Page 23 of Bitter Heat
Fan? Dr. Crescent’s omega? Interesting.
Janus knew that all omegas were a little squirrelly about birth and reproduction, and most, if pressed, would admit to being, at the very least, open to helping those who didn’t want to go through the rigors of pregnancy and labor for whatever reason. If such an omega, like Fan, had access to abortifacients…well, there was no telling what he’d do with them. Janus wondered if Dr. Crescent knew what Fan was up to.
Janus had heard plenty from Caleb over the years about the reproductive rights of omegas, and the unjust legal lack thereof, especially back when they’d been true friends in the early days of their youth. Most of him agreed with Caleb. Still, as an alpha, he’d always thought termination of a pregnancy for any reason outside of saving the life of the omega was abhorrent. An alpha’s offspring was meant to be a sacred thing, a gift from wolf-god, a blessing not to be taken for granted—if one was a religious sort anyway. And if one wasn’t, well, the human population was still in danger. They needed every life they could save, especially after the flu epidemics of the prior years.
And yet, Janus couldn’t help but feel scared for, and oddly soft toward, Kerry. Despite not understanding the man’s choices or knowing his reasons, he found himself not nearly as judgmental or hard toward Kerry and his actions as he knew he should be.
Surely there was an explanation that made sense. And even if there wasn’t—
Kerry was human. Fallible as any other.
And right now, he smelled so vulnerable and scared, and just a touch sad. His scent and tantalizing omega pheromones were strong after his ordeal, making Janus want to protect him, even more now that he also smelled like hurt and pain. His inner alpha wanted to cover him, keep him safe.
“Fan didn’t ‘let this happen,’” Kerry said. His voice, usually so smoky and low, sounded scraped to a rough whisper. “I lied to him. I told him I’d take the pills at home with you to care for me. Don’t blame him.”
Zeke sat back, his cheeks going red like he’d been slapped. He stared at his son. “You didn’t trust me to care for you? I know that I disagreed with your choice, and told you so this morning, but I would never—”
“Pater, no,” Kerry choked out, his eyes filling with tears again. “No. Of course, you’d care for me. I wanted…no, Ineededto handle it alone. I didn’t know it would be so…” He trailed off, his eyes going blank again. He turned onto his side. His back was dirty, as were his buttocks, hips, and thighs. The dark brown of dried blood looked gruesome on his skin and matted into his leg hair.
“Is the cramping over?” Janus asked, kindly.
Kerry nodded.
“I know you’re tired, but it would be good to bathe you, change these sheets now that they’re dirty, and then, once you’re fresh, let me have another look.”
Kerry didn’t move, but he nodded again, slowly, almost as if he wasn’t entirely there.
Zeke turned to Janus then, eyes wide, taking him in with one up and down sweep of his eyes. “You need a bath as well, priesty. I’ll handle my Kerry. You go wash off and, well,” he blushed a little, “put on some clothes.”
Janus looked down at his own naked form. He’d completely forgotten again that he was nude, which seemed so unlike him. He had fixed his entire attention and focus on Kerry and how he smelled so vulnerable. Now here he was, naked as a newborn, his cock waving about like he had no shame. “I went for a swim and…” He trailed off, not sure how to explain how he’d come to find Kerry, and why he was naked, too.
Zeke didn’t look offended, though, just eager to set things right and get his son cared for properly. “Please, Janus, get on with it. By the time I put new sheets on his bed, and he’s cleaned up all nice-like, you will be long done with your own bath. After that, you’ll check on ’im again? Make sure his insides are intact?”
Janus nodded, not bothering to explain that Kerry’s insides were just fine, for the most part. Some tears within notwithstanding. It was the child who might be damaged now. So, they might have to go through it all again in a few days, with possibly different results.
As Janus turned to go, Zeke sat on the bed beside Kerry, saying, “I see there’s been a lot of bleeding. Is the child gone, then, son?”
Kerry shook his head against the pillow, his body twitching but holding back the sob that ground deep in his throat. Janus wondered at his willpower to keep it all in now. It must be because he was with his pater—no doubt trying to be brave for his sake. Kerry had sobbed freely enough in front of Janus by the lake.
“I still scent the child,” Janus whispered.
Zeke’s shoulders slumped.
Janus touched his arm and said quietly, “I’ll go clean up and get dressed as you asked.”
“Thank you,” Zeke said, already standing to head into Kerry’s attached bathroom. He gripped Janus’s arm before he could go. “I still don’t know how you came to be with him, or what happened, but thank you for helping my boy.”
Janus nodded and took off to his room to wash. Afterward, he’d need to check Kerry’s anus, passage, and womb again. His gut churned with hunger, exhaustion, and confusion, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Kerry’s broken form, crawling from the forest, or the way he’d cried when he’d realized he’d suffered it all in vain.
Why did Janus want to soothe him and take it all away? He should be angry with the man for violating their human need for more life, and wolf-god’s gift to him. He should be threatening to call the authorities. Instead, he wanted to cradle Kerry close, breathe in his strange, pregnant-ripe scent, and hope his strength could supplement where Kerry’s had failed. He wanted to take his pain away.
As he contorted himself to fit into the bathtub and scrubbed himself with the pine-scented soap he’d brought from the city, he tried and failed to understand his urges. Caleb, with his keen mind, would probably have something to say about it all. He’d have to write and ask him for his opinion.
Janus dreaded to know what Caleb might say.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kiwi was acomfort at least.
