Page 3 of Free Me

Linus loved that his generation was the first in Sansbury to offer a full university program to omega students, even in the majors were still somewhat limited. When his parents were his age, omegas were not allowed to attend university, and were often pressured to leave secondary school entirely once they entered their first heat cycle, so they didn’t distract the alphastudents or cause disturbances in the classrooms. Linus had always thought that mindset was stupid. Yes, heat hormones could be distracting, and alphas could get a little worked up when scenting an omega in heat, but alphas were still whole human beings with control of their faculties.

Infantilizing alphas and punishing omegas by removing their educational (and job) opportunities was archaic and dumb. He hoped his own future mate was smart and funny and engaging, and a man who challenged him in life. He wanted a true partner, not a submissive boy who acquiesced to every request. Someone like Miko, who got shy in crowds of strangers but shined around his friends, and was fiercely loyal to his family.

“Then I’m definitely going to the party,” Miko said. “If I get uncomfortable, I’ll just tell everyone you’re my date. No one will fuck with the date of the senior all-star.”

“No one should fuck you with regardless of being single or not,” Linus practically snarled. “Have you had to lie before because guys were fucking with you?”

“Once or twice, but it happens. All I have to do is say my sire once stabbed a guy with a kitchen knife, and they usually back off.”

“Well, at least you’ve got that card in your back pocket.”

“Right?”

Long before Miko or Linus were born, Miko’s alpha sire Mikel had been in a bad place, emotionally and mentally, and he had accidentally stabbed an omega in the chest. The omega had lived, mated and now had three grown kids, and Mikel had worked hard to move past that incident. While Miko was his only biological child, Mikel loved and protected his adopted son Peyton with the same intensity.

Linus’s own former-constable sire was a great back-pocket card to play when people tried to give him shit. It didn’t happen often, but since he was on the shorter, slimmer end of the alphaphysical spectrum, he also knew how to defend himself against alphaholes.

“So do you have a ride with someone?” Linus asked. “Papa dropped me off before the game, but he and Dad went home.”

“Yeah, I was going to hook up with Morgyn and Jaxson in about ten minutes. They were here for the game, they just got here late and had nosebleed seats. You want a ride?”

“Definitely. Morgyn and Jaxson were here without Symon?”

“Does that really surprise you? Symon abhors crowds.”

“True.”

Morgyn, Symon and Jaxson were all betas about the same age who’d been renting a house together for three years, and it was silently understood among their friend group that the trio was in a kind of three-way relationship, even though none of them had ever openly dated any of the others. But they were long-time family friends and Linus didn’t really care, as long as they were happy with the arrangement.

Symon Lee, specifically, had scars on his neck and arms from chemical burns, and no matter who said what or how often, he was not comfortable in social situations. Morgyn’s parents had an amazing in-ground pool at their house, and Symon refused to swim in it even now, years after the fact. His choice. Linus loved that pool.

“Cool, well, let’s go then,” Linus said. He chugged the last of his beer and tossed the empty into the nearest trash can. The celebratory atmosphere jamming the parking lot energized him like crazy, and he practically bounced over to Morgyn’s parked car. He and Jaxson were sitting on the trunk, passing a bottle of something brown between them. Linus grabbed it and took a long swig.

Whiskey. He coughed and gagged but didn’t complain. “Smooth,” he rasped.

Jaxson laughed. “That’ll teach you to steal booze. Congrats, by the way. You’re about to officially become the most famous member of our friend group.”

“I don’t know,” Miko countered, “I think my brother Peyton is a touch more famous, as the first person to ever be completely cured of Donal Syndrome.”

“Yeah, but my big brother Demir is the one who cured Peyton and is working on curing others,” Linus replied.

“Fine, both of our brothers are more famous than us. You’re probably second tier at best.”

Linus knuckled Miko’s shoulder hard. “Just for that, I’m not buying you a present when I get my first signing bonus.”

“You were going to buy me a present?”

“Maybe. Definitely not now. I’m second tier and can’t afford you anymore.”

Their quartet burst out laughing. Miko took a swipe at his head, which Linus easily ducked, and they ended up lightly wrestling until Jaxson nudged his way between them. “Down, boys,” Jaxson said. “We’reallkeyed up and excited. Where are we going?”

“Alton Westphall’s house,” Linus replied. “He’s throwing a big party tonight. Pretty much everyone is invited, and I need a ride. Miko, too. You dorks can drive us and then stay if you want.”

“Gee, thanks, that’s so generous,” Morgyn deadpanned. “Hop on the roof. Miko can ride inside.”

“Very funny.”

“Who’s joking?”

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