Chapter 38: Flaw

"Am I?" Liam said back in a low voice. "You keep saying that I'm too good. Can't you point out perfectly good flaws I have?"

Such as him being a jealous prick and too much of a coward to do anything about it. Such as him unwilling to go against his parents in fear that they would take away the life that he built. Such as the fact that he only has eyes for one person, and for a long time, Liam put Mar on a pedestal knowing fully well that they're both on the same level, but the platinum blond alpha viewed his best friend as an unreachable goal. Almost religiously.

"I..." Mar paused for a few seconds, then he broke down in a desperate laugh. "You... What flaws do you have? You're a golden boy, Liam. You're a golden boy, oh so perfect. We didn't even drink, and I sound kinda drunk."

The platinum blond alpha's sky blue eyes looked at his best friend. The dark room only allowed him to see so much, but he could feel everything from the stiffness of slender fingers on his chest and the frustrated pheromones in the air.

"An male alpha born from an alpha female." Those slender fingers cupped Liam's cheeks for the second — third? — he lost count today.

An alpha male who was made out of two alphas, Liam and his sister (and any unborn siblings if their parents want to have any in the future) were guaranteed to be alphas because Dr. Ariel Altenburg is an alpha female who agreed to marry Dr. William Velison, an alpha male from a long generation of alpha males. She took his last name, so now they have a pair of Dr. Velison. The pair of Dr. Velison created another pair of soon-to-be Dr. Velison. An alpha male born from an alpha female is highly sought after, because for some reason people think that their scents are stronger? That can be one topic for Liam to look into later.

Mar leaned down closer until their faces were only a few inches apart.

"No one compares to you." The black haired alpha bared his teeth, but instead of feeling the hostility, Liam's heat skipped a few beats before beating faster as his companion continued, "Strong and capable, very intelligent and preceptive, everyone wants a piece of you. But here you are, underneath another alpha male who isn't really an alpha male. Is that your flaw? You'd let me walk all over you like this?"

"Yes." The word barely came out, and the taller alpha felt heat rushing into his face and his...

Fuck... Why is he getting turned on inappropriately now?

The black haired alpha noticed it, too, and purple eyes went from serious to shocked to embarrassed, and then back to serious in the matter of seconds.

"You think I don't have a flaw?" Liam's voice came out hoarse and gravely, and his chuckle was more nervous than not, but it did its job of lessening the tension between them. With his hands holding his companion tight, his lips opened before his brain could process what he said, "I am obsessed with you, Mar. Since we were kids. I'm fucking wasted on your scent, and ya know that. I... Even if whatever we're having now doesn't work out, I'd still be your friend."

Purple eyes closed, and soon their foreheads touched. Blue eyes widened when he heat heat on his best friend's forehead, even with thick black hair scattered across them and smushed up against their forehead, the heat was still there. It's not a burning fever, but it's the familiar heat of blood rushing to one's face when they're angry or embarrassed or—

"You're too good to me." Mar mumbled once again.

Hot tears fell on Liam's cheeks, and they're not his own. His fingers loosened on his best friend's shirt, instead his arms wrapped around his companion's body again.

"No matter what happens, I'll be here for you." The platinum blond alpha closed his eyes and held his best friend to himself. "I can promise anything. You just gotta trust me."

Their foreheads were still touching until Mar moved and laid his head on the taller alpha's collar bone again. Fortunately, the blanket didn't fall off them. Slender fingers held on to Liam's side, and he took in the scent of vetiver from his companion's hair.

"Sing for me." Mar whispered.

"You know I can't sing to save my life." The platinum blond alpha replied, a small smile came on his face.

"Sing for me anyway." Slender fingers wrapped more securely around the taller alpha's chest.

Even though they're on the fancy uncomfortable couch, they find comfort in hugging each other like this. Liam gently rubbed circles into his best friend's back, feeling the tense muscles relaxed under his touch was satisfying. "What do you want to hear?"

"What do you want to sing?" Plush lips mumbled into the nook of Liam's neck, and the taller alpha sighed.

What can he sing without sounding like a wolf choking on wood and dying? Right...

"You ask me if I will come with you..." The platinum blond alpha's voice was flat, not fitting to sing. He has always been tone deaf, not one for musical instruments nor vocal chorus, but he will do anything for the alpha who's laying on top of him and crying into his shirt. "You whisper in my ear..."

He had chosen the only song he knew the lyrics to perfectly. It's no secret that he's a fan of classical music, and having him sing a poem written three centuries ago isn't a surprise.

"You ask me if I take your hand," Liam tried his best to mimic the melody in his head, but he failed miserably. His parents had a vinyl of the song, and the piano room in the White Pearl Mansion also has one, too. "I have no reason to refuse."

Mar hasn't pointed anything out yet, so he continued singing, "You whisper in my ear—"

"We have nothing in this world to fear." The black haired alpha's melodic voice finished the first verse.

Liam could hear a ghost of a smile in his companion's words.