The bathroom door opened. York stepped into the hallway in a hurry, frowning like he’d forgotten something.
Micah froze.
“Shit,” Kai muttered. Spike sucked in a sharp breath.
I need to act normal. But Micah couldn’t move. He knew his limp would attract York’s attention anyway.
“Dad?” York asked, meeting Micah’s eyes. Then he looked past Micah’s shoulders, at Kai and Spike. Who were bare-chested.
Micah expected them to shut the door behind him. Except they held the door open, and now York was openly staring. Micah’s stomach twisted.
“What’re you doing with them?” York asked. He glanced at Micah’s pants, his frown deepening. “Wait.”
Move. I need to move. Micah hauled himself forward, toward his own room. He felt terrible, hiding this from York. Not acknowledging his relationship with Kai and Spike, even though they’d accepted him completely. I should come clean. But York will think I’m disgusting.
Some time back, York had asked Micah, Why do you have to take over the other professors’ classes?
Because they were fired for sleeping with their students, Micah had said, wondering why his coworkers had even done that. No one in their right minds would.
That’s sick, York had said. You said teachers are like parents. And you don’t sleep with your parents.
Well, now Micah knew how Dale and Ian had felt, too.
“What the fuck.” York looked at Kai and Spike, turning green. “Were you guys talking to my dad naked? Dad, you let them—Wait, those pants are too big on you. You don’t have any like that.”
Micah watched as the cogs in York’s mind turned. He flattened himself against his bedroom door, his hands sweating. Please drop the topic. Please don’t find out. I can’t lose you.
“They said they’d knocked up some omega,” York muttered, his gaze flickering between Micah and the brothers. Then, in a softer voice, York whispered, “Fuck.”
Micah’s pulse pounded in his ears. York’s nostrils flared; he sniffed at Micah, breathing in the incriminating scents on Micah’s skin. Musk, juniper, and elm. And honey.
Horror flashed in York’s eyes.
York’s going to leave me now. Micah’s heart wrenched. I wish I’d taught him that this is okay. But it’s not okay.
“Sorry, Micah,” Spike said, stepping into the hallway. “Can’t let you do this alone.”
Kai limped out to join his brother, his eyes narrowing when he glanced at York.
Micah rubbed his face, sandwiched between his son and his alphas, his bedroom door a dead end behind his back.
If he hid away, these three would fight. York would threaten Kai and Spike like how he did with his mug last night, and someone would get hurt.
“It’s exactly how it looks,” Micah said, his heart sinking. “I’m sorry, York.”
York looked flabbergasted. Then he glared at Kai and Spike, prowling forward. “This is your fault,” he growled. “I trusted you guys.”
Spike’s eyes flashed. “And you know nothing, York. This is between Micah and us. Not you.”
“Damn right it’s my business,” York snapped. “This is my dad we’re talking about! What the fuck did you do to him?”
York lunged; Micah grabbed his arm, stopping him. York whirled back, but only barely. When he met Micah’s eyes, there was hurt in them, and betrayal. “You should’ve told me. I would’ve done something—”
“I made a decision,” Micah answered, begging silently for York not to hurt them. “They didn’t force me into anything.”
“But—” York looked disbelieving. “They were my friends. And... and...”
“And sometimes, your dad is a little too lonely to say no.” Micah looked at his feet, his cheeks burning. “I like and trust them, York. It isn’t a fling.”
“Y-you mean you’re dating them?” York asked, throwing a dirty look at Kai and Spike. “You’re sleeping with them, and they—they knocked you up?”
Micah gulped. Kai and Spike were watching him, waiting to see what he’d do next. He was glad for their presence. They promised safety.
“Yes,” Micah said, touching his belly. “I’m three weeks pregnant. I didn’t want to mention it until I know that the baby will be okay.”
York stared at him in horror. “You—You have their kid. Oh, gods.”
York looked revolted and betrayed, like he was ready to check out and pretend this hadn’t happened at all. Micah stepped closer, needing to comfort him.
But York shrugged his hand off, as though he found Micah’s touch repulsive. “I’m heading out for a bit. This isn’t happening.”
He shoved past Spike into his room, slamming the door. And that hurt, having York turn his back on Micah like that. He’d always come to Micah when he needed comforting, while he was growing up.
For a long time, York had thought of Micah as his most important person. He probably didn’t want Micah as his dad now.
That tore into Micah’s heart. He couldn’t breathe.
Micah glanced up when Kai and Spike approached him; Spike slid his arm around Micah’s waist, Kai held Micah’s hand.
“Let’s get back into the room for a while,” Kai said. “Let him cool off.”
When they were out of the shadowy hallway and Kai had locked the door, Spike said, “Sorry. I know we should’ve shut the door. But I couldn’t—it felt like we were throwing you out to fend for yourself.”
“Yeah,” Kai said. “We don’t run from problems like that.”
And now they were back to being Micah’s guardian angels, and Micah didn’t know how he deserved them at all.
They brought him back to the bed, sandwiching him between themselves. Then they hugged him, all strong arms and warm kisses, and Micah hid between them, just breathing in elm and juniper.
He thought about York, alone in his room and hurting. He’d lied to his own son. What sort of parent did that? I promised I’d never lie to him. I promised I’d be there.
Except he’d broken his promise because he’d been selfish and scared, and now Micah didn’t know if he still had a son to care for after this.
His heart twisting, Micah buried his face in Kai’s chest, and cried.
21
Micah
Micah pushed the shopping cart through the check stand, salivating at the food he’d gathered. All day, he’d been craving some salty smoked salmon. With
