Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

He was insane.

He should never have agreed to Oliver’s cockamamy plan of spending time together to see if they were a triad. Delton was gonna get his heart broken all over again, and he’d have no one to blame but himself.

But how could he say no when it meant getting to hang out with Adar? Which was pathetic and depressing in itself. No one should be that desperate for the attention of someone else, not to the point where they were willing to settle for crumbs. He was worth more, so much more, yet he couldn’t make himself walk away.

Not even when he knew Oliver was wrong. How could they be a triad when neither Adar nor Oliver felt that connection with Delton, only with each other? Delton knew that for some triads, things hadn’t been immediately clear, but he’d never heard of a case where two of the three were convinced they were mates and the third was like an afterthought. The kind of product you added to your shopping cart during checkout because it was only ninety-nine cents, not because you truly wanted it.

So pathetic.

But here he was, getting ready to spend time with Adar and Oliver. The omega had come up with the perfect excuse, and Delton had to give him points for that. He’d told Adar he wanted them to get help from Delton in navigating their relationship, especially with Oliver’s traumatic background. Considering that was what Delton had offered in the first place, Adar had harbored no reservations and agreed.

A knock pulled Delton from his thoughts, and he checked himself in the mirror before opening the door. “Come on in, guys.”

Adar let Oliver go first. He was such a gentleman.

After Oliver had gotten them all some water and put a plate of Yitro’s cookies on the coffee table, Adar and Oliver settled on a love seat next to each other while Delton sat across from them in a chair. It wasn’t lost on Delton how emblematic that was of their dynamic. He’d always be the odd one out.

“I’m so glad you decided to come to me,” he said, pretending they were clients like everyone else. “Your situation is unique, and I think you two have a lot to talk about.”

He ignored Oliver’s pointed look. “Do you have any preference on where to start?”

“I want to talk about Adar’s session with you,” Oliver said, and Delton had to fight to keep his face blank.

“Sounds like a great thing to tackle first. Adar, how are you feeling about that?”

That was a neutral question, right? And his voice had sounded normal too, not reflecting the anxiety brewing inside him. He hadn’t spoken to Adar since. What if the alpha had hated it? What if it hadn’t worked?

For Delton, it had been sheer perfection. He’d loved it so much more than he’d expected, especially the aftercare. Holding Adar like that, being allowed to touch him… His heart had been so full it had felt like bursting, even if Isam had found out the truth. And when Adar had told him he loved the aftercare with Delton, he’d been elated.

Adar cleared his throat as he shot a look sideways as if he wanted to check that Oliver was okay with this topic. “Good. It was perfect. Exactly what I needed.”

Pure adrenaline flooded Delton, and he couldn’t keep himself from smiling. “It was?”

Adar met his eyes, his look so sincere Delton’s stomach swooped. “Yeah. I hope you feel the same because I would love to do it again.”

“Absolutely.” Shit, was that too eager? “If Oliver is okay with it, of course.”

“Oliver is fine with it,” the dragon omega said with a sly smile. “Sounds like a perfect solution.”

“Would you be willing to watch?” Adar asked.

Oliver shook his head. “Not at this point, I think, but I have no issues with you continuing.”

“Can I suggest we label it?” Delton asked. “For clarity of communication, it would help if we could agree on what to call it. My suggestion would be to label it impact play like Adar has. That covers both the underlying need and the fact that it’s a simulation, a specific scene, not a generalized affection for pain.”

Adar’s mouth curved into a smile. “I’ve never met anyone as good with words as you.”

He needed to stop complimenting Delton, or he wouldn’t be able to contain himself. “Thank you.” He took a steadying breath. “Okay, so what you’re saying, Oliver, is that you have no objections to Adar engaging in impact play.”

“Not if it’s with you.” Oliver’s grin was back. How had Delton never realized what a devious little shit the omega could be? Probably because he’d never had a chance to show his real personality. Delton had always liked Oliver and thought him sweet, if maybe a little bland in character. But holy shit, he was showing a different side, one with much more spunk, and Delton loved it, although it scared him a little too.

“If Delton is okay with helping me, I don’t need anyone else,” Adar said.

“Good. That’s settled, then.” Oliver looked almost smug.

“Is there anything else you guys can think of that you’d like to discuss?” Delton asked.

Adar dragged a hand through his hair. “Erm, yeah, I was wondering if… Obviously, I don’t want to stir up bad memories for Oliver, but would it be okay to ask questions? Like, get-to-know-you kind of stuff? I’m not talking about the bad stuff but hobbies and preferences and his family and things like that. I know nothing about him.”

Delton gestured at Oliver. “That’s something only Oliver can answer.”

“Of course,” Oliver said, a little too fast and easy for Delton’s liking.

“You don’t owe him answers,” he said to the omega, who frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s okay to set boundaries with Adar. He may ask things you don’t want to discuss, maybe because they dredge up painful memories or because they’d trigger you into having nightmares or whatnot. Or maybe because you simply don’t like to talk about it. Whatever the reason, you can tell him no, and he will respect that.”

Nothing was left of Oliver’s playful confidence, a stark reminder of how fragile his mental health still was. “I’m not used to saying no.”

“I understand that, considering what you survived,” Delton said gently. “You haven’t had any practice because you were never allowed to say no, which is why I felt I should mention it. I promise Adar will never get angry with you for saying no.”

Funny how he didn’t know the man all that well, but he could state that with absolute certainty. Adar’s sense of honor would never allow him to disregard anyone’s wishes, least of all Oliver’s.

“He’s right,” Adar said, but he was looking at Delton and not at Oliver, something in his eyes Delton couldn’t decipher. Almost like…surprise?

“I will try,” Oliver whispered.

“Why don’t we practice for a bit?” Delton nodded at Adar. “Let’s start with a simple question, one that has no emotional value to it.”

“Okay.” Adar thought for a moment. “What’s your favorite color?”

“Orange. The warm orange of a sunset. It always makes me happy,” Oliver said softly. “What’s yours?”

“Green. It reminds me of being outside, of nature and the color of new leaves after the winter.”

“Mine’s yellow,” Delton said. “It’s such a happy color that it’s hard not to feel joy when you see it.”

“What’s your favorite food?” Oliver asked Adar, whose face lit up.

“Yitro’s chocolate chip cookies. I could eat them all day, every day.” He patted his stomach. “It’s a good thing I get a lot of exercise on the job, or I’d grow fat in no time.”

“Mine’s homemade fries,” Delton said, his mouth watering at the thought. “Lev has this recipe where he cuts them fresh, then fries them twice in different oils or whatever, and then he puts a little truffle salt on them. Oh my god, they’re the best thing ever, especially with his mayonnaise.”

“He makes that himself?” Adar asked.

“He does, from scratch. That’s why it tastes so amazing.”

“No kidding. What’s your favorite food?” Adar asked Oliver.

A flash of something passed over Oliver’s face. It was so quick Delton would’ve missed it if he hadn’t been observing him. When Oliver opened his mouth to answer, Delton held up his hand. “I need you to take a few seconds to decide whether you want to answer that question.”

Oliver’s eyes widened, and he shrunk a little and leaned back against the sofa as if he wanted to bury himself in it, but he kept silent. Emotions played over his face, confirming that Delton had been right. Something was off. “I don’t know how to answer the question,” Oliver finally said. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but I don’t know what to say. Food is… It’s always been a luxury to even get enough to eat, so having a favorite snack or dish wasn’t an option. I’m still grateful for all food.”

His honesty brought tears to Delton’s eyes. Wasn’t it interesting how he could process traumatic stories from patients with relative ease, staying emotionally disconnected, but this simple statement hit him so hard? “You come at it from a different angle than Adar and me. I hope you know you’re allowed to have favorites now…and to not like something. I hate avocado, for example. Absolutely detest it. Its taste, the texture, everything. And that’s okay. No one here is offended that I don’t want to eat it. So maybe take some time to figure out which foods you love and which you don’t.”

“I don’t think you like carrots,” Adar said. “We were eating a salad with carrots the other day, and you winced when you ate them.”

More proof of how closely Adar was watching Oliver.

“You’re right.” Oliver sat up a little straighter. “I don’t like them.”

“See? That’s a great start,” Delton said.

“And by the way, I hate avocado too,” Adar said to Delton. “It looks and tastes like snot if you ask me.”

“Glad I’m not the only one. Oliver, is there a question you’d like to ask Adar?”

Oliver took his time. “What do you like to do?”

“You mean hobbies?”

Oliver nodded.

Adar scratched his beard. “Working out is one thing. A couple of us built an outdoor workout circuit at the edge of the forest, and I love to spend time there.”

“When?” Oliver asked, voicing the same question Delton had. With Adar either sleeping, working, or watching Oliver, what time did he have left for working out? Or for any hobbies, for that matter.

“I haven’t been able to go a lot lately.” Adar shifted in his seat. “But that’s okay.”

“Because of me,” Oliver said.

“Well, not because of you, as in that it’s your fault. It was my choice to guard you, and it still is.”

“You don’t need to always watch me.”

A heavy silence fell, and Delton held his breath. Oliver was communicating a boundary, but would Adar recognize it? If not, Delton would step in, but he wanted to give the alpha the chance to react first.

“You don’t want me to watch you?” Adar sounded hurt, though he was trying to mask it.

Oliver shook his head. “That’s not… You make me feel safe. But you don’t have to do it all the time. It’s okay to take time for yourself as well. For working out or something else you like to do.”

Adar took his time to process that. “Okay. I don’t like it, but I hear what you’re saying.”

Delton wanted to kiss him for that perfect answer. Well, he wanted to kiss him, period, but in this case, he was just so happy Adar had shown he understood what Oliver was communicating.

Oliver raised his chin and looked at Adar. “I can’t be your whole world, your whole life. You need something more than just me.”

Holy mother of everything, he was dishing out truths, wasn’t he? Delton suspected Oliver hadn’t said that out of concern for Adar’s lack of personal time but because he wanted Adar to consider Delton as a potential third partner. However, that didn’t diminish the truth of his statement. Adar’s obsession with Oliver had gotten a little unhealthy, even without taking Delton’s feelings into consideration.

Adar looked stunned, and Delton came to his rescue. “Getting back into impact play is a great first step. That’s something Oliver is not a part of, and it’s something you need to do for yourself. And Oliver’s suggestion of taking the time for your hobbies, like working out, is a good one.”

“So he’s not saying I shouldn’t shadow him anymore?”

The pain in Adar’s question was evident, but in this case, Delton couldn’t choose his side. “That’s something to ask Oliver, not me.”

Adar sighed. “I guess we do need you to help us talk to each other. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” In any other case, he would’ve added that it was his job, but he couldn’t. This wasn’t a job for him. It was so much more, everything so tangled up he didn’t know where to begin unraveling and making sense of it.

Adar turned toward Oliver. “You’re not saying you don’t want me around?”

Oliver shook his head firmly. “I like knowing you’re near, that you keep me safe. But I don’t like that you only spend time with me. You need time for yourself and friends. Friendship is important.”

Relief filled Adar’s expression. “Okay, that makes sense. And yeah, it is, but my friends understood that you took priority. They all have mates as well, so it’s not like they have a lot of time to hang out.”

“Delton doesn’t, so why don’t you do something with him?”

And that was how, a few minutes later, Delton found himself alone with Adar while Oliver had taken off, and they both looked at each other with identical befuddled expressions. “I’m sorry,” Delton said. “You don’t need to⁠—”

God, Oliver had orchestrated this, and he’d done it so cunningly that Delton wasn’t even sure what had happened.

“It’s fine. I mean, I like your company. And Oliver was right that I haven’t done anything but watch him since he arrived, so yeah.”

“I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

A slow smile spread across Adar’s face, and Delton’s stomach wobbled. “Do I seem like the kind of guy who’d do something against his will?”

No, he didn’t. Okay, then. “What do you want to do?”

And if Delton had sounded a little too eager, well, he could hardly be blamed, now could he?