Omega Teacher’s Secret

down the street from the Apex. Electrical fire—someone crashed into a power line and it went down. It was a mess.”
Ian met his eyes, surprised. “Oh.”
“You didn’t hear about it?”
Ian shook his head, looking at the asphalt. “I wasn’t listening to the news.”
Brad caught Ian’s chin. Then he tipped Ian’s face toward his own, forcing Ian to hold his gaze. “What’s wrong? Why do you smell like Kindling? Did you… decide you don’t want to see me?”
Hesitation flickered through Brad’s eyes, and Ian shook his head, horrified. “No, no.” Couldn’t even begin to voice how afraid it made him, that Brad would decide he wasn’t interested anymore. “I just—I needed a cover. Your father asked whose it is.”
Ian grimaced, touching his belly. Brad narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t tell him the truth?”
“I couldn’t!” Ian glanced at Gwen, who had tucked herself into the passenger seat, her seatbelt already clicked in. “I have responsibilities, Brad. Things more important than who thinks who fathered whose baby.”
Brad snorted, but he slid his fingers into Ian’s hair, cradling his head. Then he pulled Ian close, and Ian panicked. Glanced around the parking lot, just in case anyone saw.
“His car isn’t here,” Brad said. “I yelled at him earlier. Got here right as he was leaving work.”
“Oh,” Ian said, relaxing a little. “Did you get reinstated back into the course?”
“Not yet, but I’m working on it. In the meantime, I want to catch up on the coursework I missed.”
“So… that’s why you’re here,” Ian said, his heart beating too loud.
“Partly.”
And now Brad’s gaze was locked onto his. He pulled Ian close, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Ian froze against him. “Are you—sure?”
“Yeah.” Brad kissed him again, his lips soft against Ian’s, decadent. Shivers raced down Ian’s spine.
“Why are you still doing this?” Ian whispered.
“I told you. I’m still interested.”
“Oh.”
Brad kissed him deeper, slipping into Ian’s mouth. Ian’s insides melted; his toes curled, and there was so much care in Brad’s touch that Ian could scarcely believe this.
When Brad pulled away, his lips gleamed with damp. “You still don’t believe me, do you?”
“Maybe I don’t.”
Brad chewed on his lip, glancing around the parking lot. “C’mon, I’ll make you dinner. Or is that too late?”
It felt as though Ian was in a whole other dimension, or something. Where there was a young, handsome alpha who wanted him despite everything. “It’s a little late,” Ian said. “But we could have a light supper.”
“What sounds good?” Brad curled his fingers against Ian’s nape. Ian didn’t miss the way Brad dragged his wrist across Ian’s shoulders, marking over June’s scent.
Ian’s heart skipped. “Ask Gwen.”
So Brad turned, leaning over to meet Gwen’s eyes. She looked up from her phone. “What sounds good for supper?” Brad asked.
“Fried chicken wings!” She beamed.
Ian covered his face. “I did not raise my child to say that.”
Brad grinned, though. “She’s got her priorities straight—you gotta give her some credit.” He stepped back to Ian, squeezing his waist. “Meet you back at the apartment? Wings are on me.”
Ian cracked a smile, hardly believing his ears. “You’re sure about this?”
Brad brushed his thumb over Ian’s lip. “Yeah. I am. But I’m gonna make a quick stop to grab some frozen wings, unless you want to make it from scratch. Which will blow through any bedtime we have.”
“Sounds good,” Ian said, smiling wider. “Thanks.”
Brad pressed a kiss to his lips. “Be there soon.”
He stepped away, and Ian realized Brad had parked a couple spots down from him. So Ian climbed into his own car, started the engine, and began the drive home. Watched as Brad turned out through a different exit, heading toward the shops in town.
“You kissed Brad,” Gwen whispered.

10
Ian
Ian’s cheeks grew hot. “Yes, I did.”
“Does that mean you and Brad are… um…” Gwen looked around. Then she grabbed two plastic men-dolls from the glove box and mashed them together. “Like on TV?”
Ian tried not to grimace. Gwen had seen a couple of soft-core scenes on TV, when Ian had been too distracted by work to catch her watching them. She’d asked about the scenes, and Ian had been horrified at himself for letting the show slip through.
People do that when they’re with someone they care about a lot, he’d told her.
“It’s a bit different,” Ian said. “Brad isn’t staying around long.”
Gwen frowned. “Why not?”
“He’ll find somewhere else to be,” Ian said. He couldn’t expect Brad to want to commit for the rest of his life, after all.
Gwen hummed, and they made the rest of the drive home in silence, Gwen staring out the window at the streetlamps.
They arrived at the apartment first. Fifteen minutes later, Brad knocked on the door.
Ian’s heart skipped. He hurried to the door, all the while telling himself he shouldn’t care this much, he shouldn’t be this excited. His heart thudded when he peered through the peephole, finding Brad on the other side of the door. Brad had one hand in his pocket, a bag of frozen wings under his arm.
“Not quite how I planned on seducing you,” Brad said dryly when Ian threw the door open.
Ian laughed, surprised. “Me?”
Brad rolled his eyes. “You see another omega around?”
“Maybe one behind you, and one next door, and a few around the corner.”
Brad snorted, stepping into the apartment. Then he shut the door behind himself, and Ian still wasn’t sure how to react around him. They’d joked around, they’d fucked. But that was before Brad had found out about Gwen.
“How’re you guys?” Brad asked, bending to pull off his shoes.
Ian admired the flex of his muscles, his toned ass, his strong legs. “We’re, um, doing okay.”
“See something you like?” Brad murmured.
Ian gulped. “Maybe.”
He took the bag of breaded wings from Brad, hurrying to the kitchen. He’d already gotten the oven going, so all they needed was to set the wings on a tray, and pop them in.
Brad followed him. Ian strained his ears for Gwen, hoping she spent just a little longer in the bedroom.
“You sure you’re doing okay?” Brad asked, watching