by D. J. Heart
“He was very disrespectful today in front of the academic advisor. I think he knows that I won’t punish him, and he’s taking advantage of it. Could you talk to him, just make sure he knows that he needs to behave even when you’re not around?”
“I’ll talk to him,” Peter promises, wondering what would possess Evan to act out. It can’t have been bad if Aiden is this relaxed about it, but he won’t have Evan abusing the freedom he’s been given in a way that reflects poorly on his alphas.
He’ll deal with it later, once Chad is back, and he’s less on edge.
***
Chad is woken by a knock on his door, making him groan and roll around onto his back. The bed stinks, and he’s got the headache from hell. He knows that there’s a chance that it won’t be Peter standing outside the door, but it’s a small one. Dragging himself out of bed, still fully dressed, he brushes his hand through his hair and rubs his sore jaw as he walks away from the bed. Pausing with his hand on the deadbolt, head pounding, he takes a breath and prepares to face Peter.
The door opens, Peter standing there about to knock one more time. Freezing when he sees Chad, the older alpha looks him over with critical eyes, taking in his bruised face and the dried blood on his neck.
Chad bears the scrutiny, blushing hotly with shame at the evidence of his defeat.
“Are you ready to come home?” Peter asks, voice cool. It makes Chad feel like an unruly pup. He nods, not able to look Peter in the eye, and starts walking past Peter to return his key to the front office and get the hell out of there. He’s startled when Peter grabs a hold of his jacket, pulling him roughly forward and wrapping him up in his arms. Peter holds him tight, hands cupping the back of his head and stroking his back. The hug is warm and comforting, Peter’s bigger body offering the solace Chad needs. He buries his face in the older man’s neck, breathing in the musky scent of him, knowing that this isn’t helping his cause to make Peter see him as a capable alpha.
“I talked with Aiden. He’s going to apologize for his behavior, okay?” Peter says, rubbing Chad’s back like he’s a little kid. Feeling patronized, Chad slumps. Peter isn’t going to do anything more than make Aiden apologize, his desire to put the matter behind him stronger than his concern for Chad’s feelings and pride. If Chad digs his heels in, refuses to go along with it, Peter will berate him for being childish and stubborn, leaving Chad feeling even worse than before. He knows his alpha, and he feels stupid for thinking that this time Peter would have his back. That he would take him seriously.
Pulling out of Peter’s arms, eyes on the floor, Chad swallows the lump in his throat and brushes past Peter’s body. He jogs to the front office to drop off his key, leaving it on the counter without saying a word, Peter blocking the door when he turns to leave.
“Chad—" Peter says, but Chad ignores him and waits for him to move out of the way. Peter sighs and does. Chad hurries into the parking lot, looking for his bike, only to find it gone.
“Your bike is being driven home. I wanted us to ride together,” Peter says, coming to stand next to him. Peter places a hand on his back and leads him towards his Mercedes. Chad bristles at how heavy-handed Peter is being, but he goes without a fight. They get into the car, Peter waiting until he’s buckled up before pulling out of the rundown motel parking lot.
They’re on the highway when Peter looks over, the brief glance loaded. “What happened with you and Aiden?” he asks, eyes turning back to the road.
“I already told you that,” Chad says, playing with the zipper on his coat and avoiding eye contact.
“I mean when you went to his apartment,” Peter says, a warning in his voice.
“Nothing. I tried to start a fight, Aiden knocked me down and sent me packing. It was humiliating.” The shame of his defeat still has him feeling like shit, and he hates that Peter knows about it.
It could have gone worse, Chad knows. If Aiden had seen him as a threat, as a capable alpha, he would have ripped Chad apart and walked away with nothing more than a slap on the wrists. That Aiden didn’t is a humiliation all in itself. He’s glad he’s not dead, obviously, but the knowledge that Aiden isn’t threatened by him, even when attacked, is mortifying.
“He didn’t mean to make you feel bad, Chad,” Peter says, interrupting his thoughts. “He was just kidding around. He’s sorry he went too far.”
Chad snorts. He can’t believe that Peter is falling for Aiden’s shit. That he’s letting the asshole get away with it. If this is how it’s going to play out—again—then Chad needs to check out for a while. Take a break from Peter and get his head around his disappointment.
“I want to stay with my parents for a while,” he says.
“What?” Peter asks, looking at him. “In California? You don’t have any vacation time saved up, and we’re just settling in with Evan… You can’t go to California now.”
“I can’t do this. I think we should take a break,” Chad says, staring straight ahead, stating his intentions more clearly.
“A break?” Peter asks, incredulous. “A break from what?”
“From us,” Chad shoots back, depressed.
“No,” Peter says, sounding angrier than Chad has heard him in a long time. “We’re not taking a fucking break.”
“It’s not your decision.”
“You work for me. I’m not giving you time off.”
“Then I quit,” Chad snarls, hugging his chest so that he doesn’t punch a hole in the dashboard of Peter’s car.
They’re almost home, and Peter doesn’t respond other than to tighten his hold on the wheel, knuckles white and bloodless. He pulls into the underground parking garage, parking in one of their reserved spaces, getting out with an angry slam of his door. Chad follows. He doesn’t want to break up with Peter, but he needs to show the alpha how serious he is. They get into the elevator, neither one of them looking at the other when the doors slide shut.
“I just need some time—" Chad starts to explain, but Peter cuts him off.
“Shut up, I don’t want to hear it.”
Chad continues despite Peter’s angry words, “I need some time for my—"
Peter grabs him too fast for Chad to react, spinning him around and putting him in a headlock. “You’re mine,” he snarls, furious. “Mine!”
Chad goes limp, waiting for Peter to get control over himself. The bigger alpha keeps him pinned until the elevator doors open, the swooshing sound startling Peter out of his aggressive attack and making him step away. He looks apologetic, mouth parting like he’s about to talk, but Chad doesn’t want to hear it.
Peter has no right to treat him like that. Like he’s an omega, forced to stay with Peter no matter what he wants. Chad is an alpha. If he wants to leave, he will.
He walks into the apartment, heading straight for the bedroom. He needs to figure out what he’s going to do, and that won’t happen with Peter hovering over him. Pulling out his gym bag, he empties it out and packs the essentials.
“I’m sorry,” Peter says, standing in the door. “I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that. I—"
“I don’t care about that,” Chad says, closing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. “I’m mad that you let Aiden treat me like shit. Now where’s Evan?”
Peter blinks, body blocking the door. Chad knows that if Peter wants to force him to stay, he would be able to, but he doesn’t think that he will.
“I don’t let Aiden—"
“You do. He treats me like scum, and you just laugh. I’m fucking sick of it. Now where’s Evan?”
Peter looks exasperated like Chad is the one being unreasonable. His arms are crossed over his chest as he struggles to defend his behavior.
“Evan is in the guest room, why?”
Chad shoulders past Peter, walking towards the guest room with determined strides. He tries to open the door but finds it locked.
“Why is it locked?” he asks Peter, frowning.
“He misbehaved, and I didn’t want to de
al with him. You’re not taking him with you.”
Chad tries to make sense of the two statements. Evan misbehaved? He can’t imagine Evan stepping so much as a toe out of line, much less doing something that would warrant being locked away in the guest room. And what does Peter mean Evan isn't coming with him? Evan is his. Peter bought him for Chad. He had no use for an omega for himself, no matter how much he’s grown to like him.
“We’re not leaving for good. I just need some time to—"
“Evan is mine, Chad. I’m the one who bought him. You’re free to go wherever you want—I can’t stop you—but Evan belongs to me. If you want him, you stay.”
Chad feels like he’s been punched in the gut. Evan is supposed to be his. Brought into their home to make Chad happy.
“So that’s why you got an omega? Insurance in case I ever wanted to leave you?” Chad asks, feeling betrayed. Peter frowns, crossing his arms with an angry huff.
“Of course not,” he says. “I got him because I knew he would make you happy.”
They stare at each other, Chad wondering what’s going through Peter’s head. He turns to the locked door, the silence heavy between them.
“I want to bring him,” he says, feeling like everything is falling apart. “Please.”
“No,” Peter’s voice is firm. “Evan stays here. With me. In his home.”
Realizing that he’s not going to win this fight, Chad knocks on the door. He can’t believe Peter is being this much of a jerk. It’s like he doesn’t even know him.
“Evan, can you hear me?”
Peter huffs, but he doesn’t interrupt.
“Hi, Chad,” Evan says, voice muffled by the door. He sounds off like he’s been crying. Chad hesitates, wondering if he can leave both Evan and Peter behind, but he hardens his resolve.
“Can you open the door?” he asks Peter, wanting to make sure Evan is okay.
“Will you stay so that we can work this out?” Peter responds.
“Just open the door, Peter.”
Peter’s jaw clenches shut, his silence stubborn. Chad sighs.
“Evan, I’m going to be gone for a while. I just wanted to say goodbye, okay?”
“For fuck’s sake,” Peter says, voice pitched low, “Would you stop this and just talk to me?”
“How long?” Evan asks through the door. Chad ignores Peter, speaking through the closed door.
“I’m not sure, okay? I’ll see you when I get back.”
“Chad…” Peter says, sounding pained. Chad ignores him, turning and walking towards the front door.
“Come on, Chad. You can’t just run off whenever you get upset. Stay here and let’s figure this out.”
Chad exits the apartment, Peter on his heels, and steps into the elevator. Peter doesn’t follow him inside, standing in the hallway looking frustrated.
“I love you, Peter, but I’m sick of knowing that I can’t count on you to have my back. I’ll call you when I get to California.”
The doors close before Peter can respond, Chad’s stomach feeling hollow as he descends towards the lobby.
He takes a taxi to the airport, calling his mom on the way and letting her know he’s on his way.
***
Peter stands in the hallway for a good ten minutes, hardly able to believe that Chad has left. Punching the wall in frustrated rage, he leaves a hole in the plaster that leaves his knuckles bleeding. It doesn’t make him feel better.
Doesn’t have his back... What the hell was Chad talking about? Peter walks back into the apartment, remembering Evan’s insistence that he doesn’t take Chad’s side when it comes to Aiden.
He goes to the guest room, unlocking the door, crossing his arms and staring at Evan as he sits on the bed. The omega has his legs pulled up to his chest, chin resting on his knees. He looks up when Peter enters the room.
“What did you mean, when you said I take Aiden’s side?” Peter asks, annoyed that he’s even entertaining the idea that Evan was right. Evan blinks, surprised, hesitating before he speaks.
“I just mean… When Aiden makes fun of him or says mean things, you don’t do anything. Or you laugh. I think it hurts his feelings.”
Peter stands still, trying to reconcile Evan’s—and Chad’s—reading of events with how he remembers them. Aiden jokes and teases a lot, but is Chad so thin-skinned that he can’t even take a little fucking banter?
But if Chad feels that way… well, Peter will ask Aiden to stop. To leave Chad alone entirely.
“I’ll talk to Aiden,” he promises Evan. The boy nods, and Peter feels better. Then he remembers what Aiden has told him about Evan misbehaving.
“Aiden said you were disrespectful yesterday when you talked to the advisor. What did he mean by that?” he asks, crossing his arms and making his face stern. Evan freezes, a guilty look on his face, confirming Aiden’s accusation.
“I didn’t think he was being very nice, so I… kicked him on the leg and told Ms. Davies to ignore him.”
Peter honestly doesn’t know what to do with this information. Evan kicked an alpha? And told a beta to dismiss him? This is bad. He stalks forward.
“You kicked an alpha?” he asks, Evan hunching in on himself at the menace in his voice.
“He was being really rude to—"
“I don’t give a fuck what he was doing,” Peter barks, grabbing Evan by the back of his shirt and lifting him up. He sits down on the edge of the bed and manhandles Evan over his lap, bringing his palm down on the omega’s upturned ass with a resounding smack.
“Ow! I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Evan cries, writhing at the sting but not trying to get away. Peter wonders if he’s been far too lenient with this new addition to his household. If he’s been too lenient with Chad.
“If you have a problem with Aiden’s behavior,” Peter growls, delivering another stinging swat, “You tell me. Do you understand? You do not act like a spoiled little brat.”
Pulling down Evan’s pants, Peter spanks the boy harder and harder until his cheeks are glowing red, and he’s bawling his eyes out. Peter gives him two hard swats to each inner thigh, making him scream, before pushing him off his lap and letting him land in a heap on the floor. He crouches down, grabbing Evan by the back of his hair and angling his face up so that they’re eye to eye.
“If I ever get another report like that you can forget about school, do you understand?” Peter forces himself to be hard, Evan’s teary face and devastated expression melting his anger.
“I do. I’m sorry,” Evan says, his face ugly with snot and tears. Peter sighs and lifts him up, holding him up with a hand under his ass and an arm over his back. He reaches up and pushes Evan’s face into his chest, the omega shuffling his nose past the collar of Peter’s shirt to breathe in the comforting scent of his neck.
“Good. You’ve been punished, and that’s the end of it. Okay?”
“Okay,” Evan repeats, arms lifting from his sides to hug around Peter’s shoulders. After a few seconds of Peter rubbing his back, he asks, “Are you mad?”
“Not anymore. I just need to be able to trust that you’ll behave yourself when you’re out in public without me or Chad.”
“I’ll be good,” Evan promises, hugging Peter tighter. Peter carries him to the bedroom and disentangles the boy’s arms from around his neck, laying him face down on the bed and pulling down his pants. He has some cream that will take away the sting on Evan’s ass, seeing no need for Evan to be in actual pain now that the punishment is over.
Evan goes stiff when he pulls his pants down around his thighs, but he relaxes when Peter sits down next to him and starts spreading the soothing balm over his reddened skin.
***
Evan expected the worst when Peter laid him down on the bed and pulled down his pants, but the wet salve Peter rubs into his stinging skin feels wonderful. By the time he’s done, climbing off the bed and rubbing his hands on a small hand towel, the sting is gone—replaced by a dull ache that almost feels good.
“Yes, Sir,” Evan replies, crawling off the bed as Peter watches him. The alpha nods, turning around and leaving the room.
The shower feels wonderful though the hot water stings his ass despite the balm Peter had used, By the time Evan gets out, he feels much better.
So he was punished. It’s almost a relief, knowing just what the consequences of bad behavior were. Peter could have done much worse.
Putting on clean clothes, Evan heads to the dining room to meet Peter for breakfast. He wonders where Chad went, and hopes he’ll be back soon. By the sound of it, Peter has done what Evan feared and taken Aiden’s side, possibly driving Chad away for good.
