden.
I saw your hoop and…” He sucked in another breath, eyes returning to the floor.
“It doesn’t matter.” Bending, Taylor whispered something in William’s ear, making him blush furiously.
“A-a-a-a-a-and I think you’re cute. L-l-l-like a baby bunny. ”
“I beg your pardon?” Johnny scoffed. “This was not what we—”
Taylor clapped a hand over William’s mouth. “I said nice and funny. Jesus Christ!”
Marty started laughing, holding his belly as he smiled from ear to ear. “You’re funny,” he said, reaching out to grab William’s hand. “Come on. There’s blueberry and banana syrup. Banana’s my favourite but blueberry’s pretty good too.”
Clementine dropped her head and went to follow, but Papa’s hand flew out to grab her arm.
“Your brother has spoken,” he said, reaching up to squish her cheeks between his fingers.
“I know you don’t like it, baba, but it’s his choice.
Now, go and get your sister and wash your faces.
When you come back I want smiles and kinder hearts, yes? ”