They wound up in Lake’s room like they often did, discussing what they wanted to get on the way there.
Davian made the call, and in a scant few minutes, their order was placed.
"We’re not eating in my room," Lake deadpanned.
After eating in bed that morning, he would need to take a vacuum cleaner to the sheets.
"We can eat in min-" Davian was already offering.
"Not in yours either," Lake shut that down, "We’ll eat in the dining room."
Caspian couldn’t believe he let Asher convince him to come over to his club, while he was wearing a sweater in thirty-something-degree weather.
But this was a good opportunity to have a conversation with his mate and they wouldn’t get sidetracked.
"Thank you," He murmured to Keith who held open his door for him, stepping out into the angry sun with a scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face.
It was one thing to let Lake see the marks Asher had left behind on his skin, and it was another to show it off in public.
They went through the back door, the burly guards stationed at the door bowing with a flourish to welcome him.
"Not at the moment, no." They quickly supplied him with an answer.
Caspian walked into the club, familiar with the space. He could find Asher’s office without external help, Peter and Keith going off to do whatever it was that they did.
He doubted that they would need to take him back to the mansion, he would probably end up going back to the mansion with Asher.
The men in front of the door of Asher’s office, parted as soon as they saw him, opening the door for him.
Asher had been sprawled half over his desk like he had been knocked out, but the moment he stepped in, his Alpha shot upright.
Caspian frowned, taking off his scarf as he closed the distance between them. "Are you alrigh-"
Before he could get all of his words out, Asher had him on his legs with a hand up his sweater.
"Asher, wai- mmph." His words were cut off by the Alpha’s lips.
He only broke away from the kiss to rip off his sweater, giving Caspian the opportunity to draw in much-needed air.
"Asher!" Caspian scolded, out of breath with his arms wrapped around himself. "You made a deal with Lake-"
"Not to leave behind any bite marks," The Alpha was quick to say, eyeing him appreciatively.
"Then you’re going to have to wait till we get back home," He said huffily, lips kiss-bruised. "Give me back my sweater."
Asher stared right at him, his cocoa-colored sweater halfway across the room.
His mate had a firm grip around his waist so he couldn’t get off him even if he wanted, Asher’s face distracting him.
His face looked warm and he didn’t even have his fur coat on, his dark red hair sticking damply to his face... his mate looked feverish.
Immediately forgetting about his current state of undress, Caspian reached out to check Asher’s temperature, palm up to his forehead.
"You look sick, baby, how do you feel?" Caspian asked with growing concern.
"A little restless," Asher gritted his teeth, leaning into Caspian’s small hand.
Caspian’s brow furrowed, letting his mate’s hands wander his body as he reached for his phone. "I’m calling Jael, you can’t work while you’re sick."
Asher’s scent wasn’t any different so it didn’t seem to be his rut, he could just be coming down with a fever.
"Sick, yeah I know, he’s home right?"
Caspian glanced down at the Alpha nuzzling the curve of his neck. "He’s not," He muttered, too worried to be properly exasperated.
"He was supposed to be," Jael said bluntly. "Hours ago."
"I’ll take him home," Caspian told the Beta, "You don’t have to rush home."
He hung up and focused on his mate who was starting to burn up right in his arms.
"Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?" Caspian half scolded, trying to take Asher’s face out of his neck.
"Fuck," The Alpha winced like a metal bat had been cracked on his head. "Didn’t want to interrupt your play date."
Now Caspian got off him to go grab his sweater, forgetting his scarf in his haste.
Asher looked mostly fine, if a little feverish and constantly wincing from his headache.
"Lake isn’t going anywhere. Always tell me whenever you don’t feel okay, and I’ll come to get you right away..."
Caspian scolded his ears off as they left for the parking lot of the club, the Alpha barely listening to him as he focused intently on walking.
Caspian would offer to carry him if he could, but all Asher let him do was hold his hand and lead him to the car.
Which only lasted till he was in the privacy of the car, and then he was back to diving under Caspian’s sweater.
Caspian allowed it, there were live-in doctors at the mansion so Asher could get checked right away.
He had told Jael not to hurry back but he had a feeling that the Beta would be doing the opposite of that.
He glanced down at his mate who was dozing off, his dark red hair in his face, uncomfortably curled up on him in the moving car.
Asher usually didn’t stay sick for a long time but he doubted he would be able to join Lake on his shopping trip.
If only to make sure that his mate stayed home to rest while he recovered. He would call Lake when he got home to let him know.
Caspian carefully tucked Asher’s hair out of his face only to have the damp lock of hair fall again.
He had moved to being seated on Asher because that was the only way for the Alpha to hug him like he wanted without the both of them spraining something valuable.
By the time they were making the trip to their shared room, Asher was leaning more of his weight on him, and it made Caspian want to scold him even more.