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
