Although, why Everett was alone in the TV room if he was trying to meet hot alphas was anyone’s guess. The room was empty around them, most of the crowd split between thekitchen, the living room, and probably the yard out back, where there were always beer pong tables set up for whoever wanted to play. Basically, the party wasout there—grooving, drinking, cackling over said drinks.
Spencer gazed longingly at the dance floor in the living room. There was a perfect circle in the center. He could totally slide in there and shake his ass without even hitting anyone. And he could hear, like, really faint cheering, probably someone kicking complete ass at beer pong outside.
Ash caught Spencer’s eye and tossed his curls in the direction of the crowd. “Dude. Go.”
Spencer pressed a hand to his chest. “Moi?”
“Yeah. You clearly want to mingle with the unwashed masses.”
They all looked pretty washed to Spencer, but whatever. He shifted in place. “But I dragged you guys out here.”
He wasn’t sure why he was feeling weird about it. He dragged Noah and Chase to parties and then abandoned them all the time. But it was different with Ash and Ryder. Like Spencer had a separate set of responsibilities or something. But also, their situation was on the down-low, so it wasn’t like Spencer could cuddle with them on the couch while they people-watched either. And who would sit on whose lap, anyway? Could Ryder’s hard, tattooed thighs handle Spencer and Ash both? Like, at the same time?
God, that was such a good question.
Ash shrugged, interrupting the beginnings of a decently filthy daydream. “So? We’re good. We’ll chill with Everett. Go play flip cup or hump someone to a dance remix or whatever else you’re trying to do.”
Spencer grinned at him. “How did you know I’m, like, fucking excellent at flip cup?”
“Maybe because you’re a total bro?”
Ash made what should have been a sick compliment sound scathing, but Spencer winked at him, anyway. “Aw, you’re my bro, too, babe.”
Well, if he had permission, what was stopping him?
Spencer gave everyone in the room—including Everett, because Spencer wasn’t going to neglect anyone like that—an obnoxious kiss on the cheek, and then he made his way out into the crowd.
13
ASH
Ash, Ryder, and Everett watched Spencer shimmy out to the dance floor, where he promptly downed his drink with a whoop and started grinding the closest group of bodies. Unsurprisingly, the group of bodies began grinding him right the fuck back.
Ash observed it with a detached sort of jealousy. He wasn’t worried about Spencer doing anything, but it would have been more satisfying if Ash could have had his scent all over him. Maybe some well-placed hickeys too. People already knew Ryder belonged to Ash—they were too attached at the hip for that not to be a fact—but Spencer was another story.
For the first time, Ash felt himself getting impatient for his presentation to be done with—not just for the hell that was inconvenient heats to be finished, but for what might be waiting for him on the other side.
“I’m dizzy just watching him,” Everett commented.
Ash shrugged. “He has that effect on people.”
Everett cocked his head as Spencer did some ridiculous move that had his back bent almost to the floor. “You’re not worried about letting him off his leash?”
It was Ryder who answered, “Puppy needs his enrichment time.”
Ash shot him a savage grin. “Well put.”
Everett took his eyes off Spencer to blink between the two of them. “Damn,” he said after a moment. “Double alphas for your heats. You’re really doing this thing with flair.”
Ash shrugged. “You don’t ever double up?” He knew it wasn’t super common, but it also wasn’t unheard of. Eli had told him once that there were plenty of cultures with a history of pack-like romantic structures, usually multiple alphas with one omega and maybe a beta. Eli even lectured about it in his courses.
Everett grimaced into his drink. “I use meds. Not gonna give some drooling frat boy alpha the reins.” He glanced at Ryder. “No offense.”
Ryder smirked at him. “None taken. I’m not in a frat.”
Ash considered telling Everett that he had no complaints about college alphas. There might have been drooling during his heats, but Ash was pretty sure it was mostly on his end. And the benefits …
There’d been a moment during his heat on Monday, after they’d finally made it into the apartment, when Ash had been held in Ryder’s arms, his back to Ryder’s chest, while Spencer had folded Ash like a pretzel and pounded into him. Ash had been suffocating on alpha pheromones, in the very best way, caged in by sweat-soaked muscles. It had been like being transported into another dimension, one where Ash was nothing but a dumb, cum-drunk receptacle for alpha cock. Not a dimension Ash would have ever thought he’d be interested in, but it had definitely had its merits.