9. Hazel
Chapter 9
Hazel
Ten Weeks Later
C onsidering it was the third year of my four-year degree at Hawking, they were overloading me with work. Between the endless tests and assignments, I hardly had a moment to breathe.
My classic literature lecture was at an ungodly eight in the morning, so I pulled myself out of bed bright and early, despite feeling like a lightly animated corpse. I hadn’t felt right for the last few days. Every time I stood up, I felt dizzy, and my stomach was constantly in knots, like I had a stomach bug that just wouldn’t die.
The light felt too bright, and I squinted as I walked toward the old lit building, sunshine burning my retinas.
“Hazelnut!” I turned, looking for the only person who would ever call me that name. Seb, running up to me, his backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Hey,” I greeted, giving him a small smile.
“Are you okay?” He frowned. “You look a little pale.”
“I think I’m coming down with something.” As I spoke, Seb took my messenger bag off me.
“You should go get some more sleep.”
“I wish I could. I have several exams coming up and a pile of reading to do.”
“Do you want me to come to class with you? I don’t mind playing hooky.”
“I know you don’t, but I’m pretty sure your coach is going to get pissed if you’re caught skipping class again.”
“That old blowhard could do with an attitude adjustment.”
“I’m sure he could, but you’ve got other things to be focusing on.”
Seb pouted as we approached the English building. “No fun!”
“Here’s my stop,” I said, pausing at the door.
Seb returned my bag with a sad face. My vision blurred as I tried to focus on him. His face went from pouting to concerned in a split second as I swayed on the spot.
“Hazelnut?” He reached out with a frown, steadying me. I wanted to answer, but nausea welled up, and I knew for a fact that, if I opened my mouth, I was going to hurl. “You really don’t look good. Are you sure you’re okay for class?”
Shaking my head, I took several deep breaths before trying to speak. “I can’t miss this class—but I will book an appointment with the doctor once I’m done, okay?”
“Do you want me to take you to the doc?”
I shook my head again. “I’ll just go to the student clinic. They can prescribe me something for the nausea.” My family doctor was an hour drive away, and that was the last thing I felt up to. If I went for an appointment there, it was guaranteed my mother would call me the next day, demanding to know what was wrong with me. The family doctors weren’t exactly big on privacy, not when my parents paid their exorbitant fees.
“Make sure you do, Hazelnut. You’ve been out of sorts for a while.”
Class was miserable. The entire time the professor droned on, all I could focus on was how crappy I felt. My head ached, and my stomach flip-flopped. Homework was assigned, but I had no idea what it was. My focus was completely shot.
Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I gathered my books. I needed to go to the campus doctor immediately. If they could give me some anti-nausea medication, my situation would improve dramatically.
Luckily, the clinic was only a few buildings over, a five-minute walk. I took my time, since my feet were heavy, like they were weighed down.
After what felt like an eternity, I was walking through the doors of the clinic.
“Hello there, honey!” the sweet, elderly receptionist greeted me. “Do you have an appointment?”
I shook my head. “I don’t. I’ve been feeling really sick for a few days and I thought I should come in,” I admitted weakly.
The receptionist’s brow furrowed as she took me in. “You really do look under the weather. Come take a seat, and I’ll get you in to see the doctor as soon as possible.” She moved from behind her desk and ushered me to a seat nearby, which I sank into gratefully.
My head was fuzzy, and my mouth felt like I had shoved it full of cotton. Combined with the constant churning of my stomach, I had definitely had better days.
The sweet receptionist must have told the staff I was urgent, because I was being summoned into the exam room only a few moments later.
The doctor was young—he probably wasn’t even a full doctor yet. With short brown hair and puppy dog eyes, he couldn’t have been older than twenty-two.
“Hello! What brings you in today?” he asked softly.
“I’ve not been feeling very well. It’s like I’ve had the flu for weeks now,” I told him.
“Okay, let’s get you checked out, then. Take a seat.”
I did as I was told as he placed a blood pressure cuff on me and took my temperature.
“You don’t have a fever, which I would expect with the flu. You do seem a little pale and clammy, though.” He frowned. “How do you feel about a blood test? We have a great little lab here and can get basic results in under an hour.” He beamed at me.
While some might have found his perky bedside manner endearing, when I felt like ass, it was only irritating.
“Do it.” I nodded.
He made quick work of taking my blood sample, passed me a water, and instructed me to sit in the waiting room until the blood test results came back.
Nursing my drink, I took a seat, pulling out my phone and texting Seb.
Hazel:
At the clinic now
The damn vampires took my blood to test
Seb:
Holy heck
Are you okay?
Want me to join you?
I’m at practice, but I wouldn’t mind leaving. The coach has a stick up his ass about the game against Avalon next month.
My stomach twisted at that.
I hadn’t thought about Avalon University for a few weeks, specifically about the hot and heavy heat I’d had with a particular pack from that university.
Well, I hadn’t actively thought about them during the day. Late at night, when I was daydreaming about the filthy and amazing sex we’d had, was another story. They had ruined me for all other men. What we had experienced was miles above anything I had done before, and I highly doubted quick beta trysts would give the same mind-blowing results.
Seb had no idea what had happened. He had assumed I had gone home feeling unwell, then decided to visit my parents. If he knew the truth of the situation, that I had spent my heat fucking the brains out of his sworn enemy, he wouldn’t have been happy.
What would a heat with Sebastian be like? He would have undoubtedly helped me if I’d needed it, but I didn’t want to be an obligation fuck.
I fully intended to take that secret to my grave. It wasn’t like Roman would want to see me again. It was a one-off situation, so there was no point hurting Seb over it.
Hazel:
No, I’m fine, don’t worry
The last thing you need to do is piss off Coach
Seb:
Only if you’re sure
How about I bring over dinner tonight? Pasta?
Hazel:
I’m sure
Pasta sounds perfect, as long as I can keep it down
Seb:
See you then, I’ll hold your hair back if you’re sick
Laughing to myself, I put my phone away. He had always been there for me over the years, and we had both seen each other in messy states. I had been the one to look after him when he got blackout drunk for the first time and was convinced that a tree was his best friend.
I did, however, make sure I got photos before I took care of him.
“Hazel Giltbrook?” the nurse asked, coming over to me.
“Hello,” I greeted warmly.
“Your blood test results are in. The doctor would like to have a quick word with you about the results,” she informed me.
It had only been forty minutes. Not bad at all.
“So, Hazel, what is your current situation? Are you settled down with a pack already?” the doctor asked as I sat down. “I don’t see anything regarding that in your notes.” His face was tight, a stark difference from the open, smiling fa?ade he’d had on earlier.
“Not yet, unfortunately. Hopefully soon.” I smiled easily. I didn’t want to admit that my parents thought that bonding with a pack was archaic and wrong and wanted me to marry a fat old beta one day.
“Well, in that case, your test results may be a bit of a shock.” He shuffled the papers in his hands. “You’re pregnant, Miss Giltbrook.”
My chest stuttered as I looked at the doctor in confusion. “E-excuse me?” I stammered.
“You’re pregnant. Early days, from the looks of your hormone levels. Now, as this is clearly a surprise, I think it’s best we prescribe you a strong prenatal vitamin for omegas. You’re going to have to have a conversation with your primary care physician, as well, to get your scans booked.”
Pregnant.
How could I be pregnant? I was on birth control, and I rarely had sex.
“I use protection. I’m on the birth control pill,” I said weakly.
“Are you also on suppressants?” The doctor frowned. “If you’re also on those, it should be very hard to get pregnant. Then again, it’s not completely unheard of.”
“My suppressants failed a few weeks ago. It was actually my first heat,” I admitted. “It came on out of nowhere and was a shock.”
“Ah, that’ll explain it. You need specific birth control for heats that’s a lot stronger than regular birth control. Heats are designed to get an omega pregnant, so run-of-the-mill birth control isn’t going to cut it.”
“So, what do I do now?” I asked, unable to look him in the face.
I was pregnant with a child. What was I going to do with the baby? My parents were going to disown me. Especially once they realized I had slept with alphas.
Which alpha even got me pregnant?
My mother would have an aneurysm when she realized there were three potential fathers.
Then again, they were a pack, and packs tended to claim babies as a whole. Though that was in situations where the omega was bonded into the pack. Would that still be the case now?
Did they even need to know?
Of course, they needed to know—one of them was a father. Or all of them were fathers, depending on how you looked at it.
“You’ll need to have a conversation with the father, but that’s your prerogative. It would be good to know the medical history, but other than that, you just need to get in touch with your primary care physician, take the prenatal vitamins I’ve prescribed you, and make sure you’re eating a healthy, balanced diet.”
I nodded weakly. “So, the feeling sick?”
“Totally normal in the early stages of pregnancy. The best thing I can recommend is bed rest, drinking plenty of water, and trying to take it easy.”
I nodded again, standing up and grabbing my bag. The walk back to my dorm was a blur.
Pregnant.
How could I be pregnant?
That was a stupid question. I knew exactly how I’d gotten pregnant. The details were permanently etched into my brain.
Ignoring my phone, I clambered into my nest, taking my favorite cloud-shaped pillow and clutching it to my chest.
No tears escaped, despite my shocked state. Instead of sleeping like I wanted to, I merely stared at the wall of my nest, contemplating what this meant.
My family was going to disown me, and I was going to be alone.
Seb, my best friend since childhood, was probably never going to talk to me again. He would be understanding about the pregnancy; he just wouldn’t be understanding about who the father was.
Sebastian and Roman hated each other.
When I had met the tall, blond stranger with the body of a Greek god, I had been feeling down and wanted to forget for a few hours.
Now, I was completely and utterly on my own. There were options, though the doctor hadn’t mentioned them. Probably because the idea of an omega terminating their pregnancy seemed insane to most. Omegas were built to be maternal and caring. They wanted babies.
Personally, I wanted a family more than anything. I loved the idea of having children, just not before I finished my degree. There were so many things I wanted to complete before I moved on with my life.
My hand rested on my stomach as I curled into a ball. There was a life in there. In a few short months, I would be bringing a human being into the world. Terminating wasn’t an option for me. While I respected anyone who chose that, I just couldn’t do it personally.
I wanted children.
Once that sank in, the tears started. Shoving my face into the pillow, I sobbed loudly.
I cried for everything I was about to lose and everything I was about to gain.
My grandfather had left me a small trust fund. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough to keep me afloat as I gave birth and for the first year or two of my child’s life, so even when my parents undoubtedly disowned me, I would be okay for a while. Financially, at least.
This child was going to be loved; there was no question about that. I wanted to give them all the care and attention that my parents hadn’t given me. They had been more concerned with parties and looking good for society, instead of spending time with their child. My baby was going to be raised with all the attention and affection they needed.
Everything was about to get more difficult. Going to classes with morning sickness and trying to keep up with my classwork until I gave birth was going to be a nightmare.
Only, there was no need for me to be alone.
Looking up at the ceiling, I sighed.
I needed to talk to the fathers.
Fuck me.