was relaxed to the marrow of his bones.
“Why are you single?” he asked, brave in his content state.
“I didn’t use to be. Had two long-term relationships and a few short ones in between. The last was Andrew, but we broke up a long time ago.”
“Why?”
“He didn’t want kids, and at first, I thought I was okay with that, but then…I wasn’t.”
“Oh.”
“But there were other things as well. He used to say I was a grump. We grew apart, I guess.”
“You’re not a grump.”
Travis kissed his temple. “That’s because you make me happy.”
Micah tried to imagine this Andrew and kept ending up with an image of someone taller than him, more mature, and more attractive. He was jealous, and it annoyed him.
“What about you? Any exes in your past?”
Micah tensed. He remembered Peter’s sneer and his father’s laconic look as they had stood in the study, discussing Micah’s future, even his body, as if he weren’t there.
“You don’t have to answer. I’m sorry. I don’t want to pry.”
“I haven’t been with anyone,” Micah said. “One man wanted to date me, but I wasn’t interested in him.” It was the truth, except he left out some unpleasant details. He wasn’t afraid to tell Travis. He simply didn’t want to talk about any of that at all.
Travis massaged his shoulders and arms, his pecs, and he closed his eyes.
“I made you think gloomy thoughts. I apologize.”
“It’s fine.”
“How about we talk about something else? What makes you happy? What do you enjoy?”
“Books and words. I’m majoring in English.”
“You are? I almost chose English too. But then I went with the more predictable languages, hence code. Why English?”
“I like the complexity and intricacy, the endless possibilities. Even the unpredictability and constant development. And I like how the words we use reveal the underlying truth, even when we’re saying something else. Like alpha and omega, the first and the last. In Scandinavia, using similar labels is considered outdated or even insulting. Instead, their descriptors for both genders are derived from old Norse words for a lock and a key—each is important, and they lose their purpose without each other.” Eyes closed, body relaxed, Micah talked freely until he went into babbling nerd mode. But Travis sounded thrilled when he spoke.
“That’s beautiful. I have to tell my dad. He lives for this stuff. He’s an outspoken activist who’s been fighting for omegas’ rights since before I was born.”
“What does your alpha father think about it?” Micah couldn’t help asking, the disapproving grimace of his father clear in his mind like a photograph.
“Pa is a physicist, your classic rational scientist. Opinions and prejudice don’t matter much to him. He’s all about facts. To him, omegas still being oppressed in our society is a fact, proven by current research. And another proven fact is that if alphas and omegas are equal, the whole society benefits from it. He’ll support Dad in everything as long as it’s the truth.”
“That’s amazing. Your parents sound great.”
“They are. I’m lucky.”
Micah felt a small twinge of envy. How different would his life be if his dad were still alive? Would his alpha father be a different person too? Or would Micah suffer double injustice, the one he experienced on his own and the one he would have witnessed inflicted on his dad? He tried to remember if his dad had been happy with them, but all his memories were childlike, focused exclusively on him, his needs, his toys. He remembered sitting in his dad’s lap by the kitchen table, feeling so content and safe, cuddled in his dad’s embrace, and his father told him to sit on a chair instead. Because the family dinner etiquette was more important than actual happiness.
“What else do you like?” Travis whispered. Micah had been quiet too long.
“Cats,” Micah answered quickly, not thinking about it, just grateful for the change in topic.
“Cats?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I don’t know. I had you pegged for a dog person.”
“I don’t care. Just give me a furry animal, and I’ll talk funny voices at it. Dog, cat, rat…”
“My younger brother’s kids have an iguana.”
“That’s not furry.”
“No. But she’s cuddly.”
Micah chuckled, picturing a group of small kids petting an iguana. “That’s hard to imagine.”
“What else makes you happy?”
“I like to hike and swim. And cook.”
“Yeah? Would you cook for me?”
“When I’m sure I can finish what I’m doing, yeah.”
“In a few days, then.”
“And apparently, sex makes me happy.”
Travis laughed. “I’ve noticed. It’s fun to watch you discover things.”
“I really liked the fisting.”
“Me too,” Travis whispered into