Page 72 of Slick Trip

“Ian, what are your intentions concerning Grandpa?” I asked loudly. Ian flashed his wedding ring. Oh, yes. They were already married.

“Well—good. I approve,” I said, ignoring Jon’s snort.

“Sit down, Cooper.” It was Grandpa. He was in the kitchen doorway, looking at me. For half a second, my brain went quiet in that same almost spooky way it did with Jon—but this was different. The impact was duller. I considered the request and rejected it.

“I’m fine like this, thank you,” I said, smiling radiantly. Ian burst into laughter. Grandpa looked half annoyed, half amused.

“Please, sit down,” he said.

“But of course.”

Jon sat down next to me. Grandpa was watching us carefully.

“Late onset runs in the family,” he said, sitting down next to Ian.

“Wait—what?”

He offered Ian a cookie and looked pleased when he accepted it.

“Late onset. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when I noticed your scent. There’s a good chance your brother might present as well.”

I hadn’t even thought of that.

“But Jack’s older than me. Wouldn’t it have happened already?”

“Not necessarily,” Grandpa said. “Late onset is unpredictable. Most secondary genders present during early adolescence, but just last week I heard of a woman who became an Alpha in her forties.”

Ian gave Jon a curious look. “Do you know any relatives who’ve presented as Alphas or Omegas?”

Jon looked guarded.

“I don’t know any relatives, period,” he said curtly. “Foster kid,” he added with a shrug that broke my heart a little. Jon had lost his parents to addiction when he was just a small kid.

“I’m sorry,” Ian said. “I didn’t mean to bring up an uncomfortable topic.”

“It’s okay,” Jon said. I leaned closer to him, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

“How do you know all this?” I asked, looking at both Grandpa and Ian.

Grandpa smiled. “I presented at fifteen. I’m also the Head of Secondary Gender Association here in California.”

“And I volunteer at an A/B/O shelter,” Ian told us. “That’s how I met your grandfather,” he added. “Through work.”

Ian put his hand on Grandpa’s knee and leaned closer to whisper something. Grandpa gave him a smile I could only describe as smitten and then nodded.

“There’s someone we’d like you to meet.”

Ian rose and returned after a few minutes with a slender, dark-haired boy who was probably about my age. He peered at us from behind Ian, looking like he might bolt at any second. His hands were tucked into the sleeves of an oversized sweater as if he was trying to disappear inside it. His brown eyes flicked around the room. He had long, pretty lashes. I liked him instantly.

“This is Oliver,” Ian said. “He recently presented as an Omega.”

“Come in, Oliver,” Grandpa said, his voice softer than before.

Oliver stepped forward carefully.

“Oliver’s staying with us temporarily since there was a falling out with his family,” Grandpa explained. “Just until school starts.”

“My parents don’t accept secondary genders,” Oliver whispered.