Page 20 of Slow Heat

“Yeah. Like…” He wracked his brain, looking for the words to explain. “You know I want to see you, but do you know why?”

“You’re driven by instinct to seek out the omega you’re imprinted on.”

“Yes! That’s exactly right! And do you know how terrifying that is? How strange I feel? Not myself, aching and shivery inside, desperate to please you, but I don’t even know you!”

He sounded insane, and he was giving it all away. A full deck of cards to be played against him at any time. That’s what this adventure was and he’d known it, deep down, from the start, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself, or to deny himself hope.

Vale stared at him. His dark lashes lined his eyes with color, like the make-up some older omegas and alphas wore out to local jazz clubs. Jason had seen pictures of them in the society section of the papers. But Vale didn’t wear make-up. He was just naturally vibrant.

Or else his pheromones made him seem that way to Jason. Another thing he couldn’t truly know.

“You’re frightened?” Vale asked.

“Yeah!”

“Huh.” Vale’s mouth lifted at the edges, a bitter twist. “I admit I haven’t considered it from your point of view. It’s hard to be reminded of our animal natures. We like to believe we’re above it all. So intelligent. Guided only by our moral compasses, but really, deep down, we’re this.” He gestured between them. “The first heat does an amazing job of making that abundantly, terrifyingly clear to omegas. It makes sense that imprinting has the same effect on alphas.”

“I wanted to know something about you,” Jason whispered. “Something for myself. Not information given to me in a report from my father’s private investigator, or written into some contract.”

“You could have tried the phone. Your parents have my number. Or you could have asked the operator to connect you to me. There aren’t any other Valendo Amans in the city.”

“I needed to see you, too.”

“Why?”

“I couldn’t remember what you looked like,” Jason confessed. “Not truly. The imprinting came on so fast. It was all sensation, and my mind couldn’t hold the whole of you.”

Vale lifted his arms. “And what do you think?”

Jason’s throat clenched. “You’re beautiful.”

“I’m much older than you must have been expecting.”

“That doesn’t make you less perfect-looking to me.”

Vale smiled softly, eyes crinkling at the edges. “You’re sweet.”

“And what about me?” Jason lifted his arms wide like Vale had done. “Scrawny and just a kid. You must be disappointed.”

Vale swallowed hard and darted his glance away, toward the hole in the wall left by the paperweight. “You’re a handsome boy. I know you’ve looked in the mirror. You don’t need my reassurance.”

“I do.”

Wolf-god, did he ever. He needed it like breath.

“Then know I find you appealing in ways I never thought I could.”

Relief and a surge of lust flowed into him. He fumbled into his pocket and pulled out another little pill, popping it quickly.

Vale frowned. “What’s that?”

“Alpha quell,” Jason admitted shyly.

“Fair enough.” Vale hesitated and stared at Jason like he was a wild thing. “Is it working?”

“Yes.”

Vale nodded slowly, then leaned against his desk and crossed his arms. “Stay outside and we’ll talk.”