Hell, he had been secretly living in Linus’ apartment for the past four months, rolling around in Linus’ bed when the professor was away. Storm had stolen Linus’ used underwear to sniff them; he had wrapped them around his cock to jerk off. And he had watched and listened as Linus pleasured himself, several times.
Even if he wanted to cuddle Linus forever, he doubted that the professor would accept him, if that all came to light.
“It doesn’t matter,” he told himself sternly. “What’s important is that he’s safe. I’m going to keep him safe.”
Even if it meant hiding in the shadows so Linus could live his life without any worries.
Storm swallowed his disappointment and straightened his shoulders. He could do this. He had lived through his prison sentence without Linus knowing what he felt; he could live another four years the same way.
He was in the parking lot, on the way to his motorcycle when he bumped into an alpha heading in the opposite direction.
“Watch it,” the alpha snarled.
Storm held his hands up. “Just mindin’ my own business.”
The alpha turned to snap at him. Except the man flared his nostrils and sniffed. “You smell like daffodil. You know a Linus Bentham?”
Storm took a half-step back, considering the stranger. Broad shoulders and ample muscles marked him as an alpha. What stood out most though, was the mean look in his narrowed eyes, the way his mouth twisted into a sneer.
His gut instinct said this guy was trouble.
Without knowing what the alpha was up to, and without Linus agreeing to be Storm’s omega, Storm couldn’t take down this guy without getting into legal trouble. He couldn’t claim omega defense.
And he couldn’t go back to prison again; Linus needed him out here.
“Never heard that name before,” Storm said easily. He nodded at the apartments behind him. “I work maintenance in this building; none of the residents are a Bentham. You probably want to try someplace else.”
“Fine.” The alpha gave the building a last suspicious look, then turned and got into a beat-up truck.
Even though Storm badly wanted to return to the apartment, just tomake sureLinus was safe, he started up his motorcycle.
He waited until the truck had driven off. Then he followed it from a distance, keeping a few cars between them so the tail wouldn’t be obvious.
The alpha headed to a different apartment building a few blocks down. Storm waited until he had exited the truck and gone into the building, before pulling into the parking lot.
He memorized the truck’s make, model, and license number. He peeked into the windows, too. Then he left before the alpha could find him snooping, hightailing it all the way back to Linus’ place.
Chances were, Linus knew who that alpha was. But there was an equally high chance that Linus would panic the moment he found out about the man’s presence.
The last thing Storm wanted was for his omega to live in fear. So he parked and headed upstairs to make sure there was no way that alpha trash could get to Linus here.
He pulled out his phone.
Storm
What would you do if you discovered that your omega’s ex has been snooping around, but you can’t off him right away?
Hades
Ah. How violent, little gremlin.
Storm
PFFT. Like you didn’t go to jail with blood on your hands
Hades
Oh, no, my hands are squeaky clean.
