Page 50 of Alpha Heat

Jason shook his head and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I suspected something could happen, but I didn’t realize it had begun. Or that it could begin. I don’t know. Obviously, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Caleb’s face paled. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to Urho.

“Mistakes happen,” Urho said. But that was exactly the problem, wasn’t it? They couldn’t afford mistakes, even casual ones.

Caleb had lost a bit of his usual composure. “When it comes to Xan, Jason has his own secrets to keep. Right, Jason?”

Jason cleared his throat. “I do. And I wouldn’t endanger Xan for anything the world. Or you, Caleb. Or, frankly, Urho for that matter.”

“While I’m glad our little group is so liberal minded,” Urho said, his stomach fluttering, “I’d rather this news traveled no further than this table. Not even to Rosen and Yosef’s ears. For our safety and everyone else’s.”

“I have to tell Vale about it,” Jason said. “We don’t have secrets from each other.”

“It’s not your secret,” Caleb pointed out. “It’s Xan’s and Urho’s. And mine. And if Urho wants to tell Vale, then that’s his business, but I do think you should keep this news to yourself.”

Jason scoffed.

Caleb flushed, his eyes glinting dangerously. “I know, I’m a hypocrite, and this situation is all my fault anyway. But my mistake won’t make telling Vale the right thing to do.”

“I’ll tell him,” Urho said. “He’ll figure it out at some point on his own. He’s brilliant and observant and he probably somehow already knows.”

Jason laughed, his eyes bright as always when thinking of his omega. “That’s true.” He went dreamy. “He’s probably written a poem about it.”

“Wolf-god, I hope not. That’ll get us arrested for sure. Likely for violating the Wolf Reform Party’s creative laws of moral decency.”

“His poems are beautiful,” Jason defended. “Especially the ones about me.”

Urho groaned. “You’reErosgapéand thus totally besotted. He could fart on a sheet of paper and you’d love it.”

Jason laughed again and didn’t dispute the accusation.

“Well, look who rose from the bed before ten,” Caleb said, his eyes going to the door.

Urho’s throat went dry as he met Xan’s gaze across the small room. His heart flipped in his chest, and his hands began to tremble. “Good morning,” he said, and even his voice sounded frayed by the sight of Xan in his pajamas and bare feet.

“Morning,” Xan said, his gaze sliding to Jason. The lingering bruise on his cheek glowed in the morning light. “Is Vale all right?”

“We were actually just discussing how perfect he is,” Caleb said, chuckling and plucking up his flute of orange juice and sipping it.

Xan rolled his eyes. “I’ve heard it all before. Twenty times. At least. In some cases, upwards of a hundred.”

Jason chuckled, but his eyes hung on Xan’s bruises worriedly. “You tease, but you have nothing but praise for Caleb as well.”

“True. Because Caleb’s perfect,” Xan said, smirking and taking a seat by Caleb’s side.

“Amazing how every alpha says the same of their omega,” Caleb said. “Did you think your Riki was perfect?”

Urho ripped his eyes from Xan’s exposed collarbone, where a red love bite bloomed. “Riki? Yes, he was absolutely perfect.” He glanced back to Xan, whose eyes softened in sympathy.

“He was handsome too,” Xan said. “I saw his portrait yesterday when I was in Urho’s library.”

Jason nodded. “It’s a good portrait. He has a nice smile in it.”

Caleb rested his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. “And that’s the way it goes, isn’t it? Alphas adore their omegas, and omegas adore their alphas. The beginning and the end. The natural order of things.”

Urho caught Xan’s gaze as the beta servants brought in his bowl of oatmeal and a small, decorative plate featuring a single fried egg. He left unspoken his question of whether the natural order of things could ever be turned upside down. Was it possible for an alpha to adore another alpha? If it was, did he truly want to find out? Despite the risk and against all odds?

Urho knew he was risking rather a lot here, but Caleb was right: he hadn’t felt so alive in years.