Valen growled, holding Sam close. Slowly, his knot swelled inside Sam, stretching his body wider than before, until they were locked together. Sam groaned, tipping his head back at the bliss.
Harris stepped in close, sandwiching Sam between Valen and himself. He glanced between them both, his gaze thoughtful. “I hope we didn’t disappoint, Sam. I’m aware that this... wasn’t our plan for tonight.”
Sam shook his head, breathing in oak and sandalwood and musk. Safe scents. It was nice, not having to scramble when he was done. His body was wrung out, his mind drifting. “‘S okay.”
Valen dragged his nose up Sam’s throat, breathing him in. Still too intimate. “You should’ve warned me first, Big H. This... I wasn’t ready.”
“Sorry.” Harris slipped his arms around Sam and Valen, pulling them close. This pressed Harris’ chest against Sam’s, and Valen’s chest against his back.
Sam had never been sandwiched by two naked alphas—it was a delirious feeling, all that solid muscle, the comfort in their arms. It wasn’t permanent.
He closed his eyes, memorizing what this felt like, sweat on his skin, sturdy hands on him.
Then his throat tightened. A long time ago, Valen had held him this way, too. Valen had since found someone else in Sam’s absence—not an omega, but a partner nevertheless.
After tonight, Valen would return to being Harris’ sole lover. Sam... would go home. That was okay. He’d expected Valen to find some stability in his life. He hadn’t, himself. He’d been too chicken-shit to risk a relationship with anyone.
We had a child, he almost said. I lost our baby after I left you.
But nothing would come out of an admission like that, so Sam closed his eyes, and breathed. Focused on the weight of Valen’s knot inside him, the strength of his and Harris’ arms.
“We’ll schedule another lesson some other time,” Harris murmured. “If both of you are comfortable with that.”
Meeting Valen hadn’t been as terrible as Sam had thought it’d be. “I don’t mind,” he said, purring when someone stroked his side. Maybe it was Valen, or maybe it was Harris. It felt good.
“I don’t mind it, either.” Valen pressed his nose to Sam’s neck. “Haven’t seen you in a while. You been doing okay?”
Sam’s heart fluttered. Valen cared about him? “Yeah. I guess. I mean... I’m working a couple jobs. Haven’t got time for anything else.”
“You’ve lost weight,” Valen said.
“Might be that your memory’s fuzzed,” Sam answered. “It’s not that bad.”
But Valen closed his hand around Sam’s arm, dragged his fingers down Sam’s elbow, to his wrist. “No, you’ve lost weight. I can tell. Eat more, damn it.”
Sam snorted. “You’ve just met me, Valen. You can’t tell me how to live my life.”
Except it was oddly endearing, too, Valen caring about him. He had no need for Sam—Sam was the one who had left.
“Yeah, well, if you’re gonna be teaching Big H and me, you better be healthy,” Valen said. He pressed his nose to Sam’s shoulder, his breath warm.
Maybe he was thinking about kissing Sam, maybe he wasn’t. Sam wasn’t sure what he’d do if Valen kissed him.
Would he kiss back? Did he want Valen back in his life? Valen hadn’t been able to commit all those years ago. Not that Valen had space for Sam in his life now.
His heart sinking, Sam leaned away from Valen, blinking the kitchen back into view. The tote bag of groceries was still on the counter. The tray of raw meat had been sitting out in the open.
Sam groaned, lurching forward. He bumped into Harris; his body tugged on Valen’s knot. Valen grunted.
“What’s wrong?” Harris caught Sam, stroking Sam’s hip with his thumb.
“The beef.” Sam covered his face. He was a chef and an instructor—he shouldn’t have been leaving food out like that! It was a terrible example to be setting. “The beef was supposed to be in the fridge—and I’m your cooking instructor.”
Harris nuzzled Sam’s ear. “I was at fault for distracting you. You’ll officially start next week. We’ll write this week off.”
“But your time—”
“We spent today on more pleasurable pursuits.” Harris smiled. Behind Sam, Valen snorted.
“Sweet-talking, Big H? You’ve never done that with me.”
Harris raised his eyebrows at Valen, but he never once released Sam.
Sam licked his lips, his heart pattering. This would all be over the moment he left. But it was nice, having people care. He didn’t feel so alone right now.
“We should be the ones sorry about your time,” Harris said. He squeezed Sam’s hand. “If you’d like any sort of compensation...”
Sam shook his head. “No, I don’t need any. I mean, you can’t pay me for sex.”
Harris chuckled. Valen’s breath puffed across Sam’s shoulder. Then Valen leaned in, brushing his lips against Sam’s skin. “I’ve missed you, Sam. Just so you know.”
Sam’s stomach dropped. “O-oh.”
Not that Sam had missed Valen’s smile, Valen’s touch, the way Valen had brought him flowers an age ago, his smile boyish and endearing.
Who was he kidding?
Harris was looking between them again, but he didn’t say a word. As Valen’s knot receded inside him, Sam eased away from them both, feeling like he shouldn’t be here. He was just an omega who happened to be around, triggering their ruts. That was all. There would be no expectations between them after tonight.
“I should be leaving,” Sam said. “If you don’t want that food, I can take it with me.”
“We’ll take it to the station with us,” Valen said. “Add it to the tab.”
“Station?” Sam looked between them.
“The fire station.” Harris shrugged. And Sam realized that they were both more muscular than the typical alpha, that there were medals and plaques framed the granite counters. There were two kinds of fire extinguishers in the corner, too.
It made sense, Valen dating someone capable like himself. Sam shrugged self-consciously. “That’s great. Thanks for everything you do around the town.”
Harris cracked a smile. Valen grinned.
“If you’d like to leave, I’ll send you back,” Harris said.
Sam rubbed his arms, suddenly aware of how naked he was. And how pleasantly his ass
