Page 162 of Toxic

"It looks like we have a different situation here compared to before," he said to me.

"What do you mean?"

"The previous images show a different shape of the uterus—it was smaller. Now, it’s the normal size for this stage of pregnancy. I don’t see any abnormalities, but the most significant difference is in the hormone levels." He turned the monitor toward me, showing me results from before Soren’s second miscarriage. "The levels were very low, barely higher than outside of pregnancy. But now, they’re within the normal range for the first month of gestational period in omegas. None of Soren’s previous pregnancies had those levels anywhere near this high. There were slight fluctuations, but nothing significant. All his past miscarriages followed a similar pattern, but here we have something different."

I stared at him wide-eyed. "What exactly does that mean?"

Dr. Jim sighed. "I don’t want to give you false hope because we have no idea what caused the hormone increase. But at the moment, Soren’s pregnancy isn’t threatened. Everything looks normal, whereas in these previous cases, there were already significant issues at this stage."

"Are you saying there’s a chance Soren could carry this pregnancy to term?"

"If the hormone levels stay consistent, there’s no reason he shouldn’t. Hormones are mainly responsible for the growth of the uterus, and in their absence, his previous pregnancies ended in miscarriage because it just stopped growing."

"Is there any way to support this with synthetic hormones?"

"From what I see, they tried that during his second pregnancy, but it didn’t help, and it still ended in miscarriage."

"So, could the same thing happen this time, despite the higher hormone levels?"

"No one can rule anything out at this stage. Soren’s history is complicated, so I’m cautious. But his hormone levels are now comparable to those found in the blood during a healthy omega’s gestation. And natural hormones are stronger than synthetic ones, so this is a good sign."

"I think Soren should hear this."

Jim spread his hands. "Are you sure you want to give him that hope?"

"No, but it would be wrong to keep this information from him. It’s his body, after all."

The doctor nodded in understanding and said, "Then bring him in, and I’ll explain what I just told you."

I stepped out into the hallway, where Soren was waiting, bent over as if in pain. His face was pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes. I hadn’t seen him look this miserable in a long time.

"Soren, can you come back in? Dr. Delgado has something to tell you."

"What is it? I’d rather not drag this out—"

"It’s not bad news, I promise. Please, come in—it’s worth it."

Soren stood up, but I saw him sway, like he was about to faint. This was taking more out of him than I’d realized. Guilt washed over me as I put my arm around him and guided him back to the office. When we sat down, Soren unexpectedly… sat on my lap! The wave of emotions that hit me was overwhelming. This one little thing made me realize that my ‘kidnapping’ of him may not have destroyed all the trust between us, which was… comforting.

On one hand, I was touched by this display of trust; on the other, I started to feel even more protective and responsible for the situation. I had dragged the poor guy here, so how he felt now was on me. I tightly wrapped my arms around him andsoftly kissed his cheek. Soren closed his eyes and leaned on me, and I held him even closer.

Dr. Jim Delgado watched our interaction attentively for a moment before saying, "I’d like to ask you a few questions, Soren. Some of them will be very personal."

"I’m listening," Soren replied in a rough voice.

"There are theories among biologists that a very close and intense relationship between a beta and an alpha can trigger a phenomenon known as Omega Awakening Syndrome."

Soren remained silent, resting his head on my shoulder, avoiding Jim’s gaze. It was incredibly moving that in these emotional moments, Soren sought comfort in me, trusting me in such a primal way. It gave me… almost a thrill, a feeling of happiness, amidst all of this stress.

"It’s been observed in several cases that certain traits in betas can change while in such relationships. Their senses improve, and their neck glands enlarge and become more active. Many betas with Omega Awakening Syndrome can conceive, often successfully carrying to term."

"I was in a relationship with an alpha before, but I had several miscarriages anyway."

Jim stayed silent for a moment. "Well, when did your relationship start, and how long did it last?"

"From junior year in high school until halfway through sophomore year of college."

"That’s likely the reason you’re having these mini-heats at all. Teenage betas who remain in sexual relationships with alphas, especially around the time when their glands mature, are prone to experience some forms of heats more often than others."

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