2. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Zeller
“What are you complaining about? That guy sounds like a total catch.” Asher smiled at Zeller’s animated recounting of his conversation with Heprah.
“It’s not funny,” Zeller insisted, tossing a tennis ball at his brother. “It’s a good thing Antoni rescued me. Who knows what other stupid rules that idiot wanted to enlighten me on. Perhaps he requires a foot rub at night. Or daily sheet-changing for all his extracurriculars.”
From where he lay sprawled in the reading chair, Asher laughed. “Well, you survived. And I’ll talk to Father and Daddy to make sure they understand Heprah is not a contender.”
Zeller scoffed. “I don’t think Father cares if my husband wants a more traditional marriage. Not if making the alliance is good business.”
“Maybe not. But he will care that Heprah has no manners. He wouldn’t risk the family by bringing someone so boorish into it.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Not wanting to dwell on the party, Zeller focused his attention on the easel in front of him.
“How do you come up with your ideas?” Asher asked. “Don’t tell me you’re inspired by all the shitty landscapes in this mausoleum?”
“Hardly,” Zeller chuffed.
Conversing with Asher made him realize how much lonelier he’d been since his brother moved out last year. Asher was the closest thing Zeller had to a friend, and the only person who cared about his art.
“I’m mostly inspired by books,” Zeller said. “And my imagination. I think my work is so colorful because it’s the only place I’m allowed to really express myself.”
Asher motioned to the purple-and-green striped walls and floral bedspread.
“At least Father and Daddy let you keep your room how you want it. Even if it sucks that they don’t put up your paintings.
” He pointed at the stacks of canvases taking up one wall of the suite-style bedroom and asked, “Do you mind if I take another for my apartment?”
“Be my guest. I like knowing someone can enjoy them. Since I’m barricaded in this prison.”
Asher let out a sigh. “It’s not a prison. It’s a grand estate where you have servants at your beck and call.”
“Easy for you to say. You got to move out and go to college. I’m stuck here until Father figures out the most beneficial way to marry me off.”
Asher studied him with concern. “I know they’ve been introducing you to more people lately, but are they really talking about marriage?”
“Only in the abstract. But ever since my birthday, I’m sensing a ticking clock.”
Zeller had been largely confined to the estate for his entire life, other than occasional trips to town for restaurants or shopping, or events where his parents were expected to bring their children.
Asher and their older alpha brother, Jem, had gone to private school while Zeller was homeschooled by a tutor.
His brothers had been permitted to play baseball and basketball, but Father didn’t believe in team sports for omegas.
Jem and Asher had friends and experiences.
Zeller had books, art, and the internet.
But the biggest difference between them was that Zeller would only leave their fathers’ home upon marriage or his twenty-fifth birthday, the earliest age single omegas could emancipate themselves.
Asher lobbed the ball against the wall and caught it.
“Baby brother, I’ll grant that you have it the worst, but you realize our parents put their bullshit expectations on me and Jem, too?
We all carry the weight of being Parkensons.
” He frowned. “I got to go to college and move out, but Father forced me to major in business.”
Zeller smirked. “That’s because he thinks only betas have good heads for numbers.”
“Right. You know how he is. Totally bought into the stereotypes.” He threw the ball again. “If he saw my statistics grade, he’d probably have a heart attack.”
“That bad?”
“Meh. I’ll pass.”
Zeller admired his brother’s laid-back attitude, even if he didn’t wholly condone his lack of spirit. “What would you prefer to study?” he asked.
“Something less cut and dry, like history or literature, or maybe not attend college at all.” He shrugged. “Sometimes I think I’d rather work with my hands, like in construction.”
“If you really feel that way,” Zeller spoke carefully, “you’re a beta. You don’t have to do what Father says.”
“I know. But it’s easier not to argue. Besides, being forced to crunch numbers is better than what happened to Jem.”
They shared a moment of silent communication. Jem had recently married the omega son of one of Father’s business associates after their parents insisted on the match. He’d been miserable ever since.
Zeller considered Asher, who would drill a hole in the bedroom wall with a tennis ball rather than risk upsetting Father by asking for what he wanted.
That wasn’t Zeller. He might be an omega in an old-fashioned family, but he didn’t plan on letting his parents steamroll him into whatever script they decided on. He would not be Jem, stuck in an unhappy marriage.
Not that he’d alerted anyone to that yet. He was biding his time. His fathers had no idea how much fight he had in him.
No one did.
Soft knocks sounded on the door. Antoni entered, carrying a tray of sandwiches.
“Thank you for bringing food,” Zeller said. “Neither of us had a chance to eat downstairs.”
“Happy to do it. Especially after your narrow escape,” the butler teased.
The brothers smiled fondly at him. The beta had worked on the estate since before Jem’s birth and was the only staff member Zeller was close to—the others were basically spies for his parents.
“Is that blood?” Asher’s smile flattened as he pointed at a fleck of red on Antoni’s shirt. “Are you alright?”
Antoni peeked down at his chest. “Shoot! No, it’s paint from where I was touching up the planter boxes earlier. They’ve gotten untidy since Uli left. Can’t believe I didn’t catch it before the party.”
“Don’t worry. I only noticed because you’re so close,” Asher reassured him. “But when did Uli leave? He was here forever.” Uli had been the estate’s general handyman for decades.
“Retired a month ago. Said he was too old for all the bending and lifting.”
“Good for him.”
Antoni’s cheek lifted a fraction. “At least your parents finally hired someone else. His first day is tomorrow.”
Zeller’s forehead pinched. “I didn’t know that.”
“He should be here in the morning. I’m going to start him in the backyard with some landscaping. Assuming that works out, he can take on more projects over the next few weeks. Light carpentry and repairs and whatnot.”
Zeller was grateful Antoni ran the estate with such efficiency, but it annoyed him that his parents hadn’t told him about their latest hire.
Then again, why would Father or Daddy mention a change in household staff to Zeller?
As long as he stayed quiet and amused himself with books and paintings, they barely remembered his existence.
It would not have occurred to them that he should know about a new person walking around the grounds.
But he chose not to be upset about it. It wasn’t a battle worth having.
And it wasn’t like his parents ever hired interesting employees.
He was lucky with Antoni, but he had nothing in common with the rest of the staff, also older betas.
Uli had been the only alpha, and the Parkensons never hired omegas.
“Enjoy the sandwiches,” Antoni said, excusing himself.
Asher dug into a turkey avocado and continued bouncing the ball. Zeller sat on the edge of the bed with his ham and cheddar, listening while Asher talked about his classes and university life.
Zeller’s ears perked up when his brother began speaking in broad terms about an intimate encounter he’d had the prior weekend.
“Wait. How long have you been having sex?”
Asher raised an eyebrow. “Four years.”
“Four years!?”
“You remember I’m twenty? I assumed you knew. It’s not a big deal.”
“It kind of feels like a big deal.” Zeller couldn’t keep the hurt from his voice. “I thought we talked about everything.”
“Not telling you wasn’t intentional.” Asher lifted his shoulders. “I guess in the beginning, it didn’t seem right to talk about sex with my fourteen-year-old omega brother. Then later, keeping that stuff separate was just habit. I don’t discuss it with Jem, either.”
“Still—”
“You know it’s different for betas,” Asher reasoned. “Not so monumental. We don’t have to wait to bloom the way alphas and omegas do in order to get that urge to fuck. In high school, I messed around with my friend Seth.”
“The guy with the gap in his teeth?”
“Yeah. But it was never important—the sex, not the gap. We were curious, and it was fun. It’s been next level since I got to college, though. It finally feels significant, like I might catch feelings for someone one day. And when that happens, you’ll be the first person I tell.”
“You’d better.” Zeller put his plate aside. “Do you think our fathers will let you choose your own husband?”
“Probably not. But I’m years away from getting married. No biological imperative and all that.”
Zeller leaned back on his hands, exhaling. “It makes sense, me being clueless about your activities. I never thought much about it. Sex, I mean. Daddy literally just had the talk with me…an experience I hope to never repeat.”
Asher snickered and Zeller knew they were both picturing their painfully proper omega father. “I bet his cheeks were bright red.”
“Like the shiniest ruby you’ve ever seen. He also gave me books—” Zeller dropped his voice “—with pictures… But that’s the extent of my education. Well, that and all these gross stories you’re trying to tell me now.”
“Shut up! They’re not gross. Anyway, I’m leaving out the best bits. Because I’m a gentleman.”
“Uh-huh.”