Father leaned in to kiss Jason’s forehead. “Come on, son. Let’s return to our omegas. They’ll have talked in our absence. Who knows what plans they made to bring you around?”
Jason followed his father downstairs, feeling like an infant. He didn’t get how everyone was so calm and so very stupid about this. Especially Vale. And Urho. And Pater. And Father.
He set his jaw stubbornly and trailed his father into the conservatory again, to find Vale and Miner on the sofa together, quietly discussing baby names.
Jason again thought he might hate Vale just a little beneath all of this smothering love. Then Vale looked up at him, his green eyes so soft with worry and a kind of hope. He clearly wanted Father to have gotten through to him in some way, and Jason’s entire body flooded with adoration. He couldn’t hate Vale no matter how much this choice terrified him.
Jason took Vale’s chin, beard soft on his fingers, and lifted his face to plant a soft kiss on his lips. “Let’s get you home. It’s been a long day.”
“Yes,” Vale agreed readily.
They said their goodbyes, and as they left, Jason wrapped his arm around Vale’s waist protectively. Vale leaned into his side, and Jason kissed the top of his head. His omega.
His.
His.
The visit toUrho’s clinic and then Jason’s parents’ house had exhausted Vale. He collapsed onto their bed still fully clothed, and his eyes fell shut almost immediately. Jason had disappeared to the kitchen insisting that Vale must be hungry, though he was more nauseous than anything else. The pamphlets Urho had given him said this was normal as his body adapted to the baby with hormone surges.
Eventually, he heard Jason’s feet on the stairs, and he woke from his light doze. His stomach rolled over, anxiety adding to his sick feeling. He hoped that Jason hadn’t brought anything especially pungent for him to eat. He might not be able to keep it down.
“Hungry?” Jason asked as he sat down on the bed, stroking Vale’s hair out of his face and smoothing his fingers down his dark beard. He didn’t have anything with him at all. “I made a lasagna. Want to come downstairs?”
“Not really.” Vale smiled pitifully. Just the thought of all that cheesiness made him feel like hurling.
“You have to eat and stay strong,” Jason murmured, kissing Vale’s temple.
“Some crackers and soup?” Vale asked, feeling bad that Jason had spent time making something that he was certain wouldn’t sit well with him.
Jason nodded and started to rise, but Vale pulled him back down.
“Come here,” he said. “Lie down with me?”
Jason complied, turning on his side to face Vale, who turned to face him, too. Their foreheads touched, and Vale closed his eyes, breathing in and out with the same rhythm as Jason.
“You can fight this for a few more days,” Vale said quietly. “I’ll give you until the end of the week. But then you must be stronger. You’re the alpha, Jason. I’ll need you to embrace that role.”
Jason didn’t move. They kept breathing together.
Vale spoke again, “Omegas need an alpha for their pregnancy. They need to feel cared for, supported, and there’s the sexual component.”
Jason swallowed audibly but remained silent.
“For me, it won’t be just about the natural increase in the sex drive of a pregnant omega, or your need as an alpha to protect, pleasure, and prepare me for birth by regular intercourse. It’ll be about keeping the scars stretched and flexible. It will be life or death.”
Jason whimpered softly.
“So, there will still need to be a lot of fisting—a lot of fucking. And I’ll need you to be excited, optimistic, and enthusiastic. I can’t have negative thoughts in my head and get through this safely. You have to believe in me.”
Jason clutched Vale closer, his fingers hurting where he gripped Vale’s hips.
“So, one week. That’s all I’ll give you. Then you will turn this around. I’ll need you so much by then.”
Jason huffed a shallow, shaky breath. Then kissed Vale’s forehead, rose, and left the room, presumably to prepare the crackers and soup. Vale stretched out on the bed and stared out the window, unsurprised when Zephyr hopped onto the mattress and curled up next to Vale’s still-flat belly, purring her happy little heart out.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Vale sat perchedon the leather wingback chair, his stomach twisting anxiously as Xan followed Jason into the room. The sun shone through the wide back windows of his dusty, brick-floored study, but it was the fire in the hearth that illuminated their gathered friends’ tense faces.
