After their outing at the beach, something between Hiro and Izack quietly changed.
It wasn't a dramatic change. Nor was it the beginning of a close friendship. Rather, the invisible wall Hiro had built around himself had lowered ever so slightly.
The beta no longer met Izack with cold stares or hostile glares every time their eyes crossed. He still wasn't particularly welcoming, but neither did he look as though he wanted to chase the young alpha away at every opportunity.
It was normal. Just how they were before any of the blackmailing, if it could be called that, occurred.
And to Izack, that alone felt like tremendous progress. He found himself relaxing around Hiro again, no longer worrying that every word he spoke would earn him another icy response.
The two men now sat side by side on the balcony overlooking the vast garden stretching behind the mansion. Jin had left for school early in the morning, and Hiro's parents went to work.
