by Leta Blake
Yule’s jaw twitched, and he glanced at Urho before smiling tightly at Vale. “Of course. I understand it’s preferable to make such arrangements, but I still believe that a contracted situation is a better option. More civilized.”
“And if I’d taken such an option, we’d have been in quite the mess when Jason grabbed me at the library, wouldn’t we?”
Yule tensed but inclined his head in acknowledgement.
“The ridiculous weight alphas have historically placed on their omega having never known another is absurd.” Miner’s eyes shone darkly and anger crackled in his voice.
“I agree,” Yule said, quickly. “While I think omega freedom groups go too far, it’s clear to me that omegas deserve more leniency and understanding than they’ve had in the past. And that includes taking lovers when necessary, such as in cases of interminable heat, or to endure an uncontracted and unbonded existence.”
“Endure,” Vale whispered under his breath, after Yule turned back to the more palatable conversation Rosen was carrying on about the breakthrough he’d had in a recipe for crab legs and cornbread stuffing.
Jason stared toward Urho with a black expression, but when Vale reached out his almost-empty drink and asked for a refill, he came back to him with a sweet smile and a gentle, “Of course.”
“You and I aren’t that different in age,” Miner said thoughtfully, as Jason poured more scotch. “What class were you at Mont Juror? I was Class of Wolf-moon, and you were…”
“Class of Wolf-storm.”
“Ah, my friend Miles had a younger brother in that class. Rasmus Beck?”
“I knew him well.” Vale had found him boorish, but he didn’t volunteer that information.
Miner smiled. “Jason will graduate in a Class of Wolf-Rain. I’ve always liked the sound of that. It reminds me of the Old World saying about raining cats and dogs.” He broke off. “I’m babbling. I apologize. Discussion of omega rights often makes me anxious.”
Vale smiled, his heart softening toward Jason’s pater even more. “Me, too.”
“Normally, I’d smoke a cigarette, but it’s a habit I’m trying to break.”
“Don’t let me stop you.”
“Jason doesn’t like it. You don’t smoke, do you?”
Vale shook his head.
“Good, he’ll be relieved.” Miner gave Jason a wink.
“Jason, come sit with Vale’s friends,” Yule called, steering everyone toward the plates of hors d’oeuvres set out on the tea table next to the sofa. “You should get to know them, too.”
Vale smiled encouragingly as Jason stepped from behind the bar and moved to sit in a plush chair near his father. Rosen, Yosef, and Urho took the large leather sofa, fresh drinks in hand.
“This has to have been a terrible surprise,” Miner said as he and Vale moved slowly across the room toward the group. “You probably thought all this wasn’t in the cards for you.”
“I had given up hope for it, yes.”
Hope wasn’t the right word, but Miner’s eyes showed he understood he’d accidentally backed Vale into a corner. He took Vale’s arm, pausing several feet away from the cozy seating area where Rosen was complimenting the caramelized onion tarts with apples. “I do understand more than you might think.”
“Omegas have a kinship,” Vale agreed.
“Yes.” Miner’s eyes searched his. “We all spend our youth in suspense, waiting for the match or the contract that means our lives can begin now. You must have gone a long time thinking it would happen any moment.”
“Anytime. Anywhere.”
“Yes.” Miner tilted his head. “And just when you’d probably given up, gotten comfortable, built a life of your own, Jason comes along.”
Was this a trap or did Miner truly feel for him? Vale chose a wry smile as his only response.
“He’s a loving boy.” Miner smiled.
“And I admit I’m fond of surprises,” Vale offered.
Miner clinked Vale’s glass again. “To surprises, then, and to wolf-god’s blessings.”
Jason offered his seat to Vale, going to stand by the fire instead. He was a quiet young man, from what Vale could tell. He didn’t insinuate himself rudely into conversations the way many alphas did, or insist on Vale’s attention being directed at him. Though his gaze devoured Vale greedily at every opportunity, he grew shy when Vale caught him.
Where was the desperate baby alpha who’d shown up outside his window, eager to know anything about him, driven by the impulse to get closer to his omega? Right there, Vale bet, beneath the layer of shy distance he kept. That was the Jason he should get to know, the one he became when he was alone.
The conversation shifted from Rosen’s recipes to their preferences at the theater, and Vale wasn’t sure if Yosef or Yule was a bigger fan. They discussed the latest plays and musicals, both holding vibrant and well-considered opinions of everything from the leading actors to the pacing and the book. Vale enjoyed theater, but not with the same intensity. He didn’t mind if the lead bungled a line, so long as the hour and a half took him away from the world for a little while and the experience gave him something new to write about.
He wondered if Jason liked the theater. He turned to gauge his interest.
Jason didn’t seem to be paying any attention. Instead, he looked mouthwateringly gorgeous leaning against the wall with his heart in his eyes, and his lanky body encased in that sweetly tailored suit that showed the spread of his shoulders and the bulge of his alpha cock.
Vale’s heart tripped over a tangle of feelings, both primal and surface, a mess of things he wanted and didn’t want, longed for and feared. He cleared his throat and pretended to study the painting over the sofa, a riot of color and form that made little sense. His pulse raced and his mind whirred from the contact high of Jason’s stare.
“Dinner will be served shortly, sir,” a voice said from the doorway.
Vale turned to see a beta-for-hire, recognizable by the traditional black pants and white shirt. Apparently, the Sabels didn’t have regular servants. Betas-for-hire were only arranged for when someone didn’t have help of their own. Vale had used them on more than one occasion to cater a party.
Surprised, he looked to Jason who shrugged and straightened up from the wall.
Rising, Yule gestured toward the door. “Why don’t we all take a seat in the dining room?”
Miner led the way from the room, and as they headed down the hall together, Jason sidled up beside him. “Is everything going all right so far?”
“I should be asking you that.”
“Oh?”
“It’s typically believed that it’s the job of the omega to please and charm the alpha.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “Old fairytales.”
“Agreed.”
Jason smiled and then said, “Usually, my father does the cooking in our house, but tonight we hired someone in. I hope the food is good. I can’t vouch for it personally. We’ve never had this chef before.”
A bubble of optimism settled in his gut at the idea that Yule Sabel, the alpha of this mansion and wealthier than many a man could even dream, made dinner every night for his family. If that was the kind of alpha who’d raised Jason, then maybe it wasn’t entirely stupid of him to let his hopes flourish.
“It’ll be wonderful,” Vale said. “Better than anything I could make. I’m a terrible cook. Just ask Rosen.”
“How could you be terrible at anything?” Jason asked.
Vale laughed and shook his head. “Omega persuasion is powerful stuff, darling. Beware. I’d diagnose you with pheromone delirium for saying something as sweet as that.”
Jason was about to deny it when Yule gripped him by the shoulder as they entered the dining room and steered him toward a chair to the right of the head. “Sit by me, son.”
Then Miner closed in to whisper to Vale, “I thought it best to put some space between you so you can both think more clearly. Would you take the seat next to me?”
&
nbsp; Vale almost protested. The truth was, he felt more clear-headed when interacting with Jason than when not. The pheromone attraction went both ways; his body seemed to know he was meant for Jason and relaxed.
Yosef and Rosen sat across from Vale, leaving Urho to sit across from Jason. The instant tension between Urho and Jason was palpable, an almost-violence that quivered over the table. Vale could see Miner trying to calculate the risk of leaving Urho seated where he was or asking him to switch with Rosen. If he did that, he’d be placing him closer to Vale than Jason was, and that wouldn’t be a good choice, either.
Inviting Urho might not have been such a good idea. Vale hated it when Rosen was right.
Eventually, Miner seemed to abandon the idea of changing the seating. Vale hoped for the best.
“Jason,” Yule said, after catching Miner’s insistent expression. “Urho used to be a doctor in the military.”
“I’m still a doctor,” Urho interjected. “But I’ve retired from the military. I only use my medical skills for volunteer work now.”
“Very admirable,” Yule said.
Jason bristled.
Yule went on obliviously. “Now he partners with Professor Minze and Dr. Obi to study omega heat and breeding at the university. I was telling him about your interest in genetics earlier.” He smiled at Miner, clearly hoping his omega would approve of his conversation-starting skills.
Miner sighed and drank deeply of the wine beside his place.
Vale lifted his glass to his nose and sniffed curiously. It was a good vintage. It reminded him of some he’d opened from his pater’s wine cellar.
“Oh?” Jason smoothed his face with obvious effort and met Urho’s gaze. “Biology with an emphasis on genetics is my major. I’ve been a fan of Dr. Obi’s work for years now. I’d even considered asking him to sponsor me for some research ideas I have for my independent study next year. What’s he like?”
Urho swirled his wine glass and smiled indulgently. “He’s brilliant, of course, but stern. I can put in a good word for you with him if you’d like, but I should warn you he doesn’t suffer fools lightly.”
Jason smiled tightly. “I’m not a fool and, thank you, I’d appreciate that.”
Yule asked Urho, “So what is it about heat that you study specifically?”
“Omega presentation and its ties to the wolf genes versus our more ancient human ones.”
Jason’s brows lifted slightly. “That’s pretty close to the area I want to study.”
Urho leaned back in his chair, allowing the hired beta who’d entered the room to place a full dish in front of him. “Wolves don’t tend to present with such a deep back arch. That’s more often seen in primates.”
Vale sighed. Once Urho got going on his research, it could be hard to shut him up. He smiled gratefully at the beta laying a delicious-smelling plate down on his placemat.
“Broiled lobster tails with garlic and chili butter,” the beta whispered.
Vale’s mouth watered. Money wasn’t a bad thing to have if it afforded a chef who could make a meal like this one. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had lobster. Not since he and Urho had been on vacation near the sea several heats ago.
Vale was relieved his potential in-laws weren’t the kind to pray to wolf-god before a meal. He’d never been very religious, and it would be awkward to pretend now. The lobster was heavenly, and it was all he could do to stifle his moan around the mouthful. Jason shot Vale a happy look before taking another bite of his own lobster.
“How do you test your theories?” Yule asked Urho, seemingly the only person still paying attention. “Surely you don’t tweak the genes of omegas to see if it changes their heat behavior? I didn’t think we had the technology for that yet, though I know many are working on it.”
“Of course not. That would be unethical, though you’re correct that we don’t have that kind of technology either,” Urho agreed. “Right now, our studies are limited to finding omegas who volunteer. They must admit to a failure to demonstrate lordosis behavior—” He turned to Jason and explained, “That’s the stereotypical arched back—”
“I know what lordosis behavior is,” Jason snapped.
Miner groaned softly, shaking his head.
“Good, then you’ll understand that it’s one of the most identifiable positions of the beginning stages of heat. It sparks a reliable response in any alpha who sees it, Érosgápe or not—”
Jason’s cheeks grew red and his eyes narrowed on Urho, his hands clenching on his silverware dangerously. Miner cleared his throat, but only Vale seemed to notice.
“—leading them to instinctively mount and knot.”
Miner whimpered softly, trying to get Yule’s attention.
Yule asked, “So what happens if an omega doesn’t present?”
“They usually—”
Vale interrupted before Urho could continue. “An omega who fails to present with the lordosis behavior often seeks out medical help, worried something is wrong with them.”
“And then?” Yule asked, oblivious to his son’s tension.
“At that point, they often volunteer for genetic analysis,” Vale replied. “He takes their blood, runs some tests, and tries to draw conclusions based on that information.”
“And what have you found?” Yule asked.
Miner gave a stern nod to Yule, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed nervously.
Noticing this time, Yule abruptly looked to Jason and placed a hand over his, squeezing until Jason released his lobster fork and, thank wolf-god, his knife.
“It fits my hypothesis well,” Urho said around a bite of lobster. “Those omegas with higher rates of wolf-gene markers in their blood don’t present as often or as thoroughly. They are more wolf-like in their behavior, which strangely has the effect of not triggering the knotting instinct in their alpha to as strong a degree.” He grinned. “There’s nothing like seeing an omega in full presentation to bring out the animal in us.”
Jason shoved back from the table, and Yule stood up, too, to grab his son by the shoulder and push him back into his seat.
Vale cleared his throat, but it sounded like a squeak. Yosef put his hand on Rosen’s arm, and Urho wiped his mouth with his napkin. Eyes downcast in shame, Jason murmured something that sounded liked sorry but it didn’t quite carry down the table.
“No, please accept my apologies,” Urho said. “I forgot what it’s like to be a young alpha. I should have been more thoughtful. I didn’t realize my research would be a dangerous topic, but I should have.”
“I hadn’t considered it either,” Yule agreed. “That was short-sighted of me. It’s been too long since I was so young and driven by so much instinct. The impulse toward alpha expression is to be expected.”
Jason shifted in his seat, like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to shrink away or sit up taller to prove himself. Vale cleared his throat again, and Jason’s eyes were on him in a heartbeat. He smiled comfortingly. “Everything is fine here.”
Jason swallowed hard and nodded. “I’m sorry about that. It won’t happen again.” Then he went back to his dinner, though he didn’t seem to truly enjoy the lobster any longer.
Urho smiled reassuringly at Vale but it seemed pale. Vale wanted Jason’s smile instead. Hands trembling, Vale found his own lobster tasted less delicious than it had before the awkwardness.
CHAPTER TEN
“Let me walk you in,” Urho said as the hired car pulled up in front of Vale’s house.
They’d already dropped Rosen and Yosef off at the apartment they shared in a renovated house near the river. Vale’s house was the next stop.
“If I let you do that, you’ll want to stay for a drink, and if you stay for a drink…” Vale smiled coyly.
Urho’s eyes brightened with interest. “Why shouldn’t I stay for a drink then?”
“You’ll make this hired car wait out front for far too long. We wouldn’t want to anger the driver. I’m sure he’d like to get
home at a decent hour tonight.”
Urho leaned closer. The scent of his expensive aftershave filled the space between them. “I can call another ride.”
Vale sighed, pulling his scarf tighter around his neck. “You know you can’t come in, Urho. Not like this. Not anymore.”
“We didn’t get a real goodbye.” The words were gruff with sadness, and Vale swallowed against his own.
“That’s the way of life, isn’t it?” He hadn’t gotten to say goodbye to his parents before they’d gone. Endings were often sudden. Goodbye was a gift not everyone received. “I couldn’t go against my instincts on this matter. If Jason chooses another, well…arrangements will need to be made for my heats. Who knows what lies ahead?”
“You’re a fool. That boy and his pater have their hearts set on you. The alpha? He’s another story. But we all know who really rules the roost.”
“Let’s not argue. I’m tired.”
Urho pressed his thumb into the dimple in Vale’s chin. “One drink as friends.”
“Not tonight. I know that look in your eye. I’ve seen it for years and always gave you what you wanted—yes, what I wanted, too—but I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror tomorrow if I allowed it now.”
“So sure of yourself, aren’t you? Maybe I just want a drink.”
“I love you dearly, Urho, but you lie terribly. Another night we’ll share a drink when we aren’t both feeling so strange.”
“I’m going to miss us.”
Vale smiled and touched Urho’s cheek. His stubble scratched at Vale’s fingertips. “Me, too.”
“Who will you talk to about tonight?”
Vale shrugged. “I have a telephone. Maybe I’ll call someone. I have friends.”
“Rosen and Yosef and me.”
Vale gasped in mock offense. “I’ve got other friends. And who says I need to talk about tonight? It was what it was, he is who he is, and that’s all there is to it.”
“He’s a pup.”
“You’ve said that before. It changes nothing.” Vale opened the car door and climbed out. He leaned in and smiled at Urho one last time. “Have a safe ride home”