Page 53 of The Price of Ice

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, when Levy finally helped him settle down on the seat. He was scarlet and as close to tears as he was to bursting in other ways.

“Forget it,” his friend replied, and turned around and left, closing the door behind himself.

He did his business, and then he bent over in half, digging his elbows into his useless knees and pressing his fisted hands to his eyes and gave himself a stern talking to. The last thing he could do right now was fucking cry. If he got any more pathetic, he didn’t think he could bear it—even if Levy would continue indulging him.

If Maslow was right, if this was all in his head... Then he had to get itoutof his head.

LEVY’S KNOCK BROUGHThim back from his thoughts. “I’m done,” he said, and then had to repeat it when it came out toolow. But the sooner he got off his arse, literally, the sooner he could get closer to sorting this out.

“Can we go to the sofa? I’m sick of the bed.”

He gritted his teeth through the whole awkward procedure of getting him sat on the edge of the bathtub so he could wash his hands, then put his arms around Levy’s neck as his friend lifted him bride-style. He’d have nearly preferred the fireman carry from before except he desperately didn’t want to be upside down again.

“Levy,” he said when his friend stepped back and didn’t sit down. “Stop thinking about feeding me. I need your help.”

Levy nearly tripped in his haste to sit down next to him. “Okay, shoot.”

“I need you to make me tell you. So I can...” He waved down at his lower half.

“You really...” Levy was frowning, mouth downturned. “You really think Maslow is right? That you are...?”

Kallen shrugged. “If he’s wrong, I got nothing to lose.” He winced as soon as the words were out. It wasn’t true, of course. He could very well imagine what Levy’s reaction would be when he found out. He’d already got Kallen to tell himwho, of course, but...

Kallen had mostly accepted his friend hadn’t been serious about their extracurricular kissing, and he was fine with it, really. Kallen had liked it too much, so in a way it was better if it was off the table. It didn’t mean he wanted him to know what their captain had done, what he’d said. Levy didn’t think of him like an omega, or at least he didn’t act like he thought omegas were toys for him to use and then discard like other alphas did. And if Kallen told him...

“Or maybe I can tell someone else. Can you make me tell someone else?”

Levy was watching him wide-eyed. “Like who?”

Kallen had no idea. His parents were out, obviously. And his brothers... They were betas, but they were his older brothers, too. He thought they would do something, or want to, at least.

But he wasn’t sure.

The idea of telling this to Levy was terrifying, but to tell someone he wasn’t sure would get angry on his behalf?

He shrugged, dropping his eyes. “Dunno, just... It’s— It’s bad.”

The heavy huff was charged enough that Kallen didn’t even need to look. “Will you let me help?”

Kallen glanced up at the tremble in those words. “What?”

“I won’t...” Levy’s brow was furrowed, eyes lost somewhere to the side. “I won’t go all macho. I promise I won’t.” His throat clicked loudly, and Kallen almost told him hewantedthat. That for once in his life, he wanted an alpha who would step in front of him and protect him instead of hurt him. “But will you let me tell the right people? I—” His eyes returned to Kallen’s, desperate and shining. “Please?”

His stomach fell. It was stupid. Levy was being sensible. That was good. What did Kallen expect? For him to go and confront McKinley and the whole White Cats organisation that would undoubtedly stand behind him? They’d fire him as soon as hear him out.

But Levy wanted to, and it wasn’t quite the same asdoing it, but it helped that he did. It made a difference that he’d get angry on Kallen’s behalf.

Levy couldn’t save him from his own bad choices, but he wanted to. It was a lot more than he’d ever had before. And seeing the pain on his friend’s face, he opened his own mouth and said, “Yeah. Yes. You— You can tell.”

Levy’s hand landed on his own, squeezing. “Thank you.”

Kallen nearly laughed, suppressing the impulse for fear that he’d start crying instead. “Thank you? You are... You are nuts, man.”

That earned him a half a smile, worn out and tired, but there. Levy was trying his best, and it was time Kallen did the same, no matter how much it cost him.

Chapter 21

But then the food was gone, and apparently Levy hadn’t been trying to postpone the hard part, because he set their plates on the coffee table and turned his body towards Kallen on the sofa. He’d needed help to get arranged comfortably with one leg bent and one on the floor, but their dead weight kept him mostly stable and at least he could lean back on the arm of the sofa for extra support. The kitchen stools were obviously out and even the regular chairs made him feel he might lose his balance any moment.

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