Micah’s heart sank further. “I’m not sure what I can do about it.”
“Well, I am.” June tugged Micah toward the department building, where Harold was waiting to judge Micah all over again. “Let’s go to my lab. We’ll get this sorted out.”
35
Spike
Spike listened as the voices in the next apartment fell silent. A door opened and closed. Footsteps hobbled down the common hallway to the elevator lobby. Then, silence.
Holding his breath, Spike grabbed his keys and wallet, cracking open his front door. He poked his head out.
On the other end of the corridor, Micah limped into the elevator, and the doors rumbled shut.
Spike slipped out of his apartment, locking the door. Part of him felt like a creep for following. The other part said, I’m not going to harm him. I’m just making sure that no one follows him home or attacks him.
He jogged down the stairwell, then slipped out through the ground-level door half a minute later, watching as Micah’s familiar car pulled out of the parking lot.
This late at night, Micah only headed out when he needed groceries. So Spike hopped into his car and followed his omega, pulling into the grocery store parking lot. Micah stepped out of his car, grabbed a reusable bag, and hobbled to the brightly-lit store.
Under the streetlamps, Micah’s frame was slight, his hair damp from a shower, his round belly distinct beneath his light-colored clothes. He looked lonely. There was a slowness to his footsteps, like he wasn’t happy about going to the store. Or was he... unhappy that Kai and Spike weren’t around?
The glass on the driver’s side window fogged up. Spike pulled himself back, unsure when he’d leaned that close to the window, breathing on it like a lonely mutt. Then he watched as Micah bypassed the shopping carts and headed into the store, gold fluorescent lights surrounding him like a halo. Still beautiful, even from so far away.
Spike’s heart hurt. It had been two weeks since the breakup. Micah’s belly had grown bigger, but even with his baby arriving, he still needed cheering up.
Why won’t you let me make you happy? Spike swallowed, tempted to follow his omega into the store. Just to brush by him, just to smell Micah’s scent again. Just to see that beautiful face, those sea-blue eyes, and the way Micah smiled at the cashier. Gods, I’m pathetic.
And still Spike sat, glued to the window, waiting for Micah to step outside.
After months of tangling with Micah Davis, after months of learning every inch of Micah’s body, seeing his smiles, making him laugh, being away from him hurt Spike to the bone. He still remembered that day in the office. Micah paling when Bernard fired him. Micah’s horror when Spike learned that Micah had exchanged favors to become a professor.
More than anything, Spike wanted to convince Micah to let him return. But the scars... Micah was right about them. Through that fire, Spike had caused Micah years of hurt, and he didn’t know how he could solve any of it.
So Spike watched, his splintered heart aching anew, his forehead pressed against the window. Then he thought of Kai, and anger welled up in his chest. Kai had ditched him and Micah. Kai would rather hang out with his basketball team. Spike had known that Kai would leave, he’d known that Kai didn’t love him enough to stay, but hearing it, having Kai refuse to return...
He wanted to punch Kai. And then he wanted to kiss Kai and drag him home, and Spike knew he was so twisted that they were probably better off without him, anyway.
I can’t keep living like this. It hurts so much. He pressed his palm against his chest, needing to claw out the pain. Needing to just... hear Kai again. Needing to smell his brother, burrow against him. Spike didn’t feel so strong these days. Kai had left, and it felt as though the wind had disappeared from Spike’s sails.
It felt as though all the years Spike had been strong before, had been because Kai was by his side. Giving Spike a reason to go on, giving Spike joy and life and everything. Spike’s eyes burned. He didn’t want to fucking break down again. What do I do now?
He looked at the shadows on his dashboard, and the people leaving and entering the grocery store, their lives as normal as could be. As though Spike’s heart was still whole and beating.
On the other end of the strip mall, a pub flashed its neon lights. Krazy Drinks was a new establishment that had opened a few months ago. A happy hour sign flashed, and patrons staggered out the door, weaving their way onto the street.
A group of four drunks headed in the opposite direction—along the darkened, closed stores, toward the grocery. All alphas, from their bulky frames and muscles. They seemed to be in control of their bodies; the only thing that gave them away was their loud voices, audible across the parking lot.
They ambled toward the grocery store, yelling lewd pickup lines at whoever happened to pass them—be it a hurrying omega, or a tired beta. Spike winced in disgust. Their behavior wasn’t so different from his own dad’s.
Then the drunks stepped closer to the brightly-lit entrance of the grocery store. Micah hurried out at that moment, leaning on his walking stick. The drunks made their way toward him, lecherous smiles on their faces.
Spike’s stomach plummeted. He leaped out of the car, cursing himself for parking all the way across the parking lot. He’d done it to avoid Micah’s notice, but right now...
The drunks had surrounded Micah, four slabs of muscle, with Micah in the middle clutching his walking stick, his belly utterly vulnerable. Micah looked scared.
One of the alphas grabbed Micah’s arm, hauling him close.
Fury surged through Spike’s veins. He sprinted through the parking lot, his instincts screaming a litany of Mine, mine, mine, and Don’t fucking touch him. Micah was too far away.
The alpha flung
