Page 9 of Fated to the Warrior Wolf

Brielle held up a hand for me, giving me ahang on one secondlook as she turned to Olivia. “Olivia, is there any chance you could be pregnant?”

“What? No,” she said, shaking her head.

“You’re a hundred percent sure?” Brielle asked gently, using her doctor voice.

“I’ve never, umm,” she blushed to the roots of her hair and looked down.

Definitelya virgin.

“Okay, that’s okay. I just wanted to check because the omega seal serves one very specific purpose.” She held my eyes, speaking slowly and clearly, still in that doctor voice that made me think I was dying or something. “It marks the women who will be bringing the next generation of omegas into the world when they’re in the presence of a mated alpha-omega pair.”

For the first time in my life, my brain went completely blank. Nothing but static. Leigh had gone off-line.

A heartbeat, then another, and a million questions burst into my head, all at once and utterly overwhelming. But out of them all, one was the most important, the most dangerous.

“My baby’s going to be an omega?” My hand fell to my stomach, terror ripping through me like a scythe.

Please, Goddess,no.

Brielle’s face was grave as she nodded, and I felt faint.

“That mark is for protection. The mated omega pair takes in any women who have it, so the new omegas can be trained up in their pack and protected until they’re ready to leave to help their own packs as adults.”

“So Brielle, if Kane’s an alpha, does that mean you…” Olivia trailed off, swallowing hard as she stared first at her palm, then at Brielle.

“It does. Does that make you uncomfortable? I’ve never intentionally hurt anyone, and I’m as bound by my Hippocratic oath as any other doctor.”

Olivia pressed both palms to her cheeks, clearly overwhelmed. “I don’t know what to think, but I know you’ve been nothing but kind and helpful to me,” she finally said.

Brielle nodded with understanding. “We can talk about it more if you have questions later. It was a surprise to us as well.”

Olivia nodded and fell silent.

“I’m sorry, I’m going to need you to back up.” Gael’s voice was harsh, disbelieving, as he stared laser beams through my palm, as if he wanted to carve it off my skin with his eyeballs.

But I couldn’t focus on that.

Breathe in, breathe out, Leigh. Just breathe, so you don’t pass out.

“Of course, Gael.” Brielle was in full doctor mode and not the least put off by his surly attitude.

“Does it meanthisbaby is an omega? We’re now on the run from the ODL for more—” He cut a look at the still-pale Olivia and cleared his throat, changing directions. “We’re now in danger of the ODL hunting our child?”

Brielle bit her lip, shooting an apologetic look at Olivia, who maybe didn’t need this much information dumped on her when she was already in shock.

“Omega mothers only have one child. And that mark means that the baby will be an omega.”

Darkness prickled around the corners of my vision, and I slumped back in my seat as the implications dragged me under.

I was cursed. My Petal would spend her whole life on the run, in danger.

Or she’d be killed as soon as she was born, ripped from my arms, and murdered right in front of me.

It was too much.Too much.

The blackness was a tunnel, getting longer and longer, and the last thing I saw was Gael’s panicked face as he shook my shoulders as all the light winked out.

SIX

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