Page 103 of Slow Heat
“That’s good to hear, son,” Father said.
“He’s a fan of roses,” Jason went on, warming to his subject. “So Mox thought it would be good to plant a few more beneath the windows of his study to allow the scent to drift in during summer. He’s going to head back over next week after he picks up a few rose bushes that are good for fall planting and get them put into the ground.”
“That sounds very nice,” Pater said, trying for a smile again and failing. “I’m glad you had a good day there.”
Jason darted a glance between his parents. They’d barely looked at each other through the entire meal. It was starting to scare him. “Are you feeling all right, Pater?”
Father glared at Jason then, his blue eyes going cold with anger. “Enough,” he growled.
Jason’s stomach shriveled, and his pulse raced. His father had never spoken to him like that in all his memory.
Pater put his fork down and snarled at Father. “It’s not like he can’t smell it, Yule.”
Father shook his head hard, pressing his lips tightly closed.
Jason’s throat went dry. Silence reigned as they all pushed their food around on their plates. Finally, Jason whispered, “I do smell it.”
“No!” Father shouted, banging on the table.
“Yule, there’s no getting around it.”
“He doesn’t need to know about this,” Father barked, shoving back from the table. He pointed at Pater. “Miner. In my study. Now.”
But Pater just sat there, staring defiantly up at Father, his fingers clenched white against the stem of his fork.
Jason’s food heaved in his stomach. His heart pounded. What had Pater done?
Father gripped the back of his chair, his throat working convulsively.
“What do you smell, Jason?” Pater asked finally, his voice deathly quiet.
“Someone else mixed with your scent.” He dared a glance toward Father and then whispered, “Did you…but why would you…?” His throat clogged, and he sounded like a child. “You love Father.”
Pater’s eyes glimmered with confusion before clearing. A strange, fragile smile broke on his face. “Oh, wolf-god, no. Oh, Jason, I would never.” He frowned up at Father. “See? This is why we have to tell him. He thinks I’ve had sex with another man.”
Father yanked out his chair again and sat in it. With his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, the tension rolling off him was almost unbearable. Silence ruled the table again for a long time.
Jason swallowed back another surge of his barely eaten dinner. “What is it, then?”
“I’m pregnant,” Pater said grimly.
“Oh.” Jason stared between his parents, his heart pounding. “But that’s dangerous for you. I thought you took medicines to stop that from happening.”
“You told him about that, too?” Father lifted his head to stare at Pater in shock. “Wolf-god, Miner, he shouldn’t carry that burden.”
Pater clattered his fork against his plate. “He’s going to be contracted soon enough. Possibly tomorrow, Yule. He needs to understand the burdenallomegas carry. Whether you like it or not, he’s old enough to know the truth of our family.”
“All omegas don’t have your birth defect.”
“Semantics won’t fix this situation. Let’s not fight over the details.”
“No, let’s fight over your life!” Father’s blue eyes bored into Pater with a desperation Jason had never seen in him. “You nearly died with Jason. No, youdiddie. They had to restart your heart!”
Pater’s lips set more firmly and he stared back at Father. “I know that, Yule. I was there.”
“What?” Jason said, blinking between them. He’d had no idea.
“And once it was barely beating again, if the hospital hadn’t just happened to have several bags of your blood type on hand…” Father’s eyes filled with tears as his voice gave out on him. “If we’d been anything less than wildly lucky that day, I’d have lost you.”
