Kai frowned like he was unhappy about that, but Spike was too focused on Micah Davis right now. Micah could judge him and Kai for what they’d done as stepbrothers, too.
Micah stared and shook his head. “This is such a mess, isn’t it?”
Spike sagged. “I know I’m a sick fuck,” he said quietly. “Kai calls me that sometimes. But—Kai’s okay with the things I do with him, and I’m okay with it, too.”
Micah looked like he wanted to ask more about it, but he refrained. “That’s none of my business, is it?”
“It is if you’d like to join us.” Spike gulped, hoping he didn’t look like an eager puppy. “I want you in my bed, Micah. I want—Gods, I want to taste you and fuck you and make you scream.”
Micah’s breath hitched. His eyes grew dark, and musk coiled off his skin. He rubbed his face, breathing out. “Oh, gods.”
“Try it again,” Kai said, jerking his chin at Spike. “If your heat isn’t influencing you, you’ll know if it’s good. Better yet, you don’t need condoms.”
Dark red swept through Micah’s face. Spike couldn’t stop looking at him. “You’re so pretty,” he said, leaning closer. “I want to pull you and Kai into bed with me. Kai’s gonna fuck me, and I’ll fuck you—”
“But you’re stepbrothers,” Micah said. “This—”
Someone coughed lightly next to them. Spike froze, glancing to his other side, where a waiter had paused next to the booth with a tiny smile.
Shit. Is he going to judge us, too? Kicking himself for his big mouth, Spike pasted on a grin. “Hey!”
“Hi,” the waiter said, waving a notepad. “Do you guys need another minute, or are you ready with your orders?”
Unlike the other staff at the drive-in, this waiter—an omega, from his barely-there magnolia scent—didn’t wear an egg-yellow apron. Instead, he had a silver badge pinned to his shirt: Wyatt Fleming, Manager.
Spike paused to look at the menu. In his hurry to meet Micah and sit with him, he’d clean forgotten about picking out something to eat. “Um, recommendations?”
“I’d go with the pork broth ramen,” Wyatt said. “That’s our most popular item.”
“Sure,” Spike said.
“I’ll have that too,” Kai added.
“Me too,” Micah said.
“Right, I’ve got that.” Wyatt grinned. Then he glanced casually at the other tables, and lowered his voice. “I heard someone mention stepbrothers...”
Spike tensed, prepared to defend himself and Kai if he needed to.
But Wyatt gave him an honest smile, and leaned in. “I married my stepbrother,” he said in an undertone. “So I wanted to let you know that you’re welcome here. No judging.”
Spike stopped breathing, his thoughts going from zero to sixty. Kai and I can get married? “You—married your stepbrother? But that’s... wait, you’re alpha and omega, aren’t you?”
Wyatt’s smile fell for a moment. “Oh. You mean you’re not?”
Spike chanced a glance at Kai, and saw Kai reading him too deeply again. Fuck. Kai’s not supposed to find out. And now his skin felt too tight.
“I’ve heard that alphas can get married in Texas,” Wyatt said. “One of my staff is bonded with two alphas. Again, not judging.”
“Oh,” Spike said. Kai was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, like he was asking What, you want to marry me? and Spike couldn’t look at him, suddenly. His heart hurt too much for him to.
“Well, I just—I just wondered, is all,” Spike said. He was fumbling, and Kai knew, damn it! This wasn’t supposed to happen. “I’m glad you found happiness, though. I’m happy for you.”
Wyatt smiled. “Thank you, and all the best with yours.”
Spike held his grin for as long as he could, until Wyatt stepped away to key their orders into a computer.
An alpha—tall and strong-jawed—rounded some booths with a similar notepad, stopping next to Wyatt. He wore no apron, either. The alpha leaned in, giving Wyatt a quick kiss on the lips.
Spike stopped breathing. Was that Wyatt’s stepbrother? The two of them smiled at each other, and Spike was envious, suddenly.
How come Wyatt’s stepbrother loves him? Mine doesn’t love me. It’s because I’m alpha, isn’t it? Kai’ll never marry me in a million years.
When he turned back to the table, Kai’s gaze was far too piercing, so Spike looked at Micah instead, needing to hide how much he hurt.
“May I kiss you?” Spike asked. When Micah hesitated, he added, “Please?”
Something must’ve given him away, because Micah softened and said, “If that’s what you really want.”
“Yeah,” Spike whispered, his chest tight. “I do.”
He leaned in close to Micah, nuzzling his cheek. Spike closed his eyes, and just breathed in that gardenia scent, carefully touching Micah’s arms, holding him, dragging his lips down Micah’s jaw.
“Spike,” Micah murmured.
“I need help,” Spike whispered, turning his face away from Kai so he had a little bit of privacy. “I hurt so bad.”
Micah’s breath snagged. Spike didn’t want to know what Micah was looking at. He cupped Micah’s cheek, turning Micah to face him, and dropped light kisses all the way to Micah’s mouth.
When they kissed this time, Spike lingered on Micah’s lips, just focusing on their softness, all damp and silky. Micah parted for him. Spike didn’t slip into Micah’s mouth, though. He wasn’t in the mood for sex, just comfort.
Somehow, Micah sensed that. He stroked his fingers through Spike’s hair and whispered, “It’s okay.”
“It’s not,” Spike whispered back. “I’ve loved him for ages. He’ll leave me sooner or later. But he might not leave you.”
Micah tensed. Then he cradled Spike’s cheek, his breath warm on Spike’s skin. “Oh, Spike.”
Spike nuzzled him, savoring Micah’s warmth against himself. I’ll get even more hurt if I keep hoping like this. And yet... he couldn’t help it. He could scarcely tear a limb from himself, than discard his love for Kai. Micah held him.
When the ache faded from his chest, Spike pulled away, kissing Micah softly on the cheek. Micah had understood his need for comfort, and he’d held Spike. Gods, I love this omega. “Thank
