Liam took an entire second to compose himself, put down his toast and grinned at Mr. Aster. A faint hint of sage started to fill the air, but the platinum blond alpha didn't back down. So, the older alpha is using pheromones, huh?
"What about me and your son, Mr. Aster?" His smile matched his tone of voice, casual and playful. The Aster family patriarch lifted an eyebrow at him, but Liam wasn't deterred by the judgement.
Mar hasn't told him that he wanted their relationship to be public, and yet here they are. Has Mr. Aster suspected something? Hopefully he didn't...
"Liam..." Mar's voice was neutral, warning him to not talk any further.
"Alright." The platinum blond alpha opened his lips slightly. His blue eyes met his best friend's purple ones before they moved back to the menacing gray of the Aster family patriarch. "You tell him, Mar."
"Fine, fine..." The black haired alpha huffed in pretend annoyance. "I took Liam's advice and went into computer science. I haven't made it my declared major yet."
"Oh?" Mr. Aster's frown deepened, but his face isn't one of anger. Huh, he didn't expect that answer.
"Tell him about the paintings ya made!" Excitement laced Liam's voice, and he made it more convincing by gently nudging his elbow against his best friend's.
The black haired alpha gave him a glare, but it didn't last long because both of them easily fell into a routine of stitching up half-truths to survive the situation.
"Right, right..." Mar took in a deep breath, preparing himself for many things he has to say. Mr. Aster didn't take his eyes off his child, and Mar didn't weaken under his father's judgmental glaze. "So... Laura and I broke up. Liam made me realize I lost a lot of touch with myself, so he kinda reconnected me to a few things. Painting is one of them, and rediscovering my love for coding made me want to major in it."
"You look happier in general." Liam pointed his index finger at his best friend's cheek, and Mar slapped his hand away with a laugh.
"Damn right. I didn't think I was that depressed, but I was." The black haired alpha gave his companion a small smile, a genuine one before he turned to face his father. "I don't know what the ears and eyes told you, but I was doing some self discovering, Liam just happened to play a huge role in it."
Mr. Aster didn't answer right away, his cold grey eyes scanned them for a moment longer. Liam didn't let his hesitation show as he continued eating by picking up another piece of toast. Eventually, Mar shrugged and picked some berries from the fruit bowl.
Wasn't the Aster family patriarch who said that Liam was the type of friend who would walk through hell and back for his son? Didn't he consider that his youngest son is lucky to have a friend like Liam?
Sage was still present in the air, but the alpha pheromones were less prominent. None of the younger alphas gave out their own pheromones to entertain the older alpha, so Mr. Aster let out a deep sigh. Traditionally, when an alpha let out his scent in a conversation or an argument, it's to dominate the other party. The two younglings keeping theirs away is a sign of surrender, as if the older alpha isn't worth fighting.
"What are you doing with a degree in computer science?" The Aster family patriarch's tone changed from strict to casual.
"Many things, father. Many things." Mar's chuckle made a smile form on Liam's face. "I haven't chosen a path yet, but it's the direction I'm going."
"You should show him the paintings." The platinum blond alpha's eyes met his best friend's, a little bit of mischief was presented when he said the word.
"I don't think it's properly dried yet." The black haired alpha rolled his eyes, but there's a grin on his face. "I'll find somewhere to hang it."
"Not in this mansion." Mr. Aster contributed to the conversation with a disapproving frown. "Marnette, you're not putting anything up on the walls outside of your room."
Right, the Aster family patriarch cared so much about the appearance of the summer mansion that he lives in three months per year and pays people to take care of while he's gone. Honestly, Mr. Aster doesn't really settle down anywhere for more than a month, not anywhere that Liam knows of, at least.
Most of the Aster children have somewhere they call home, Dyson with his Destiny and his house in another city, Star and her proud apartment, Sieg who has his own basement laboratory, the twins with their own apartment, and Mar living in the apartment next door to Liam in their all-alpha apartment complex, where each room gets an ugly green couch. People can do anything in their own space, but Mr. Aster gave them a reminder that the White Pearl Mansion isn't theirs.
"Fine, fine. I'm planning on taking the paintings back to my apartment anyways." The black haired alpha pouted at his father. Mar could get away with his behavior just because he's the youngest child.
"William Junior," Mr. Aster's voice got to Liam again. "How are you advancing your career?"
"On the right track that my parents had set for me. Everything's going according to plan." Sky blue eyes met cold grey, and the platinum blond alpha gave the older alpha a smug but still polite smile. "Why?"
"There's a proposition I'd like to offer." The older alpha picked up his cup of coffee and began sipping again.
The platinum blond alpha frowned a little, yet he still poked the subject. "What proposition? I don't think I have anything to offer at this young age."
"It's a long term investment, William Junior." Mr. Aster's tone suddenly felt dangerous, sending chills down Liam's spine. "One that your father didn't have enough time to do, but you will. As young as you are, you have more room to rise in your field and build a name for yourself. All I ask is for you to support my cause."
"From a scientific standpoint, I cannot support your cause until I know what it is and what I can do about it." Internally, the platinum blond alpha was screaming. He doesn't really understand what the Aster family patriarch was talking about, but he seemed to have an idea of where the conversation was heading.
Fuck, he's not wise enough for this. Mr. Aster should have this conversation with Meg, not him.
"Again, you're young and you have time, William Junior." A mysterious smile graced Mr. Aster's face. "You will walk the same path your parents have, but better."