Wolves of a Feather

Home Invasion

—

Chapter Twenty

Home Invasion

—

Dick waited as long as he could. He really did. After they got home, Dick was flooded with relief to find Red Hood fully suited up and waiting for them. Jason had been watching the event from the roof tops as Dick suspected. What did surprise Dick was when Jason removed his helmet and said "Tim's fine. I called him when you guys first got there and checked on him on the way back."

Relief, punch potent and raw made Dick cross the room and fling his arms around the beta. Jason froze, apparently stunned.

"What the fuck did that maniac say to you at that party?" Jason spluttered. Dick buried his nose in Jason' throat, taking deep draws of strong scent, sweet black tea and leather. The beta was projecting 'confidence, protect, safe.' Dick tried to relax his muscles.

"Nothing in particular. I can't even begin..." he couldn't even begin. He pulled away from Jason to face his mate. Slade was currently in the process of removing his tie, Wintergreen waiting patiently to take it. He had the man's suit jacket already draped over one arm.

"Who was that woman?" Dick asked in what he hoped was a calm voice. Jason frowned, obviously caught out of the loop.

"She is unimportant," Slade replied, folding the tie between his fingers.

"That's not what I asked you!" Dick thundered, catching the room by surprise. Jason tensed. Judging by the nasty scent in the room, this wasn't jealousy related but it was bad. Slade raised an eyebrow.

"I conducted some work for her during the years at the end of my military career, before I had established a proper portfolio."

"Portfolio? Slade, you aren't working on the stock market, you're a man for hire in killing people. Please tell me you didn't actually bring that psychopath omegas for whatever fucked up zoo she's running!" Dick snarled. Jason gave a low growl, catching up quickly. Slade, for his part, looked unbothered. As usual.

"What would you like me to say Grayson? That I can't sleep at night? It was a job, and it was years ago."

"Do you even care?!" Dick spluttered.

"Would you like me to kill the woman for you?"

"What?! No! Fuck, Slade! It's like you don't even have a moral compass!" Dick shouted. The alpha handed the tie to Wintergreen and turned, meeting Dick's righteous fury with impassivity.

"We can't all live in a happy little bubble, our educations paid for, our needs met by adoptive daddy. Some of us live in the real world."

"Oh, fuck you. You can live in the real world without killing people for money, billions of other people do it!" Dick snapped. Slade towered over Dick as he approached, his muscles slightly tense. Jason shifted to the balls of his feet, alarm bells going off inside his head.

"You don't know anything about my life before you crossed it. I don't care what you think I should or shouldn't have done," Slade began slowly. "I am your alpha now, boy. You made your bed. Now you get to lie in it. Even if you have to share it with a few corpses."

Dick stared up at him, stunned, hurt and angry. "Fuck you. Sleep somewhere else tonight." Dick turned and stormed away to the nesting room, slamming the door behind him, and leaving both men alone. Slade didn't say anything else, just turned away to his own room.

Jason took a long shower. He gave Dick a good hour before knocking quietly on the door and letting himself into the nesting room. If Dick ordered him out, he was fine with sleeping in his own room, but he wanted to at least check in on the omega. He saw Dick tense and then relax as his beta scent told the other who was here. Dick didn't speak, but he did wiggle over to allow room for Jason to lie down. Hood crawled into the nest, wrapping a hesitant arm around Dick's waist. When he wasn't rebuffed, Jason laid his head down on one of the pillows.