Page 16 of Slow Birth
Vale felt Jason’s guilt eating away at him, and he was going to have to take him to task for that. But not here. Not in front of his parents.
“The doctor says that my scar tissue has healed beyond his expectations,” Vale went on. “He believes it’s possible—”
“There’s that word again!” Jason shouted, standing up to start pacing. “Possible! Vale, that’s not enough. I need you. I can’t live without you.”
Vale rose then, setting his teacup aside, and went to Jason, putting his arms around him. “I know you think that, but alphas do it all the time. Urho, for example, lost hisÉrosgápe, Riki, and he still lives—”
“Like a shadow of a human being!”
“Forget I mentioned him. I shouldn’t even let you entertain these thoughts,” Vale said with as much calm understanding in his voice that he could summon. “Because I’m not going to die.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Urho would never let me—”
“Urho, Urho, Urho!” Jason slammed back the rest of his drink, dropped the glass onto the mantle by the fireplace, and stalked out of the room.
Vale started to follow him, but Yule held out a hand. “Let me have a minute with him. I understand better than either of you what he’s feeling right now.”
“I won’t change my mind,” Vale said firmly.
Yule rolled his eyes. “Of course, you won’t.”
“So, if you plan to plot with Jason on how to—”
“Vale,” Yule said, putting his hands on his hips and heaving a sigh. “I’m not fool enough to think I can change your mind when I couldn’t change my ownÉrosgápe’swhen it mattered most. Jason will come around. And as for me, I would love to be made a grandfather. I’ve wanted nothing more—you know that. But I also understand his fear of your loss. No pregnancy is safe for an omega, and we heard far too much about your own inability to bear children safely during contract negotiations for me to be entirely easy about it. But since you’re determined to see it through…I’ll stay positive. And pleased. You’ll make a good pater.”
Then he turned on his heel and followed his son upstairs. Vale’s heart clenched thinking of his baby alpha up on the slanted roof outside his old bedroom window—because of course, that was where he’d gone—probably crying, hurting, and scared.
Miner touched the sofa. “Sit closer to me.”
Vale did.
“You promise that Dr. Chase is optimistic?” Miner knew Urho well after his own reproductive emergency had led to Urho attending him.
“He says it’s possible,” Vale said, rubbing a hand over his beard and wishing desperately that he, too, could have some brandy. But the handouts Urho had given him as they’d left the clinic said that drinking wasn’t good for the baby. So, he abstained.
Miner’s hazel eyes shaded darker. “Poor Jason’s terrified. I hate to see him hurting.”
“Me too.”
“I know.” Miner sighed. “This is always frightening for them. Alphas, I mean. At least, I assume so, based on what my friends have told me of their pregnancies.” He chuckled bitterly. “I admit that I never had an easy pregnancy, and Yule was terrified throughout most of them, and, of course, only Jason survived.”
“Yes.” Vale had always felt sadness for Miner on this front. Of course, he had. But now that he housed so much hope within, he felt for the man deeply, and he was surprised to feel the prick of tears in his eyes. He didn’t cry easily—Jason was much more prone to emotional tears, alpha status be damned—but the thought of losing their baby was too much. To think of suffering it again and again as Yule and Miner had done? It was far too much.
Miner shook off the sadness and smiled again. “But yes, my friends tell me their alphas are usually scared, too. Especially at the end, when they are big with child, and so much can go wrong. Even those who aren’tÉrosgápecan get wrapped up in fear.”
Vale swallowed hard. Being big with child was something he hadn’t allowed himself to imagine ever being, not since the devastating heat when he was young, the one that had led to the illegal abortion that had left the scars. He’d never believed it possible for him.
“But let’s not dwell on the negative,” Miner said, quickly. “We have to assume that all will be well with you. That the doctor even thinks that it’s possible is wolf-god’s blessing on your union with Jason.”
“It’s a good word,” Vale agreed. “‘Possible.’ Full of the future. I wish Jason could embrace it.”
“He will. Eventually. But know that he’s stubborn.”
“Oh, I know.”
“He’s not going to give up on changing your mind. Not for a few days yet. Maybe another week.” Miner narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, obviously casting back. “Once Yule tried for nearly a full month before giving in. Though, of course, nothing could budge me back then. That was many years before you came into our lives. Jason probably doesn’t remember it.” He sighed. “That was right before I started taking the abortifacients regularly. I ended up in the hospital. The baby, of course, didn’t live.”
