Page 171 of Toxic

Now I snorted. "Well, the cat’s probably out of the bag by now. We've been hanging out together day after day. They see us sitting at the same table in the cafeteria all the time. They'd have to be stupid not to put two and two together. And they already know I’ve got a ‘mysterious beta love interest’ who just sohappens to look exactly like you. I’m pretty sure they’ve figured it out."

Soren stared at me for a moment, tension on his face. He glanced over at the table where Jess and Fay were sitting. Devon wasn’t there, but it didn’t matter. Those two had been sneaking looks at us all day too, their eyes… yeah, they seemed to know.

"Shit. You’re probably right. I’ve kind of been in my own bubble lately," he muttered, "ignoring what everyone else thinks, just dealing with—" he trailed off, clearly at a loss.

I didn’t say anything. I just wondered—did they really think Soren was carrying Liam’s baby? For some reason, this thought was quite upsetting.

Although I hadn’t seen Liam in the cafeteria lately—it seemed he’d stopped going there—the fact that he was still working here made me uneasy. I knew that any confrontation with him might stress Soren, sour his mood, and hinder his progress.

Later that day, I was making coffee in the break room when Devon and Fay walked in. I could tell right away they wanted to talk. I stubbornly kept my head down, focusing on the coffee machine, but it didn’t help. Devon came to my left, and Fay stood on my right.

"So, we’ve been meaning to ask you something for a while now," Devon started. "Did you ever solve that love life dilemma you told us about?" His tone was a little ironic, his eyes playful as he looked at me.

"I did, and I’m pretty sure you’ve already figured that out," I grumbled and gave them a wry smile.

"The tall, slim beta with black hair, pale skin and gray eyes, right?"

"That’s the one."

"And he’s got tattoos too, I bet."

"Yup."

"So, the situation wasn’t as impossible as it seemed, huh? Are you… happy?"

It felt weird talking about Soren like he wasn’t Soren, but I played along.

"I am. And I handled it, yeah, though it got… a little controversial."

Fay cleared his throat.

"The beta you’re in love with—wasn’t he dating another beta? The other guy is not around anymore."

"Well, yes, he was. That’s where the controversy comes in." I gave a sour smirk. "But I’m not really in a position to talk about any of the details."

"Fay, give us a minute. I need to ask Skye something," Devon said.

Fay pouted but left the break room.

Devon leaned in and lowered his voice. "You’re the father, right?"

I took a sharp breath. Hearing it said out loud felt bold, almost shocking. But I wanted to own it, make it real.

"I am." I looked him straight in the eyes.

Devon chuckled softly. "That’s… interesting. I didn’t know he was one of those rare betas with omega traits. Does he have regular heats?"

I snorted. "Come on, man, are you really asking about that? I’m not saying anything else. And I’d appreciate your discretion. There are some risks, and I wouldn’t want him to get stressed."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Sorry. Just… congrats. On locking him down and on becoming a father."

He was the first person to congratulate me, and it made me light up a bit.

"Thanks. I’m… happy with him. I don’t want anything to mess that up."

"Totally understandable. Are you on suppressants now? I can’t smell you."

"Yeah. I promised him I would be."

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