Urho jerked back from his reverie. His stomach soured slightly, but the knowledge that Xan would be far away from the man who hurt him allowed him to nod with approval. “Yes. That’s for the best. Until the monster, as you call him, loses interest.”
Xan huffed. “He’s never been interested!” he exclaimed with annoyance. “I don’t know why you think he would be. Just because he fucks me when I—”
“I don’t want to hear what he’s done to you,” Urho gritted out, clenching the glass in his hand. He took another fast sip, trying to calm the flash of possessive rage.
Caleb’s brow arched, and he looked between Xan and Urho with interest. “Let’s not discuss that since it’s so upsetting to all of us and Xan’s vowed to be done with the man anyway. The reason I thought we should talk now is with regards to something else altogether.”
“We owe you an explanation and apology,” Urho began, shamefacedly. “I don’t know how to offer one, though. This is quite unexpected and no doubt violates your contract and offends your sensibilities as—”
“No,” Caleb interrupted. “You don’t have to explain anything. Nor do I wish to give you permission.” He raised a hand, staying any comments from Xan or Urho. “Not because it isn’t granted, but because Xan doesn’t need it. It has always been part of our contract that fidelity isn’t required or even desired. Instead, what I want to address is the subject of my upcoming heat. It’s several months off still, but we can’t have a repeat of last time.”
Xan’s lower lip went into his mouth and he squeezed his eyes shut in obvious shame before whispering, “I promise to handle it. Urho brought the pills for me tonight.”
Urho’s head swam. He tried to move on from Caleb’s comment that fidelity was not in his contract with Xan and instead focus on this new topic. He gulped his bourbon down and Caleb rose to refill his glass.
Xan pulled the pill case out of his pocket and showed it to Caleb. “These will surely solve the problem.”
Caleb frowned, carefully setting the bourbon bottle on the low table between them and taking a seat again. “You’re not the first alpha I’ve gone through a heat with,” he said, obviously taking care with Xan’s feelings. “You love me, I know, but you aren’t made for this, darling. Please let someone help you.”
Xan stared at him wide-eyed, the bruise on his cheekbone gleaming in the low light. “They took better care of you? The men your family hired?”
He sounded gut-punched, as any alpha would. Xan’s contradictions—omega-like one minute, and traditionally alpha-like the next—rattled Urho’s sense of reality. His scientific mind clamored for more information, more pieces of Xan’s confusing puzzle. He wanted desperately to understand.
“Of course not,” Caleb said. “But they fucked me hard and long, and I didn’t suffer for a minute.” Caleb took Xan’s chin in his hand, preventing him from disappearing into his collar. “Look at me. I’d rather be your omega than theirs on any other day of my life, but when I’m in heat, I need an alpha who can take me for as long as possible. Until even the most intense wave passes.”
“I can take the pills! I can—”
“You can. And youwilltake the pills. But I want to ask Urho to help us. You’re lovers now.”
Werethey lovers?
Urho’s mind spun even faster and the drink in his hand trembled. Xan wasn’t denying it and Urho wasn’t sure that he should, or even could, but when he’d made his initial offer to help Xan, becoming his “lover” wasn’t what he’d planned on. He’d just meant to help out—like with being a surrogate to an omega.
And yet he’d essentially demanded it himself, hadn’t he? He’d asked for a pledge of fidelity after the first orgasm, for wolf-god’s sake! Who was he kidding? They must be lovers. He’d made it so.
Fuck.He squirmed and cleared his throat.
“There are no secrets for you to hide from him,” Caleb went on, oblivious to Urho’s churning thoughts. “He’s a safe choice. A strong choice. And it would please me to be, even for a little while, part of what you share with him. Only during heats, of course,” Caleb said, shuddering and sneering with a hint of disgust. “Only when I want it.”
“Oh,” Xan murmured. “Of course.”
“You only want sexual touch during heats?” Urho asked to clarify his understanding. Perhaps Caleb simply didn’t wantXan, but why would he have contracted with him then? “You feel no desire any other time? You’re frigid?”
“Frigid is a rude word,” Xan said.
“I feel aroused at times, but I prefer to satisfy it with my own hand. In general, I don’t feel sexually attracted to other people.” Caleb sat up straight and brittle, almost daring Urho to challenge or insult him. “Also, for what it’s worth, I prefer the term asexual to the more colloquial and insulting ‘frigid.’”
Urho nodded solemnly and said nothing. He’d heard of such men—usually betas, though he’d read case studies involving omegas and alphas. He’d never met an asexual person, though, as far as he knew. He wondered what it must be like to scent as an omega, to smell the delectable odors of an alpha, and not be attracted by it.
Was Caleb disgusted even? He’d appeared disgusted by Xan and Urho’s scents before. Maybe, one day, he’d be a close enough friend with Caleb to ask. For now, he simply inclined his head again and said, “If your alpha agrees, I’d be honored to help service you during your heat.”
Xan let out a soft, wounded sound. He slumped on the couch, his eyes on the carpet and his lower lip in his mouth again.
“Darling, it’s not an insult to you. It’s a gift. You can share this now with your lover—both the pleasure and the burden.” Caleb reached out to touch Xan, but he shrank away. “What’s bothering you? I’d hoped you’d be happy.”
“I can handle the heat on my own. I’m strong enough.”
“You’re very strong. And a wonderful alpha,” Caleb said, using the voice omegas always employed when trying to soothe an alpha’s ruffled feathers: fond, quiet, sweet. “I’m proud to call you mine.”
