Page 82 of Knot Your Baby

“But I really didn’t turn up. I gave my booking to another omega who needed it—” My voice hitches higher and higher with each word.

“Ms. Rose, you broke the law. We understand this is a tough time for you. You’re a new mother, and we will work with you, but the alpha has a right to know he is a father.”

My hands shake so badly I nearly drop the phone. Harlow swoops in, plucking it from my grip.

My legs wobble and the room tilts. Or is it me? I grip the edge of the couch to steady myself.

“Listen here.” Harlow’s voice cuts through the panic clouding my brain. “Ms. Rose knows exactly who her baby’s father is. She never attended your center.”

Everyone’s eyes dart between me and Harlow. Thorne’s gaze burns into my skin, making me want to crawl under the nearest rock and die.

“No, you listen.” Harlow paces, her free hand gesturing wildly. “Someone’s clearly trying to cause trouble.”

My stomach churns as bile rises in my throat. This can’t be happening. Not now.

“Then prove it,” Harlow snaps into the phone. She glances at Thorne, then tries to make it look normal when she looks at me. “Oh yeah. A DNA test—”

I shake my head frantically, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Harlow’s shoulders slump. “Fine. Ms. Rose will be happy for her baby’s DNA to be tested.” She disconnects the call.

The room shifts sideways. I’m going to be sick. Right here, right now, all over their expensive hardwood floors and furniture.

“They’re going to take my baby,” I whisper, terror clawing at my throat. “Excuse me,” I choke out, stumbling to my feet.

I need to get away from here.

But before I can escape, Thorne’s voice freezes me in place. “Then where did you go?”

I look him dead in the eye and say, “Club Midnight.”

Ten minutes later, I pace my bedroom, my bare feet silent on the plush carpet as I realize Thorne’s scent lingers in my nose from downstairs.

But how can I smell him when he’s on scent blockers?

Is he feeling stressed like me, and like me, does his scent come out when he is? Is that why he helped me?

But does he smell me now?

Despite all thoughts of scents, my stomach churns with guilt. He’s helping me and I can’t even tell him the truth about his baby.

God, I’m a coward.

I have to tell him now. I have to tell him and get out of his life and forget about him. Tears coat my eyes because I know that means I'll lose Zane and Miller, too.

With a heavy heart, I turn to the door, but the room suddenly lurches. I reach for the dresser, missing it entirely and stumbling as black spots dance across my vision.

Not now. Please, not now.

I haven’t had an omega drop for years. Not that I knew what it was the first time I had one. The second time should have been expected.

My heart hammers against my ribs. Each beat is deafening in my ears. I should have realized this would happen again. The stress of the past weeks. Having a baby. Hiding his paternity from the one man I shouldn’t, but he hates me anyway, and now he’ll hate me even more.

He still needs to know before I leave here.

I thought things were heading in a good direction. Zane and Miller are the perfect alphas, but living with Thorne’s hatred, and the constant fear of what I did to get my baby—it feels like it is all crashing down on me at once.

My lungs are on fire, and no matter how hard I claw at my throat, I can’t get enough air.

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