The alpha from yesterday. From his class. The same one who had given him the Ibuprofen and helped him into bed.
Linus’ cheeks grew warm in a way that hadnothingto do with his fever. “What are you doing in my apartment?”
“Making sure you’re okay.” The alpha frowned. “You told me not to go.”
“I said that?”
The alpha nodded. “Besides, you were really wobbly last night. I didn’t want you to fall and hit your head going to the bathroom.”
Linus vaguely remembered that. Along with gentle hands holding him up, spooning soup into his mouth. “I need to find my phone. I can’t miss a whole day of class.”
“Why not?” The alpha frowned. “You’re allowed sick days, right?”
“Yes, but... My students...” Linus tried to get out of bed; his head spun.
“You should rest. You won’t be helping anyone if you collapse in the middle of class.”
“I’ll just take more pills—”
“No,” the alpha growled, so fiercely that Linus froze.
The alpha froze too, eyes growing wide as though he had just realized what he’d said. He hunched his shoulders immediately, backing away.
“Crap. I meant that you shouldn’t sacrifice your health for your work,” the alpha muttered, looking warily at Linus. “I didn’t mean to control your bodily autonomy or anything.”
He was so unlike the other alphas, so unlike Dert and all the terrible memories surrounding that man.
Linus blinked several times. “I don’t even know your name.”
The alpha’s cheeks turned pink. “It’s Storm.”
“Storm?”
Storm inhaled sharply, his pupils dilating. Then he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Yeah. That’s my name. Uh, do you need anything? Water? Tea? Some food? Snacks?”
Linus rubbed his belly. “I’m not hungry. But maybe I should eat.”
“I think there’s eggs in the fridge. Be right back.”
Baffled, Linus watched those broad shoulders disappear. How had Storm gotten into his apartment? Why was he here?
And why was Linus allowing him to stay?
Regardless of the answers, the most important thing was that Storm had not hurt Linus. So Linus could wait on getting his answers.
For now.
He found his phone on the floor between his nightstand and the bed, twisting his body so he could gingerly fish it out. Then he stared at it.Do I tell Olson about Storm? He’ll get protective and chase Storm out.
Linus wasn’t sure he wanted that.
He turned the phone around in his hands, aware that he needed to email his students right now if he wasn’t planning to show up.
Linus jumped when Storm appeared in the bedroom doorway.
Storm winced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you again. Here are some scrambled eggs, and tea with honey and lemon.”
He set a plate and a mug on Linus’ nightstand; the eggs looked soft and fluffy. Linus squinted at the slice of lemon in the mug. “I don’t have any lemons in the fridge.”
