I shouldn’t.
Kai’s pants tightened. It seemed like his cock had other ideas. He breathed out, trying to focus. “Basically, I need help with everything.” He winced. “From Lesson 2 onward.”
Davis’ expression fell. “That’s... a lot of ground to cover. We’re almost midway through the semester.”
But he didn’t blame it on Kai. Davis pulled out a heavy textbook, flipping to the front. “I guess we’ll start from the beginning. It’ll take a lot more lessons, and you may have to return after-hours. But I’m sure we can help improve your grades.”
“I’ll be asking a lot of stupid questions,” Kai said.
Davis cracked a tiny smile. “We’ll need those questions so I can understand how to help. I promise I won’t judge you.”
Kai looked up, and read sincerity in those blue eyes. Peace. Patience. And he realized that Davis... was someone he could trust. This wasn’t one of the screaming omegas Dad had brought home.
Maybe not all omegas would turn out so terrible, after all.
Kai didn’t know how to feel about that.
8
Spike
The moment Spike stepped out of Micah’s office, his smile faded.
He knew what he’d done back there—he’d patched things up between Micah and Kai. Maybe now Kai would finally get closer to Micah, and fall in love with him.
That probably wouldn’t happen so fast, but Spike could always hope.
He trudged through the tiled hallways of the chemistry department, then down to the next floor, passing the general department office.
Past the glass doors, and past the high receptionist’s counter, he glimpsed an older alpha—tall and stern, hovering over a department staff.
Spike thought he recognized that alpha—Bernard Hastings, president of Meadowfall College. That was about all he knew of the guy, besides Hastings being a hardass and the rumors that he’d almost disowned his son.
Spike winced, hurrying along. I wouldn’t want him to be my dad. He looks way too uptight.
His own mom was the best. She’d worked multiple jobs trying to raise him and Kai, and Spike wanted to give her everything in the world. Mom had offered to help pay for Spike’s tuition, but Spike had refused.
Every month, Spike gave her money to make sure she had a roof over her head, because Dad never really helped with that.
It made Spike angry, thinking about Dad. Technically, Dad was Kai’s dad, except Kai and his dad looked nothing alike. Spike had never questioned it—he was bad with matching faces together.
Thing was, if he ever entered a relationship... he didn’t want to be the one who never contributed. He’d found a second job at a taco place this past week, working a night shift every other day.
It wasn’t much extra cash, so he wasn’t sure Micah would even consider him worthy. He didn’t know how he was going to afford childcare.
Kai was better off. Kai had money from his scholarship, and that part-time job at the music place. Often, Spike found himself envying Kai—the scholarship, the basketball talent, the maturity.
Kai could have any omega he wanted, but he wasn’t interested in any. It meant Spike had been keeping Kai for himself—a very good thing.
Except Kai would never love Spike the way Spike wanted him to.
It sucked to be Spike.
Spike scowled, stomping down the stairs to the ground level.
In nine months, if Micah’s pregnancy went okay... Spike would be a dad. He would be twenty, and... it scared him. I don’t know how to be an alpha dad. I’ve never exactly had one.
Why the hell would Micah Davis even agree to see Spike, aside from letting Spike fuck him?
Shit, now Spike felt like a depressed lump.
In the parking lot, he bumped into York.
“Hey,” York said, waving Spike over. “Where’s Kai?”
“He’s—” He’s with Micah, Spike almost said. Crap. “He’s with your dad. Consultation.”
York nodded absently, chucking things into his trunk. “Hope it helps.”
Spike stuck his hands in his pockets. How did you tell your friend that you’d knocked up his dad? You couldn’t, not without getting punched in the face.
But it didn’t just involve Spike—it involved Kai, too. Kai didn’t ask to be punched. So Spike kept his mouth shut, wondering how long Micah would keep the baby’s parentage a secret. Would Micah tell his son?
Briefly, Spike imagined telling York, I’m your brother’s dad. Or I’m your sister’s dad. Whatever. Either way, Spike would probably end up with two black eyes. Maybe some missing teeth. Then Micah would definitely ban Spike from his bed.
“Plans for tonight?” York asked.
Gods, was this just the start of Awkward Hell? Spike chewed on his lip. “Kai and I are seeing an omega. We, uh. We might’ve knocked him up.”
York paused in the middle of closing his trunk. He turned to stare. “You and Kai? Together? Did you, like, touch dicks?”
Oh, we do a lot more than that. “Kind of?” Spike shrugged. “Does it matter? We’re in trouble now, so...”
“Which omega is it?” York asked. “Is it someone I know?”
Spike almost choked on his spit. “Uh, I don’t know. Maybe?”
He felt bad, lying to his friend. But he understood now why Micah had removed their scents from his skin. If Micah allowed Spike to continue seeing him... How long could they hide it?
“You ever thought about your dad seeing someone?” Spike asked.
York frowned. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Well, nothing, I guess.” Spike’s neck burned. The longer he stuck around York, the deeper the shit he was going to get into. He just knew it. “Look, I gotta go.”
“All right,” York said, looking askance at him. “Catch you later.”
Hopefully not. Spike beat a hasty retreat.
* * *
Nine hours later, Spike said, “I told York.”
Micah paled. “You what?”
Then he looked surreptitiously around, in case anyone recognized them at the noodle restaurant.
They’d requested a corner booth at Wy’s Drive-In, tucked at the back next to the kitchen entrance. The elegant latticework dividers helped shield them, too, but Micah had asked to sit facing away from everyone else, just in case.
Spike had volunteered to take the
