Page 5 of Pack Plus Three

“You sound like very smart men. Your sister is lucky to have so many people helping her.”

“That’s what family is supposed to do.”

Daisy frowned slightly, her gaze finding the clock on the wall. “Damn, it’s getting late. I should get back. I can’t thank you enough for this. I know it’s not exactly normal.”

“Daisy, I’m happy to help. Seriously.”

She blushed before nodding, and I got the impression she didn’t fully believe me. She pulled herself out of the chair with a groan, gently rubbing her lower back. I wanted to offer her a back rub, but that would just be creepy.

“Thank you,” she repeated when we got to my doorway. She clutched the Tupperware of noodles tightly. As if it was precious. I wondered how long it had been since she’d been offered something by someone else. I was glad she was taking some food home with her.

“Anytime, I mean it,” I said as she petted Gilbert goodbye.

I watched for as long as I could get away with as she waddled off to her own apartment. When the door closed behind her, I was left alone. I stood in silence for a long time, surrounded by the fading scent of brown sugar and apple, unable to shake the feeling that the apartment felt oddly empty.

Chapter 2

Daisy

What on god's green earth is wrong with me? I thought to myself as I stirred the bowl of batter while Taylor Swift blasted from my speakers. I had barrelled my way into the neighbor’s house and practically accosted him for those glorious spicy and cheesy noodles.

They had been amazing, and I had eaten them all, and more importantly, they hadn’t come back up. I couldn't remember the last time I’d eaten a full meal and kept it down.

Though I’d seen and admired Jeremy from a distance, up close, he was stunning. Even through his shirt, his defined muscles had been obvious, and his skin was clear and bright. His brown hair, cut short, and scruff were highlighted by specks of red throughout. He looked like he should have been gracing a magazine cover. Or a billboard.

Then there was me. The pregnant, overtired and sweaty, food-pilfering neighbor. I must have looked like a state, barging into his home, mind completely focused on food. He had been so sweet, even giving me extra to eat the next day—though I doubted the noodles would last until then. I had every intention of eating them as a midnight snack.

Once I had sat down, and remained down for a while because I was now the size of a small house with no real center of gravity, I knew I had to do something to thank him. Mrs. Jenna had given me her recipe for those cookies when I had moved in, and now, the least I could do was make Jeremy a batch...even if the smell of eggs made me want to hurl. I refused to be sick, not when those delicious rice cakes were making my stomach so happy. I would grab a clothespin and close my nose if I had to.

It was late, and he had mentioned that he worked in construction. I didn’t know much about that sort of job, but I guessed he would have to wake up early. Since I didn’t want to disturb him after he had been so nice to me, I resolved to make a small mountain of cookies for him and deliver them tomorrow evening, during a more respectable hour. I had all the ingredients on hand and had planned to make them when I had some energy, but this seemed like a much better reason to make them.

It took until midnight, but once the cookies were all piled into the largest Tupperware I owned, I stumbled to bed, wrapping myself in the thin duvet and groaning. The dull ache in my lower back was terrible. I thought for a moment about how nice it would be to have a partner, an alpha, who could rub my back and look after me. It was just me and my sweet little parasite. Cole didn’t give two shits about me and had split the moment he learned I was pregnant. He had stuck to my side before that, insisting he be there for every one of my heats. I’d been young and naive, impressed by his fancy car and obvious wealth. I’d let myself get played.

Yet, whenever he texted, my heart skipped a beat. I was like an abused puppy who didn’t know what was good for them. I should have seen the signs when he refused to introduce me to any of his friends, when he didn’t want me around his family. I thought simply being an omega would be enough for him, but apparently, I wasn’t an omega of good breeding, so I was useless to him for anything other than quick heat fun.

Wrapping the thin duvet around me, I resisted the urge to cry. I wanted a nest, a real one, like I saw on TV, with enough pillows and blankets to suffocate yourself in. My meager savings were just enough to afford this apartment, which I had gotten for a steal. Jeremy’s was far nicer, and a lot more modern. Mine had fixtures from the sixties and was in a sad state of disrepair.

After an abysmal night of sleep that consisted of a lot of tossing and turning, I crawled out of bed around midday and settled myself at my laptop to get some work done. The computer was about five years older than it should have been and took an age to boot up. So, as I waited for it to come to life, I went to the kitchen and made myself a cup of ginger tea. The ginger was meant to help with the nausea, but it didn't do much at all. Still, I drank several cups a day in the vain hope that it would alleviate some of the raging nausea.

Tea in hand, I settled on my lumpy old couch and started tackling my tasks for the day. I had been working as a virtual assistant for a few business owners—answering emails, organizing calendars, and such—and had been finding the work easy enough.

Letting myself get lost in the work, I tried my best to clear my never-ending to-do list and managed to clear the majority of it. In what felt like no time, the sun had set and it was past six. Putting my laptop down, I frowned. If only I could afford a more modern laptop, I would have gotten so much more work done, instead of waiting for the screen to load every time I clicked on something. That was a luxury I couldn’t afford—sadly.

Stretching, I climbed off the sofa, ignoring the pinch in my side as my little parasite moved, kicking me in the ribs. On my trip to the bathroom, I took the time to run my fingers through my hair, taking stock of myself in the mirror. I didn’t hate the way I looked. My hair could be a little wild, but I liked it. My mother had insisted on straightening my hair constantly, and I’d despised it, so when I had moved out, I stopped straightening my hair and let my curls do whatever the heck they wanted.

With a final look in the mirror, I accepted that I couldn’t really do anything to improve my appearance. Pregnancy had made my face swell, and there was a constant flush on my face.

Why did I even care what my neighbor thought? He was stunningly handsome, and probably taken. Even if he was single, there was no way he would be interested in a pregnant omega who was going to be a single mother very soon. No. I was going to give him the treats I had baked as a thank you. I hadn’t been sick all day. Granted, all I had eaten was a bowl of oatmeal, but it had stayed down, which was a serious win, in my opinion.

Grabbing the box of cookies, I waddled over to the door. The ability to walk normally had long since left me.

I felt awkward as I knocked on his door—just a random pregnant lady who’d accosted him the night before to steal his dinner.

The door swung open, and Jeremy’s face lit up as he saw me. His sawdust and hay scent wafted out of the room. My mouth watered as it hit me. There was something innately comforting about it.

“Daisy! How are you? I’m just starting dinner if you want to come in?” He pushed the door open with a grin.

“I-I can’t impose again—” I started to say, but Jeremy cut me off.

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