Page 36 of Flight of the Omega

“Bah,” William said.

“I don’t want to—to be mated again, I don’t want another clutch.” He stared at his father, waiting for some sort of pity or understanding to bloom on the old man’s face. When there was nothing, he almost shrieked, “You never ask about what I want! I have feelings too!”

William waved a hand. “You’re an omega bird,” he said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. “Omegas want one thing, and that’s to get pregnant.”

“No!” JP cried.

William lifted a brow, glancing him up and down. “You got pregnant, now didn’t you? You can say you didn’t want to all you want, but the fact of the matter is you did it, and you’ll do it again and again if you’re given the chance.”

JP shook his head. “No, I don’t—”

William reached over and patted him on the head. “It’s all right. Your mother was like that too. No shame in being a brood dam.”

JP couldn’t form words, just noise, and he sobbed freely. William patted his hand. “Your mother was terrible at minding the nest,” he said. “He wanted to be pregnant, liked that part the best.”

JP swallowed, horror rising up in his throat.

William smiled, all his teeth showing, flashing brilliantly in the sunshine. “So you’re lucky—your mother didn’t have technology on his side. You do—you can get rid of that pesky need to mind the nest, just get back to the good part. You won’t mind at all once you’re in heat.”

That sick sense of horror congealed in JP’s throat, made it hard to breathe. That was all he’d ever been to his father—a brainless brood dam. All his mother had ever been. His father had done the same thing to his mother.

JP wrenched his hand away. “You aren’t listening to me!” he cried. “I’m not my mother, I don’t—I don’t want this! I didn’t want to get pregnant, I don’t want to get pregnant again! I want to sit on my nest, I want to see my chicks hatch, I … I …”

William just smiled at him. “Trust me,” he said, “this is better. You think you want to sit on the nest, but do you really? Ninety days, and you don’t even have a mate to share duty with.”

JP’s heart sank. He looked at the ground.

“So it’s decided,” William said. “Well, come along.”

He marched off down the path. JP took a moment more to collect himself, then followed, dragging his heels as much as he could.