“Unlike you, I have no intention of sleeping with York’s dad,” Kai said. “He’s the one giving us our grades.”
“C’mon, he looks so good.” Spike licked his lips. “He’s lonely. His hair looks soft. He’s never had an alpha’s scent on him all the times I sniffed.”
“There’s York’s scent,” Kai pointed out.
Spike rolled his eyes. “York doesn’t want any random alpha touching his dad, which is why he marks Davis.”
“And you think York will let you?”
“Davis is an adult,” Spike said. “He doesn’t need York’s permission for anything. ‘Sides, have you seen the way Davis looks at me? He’s gonna moan when I touch him. I just know it.”
“You sure he’ll consent?” Kai looked doubtful. “He could kick you out of his class.”
“I’ve hit on him so many times.” Spike folded his arms indignantly. “And I’ve been watching him for years. I can read him. He’d really like some cock. Maybe two. I don’t mind sharing.”
Deep down, he wasn’t so sure. Maybe Davis might say no anyway. Spike tried not to squirm.
Kai rolled his eyes, hauling Spike out of the dorm. “Yeah, stop drooling and get moving.”
“You unfeeling bastard,” Spike grumbled.
“You know it.”
“I do.”
And there lay Spike’s other secret, the one he’d never told Kai about.
Having a crush on your professor was one thing—alphas fell in love with omegas, and that was a given. But loving another alpha? When he was your stepbrother, and he’d made it clear he wasn’t staying in this town longer than he had to?
When he didn’t care for you as anything more than a brother? That hurt.
It wasn’t like Spike even wanted to love Kai. They’d sort of fallen together after Kai’s erratic ruts began, and Spike had offered his own body so Kai could get through his classes without knocking up some omega.
Except Spike had realized that Kai’s dickings made his own cock hard.
He’d felt like some twisted pervert. He was alpha. He wasn’t supposed to get off on being fucked. But he’d coaxed Kai to return the favor, and Kai... liked Spike’s cock inside him, too. That made two of them.
But what Spike felt... it wasn’t just because Kai had been fucking him. The sex had made him wonder What if one of us was an omega, but neither of them felt that way. They were both very much alpha, and comfortable in their own skins.
No, Spike loved Kai despite Kai being an alpha. He loved Kai’s quiet presence, he loved how Kai always had his back. He loved the way Kai nudged at him and joked when he wouldn’t joke with anyone else, and he loved the way Kai smiled. The way Kai held the door open for random people at the store.
Now, if Kai would kiss Spike and actually mean it... that would be nice.
If he would stay in Meadowfall, that would be even better. But short of Kai falling in love with an omega here, Spike had no idea how to make him stay.
Maybe he needed to find an omega for Kai. Would Micah Davis be right for his stepbrother?
Gods, if Kai got together with Davis, Spike would even give both of them up to each other, just to have them stay close to him.
Spike forced a smile, pulling their dorm door shut. He followed Kai to the parking lot, sliding into the passenger seat.
It took all of five minutes to drive to the Davis apartment. Spike eased his thoughts away from Kai, toward Micah Davis. The omega who smiled when his students said Good morning, the omega who had blushed when Spike asked him out for drinks.
The single dad who had hobbled his way home with armfuls of groceries, setting all his bags down so he could grab a lost puppy off the road.
Spike was nineteen. He had no money to his name. He was too inexperienced to hold his own in a proper relationship.
Davis needed a far better alpha than Spike was—someone with good job prospects, someone who wasn’t a twit.
Kai would fit the bill. He was talented at basketball. He had a sports scholarship. He was mature and serious, and he was a far older person at heart than he looked.
If Kai and Davis would give each other a chance... what if they were happy together? And what if they let Spike watch them?
His heart leaping with excitement, Spike all but dragged Kai down the hallways, pausing outside the Davis apartment. Voices rang from within—York and his dad.
“You need to get laid,” York said. “But not my friends, okay? That’s just wrong.”
Kai glanced at Spike from the corner of his eye. Spike sighed. He’d never told York about his crush. York would probably end their friendship, or something.
“I’m ringing the bell,” Kai muttered.
Spike nodded, adjusting his half-hard cock. No sex. At least, not when York was looking.
The real question was... Would Micah Davis say yes? And would Kai want to join in?
3
Kai
This couldn’t possibly turn out well. When Spike had sent York that text, the group project hadn’t been on his mind at all.
He had told Kai, It’s getting late. Think Davis will let me into his bed? You distract York.
What the fuck, Kai had answered.
Spike had sent the text anyway.
So here they were, standing in front of Micah Davis’ door, unprepared for any sort of group discussion. Which would fall on Kai’s ill-equipped shoulders—he was the one who needed help with homework, and Spike wasn’t thinking with his upper head anymore.
Kai sighed. Damn you, Spike.
Spike rolled his hips, an obvious bulge in his pants. Yeah, it was a nice cock. Kai had tasted it more than a few times. He knew the professor would like it. He could already imagine Spike tangled with Davis, Spike kissing down Davis’ neck like he’d described to Kai a couple times before.
Spike would play with Davis’ ass, spread him open, let him have a sample of cock. And then he would fit every inch inside, and swallow Davis’ moans.
He would be gentle, though. Spike had never been gentle with Kai—not that Kai wanted him to be.
Fuck, and now Kai was getting hard, thinking about that.
He shoved his thoughts away, looking up when York answered the door.
“Hey, sorry about the project.” York smiled awkwardly. “I forgot the deadline was next week.”
“Me too,” Spike answered, glancing past York’s shoulder. “Luckily we live so close. We can get the whole thing done by tonight, right? Especially since your dad’s the one grading it.”
York winced. “He’s not helping us with the project. Firm no.”
“Aw.” Spike followed York into the apartment, glancing hungrily around for every detail.
Kai was dubious about Spike’s infatuation. Not because he thought Micah Davis was unsuitable, but because Kai didn’t believe in marriage and bonding, period.
He’d watched his father marry and divorce countless times, moving from one place to another, downing packs of beer when things never worked out the way he wanted them to.
There had been nights of screaming arguments, shattering bottles. There had been ripped marriage certificates, and one of Kai’s stepdads had thrown Kai against the wall, fracturing his cheekbone.
You’ll never amount to anything, Zac had said. Just like your shitty dad.
Kai remembered watching TV, with all the happy couples and their happily-ever-afters. Then Zac had smashed a glass bottle into the TV screen, yelling at Dad. They hadn’t even been married eight months.
Zac had threatened to whip Kai when Dad wasn’t around. Scrawny and starving, Kai had gotten out of the way, Zac’s words ringing in his head. You’ll always rot somewhere and fail at shit.
Well, Kai had spent the rest of his life proving Zac wrong. He’d trained every day at the basketball court. He wanted to get into the NBA, he wanted to be high up there, invincible, where no one could slam him into walls and threaten him anymore.
After Zac, Dad had married Spike’s mom. There was finall
y peace, but Dad still spent his days passed out on the couch back home, reeking of beer. Kai and Spike took turns handing their mom money they’d earned from part-time jobs, making sure she kept the cash where Dad couldn’t find it.
TV shows and movies always showed a happy ending. Every single one of them. And Kai had stopped watching TV, because they were all lies.
It seemed like every marriage Kai had witnessed had turned into shit; it was the same with Micah Davis and York’s other parent. In the time Kai had known York, he’d never seen York with another mom, or dad.
And yet... Deep down, Kai felt as though he was missing something. He needed someone to protect. He needed to prove himself, he needed something—someone?—he could call his own.
But having someone... that meant commitment. Kai wasn’t ready, would never be ready, to have his life shattered by someone he thought he could trust.
Maybe that was why he still had this sex thing going with Spike. Spike was safe.
Spike was his stepbrother, and Kai knew him better than anyone else.
“Nice place,” Spike said, hauling Kai’s attention back to the apartment.
Bookshelves covered one wall, lined two-deep with titles. Frilly curtains framed the windows, and the entire place was neat, cozy. Clean. Far cleaner than Kai and Spike’s family home.
Kai wondered if it was all Micah Davis’ doing, or if York had helped.
“Technically, it’s my dad’s place,” York said with a shrug. “I’m supposed to be moving out at some point.”
Spike raised his eyebrows. “But you haven’t.”
“Yeah, well. My dad needs protection. I’m gonna look out for him as much as I can.”
Spike looked contemplative—Kai knew he was wondering how to get York out of the way, so he could flirt with York’s dad.
It seemed like Kai and Spike were both messed up, in different ways.
Sometimes, Kai wondered how long this thing between him and Spike would last. Kai didn’t believe in love. Spike needed it, though, and he would receive better from an omega.
And even though Kai had sworn to leave Meadowfall the moment he finished college, he kind of didn’t want to leave Spike behind. At least, he needed to make sure that Spike settled down with an omega, first.
“Where’s your dad?” Spike asked.
York nodded at a dim hallway leading away from the living room. “Think he might’ve gone to sleep.”
Then he looked nauseous, glancing at anything but Spike.
“What’s wrong?” Kai asked, curious.
“Nothing,” York muttered. He led them to the small dining table on one side of the living room, pulling over a third mismatched chair. “So, about the project.”
“I almost failed my last quiz,” Kai said. “So I’m gonna be counting on you and Spike to catch me if I fuck up.”
“Mm,” Spike said, glancing at the bedroom hallway.
Kai wanted to smack him. “I think Spike’s gotten further along on the project than I have.”
Spike blinked in confusion. “What?”
Gods, with the musk rolling off Spike... On any other day, York would probably have smelled it. Except the apartment was full of the professor’s musk, and unlike the woodsy scents of alphas, the grassy scents of betas, and the floral scents of omegas, sex scents were indistinguishable. When a person was horny, their scent glands released musk.
So York couldn’t tell that Spike was lusting after his dad, short of looking between Spike’s legs.
Kai tossed the project folder at his brother. “Here. Refresh your memory.”
They attempted to look at the project again. Kai didn’t understand the advanced theories of molecular bonding. He needed to read the textbook another ten times before he’d feel comfortable doing anything for the group project.
After a while, Spike rocked his chair backward, growling low. “I can’t focus. I need to do something. I need to fu—”
This was your fault. Kai refrained from snorting. Instead, he reached over, grabbing a fistful of Spike’s gelled hair. “Spike.”
He tightened his fist until he knew it hurt. And Spike focused entirely on him, his copper eyes growing darker.
Yeah, Kai had an inkling of what Spike felt toward him. He wasn’t sure what he felt toward Spike, himself. Nothing would come out of this fucked up brothers-with-benefits relationship they had.
Dad had asked, What the hell did you do with your brother?
Spike licked his lips and growled, “Yeah?”
And something inside Kai jolted. It wasn’t lust. It felt more like longing, but... that would be insane. Alphas didn’t fall in love with each other.
Everything Kai had done for Spike—looking out for him, staying by his side, taking up the chemistry major just because Spike asked... he’d done for his stepbrother. Not a lover.
All the times Spike had grinned and tackled Kai from behind, and all the times Spike had wriggled his way into Kai’s childhood bed... It was because they were close. As brothers.
That didn’t explain the overwhelming urge to crush his lips against Spike’s, though.
Kai wasn’t in love. There was no way in hell he’d get into a mess of a relationship. Especially not with Spike.
“Focus,” Kai said. “Maybe we’ll get to play if we’re done.”
That triggered the cogs in Spike’s mind. He brightened, his gaze sharpening. “You promise?”
“Yeah,” Kai said, meaning it.
Spike sat up straighter, studying the project sheets. York was looking oddly at them.
“You guys are weird,” he said.
Spike flinched. As much as Kai teased him about his odd inclinations, Spike was still sensitive about them. And something in Kai wanted to protect him from that hurt.
“It’s a brother thing.” Kai shrugged, pressing his knee against Spike’s. I’m here.
Spike pressed back, shaking out the tension in his shoulders. When he grinned, Kai found gratitude in his eyes.
It felt like a secret they shared.
The nearest bedroom door opened. Kai looked over; Spike’s gaze snapped up.
When Micah Davis stepped into the living room, he froze, his chest heaving.
His blue eyes locked on Spike first, then flickered toward Kai. And Kai smelled his billowing musk, deep and heady, riding on the heels of his gardenia scent.
York groaned, rubbing his face. “We were working on the project, Dad! Don’t interrupt!”
“I’m just—just getting some water,” Micah Davis croaked, panic flashing through his eyes.
Instead of his starched dress shirt and dark work pants, the professor was clad simply in a loose T-shirt, and a pair of sleeping shorts.
He clutched his mug closer to himself, ridged red scars running down his arm. His right leg was all scar tissue. Davis looked away and hobbled toward the kitchen, the back of his neck turning red.
The limping looked like it hurt. Was the whole right side of his body covered in scars, or was it just his limbs?
Something rumbled in Kai’s chest, something that said, He needs protection.
He’d met the professor on a slew of other occasions, but seeing Micah Davis with his guard down and his scars etched into his daily life, seeing the way he huddled into himself, afraid of... what, their judgment? It made the professor so much more human.
And Kai suddenly understood why Spike wanted Davis so much. Davis needed someone.
Davis disappeared into the kitchen. Spike made to stand, freezing right before his bulge appeared above the table. He swore, sitting down hard. But his gaze locked on the kitchen doorway, hungry and yearning.
“You okay?” York asked, looking back at them.
“Yeah,” Spike rasped.
Then he hunched forward and his breath rushed out, his arms trembling with how tightly he was clenching his fists.
Fuck, Spike had gone into a rut. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Kai had never seen Spike in a rut before, but he’d gone into ruts
far too many times himself to recognize the signs.
And damn, but if Spike wasn’t hot, all tense like that.
Kai nodded toward the kitchen, lowering his voice to distract York. “What’s wrong with your dad? He looked like he was afraid of us.”
York shrugged, looking torn. Then he blurted, “Dad saw a video of Spike. Some Christmas dancing video. Was that really you?”
Spike sucked in a few breaths to calm himself. Then he smiled, pleased. “Oh. You mean at the bar? Did someone record that? They weren’t supposed to.”
His voice had gone a pitch lower, hoarse with need.
York’s horror grew. “Wait, that was seriously you. With your cock out and everything.”
Spike’s eyes gleamed. “Yeah. Did your dad like it?”
“Hell if I know,” York spluttered, looking like he wanted to retch. “My dad, he—Gods, I need to bleach my brain. ‘Scuse me for a sec.”
He stepped into his shoes, yanking open the front door.
“Where’re you going?” Spike asked.
“Getting a beer. Probably more,” York said. “This is too much.”
Then he slammed the door, and the sound went right down Kai’s spine in an electric sizzle.
There was something wrong with Kai—his ruts had always been erratic, triggered by the most innocent stimuli. His rut-suppression pills only worked sometimes.
The sizzle in his nerves exploded. Something yanked behind his stomach. Kai’s blood surged between his legs; his breath punched out of his lungs. His throat went dry.
It was the absolute worst time for this to happen.
Kai panted, his mind fuzzed over. His pants had grown far too tight, his cock throbbing so hard, it felt like he’d rip a hole through the denim. “Fuck.”
Spike chuckled breathlessly, his pupils blown. “You and me both.”
Kai breathed through the thick desire in his throat. And now he couldn’t focus on anything, aside from seeking out a warm, willing hole, and fucking into it.
His Two Alphas Page 2