Alpha's Quest

3. Hard questions, harder answers

Sam is so happy to be invited over to Sebastian’s place for breakfast. He really does need a housekeeper. There is nothing remotely edible in his own kitchen. And it’s a chance to see Magnus again. The family will be there, so no talking or looking his way. Act normal, Sam reminds himself. They probably all know he’s gay, but nobody has ever called him out on it. His parents are the best when it comes to that. No talking about it and making him feel bad about himself.

The table is filled with leftovers from last night and fresh toast. He’s starting to like it the way Sebastian does it. Maybe a lesson in cooking from his brother is in order? Or Magnus? The guy can cook. They have all experienced some of that last night. But, what Sam likes the most is this relaxed atmosphere around the table. He can see how much this pregnancy has changed Lorry. She’s all grown up and nice for a change. No snarky remarks from her.

Even family can be overwhelming on a good day. Especially with Magnus present and Sam unable to resist glancing his way. He’ll give himself away if he stays long.

“I have to go check on something. Thanks for the breakfast,” Sam smiles at his family.

“Get that housekeeper! We can’t have our only dentist malnourished,” his mother chuckles.

“I’m not the only dentist,” Sam responds. “You said you know someone?”

“We all know Doc Olsen is one foot in the grave. Take better care to eat or move back home,” his father growls. Is that genuine concern?

“I’ll help clean up and then I’m going out. I like this pristine snow you have up here. Flint always looks so dirty,” Magnus stands up. He starts collecting plates and that is Sam’s cue to vanish. An opportunity presents itself out in the hall. Sam slips a piece of paper with his address into Magnus’ hand. He doesn’t say a word in fear of spoiling things. Illusions are not good in the long run, but he’ll see where this leads if Magnus decides to come over.

Sam doesn’t have to wait long. Magnus rings his doorbell shortly after. Now, he braces himself for whatever will come his way. Not knowing is killing him. He invites Magnus to his parlour. It’s his favourite room in this house. Modern interior that flows well with the Victorian era design of the house. Sam pours them both a glass of whisky to break the ice.

“I like what you’ve done with this place. So very different from Sebastian's all original,” Magnus tells him.

“I love Victorian design, but the sofas and chairs are so uncomfortable. I left the dining room and library original. Well, almost. There are new recliners in the library,” Sam explains. The house is a safe topic, but they both know what Sam wants to hear. Getting there is the problem.

“Why are you scared?” Magnus inquires of him.

“How do you know that?” Sam sighs. He thinks he’s good at covering up his feelings.

“The way you sit there is all stiff. Body language is important in everyday diplomacy. You can learn a lot just by observing,” Magnus smiles. “Relax. I don’t bite.”

Sam nods. He can try to relax. Magnus came over. That is a good thing, right? Why does he need to question everything? Relationships are based on talking. So, talk Sam! Getting stuck up in his own head is not good.

“I gave it a thought. Maybe all the alcohol helped last night,” Magnus smiles at him: “I like what I see, but I have zero experience with this. I don’t know how this goes. How is dating a man different from dating a woman?”

“Basically? It’s not. Except that I don’t like flowers. Chocolate in any form is fine,” Sam answers. He is happy that Magnus even thought to ask. The guy is considerate.

“Do you dress up?” Magnus asks next. Sam knows what he’s asking and he laughs.

“A suit and a tie when I absolutely must, but you will never see me in a dress. I don’t do that. No make up, no women’s clothes anywhere. You get what you see,” he answers.

“Well, I like you. But, what happens if I can’t get over this forging friendship stage?” Magnus raises a question Sam hasn’t thought about.

“I don’t know,” he sighs.

“Could you be friends with someone who broke your heart?” Magnus continues. Damn, the guy doesn’t leave anything out.

“No. But, if you do, I’ll have to learn that. You’ll be around because of Sebastian,” Sam answers. It pains him to even think about it.

“What if I desire a woman from time to time?” Magnus asks. Sam likes the easy way he talks about this. Could he learn that? But the questions have merit. It’s important to get things like this out of the way early on.

“That can be arranged. I’m not thrilled about sharing, but I do understand your standpoint in this. Besides, it’s not cheating if I’m there,” Sam chuckles.

“That makes me think you have someone in mind already,” Magnus looks at him sharply. It’s all those little glances that make Sam’s heart speed up. But, they are not there yet. Magnus is just entertaining this idea. He’s not the kind that can make a switch from women to men instantly.

“Yeah. Was Anikka even mildly appealing to you?” Sam asks carefully. “That girl has had a crush on me since High school. If I ask, she’d do just about anything.”

“Even sleep with someone else? Don’t you think that is insulting to the girl? She can’t have you, but you would make her a substitute for you?” Magnus looks surprised. And hearing him say it like that makes Sam think about his proposal.

“Not quite like that. I was thinking in terms of a threesome. And I would ask nicely, not order her to do it,” Sam explains a bit better.

“Order her? She’s a wolf?” Magnus gapes. “How does one notice things like that? Is there a tell? Could I learn to differentiate people and werewolves?”

“I’ll teach you. There is always something, if you know how to look for it,” Sam smiles.

“Is it true what they say about Alpha wolves? You can order people in your pack to do anything and they have to do it?” Magnus inquires. It’s a bit off topic, but Sam understands where the question is coming from.

“Yes. I try not to do it. I was raised better. But in theory, I could order someone to kill himself or someone else and the compulsion would be so strong they would have to do it. Resistance to an Alpha command is futile.”

“You’re not joking?” Magnus gapes.

“No. Wanna experience that? I can make you do anything I desire, but for experiment sake I would order you to do something innocent. I’m not into torture,” Sam sighs. “You see, it’s not just people in my pack. An Alpha can influence pretty much anyone. It’s taking away your free will, making you do something you don’t want to. You still feel everything, see everything. You know it’s wrong, but you can’t fight the command. It can break just about anyone.”

“Alright. Order me to do something,” Magnus nods.

Sam looks at his love interest with admiration. The guy is willing to submit himself to this experiment just to experience how an Alpha command affects people. That can’t be only about curiosity. Magnus is full of surprises. Even sitting there on the sofa, drinking whisky and smiling all innocently. He thinks what to order him to do, that would be just mildly irritating, maybe a dash of unpleasant, but not harmful in any way? His eyes turn to gold and his Alpha voice comes to surface: “Go over to the fireplace, pick up a piece of coal and eat it. Chew on it well.”

He watches Maguns get up slowly. The body posture lets him know he’s fighting the command all the way to the fireplace. But it’s all in vain. There is no fighting it. He has to do it. Sam is looking at the little show closely. He’ll stop Magnus before he swallows the coal. He doesn’t want to give him indigestion.

“Stop! You can spit it out,” Sam orders. He can see the relief wash over Magnus. Eating coals is gross. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t come up with anything better on such a short notice.”

“I understand it now,” Magnus mumbles. “It’s like watching your body do things you can’t stop. You are fully conscious of your actions, but it’s someone else driving your body.”

“I’m really sorry,” Sam says again. “There is a box of new toothbrushes under the sink in the guest bathroom. I know how awful coal tastes.”

“I bet that is an interesting story. I want to hear it when I come back,” Magnus chuckles. The guy looks great even with coal smeared over his face. Sam nods before he hugs one of his decorative pillows close. He’ll need all the strength his wolf can lend him to hide how very aroused he is just for looking at and talking with Magnus all afternoon.