Page 71 of The Feral Alpha

“Not again!” Emmy whispered. “I thought he’d save the sleeping for when he’s got his butt in your bed.”

Rex frowned. “Again? Be... fore?”

“He used to stay up late and sleep on this couch instead of going home.” Emmy sighed and shook his head. “He was so lonely before he found you. Maybe you should wake him up.”

Olson, sleeping on that lumpy, cramped couch in the corner where he’d have to curl up to fit? Rex growled.

“Wait,” Aaren said, sniffing. He glanced at Emmy. “It smells sweet in here.”

Emmy lifted his nose and sniffed, too. Then his eyes grew wide.

They both looked at Rex.

Rex stared blankly back at them. Olson had been smelling sweeter for a while now. “Bad?”

Emmy shook his head, opening his mouth to answer.

Instead, Aaren clapped his chubby hand over Emmy’s face. “I think Olson should tell you himself.”

They looked at Olson again. Then Aaren took Emmy’s arm and led him out of the office.

Rex shut the door, gently scooping Olson off the desk.

Olson stirred in his arms. “Mmmph?”

“Olson sick?” Rex growled.

“Wha’s going on?” Olson mumbled.

Rex sat them both on the couch, Olson cradled in his lap. “No text,” Rex said, thinking back to how Emmy and Aaren had known something he didn’t. “Olson sleep. Why? Sick?”

Olson rubbed his eyes blearily. “I feel... so tired.” He leaned heavily into Rex’s shoulder, his eyelids drooping again. “Damn it. I... I have a shift, don’t I? What time is it?”

He couldn’t work like this. He looked like he’d fall over if Rex let him stand up.

“Go home,” Rex growled.

“But the bar...”

“Olson rest. Need rest.”

“But...”

Rex kissed him on the lips. He stood and lay Olson on the couch, scowling. “Sleep. I fix.”

Olson scowled back, but he didn’t attempt to stand. He was feeling really terrible, then. “What’re you going to do?”

“Fix.” Rex left the office and went to the kitchen, where he found Emmy and Aaren whispering between themselves. “Need.”

Emmy looked up, all bright eyed. “What do you need?”

Rex gestured to the space behind the bar. “Night. No Olson. Need.”

Aaren’s eyes lit up in understanding. “You want someone to replace Olson at the bar?”

Rex nodded.

“I think this counts as an emergency,” Emmy said. “We’ll find someone to take over for tonight.”