Page 34 of His Innocent Omega
The bone-weary tiredness that had plagued me in the hospital, no doubt partly related to my severe anemia, had nearly faded to the background after the wonderfully restful night I had had.
Goddess, I had slept like the dead, too! But I felt more refreshed this morning than I had in days, and ready for a much-needed cup of coffee. Wait. That couldn’t be right. Whyhad I had such a peaceful night of sleep? Julianna hadn’t woken me one time after I had settled her just before midnight. Heart hammering in my chest, I threw off my blankets and staggered to my feet. Wincing slightly at my throbbing muscles, I rushed to the window and pulled the heavy curtains open.
The sun was high in the clear blue September sky, its placement telling me it was at least ten in the morning. Grabbing my cell phone off the nightstand, the time confirmed that it was closer to ten thirty.
Julianna!
She hadn’t woken up once. It was almost twelve hours past her last feeding. Had I somehow slept through her cries? I was a hard sleeper, but all my online research had assured me that I would hear my baby. That something in an omega’s brain suddenly got tuned to hearing their child, no matter how hard you might have slept prior to childbirth.
The first night in the hospital, I had woken just enough to hear her start crying, only to be shushed by Grayson’s softly whispered murmurs to her.
Instant terror filled me. Dear Goddess, why hadn’t my baby woken up? My brain raced, flipping through all the dire scenarios I had read about during pregnancy. Of things that could go wrong once you brought your baby home.
Despite her being sturdy and the assurance from the pediatrician that her lungs were good, she was still a month early. They should have never released her. They should have kept her in the NICU. My mind wasn’t even registering that she hadn’t needed to stay in that part of the hospital after she’d been born.
Nothing was making sense right now. The only thing I knew was that something had to be terribly wrong. That all my worst fears–the ones you never imagined would happen to you–werecoming true.
Running across the hall to the nursery, I ignored the pain of the pull from my stitches. I had to get to Julianna! Should I call 9-1-1 now or wait?
My heart nearly pounded out of my chest when I realized I was staring at an empty crib. Paralyzing fear nearly brought me down to my knees. I grasped the railing of her crib tightly to keep myself upright, glancing around the room frantically.
Where is my baby!
I was positive I had locked the door after I had asked Grayson to leave. I even remembered double checking it before we had come upstairs for the night. Because even though Sweet Alps was considered a safe town, and the crime rate was low for its size, I had my child to protect. And I was a single omega living alone. There would be no unlocked doors for me.
Why hadn’t I gotten the alarm installed yet? I should have done that before we moved in. Because I thought I would have time to do all these things before I gave birth, that’s why.
My feet pounded down the stairs, and I screamed for her, “Julianna!”
Yelling her name made no sense, but I did it anyway. The only thing I could focus on was that my days-old baby was missing!
A large shadow loomed on the staircase wall in front of me, and a strangled scream tore from my throat.
“Wyatt, what’s wrong?” Grayson’s deep baritone was filled with concern, as I skidded to a halt on the stairs, trying to steady myself with the banister. My other hand came up to my heaving chest, feeling my racing heart beneath my palm, my breathing ragged.
Focusing on the large alpha when he came into view, my shaking legs finally gave out and I sank down onto the hardwood of a step.
Grayson stared at me with concern, standing shirtless in front of me and wearing threadbare jeans held up only by the sharpness of his hip bones. In his arms he held a sleeping Julianna, a burp cloth slung casually over one broad shoulder.
Drawing in a ragged breath, I tried to remember how to breathe. Julianna was fine. She was here. No one had broken in and taken her. Nothing dire had happened while she slept in her crib.
Nothing besides her alpha father breaking into my house and taking her from her crib without permission.
What in the actual fuck is wrong with him? This is so not okay!
Oh my, there’s those abs. I had forgotten how ridiculously delicious those things are.My giraffe purred like they were a damn cat.
“Are you okay?” Grayson asked, his considerable bulk gently swaying back and forth with the baby. He looked so natural like that, like he’d been doing it his entire life, and it made me just a smidge envious at the ease with which he did it.
Our first night home after I had asked Grayson to leave–kicked him out, whatever–hadn’t been easy. Like so many things the last few days, it had definitely not gone according to the plan I’d had in my head.
And here Grayson stood, looking fairly unrumpled, like taking care of a newborn was no big deal. Like everyone could just do it.
“What are you doing here?” When my brain stopped its mental gymnastics, I rasped. “I know I locked the doors.”
Grayson had the good sense to not meet my eyes, and if I wasn’t mistaken there was a slight blush dusting those ridiculously high cheekbones of his, just peeking out from the edge of his beard. “You did. I, ah, might have picked the lock after youwent to bed.”
“Excuseme?” My tone was sharp as a knife blade. “You didwhat?”
