Chapter 1

One of the things that Grant hates the most is not waking up peacefully.

No matter what reason, may it be a nightmare, his alarm or Iker annoying him again, it always pisses Grant off.

The worst reason to not waking up peacefully until now is still waking up in his pre-heat.

Okay, maybe second worst, waking up in heat taking the first place.

But yes, waking up and realizing he's in his pre-heat is a good way of making Grant grumpy for the rest of the day.

Grant kicks his blanket away, sweaty from the heat already despite it not being warm.

Now, a heat isn't nearly as bad as it sounds.

If only Grant had a mate to spend it with.

Being in heat while having a mate who would fuck him into oblivion is amazing.

But he doesn't have one, so he has to suffer and have dirty dreams all the time just like the one he woke up from with a boner.

What makes matters worse is the fact that it's the month where Grant has to take a break from his suppressants.

He can't take his suppressants to make his heat more bearable because his body is not able to take many.

He has to suffer through at least every second heat without suppressants, so his body won't take permanent damage from it.

Other omegas are more fortunate.

They can take as many suppressants as they want without fearing anything.

Grant, obviously, isn't one of them.

Giving up on falling asleep again - the slick between his ass cheeks also getting too much - Grant gets to his feet with a huff to wash his face and clean himself in the bathroom.

In his pre-heat and annoyance induced state, Grant had forgotten about another one of his nightmares – his alpha roommate Kasen Levy.

Grant is in shock when he sees Kasen walk around the apartment, and then groans when he sees that Kasen has no shirt on, his buff upper body nude in all its glory.

Kasen faces him when he hears him groan but Grant ignores him and walks into the bathroom.

Taking a deep breath, Grant notices with a burning shame that even more slick pours out of him after the sight of Kasen's naked upper body.

Not to mention how sensitive Grant's nose is to the alpha's tangerine scent.

Having Kasen as a roommate for a year is one of the best things that could have happened to Grant.

While Grant did tell Kasen to stay clear from him when he first moved in, Grant in need of having someone who'll pay the rent with him, it was Grant who warmed up to the alpha first.

It was easy.

Unfairly easy, he should add, but it was.

Kasen is a picture-perfect alpha who carries himself with an authority that makes everyone swoon over him and who cares about everyone around him.

It was after a night of going out and Kasen punching another alpha for Grant that Grant realized he wasn't only fond of the alpha, but he was gone for him.

Since six months now Grant has silently suffered with that revelation, not letting Kasen notice a thing as he takes care of the omega.

Grant loves the moments where they come back from a long day of university and work and end up on the couch together with take-out or the days where they spend hours in one of their rooms, play video games and let each other scents cloud their minds until they forget anything else even exists.

The more devastating it is when Grant has to step out of the room and face reality.

Grant waits a minute and then cleans himself, washes his face and mouth, and then walks back out.

It's delightful and saddening at the same time to see that Kasen has put a shirt on.

He grabs his phone from his room and heads for the kitchen where Kasen is preparing breakfast.

Kasen looks up as Grant enters the kitchen, the table already set and a cup of coffee waiting for Grant.

Grant squeals, mumbles, "Thank you," and has his hands already stretched out so he can have a sip of the beverage but Kasen pulls Grant towards himself.

He leans in until his nose almost touches Grant's neck and inhales deeply.

Grant's only response is to freeze, his eyes widening.

"You're in pre-heat," Kasen says as he pulls back, eyes finding Grant's.

Grant clears his throat, silently bemoaning the loss of Kasen's touch as the alpha pulls back, and nods.

"I know." He buries his face in his cup of coffee and tells himself that the warmth spreading over his cheeks stems from the heat of the beverage and nothing else.

"You should tell Cole so he knows," Kasen says and takes a seat, putting three toasts on Grant's plate instead of the usual two.

Kasen gets like that when Grant is about to go into heat, says Grant has to eat more the days before he goes into heat because he'll be forgetting to do so once he's in heat.

Grant feels pleased and annoyed at the same time.

He enjoys the pampering he gets from Kasen but hates that it stops at the threshold to his room, Kasen never entering and helping Grant through his heat, not even once getting him off.

Even Iker has gotten Grant off once before.

"I will," Grant replies.

"I was about to do it today when I go to work."

"You can't take suppressants.

I'll go over to Edison's when your heat starts and come by to bring over things you need."

Grant huffs, frowning at his toast.

"I know.

You do that every time."

"A problem?" Kasen asks as soon as he notes the grumpy edge to Grant's voice.

"No.

I was thinking of spending this heat with an alpha.

It's already so unbearable," Grant says and reaches for the Nutella.

Kasen says, "No," just as he grabs the jar.