Page 81 of His Gentle Omega
Why was it so ever loving hot in this fucking building?
Waving a hand in front of my flaming face, I tried to get the air moving around me. My temperature felt like it had gone up instead of down, standing in the air-conditioned hallway. Thoughts of Shay usually did that to me, though, which was why I tried my best to push him out of my mind, especially during working hours.
Looking down sadly at the plastic bag in my hand with regret, I shook my head. “I’m sorry. Heat makes me snappish, and it’s like the tenth degree of hell outside.”
Unlocking my office door, I signaled with my head for her to follow. “Let me scarf down some food, and I’ll be up to talk to her. I know they are concerned about their mom going to a nursing home. They just need some reassurance that this is a nice one, and that she’ll be coming home as soon as her rehab is done. Breaking a hip is so hard on the elderly, even with a shifter’s faster healing ability. But it is the best place for her to get the physical therapy and care she needs to heal properly.”
Carrie beamed at me, looking relieved. “Thanks so much, Bennett. Don’t worry about it; the heat is awful and is making everyone a bit cray cray.”
Raising a teasing brow at her, I dug into my taco, moaning obscenely at the first bite. Oh, my Goddess, this was just what my body had been craving. This might be the best taco I had ever eaten. The chicken was tender and spiced to perfection.
“Not to say that you’ve been acting crazy.” Carried looked horrified, and quickly tried to back track, “Just that…um…you’ve been a bit tense since you came back to work.”
Swallowing, I nodded. “Don’t worry about it. You’re right. I’m not sure what’s causing it, honestly. Everything is just getting to me much more than it used to. The heat isn’t helping though,but there’s really no excuse for snapping like I have been. Please don’t be afraid to come to me with issues, or if you need help problem solving. That’s how you’ll learn.”
“Eh, it hasn’t been that bad.” She settled into one of the chairs in front of my desk, and I waved a hand over my food, silently offering her a taco. Why had I gotten six? Had I been so hungry that I really thought I was going to eat that many? Good thing they heated up fairly well. Tacos for dinner sounded splendid.
Carrie shook her head with a smile. “Thanks, but I had a salad from the cafeteria. Anyway, I was going to say you haven’t been that bad, it’s just you haven’t been your usual self is all. My sister is pregnant right now, and you have nothing on her. Between pregnancy hormones and this heat, she is not pleasant to be around at all. Goddess bless her mate, she’s the only one that can stand to be around her at the moment.”
The mouthful of food I was chewing suddenly tasted like sawdust.
“Are you okay, Bennett?” Carrie stood up, leaning over me. “You went really pale. Should I get Bill? Or…someone?”
Pregnant.
The word swam around my brain, turning over and over, until I was nearly dizzy with it. Could I be pregnant? Was that what was causing my irritability? My tiredness, and upset tummy? Not to mention my unholy craving for tacos today.
No, I couldn’t be. Could I?
My mind went straight back to that night between Shay and me. We had a ton of sex that night. He knotted me at least three times. But we were careful. He wore a knotting condom each time, and they hadn’t broken. Had they? Honestly, I’d been a bit out of my mind with lust to even notice. Besides I was on the type of birth control that let me only have one heat a year, whichwas super helpful for planning life around it and preparing for it. No unexpected heats for me, and no having heats four times a year.
Oh. My. Goddess. I’d been out of my mind with lust that night. And heat. What had that book said about fated mates’ first times together? That sometimes being around their fated mate could throw an omega into a spontaneous heat, or even what some omegas described as a mini-heat.
Had I had a mini-heat that night?
“Bennett?”
Carrie looked at me with stark concern and I wondered how many times she had said my name before I responded.
I couldn’t be pregnant.
It was just being back to work and trying to catch up, plus the ungodly heat wave we were experiencing. Nothing more.
Blinking, I shook my head to clear it, putting my now very unappealing, half-eaten taco back in the Styrofoam container.
“What?” Pushing the container away, I felt dazed at the possibility that I could be pregnant. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“Bennett, you don’t look good.” Her tone was full of worry that I quickly brushed aside, pushing away from my desk and standing. “You went super pale, and now your face is all flushed.”
“I’m fine. Let’s go talk to Mrs. Johnson’s daught–whoa!”
The floor beneath my feet moved, the room tilted crazily, and a wave of vertigo washed over me. Grabbing the edge of my desk, I held on tightly, waiting for it to pass. Heat flushed up my body, making me sweat, and my stomach rebelled against the tacos it had demanded just a few minutes ago.
Swallowing hard against the nausea, I breathed through my nose, as everything righted itself back to normal. Giving Carrie a wobbly smile, I whispered, “I’m fine. Just hot. Really hot.”
She didn’t look at all convinced, and frankly, neither was I. Breathing in small, panting gasps of air, I felt odd, almost like I was floating outside my body. My legs trembled, and colors dimmed, gray floating around the edges of my vision.
“I think I need to sit down,” I whispered, just before my knees gave out and everything went blissfully black. Blocking out the horrified screech Carrie let out as I began to fall.
