For long moments, Micah wasn’t aware of anything but Spike’s warmth pressed behind him, and the jets of come shooting out of his cock.
Then Spike rumbled, milking Micah’s cock for the dregs of his come. He wiped the droplets off onto Kai’s lips, and Kai flicked his tongue out, licking at Micah’s tip.
Kai’s face—there were droplets of pearly-white on his cheek and nose, dribbling down his chin. But he was rolling the rest of Micah’s come across his tongue, his gaze hot as burning coal.
Micah stopped breathing. He’d come all over Kai’s face. And Kai was smiling.
What kind of alternate world had Micah found himself in?
“Fuck,” Spike whispered, hefting Micah against himself. “Come back up, Kai. I want a taste.”
Kai rumbled, getting clumsily to his feet. “Tastes good. Bitter.”
Something crashed further inside the apartment. “What the hell,” York snapped. “Who put all these chairs in front of my door?”
Micah froze. And then giggled, imagining the chaos these brothers had created for his son. “What did you...”
“No time.” Spike grinned, tucking Micah’s cock carefully back into his pants. “Gotta get rid of the scents.”
But before that, he grabbed Kai’s nape, hauled him close, and licked Micah’s come off Kai’s face. Then Spike meshed his lips with Kai’s, his tongue darting into Kai’s mouth in a flash of pink.
Micah stared. This never got old, watching Kai and Spike kiss. But Spike licking Micah’s come off his brother’s face... Micah didn’t know what he felt about that. It was intimate.
A second later, Spike broke away from his brother, a satisfied grin curving his lips. “You think? Like how he tastes?”
“Yeah,” Kai rumbled, swallowing. He met Micah’s eyes, and flashed a warm smile.
Micah blushed. It felt a compliment. And all Kai had done was taste his come. What am I even doing?
All the same, he felt a coil of warmth toward this alpha. Kai had provided comfort, and he’d been funny. And now, he’d seen Micah come, up close. And he’d enjoyed it.
Micah squirmed, embarrassed.
Kai headed for the kitchen doorway. “I’ll head York off. Tell me when lunch’s ready.”
“At some point, Kai, you need to let me save the day,” Spike said. “You need some private time with Micah, too.”
Kai met Micah’s eyes, and said nothing. And that was telling, wasn’t it? He wasn’t refusing it.
Spike did a little victory dance.
Micah’s heart thumped as he watched them. It felt as though Kai and Spike had folded him into their secret. Kai wasn’t judging him; he wanted Micah. And Spike... Spike seemed as though he wanted to stick by Micah’s side, every moment he could.
“I hope you have suppressants,” Spike said with a grin. “And I hope we aren’t spraying it all over the food.”
Micah laughed. “I’ll need help with lunch, then.”
“At your service.” Spike saluted. “For as long as you’ll let me.”
“We’re heading out,” Kai called from the living room. York was grumbling. “See you in a bit.”
“See you,” Spike and Micah called back.
The front door slammed. Micah met Spike’s eyes, finding warmth and affection.
“I don’t deserve you,” Micah murmured, his heart pounding too hard. He wanted to burrow into Spike’s chest. Breathe Spike in and give himself to this man. “You’re... so full of love.”
“And I want to give it all to you,” Spike whispered back. “And Kai.”
It was a pity, wasn’t it, that Kai didn’t return Spike’s affections?
Micah pointed Spike toward the half-diced carrots he’d left on the cutting board, admiring Spike’s eagerness.
Sometime soon, maybe Micah might get a chance to talk with Kai again. And maybe he could figure out how to patch that gap between Kai and Spike.
When that happened... Spike would be so much happier, wouldn’t he?
15
Micah
That night, someone knocked on the front door. York was in his room, and Kai was in the kitchen. Spike was out on a shift at that taco place, but he had keys to the apartment.
So Micah made his way to the door, wondering who it could be.
The peephole revealed one Levi O’Devlin. Auburn hair, hazel eyes, and an omega, fourteen years younger than Micah.
“Hey,” Levi said sheepishly when Micah opened the front door. “I finally remembered to return your book—it’s been a while. I hope you didn’t miss it.”
“No worries, I’d forgotten.” Micah took the worn romance novel Levi handed over. In the years past, Micah had envied this omega. Since Levi was a teenager, he’d always had an alpha. The very same one, who stayed by his side no matter what.
Micah had hired Levi as his babysitter through York’s formative years. He’d witnessed the slow build of Levi and Cole’s relationship back when they were teens. Then the fire had happened—Cole had helped Spike light some fireworks during a backyard party, and the house had been destroyed.
Wracked by guilt, Levi and Cole had broken up. Micah didn’t blame them for the fire, though. They hadn’t done it on purpose.
In the years after, Levi had tried to shove every other alpha at Micah, in the hopes that Micah found someone he liked.
Of all the people in the world... Levi was probably the one who felt guiltiest about the fire, and Micah’s scars. Levi had also known how much Micah craved a bondmate. But none of those dates had worked out, and with every unsuitable alpha, Micah had lost a little more hope each time.
A year ago, Levi had finally gotten back together with his alpha. Micah had glimpsed the happiness radiating from them, Cole giving Levi the baby Levi had always wanted. They’d had a beautiful wedding on a bright spring day, with a little girl riding an airplane down the aisle.
Gods, that wedding. It had been so wholesome, and it had killed Micah a little inside, because Micah didn’t believe he would ever have one himself.
Still didn’t, in fact.
Levi’s nostrils flared. Then his eyes grew wide, and he glanced past Micah’s shoulder. “You have guests?”
Micah cracked a smile, embarrassed. “I have a couple of students sharing the apartment—York’s friends. They’ve just moved in.”
“Oh.” Levi’s gaze dropped to Micah’s neck, and locked on his scent gland—Kai’s bonding mark. “Wait...”
“It was an accident.” Micah flushed, his ears prickling. The bonding mark sat heavy on his skin. “It doesn’t mean anything.”
Except Kai chose that moment to step out of the kitchen, making a beeline straight for Micah. He held a small bowl with a spoon in it, stopping by Micah’s side in a rush of elm.
“Here,” Kai said, meeting Micah’s eyes first. “You said you wanted rice pudding.” Then he glanced at Levi, and nodded a greeting.
Under Levi’s too-eager stare, Micah accepted the bowl. There was nothing wrong with accepting Kai’s gift—Micah hadn’t even expected Kai to make the pudding. Except Kai’s fingers brushed Micah’s as he took the book, his warmth sending a blush through Micah’s cheeks.
“What was an accident?” Kai asked Micah.
“The, um. The mark.” It had been an accident, but it still didn’t feel right saying it to Kai’s face. Micah touched his neck.
“Oh.” Kai blushed, finding the romance novel suddenly very interesting. He flipped through the pages and paused, his eyebrows rising.
Micah glimpsed the word cock. And then he realized it was a sex scene. Kai was reading it. “Gods, Kai. Don’t, uh. Don’t read that.”
Kai glanced up, seeing right through Micah. Yes, Micah had loved those books a little too much. “Okay,” Kai said, closing it.
Micah’s neck burned anyway.
Levi gawped at them even more. Micah avoided Levi’s eyes. He knew Kai was young. He half-expected Levi to say something reproving, except Levi smiled.
“So, you and Mica
h...?” Levi asked hopefully.
“Who and Micah?” Spike stopped next to Levi in the hallway, smelling like onions and salsa and juniper—he’d just gotten off work. And this was probably the most awkward meeting with Levi, ever. “Kai? What did you do? Did you guys kiss without me?”
“I made rice pudding,” Kai muttered, looking away with his cheeks red. He was adorable like that. “Nothing else.”
Levi stared at all three of them. Micah’s face burned. Spike slipped in through the doorway, standing on Micah’s other side. Then he wrapped his arm around Micah’s waist, leaning in possessively. “Both of you look absolutely awesome,” Spike said. “I need a picture of Kai blushing.”
“Shut up,” Kai said.
“Spike,” Micah squeaked.
Spike hesitated, glancing back at Levi. “You aren’t from the college, right? I assumed you weren’t.”
Levi shook his head, laughing. “No, I’m a friend of Micah’s. We’ve known each other for a while.”
“Levi was York’s babysitter,” Micah said, willing the heat to leave his face. “He was there when, you know, the fire happened. Him and Cole.”
Recognition flickered in Spike’s eyes.
“Levi,” Micah said, feeling a little awkward. “If you remember Spike from that time...”
Levi blinked and stared. “That Spike? Gods, that’s... some coincidence.”
Was it a coincidence, though? Spike had said he’d had a crush on Micah for years. Maybe... the fire had led Spike to Micah.
“So you’re Micah’s alpha,” Levi asked slowly, glancing at Spike, then Kai.
Kai hesitated; Micah met his eyes, shaking his head slightly to tell him he needn’t answer. Kai smiled back.
“Yeah, I am,” Spike growled. “I’m staying forever if Micah lets me.”
Levi exhaled in a long breath, looking like the weight of the world was finally rolling off his shoulders. “I’m so glad to hear that. Micah deserves all the good in the world.”
Micah’s heart squeezed. He stepped forward, pulling Levi into a hug. Levi had finally understood that he wasn’t to blame for the fire, and now that he’d seen Micah with Spike and Kai, maybe his guilt would finally fade.
“Go home and share the news with Cole,” Micah said, smiling crookedly. “I know he’d want to hear it as well.”
“Does that mean I’m officially your alpha?” Spike’s eyes gleamed; he touched the small of Micah’s back, slipping his thumb under Micah’s shirt.
Micah’s stomach flipped. He wanted—gods, yes, he wanted. He’d caught glimpses of Spike here and there, the bright, excitable soul beneath his exterior. The man who had seen Micah’s scars, and kissed them all.
Micah’s breath stuck in his throat. He glanced over his shoulder, just to make sure York was still in his room. “I guess you are.”
Spike grinned, throwing his arms around Micah. It felt good, standing between him and Kai. It felt safe.
Micah hugged Spike back, grateful for his affection, and Kai’s nonjudgmental presence. Over Spike’s shoulder, Micah met Levi’s eyes. Levi smiled, bowed his head, and quietly left, his step far lighter than Micah had seen in the past few years.
16
Micah
“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Kai and Spike lately,” York muttered. “What’s up with that?”
Micah froze, staring at the chicken pot pie filling he’d been stirring. Have I been that obvious? “We’re housemates now, so I figured we should, ah, get to know each other.”
Gods, that sounded so questionable.
Last night, and every other night since the brothers moved in, Spike had been slipping into Micah’s bedroom. They’d been getting to know each other, but in a far lewder way than York could possibly imagine. Micah had been religiously spraying scent suppressants all over himself before he left the room every morning.
York frowned as he rolled out some dough. “They’re my friends, not yours.”
“I can’t be friends with them?”
“It feels weird when you’re their friends,” York said. “You’re, like, twenty years older than all of us.”
Micah grimaced. He hadn’t needed that reminder. I know I’m old. “But friendship transcends all ages. Remember the stories I read you about the old beta sitting outside the corner store?”
York peeled the dough off the cutting board, laying it flat in a pie dish. “But that’s a really old beta. Like, eighty. You’re forty.”
“So I fall into a no-man’s land?” Micah asked dryly. “Where I can’t have friends younger or older than me?”
Friends were one thing, though. Alphas were a completely different story. Alphas and omegas came together to form bonds, and mate. And Micah was... not so good for child-bearing anymore. Kai and Spike were still too young to even think about settling down.
“Maybe older friends.” York looked thoughtful. “I don’t know. What do you have in common with us, anyway? Aside from chemistry.”
Micah gave a dry laugh. “Spike jokes a lot. And Kai likes country music.”
York made a face. “Ew. I did not know that about Kai.”
“So yes, we have some things in common.”
“Get your own friends,” York said.
“One day, you’ll find an omega for yourself, and you won’t care so much about who I’m friends with,” Micah told him.
“I’m never finding an omega.” York scowled. “Don’t need one.”
“That’s what you say.”
They fell into silence. Micah stirred more oregano into the pot; York blind-baked the pie crust in the oven. This was something they’d done together every weekend, and thrice a week before Kai and Spike had moved in.
Over the last week or so, Kai and Spike had been helping out in the kitchen, and York had grumbled at their presence.
“If I ever find another alpha...” Micah began, his heart thudding. “You’ll be okay with that, right?”
It was the first time he’d ever admitted to anyone, that he might be seeing someone now. That this thing with Spike, at least... it was real.
York looked askance at him. “How are you so sure he’d stick around?”
Well, there was that, too. “What if I’m fairly sure?”
York stared harder. “You’re actually seeing someone? I don’t smell any alpha on you.”
His gaze dropped to the bonding mark on Micah’s neck, and Micah couldn’t help his blush. He’d been looking at it in the college restroom mirrors. It still felt strange, having Kai’s bonding mark on him. Spike had wanted to leave one, too.
“I don’t know if I’m really seeing th—anyone,” Micah said, catching himself at the last second. “I’m just... testing the waters.”
“I thought you gave up.” York turned away from the oven, scrutinizing Micah. “Last year, when you got back from Cole and Levi’s wedding, you sobbed all day.”
Micah winced. The sort of love that Levi and Cole shared... Micah had witnessed it over the years. He’d been so envious.
For decades, he’d wondered what it would be like, having an alpha think the world of him. And in the nine years since the fire, Micah had felt ugly and unloved and lonely.
Spike and Kai gave him hope. The trail of juniper on Micah’s cock—he hadn’t erased that. He’d kept it hidden away, a secret reminder that he belonged.
“I... started seeing someone again,” Micah said. “A couple of people. It’s not set in stone or anything.”
York eyed him. “Is that why you’re erasing their scents? So they don’t know about each other?”
A laugh burst out of Micah’s chest. That was the last explanation he would think of. “No, that’s not it. I have my reasons.”
York narrowed his eyes. “What if they’re both bad eggs?”
“They’re not.” For a moment, Micah wanted to tell his son, I’m seeing your friends. Spike is my alpha. I don’t know if Kai will be.
The words sat heavy on his tongue.
York l
ooked uncertain. “If you get married, things will get weird.”
“I guess that depends on how you define ‘weird’. But no, I don’t think we’ll get married.”
“Good.” York stepped close, peeking at the pie filling. He grabbed a spoon for a taste, his warmth reassuring next to Micah’s side.
York was... opinionated. He was also fiercely loyal to Micah, growling whenever any passers-by on the street stared too long at his dad. Sometimes, Micah watched his son, and wondered how he’d ever managed to raise such a beautiful child.
Other times, he remembered scrimping and saving, telling York, This is all the food we have, so we shouldn’t waste any of it.
After the fire, most of Micah’s savings had been wiped out by the hospital bills. When they’d first moved into this place, all they had was a mattress on the floor, and a cardboard box they’d eaten their dinners on.
“You make the best pot pies,” York said, stealing another spoonful of filling.
Micah whacked his arm lightly. “If you keep eating it now, there won’t be any left for the pie.”
“Sure there will. You’ll make more.” York grinned.
Micah leaned against him, just savoring these small moments with his son. Before York found out about Kai and Spike, before things changed.
How much time until the inevitable happened?
His heart wringing, Micah pushed the thought away, looking up when the front door clicked shut. A pair of voices floated through the kitchen doorway; Kai and Spike set their things down in the living room, turning on the TV.
Micah’s heart quickened. He wanted to step out of the kitchen, just to say hi. To see Spike brighten, and Kai’s appreciative gaze stroke down his body.
“If you don’t need any help right now, I’ll go chat with them,” York said, meeting Micah’s eyes.
“Sure.” Micah pulled the pie dish out of the oven, scooping pie filling onto the crust. Then he laid the second dough layer over the filling, and popped it back into the oven.
He thought about warm lips on his skin, soft smiles and solid chests. Conversation broke out in the living room.
His Two Alphas Page 14
