Omega Teacher’s Secret

rumbled, his palm resting on Ian’s hip.
No, Ian wasn’t okay.
He smelled the heady scent of musk, and beneath that, rose and walnut. Ian closed his eyes, burying his face in his hands. At least winter break started tomorrow, and no one would smell the evidence of what they’d done in this classroom. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“It shouldn’t matter to you.”
“What if I said it does?” Brad kissed his shoulder.
“You shouldn’t be here at all.”
Ian’s heart squeezed. He wasn’t sure he could face the shame of Brad leaving, the moment he’d had his fill of Ian. Brad hadn’t yet, but he would soon. He looked good, and Ian knew there were omegas out there falling over themselves for an alpha like him.
“I’m not your type. I’m just… some professor. You shouldn’t be getting involved with me.”
“You don’t even know what my type is.”
Ian chuckled, mirthless. “It should be a young omega, someone who’s all sweet and good for you.”
Brad snorted. “What if I said I want you anyway?”
“Sounds impossible.”
Brad stepped closer. He turned Ian around, pressing their foreheads together. “If I just wanted you for sex, I wouldn’t have come to class for three whole months, just hoping to see you.”
It sounded implausible. And yet it made Ian’s heart patter.
You can’t want me that much. No one does.
This close, Brad’s eyes were a blur of brown. He leaned in, almost touching their lips together. Ian turned away.
Twice was bad enough. He couldn’t let this go on. Hell, Harold Saxon was Ian’s boss, and if he found out about any of this… “Don’t tell your dad this happened, all right?”
Brad narrowed his eyes. “Why would I even tell him?”
“Just—just making sure.” Ian winced. “It’s a mess even without him interfering.”
“I won’t tell.”
Brad curled his hand around Ian’s wrist, nuzzling the scent gland there. “Have I ever told you how good you smell?”
Ian blushed. He wanted to lean in, bury his face in Brad’s shoulder, and just forget about everything else.
He’d done that, a long time ago.
Then he’d gotten pregnant, and Gwen—Gwen was still in the lab, June probably trying to call Ian on his phone.
Ian swore, horror whispering through his chest. He’d forgotten about Gwen. How could he even forget about her? “I need to go. What time is it?”
Brad fished in his pockets, frowning. “Don’t know. Think my phone’s in my bag.”
“Fuck.” Ian shuffled to his bag, digging through it for his phone. The phone’s glow burned into his eyes. 2 missed calls, 4 unread messages.
He was fifteen minutes late, and that was after he’d extended June’s babysitting hours.
Ian quailed, shoving his phone into his bag. He turned to grab his laptop off the desk. Swiped at the stray droplets of come he’d left across his papers. Gods, Gwen, I’m so sorry.
“Will I see you again?” Brad asked.
Ian hesitated. “No,” he said before he allowed his emotions to interfere. “I’m not getting involved with you. I’m sorry.”
Brad exhaled, his disappointment clear in his eyes. “Okay. But before you go—” He touched Ian’s bare hip, his fingers hot on Ian’s skin. “What’s this?”
He brushed his fingers down Ian’s thigh, right where the scars were. Ian froze, looking down. Please don’t let him see…
Except Brad was touching those silvery cut scars, frowning. “You cut yourself?”
Ian’s skin grew cold. “It’s none of your business.”
But Brad had already found the two new scabs, tracing his finger down them. “Why’d you do that? I thought… I thought it was just teenagers who do things like cutting.”
“Please stop asking.” Ian crouched, yanking his pants and underwear up his legs, hiding the scars from Brad. It was personal. Not something Brad should find out about. Why did you let him see? Why can’t you do anything right?
He shoved the last of his things into his bag, then slung it over his shoulder, his movements clumsy. He needed to get out before Brad discovered everything ugly about him.
You’re ugly enough as it is, Ian’s mother had told him. No one likes ugly things. The only reason I feed you is because your father asked me to.
Brad was frowning, like he was regretting the things he’d done with Ian. “I don’t remember seeing that.”
Ian shrugged. He’d pressed his hands over those scars the last time. Of course Brad had missed them.
He hurried to the door, unlocking it. Needed to leave before Brad came to the conclusion that Ian was some attention-seeking fool.
He threw the door open. Squinted at the bright fluorescent lights in the hallway, checking his clothes to make sure he looked presentable.
Then June rounded the corner, her lab coat fluttering. Ian’s heart stopped.
“Ian? Where the hell were you?” June frowned, slowing when she neared the classroom door. Then her eyes drifted past Ian’s shoulder, and her eyebrows rose.
Brad had paused just by Ian’s shoulder, his heat radiating into Ian’s body.
There was no question that they smelled like sex. The musk billowed out of the classroom, and Ian had no excuses for himself. Gods, why couldn’t he stop fucking up?
He ignored his burning face, ignored June’s rising eyebrows, grabbing her elbow. Then he dragged her away from the classroom, leaving Brad behind. June watched him from the corner of her eye.
June was his friend, but he was also her superior. For her to catch him with his student…
“Ian,” June said slowly.
“I’m not talking about it,” he muttered, striding down the hallway, then up a flight of stairs. “Is Gwen all right?”
“Yeah, she’s fine.” June pried his hand off her elbow, her eyes burning into him. “So when you said something came up…”
“It’s complicated,” Ian said, his eyes still on the tiled floors. “Don’t ask.”
“I assume you want me to take over the next class,” June said dryly.
“If you can, yes. Please.” Ian’s entire face burned. “I hope you, uh, gave Gwen more stickers to compensate. I didn’t expect to be gone that long.”
“I did. At least tell me he was worth your time.”
Brad was. Ian couldn’t meet her eyes; his cheeks scorched. He still remembered Brad inside him, Brad’s lips