Trevor's jaw tightened as he rested his chin lightly against Lucas's hair, holding him close enough that he could feel every shallow breath. He slowed his heartbeat intentionally, syncing with the steady rhythm he pushed through his pheromones, calming the one he had promised to shield.
"I've got you," he murmured, though he knew Lucas might not even hear him right now.
Lucas's body began to ease a few moments later, muscles unlocking one by one under the familiar warmth and scent of his mate. A soft sigh slipped past his pale lips, and then he pressed his face deeper into Trevor's blazer, the fine fabric darkening where silent tears soaked through.
Trevor said nothing. He shifted his hand to the back of Lucas's head, his fingers threading gently through soft blond hair, holding him steady against the world outside this room.
