"Hello?" Lake asked harmlessly like the Omega hadn’t been steadily raising his blood pressure all evening.
"Are you on the road?"
"Yes, I’m almost at the mansion."
"Do you need me to pick you up?"
"I’ll hang up now, I’m driving." Lake said in a hurry, mercilessly doing as he said he would.
Davian stared at his device, walking back to take a seat behind his desk.
He knew that Lake wouldn’t accept his offer but it didn’t stop him from trying.
He stood up as soon after he sat down, leaving his study to go outside the mansion.
Davian had just spoken to Lake but he felt pulled taut like a string as he waited for the gates to open and for the headlights of Lake’s car to blind him.
It was a familiar feeling, one that hurt like an old scar, a dull blade digging into his chest.
Davian was so distracted by his thoughts that he flinched imperceptibly when headlights blinded him.
He hadn’t even heard the gates be opened, his legs swiftly carrying him down the stairs.
If the men had noticed that he was very clearly waiting for someone, they didn’t mention it.
Just like they didn’t mention the rapid changes that had happened in the mansion over the past couple of days.
Davian walked over to the car to open the door when Lake didn’t make a move to come out, his uneasy feeling returning.
"Get in the car," Lake said calmly, "I’ll drive."
"What?" Davian had to ask, completely caught off guard.
"Aren’t we going out to eat anymore?" Lake cocked a brow with a hand on the wheel, the engine still running.
"Or do you want to change?" He asked generously.
"No, I want to drive." Davian said bluntly.
Lake looked the Alpha square in the face, his big body taking up all the door space.
"I’m driving," He countered, almost petulant. "If you don’t like it, you can get in your own car."
Davian knew to ease up then, having other motives. "I don’t have to drive, I can get a driver, I just want you to take a break."
Lake’s expression soured, because he couldn’t be upset with Davian when the Alpha put things that way.
"We aren’t going very far, call it exercise for the baby. Now get in."
Davian didn’t push further because he knew that Lake completely meant what he said about leaving him behind.
He should probably be ticked off by Lake constantly contesting what he said, considering that as a Mafia King, his word was essentially law.
But all it did was make him think of new ways to convince him.
Davian didn’t want too much, he didn’t think.
He just didn’t want Lake to exert himself, and he would prefer if the Omega remained within his line of sight or within walking distance at all times.
"How did your visit go?" He asked conversationally as Lake backed out of the gates shortly after driving in.
Lake glanced briefly over at Davian, he didn’t expect that question but what was more surprising was that it didn’t feel out of place.
"It went fine, we played games." He found himself spilling.
Lake did plan to tell Davian about Caspian’s upcoming wedding and the role he was playing in it, but talking about playing games wasn’t a part of that.
"You like games?" Davian immediately latched on.
Lake shrugged, "I didn’t think I did, but I was pretty good for my first time so I might be a little interested..."
Davian busied himself with setting up the directions to the restaurant they would be eating at on the maps app on his phone, so that Lake would know where to go.
He listened intently despite this, multitasking with ease.
"Do you like games?" Lake turned the question on Davian.
If Davian was making the effort for their cohabitation to work out better, he could also do the same.
"I used to, as a kid." The Alpha said the last thing he expected to hear.
"Then you got too busy to play? Is that why you stopped?" He said lightly.
"You could say that," Davian agreed, matching his tone.
The restaurant turned out to be not too far off from the mansion, and like a lot of classy, expensive restaurants in Haines, it was partly a hotel.
"Let me help you open your door?" Davian was quick to offer before he even parked properly.
Lake could turn down the offer but Davian looked really earnest, plus it was nice to have someone nicely hold open your door for you.
So he sat back after he turned the engine off, giving Davian his hand after the Alpha opened the driver’s door.
"Thank you," He said politely as he stepped out, a valet materializing from the shadows in the parking lot.
The valet had his attention on Davian but the Alpha had nothing to give him, Lake’s smile slow as he handed him the key.
Davian still held stubbornly to his hand after helping him out of the car and he couldn’t bring himself to pull away.
The valet looked nervous as they walked away, politely bowing to them and wisely staying silent.
"Have you been here before?" Lake asked as they walked up to velvet rope corralled entrance.
"A few times," Davian said dismissively.
"Mafia King Davian," The host approached them as soon as they were let it.
"Will you have your usual table, sir?" He asked like Davian was a regular.
Davian turned to Lake, "Where do you want to sit?"
This forced the host to acknowledge him, the suited man going gray as he took a good look at him.
Lake had gotten used to not covering up his mating mark, and he could practically read the thoughts running through the host’s head right then.
He was a little curious about where Davian usually sat when he came to the restaurant, but he wanted them to have a proper conversation.