Chapter 59

One room?

A single bed?

Elwin’s thoughts spiraled into the same suffocating vertigo that had gripped him the moment he realized the parchment in Dwight’s hand was the deed to his family’s estate. Already hollowed out by a grueling day in the saddle, he found himself utterly incapable of clear thought.

Leaning close, Leon appeared every bit as discomposed as Elwin. “Should we seek out another inn?” he whispered, his eyes wide with concern.

Before Elwin could gather his composure, the innkeeper interjected, preempting any hope of flight. “It is market day, gentlemen. You will not find a spare cot in the entire county, let alone a vacant room. Ours is the largest establishment in town, and this is the absolute last vacancy we have. That traveler over there,” he added, gesturing with a subtle jerk of his chin toward a corner table, “just stumbled in after being turned away from two other taverns. He has already resigned himself to sleeping under the stars tonight.”

Elwin glanced at the patron in question. The man sat hunched over his bowl, his face an ash-gray mask of profound exhaustion. The warning was clear: if they walked out now, they risked losing even this meager shelter.

“Well, if you gentlemen are truly averse to sharing,” the innkeeper offered with a look of mild bewilderment, “one of you is welcome to take a spot in the hayloft. Though I fail to see what there is for two grown men to be so squeamish about.”

To a Beta, the delicate boundaries surrounding a male Omega meant nothing; his ignorance was simply a matter of course.

“In that case, I shall take the barn—”

“Absolutely not,” Elwin interjected, silencing Leon with a sharp, preemptive shake of his head.

Realizing the burden of the decision lay squarely on his shoulders, Elwin retrieved his purse and counted out the coins for the room. He turned to Leon, intending to command, “Let us go upstairs,” but the words snagged like dry wool in his throat. Instead, he managed only a breathless, “Shall we… have some dinner first?”

They retreated to an unoccupied table in the crowded dining hall. Despite their ravenous hunger, and though the meal served was surprisingly respectable for a wayside tavern, Elwin could barely taste a thing. Every swallow felt like dry ash. Even as the plates were cleared, Elwin lingered, idly shifting his spoon to feign occupation. Sensing his companion’s profound unease, Leon broached the subject with delicate care.

“Perhaps it truly is best if I sleep in the hayloft, Sir Elwin…”

“No,” Elwin insisted, his tone allowing for no rebuttal. “I told you, I will not hear of it.”

“…”

Steeling himself with grim resolve, Elwin exhaled a long, tremulous sigh. “Let us head upstairs.”

The second-floor chamber was austere but meticulously kept. True to the innkeeper’s word, the bed was generously proportioned—easily wide enough to accommodate two men without contact.

Two of us… in that bed.

“I shall bathe first,” Elwin murmured, his voice sounding thin even to his own ears. To escape the dizzying thoughts beginning to cloud his mind like steam, he hastily dropped his satchel and fled to the washroom.

The communal washroom was cramped, drafty, and thoroughly unfamiliar, but the physical discomfort did nothing to quiet his racing mind. Nothing will happen, he chanted to himself like a mantra. Mr. Leon is a perfect gentleman. Yes, we managed perfectly well before.

He summoned the memory of the afternoon they had been confined together in his personal chambers. For a brief second, the recollection offered a soothing balm—until his traitorous senses recalled the heady, intoxicating scent Leon had exuded that day. Instantaneous tension coiled tight in his gut. Besides, their circumstances were entirely different now. Since that day, they had shared three kisses. True, the first had been a frantic accident, but the fact remained.

An unwed Omega was about to share a bed with an Alpha with whom he had exchanged three intimate kisses. Elwin felt a hot wave of shame at his own seemingly wanton behavior.

Could they truly spend the night together without incident?

A volatile mixture of dread and illicit anticipation fluttered in his chest. With his pulse drumming a frantic rhythm, Elwin retraced his steps. He gathered his resolve and clicked open the door, only for Leon to look up, freeze in momentary panic, and hastily announce that he would go wash, slipping past Elwin into the corridor.

What was that? He looked at me as if he had caught me unclothed.

The silence of the unfamiliar room pressed in, thick and awkward. Out of polite consideration, Elwin perched himself on the very edge of the mattress, though his limbs ached with a profound, bone-deep exhaustion that threatened to pull him into sleep then and there. It was a natural consequence of his sleepless night, the long, grueling hours on horseback, the heavy meal, and the warm bath. His eyelids grew heavy, and he was already slumped at an awkward angle, drifting on the precipice of slumber, when the door creaked open and Leon returned.

“You must be utterly exhausted,” Leon said softly.

Catching the gentle curve of Leon’s lips, Elwin suddenly realized the cause of the Alpha’s earlier panic. Leon stood there with damp, tousled hair, his skin radiant and smelling of fresh water. The sheer, clean sight of him sent an alarmingly powerful jolt straight through Elwin’s core. Flustered and entirely at a loss for words, Elwin scrambled to his feet, any lingering sleepiness instantly vaporized by a surge of sheer panic.

“On second thought, I shall sleep in the hayloft!” he blurted out, his voice cracking slightly.

Leon’s eyes widened in surprise before he dissolved into quiet, musical laughter. “Ahaha. No, Sir Elwin. I certainly cannot allow that.”

Elwin’s cheeks burned a furious scarlet. “Ah… of course. Right. Well, then…”

“Please, sit down. Or would you prefer to lie down?”

The simple invitation sent a fresh wave of heat rushing to Elwin’s face, painting his skin an intense, crimson flush that felt hot enough to combust. Realizing his choice of words had been terribly suggestive, Leon hastily cleared his throat, his own expression turning sheepish.

“Forgive me, I meant nothing untoward by that. Only that you look ready to collapse, and you should rest before the hour grows any later.”

“Ah, yes! Quite right. You must sleep as well, Mr. Leon.”

Yet, despite his words, Elwin remained frozen, unable to bring himself to sit on the mattress. He clutched the edge of the linen sheet, released it, and glanced nervously between his companion and the empty bed. Observing his distress, Leon spoke in a softer, intensely careful tone, his gaze a tender mix of affection and pity.

“If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I can easily pass the night in this chair. Or…”

“No! Neither the barn nor the chair is acceptable,” Elwin interjected, waving his hands frantically to abort the suggestion. Leon had exerted himself far more than Elwin today, carrying the heaviest packs and guiding their path. He had to be utterly spent. “Mr. Leon, please… come lie down as well.”