O0o

Jules concentrated until he got a rhythm, then looked up to check on his dad. Charles sat at Felix"s fireplace, quietly observing them, his eyes interested and more than a little awed. He"d watched them half finish a gown in less than an hour.

Jules thought Isla would love this dress. Emerald green velvet with black trim, it would make her shine while being pretty decent at cutting the cold. The lace would go on the ends of the sleeves, and into the v-cut at the bosom.

"All right, pretty," Felix said to Charles, "Stand up. Let"s have a look at you. If you"re partying with the Novars you need decently dressed." He twirled his finger at Jules"s dad. "Come on, don"t be shy."

Charles swallowed hard, and slowly stood. "You want to make me clothes?"

Felix smirked. "Take that shirt off and let me measure you," he said.

Jules bent over his lace, grinning. His father had no idea how to take Felix, just none.

Felix whistled lowly. "Well, you live a rough life, don"t you? Whittled down and honed fine, with lots of cute little battle wounds. I love it."

Jules turned, interested to see what his father"s life had done to him, and saw damage very nearly on par with the mess on his own back. Scar after scar, some of them long and jagged. Healed over puncture wounds, splash patterns of burns, the works. Also, tattoos.

"Dad, what the h.e.l.l do you do?" He asked abruptly.

"I hunt monsters," Charles explained with his arms out so Felix could whip a tape measure on and around him. "Your mother did, too, before we married."

"Doesn"t pay very much, does it?" Felix asked, measuring Charles"s wrists. "Still, I think pest extermination is a worthy thing. Too bad you hunters don"t usually weed out the more disgusting of the human pests."

"The taking of a human life is never something to treat casually," Charles lectured, frowning. "I"d give the worst example of a human the benefit I won"t give a creature of darkness. I"d be hunting ??? right now, if I couldn"t see you"re inherently good."

Felix c.o.c.ked his hip at Charles, looped the tape measure around his neck, and pulled Charles closer to himself. "Pretty," he said in a drawl, smiling, "you could ???."

"You have got to be the boldest little omega I"ve ever seen," Charles stated.

Felix winked at him.

Jules coughed to break the sudden tension. "Felix, do you mind not flirting with my dad in front of me?"
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"First you wouldn"t let me poison him, then you denied my turning him into a toad," Felix complained, "and now you won"t let me entice him. There"s no pleasing you."

Charles gaped at Felix. "You wanted to kill me."

"You hurt Jules," Felix explained slowly, as if Charles was stupid. "n.o.body hurts Jules, not on my watch. I"d kill Halian if he laid a finger on Jules wrong, too, and I even happen to like him."

Charles licked his lips and took a deliberate step back. "Novar"s got b.a.l.l.s to have you under his roof," he stated.

"We have an understanding," Felix informed. "It"s all about keeping Jules happy and healthy. Halian would accept correction from me if he behaved badly, just as I would to him. Very simple, very clean." He tilted his head at Charles, and lifted his eyebrows. "You want in?"

Charles stared at him a long moment. "Yeah," he said, drawing the word out.

"Good man. I knew I could learn to like you. You have a clean slate with me now." Felix reached out, snagged Charles by the belt buckle, and pulled him close, so close that the tatting pillow wouldn"t have fit between them. "I"ll consider your past behavior as something you really regret, but any sign of it returning, and you"ll wish you"d never been born."

Jules thought he would pop apart. He"d had no idea Felix felt so strongly about his safety and happiness. What a friend he had in the mouthy tailor. And, his dad bowing to an omega was just about the best thing he"d ever seen in his life. Charles was even showing Felix his throat now.

"All right," Felix said, letting Charles go. "Let"s decorate this hot body. I think you should be wearing a great deal of black and white, like studly Halian. You"re not the type to wear high collars and cravats, though. We need to play up that you"re a rough character without making you look low born."

"I"m not low born," Charles said, scowling.

"Pay attention, pretty," Felix chided, holding fabric up to Charles"s face for color compliment. "I said "look low born", not that you actually were."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Charles asked, his low voice full of frustration.

"Why ask why?" Felix countered. "I"m not going to stop calling you "pretty", pretty, and you can"t make me. I"m Jules"s best friend, and Halian can"t live without me, so ???"?? ??????."

Jules tossed his lace down and bolted out the door. He ran to Halian"s room, shut the door, and burst into laughter. He laughed so hard and for so long he knew there wasn"t any way Felix and Charles didn"t hear him.

-o-o-o-

Jules was cutting up potatoes and onions to make a huge pot of potato soup when Charles entered the kitchen. His father had on one of the seafaring shirts Felix had initially designed for Jules, in a rich, black jacquard. His trousers were the same shade of black, but without a pattern.

"Jules, that tailor," Charles said, and Jules burst into laughter all over again. He couldn"t help it.

Charles sat down beside him, starting to smile. "I"m being serious. Does he want me or something?"

Halian came in the back door, brushing snow off his hat. His lips quirked up at seeing Jules laughing and Charles smiling. "What"s funny?" He asked.

"Felix may or may not have his sights set on my dad," Jules managed to gasp out. "The whole "Sam thing" went belly up, so he"s on the prowl for a real man again."

Halian snorted, then gave in to a full chuckle. "You could do worse, Remington," he said. "I won"t pretend his manners are something special, but you"d never look a bit shabby."

Charles covered his eyes, still smiling. "He"d gut me in my sleep," he said. "I"ve never seen such an aggressive little omega in my life."

"You have to win him over with expensive alcohol," Hal informed. "Put a bottle or two down, and back away slowly. No sudden moves."

Charles nodded, gave a little chuckle, and took one of Jules"s paring knives. He started helping Jules peel and cut. "Making your mom"s potato soup, boy?" He asked Jules. "It"s a day for it. Cold and snowy."

"Yeah," Jules said. "Ellaine"s usually got a pot of soup ready any time someone comes in hungry. I just thought I"d do it for her today."

Halian kissed the top of Jules"s head on the way by to get at his cashew jar. "I love it when the people I care for, care for each other," he said. "You make this house so much happier, Jules."

Jules blushed, and smiled. "I fixed you that yogurt-granolfruit thing. It"s in the ice box."

"That is outstandingly good news." Halian went right for the cold storage. "What fruit did you...? Oh! Pineapple!"

"It"s the last of it," Jules warned. "Maybe your mom will bring more. Her honey is in the cellar, by the way. Bill moved it there this morning."

"It will keep fine down there," Hal said, sitting beside of Jules with his bowl and a spoon. "I sent word to my brother to expect trouble, did I tell you? I don"t know how much of a target he might be, but he"s a Novar, and he"s actively aiding the poor. Plus, he"s right in town where all the commotion is brewing."

"Hal, I didn"t even think about Lucien," Jules said, contrite. "I"m sorry."

"Don"t feel bad. I didn"t, either. I"m so used to him not actively being a part of the family issues, and his face isn"t around to remind me he"s a changed man." Hal made a "Mmmmm" sound as he took his first bite of food. "Do you want some of this?"

"No, I ate already, "Jules informed. "I took Ruto and Sphinx for a walk early, and ate too many Cashews."

Ruto, under the table, barked at hearing his name, and Charles jerked in surprise.

"Holy—I had no idea he was in here," Charles protested. He peered down and around, spotting Ruto at Jules"s feet. "I noticed mastiffs are the main dogs you have, Novar. That"s incredibly smart of you. Loyal, strong, gentle dogs, that naturally defend their family."

"I used to breed them," Hal said. "I got out of that, though. Friesians are my main focus now."

Charles looked at Hal. "Also strong, loyal, gentle animals," he noted.

"I think the master of the house having a beastly temper is enough," Hal told him. "People that breed vicious animals, or make animals vicious, deserve to be destroyed by them."

Charles nodded, dark eyes serious and in full agreement with Hal. "Gentlemen aren"t supposed to discuss each other"s temperament, but I"m not a gentleman. So, I"m asking you as a newly minted father to ?????? never."

Jules felt surprised, and a little pleased. Charles was asking Hal to never take his temper out on him.

Hal swallowed a bite of yogurt, regarding Charles steadily. "I would die first," he said. "Jules"s life is more important than anyone else"s, even my own. I won"t pretend I"m not dangerous, but I"m not a risk to Jules."

"You ??????"? pretend you"re not dangerous," Charles countered.

"I could, but a man like you wouldn"t believe it," Hal shot back, cool as anything, totally unruffled. "You"re a monster hunter, trained to sense threats. That you"ve reached maturity with your occupation tells me you"re a d.a.m.n good one, and probably more than a little bit lucky, too. Most of the hunters in my family didn"t live to see forty."

"You said you were fishermen," Charles pointed out, slightly frowning.

"Not all of us," Halian explained. "I asked if you wanted to see my ancestor"s trophies from werewolf hunting, too. I find them extremely in poor taste, but Father insists we never forget our origins."

"Hal," Jules said, suddenly sick of alpha posturing, "if you would just pee in a circle around me, and be done with it? Please?"

Hal choked. He grabbed for a napkin and covered his mouth, eyes watering. Then, he sagged backward, laughing. "I"m sorry, Jules, please forgive me," he said. "I suppose the air got a little thick in here."

Jules smiled. "You"ve certainly eased into the alpha thing quick," he observed. "When I first got here you wouldn"t think of owning me at all."

"That was before you ????????," Hal reminded. "Before my mother schooled me."

"That, right there," Charles said, slightly pointing at Hal. "That"s what made all that blood yesterday ?????. I"d have no more stood for someone calling my mother a b.i.t.c.h than I"d have let someone hurt her. All those other insults were deliberate provocations toward your alpha status."

"You noticed." Halian finished his food and took the bowl to the main sink. "I can let certain things slide, but not slander to my mother. I would have killed him for it, but Jules reminds me that I understand mercy. Constantly." Again, he kissed Jules on top of his head. "I"ll be upstairs if you need me. If I don"t get a bath today, I"m going to roll in the snow."

Jules grinned at the mental picture. Naked, beautiful Hal, rolling around in the snow with his amazing c.o.c.k flopping back and forth. "See you later, Hal."

When they were alone again, Charles met Jules"s eyes. "You"re happy here. Safe and fed and surrounded by dangerous people who"d do anything to preserve you. I"m so thankful my mistakes haven"t ruined you, Jules."

Jules gave his father a small, honest smile. "I"m thankful you changed your mind."