5. Henry

Henry

" T hen, he invited me to his house for dinner," Henry said, smiling.

"Fuck off." Columbo slowly lumbered down the padded ramp leading from his cage and hopped onto the low, fleece wrapped perch next to Henry's chair.

"Normally, I'm a mess before a first date. Well, any date really. I have to find the perfect outfit and style my hair just right." Henry leaned down and gave Columbo a treat. This was the first time the parrot had come out of his cage. "Now, I'm not nervous at all. I'm excited to see Tomás and get to know more about him. That's all. Isn't it amazing?"

Journey looked up from where he lay on the dog bed next to the perch and woofed softly.

"Fuck off."

"Woof."

"Fuck off."

"Woof."

"Journey Alexander Powell, you better be nice to your new brother." Henry gave Columbo another treat. "That rule applies to you too, Christopher Columbo Powell. Family stands together. That's what Tomás says."

"Here you are." Sam closed the door softly, staying a distance away from Columbo so he wouldn't startle the parrot. Casey gurgled happily from where he was nestled in his baby sling.

"That's Sam and Casey," Henry told Columbo. "They're family too, so be nice."

"Fuck off."

"Woof."

Sam grinned. "Your new house won't be quiet."

"Nope." Henry didn't mind it in the least either. "How was work?"

"Good. I'm happy to be working with Rueben again. The evening shift isn't bad, but dayshift is better." Sam lowered himself to the floor, folding his legs under him. "What time are you going to Tomás's?"

"In a couple of hours. I want to help with the evening chores first."

Sam leaned back against the wall. "Teague had an idea and I fully, one hundred percent support it."

"What is it?" Henry fed Columbo another treat since he was such a good boy.

"We want to include your name on the sanctuary too. As an owner with all the authority and responsibility that goes with that."

Henry froze in place, hand in front of Columbo. "What?"

"Right now, everything is set up with Teague and I as the owners, but you're as much a part of this as we are. Teague is able to take in more animals, because we know we can rely on your help with the daily chores. Hell, you do more than I do."

"You have a full-time job and a newborn," Henry pointed out. "You do more than anyone would expect you to."

"That's all the more reason we need you."

Henry thought for a moment. "I do have money I could put into the sanctuary."

Sam rolled his eyes. "That's not the point. We want you . Not your money."

"Are you high?" Henry side-eyed Sam. "I'm just me. I don't have an education or experience. Nothing worthwhile."

"You helped us when you didn't have to." Sam slid a little closer to them. "You have such a love for all the critters that end up here. That's the absolute most important thing."

A sudden weight on his wrist, made him jump. Columbo scooted awkwardly to his forearm.

"Fuck off." The parrot studied him, head tilted.

"Woof." Journey grinned at them, tongue hanging out.

Sam chuckled. "Perfect timing, Columbo. See what I mean, baby bumblebee? We all need you here. What do you say?"

Henry closed his eyes, savoring the moment. Sam and Teague needed him . They didn't need just anyone. They needed him. Henry Powell. Teague trusted him with his dream. It was frightening, but damn, his soul needed to hear those words.

"Are you sure? Remember, you had to teach me how to make a monthly budget. Do you really trust me?"

"We do." Sam patted Casey's back. "I told Teague he needed to be the one to ask, but I swear the two of you are experts at dancing around one another."

Henry winced. "Yeah, we don't really talk."

"So how about it?"

The joy building in him was completely unfamiliar. Usually, a responsibility like this would have him running away to one of his favorite resorts, desperate to escape the expectations. That's what he'd done when his eldest brother, Sterling, had wanted him to work at their father's company.

I can do this , he thought, amazed. I help them every day and they trust me .

"If you're really sure about it, then yes." Henry fed Columbo a treat and watched the bird bob his head. "It's important to help the animals no one wants. They need love too."

We all do .

Tomás's house was a short drive from where Sam and Teague lived. The small cabin was surrounded by trees, a little red barn, and fenced pasture. Neat flowerbeds lined the steps and walkway leading to the front door. Henry didn't know what kind of flowers they were, but he thought they'd be pretty when blooming. They'd have to be because Tomás had planted them.

"Hey." Tomás leaned against the doorframe dressed in jeans and a loose, long-sleeved shirt. A small dog with white fur danced around his bare feet.

"Hi," Henry ducked his head and focused on the dog. "This must be Mitzy."

"Yeah, she's good with other animals if you think Journey may want to play with her." Tomás

Journey woofed from the pooch pouch Henry wore.

Mitzy froze in her dance, sat on her haunches, and gave Journey a sweet look.

"Do you want to play?" Henry asked, pulling his dog from the pouch. The Pomeranian wore a blue and white sweater to match the occasion.

The two dogs sniffed one another a few times, then trotted off into the house.

"I'll take that as a yes," Henry said, shrugging.

"Come on in. Dinner is almost ready. I made chicken parmesan with gnocci. It's the nicest meal Papa taught me to make."

"It sounds delicious." Henry looked around. "Your house is so cute."

Tomás's cabin was neat and cozy, decorated in warm tones with oversized furniture. There were a lot more live plants than Henry had expected. He eyed an especially large fern that sat next to the couch.

Tomás sighed. "It's too many plants, isn't it? My cousins, Janelle and Zed, are plant lovers and keep bringing me cuttings from their favorites. I don't have the heart to tell them I don't really want any more plants."

Henry covered his mouth, trying not to laugh at the flustered alpha.

"If you think that's bad, look at this." Tomás opened a closet next to the front door. It was full of knitted scarves, sweaters, and caps. Some were done beautifully, but others were complete disasters. "My cousin Ernie is a knitter and is pretty good, but my brother-in-law, Grey, is a mess. They have this whole knitting war going on, so if one of them gifts me something, the other thinks he has to outdo him."

Henry couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.

"Laugh all you want, but remember, all I have to do is mention you to Papa, and the Wilsons will be all over you. You'll have more plants, baked goods, and scarves than you can handle."

Henry snickered. "They just love you."

"They do." Tomás shook his head. "I'm still not used to it. One moment, I'm living in a homeless shelter, trying to find enough to eat, and the next, I have a family and home."

"That had to be a big change."

"It was." Tomás led him to the kitchen. A pot bubbled on the oven, the scent of tomato pasta filling the air. "Have a seat while I finish cooking. There's some wine on the table."

Henry sat down and studied the bottle of wine. It was locally made on an apple orchard. From another of his Wilson cousins , Henry thought, smiling.

"Things are better now," Tomás continued. "I think I could have survived on my own, but Dad and Papa have taught me the difference between surviving and living. I have a good job and a home I own, but growing up the way I did gives me some perspective. I know what's important in life. What will make me happy."

"You're ahead of me. I'm twenty-six and only now figuring out what actually makes me happy."

Tomás pulled on oven mitts and took a pan from the oven. "Nothing wrong with that. Some lessons take longer to learn."

"I like that thought." Henry propped his chin on his fist and enjoyed the sight of Tomás moving around the kitchen. "Do you like where you are, working with Carter and Juan?"

"Oh yeah." Tomás looked over his shoulder, grinning. "They're good friends, and they've taught me a lot. I enjoy helping people and this way I can get paid to do it."

Henry nodded. "I can see the draw of that."

"What about you?" Tomás asked. "Did you always want to work at an animal sanctuary?"

"God no," Henry said, snorting a laugh. He closed his eyes, embarrassed at the sound. Hopefully, Tomás hadn't noticed. "My omega father, we call him papa too, he raised us with certain expectations."

"What were they?"

"To be a Powell is to be perfect." Henry closed his eyes. "Stay composed, don't complain, don't cause a scene. That wasn't enough though. We needed to be more than everyone else too. More attractive, more successful. Wear the most fashionable clothing, have all the right hobbies, and socialize with the right people. People from an approved family. Then, we needed to go to the most prestigious university, have the best grades, and work to make the family company even more successful. After we've accomplished all of that, we need to marry the spouse chosen for us from one of the other wealthy families in our social circle and carry on our family name."

Tomás stared at him, amazed. "Wow. That's a lot of expectations."

Henry snorted again. "It really is. Audrey and I both failed horribly at it too. Papa gets so mad at us." He shook his head. "I can't complain, though. I've never struggled like you. Dad made millions at his company, and Grandfather left all of us trust funds."

Tomás hummed and stirred the sauce. "Money is nice. It's only easy to say you don't need it when you have it."

"People will do insane things to keep it too." Henry shivered. "Money and power. Back in New York… No, never mind. It's really not so horrible."

Tomás moved to the table and leaned over Henry. "One thing I know for sure is that personal trauma comes in all shapes and sizes. Having money doesn't change that. Please don't minimize your hurt just because you think you've had it easier. Pain isn't a competition."

Henry narrowed his eyes. "How did you get so wise?"

"Learned it from Mitzy." Tomás grinned.

Henry couldn't resist the alpha's smile. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Tomás's. The instant they touched, the world faded away until the only thing left was the warmth of the kiss, the unsteady thumping of his heartbeat, and Tomás's sweet scent.

This wasn't normal. Kissing never made Henry lose his mind. He could only hold the thought for a moment before it disappeared along with his reason.

The alpha's hands cupped the back of Henry's head, holding him still as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against Henry's. Fire bubbled inside him, slowly building and spreading through his body.

It had been so long since someone touched him and it had never felt like this. Tomás's touch was reverent, making Henry feel fragile and precious.

Eventually, Tomás pulled away, breaking the kiss with a low moan. Henry watched him in a daze, body burning hotter than it ever had.

"You are addictive." Tomás stood straight, eyes flaming with need. "Pour me a glass of wine?"

"Sure," Henry said, voice raspy. Hands trembling, he grabbed the bottle of wine. "It's, um, been a while for me, and my last relationship was a mess. Well, every relationship I've had has been a mess. What about you?"

Tomás shrugged and took the glass Henry offered. "I've dated a bit, but never anything serious." His dark eyes heated as he stared at Henry. "Never met anyone I was interested in. Until now."

"Hmm." Henry sipped his wine, hiding his pleased smile. "That's good to know."

A few moments later, Tomás set a steaming plate in front of him. "When I moved here, all I could do was focus on adjusting to suddenly having a family, people who cared about me. There wasn't room for anything else. It's been a few years now, and I'm in a good place. You… there's something about you I need."

Henry swallowed hard. "You make me feel like I'm something special. I don't want to disappoint you, but I'm just me. Completely useless except for my money."

Tomás's eyes narrowed. "Someone made you feel that way, maybe a lot of someones, but I think you know it's not true."

Henry sat, quiet and flustered, looking around the cozy kitchen for a moment, gaze finally latching onto the calm and steady alpha sitting across from him, eyes gentle and knowing.

"I don't understand you," Henry said, voice breaking. "You're strong, handsome, and smart with a million people that care about you. Fuck, you're self-aware and empowered at what? Twenty-one?"

"Twenty-two."

"Oh, twenty-two. Yeah, that makes a difference." Henry rolled his eyes. "Why would you want to spend time with someone like me?"

"I don't need a reason." Tomás reached across the table and laid his hand over Henry's. "Listen, some wounds take longer to heal than others. I've felt useless before, stupid and unlovable. It took some time to change that. Don't beat yourself up."

"Your family helped you." Henry pulled his hand away. "Is that why you want to help me? To pay it forward?"

Tomás smirked. "Yeah, I'm not that selfless. First of all, you don't need me to learn how to accept and love yourself. Only you can do that. Second, I want to be the one beside you. To spend time with you, get to know you. Maybe I'm meant to be your person and you, mine. Plus, I'd really like to fuck you. That's definitely not selfless."

Henry laughed hard enough to snort again. "You have such a way with words."

Tomás nodded solemnly. "It's a gift and a curse."

"Teague and Sam are going to make me a partner in the sanctuary," he blurted out. "They trust me. This is Teague's dream and he wants me to be a part of it."

Tomás's smile grew. "And you think you're useless? Clearly bullshit."

"Maybe you're right."

"Now, how about we eat dinner, then go play with the dogs?"

Henry grinned, feeling light as air. "Best date ever."