Chapter 5
SPENCER
Spencer whistled as he loped down the apartment hallway.
He was having a great first day of the semester.
He’d had breakfast with his besties—amazing, as per usual—and then his first class had been a late start, so he’d had time to hit the gym before.
There’d been that minor altercation at the lecture hall steps, but whatever, and he only had one class on Mondays, so now he was free as a bird.
And that freedom meant he was the one snagging Noah’s keys from the two little shits who’d been hoarding them for two whole weeks. The same two little shits who weren’t answering their phones for anyone.
But Noah’s car was in their parking garage, and Spencer had seen it on campus earlier—as well as Ash and Ryder in the flesh—so that meant they must have come back with it.
Look at that. Sherlock fucking Holmes over here.
Spencer had never actually been to Ash and Ryder’s apartment before. Maybe they’d let him take a little peek. Did they have one bedroom? Two? And the bigger question—how many beds?
Spencer knocked on the apartment door. There was no answer, but the lights were definitely on inside. He could see them under the door. He knocked again.
“Aaaash! Ryyyyder!” he called. “I’ve come to collect Noah’s keeeeeys.”
There was still no answer. Were they in the shower? Maybe both of them together? Hot thought, but no, Spencer would swear he could sense them hovering.
“Yo, I know you’re in there! Whatever shady shit you’re up to, I won’t tell. Just gimme the keys. And check your phones every couple years. Goddamn.”
After a moment, the door finally opened but only, like, a tiny sliver, Ryder’s glaring face barely peeking through. “Listen, asshole, you can’t be here right now.”
And here Spencer had thought Ryder was warming up to him. Or maybe this was how he greeted all his guests. Spencer laughed. “Why, you got a—”
He’d been about to joke about Ryder stashing an omega away, but then the smell hit him.
Burned sugar. Kinda caramelly. Like a marshmallow that had caught fire.
Fucking sweet and delicious. An omega for sure.
And a horny one, from the scent of it, although the char had a sharp edge, like maybe they were stressed.
Well, damn. This was actually kind of disappointing. Maybe Ryder and Ash had an agreement, but it still seemed kind of shitty of Ryder to bring an omega home to the apartment they shared. Although, Ash couldn’t smell the pheromones, so maybe it wasn’t as big of a deal?
None of Spencer’s business for sure, but he wasn’t in the best control of his mouth even on a good day. “Holy shit, you do have an omega in there. Does Ash know?”
“I’m telling you, you can’t fucking be here. Fuck. Off.”
The disappointment grew, and Spencer’s grin dropped. Ryder was acting shady, and acting shady meant he was doing something shady. Maybe he and Ash didn’t have an agreement at all.
Spencer met the other alpha glare for glare. “You think I’m going to go tattling to Ash? Well, you’re fucking right. Where is he anyway? Did you strand him back on campus just to come get your knot wet?”
“If you don’t—”
And then a voice came from inside the apartment. “Ryder.”
That was Ash, wasn’t it? Although, he didn’t sound quite like himself.
So, not stranded. Holy shit, were they having a three-way in there? Like, the two of them and some hot, random omega?
Don’t get horny about it. Don’t get horny about it. Don’t get horny about it.
But he really couldn’t help it. Spencer’s dick was already chubbing up, and his joggers weren’t going to do much to hide it.
Whoever the omega was they had in there, they smelled amazing.
Especially combined with Ryder’s woodsy scent.
Like someone was roasting a toasty little marshmallow over a campfire in the woods.
Not that Spencer had ever gotten to go camping as a kid, but he was pretty sure it would have smelled like that if he had.
“Ryder, he smells really good.”
Spencer had never heard Ash sound so quiet. Hesitant. Almost pleading.
Ryder tensed, but his face was turned toward Ash, and Spencer couldn’t see his expression.
“Yeah?” Ryder asked.
And if Spencer had never heard Ash sound so quiet, he’d definitely never heard Ryder sound so … soft. Maybe Ryder was right—Spencer shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t be witnessing this, whatever this was. It was too intimate for his eyes and ears.
But he couldn’t turn to leave because Ryder’s hand was suddenly fisting in Spencer’s shirt, tugging him inside the apartment before Spencer could stop him.
Then Spencer was inside. And—holy double fucking shit.
Naked Ash. Ash was naked. Nude. Naked dick. Naked balls. Naked legs. Naked … dick.
Noah’s little brother.
“Ahhh!” Belatedly, Spencer shoved a hand in front of his eyes. He heard the apartment door close and lock behind him, and he turned blindly, trying to reach for it. “Um, gotta open that back up, my dude. You’re right. I can’t be here.”
Ryder’s voice was wry. “Apparently, you can.”
And then he was tugging Spencer’s eye protection down. Luckily Spencer was facing away from naked Ash this time.
Instead, he was faced with Ryder, who was studying him with a weird sort of glower. Spencer didn’t know why—he hadn’t asked to come in. Well, he kind of had, but that had been before he knew about the shenanigans afoot.
“Listen, we don’t have time for hysterics,” Ryder told him. “Ash is in heat. We could use your … expertise.”
“What?” Spencer asked. He was still getting over the surprise nudity, and now Ryder was speaking total nonsense at him. “Wha—? Who? Ash?”
“Ash. Is. Presenting. Will you help us or not?”
Spencer stared. Was Ryder really saying that rich, delicious omega scent was Ash? The Ash who was currently naked? “Um. What?”
Ryder sighed. He looked over Spencer’s shoulder, presumably at Ash. Ash, who was naked. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yeah,” Ash answered. Naked Ash, that was. “I—I’m sure.”
Ryder’s hands landed on Spencer’s shoulders. He had nice hands. Big. Strong. It suddenly registered in Spencer’s brain that Ryder was only wearing boxers, his broad chest all bare and his slutty thigh tattoos on full display.
And Ash was naked.
No. Stay focused.
Luckily for Spencer’s melted brain, Ryder spoke slowly. “Spencer. We need to get Ash through this heat, and we could really use your help.” His face took on a pained expression as he added, “Bro to bro.”
Right. Bro to bro. This was serious. Spencer gathered his panicked thoughts.
Ash was Noah’s little brother. He was off-limits according to all bro codes.
But he was also apparently an omega—Spencer would process that later—and he was having his first heat, and he and Ryder were clearly kind of freaking out.
They needed help. They needed Spencer’s help.
Maybe the help of Spencer’s very interested dick.
Ryder nodded, as if he was reading Spencer’s thoughts. “Have you helped someone through a heat before?”
“Once,” Spencer told him, grateful for a question he could actually answer. “Casual thing, but she wanted a hand—”
“No fucking details,” Ash growled. He sounded a little more like himself now, all pissy and whatnot.
Right. Omegas could get territorial during their heat. And Spencer was now an alpha in Ash’s territory. An alpha whose pheromones Ash liked.
Don’t get horny about it. Don’t get horny about it. Don’t get horny about it.
“He should have hit his peak by now, but he’s still coherent.” Ryder frowned, his gaze darting to Ash and then right back to Spencer. “And he’s cramping, but he’s not making slick.”
“Ryder,” Ash scolded. He was probably scowling, but Spencer couldn’t turn to look yet. Maybe they just wanted advice. Maybe they didn’t want him to actually … do anything.
“What?” Ryder asked, making a face at Ash now. “You wanted him to help, let him help.”
Spencer cleared his throat, his gaze stuck on Ryder’s shoulder, since that seemed a safe enough place to leave it. “It’s probably because you’re all stressed and panicked. It makes sense if it’s your first heat. We need to get you more relaxed. Do you have a nest?”
Ryder cocked a brow. “Are you asking me?”
Right. Slowly, Spencer turned around. There was Ash. Dirty-blond curls and sharp cheekbones and long, lean lines. Naked, just as Spencer knew he’d be. Scowling like a beast with the prettiest pink cock all half chubbed.
Cool, cool, cool. This was fine.
“Nest?” Spencer croaked.
Ash’s scowl deepened. Either at the question or the fact that Spencer was once again sporting a semi of his own. But, like, did they really expect him to be able to help that? The air was thick with horny pheromones, and in addition to naked Ash, Ryder was barely clothed.
Spencer was only human, right? A young, virile alpha in his prime, even.
“It—it didn’t work so well,” Ash told him grudgingly.
“Show me.”
They led him to their bedroom. Just the one room, but there were two beds, each against a wall. In between them on the carpet was a very sad, haphazard pile of fabric. It looked like a few used towels and some pillows and a sweatshirt or two.
Spencer nodded. “Oh yeah, that’s fucking ugly.”
Ash made a choked sound, and Ryder growled, “Watch it.”
Spencer only now belatedly remembered that while this was firecracker Ash, it was firecracker Ash with a buttload of hormones making him emotional as hell, and yeah, Spencer probably should watch what he said.
He turned to Ash, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and giving him a little shake. Naked or not, the dude needed some comfort. “But it’s your first try,” Spencer soothed. “We’ll just give it another go. Easy-peasy. What do you think?”
Ash sagged into him, suddenly boneless. Spencer was so startled he almost let Ash knock him over. He locked his knees just in time, widening his eyes at Ryder.
Ryder only smirked.
Hadn’t he been growling at Spencer two seconds ago? Spencer just could not get a read on that guy.