He knew he was wishing for the impossible but he still felt disappointment tug at him when he woke up in the same room. He sighed before slowly getting up.
He expected Wade to be already gone, probably already signing documents after documents in his office. It surprised him to see him sitting on one of the sofas in the living room, sipping coffee. His brows are furrowed while reading a newspaper. He gently placed the cup of coffee on the coffee table, beside a small brown envelope.
Wade must have smelled him or sensed his presence, but his eyes drifted to him and he slowly folded the newspaper and placed it beside him on the sofa.
“Good. You’re awake,” his voice sounds extra rough in the morning. “Take a seat.”
He gestured to the single sofa in front of him. Klyde quietly sat down. He suddenly feels conscious under the man’s gaze. Wade is already dressed in his smart suit, the suit jacket draped on the headrest of the sofa, while he’s still dressed in his sleep wear. Although he already did his morning routine before coming down, he still feels conscious.
“I already have the contract here,” Wade started, reaching for the brown envelope and revealing its contents. Papers. A bunch of papers they have to sign.
Wade pushed a copy on his side of the table and he stretched to reach them.
This business agreement is made between Wade Ashton Curtis and Klyde Rehan Taylor. The tenure of this agreement is from 12th of Novermber, year 2021, to 12th of November year 2023. None of the party can withdraw the business services before the completion of the tenure.
Description of the business: Merging of the Taylor Inc. and Curtis Inc. and Co.
Details of payment: Both parties should remain married until the end of contract. No third parties should be involved. The agreement should remain between the two to avoid outside conflicts.
SIGNATURE SIGNATURE
DATE DATE
Damn. He really went all out huh?
“Anything you want to add?”
Klyde looked at him.
“How about your rut? What do we do about them?” He asked. He’s not too keen on serving him. He has no problem with his heat, he has been taking suppressants ever since and he plans to continue.
“Don’t worry about that. Unless you’d want to spend it with me?” Wade gave him a questioning look, the answer must have showed on his face already, seeing the amused glint on Wade’s eyes. “Then no need to worry about it. I can just rent a rut room for that.”
Klyde physically had to stop himself from raising his brow at that. A powerful ceo, renting a rut room? That is new.
“Then no. I have no problems with it,” Klyde replied.
“You understand that you can’t tell even your closest friends about this?”
“Don’t have anyone to tell them to in the first place.”
Wade studied him for a moment. Black eyes piercing him. He fought his omega urge to bare his neck, to show submission. “Then we can sign them now.”
Wade slid a ballpen to him. He picked it up, hand trembling as it hovered over the paper. He already got married. He doesn’t have anything to lose now, does he?
And so, with a bated breath, he quickly wrote his name on the paper and signed it. Nothing else to lose.
He extended his arm to hand the papers back to Wade. If he noticed how bad his hand is shaking, he didn’t mention it.
Wade took the papers from him, sliding them neatly back into the folder before standing up.
“If you plan to go to your company today, I got you a suit. It’s on the kitchen counter, the big box there,” he said while shrugging on his suit jacket. He moved to fix the collars. “But if you plan not to go and just get your things from your place, I prepared casual clothes too. They’re on my bed.”
“I’ll go to work. I need to fix my company,” he said as he’s standing up too.
“If that’s the case, can I scent you?”
Klyde stopped on his tracks. He faced Wade again, eyes wide.
“What?”
“You’re going to your company. You will meet so many people there. They’d be curious as to why you don’t smell like your husband,” Wade calmly explained.
“What if I say no?” he asked, not really liking the idea.
“Depends. Do you want them to start rumors? You already have a bad reputation there.”
Klyde closed his eyes, defeated.
“I already wore your clothes to sleep,” he reasoned.
“It’s not enough. We are restoring your company AND your reputation. If you want it to be believable, we should scent.”
“Fine. You’ll do it now?”
Wade only nodded. When he gave him his affirmation, the alpha slowly approached him. He tensed when he put his arm on his shoulder.
“Relax,” the alpha whispered, his hand moved to settle on the juncture where his neck and shoulder meet. “Is this okay?”
He only gave him a small nod.
His breath hitched when he felt his nose lightly grazing his neck, his breath warm on his skin. The alpha gently nuzzled on his neck. His knees almost buckled when he felt him kiss his neck, lightly nipping on the skin. Wade weaved his free arm on his waist to keep him upright. Klyde gripped on his arms tight, steadying himself as the alpha continued to scent him, switching to the other side of his neck to thoroughly cover him. He tipped his head back, baring his neck more, submitting to give the alpha more room. He heard a low hum of satisfaction from the alpha.
He whimpered when he felt a particularly hard suck, he’s sure it will leave a mark. He swallowed down a what seems to be a beginning of a purr. The alpha growled in response, his grip on his waist tightening for a fraction before slowly pulling away. He’s thankful for the distance, he can already feel himself beginning to get wet from slick. He’s not sure if the alpha can smell it, he sure hopes he can’t.
Wade’s pupils are wide, he has a wild look on his face but he distanced himself. He Removed his hands that are still gripping Klyde’s waist and took a step back.
“Now you reek of me,” Wade said. His voice sounds rougher and lower. Almost like a growl. “I’ll go ahead.”
He watched the alpha take the envelope from the table before leaving without looking back. The apartment is covered in silence as he was left alone to wallow on his embarrassment. Only then does he notice the slight spike of the alphas scent left in the apartment. Did it affect him too?
He wills himself to get rid of the pink dusting his cheeks before running up the stairs to his room. What was that?
--
When he arrived at his company, it was almost noon. He’s wearing the suit Wade got for him. The color similar to what he wore in his wedding, the top two buttons are undone as he decided to forgo the tie. In doing so, he’s sure the hickeys Wade left are proudly on display for everyone to look at. He can feel his cheeks coloring from the realization. He forced himself to ignore all the curious stares he got while walking. He released the breath he’s been holding once he’s in the safety of his office. It’s fairly small, especially compared to Wade’s, but he doesn’t need a big office anyway.
He sat on his chair. His secretary entered minutes after, carrying a cup of coffee for him. He gave her a small smile; she tipped her head in a small bow in return before exiting his office.
He sighed as he eyed the pile of documents, he needs to review them quickly so he can get his company back in the running as soon as possible.
He doesn’t know how much time has passed, buried in the work. He was pulled out of his productive bubble when he heard the beeping of his intercom. He pressed a button to hear his secretary’s voice.
“Sir, Mr. Curtis is here to see you,” she said. He looked at the intercom confused, as if it will answer his questions. Why is he here? He did not mention that he will be going here. What’s the catch?
He pressed a button to speak.
“Let him in.”
“Yes, sir.”
A few minutes later, the door of his office opened, revealing his secretary followed by Wade. She gave them both a short bow before closing the door, giving them their privacy.
“What are you doing here?”
Wade cocked an eyebrow at him. His nose flared, probably at how potent his omega scent is in here. Now his scent is permeating the air too, mixing with his.
“Is that a way to greet your husband?”
He doesn’t seem serious with the question, his eyes holding a playful glint. He approached the visitor’s chair in front of Klyde’s table and sat down, eyes roaming around the office. It’s odd seeing him there. The youngest and most powerful businessman in their generation, sitting inside his small office. He sticks out like a sore thumb.
Klyde suddenly feels conscious. He seems to always feel conscious around the man.
“Why are you here, Mr. Curtis?”
“Mr. Curtis? Come on Rehan, we’re married. Call me by my name.”
Klyde sighed. Wade looks playful but he has no time with that right now.
“Why are you here…Wade?”
Wade’s smile grew.
“Better,” he said, fixing his posture. “You said you need to fix your company?”
He nodded at him.
“I assume you’ll be calling a meeting today?” Another nod. “Great! I’ll go with you.”
“What? Why?” He spluttered.
“Why not?”
“But—”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll just watch,” Klyde resisted a shudder at the nickname. “Just think of it as parading me. Parading your powerful alpha husband in front of the board that screwed you over.”
He looked at the man straight in the eye. There is a playful smirk adorning his lips but his eyes are serious.
Wade has a point. But he doesn’t want to seem dependent to him now. He managed to run his company on his own for years. But he also thinks it’s the best thing to do at the moment. Considering how low they all look at him right now. His company crumbling, together with his reputation. An alpha beside him, especially his husband, would shut them up.
Coming to a decision, he reached to press a button on his intercom.
“Louis,” he called his secretary. “Call for a board meeting in 20 minutes.”
He watched the smirk grow on Wade’s face. Right now, he thinks he’ll do anything for his company. Even if it means submitting to an alpha.
The board room was quiet when he entered, but he heard some of them audibly gasp when they saw who was walking behind him. He felt a small tug of disappointment, he hates how they are so open about how they don’t really respect him, especially now that his company is in the brink of danger. They were at least trying to be subtle before. But now that they know they all have power over him, they are all showing him outright disrespect. They were all standing up by the time they made their way to the front of the room. Mr. Wong was standing far back, and he has a suspecting look on his face. Klyde roamed his eyes around the room, making sure to meet everyone’s eyes. He wants them to know that he’s not affected by what’s happening. He hopes his front is convincing, because he feels so fucking terrified right now. He has to physically stop himself from fiddling with his fingers because of how nervous he is. His head turned sharply to his left
Wade did not let go of his wrist until they were in the safety of his office once again. The ghost of his touch leaving a warm sensation on his wrist.“That was embarrassing,” Wade started before he turned to look at him; eyes void of emotion. The door of his office clicked shut behind them.“They won’t take you seriously if you continue to act like that. Was that how you built this company? You look weak and afraid all the time.”That, that hit a nerve.Klyde straightened his posture and bravely met his eyes, blood boiling.“You don’t know anything. You don’t know a thing I did to build this company, so don’t talk to me like that,” he spat out; venom in his voice.“Exactly. I don’t know anything. But with how you acted today, how do you think that looked to me?” h
Everything was like a déjà vu. He woke up to the sound of his secretary’s voice calling his name. He didn’t even know he fell asleep. He is hunched on his table, arms on both sides of his head, right hand still holding his pen. His right cheek is squished on his table and he had to hold the papers down as he straightened to sit up. He groaned, eyes squinted as he looked blearily at her, standing in front of his desk. “Yeah?” he yawned. His body feels so heavy. The breath coming out of his nose is warm, too warm. His eyes stings in a way that it does when you have a fever. Fuck, does he have a fever? He stretched his arms above his head, getting rid of the kinks. “It’s past 10 in the evening, Sir. You might want to go home.” He turned his head sharply at that, a bad move. His vision is swimming, the world feels unsteady on his feet even as he sat. He feels like shit. “I’
tw// panic attack, mentions of panic attackHe stared at the note in his hand, contemplating whether he should really go down to eat. Frankly, he doesn’t think he has the stomach to eat as he still feels like shit, refreshed but still shit, even after that shower. But he figures if he wants to recover faster, then he really needs to eat. He sighed. He walked to hang his towel back to its rack, before walking out of his room.Now when the note said there was food downstairs, he kind of expected a take out placed at the kitchen table or counter. Food he can just bring to his room so he can eat peacefully. He definitely did not expect for it to come in the form of Wade Ashton, wearing a black sweater and a pair of grey sweatpants, topped with a baby blue apron.Klyde stopped on his tracks, shocked at the sight that greeted him. This is the first time, ever since they got married, that he saw the alpha in a casual fit,
What he expected to be a one-time thing happened again the next morning, and then the next again, and then the next until waking up to the sight of Wade cooking in the kitchen didn’t look unusual anymore. It’s the fourth day, and now he just automatically slips and perches himself on a stool by the kitchen counter to silently watch him cook. It’s the fourth day of him being absent in the company too, and he’s in constant worry. He wonders how everyone is doing there, what’s happening and their current state. He tried to tell Wade multiple times that he’ll be fine to go to work but the alpha only just looks at him dead in the eye, and it effectively makes him quiet. He huffs every time it happens. He’s also worried for the alpha’s work. He, too, hasn’t been going to his company to work for days now. Isn’t he worried? But then again, he had established his company for years. Wade surely has confidence in his workers, something Klyde lacks, especially now that th
Klyde’s heart is hammering in his chest as he sees the familiar sight of Wade’s building. It’s quite far from his so he had to drive to go there. His hands are sweating on the steering wheel, he took his feet off the pedals of his car as he can’t stop them from fidgeting. He’s been taking deep breathes too, but he can’t seem to calm down.But how is he supposed to calm down, his mind supplies. His husband, contract husband, just called him to inform him that his pack wanted to meet him! How is he supposed to calm down?!Packs aren’t really that common nowadays, but not rare either. Wolves evolved from living in packs to carrying on their own. Packs are not necessarily supposed to be family related; it’s usually just made up of wolves who find deep connections with each other. Klyde never had a pack, his family doesn’t count. So, he’s freaking out with the thought of meeting one toda
The waiter poured them wine as soon as they sat on the table. The chattering of Wade’s packmates is a nice comfort to Klyde. They’re in a nearby restaurant for lunch. The pack insisted on taking them to lunch as a “compensation”—their words, for not telling them about their marriage sooner. Wade tried to escape but his attempts were futile as they quite practically dragged the two of them outside. So now there they are. “Do they have pasta?” Aien asked out loud to no one in particular, he’s scanning the menu. “Of course, they do,” came Kez’s quick reply. He said it with a roll of his eyes.“What kind of restaurant doesn’t serve pasta?” Aien scrunched his nose. “It’s my first time here.” “That’s because you don’t go out of your apartment. Explore the world, pup.” Klyde chuckled at the brothers’ bickering, the rest of the p
Frankly, Klyde never thought he’ll meet the pack again, or at least one of them. But he should have known when he met them for the first time that the bunch were stubborn. Of course, they’ll meet again, it’s inevitable. It was totally unexpected. He carried on with his life, pushing the memory of meeting the pack at the back of his head and once again buried himself with work in the company. It’s as if the interaction didn’t even happen at all. So, when one day, Aien suddenly quite literally just barged into his office, trailed by his stressed-looking secretary, to say Klyde was shocked would be an understatement. “Aien?” he uttered bewilderedly, surprise coloring his tone as he watched the beta march in his office. Aien’s eyes roamed around the place before it finally landed on him. A big smile stretched on his lips, eyes lighting up at the sight of him. “Klyde!” he exclaimed, walking towards his office table. Lou