Chapter 9 #3
“Morning!” Nico yawned, collapsing into a chair. “Why does Lan’s door have a ‘Do Not Disturb Or Die’ sign on it? And why does Jaxson look like he went twelve rounds with guilt and lost?”
“Because our dear eldest brother has mastered the art of making Lan run away,” Wei supplied helpfully, sliding plates of eggs across the table.
Xander’s eyes flickered between Jaxson and the empty doorway, something knowing in his gaze that made Jaxson’s hackles rise. “What’s new about that?”
There was something in Xander’s tone, a subtle edge that made Jaxson study him more closely.
The way his eyes lingered on Lan’s empty chair, the slight tension in his shoulders…
it was almost like he was… jealous? The thought triggered another low growl in Jaxson’s chest, one he had to consciously suppress.
“So,” Wei said, “shopping for tonight. Who’s helping?”
“Can’t,” Xander said, suddenly very interested in his toast. “Study group with Tyler and Justin.”
“You mean those two idiots who thought a potato was a fruit?” Nico snorted.
“Better than someone who tried to microwave metal.”
“That was an experiment!”
“In how to burn down the apartment?”
“Children.” Wei’s voice cut through their bickering. “Focus. Nico?”
“Also busy.” Nico attempted puppy eyes that hadn’t worked since he was twelve. “Meeting friends.”
“You have friends?” Xander gasped in mock surprise.
Jaxson watched the familiar chaos unfold, his mind still stuck on the way Lan had looked at him in the hallway—like he was simultaneously the best and worst thing he’d ever seen.
Like he wanted to run both away from Jaxson and straight into his arms. The memory of last night played in his mind again—Lan’s soft gasps, the way he’d trembled in Jaxson’s arms, how close they’d come to kissing.
How his scent had intensified with his pleasure, wrapping around Jaxson like a physical embrace.
Next time, he wouldn’t let Lan pull away. Next time, he’d claim those perfect lips. Next time…
“Looks like it’s just you and me, then,” he told Wei, trying to ignore how his brothers’ eyes kept darting to Lan’s conspicuously empty chair.
“Perfect,” Wei said with the air of someone who’d orchestrated exactly this outcome. “We can discuss why our baby brother is currently attempting to barricade himself in his room.”
“Or,” Jaxson suggested dryly, “we could not do that.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Wei’s eyes danced with mischief. “Besides, I’m curious about this new development. Our Little Fox seems particularly… affected by you lately.”
“Speaking of fun,” Xander drawled, stabbing his eggs with suspicious intensity, “Sofia’s coming tonight, right? Your work wife who’s appointed herself Lan’s guardian angel?”
“She’s not my work wife,” Jaxson growled, his coffee cup hitting the table with more force than necessary.
The ceramic cracked slightly under his grip—another unsettling display of strength he hadn’t meant to exert.
The thought of anyone else claiming a special relationship with Lan—even one as innocent as Sofia’s self-appointed guardianship—grated against his nerves, triggering that strange possessive fury that felt increasingly difficult to control.
“No?” Nico grinned. “Then why does she keep trying to set you up with her friends? And texting you about Lan’s welfare every other day?”
“Because she’s a menace who won’t mind her own business,” Jaxson grumbled. “Like some other people I could name.”
“I feel attacked,” Wei said cheerfully, refilling coffee cups. “Also, someone should probably make a plate for our resident hermit. Unless you’re planning to let him starve, Jaxson?”
The sound of a door opening down the hall made them all freeze. Footsteps approached, hesitated, then quickly retreated, followed by another door slam that seemed to echo through the apartment.
“That would be His Holiness attempting breakfast,” Wei commented. “Should I make a plate for slipping under his door, or will you be handling room service, Jaxson?”
In the bathroom, Jaxson took his time showering, letting the hot water wash away at least some of his tension. He emerged feeling slightly more human, if not any less conflicted about last night.
Dark jeans and a gray t-shirt later, he was almost feeling ready to face the day. Almost. The thought of Lan—and what he’d done to him—still hung over him like a particularly persistent storm cloud.
But beneath the guilt and confusion, a new resolve had solidified. Last night hadn’t been a mistake—it had been the first step toward claiming what was rightfully his. And he would do whatever it took to make Lan see that.
First the shopping, he decided. Then figure out how to show Lan exactly who he belongs to.
Right. Because grocery shopping with Wei’s knowing smirks was exactly what he needed right now.
At least it couldn’t get worse than this morning.
Probably shouldn’t tempt fate with that thought, he mused, heading outside to get the car ready.
Mine, that ancient part of him whispered—not a thought anymore but a certainty, a truth written in his DNA, in the very fabric of his soul. Mine to protect. Mine to cherish. Mine to possess.
And soon, Lan would know it too.