“What’s wrong?” Spike asked, his pulse quickening.
“I’m not on BC,” Micah said quietly, pressing his palm over his belly. His hand shook. “I just... There hasn’t been a reason to. I can’t believe I forgot.”
Micah hadn’t had an alpha in forever, and... he’d just received two loads of come inside him. Spike forgot to breathe. This wasn’t something he’d planned. What if I become a dad? I’m not ready for it. I’m nineteen.
Next to him, Kai looked just as horrified.
“My fault,” Spike said. “If anything happens—”
“Nothing will,” Micah snapped, his body tensing. There was terror in his eyes, and then determination. “Please get out of my home.”
Spike’s stomach plummeted. “But I—”
“No buts,” Micah said, and he was every bit the professor in control at that moment. “Out.”
Spike could almost see Micah yanking his guard back up, tall iron walls that... hid someone very vulnerable behind.
Micah pointed at his bedroom door. Spike strode forward, and hauled Micah Davis against himself, pulling him into a tight hug.
The professor gasped and tensed. Spike pressed his lips to Micah’s forehead, stroking his palm down Micah’s back.
“I promise I’ll be responsible for anything that happens,” Spike whispered, his instincts rumbling in his chest. Mine. “I know I’m young and stupid and I’m not the alpha you deserve. But if you get pregnant, I’ll do everything I can to help.”
Micah sucked in a slow, trembling breath. For a moment, he relaxed against Spike’s chest. Like he needed somebody. He breathed, and Spike kissed his temple, just holding him.
Micah Davis felt right in his arms.
Then Micah withdrew into himself, pulling away. Spike let him go.
“Out,” Micah said, looking at his dresser. “Thanks for tonight. For what it’s worth... we won’t speak about this again. It’ll have no bearing on your schoolwork.”
“Yeah, that was never the point,” Kai said, circling his fingers around Spike’s arm. “Sorry. You know where to find us if you need help. We’ll get out of your hair for now.”
It felt wrong, leaving him. Spike had held Micah when he trembled, Spike had seen his expression completely open, hungry, scrunched up when he came.
Micah had been everything Spike had dreamed about, and then more. Spike didn’t want to let him go.
Kai tugged on his arm. He had a point.
Unwillingly, Spike followed Kai out of Micah’s bedroom, tucking his cock back into his pants.
The hallway smelled like musk and hints of elm and juniper. Further out in the living room, York was slumped back against the couch, tossing back a bottle of beer.
Spike tensed. Had York heard them fucking his dad?
“Hey,” Kai said, ever so calm. “Been home long?”
York blinked, his eyes half-focused. “Where’d you go? We still have... have that thing...”
“We’ll work on the project tomorrow,” Spike said, breathing out a sigh of relief. York hadn’t heard. That was all they needed. “Don’t get too drunk.”
York hiccupped. Spike grabbed a couple of unopened beers from York’s case, and slipped them into his backpack. Gods knew he and Kai needed a drink, after tonight. Kai rolled his eyes.
Then they were out of the apartment, and Spike still didn’t know what to make of what just happened.
Pros: he’d gotten to kiss Micah Davis. Hell, he’d been inside Micah, he’d marked Micah with his come, and Micah’s skin with his own scent. He’d called the professor by his name.
He’d seen Micah’s pleasure when he’d taken Kai’s cock—that had been so fucking hot—and when Micah had come... Spike would forever jerk off to that memory.
Cons: well. Everything else. Kai had left a bonding mark on Micah, and that hurt.
In the car, Spike angled the rearview mirror toward himself, pulling off his shirt.
“Hey—” Kai began, then shut up when he saw what Spike had seen in the mirror: tens of silvery bite scars all across Spike’s shoulder like a pale cloud, but not a single one on his scent gland.
The alphas on their basketball team had teased Spike about the scars. Spike had lied and said he was still waiting for the right person to come along.
They already had, though. It was just that neither Kai nor Micah would give him a bonding mark. Probably ever. He blew out the tightness in his chest.
“You still pissed about that?” Kai asked quietly, turning them down the lamplit roads.
Spike clenched his jaw. “It should’ve been my mark. Or...” Or you could’ve bitten me.
“What’s mine is also yours,” Kai said, looking sidelong at Spike.
“Yeah, and you’ll leave Meadowfall, and find some omega and I’ll never see you again.” Spike knew he shouldn’t get angry. The bite was done. He couldn’t remove it. But he was so tempted to say, It’s not like you’ll love me the way I want you to.
“You know I’m not bonding with anyone else,” Kai said.
Spike scoffed. “At some point, you’ll fall in love. ‘Cuz believe it or not, Kai, that’s the way you are. You care for people. You’re gonna care too much for someone sooner or later.”
Kai clenched his jaw. “I don’t care about anyone.”
“You care about me. And Mom and Dad.”
At a stoplight, Kai looked at Spike for a long moment, but he said nothing.
Sometimes, Spike wished he knew what went on in Kai’s head. They’d been stepbrothers for nine years, but he often only knew half of what Kai thought or felt.
“If you get together with Davis, you’re gonna stop hounding me about finding an omega, right?” Kai asked.
Spike scowled. He’d hounded Kai because he’d wanted Kai to take a closer look at people. Or really, so Kai would give up on omegas and take a closer look at Spike.
That had ended up backfiring—Kai had dated some omegas here and there. It had made Spike so fucking jealous.
“I wish you loved me,” Spike muttered. And then he wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
“I do love you,” Kai said, glancing over.
Spike’s heart almost broke. “If you did, you’d have given me a bonding mark ages ago.”
Kai glanced at him, but he didn’t look surprised. Did he... already know?
Spike flushed. Gods, I need to shut up. It’s a secret. “Not that I want to be an omega or anything. I just... Forget it.”
Kai reached over, squeezing Spike’s thigh. Unlike the other times, it didn’t comfort Spike now. “Davis might not mind taking you as his alpha.”
Spike laughed mirthlessly. Yeah, it wasn’t like Kai wanted Spike, anyway. What else was new?
And it wasn’t like Spike was fit to be Micah’s alpha, either.
“I’m broke,” Spike said, his chest too tight. “There’s fifty bucks in my wallet—I just gave the last couple hundred to Mom. I’m gonna be a liability to Micah. Hell, I don’t even know what to do if we’ve really knocked him up. I need to get another job.”
“I’ll get another, too,” Kai said, his jaw tightening with resolve.
“You need to focus on basketball. And your grades.” Spike scowled. “I just... I hate that I’m the money black hole. You’re helping to pay my tuition. I’m living in your dorm room. I’m using textbooks that your scholarship paid for. I work part-time jobs and it’s never fucking enough.”
Kai pulled into the parking lot of their dorm, braking so hard that the car screeched into a lot. Then he cut the engine and clicked off their seatbelts.
Spike blew out his frustration. Kai reached over, grabbing Spike by the nape of his neck. Then he hauled Spike across the center console of their secondhand car, and Spike blinked.
At first, he thought Kai might kiss him. His heart skipped.
But Kai pressed their foreheads together, those gray eyes boring into Spike. “You know, all you need to do is tell me you’re short on cash,” Kai said.
&nbs
p; “You’re not my sugar daddy, Kai.”
“I’m your sugar brother, right?”
Spike stared. Then he snorted, and a laugh rose up through his chest, easing the tightness there. Kai’s eyes crinkled along with him.
Maybe it was enough, just being around Kai and Micah. Spike should realize when he was being too greedy.
“It’ll be okay,” Kai said. “I trust Davis to tell us when he needs something.”
“He might not.” Spike remembered the professor trying to cover up his scars. Scars that Spike had inadvertently caused.
“Then we’ll ask York.”
“York’s gonna sever our friendship the moment he finds out.”
“What, because we might’ve given him a new sibling?”
That was... horrifying to think about. Spike stared at Kai, his thoughts whizzing by. “So if—if Micah has a baby and if he marries one of us, does that mean we’d become York’s stepdad?”
Kai raised his eyebrow. “Maybe you might become York’s stepdad. Not me.”
“Yeah, because you aren’t staying around,” Spike muttered.
“I’ll pay for anything Davis needs, though.”
Spike elbowed his stepbrother. “That still isn’t the same as being there for him, you know. Micah needs someone.”
Kai cracked a smile. “That’s what you’re here for.”
“If he lets me, I guess.” But if Spike or Kai ever became York’s stepdad... that was fucked up.
The idea was so ludicrous, that Spike couldn’t help laughing again, the ache easing away from his chest. And now he could breathe.
Kai released him, shoving Spike’s forgotten shirt against his chest. “C’mon, we need to get home. I need help with my homework.”
“Ask Micah.” Spike wriggled his eyebrows.
Kai gave him a dirty look. “He might start failing my assignments from now on.”
“Then we’ll need to, ah, persuade him harder.” Spike followed Kai out of the car, rolling his hips. “Did you hear him moan when he took your cock? Fuck, Kai. I want to hear him moan all the time.”
Kai shook his head in exasperation, but the tips of his ears had turned pink. Spike grinned. It wasn’t often that Kai got flustered, but when he blushed, Kai was adorable.
And Kai would be even more adorable with Micah Davis, wouldn’t he? Kai was the alpha Micah needed. He was serious and hardworking. He had a bright future.
Despite Spike’s earlier jealousy, he knew Kai would be the better alpha for Micah.
He caught up with Kai, slinging his shirt over his shoulder to cover up the scars. There was no way he could have everything. So being here with Kai, with Micah Davis’ scent on their skin... that was good, too.
6
Micah
Micah rubbed his thumb over the morning-after pill box, his skin prickling with embarrassment. Across the counter, the pharmacist looked pityingly at him.
Twenty years ago, Micah had done the exact same thing: held a box of morning-after pills in his hands, wondering if he would regret them, too. Except he was far older now, he was covered in scars, and he wore the scents of two different alphas on his skin.
The pharmacist probably thought he’d paid a couple of alphas for sex. On any other morning, she wouldn’t have been wrong.
How had Spike and Kai Ventura even decided to sleep with him? The very idea was unbelievable; no one would find this scarred body attractive.
Spike’s had the biggest crush on you for ages.
Kai had probably said that so Micah would feel better. That was nice of him.
Micah hobbled to the cashier, wishing he’d brought along his walking stick. His leg twinged, grounding him.
This was real. His ass ached pleasantly, and last night, two strong alphas had held Micah, and kissed him.
He blushed, remembering the way Spike had pressed their foreheads together. He’d touched Micah with care, like he mattered. And Kai, well. Kai had been hungry for Micah, all hard cock and demanding thrusts.
Micah gulped, his throat going dry.
This time next week, they’d probably have another omega in their bed. That was fine. An experience like that... Micah didn’t expect to have it again.
How would he look Kai and Spike in the eye when they came to class, though? They’d seen him beg. They’d touched his scars. And between his legs.
Face burning, Micah avoided everyone’s stares at the cashier stand, grabbed a scent suppressant, and paid for that, too. Then he hurried out of the store, ducking into his car.
Back at the apartment, York was still snoring on the couch. Micah had spritzed the scent suppressant all over himself—there was no way he’d let York smell his friends on his father’s skin.
Gods, I slept with York’s friends.
Micah’s face burned. He sprayed the suppressant through the hallway, enough to remove the elm and juniper scents, and some of the musk.
He paused at his bedroom door. Inside, it smelled like Kai and Spike. And their scents had comforted Micah last night, clinging to his skin, surrounding him when he woke.
He couldn’t bear to erase their presence. It had been the most incredible night Micah had had in a while.
So he set the scent suppressant down by his bed, stepped back outside, and popped the morning-after pill before he thought too much about it.
As soon as it slid down his throat, Micah stopped breathing. Did he really want to lose this child? If he conceived...
Kai and Spike had taken a chance with him. Spike had touched Micah with gentle hands. Kai had held Micah against himself. If they gave Micah a baby... the baby would be kind, too, wouldn’t it? It would be strong, and precious. It wouldn’t mind his scars at all.
And regret hit Micah like a punch to the gut.
He staggered to the hallway bathroom, hunching over the toilet. Micah stuck his fingers down his throat, trying to make himself gag.
He gagged. He retched, but the pill stayed in his stomach. Tears prickling in his eyes, Micah hunched over the toilet, his heart thudding dully in his chest.
He was forty-one. Any pregnancy would carry a risk. He should be happy to go without.
But he’d gone years without an alpha—when would he find someone else who would look past his scars? When York moved out to start his own family... Micah would be left alone. If he had a baby...
I won’t have one now.
He sagged against the toilet, tears trickling down his cheeks.
“Dad?” York asked blearily, rubbing at his eyes. Micah didn’t answer. York focused on him then, his gaze sharpening.
“Shit, what happened?” York dropped to a kneel next to Micah, peering worriedly at him.
Micah rubbed his tears away. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
York scowled. “That’s bullshit, Dad.” He swiped at the tears on Micah’s face. “Did someone make you cry?”
Micah shook his head. “I did something stupid. That’s all.”
York frowned. “How would you do anything stupid? You’re a professor!”
That’s the thing, isn’t it? I should’ve known better than to do this with your friends. A dry laugh bubbled through Micah’s chest.
Without waiting for an answer, York pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing his back. “I’m here,” York said, smelling like beer. Micah didn’t have the heart to lecture him about drinking. “I’m gonna protect you.”
“I’ll be fine,” Micah mumbled. “You don’t have to.”
York glowered. “I want to.”
All his life, York had been opinionated. He’d never forgiven Cole, the alpha who had accidentally started the blaze that had given Micah so many nightmares. If York ever found out about Kai and Spike...
If Micah lost York’s respect... what would he have left?
Micah leaned into York, closing his eyes. On any other day, York’s embrace would’ve comforted him. Today, it wasn’t enough. Not when Micah didn’t trust York to stick with him through this mistake.
Not whe
n Micah remembered the heat of two alphas pressed against him, large hands in Micah’s hair, damp lips on his skin.
All night, Micah had relieved those moments in his bedroom. He’d memorized Kai’s touch and Spike’s smile, and their chests surrounding him, their warmth burning through his clothes.
Last night, Micah had felt wanted, and it had been intoxicating.
No more of that, Micah thought, rubbing his scarred hand. I should move on.
* * *
Except moving on was difficult, when you glimpsed those same alphas through the day, stepping in and out of your lectures, their gazes fixed on you.
Micah tried to ignore them, he really did.
Kai kept his distance. Spike sniffed at Micah, and he frowned when he didn’t detect his own scent. Spike had murmured to Kai after that, and Kai had glanced at Micah.
But Kai no longer gave Micah that dubious, judging stare. His eyes held a flicker of warmth now, maybe some trust. Maybe it was because he’d slept with Micah, or maybe it was because Kai had something he could now hold over Micah’s head.
It worried Micah that they were still keeping an eye on him. Surely they’d set their sights on someone else...?
So he avoided their gazes and stayed away. They turned in their group assignment, the sheets of paper smelling like York’s hickory scent, and juniper and elm. Micah shoved that report to the bottom of the pile.
On the following Monday, Micah did a pregnancy test.
The morning-after pill had taken its toll on him. Through the week, cramps had ripped through Micah’s body, and Micah had emptied his stomach into the toilet more times than he wanted to count.
If he’d conceived a baby... It should have been gone. Micah hurt whenever he thought about it.
He flushed the toilet and capped the pregnancy test kit. Washed his hands, set the timer on his phone. Then, ever so discreetly, Micah tucked the kit against himself, and returned to his office.
And now he had fifteen minutes before his next consultation slot—plenty of time for the pregnancy test to be done.
Micah shut his eyes against the too-bright lights of his computer screen, sniffing at the scents of old coffee. He fidgeted with his laptop—at least it was working now.
His Two Alphas Page 5
