good practice, then.”
Harper froze, his eyes going wide, and William winced. But when Harper dissolved into hiccupping laughter, leaning heavily against the seat, the alpha relaxed. The laughter turned to tears, and William leaned across to wrap an arm around him, holding him close as he sobbed.
They might have made a mess of things, but they’d go to the ends of the earth to put them right.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Harper drifted to sleep on the drive home, and William didn’t have the heart to wake him until they were parked outside his apartment.
“Harper? We’re here. Let’s get you inside.”
The omega mumbled something under his breath and rubbed at his eyes before peering around blearily. “What? This isn’t Zac’s place.”
“No, we’re at mine.” He waited a moment before adding, “I can drive you to Zac’s if that’s what you want? But I’d prefer it if you stayed here with me, at least for tonight.”
Finding Harper half-frozen as he trudged his way through the snow-strewn city had left a lasting impression. William itched to get the omega inside and make sure he was warm and dry. Dropping him off at Beckett and Zac’s house, for all that he knew the omega would be safe there, just didn’t satisfy his alpha instincts.
“Any place with heat and hot water trumps what I’m used to.”
“Great. Stay right there, I’ll come around and help you out.”
Harper grumbled something about not being an invalid, but William ignored that in favor of donning his coat and getting out. He opened the door to his apartment and returned to the car to get Harper.
The omega blinked sleepily up at him, shivering as the swirling cold wind buffeted his skin. He yelped, coming wide awake when William reached in and picked him up, awkwardly shutting the door before carrying Harper inside and up the stairs. He settled Harper on the couch and hiked the thermostat up before returning to his car. It didn’t take long to gather Harper’s things and bring them up too. He set them on the floor in his utility room, then went into the bathroom and started the water. Next on his list were towels.
He stuck his head into the living room as he passed by. “I’m running you a bath.”
“A shower will do,” Harper said, grimacing as he glanced down at himself.
“You’ve had a long, stressful day. Unless you really don’t want one, I vote bath.”
“With bubbles?”
“Uh-huh. Anything you want.”
“Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries?”
William paused, considering. “The store across the road is still open, I can…”
Harper groaned. “That was a joke, William. Not a serious request. You just swooped in and rescued me from frostbite. A bath and a hot drink are more than enough.”
William smiled softly. “Rest up, I’ll go sort out some towels and things.”
He gathered the fluffiest towels he owned and left them in the bathroom, then went to his bedroom and found some clothes for Harper to wear. He chose his favorite soft pullover—Harper deserved to feel every ounce of comfort William could provide.
The kitchen was his next stop, though he shook his head ruefully as he searched through the cupboards and fridge. In Harper’s absence, he’d been far less diligent about keeping it well stocked. Considering for a moment, he pulled out his phone and did some digging. It didn’t take him long to find what he needed, and he smiled to himself, hoping his plan worked.
When the bath was finally full, he went to gather Harper, only to find the omega making his own way across the living room.
“Water’s ready.”
Harper smiled tiredly. “I don’t suppose I can convince you to join me.”
William was sorely tempted, but the understanding between them was too new, the hurt too raw.
“Not today. Soon, though.”
Harper’s smile grew wider. “Soon. I like the sound of that.”
William wrapped an arm around his waist and walked him to the bathroom, helping him out of his clothes and providing a supportive arm as Harper climbed into the tub. He waited a few minutes to be sure Harper was settled and didn’t need anything before leaving him to it.
“Shout if you need me. I’ll just be next door.”
He returned to the utility room and started going through Harper’s stuff to see what could be salvaged. Anything electronic he set to one side. It would need time to dry out before they knew if any of it still worked. The clothes he divided into two piles—those that could be machine-washed, and those that needed special care. Anything stained badly he separated out as