Chapter Eleven
Zeller
Keyes Parkenson was a stoic man. He wasn’t known for losing his temper. But as his arms flailed in front of his youngest son, no one would guess that.
Zeller had never seen his alpha father so agitated.
Meanwhile, Daddy sat on the couch, twisting his hands together in his lap, behaving as the subservient partner he’d always been. Zeller hated the well of pity that rose within him. I will never be an omega like that.
“What do you mean you’re in love with him?” Father’s voice boomed and his eyes darted to Antoni, standing near the entrance to the library. With a nod, the butler exited the room, closing the doors behind him.
“I don’t know how else to say it.” Zeller made sure to maintain an even tone.
Perhaps he had erred by not letting Valentin be part of this conversation. The alpha had been skeptical about Zeller speaking to his parents alone, but Zeller had thought it would go better if he approached them on his own first, since they barely knew Valentin.
But now he wondered if he’d made a mistake.
“You’re in love with the handyman?” Father scoffed. “How? He’s only worked here eight months. Since when do you spend time with the help?”
“I hardly ever leave the house and my brothers are gone. Who else do I have to talk to?” Zeller kept an even tone.
“So you and this employee—”
“Valentin. Do you truly not know his name? You hired him.”
“You know full well I hire based on Antoni’s recommendations. I can’t be expected to remember all their names. That’s why he manages the staff.”
Zeller realized he’d been na?ve in not understanding how invisible their employees were to his parents. He tried to make Father understand. “Valentin and I have been talking. For months. And I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”
“Truly? After Daddy and I spent the past year introducing you to alphas? Quality alphas.”
Zeller fisted his hands in his lap. “Valentin is a wonderful person. Not everything is about money or who you know.”
Father rolled his eyes. “So you and this man have been conversing, and now you’re in love?”
“You say it like it’s impossible.”
“It is!”
Zeller shook his head. “I’ve had a connection with him since the beginning. At first, it was just friendly. Someone my age to talk to—”
“What could you possibly have in common? He’s a laborer.”
“Yes, he works for a living. And his skill has benefited all of us. You’ve seen how great the library shelves look.
Plus, he’s a way better landscaper than Uli ever was.
But being good with his hands doesn’t mean he’s dumb or has nothing to say.
He’s interested in books, and he taught me about flowers. And he likes my art.”
“A couple of conversations doesn’t mean you’re in love,” Father reiterated. “And that is besides the fact that this alpha violated the terms of his employment by seeking out your friendship. I realize you’re an omega, but he should have known better.”
Zeller shrank back. “He’s a good man.”
Father arched an eyebrow. “But not an appropriate one for my son.”
Zeller debated whether to plow ahead. He had clearly made a strategic mistake. He should have come in softer, working up to the revelation that he loved Valentin.
His fathers had returned home under the assumption that their lone alpha employee had shared Zeller’s heat out of obligation or necessity, or possibly for sexual fulfillment.
They were prepared to thank him and give him a bonus, contingent upon his signing an NDA.
When Zeller asked for an audience this morning to inform them that he and Valentin wanted to be together, they were stunned into silence.
Until Father exploded.
“Your father is right, dear.” Daddy finally entered the conversation. “It can be very overwhelming sharing a heat with someone. Feeling bonded afterward is normal. It doesn’t mean you’re in love.”
“But Valentin and I talked about being together before my heat—”
“What?!” Father roared. “Did he take advantage?”
“No! Of course not! I told you, it was just talking.” His parents didn’t need to know about the kissing. “But I realized months ago that we were connecting. I can…smell him. And he can scent me. We are very, very well-matched. I know it, deep down.”
“You have no clue,” Father sneered. “You sound like the green eighteen-year-old you are because you haven’t been around enough men.
And I suppose that’s on us for thinking we had time, not realizing you were so close to blooming.
I bet if we took you to town, to more parties, you could meet more alphas, and you would react the same to them. ”
“I don’t think that would change things.”
“Well, you’d better hope you’re wrong. Because we aren’t handing over our only omega son to some…
some…nobody,” he spat. “Now that you’ve fully matured, we can find you a husband.
A suitable husband. I’m sure there’s someone who won’t care that you shared your first heat with another alpha.
This is a little sooner than we had planned.
I had hoped to generate more interest before we decided, but we’ll manage. ”
Zeller’s mouth dropped open. “You talk about my marriage as if it’s a business acquisition. Like I’m at the center of a bidding war.”
“Stop being dramatic. It’s nothing so crass as that. And we intended to give you a say in the matter. We still might…if you go back to behaving like yourself. But there’s nothing wrong with marriage also being an excellent deal.”
“I’m not doing that.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m not doing that,” Zeller repeated, openly defying his fathers for the first time in his life. “You can parade me around and introduce me to all the alphas you want. I won’t marry them. I’m going to marry Valentin.”
“You absolutely will not do that.”
“But—”
“My mind is made up on this, Zeller. You are our son. Our omega son. It’s our decision.”
Zeller did not want to talk in circles. He had hoped to have Valentin with him to share his bigger news, but it didn’t seem like he could put it off.
His fathers had been remarkably uncurious about his heat, which surprised him, but he assumed they were so used to thinking of him as a child that it hadn’t really sunk in.
He needed them to be in the same reality.
“So you’re against me being married to the father of my child?”
Father stilled. The empty tumbler he’d been holding slipped through his fingers, falling onto the rug with a thump.
Daddy’s mouth dropped open before he squeaked out, “What?”
Zeller looked beseechingly at his omega father before sitting down next to him and clutching his hands. Daddy had failed him so many times, always deferring to and siding with his husband. Maybe this was the moment he could finally be in solidarity with his son.
“I had a breeding orgasm during my delirium,” Zeller explained as Daddy gazed at him, wide-eyed.
“Valentin tried to get through with condoms, but I was in pain. I don’t remember much from that day, you know how it is, but I remember that discomfort.
So he went bare and…and now there’s a good chance I’m carrying his child. ”
Father banged his fist against the wall. “Fuck!” he shouted. “Fuck!”
Zeller and Daddy flinched.
“I’ll just bet he thought you needed him to go bare!
” Father yelled. “Fucking low-life opportunist. Saw a chance to permanently entrench himself in our family and acted on it. Probably ditched the condoms as soon as you went into delirium. Heck, for all we know, he planned this whole thing. Talks about books and loves your artwork,” he snarled. “That fucker saw dollar signs.”
Zeller’s inner omega raged at the derogatory words spoken against his alpha.
He wanted to shout and demand his father take them back.
Instead, he forced himself to be calm. His parents would never listen if they could dismiss his reactions as hysterics.
Father put little stock in omega minds and fortitude—Daddy was proof of that—but Zeller had never felt so much derision from his alpha parent as he did now.
“This was my plan,” Zeller began calmly, “and Antoni agreed. He was the one who dismissed the staff and protected my privacy. Valentin didn’t even know what was going on when he showed up that day.
He’s not greedy or conniving. You know what a hard worker he is, how competent.
He didn’t have everything handed to him as a kid.
He’s just trying to better himself, make some money and go to college. ”
“The easiest way for him to change his circumstances is to marry up.”
“Think what you will, but with all due respect, you’re wrong.
” Zeller released a measured breath. “And regardless of how we got here, I’m likely going to have Valentin’s baby, and I want to marry him.
I understand you had plans for me, but is this really so awful?
I’m sorry my chosen husband is not one of your associates’ sons, but at least I’ll be happy. And he will take care of me.”
“With our money.”
“If that’s an issue, I guarantee you Valentin will want me even if you cut me off. It’ll be harder, but we’ll manage.” Certainty laced Zeller’s words. If anything, his being from a wealthy family seemed to make him less desirable to the alpha.
Father and Daddy shared a long glance, having a conversation with their eyes before the older omega ended it with a nod. Zeller tried to take hope from that nod. Maybe Daddy would finally come through for him.
“Alright—” Father released a lengthy breath. “How about this? If you are not bred, then you agree to wait and meet some more alphas, just to see if you might find a spark with someone else.”
His father’s quick change of tone filled Zeller with unease.
“Okay,” he replied carefully. “It’ll be a waste of time, but okay… And if I’m pregnant?”
Again, his parents shared a meaningful look.
“If he’s bred you, then we will listen to him and evaluate for ourselves whether he’s a worthy partner. If you can convince us that you are truly in love, we’ll consider allowing a marriage between the two of you.”
There was something unsettling behind his father’s words.
But they were the right words, exactly what Zeller had hoped for. So how else could he respond?
“I agree.”