Appetite for an Alpha (Omega Quadrant #4)

Chapter 16

16

“ A t least we have answers now and know you’re a latent omega,” Pierce said as they slipped inside the elevator on the way out of Dr. Benton’s office. He pressed the button for the first floor, his gaze raking over Brett’s angry face. He’d fucked up and he knew he’d fucked up, but he wasn’t sure how to un fuck it up without completely unraveling on the spot.

Brett didn’t reply. His jaw was set, his chin held up arrogantly. Inside, Pierce sensed Brett was a roiling mess and it was all his fault for his lackluster reaction to their surprise bit of news. After their sweet day the previous one, he’d thought they were ready for a bit of smooth sailing, but he’d been wrong. He’d caused a super storm that threatened to capsize the boat.

As soon as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open on the first floor, Brett was out, his shorter legs eating up the pavement. Even with his longer ones, Pierce struggled to keep up. “Brett…”

Brett either didn’t hear him or was still ignoring him. Fear clutched his chest.

Will he go home, or will he try to run away?

Pierce didn’t want to cause a scene, but he’d toss his omega over a shoulder and carry the man home kicking and screaming if he had to. The second Brett stopped beside the passenger door of the SUV, Pierce let out a sigh of relief. No scene required. He unlocked the door and whipped it open for his omega.

“Brett…”

Brett jumped onto the seat and pulled the seat belt across himself, never once looking at Pierce.

He stood in the open doorway, waiting for Brett to acknowledge him.

“Can we just go home?” Brett asked, crossing his arms over his chest once his seat belt was locked in place.

“I want to talk about this,” Pierce murmured.

“Not in the middle of the fucking parking lot, Pierce. I’m barely holding on as it is.”

Pierce was barely holding on himself. He’d seen the look of joy in Brett’s eyes when they’d gotten their news. He’d also seen that joy fade when Pierce couldn’t summon the same excitement. Pierce should’ve already discussed the whys and wherefores behind that response with Brett—before they were in the middle of a doctor’s office and had an audience that prevented him from explaining anything. He’d held his tongue even as he saw pain blossom in Brett’s eyes.

After shutting the door and climbing in the other, Pierce threw the SUV into gear and pulled out of the lot, the silence untenable. He had so many emotions swirling inside. Part of him was happy. Most of him was terrified. The drive home was eerily silent, sadness thick in the air. Brett typed away on his phone, never uttering a single syllable. He was sure Brett was telling Avery what a gigantic alphahole he was, and his omega wasn’t wrong for thinking it.

As soon as he parked behind the restaurant, Brett jumped out, slammed the door, and nearly ran to the outer apartment door. Pierce remained in the SUV a moment, collecting himself and trying to figure out how to start the conversation he didn’t want to have. He’d never told another living soul, fearful it would rip his heart out to say it out loud. When he thought he had a modicum of control over himself, he slid out of the driver’s seat and ambled upstairs. He heard Brett in their bedroom. As he approached the door, he found his omega packing a bag.

“Avery’s going to let me stay with them a few days. I think it might be best to cool off before either of us says something we’ll regret,” Brett muttered, not looking at Pierce. “Or do something we’ll regret.”

Pierce closed his eyes and sighed. “Please don’t go. I am happy.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Brett spat, his focus on his overnight bag and his pending escape.

Pierce stood in the doorway, haunted by painful memories that made it impossible to speak. Tears stung the backs of his eyes, the air robbed from his lungs. He tried to force the words out but couldn’t get them past his dry lips.

Brett snatched some of his toiletries from the bathroom and reappeared, tossing them haphazardly into the bag before zipping it up angrily. He swung the bag crossbody and stormed past Pierce toward the staircase.

It was only when Brett took the first tread that the panic forced the words out in a rush. “Simon was pregnant.”

Brett paused on the top tread and spun to face Pierce, unshed tears glistening in his eyes.

“He was pregnant… when he died,” Pierce said, his voice odd to his own ears. “No one knew but him and me. And the doctors, of course, but no one else. I’ve never been able to tell anyone. It hurt too fucking bad.” He took a shuddering breath. “I didn’t just lose him, but our child, too.”

His gaze drifted to the picture of Simon on the wall nearest Brett, the pain of that loss almost as fresh in that moment as it had been twenty years before. His focus returned to his second chance at love, fearful of losing that, too. “It’s not that I don’t want a child with you, Brett. It’s fear that I’ll lose you and our baby.”

Brett pulled the bag’s strap over his head and dropped it in front of the half wall. He marched closer. Pierce opened his arms, and Brett rushed into them. He buried his face into Pierce’s chest, sobbing. A tear escaped Pierce’s eye and slid down his cheek. He closed his eyes and held on tight, scared to let go.

When he felt himself sway on his own feet, he urged them to the couch. Brett cuddled next to him, quiet for a long while. Pierce replayed the events over in his mind, reminded of how similar their stories were.

“How did Simon die?”

Pierce laid his cheek over the top of Brett’s head on his shoulder. “He was four months along—and he’d had a terrible time with morning sickness almost the entire time. He was so sick every morning, but by the afternoon, he was usually better. We had him checked and the doctors said he and the baby were fine. It was just his body and the way it reacted to the change in hormones, they said. The nausea and vomiting worsened instead of getting better as the doctors had predicted. I told Simon we needed to have him checked, but he said he’d give it a little longer, sure it would improve. I nagged him and tried to force him to go, but he refused, saying it would get better and for me to stop being so overprotective. I was young and dumb—and busy with the restaurant. I should’ve pushed harder.”

The parallels with what had just happened with Brett weren’t lost on him. He paused a moment, breathing through the pain. “One night, he woke up with awful cramping. He was doubled over like you’d been in the office. I rushed him to the hospital. They were so focused on figuring out what was wrong with the baby that they somehow missed his case of appendicitis until after his appendix burst. With all the infectious material filling his body, he soon went into sepsis and eventually it caused him to go into preterm labor. The doctors tried to save Simon and the baby… but nothing they did worked. Their attempts came too late.”

Brett lifted his head, his face wet with tears. “And I made you relive some of that when I refused to go to the hospital.”

Pierce nodded. “I can’t relive any more of that story, Brett.”

“I’m so sorry, Pierce,” Brett said before wrapping his arms around Pierce. “I didn’t know.”

“You couldn’t have known. No one did. We hadn’t announced it, waiting to make sure his pregnancy was far enough along before we did.” Pierce shook his head. “I should’ve told you all of this sooner, but we’ve just happened so fucking fast.”

Brett nodded, looking ready to burst out in tears again.

Pierce pressed his palm against Brett’s flat stomach. “I am happy, Brett. I know it doesn’t look like it, but I am. But it was a shock, and my first instinct was panic. I’m really fucking scared, Brett—and that eclipsed any happiness I felt in that doctor’s office. I know my reaction, or lack thereof, ruined your joy, and I’m sorry for that.”

Brett caressed the side of his face. “You’d made comments during my heat that made me think you didn’t want children at all, so when I saw the terror on your face, I’d almost expected it. It hurt. But now I know why you reacted that way, and I understand. I just wish you’d told me sooner. If I’d known why you had reservations, I could’ve prepared myself.”

“It’s been circling in my mind to tell you, especially knowing there was a chance you could get pregnant during your heat, but I didn’t know how to broach it,” Pierce murmured. “And I feared bringing up Simon’s name.”

“Don’t fear bringing up his name. He was a part of your life and always will be,” Brett murmured. He hugged Pierce tight. “I know this is happening too quick and we’re not ready, but…”

“Is anyone ever really ready?” Pierce asked. “It’s not like I’m a young man who has time to wait much longer, either. I’ve wanted to be a father most of my adult life and thought I’d never have the chance. Now I will.”

In ten months, if all went well, they’d have a child. Weeks earlier, he’d been alone, dreaming of a pregnant Brett in his arms. For once, the reality was better than any dream.

If he could get his head out of his own ass.

“I didn’t expect to walk into that office and hear the news that you’re pregnant already. Did you?”

Brett snorted. “Absolutely not.”

“I had no idea a test could determine it that early. It wasn’t like that twenty years ago.” Eight days past conception. That’s all it took to learn his omega was pregnant. Apparently during one of the first waves of Brett’s heat, they’d made a little one together.

“Old man,” Brett whispered, smiling.

Pierce smiled wanly. “This old man’s going to be an alphahole over the next ten months. Be prepared.”

Brett eyed him. “Why an alphahole?”

“I’m going to ensure you don’t overdo anything. You’re not working long hours. You’re not standing on your feet for long lengths of time. You’re not carrying heavy shit. You’re not going to do anything that puts you or the baby’s life in danger.” He fought the sting at the backs of his eyes. “You can be mad at me for being a domineering alpha all you want, but I won’t lose another omega. If I can help it, I won’t lose another son, either. I’m going to be overprotective, and I’ll probably cross the line at some point, more than once, I’d imagine. I’ll apologize for it now, so I don’t have to later.”

“I’ll do my best to tolerate overprotective Pierce. Since I know why, maybe it’ll make it a little easier.”

Pierce lifted Brett’s hand to his lips. “Thank you.” He lowered Brett’s hand and slipped his fingers through his omega’s.

A family.

They would soon be three.

Scanning the living room, he cringed. “We can’t bring a baby home to this place.”

“We can spruce it up before he arrives. We have ten months to clean and organize. Maybe turn the guest bedroom into a nursery.” He smiled. “If that’s okay with you?”

Pierce rose and offered Brett a hand. “I need to show you something.”

Brett frowned but took his hand.