THE HOUSE WAS a maze, truly, and there weren’t many servants around as far as Adrien could see. At least, he didn’t run into any as he walked from room to lavish room, goggling at the monstrosity of riches nearly frothing from every corner.

This was the least Heath-like home he could imagine. Or maybe he didn’t know Heath at all.

The cold feeling he hated slid over him again. He kissed Michael’s head and pressed on into the house, looking for what, he didn’t know. He thought he’d understand when he found it, or maybe he was finally getting to see the real Heath. The one the world knew.

Imposing. Scary. Dominating.

The Heath who’d asked to see his asshole and made him lick his cum off his boot in front of the heat cabin.

Raised voices came from a room near the back of the ‘castle.’ He made out Heath’s tones and two other men. It sounded heated, and he knew he should turn back, but he didn’t.

He walked silently on his bare feet down the hallway, the sensation of clothes against his skin uncomfortable after months without them. He stopped in the doorway to a large office with views of the front drive and the park going off into the distance.

“The devil take you both!” Heath exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. His dark eyes glittered dangerously above his beard. His eyes landed on Adrien then, and they softened.

“Adrien? What are you doing up here?”

The two men beside Heath turned to face him, and immediately one of them scoffed. The other, younger one simply looked confused—angry, still, but confused. “You seriously did it, didn’t you?” the older man said. “You got his son. I’d heard the rumor, but I didn’t actually believe it.”

Heath’s eyes hardened as he swung his attention back to the men in the room.

“You bred your lover’s son? That’s demented!” the younger one said, a snarl of disgust on his lips.

“My lover, not my husband,” Heath corrected, though his eyes were back on Adrien, who felt like a ghost—tingly and unreal, floating outside of his body. “We were never married.”

“You fucked him enough to be married,” the elder said.

“Shut up, Lidell!” Heath snarled, his fists clenching. He took a step toward his brother like he was going to hit him, and Lidell took a step back, his face blanching.

“Calm down,” Lidell said, putting up his hands. “I just hadn’t thought you were still so cock-smitten that you’d go this far to get a piece of him back.”

Ned, because Adrien knew now that the younger man must be Lidell’s son, the troublemaker and former heir, turned to him and stared in utter rage.

“You! You stole my inheritance!” he shouted, starting forward with his fists clenched.

Heath grabbed Ned by his shirt neck and hauled him back. “Touch him, and you’ll be more than disinherited. You’ll be dead.”

Adrien cradled Michael close to his thundering heart. “I’ll go.”

“No, you should stay.” Heath’s brother snarled at him. “We’re the ones who should go.”

Michael squirmed in his arms, and Adrien bounced him softly. “I was exploring.”

“So I see,” Heath said a little grimly, but then he smiled softly and added,

“I’m being rude. This is my brother, Lidell Clearwater, and his son, Ned.

They’re here to learn more about the changes in the entail to the estate since Michael came along.”

“Did Nathan put you up to this?” Lidell asked Adrien, not putting out a hand or acting at all interested in polite introductions. “Did he convince you to take up his cause of messing up Heath’s life?”

“Nathan?” Adrien asked, knowing full well they were referring to the man Heath had loved and lost. The mystery man who had slipped into his thoughts relentlessly ever since Heath had reacted so badly to the name suggestion.

“Yes. Your omega parent! Nathan!” Lidell said, and then he cowered as Heath strode across the room, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him toward the door.

“Excuse us, Adrien. My brother’s overstayed his welcome.” He called over his shoulder, “You, too, Ned.”

The sullen teen followed Heath and Lidell out of the room. Adrien stood by the doorway, out of arm’s reach, with Michael held close, like they were predators of some sort.

His head ached. His body throbbed. He felt nauseous. What had Lidell meant by saying Nathan was his omega parent? Or that Heath had bred his lover’s son?

He felt a little faint. He hadn’t eaten enough, and he was dizzy. He found the edge of the sofa the Ned boy had been sitting on and dropped down onto it. He lifted his shirt and latched Michael on. Adrien listened to his greedy gulps and waited for the calming hit of the chestfeeding hormones to come.

They weren’t as good as the pregnancy hormones or the effect of consuming alpha cum, but it was still a nice dose of calmness to keep him from running screaming into the park.

“Are you all right?” Heath asked, coming back in with a worried gleam in his eye and a disheveled look to his clothing, like there’d been a tussle. “My brother oversteps. He always does. Don’t be upset that he treated you rudely.

He’s a snob.”

“Why did he say that?”

“What?” Heath said, but his eyes glinting above the darkness of his beard were cagey.

“About Nathan. That he was my omega parent.”

“My brother’s upset about—”

Adrien straightened his glasses and peered at Heath. “Is it true?”

Heath rubbed his hand over his beard, and Adrien couldn’t help but think of Lance’s story of Bluebeard. What had he done? Who had he sold himself to? Whose son had he born?

“Did you kill Nathan?” he asked quietly, his worst unconscious fear rising to the surface.

Heath startled. “Little one, that’s absurd. I loved Nathan.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“I—”

“I want to know the truth, Heath. And I want to know it now.” Michael gobbled hungrily at his chest, and tears welled in Adrien’s eyes. He hated it.

“Let’s go back down to the nest. I’ll call for Simon,” Heath said slowly.

“So we can talk without Michael.”

THE BLUE LEATHER book with the white card sat in his lap.

Nathan.

Adrien ran his fingers over the letters. “I never knew my omega father’s name. The records were sealed from me.”

“Nathan Battershell. He was…” Heath trailed off.

“So that’s why you used that name in the auction?” Adrien’s throat hurt from holding back tears. “You’re telling me that my omega parent was your lover? That this book is full of pictures of him?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Adrien’s chin quivered. “I hate you so much right now. I’m hurt. Angry. I want to kick you and bite you and hurt you back.” He wiped his eyes. “But part of me wants to thank you because this…” He tapped the book. “Is something I’ve wanted to know for so long.”

Heath touched the back of Adrien’s neck, sliding his hand up as though to trail into his hair.

Adrien hissed and knocked it away. “Don’t touch me again unless you want me to fight you.”

“You wouldn’t win, little one.”

“I don’t care. I’d leave marks.” He felt scarred inside and out already.

Heath nodded, his eyes downcast and full of shame. “Will you ever forgive me?”

“I don’t know right now.” Adrien’s fingers clenched the edges of the photo album.

“Do you want me to go?”

Adrien hesitated. Part of him wanted to be alone to look at the pictures, to see his omega parent for the first time. But another part of him wanted to know more. Wanted to understand the pictures, to understand why Nathan was smiling or laughing, to know where he was and what he was doing when each shot was taken.

“No,” he said. “Stay.”

Heath sat very still and didn’t argue.

Adrien opened the book.

The first picture was in color. He didn’t know why he’d expected it to be in black and white like the pictures in Heath’s baby album, but he had.