It was a request, he wouldn't beg and he wouldn't grovel. In the end it was Riley's decision. It couldn't be his own, not regarding a shifter. Even one that was free of pack restrictions. He had thought that it might end up an argument, when he offered the boy sanctuary. It was actually an easier discussion now that the boy left him without choice.
If he'd been breathing, his breath would have caught. Riley used those eyes like a weapon, more because Tao had let him know what a weakness he had for them. His lips twitched and he let out a short, soft laugh. "Did you think he was chained because he was weak? There's plenty of fight in him. Even collared he took a swing at me." He closed his eyes and brushed his forehead against Riley's temple.
"Now, you've tensed up with business again." He rubbed at the back of his neck, over a shoulder.