Page 23 of Unruly Omega

“Want to go upstairs and celebrate?” My alpha was on his feet. “If we are still cleared for celebratory activities, Healer?”

Markus gave us a benevolent wave. “Absolutely. Whatever your omega feels up to. Mind if I finish your dinners?”

We left him to it.

Chapter Twenty-One

Locke

No matter how reassured we’d been by the blood tests and such, the fact that Markus couldn’t guarantee us the baby would not be harmed by the things those white coats did to us kept me on edge. I tried to hide it from my omega, but we had such a strong connection there was no chance he wouldn’t know.

“I feel the same, alpha.” He cuddled closer to me on the sofa as we shared a bowl of popcorn. Kellan was responding to words I hadn’t even said. “But the baby feels so good in there. I’ve been eating well and staying hydrated. Getting exercise. Following all the healer’s orders. And I know that can’t fix anything that might have been done to me on a cellular level or whatever, but we have to stay positive.”

“Right.” I couldn’t argue. “It’s hard sometimes. I’ve been fighting to help others who have gone through what I did, and I’d have sworn I could not have been angrier than I was at how you were treated. But when I think of the possibility that those white coats are responsible for even one hair on our baby’s head being damaged, much less anything worse. It’s all I can do not to just go into those labs, guns blazing.”

“And just get captured again or even killed and leave our child without an alpha father? Over my dead body,” he said. “Now, I…oh, ouch.”

“Another one of those pains?”

“Yeah, the healer said to expect them.” He rubbed at his bump as if easing a cramp. “But they’ve been getting worse.”

“How can you tell the difference?” I tucked him closer into me. The last few weeks had been rough on my omega. He was bloated and achy and had all sorts of pains.

“I don’t know, exactly. I think if they come regularly and get closer together, we need to call Markus. Oh. There’s another one.”

“Those are awfully close together. I think maybe we should call Markus just in case.”

“Maybe so.” He struggled to rise and I stood up and helped him. “Because we’re going to need to have the couch cleaned or maybe throw it away.”

“Did you have an accident?” I looked at the dark circle marring the fabric. “Or…your water broke. Get to bed right now. Hell. Here.” I handed him my cell phone. “You call Markus while I carry you upstairs.”

“Alpha, I can walk.”

“Not on my watch. I’m not having you give birth on the stairs.”

He chuckled. “I don’t think it’s going to happen that fast. If it did, they wouldn’t call it labor.”

But I would not be dissuaded, lifting him gently into my arms and carrying him up to our bedroom. I settled him in the armchair, not listening he fussed about that needing to be cleaned now. But we had special sheets we’d bought for the labor and delivery, and I wanted to get the bed made up and ready for him. Also, I had the inflatable tub to inflate because he wasn’t sure if he wanted a water birth. In fact, there was a whole checklist of things to do, and by the time one of my betas tracked Marcus down just finishing up with another birth at the far side of the lands, I finished the last item on the list.

“Okay, omega, I want to get you right in bed.”

“No.” He struggled in the deep chair like a turtle on its back. “Help me up. I need to walk.”

“Take my hand.” I tugged him to his feet and paced back and forth with him. “I wish Marcus would get here.”

“Me too.” Kellan pressed a hand into his lower back. “Oh, this sucks. Why did we decide to do this again?”

I chuckled. “We didn’t. We just decided to make like bunny shifters day and night, and it happened.”

He tipped his face up to mine. “And then we were very very happy.”

“We sure are, omega mine. Don’t you want to lie down now?”

“Not yet.” He continued walking back and forth. “I read that walking helps speed up labor for some omegas.”

“I’m all for that.”

“But I’ll need you to lie down so we can see how far along you are, Kellan,” Markus said, joining us in the room. “Then you can walk all you want.”

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