Raphael Bruin was sitting in his father’s office, and Adrian was watching from outside, failing to pay attention to whatever game it was he was playing with his niece and nephews. Kya squealed with laughter as Adrian fumbled another race because he forgot which character was his on the screen. 

“You’re supposed to turn right, Uncle Adrian! Right!” She called, using her own controller to show him. Her brother, Matthew, and their cousin Collin snickered and whispered to each other about how they could rig the next race with their Uncle so distracted. 

But Adrian was a million miles away, his eyes drifting over to the office again and again. He was chewing on his nail bed when his younger brother, Jack, put a hand on his shoulder. Adrian looked up to see Jack’s hazel eyes filled with sympathy. “Let me take over. I think Tate and Leah could use your help in the kitchen, with Mom and Dad… distracted.” 

Adrian shot his brother an appreciative smile as he passed the remote off. “Alright, you guys go easy on your Uncle Jack, you hear? He’s always been the worst fourth player.” 

Jack sputtered indignantly, and the snickers that arose from the kids suggested that they were definitely not going to go easy on him in any capacity, but the cheery sounds of the racing game were drowned out by the time Adrain made it to the kitchen. 

Tate, the eldest of the Wild family, was talking to Leah in hushed tones as they fluttered around the kitchen, chopping greens and boiling veggies for the stew. Suddenly, Adrian was pulled back to when they were teenagers—before Adrian had his growth spurt, and Tate was still taller—sneaking around the kitchen late at night to get snacks into their bedrooms. It was strange to think that they were all grown up now, with Tate and Leah having children of their own.

Leah let out a heavy breath, resting one hand on her swollen stomach while the other wiped the sweat off her brow. She had her long, wavy brown hair pulled back into a bun, with little pieces freed around her face for framing. Adrian walked over to her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. 

“Why don’t you sit down, Lee? Give yourself and the baby some rest.”

Leah flapped her hand at him. “I’m barely 20 weeks, Adrian, I’m fine.”

Tate shot Adrian a glance, his eyes rolling slightly. “I could have told you she would say that.” 

Adrian laughed as Leah rolled up a kitchen towel to flick at their oldest brother, but it quickly faded off. Both of his older siblings seemed to take a good look at him then. He may have been the tallest and the broadest of the family, but he was still the baby to the two of them. He knew they would always see him as such—especially knowing he was single, and that having a life partner was something he desperately wanted. 

Tate’s eyes flickered back to their father’s study. He may have been the oldest, but his dream had never been to take over the shop. He was an architect, through and through, and he told their father as much. Leah, on the other hand, put her entire being into art. She was a stay-at-home mom, so she would have time to paint away in her study while her husband worked as a lawyer. That was how the cafe ended up falling to Adrian, who loved the shop as much as he loved his family. 

“Shouldn’t you be in there with him? You are a partial owner, after all.” Tate tried to make himself sound casual as he went back to peeling the potatoes. 

Adrian shook his head, leaning back against one of the counters. “Mom and Dad have always handled the investors. And… they know how I feel about the Bruins.” Of course, they didn’t know how he sometimes felt about Callum Bruin, but they didn’t need to know that. They wouldn’t understand, anyway, being all betas. Maybe that was the real reason his parents hadn’t wanted him present—they didn’t want Raphael to have the upper hand, as the stronger alpha. 

Raphael’s pheromones did not affect Adrian’s parents, but they would affect Adrian. And not well, potentially, since Raphael was more used to using them to get what he wanted. Adrian sighed and ran his fingers over the back of his neck. 

“Didn’t you grow up with that guy’s kid?” Tate asked absently, flicking his hand. “You could have had insider information.” 

Adrian scoffed. “Callum is as much an alpha as his father; he knows better than to let things slip. Trust me, I have nothing. We’re the vulnerable party here, looking for someone to loan us money so the shop doesn’t go under. I’m sure Raphael knows that.” 

Leah hummed, the air in the kitchen turning sour. Tate went back to chopping potatoes, a little too aggressively. “What does a man like Raphael Bruin want with a little mom and pop shop, anyway?” Leah wondered out loud, but she didn’t know that Raphael had a very special interest in their little shop. Not because of anything to do with the cafe, though. 

No, his interest was purely Adrian. 

And Adrian knew it. He clicked his tongue and crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at the floor like it had personally offended him. See, it wasn’t the first time Raphael had loaned money to the Wilds for their business. The first time was many years ago, just after Adrian had manifested, as a start-up loan, so they could get going. 

But it came at a cost. 

The door to the study swung open, and Raphael stepped out, shaking Arthur Wild’s hand. “We’ll be in touch,” Raphael said, smoothing his suit with one hand. The siblings watched in quiet awe, calculating in their heads how much the golden watch on Raphael’s wrist would fetch them alone. 

“Thank you for making the trip all the way here personally, Raphael. We appreciate all you’ve done for our little business.” Arthur’s words were spoken around a tight, lifeless smile. All business, which wasn’t at all the man his children were used to seeing. Adrian understood, though. Seeking investment from a man like Raphael Bruin was not unlike selling your soul to a devil. 

“I pride myself on taking an interest in local businesses, Mr. Wild.” Raphael put his hand in his pocket; the other was wrapped tightly around his briefcase. “You were wise to come back to me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have dinner obligations with my son.” 

“Of course,” Arthur led Raphael to the door, offered one last shake, and watched the other man walk down to where his driver was waiting. 

Once the family was alone, Arthur let out a long sigh. It was almost like that one gesture aged him five years. He turned back to his family, the color returning to his cheeks. “Sorry about the interruption on family night, everyone! It was the only time he was available.” 

“Is he going to do the loan?” Leah asked, worry coating her voice. 

Arthur removed his cap and scratched at the balding spot on his head. “It won’t be cheap. The price of money is different from last time.” 

Because they got a good deal in exchange for something else. Adrian frowned deeply, turning his attention elsewhere in the kitchen. He knew better than to trust a Bruin. It wouldn’t just be money that man wanted—there was some other reason Raphael was interested in what they had. Adrian just had to figure out what. 

***

“You understand what this entails, don’t you, boy?” Raphael’s disarming blue gaze was a lot for a 15-year-old to handle. Even for one that manifested as an alpha. And Adrian was barely 15, and he came from a family of betas, and he was still scrawny like one too. He knew better than to think he had any amount of power over the tall, broad man he was sitting across from. 

Scientists in white lab coats dotted the periphery of the room, some scribbling on clipboards, others inspecting vials or needles. Adrian shifted awkwardly in his seat, his bony pelvis starting to ache from the hard metal. “I read your packet. This is a study for alphas, right? Well, I’m one of those. You can check my records if you don’t believe me.” His voice was still awkward and half pre-pubescent, but he did his best to sound strong and business-like. The same way he’d heard his father when he was managing the factory. 

But he knew his parents dreamed of more. They were doing everything they could to keep Adrian in his fancy private schools. It was Adrian’s turn to give back to them. 

“We’ve already checked your records, Adrian Wild. We know you qualify.” Raphael tipped his head to the side, his eyes brimming with curiosity. “No other alphas in your family to speak of, and yet—you’re here.” 

“You won’t forget what you promised?” Adrian squeaked, embarrassed by the cracking of his own voice. 

Raphael grinned—and for a moment, Adrian could have sworn he saw fangs. “A deal is a deal.”