Page 120 of Slow Heat

He knew what that meant. He didn’t have three more days, or two days, or one day. He had no more days. This was it. His heat was here, and it was only a matter of hours before he’d be screaming and writhing, and—if not held back—bolting for the Bowery and any alphas he could find there.

He needed a plan. Which was why he’d called Rosen.

He scratched at his arms and rocked back and forth. Yes, Rosen. Who’d hopefully be here any minute, because he didn’t know how much longer until the first wave hit. He threw his pen down on his desk and stared out the windows to the garden.Jason’s garden. In his mind, it would never be anything else now. Before, it had been Pater’s and now it was Jason’s, and he’d see it every day and yearn. How stupid had he been to allow it?

“Vale?” Rosen’s voice was a relief and an irritant at once.

Despite everything, despite saying exactly what he knew would work to drive Jason away, he’d held out a horrible hope that his baby alpha would appear outside the window, forgive him everything, declare the idea of all offspring anathema, climb through, and fuck him senseless on the study floor.

But that wasn’t going to happen. Not today. Not ever.

Instead, he had Rosen in his house, arms laden with groceries, and that was as good as it was going to get. He’d be all right. He’d be wonderful even. Eventually.Never.

“I’m going to call Urho,” Rosen said, dumping the groceries on Vale’s desk and approaching with alarm in his eyes. “You can’t do this alone. I won’t let you. I won’t go through that again and neither will you.”

“No!” Vale shook his head desperately. “Don’t call Urho. I don’t want him. I won’t consent. Don’t.”

“You’re so close,” Rosen said, sliding his cool fingers down Vale’s cheek above his beard. “You’re burning up.”

“Donotcall Urho,” Vale repeated. “Promise me.”

Rosen’s jaw clenched and unclenched. “I won’t promise.”

“Yes!”

“I will not tie you to a bed and watch you suffer!”

“The basement,” Vale said, nodding toward the hallway. “It will hold me. You won’t need to tie me down.”

“No. No way.”

“It’s perfect. There’s water from the deep sink down there. And I’ve created a cozy nest with bedclothes and towels. If you lock me in and don’t let me out, I’ll be fine.”

“There are spiders and ten years’ worth of god-knows-what down there. And it’s an unfinishedbasement, Vale! You should be in a comfortable bed, obeying nature, and submitting to the bliss of a rut. If you don’t want Urho, let me call Jason.”

“No!” Vale shuddered and scratched at his arms again. “If you’re not going to help me then go.”

Rosen’s expression softened, and he tenderly stroked Vale’s cheek. “I am helping you. This is what friends do. They help. Even when the other person is being a perfect idiot.”

“I will not have Urho. I willnot.”

Rosen nodded slowly. “I understand.” His eyes went thoughtful and then he drew Vale close. “The basement?”

“Yes. The basement.”

“And if I were to bring Jason?”

“I would hate you forever.”

Rosen hummed softly.

“What?”

“That’s not a no, then. You’d consent.”

“Fuck you and your loopholes,” Vale snarled. “Oh, fuck. It’s coming. Hold me through it. Please.”

Rosen’s grip wasn’t enough. Nothing was enough when the heat came. Only an alpha could satisfy his body’s needs. He writhed and cried out, the burning wave cresting inside him, breaking over and over again, until he was sweating and wailing, begging to be fucked.