Chapter 13
Chad stroked the gleaming metal of his new bike with a reverent finger, hardly able to believe that the beauty was really his.
After spending three days wallowing and feeling like shit, his mind replaying the encounter with Peter Tank and the other asshole over and over—obsessing over the weird feeling he’d gotten in his stomach when Peter put his hand on his shoulder and wondering what the fuck it meant—Chad had pulled himself together, said fuck it, and bought himself a motorcycle.
He’d had an old Yamaha before he joined the Army, but he’d always wanted a Harley. Now that his first massive Tank Security paycheck had hit his bank account, he decided he might as well splurge.
Who cared if he’d been humiliated by a pair of uber-alpha douchebags? Not him. Riding the powerful bike back to his apartment, the vibrations traveling up his body and making his cock swell in pleasure, Chad felt like he was back to his old self.
Peter Tank could go fuck himself.
Parking his bike on the curb, Chad swung his leg over the seat and removed his helmet. A cold wind hit his face, and Chad pulled his collar up to shield his neck. Walking into the lobby of his building, he yanked off his gloves and shoved them into his helmet as the door closed behind him.
As he walked up the creaky old stairs, trying to avoid a repeat of his first day in the building when the ancient beta woman on the second floor had yelled at him for running up the stairs and making a racket, Chad wondered if he needed to get permission to park his new bike in the building parking lot, or if it was open to all residents.
He’d have to call his landlord and find out.
As he turned the corner and stepped onto the landing between the second and third floor, Chad collided with a figure almost as tall and wide as himself. Managing to stay on his feet, the alpha he’d collided with was not so lucky.
“Wow, sorry man!” Chad said, shifting his helmet to his left hand and reaching out to help the alpha to his feet.
“Fuck you!” the alpha snarled, batting his hand away. Chad growled at the disrespect from what was clearly an inferior alpha. He lifted his shoulders and bared his teeth, taking a step forward so that he was looming over the younger man.
“Excuse me?” he asked, letting his voice drop into an unnatural baritone. The alpha glared up at him and started to get up, only for Chad to push him back down with a hard kick to the chest. The alpha stayed down, his gaze on the floor.
“Look at me,” Chad ordered, pulling himself up to his full height. Knowing that he was outmatched, the alpha did as he was told. Chad crossed his arms. “Did you not hear me fucking apologize?” he asked.
“Whatever,” the alpha mumbled. He sounded embarrassed, and Chad sighed. He wasn’t the kind of alpha who challenged people for no reason, and he wasn’t going to beat up some college kid for being rude to him.
“Get up,” he ordered, stepping back. The kid rose to his feet, his movements wary like he was expecting Chad to attack at any moment. Chad huffed. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.”
It was the wrong thing to say. The alpha puffed up, furiously indignant, and came at Chad like he actually stood a chance. Chad evaded the attack with ease, pinning the alpha to the wall and twisting his arms behind his back all while holding onto his helmet.
“I’m going to let you go now,” Chad said, his voice pitched low. “But if you keep fighting me, I won’t hold back. Do you understand?”
After a second, the alpha nodded. Chad stepped back, releasing his hold on the alpha.
“Sorry,” the now thoroughly cowed alpha mumbled. He was looking at the ground, and Chad knew from bitter experience how humiliated he felt.
“You having a really shitty day, or are you just suicidal?” Chad asked. He made sure his body language was relaxed and nonthreatening.
“Just… shitty day, I guess.”
“Well, I hope it gets better. I’m Chad, by the way.” Chad held out his hand for a shake. The alpha stared at it for a second, then hesitantly reached out and grasped it.
“I’m Topher.”
“Nice to meet you, Topher. Do you live here in the building?”
Topher blinked, then nodded. “Yeah, on the second floor. You?”
“Just moved in a week ago,” Chad said. He let go of Topher’s hand and walked around him, figuring he should end things on a good note. He looked over his shoulder as he started walking up the stairs. “It was nice to meet you, Topher.”
The look on Topher’s face said that he didn’t quite believe that, but he didn’t argue. Chad turned back around, and was almost at the top when Topher called out.
“Hey Chad!”
Chad turned around, where Topher was looking up at him. “Yeah?”
“I’m sorry about… you know. Thanks for being cool about it.”
Chad couldn’t be more than two years the other alpha’s senior, but he felt older. Experienced. It was a nice contrast to how he’d felt a few nights ago.
“No problem. I appreciate the apology.”
Chad was about to turn around, thinking their interaction was over, when Topher spoke again.
“So you’re new in town?”
Chad nodded, then walked down a few steps so that Topher wouldn’t have to crane his neck so much. “Yeah. I just started working for Tank Security, and they’re headquartered here. What about you?”
“I’m finishing up my first year of grad school. I’m studying computer science.”
“That’s cool. You like it?”
Topher shrugged. “Usually. I’m having some trouble getting an internship for the summer. It kind of sucks, hence the shitty mood.”
Chad was a little surprised. Topher looked like a total jock, and not at all what Chad pictured when he thought computer science. He reminded himself that he shouldn’t be so quick to stereotype people.
“Well, good luck with that.” Chad said. He had no experience landing a job. He’d joined the Army and then been recruited to Tank Security.
“I’m heading out to meet some of my friends from school. You’re welcome to join us?” Topher phrased it like a question. “I’d like to buy you a beer, you know, to apologize.”
Chad studied Topher, wondering if the other alpha was coming on to him. It never would have occurred to him before meeting Peter Tank, but now he couldn’t help but wonder.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
“That would be cool. Let me just put away my helmet and move my bike,” Chad said, interrupting Topher’s embarrassed apology. “Hey, do you know if I’m allowed to park my bike in the parking lot? I don’t want to get towed.”
Topher blinked, processing Chad’s acceptance of his invitation, and then he grinned. “You can, sure. Every apartment comes with a designated space. Just make sure you have a valid parking sticker.”
Chad frowned. He wondered where the hell he was supposed to get that. He’d rented the apartment via an ad online, and he’d picked up the key at the airport. Maybe the property manager had the parking sticker?
“You can borrow mine, if you don’t have one. I don’t drive,” Topher offered. Chad brightened. That would work.
“Thanks, Topher. How about you get that and meet me in the parking lot and then we’ll head out?”
Whether he was coming on to him or not, Topher was nothing Chad couldn’t deal with. And honestly, he didn’t think Topher was coming on to him. He was probably just trying to make up for his awful first impression.
“Sure. I’ll see you in a minute!” Topher took off. Chad jogged up to his apartment and put away his gloves and helmet, and then made his way down to the curb to move his bike. As he rode into the parking lot, Topher was standing there waiting for him, sticker in hand.
Once he had his bike securely parked, he and Topher headed off.
***