Chapter 19 #2
Looks like life is going to be a little more adventurous with our omega. I’m here for it.
NOVA
I’m very out of it as I drive to see a client.
I shouldn’t have any sort of pull toward Hollis, yet both in the hospital and when I saw Brice, I felt the need to talk to her.
I got hit in the face with her scent when he opened the door, and as a midwife, heats and biology don’t affect me the way it does others.
It doesn’t embarrass me, it’s just a fact of life. Yet, there was an overwhelming feeling of familiarity at her scent. Apricots and lavender…
I don’t know what to make of it, but I have a feeling it has something to do with why those alphas were chasing me at the hospital.
I’m driving an hour out of the city, headed to see Pack Kelly for their omega’s baby appointment. They’re my only client I’m seeing today since the drive will eat up so much time commuting, but I don’t mind.
It’ll give me time to think. Possibly too much, if I start to crash out.
I can’t change my phone number due to clients needing it even after care is discontinued. This means that I have to screen my calls closely, and dodge my parents’ calls.
Living mostly off the grid outside of that with a fake name on my bank accounts helps me to hide from them, but they somehow keep finding me. I just need a little time to be able to stay here before I have to move on.
I want to be able to care for my clients, see babies be born, and enjoy seeing their joy. Not every story begins there, but many do. That’s why it’s even more important that I be able to stay focused and safe.
My phone rings, and I almost crash as I think about the last time that I had to run. My parents sent bond hunters out to arrest me, saying that there was a warrant for charges of theft. There was no such thing because I’ve never taken anything that doesn’t expressly belong to me.
I’ve worked for everything, and I barely managed to dart by them to be able to get away. I don’t fucking deserve this.
Glancing at the phone as the snow gets heavier, I decide to get the call over with. If I need to make a run for it, I’ll need to tell Pack Kelly.
“Hello?” I ask, dropping the phone into the car mount so I can drive.
“ You think you’re so smart,” my father spits out.
His voice makes me want to whine, but I swallow it down. It makes me remember the years of abuse, and I shake my head as if it’ll help me shake it all away.
“I don’t know what you mean, Dad. I’m doing my job. I’m in New York, so the call may drop,” I lie.
If I’m going to answer the call, I may as well lay a path of misdirection.
“ New York,” he muses. “ You’d never go so far.”
“You sent bondsmen after me. Of course I got the hell out,” I say. “I’m alive, I answered, let’s do this again, never.”
I don’t want to be on the line long, but he’d only call over and over if I didn’t answer.
“ Wait! Your mother misses you, girl. We had something good going, didn’t we?” he asks. “ You’re a little old for me now, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about anything inappropriate happening. You should come home.”
What he doesn’t realize is that’s never going to happen. I’ll never be caged again, held against my will, and made to feel less. My life’s not perfect, but it’s fucking mine.
He can’t take that away from me as long as I’m free.
“No,” I whisper, stabbing the end button to clear the call.
Tears roll down my face, and I allow myself to feel the pain. Once I’m at the Kelly compound, I’ll pack it all away so I can be the midwife people deserve. I get to choose how I impact the world, I’m in control.
No one needs my trauma raining down on them.
The compound is the next right turn, and I take a deep, cleansing breath. My father hasn’t called again, my constant driving means it should take him longer to find me, and I made a formal complaint about the bond hunters.
Fuck him and his attempts at kidnapping me.
Pulling tissue as I turn right down the snow filled road, I begin to sop up my tears as I drive. I’ll blame any redness on the cold.
Snow falls down as I come up to the house and the gate opens as I drive through it. I’m wearing snow boots today, heavy fleece tights, and a long sleeved dress underneath my coat. I knitted my scarf and mittens, just like I made my dress.
If my father is searching for me, he’ll be disappointed to find that I’m rarely anywhere with cameras unless I’m driving through an intersection.
Even then, my schedule isn’t necessarily the same, especially with the post partum care I have scheduled with Katee now.
Hopefully, it’ll be enough to allow me to hide.
Swallowing hard, I drive into the garage as I’ve been asked to when it’s snowing, and turn off the engine.
My fingers tremble slightly as I pick up my medical bag and my keys.
I’m already planning to blame my shakiness on needing to eat after this.
My panic attacks have been coming more often recently, no matter what I try to do to ground myself.
Maybe I just need to take a few days off once Katee’s baby is six weeks old. That’s how long I’m contracted to do post doula work for her. She’s been acclimating so well with Addy, and the baby is so sweet and cuddly. I’m going to be staying with her every night so Katee can sleep.
During the time that Addy sleeps, I’ll be doing laundry, housework, and dishes. It’s meant to give Katee the time she needs to bond and rest. I’m also popping in at different times during the day to make sure she has someone to speak to, and see how she’s doing.
Motherhood can be so isolating, especially now that she’s a single mother.
Opening the door, I stand as I get out and push the rest of my thoughts away. I want to be fully present. One of Quinn’s alphas opens the garage door, watching as I walk over.
“The snow is getting heavier,” he says worriedly, moving so I can come in and he can hit the garage door button to close it.
People don’t realize that I’m claustrophobic, and I’m very careful about where I go so that I’m rarely triggered. That’s why I freaked out when the gate wouldn’t immediately open where I now consider my home on Pack Ledger’s property.
It may be temporary, but I really do love having my own space where I know I’m safe.
“The roads aren’t bad yet,” I tell Callum as I follow him into the living room.
“I know. We’re going to worry as you head home,” he grumbles.
My lips twitch as I think about how lucky I am this time to have such caring clients. Sometimes, I’m just a tool for some packs and clients.
“How is Quinn today?” I ask. “Is she still having morning sickness?”
“Yes,” he says. “It’s bad all day. I’m worried.”
“I have a saline bag with me with some nausea medication. I’ll set her up if she’d like. It’s safe for her and the baby,” I explain before he worries.
Seeing Quinn, I smile warmly. Linus is running his fingers through her hair as she lays her head in his lap. She looks tired to me, and I’m not surprised since she's in her first trimester.
“Hey, mama,” I murmur. “I think you’re in the perfect spot for an IV. What are your thoughts? It’ll give you a little energy, and help with the nausea.”
Quinn moves so that she’s on her back and her legs are up on the couch as she nods. That’s okay, I don’t need words.
“Do you need anything to hang the bag up?” Duncan asks.
“I’m going to hook it up on the blinds,” I say with a shrug.
“Good deal,” he says, nodding his head. “I wouldn’t have thought to do that.”
“It’s taller than I am, so I may need some help,” I tease. The windows in this room are very high to match the ceiling, and the snow falling gives a calming effect.
Duncan helps me by holding the bag while I get the cannula into Quinn’s vein. I move quickly so she doesn’t even twitch, and soon her eyes close as she relaxes and Duncan hangs up the bag.
“How is she sleeping?” I ask, my gaze on her face. There’s some bruising under her eyes, telling me she’s not.
“Nausea and nightmares don’t mix,” Linus says softly, rubbing Quinn’s temples.
She hums under her breath as she falls deeper asleep. I don’t even care if I have to come back next week for her vitals. I see her once a month at the moment, and the knowledge that she’s catching up on some much needed sleep is good enough for me.
“I bet they don’t,” I murmur, moving to sit down. “Some women have more vivid dreams during pregnancy. With her history, that’s not going to help her nightmares. Is she still going to therapy sessions?”
Pack Kelly was really open about any worries and concerns they had, along with Quinn’s past. They wanted to make sure that I could handle anything that may come up that she’d want to talk about.
My heart breaks for her, but I’m so happy for the happiness she’s working so hard for now.
“We both are,” Linus says with a bob of his head. “Sometimes, the sessions can make things worse because it rips open healing wounds. Those are the nights she wakes up screaming.”
Biting my lip, I hum under my breath.
“How do you feel about a low dose anti-depression medication?” I ask.
One of her alphas mutters in Spanish, and I raise my brow.
“Rude,” I grunt. “I totally know what I’m doing, and yes I can prescribe medication. It won’t hinder Quinn’s ability to heal, but it could help her sleep better.”
He’s too far to hit, so Callum takes off his shoe and throws it at him. It manages to hit him perfectly, making me smirk as I turn back to Quinn. Her breaths are even, and she’s even beginning to snore lightly.
“My apologies,” Christian says. “I hate that she’s not sleeping, and she can’t keep very much down.”
“That’s completely normal. I’m sure Adira has let you know this,” I remind him. “I also understand the worries attached to becoming parents for the first time.”
“Yes,” Christian says, sighing heavily. “Do you have any suggestions for foods that would be safe?”