Page 49 of Alpha Heat

“I’ll be by this afternoon. He can tell me then.”

“Good. Thank you.” He turned his attention back to Caleb. “Anyway, I stopped by to see Xan?” He darted another glance to Urho. “I have reason to believe he might need my help with something in particular. And I wanted to talk with him, one-on-one. But Ren says he’s not up yet?”

“He had a very strenuous and late night,” Caleb said, his tone rife with implications and his eyes twinkling merrily. “He’s exhausted this morning. Poor lamb.”

“Oh, I…” Jason trailed off, turning inquisitive eyes to Urho. “Why are you here exactly?”

“Urho came over last night to bring some medication to help me with a private health issue. And then he stayed for breakfast,” Caleb said as though that was perfectly natural. “Why don’t you join us?”

“Oh, well…” Jason licked his lips. His eyes nearly gobbled up Urho’s plate of food. “All right.” As the beta servants provided Jason with a heaping plate of eggs, bacon, and toast, he added, “Vale’s not much of a cook—”

“You can say that again,” Urho muttered.

“And normally that’s fine. I fend for myself. But he hates it when I eat breakfast at home now that he’s pregnant. He says the cooking smells so early in the morning turn his stomach.” He spun to Urho with a raised hand. “But don’t worry! I always leave him a homemade oatmeal bar on the counter and a full glass of milk in the fridge, as well as those vitamins and powders you prescribed for him. He swears to me upside down and backwards that he eats and drinks itallwhen he gets up.”

“I’m sure he does,” Urho reassured.

“I am too. I think. I mean, he’s so fussy right now,” Jason said. Worry crackled over him like electricity over a wire.

“I only just heard about Vale’s pregnancy,” Caleb said, with a respectfully subdued quality to his voice. It was a tone omegas often took when discussing a state of being always fraught with discomfort and the threat of death for them. “I haven’t had time to send a congratulatory note or flowers. But I will try to do so once we get set up in Virona.”

“Virona?” Jason asked, distracted from his own worries at this comment. “You’re going to the sea now? The cool weather will be coming in soon. What sort of holiday is that?”

“It’s not a vacation. We’ve been sent up by Xan’s father to open a new satellite office there.”

“Permanently?” Jason’s brows shot up.

“For a long time, if not forever.” Caleb pushed his hair behind his ears. “You and Vale are welcome anytime. You can pop up for a short visit or feel free to stay at length. The house is huge, from what I’ve heard—much bigger than this one—and it’s right on the ocean. The sea air is good for health any time of year. Isn’t that right, Urho?”

Urho nodded, his gut tying up at the thought of Xan so far away from him.

Caleb went on, “I know Xan would love it if you and Vale could make the trip.”

“Not until the baby comes,” Jason said, chewing his breakfast slowly. His mixed feelings about Xan’s move were written clearly on his face. “But we’ll come up directly after, if everything goes well.”

“Everything will go perfectly,” Caleb insisted, with a superstitious zeal Urho recognized from years of dealing with omega health. To behave as though a pregnancy wouldn’t go to term, or that the omega wouldn’t come out of labor in perfect health, was bad luck amongst omegas. “Vale will be strong and the baby will healthy. And vice versa.”

Jason nodded. “Thank you. From your mouth to wolf-god’s ears. But back to the subject of this move. It’s so far. Virona is a three-hour train ride away.”

“It’s quite far,” Caleb agreed, nodding pleasantly.

“Can’t someone else handle the satellite office? Ray or that annoying Janus?”

“Apparently not.”

“Is this because of…” Jason trailed off, clearly uncertain how to proceed, but he looked to Urho for guidance.

“Because of?” Caleb prompted.

“Urho?” Jason implored, clearly wanting Urho to take up the slack or answer his question through some sort of telepathy.

“Because of Urho?” Caleb laughed before Urho could speak. “Wolf-god, no. News ofthathasn’t spread to Xan’s father quite yet. It’s because of other rumors mostly. Probably the same rumors you heard about the trouble Xan’s been having lately? Yes? And, I suppose, they really do need someone to head up opening the satellite office.”

“Wait. The news of Urho and…” Jason glanced at Urho again, and then his brows shot up. “Oh. I see. Ah, well, um. Good. That’s…good. That’s great even.” He took a big gulp from his water glass before digging into his food. He didn’t say much for several minutes and they all ate in silence. Or, rather, Caleb watched the two of them eat, having apparently put away as much marmalade toast as he could hold.

“I thought we were keeping that bit of information just between the three of us,” Urho finally said, when his throat came unstuck and his own hot cheeks had cooled. “The fewer people who know, the better.”

“I assumed Jason already knew.” Caleb’s smooth, pale brow furrowed. “The way he was looking at you, the comment about Xan being in trouble. Did you not know, Jason?”