Thinking of Micah as his... That made something in Kai’s heart settle.
Micah’s shirt hem caught on his fingers. It peeled up from his belly, and there was his baby bump, small but noticeable. Kai stilled; Micah glanced down, pressing his hand over his abdomen.
There was something in there that belonged to Kai and Spike. Kai still didn’t know how to feel about the baby, but he knew he had to protect Micah. And that clashed with applying for a scholarship in Highton. But if he had a scholarship... Kai wouldn’t be a liability.
“Here,” Spike said, shoving the bag of baby clothes into Kai’s hand. “You give it to him.”
Kai scowled, shoving it back. “I did the giving last time. You do it.”
Spike shoved the bag back at Kai. “No, you.”
Micah stared at both of them, bewildered and amused. “What is that?”
“Baby clothes,” Kai said. “We could only get this many right now, but we’ll get you more next month.”
Spike grabbed Kai’s hand, and together, they pushed the package at Micah. “Kai wanted to do this for you.”
Kai knew what Spike was doing. He was nudging Micah toward Kai. And that surprised, fond look in Micah’s eyes—that made any protest wither in Kai’s throat.
Micah accepted the bag, peeking into it. He pulled out the soft onesies, laying them out on the kitchen counter. The animal prints were all different—elephants, giraffes, hippos, and rabbits. “You got them all in different sizes,” Micah said, his voice thickening.
He was getting emotional over something so simple as baby onesies. Kai couldn’t help staring at Micah, his heart swelling. Yeah, not all omegas were like the ones Kai had grown up with.
“We didn’t know which sizes would be most useful,” Spike answered.
Kai just trailed his fingers up Micah’s arm, relishing the warmth of Micah’s skin. “Tell us which ones you need more of.”
“I can get this, you know,” Micah said, looking at them both with soft blue eyes, and his lips curved in a delighted smile. “I know it costs you to spend money on things you don’t need right now.”
“You’re the most important,” Spike said with a smile. “We’d do anything for you.”
Anything? Kai realized then that it wasn’t far from the truth.
Micah pulled them both into a tight hug. Kai buried his nose in Micah’s hair, just breathing him in. In his other arm, Spike was strong, muscular. Sturdy, like a rock in Kai’s life.
It felt good to have both his alpha and omega in his arms. “You sounded unhappy earlier,” Kai said. “Just from York’s text. We thought you might want something to cheer you up.”
“This really helped,” Micah said, a smile in his voice. “Thank you both.”
Kai wanted to pin him to the counter, and kiss the breath out of him.
Micah tensed. Kai turned, wondering what Micah had seen over his shoulder.
“You don’t have to keep looking like that every time I walk in on you,” York muttered behind them. “I was just checking on dinner.”
Micah released Kai and Spike anyway, his ears turning pink.
Was that the tiniest smile on York’s lips?
“Anyway, I want you to come home with us,” Spike said to Micah. “Come meet our mom. And... I guess our dad. I don’t know. But I think Mom would love to see you.”
Micah cringed. “I don’t know. I’m not... the sort of omega you’d want to bring home.”
“Yes, you are,” Kai growled, at the same time Spike said, “Definitely the one I want to bring home.”
“How old’s your mom?” York asked.
“In her forties,” Spike said. “I guess close to Micah’s age.”
“So if you guys get married, is your mom going to be my dad’s mother-in-law?” York asked.
“Too soon to be asking that,” Kai muttered, throwing a glare at York. “Have some tact.”
“None left.” York shrugged. “You’re dating my dad.”
Micah hunched into himself, looking awkward. “As a parent... I can’t imagine my son bringing back someone so old, you know.”
“Mom’s great,” Spike said, his eyes lighting up. “She won’t mind how old you are.”
“Yeah,” Kai agreed. “You’ll like her.”
Whether their dad would like Micah, Kai wasn’t sure. Dad wasn’t even actually his dad, except he had also made sure Kai got some new clothes occasionally, when Kai was growing up.
“We’ll see,” Micah hedged, holding the onesies against his chest. “I can only hope she’s as nice once we meet.”
27
Micah
Micah hovered in front of his dresser, the makeup kit open. Should I show them my scars? Or are they better off not seeing...?
In minutes, he’d be heading out with Kai and Spike to meet their parents. Micah had prepared a fruit basket and had filled it with the largest grapes and prettiest apples he could find. He’d figured that would put him in Kai and Spike’s mom’s good books, but their dad...
Did it really matter, after all that he’d heard about Terence Ventura?
There came a knock on his bedroom door. Then it opened, and Kai and Spike stepped in. Micah’s heart quickened for them.
“Thought we’d find you here,” Spike said, his eyes lighting up.
Kai came to stand behind Micah, working his talented thumbs into Micah’s shoulders. Micah groaned as soft, exquisite pressure hummed through his body.
“Hey, don’t make him come,” Spike teased, nudging Kai in the side. “I wanna do the honors.”
Kai snorted, but he didn’t stop his massage. Instead, he trailed his fingers up Micah’s neck, brushing Micah’s hair back from his face. “What’re you doing here? Just staring at the mirror?”
Kai was joking, from the tiny smile that twitched his lips. Micah leaned back against Kai’s chest, trying to shake off the tension in his body. “I’m nervous. I can’t—decide if I need the makeup.”
“You don’t need it,” Kai said. “Mom’s a practical omega. She doesn’t need all the frills.”
“And Dad’s probably too drunk to care.” Spike smiled wryly. “So just bring your pretty face—and yes, you look perfect as you are.”
Micah met both their gazes in the mirror,
