Page 96 of Slow Heat
“He likes to be in charge of his own life, sure, but helovesto be told what to do. In bed, especially.”
Jason thought he might have to kill Urho if he said even one more word.
“So that’s how you handle this,” Urho said, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “Tell him he’s going to sign the contract because you both want it.Tellhim to submit.Makehim be your omega.” Urho shrugged. “That’s the attitude I took during his heats. He melted like butter every time. And not just Vale. It’s how I’ve handled every omega I’ve ever dealt with. It’s what an alpha does, Jason. It’s what omegas need.”
Jason tried to imagine Father telling Pater to submit toanything. But all he could picture was Father gently stroking Pater’s cheek and whispering how much he loved him.
Urho picked up his beet salad again and took another bite. “Ever since his parents died, he’s looked to his friends to care for him. Vale’s hungry for a sense of safety. He gets annoyed with me for not sharing all of his liberal points of view, but when it comes down to it, he likes that he can count on me. He likes that I took care of him when he needed me. He depends on Yosef and Rosen for that kind of love, too. As his alpha, you can fill that need for him now. Prove to him that you’re strong, consistent, and dependable, and that you have his best interests at heart. He’ll give you what you want.” Urho smiled, “Even if that means you’ll have to accept a childless contract.”
They hit the food booths again before heading back. Urho gathered Mox’s crews’ orders and Jason stood in the long line for the specialty grilled cheese sandwich for Vale.
Heading back across the bridge toward Oak Avenue, Jason asked, “Do you resent that I came along and took him from you?”
Urho stared into the middle distance, sucking on his teeth. “I’ve loved him a long time but he’s never loved me quite the same way.”
Jason thought of Xan. Guilt sat on his heart.
“I don’t resent you, Jason. Not so long as you make him happy. That, of course, remains to be seen. But if you hurt him…” Urho shook his head and his dark eyes glinted dangerously. “Let’s just leave it at that, shall we?”
A puppy ran past them dragging his leash and a young beta raced after him. Jason handed Urho the bags he was carrying and took off to help. Once the puppy was safely back in his human’s hands, he returned, breathless, to Urho’s side.
Urho lifted a brow. “You’re too soft by half. Vale could tear you apart if he wanted.” He clucked his tongue. “Don’t let him. Be tough with him. Remember the Holy Book gives you command over him.”
“I’m not very religious.”
“Who cares? The last thing you want is for Vale to think you can’t or won’t hold him. All of him. Every part. Even the ugly bits. Remember, he’s been lonely for a long time, mostly by his own design. Don’t let him push you away now. Not if you truly want this.”
The house on Oak Avenue looked as inviting as it had the first time Jason had laid eyes on it. He and Urho parted ways at the gate.
“I’ll check in on him by phone later,” Urho said, when Jason asked if he still wanted to come in and see Vale.
Jason juggled the bags of food and tried to put out his hand to shake goodbye, but Urho just laughed and caught a falling bag.
“Thank you,” Jason said, taking it from him again. “For the advice. I don’t really know what I’m doing.”
Urho grinned. “You’ll be all right. You’ve got a good heart. A strong, alpha heart.” He gripped Jason’s shoulder and then looked to the side of the house where Mox was rounding the corner with an empty planting crate. “Good luck.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Vale woke fromhis nap with an ominous prickling feeling under his skin. He recognized it immediately. No amount of denial would put a stop to what was coming. He was probably, at most, four days away from the beginning of his heat.
Juice cooled him down, and he drank the rest of the bottle Rosen had left in his fridge several days before. He sat at the kitchen table and stared at Zephyr’s tail as it swished, swished, swished while she glared out the side window at several puddle-bathing robins.
What was he going to do?
He couldn’t contract immediately with Jason just to have him around for the heat, and he couldn’t ask Urho to help him when he was already feeling a growing bond with Jason. Wolf-god, was this going to be the rest of his life? If he didn’t sign a contract dooming Jason to a childless future and tying himself to a morally dubious family that could be taken down with one indiscretion, would he spend the rest of his life torn about how to deal with his heats?
What about regular, day-to-day sex? Was this desire for Jason going to interfere with obtaining that, too?
He rubbed his eyes. The fact that he was thinking about sex instead of whether or not signing a contract with Jason was the right thing to doin generalsaid everything he needed to know about just how close he was to the heat itself. He was always motivated by sex, but when a heat was coming, it was nearly all he could think about. He needed to stay away from Jason so he could think clearly about the negotiations and not fall prey to any more inappropriate sexual activity between them.
A knock came at the back door and he cursed softly. That would be the workers, or possibly Jason, expecting some kind of lunch. And he was fresh out of food options. Again. Zephyr meowed and scampered out of the room, skidding as she hit the smooth hallway, and then slamming into a wall. Zephyr picked herself up and continued on her path with a dignity Vale imagined only Old World royalty could muster.
“Coming,” he called, when the knock rang out again, and glanced down at his loose pajama bottoms and equally loose t-shirt. He hadn’t worn real clothes since the negotiations. Not having a job had some benefits, he supposed, like catching up on his sleep, but he wasn’t sure that wearing pajamas constantly was really one of them.
“I brought you lunch,” Jason said, as soon as the door opened. “And the crew, too. You don’t have to worry about feeding them today.” He thrust out a paper bag, and Vale’s mouth watered as the familiar scent hit.
“Grilled sundried tomato and goat cheese sandwich? How did you know?”
