Page 1 of Such a Sweet Omega

Chapter One

Jabez

I shouldn’t have driven home.

After the near disaster that occurred that night, every one of my triggers, well, triggered. Most shifters used midwives for their births, or healers who specialized, and after my past, I chose not to take on such cases, specializing in other types of healing.

“Come quickly!” the caller announced. “There’s an omega about to give birth right on the street, and there are humans gathering.”

In most cases, human and shifter omegas gave birth in very similar ways with one large difference. A fair percentage of our children arrived in their animal form. It didn’t last long, and few would shift again for at least several years, but for those first moments, their alpha and omega dads would get a peek at what their child would look like when they got old enough to take their fur…or feathers or scales.

It was a blessed moment and one shifter parents looked forward to with great pleasure, but since many humans did not know we existed, someone needed to, “Get that omega out of the street.” I shouldn’t even have to say it. “Are you near a birthing center?”

“I don’t think so,” the person on the other end said, “but they aren’t exactly in the mood to be moved far.”

“How about a motel? Hotel? Anywhere under cover?”

“There is a motel just down the street. Want me to see if they have enough money for it?”

“Oh good gods. Tell me where you are, and I’ll meet you at the place and pay for a night. Keep the omega out of sightthough. No innkeeper is going to be thrilled to have someone giving birth in their room.”

The other party chuckled, cutting through their frantic tone. “I guess that’s pretty messy, huh?”

“I suppose you could say that.” I was already getting dressed as we spoke. “I will likely be charged a cleaning fee.” I took down the address of the motel and, just in case, the place where the omega was currently, in case he was not moveable at all. Then I disconnected, promising to hurry.

Jaw tensed, I unlocked it enough to take two quick breaths and let the air whoosh out. My mind raced as I sought any possible alternative to attending the birth. But I couldn’t think of anyone who was closer to the location than I was, and neither my oath nor my conscience would permit me to do anything less than my best in this situation. A life—two lives or maybe even more, since shifters often had multiples—lay in the balance. My own issues would have to be put aside while I did my job.

My. Job.

Preferences and neuroses could not come into the picture, or I’d have to hang up my stethoscope.

I pulled up in front of the motel to find a skinny wolf shifter just past adolescence leaning against a wall. Rather, he was skinny except for the tremendous bump jutting out from his middle. Even at this distance and with the building’s shadow hiding his features, I could tell he’d been getting far too little to eat, making his stamina questionable. He looked barely of age, maybe one of the runaways who left their pack and ended up in all kinds of trouble.

Another male, this one equally young and equally lean, hovered in front of the motel’s office door under the registration sign. I offered a friendly smile to the pregnant wolf and joined the other one.

“You came in time!” he breathed. “I didn’t know what I’d do if you didn’t. Rally is…”

“Your friend?” I guessed. “You take care of each other…on the streets?” It wasn’t difficult to ascertain; they were both filthy, shoes worn, and jeans torn. I’d seen kids like this before. “He’s all you have.”

Tears sprang into the young man’s eyes, his gaze dropping to the ground between us, but he said, “Yes. Can you save him?”

“I don’t know anything about the situation yet, but let’s get a room and get him settled in bed so I can examine him and we’ll see what we can do.”

The motel owner’s derisive expression told me he saw me with this young man and had decided I was one of the older wolves who took advantage of Rally and his friend or those like them. It was difficult not to correct him, but since we were about to make a mess of one of his rooms, I let him judge me. He probably saw situations like that often. It made me shudder to think, but I suppressed it and accepted the key.

Picking up the pregnant omega, Rally, on the way, we soon were in the room, safely behind closed doors. I gave him a quick exam and had him get into the shower for sanitation’s sake. While he was scrubbing off the layers of street filth, I ordered food delivery for them both. They needed the nourishment. If I was guessing right, the food would still be hot when the delivery was in the past.

The other omega, who finally told me his name was Ouro, took Rally’s place in the shower, and I checked again to see how soon the babe would be arriving.

“Looks like we don’t have long to wait,” I said, sitting beside him on the bed. “Are you hoping for a boy or girl?”

“I just hope I can find a way to feed them because I don’t have…don’t have…” Tears leaked from his eyes. “I will have to put them up for adoption.”

“Would it make you feel better if I told you I know of a place for you and your baby to go after they are born?”

“But what about…”

“Ouro, too. It’s a very lovely home in the suburbs that helps out young wolves who are far from home and need to get on their feet. And if you decide adoption is the best choice, they can help with that, too. But I have a feeling that’s not what you want to do.”

---