Chapter 25
Wren
“ Y ou would think they’d make these rooms bigger if they’re expecting omegas to come in with their packs,” I said as I looked around at my pack.
We were all smashed into one single room, waiting for the doctor to come in.
A beta doctor walked in a few minutes later, a single knock on the door announcing her before she pushed it open. Her smile was genuine, and she seemed kind, which was a relief because I was nervous enough to set my pack on edge.
“All right, pack,” she looked down at the paperwork. “Harding, welcome in.”
I heard Shepherd’s breath catch at the name. We hadn’t discussed it, and I was panicking during the paperwork and just put it down. His made the most sense because the farm was tied to it.
Nobody complained as they waited for her to continue, though I saw Devon smile. He liked the idea, too. Neither one of us wanted to be associated with our family. Braxton wouldn’t either, and honestly, there were enough pack Whitakers around town.
“So, I’ve got all your information here, and we’re looking at being just over eight weeks, correct?” she asked as she looked up from my chart.
I nodded, and she went back to studying it, flipping through the pages.
“I just have a few routine questions, and these are things that I ask early so you have time to talk about them amongst yourselves. We do offer paternity tests upon birth if you want to know.”
“Absolutely not,” Shepherd and Nash said together.
Honestly, I was relieved. I didn’t want to know. If there was nothing medically pertinent, then there was no reason to. We were a pack, and they would all be this baby’s father.
“Noted,” she said, jotting that down. “Do you want to know the gender when it’s time?”
“Yes,” I said.
I was a planner through and through, and knowing would help me set things up, work on names, and come to terms with it before it was time.
“Will you be delivering at a birthing center, the clinic, or a hospital?”
“A birthing center would be a good idea,” Devon suggested.
“We can look into it,” Nash said, not even batting an eye. Whatever I wanted, they seemed to want to give me. It was still hard to get used to, but I appreciated it more than they could ever know.
“I’ll jot it down. If you change your mind, you tell me,” she said, as simple as that.
She went through another few pages of random questions, getting our preferences and letting us know what we could expect from the next several months.
Thankfully, my morning sickness hadn’t reared its ugly head in the last few days while I waited for my appointment, though she did warn me it could come back anytime.
“Actually, I did have one more question,” I said before she could leave to go get the ultrasound tech.
She turned to face me expectantly, and my cheeks flushed. “Will us bonding affect the baby, or do we have to wait till after for bites?”
The tension rose up in the room until it was hard to breathe. She gave us a small smile, not dragging it out.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe to claim, just be a little more gentle and don’t go into a rut,” she said, warning my alphas with a stern glare.
“We’ll keep her safe,” Braxton promised.
“Good,” she said. “Keep both of them safe.”
Devon was quick to reassure her. “Don’t worry. We’re an equal love pack.”
She gave one final nod before she left the room.
“What exactly does that mean?” Braxton asked, confused.
“Male omegas are not as coveted as female omegas,” Devon said simply. “Some packs would treat me as a second-class member of a pack in favor of the female omega.”
Both Alphas growled low in their throats at the thought of that, and Devon and I shared a smile.
“Don’t worry. I know that won’t happen with us,” he reassured them.
“Damn right it won’t,” Nash grumbled, leaning over and giving him a kiss for emphasis.
It was as if Shepherd couldn’t help himself either, his hand finding Devon’s and giving it a squeeze.
Watching my omega melt for them was everything. Devon deserved their love and adoration as much as I did, and the fact that our pack had two omegas, an amazing beta, and two alphas that all treated each other with respect was incredible.
It was such a night-and-day experience that it was chasing away the demons that had stacked up in my past. I was glad, too, because I’d be taking prenatal vitamins, and I’d avoided meds for a long time.
The young beta tech rolled the ultrasound machine in a few minutes later. He was all smiles and reassurances as he instructed me to roll up my shirt and pull down my pants enough that he had access to my still pretty flat stomach. The gel was warmed, and he spread it around with the transducer.
“All right, let’s see what we have,” he said, sliding it around until he hit a black spot on the screen. He settled there, and soon you could hear the soft womp womp womp of a heartbeat.
Tears welled in my eyes, and I reached out, clutching the closest packmate. Shepherd was gripping me just as hard, as Nash held Devon close, and Braxton rested his hand on my shoulder.
Even though we weren’t bonded, I could feel the swell of emotion in the room. Everyone was transfixed and melting for the sweet baby I was growing.
He gave us a minute to process, especially when Nash whipped out his phone to record the sound.
I think the most shocking of all was Braxton’s reaction. He’d grown up in a household full of kids.
As if he felt my worried gaze on him, he gave me a soft smile. “Don’t worry. This is different. This is ours. They will have a childhood far different than I did.”
“They absolutely will,” I agreed.
“All right, I think that’s everything I need. Come to the front and we’ll have your pictures waiting,” the tech promised, giving me a warm washcloth to wipe off with before rolling the machine out and closing the door behind him.
The guys helped me clean up, Devon wiping my stomach off with the gentlest hands before Nash was there to help me off the table.
I had never felt so delicate and fragile, and honestly, with my emotional state right now, it was fitting.
Twenty minutes later, we were walking out the front door, my next appointment scheduled, and a long string of pictures in hand for each one of us. They were nice enough to give every single one of us a copy.
We were so lost in our bubble that we didn’t see what was waiting outside.
A bright flash stunned me as soon as we stepped out of the clinic, ultrasound pictures in hand, making it very obvious what we were doing here.
“What the hell?” Devon said, lunging at the omega in front of me, while Braxton and Shepherd blocked me from view. Nash grabbed Devon around the waist, pulling him back just before he could reach her.
“Delete it, right now,” Nash barked the order.
It takes one hell of an omega to avoid an alpha bark, and this omega wasn’t strong enough. Her shaking hands, eyes wide, were the only sign of hesitation. It wasn’t until the effect had worn off that she was furious again.
“If you raise that camera again, I swear to god I’ll break that phone and shove it so far up your ass that the only thing it’ll take pictures of is your insides. Do you under-fucking-stand me?”
Devon growled. He was practically feral now, to protect me.
“This is the same omega who said all that stuff at the club,” I muttered to Shepherd.
It was his turn to growl.
“It wasn’t enough to ruin your reputation, you have to come try again? Do you want to make it worse?” I questioned, anger flaring now that the shock wore off.
“Do you know what you cost me? I was in the courting process with a pack, and they dumped me the moment they saw that drama you created. All that just because of one silly drunk mistake?”
“If it was a mistake, then why are you here right now?” Braxton asked, his voice calm as ever.
She stumbled over her words before finally choking out, “Because if I’m already this far down, I may as well make some money off of it. Do you know how much the tabloids will probably pay for these pictures, especially a pregnancy?”
“Too bad you no longer have the pictures,” Nash said, looking smug now. Most alphas didn’t like barking at omegas, and it was considered very rude to do so in public.
However, this moment warranted it.
A body blurred past us, bumping into the girl so her phone fell to the ground. The pack behind the omega stepping on it, one after the other, until her phone was shattered.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” Sydney said while we pretended like we didn’t even know her. “We didn’t mean to brush into you.”
“Oh, our bad,” the pack said, swooping her off and into the coffee shop without a backward glance.
The omega stood at the edge of the street, screeching like a banshee, drawing a crowd now. Yet, when she looked around, not one person was giving her a single look of sympathy.
In fact, everyone looked ready to jump in on our behalf.
This is what the guys were talking about, that Rockwood Valley protected its own, and she was being told loud and clear that she didn’t belong here.
The girl snatched up her shattered phone before running off, cursing as she went. There were a few others around us now, shaking their heads and talking about how small-town charm was lost on the youth.
It wasn’t about youth, some people were just shitty.
“You know what? She’s not going to snatch this moment away from us,” I said, my tone firm. “Because we’re having a baby.”
That had smiles back on everyone’s faces, not a hint of tension in sight.
“You know, I never thought I’d be excited after everything I went through, but you guys helped me find this new version of myself, and honestly, I think I like her a whole lot more than the old. I was coasting through life, unhappy, and pretending not to be. I don’t even have to think about how happy I am now. I feel it radiating through me all the time.”
Devon pulled me into his arms, brushing his lips across mine before hugging me.
“I feel the same way,” he promised. “We’re a pack now.”
“Honestly, I think we should go buy Sydney’s pack a drink,” I said, leading them into the coffee shop.
There Sidney was, her eyes shining with excitement, and it looked like she was really trying hard to hold herself back.
“So, I guess the cat’s out of the bag. Can you keep it to yourself for just a little longer?” I asked with a laugh.
Sydney let out a squeal and pulled me close. Thankfully, we’d already tucked our pictures away, or there’d be a whole lot of questions circulating through town.
“Absolutely, and congratulations! I’m so happy for you,” she gushed in a whisper. “If anybody deserves this happy-ever-after, it’s you.”
When I first got to town, I didn’t expect this kind of greeting, and yet here I was, finding real friends that cared about me.
This Rockwood Valley magic is strong.
Nash’s brother, Maverick, was pulling him into a hug, smiling from ear to ear.
“I told you, brother. You just had to be patient, and now look, two omegas and a baby on the way.”
Nash shook his head, but his smile never faltered. “They were all worth the wait.”