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 finally 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
