Page 160 of Toxic

I couldn't take my eyes off them, so I stared unabashedly.

"Do you want to touch me?" he asked in a velvety, sensual tone. "I love it when you suck on them. Will you make me cum like this?"

My pulse quickened in a second. There was something fascinatingly naughty about the way he could change his demeanor from dejected to lascivious in a matter of seconds.

"I'm on board," I blurted out, grabbing the tray to toss it aside.

And then I did exactly what he asked me to do.

***

The next week passed in a strange, quiet way—almost peaceful. Our relationship seemed to stabilize somehow.

Soren was mostly silent. We didn’t talk much, but we spent hours each day making love—slowly, gently, tenderly. We kissed a lot, especially while I was inside him. Sometimes I’d be moving within him, and our mouths would stay locked together. Just as he found relaxation and escape in it, I learned to see it the same way.

So, we spent long, lazy hours like that, connected, merged into one, lost in pleasure, not thinking about anything, moving from one orgasm to the next.

We were both waiting.

Each day felt like a countdown to something inevitable… Ten days. Fifteen. Twenty. Soren marked those days on a wall calendar he found in a closet that came with our apartment. The closet had a few things left behind by an older omega, including that paper calendar. The dates didn’t match, but Soren hung it up anyway. It showed a panorama of our city—the same view we once saw from the hill we climbed together. He marked the passing days with crosses, counting down to… the expected miscarriage. He never said it out loud, but it was obvious.

One day, something seemingly insignificant happened. In our department, there was a monthly raffle organized among the employees. Anyone could participate, and various items were raffled off—sometimes not very useful—just funny gadgets to add a little extra fun to the workplace. Afterward, people would talk about who won what.

Once, I decided to join in without expecting much. But on Friday, when the results were announced, I saw my name next to one of the prizes. I was stunned to see that I’d won… a nesting kit!

I went down to the HR department, where they were distributing the prizes. As I approached the door, I passed Sariel Lowen, who was holding a small glass figurine—he had obviously won. I murmured a quiet 'hi' as I walked by, and he responded, a little surprised by my greeting, his mint-colored eyes swept over my face. My mood was definitely better those days, even though my situation with Soren wasn’t perfect. But I felt like we were getting somewhere, so I had no reason to be grumpy around my co-workers.

When I entered the HR room and saw what my prize was, I was quite shocked by its size. The package was enormous!

The huge box contained at least thirty colorful throw pillows, sashes, and bright, sturdy ropes, plus a few blankets and scarves! The colors were beautiful—I have to admit—vibrant but not too intense: lovely shades of mint, turquoise, emerald, lime green, bottle-green, sea green, and more.

There were two omegas in the HR department, and they blushed when they saw me. Of course—there was still that social taboo around nesting. This wasn’t something an alpha should be involved with, and the world wouldn’t let me forget it. Feeling awkward as hell, I muttered, "A perfect gift for Dad…"

I was met with deep silence. Somehow, I managed to carry—or rather drag—the huge box out with me. I got it down to my car and stuffed it in the trunk, but of course, part of it stuck out. The box bulged over the seats, its contents clearly visible.

After work, when Soren came down to the car with me, he got in, then suddenly turned around and opened his mouth. "What’s this?!"

I sighed in embarrassment. "I won it in the raffle. Just ignore it. It’s a nesting kit for omegas."

Soren blinked and muttered, "Nice colors."

"That’s what I thought, too."

And that was the end of that situation. I hauled the box up to my apartment and stuffed it in the empty closet in the hallway. I decided I’d give it to my dad for his birthday.

At the time, it didn’t seem like anything more would come of it.

***

A few days later, an important date came around. It had been a full month since Soren’s heat. That day, I decided to bring up something that had been bothering me more and more. So, I sat down at the kitchen table after serving him dinner and said,

"Would you be willing to go see a doctor with me?"

Soren jerked his head up from his plate, his gray eyes locking onto mine like a hawk’s.

"For what purpose?! I’ve been to the doctors so many times, and it’s never changed anything."

"But would you do it for me? I’ve never been to that kind of appointment," I said quietly, moving my plate away.

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