Page 39 of Alpha's Sunflower Smiles

As I realised we weren’t in danger, my protective instinct veered from protecting Wilfred from the intruder to protecting him from the floor. I turned to help him up off the floor where I’d basically shoved him off me in my haste to get upright.

I steadied him as he climbed up and brushed him down, and then ran my hands over his arms and torso, checking for injury.

“Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

I cupped his cheek and made him meet my eyes. I’d learned already that he was a sucker for that and I loved giving him what he needed. He looked at me for a second before his whole body relaxed and he leaned into my touch.

“I’m fine. Really. Just surprised.”

I should have taken my hands off him and stepped back but I couldn’t. My body moved almost independently, and I watched my hands slide round Wilfred’s waist and pull him close. I felt his body heat down my side as he pressed against me and the softness under my palm.

I wasn’t sure if I was shaking or not.

It took a second for me to meet my papa’s eyes. His own eyes were round with shock and he asked again, “What’s going on?”

“I think it’s obvious what’s going on, Papa. You walked into my house without warning and found me making out with my boyfriend.”

Papa’s eyes flicked to Wilfred. “This is your boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

There might have been a bit too much growl in my throat as I said that, but my instinct was to make it clear that, yes, Wilfred wasmine. I needed Papa to know it, after so long not being able to tell him.

More importantly, I needed Wilfred to know it.

I knew he didn’t think much of himself and I’d discovered a dozen ways already to make him feel good. It angered me that it was so easy to make him feel special. Wilfredwasspecial. People should have been showing him that his whole life.

As I said it, Wilfred’s body relaxed into me and it was only then I realised that he’d been holding himself tightly.

I’d been right, then.

Wilfred needed to hear that he was my man.

Since Papa hadn’t replied, I made introductions. And I made sure I emphasised how important Wilfred was to me.

“Wilfred, this is my papa, Justin Thompson. Papa, this is my boyfriend, Wilfred Smith.”

Wilfred stepped forward and held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Thompson.”

Papa looked at his hand for just a fraction too long before he finally accepted it. When they dropped hands, I drew Wilfred back against me. I wasn’t sure whether that was to comfort him or to give me the strength I needed to get through this.

Clearing my throat, I said, “Papa, why didn’t you knock?”

“Ididknock. You didn’t answer.”

“Your key is for emergencies.”

He frowned. “Itwasan emergency. I haven’t heard from you in two weeks. You could have been lying dead on the floor.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his dramatics. He could have rung me or, if I wasn’t busy making out with Wilfred at the time, he could have come over and knocked like a normal person. I wasn’t convinced hehadknocked on the front door. Or maybe Wilfred really was just that distracting.

Papa eyed Wilfred. “How long have you been… partners?”

He hesitated slightly before saying ‘partner’ because I’d never in my life heard Papa ever say anything other than ‘omega’ when talking about who I’d be in a relationship with. I wasn’t sure whether it was deliberate or whether he had genuinely stumbled and corrected himself.

---