19. Kace
19
KACE
I ached for my mate.
Nevin had been an emotional mess these past couple of weeks. Crying at the drop of a hat, snapping at me if I asked a question that hit a little too close to home. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was definitely pregnancy hormones, but Nevin insisted up and down that it was just another false pregnancy. That he’d had them in the past, and that he was broken.
Still, something didn’t sit quite right with me. I had my doubts. Nevin had been pretty skinny when he’d first come to live with me, but he’d been putting on weight, especially around the belly area.
Was it possible? Maybe the doctor he went to had gotten it wrong, somehow. Or maybe those so-called Alphas in his last pack had been sterile? Although Nevin had said he’d been handed around to different men, so probably not.
I was in the middle of chopping vegetables for a side-salad when there was a knock at my front door. Nevin, who had been curled up on the couch with a book, came padding barefoot into the kitchen.
He glanced at me, almost warily. “Are you expecting company?”
“Not that I know of?” I dried my hands off on a dish towel and walked across the room to answer it, surprised to see my oldest sister standing on the doorstep. Her auburn hair gleamed copper in the sunlight.
She flashed a big smile. “Hi, Kace. I was in the area and thought I’d pop in,” she said, by way of explanation. “Would you mind a little company?”
“No, not at all,” I said, stepping out from the doorway so that she could come inside. When she did, I closed and locked the door behind her.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve come over. This place has turned out amazing. You’ve really done a great job with it,” Tasha told me, looking around the sunny kitchen with a glint of admiration in her eyes. When she spotted Nevin lingering near the hallway, she gave a little wave. “Hey, Nevin. How are you?”
Nevin gave her a weak chin-nod in response, mumbled something about excusing himself to go take a nap, and disappeared down the hall. A moment later, the tell-tale click of a closed door sounded.
My sister and I exchanged a glance. Her expression was equal parts concerned and confused. “Is he alright?”
I blew out a sharp exhalation before rubbing both hands over my face. “Yes and no. He’s super emotional right now. He’s going through a false pregnancy and it’s messing with his head.”
Her brows shot up. “A false pregnancy? Kace, you realize those are rare, even by Omega standards, right?” She pinned me with a look. “Are you sure he’s not pregnant? He went into heat and you got caught up in the moment, didn’t you?”
“It’s not like that.” I frowned at her. “It’s a long story.”
She pointed to the couch. “I’ve got nothing but time. Spill.”
With a sigh, I walked back into the living room and sat down on one end of the couch, crossing my leg at the knee. Tasha joined me, tucking hers beneath her as she settled. As she turned to face me, she shot me a look that said, “Well?” and I couldn’t exactly lie.
So I told her everything I knew, about Nevin’s past and the pack who’d mistreated him, and the Alphas who chased him from their territory just because he was barren. The turmoil he was going through because he so desperately wanted a child, and how his body was tormenting him.
“He told me that his Alpha took him to a specialist. They ran a bunch of tests and did ultrasounds and found that his womb was disfigured. He can’t physically carry a baby.”
My sister stared at me for a long while after I finished, chewing on her bottom lip. She reached out and grabbed the blanket Nevin had wrapped himself up in this morning, drawing the fabric to her nose.
“He smells different, Kace,” she said finally, shaking her head. “You say it’s a false pregnancy, but I don’t think so. When did his symptoms first start?”
“A couple of weeks ago. It started with morning sickness.”
“And did you have him take a pregnancy test?”
I nodded. “Yeah, he’s taken two. Both positive, but he swears up and down that it’s his body playing tricks on him.” Sadness tugged at my heartstrings for my mate. “It’s really eating him up inside. He said that it’s happened to him before, when he was surrounded by the other Omegas in his pack who were expecting.”
She tutted softly. “I think maybe you should see a doctor, just to rule out any possible hormonal irregularities. That is, if he’s not pregnant.” Her golden eyes softened. “I really feel like he is, Kace. Take it from another Alpha; I might not have kids of my own yet, but I know Omegas and yours is most definitely pregnant.”
I was pretty sure that taking Nevin to see another doctor would only make his depression worse, especially if they confirmed what we already knew, what he’d been insisting on since we met. But… What if they were wrong? What if he was pregnant? What then?
Tasha must’ve sensed my hesitation, because she patted my knee and stood. “Think about it, would you? I’ll text you Dr. Rinehold’s number and I want you to really consider giving her a call. At least set up an appointment for an ultrasound. Rule out the possibility, you know?”
“Thanks, Tash,” I said, walking her to the door. “I’ll try.”
For the rest of the day, the possibilities of Nevin actually being pregnant swirled around in my head, until it was all I could think about.
I envisioned a beautiful little girl with dark hair and blue eyes, cradled in the arms of my mate. Nevin’s smile beaming brighter than the sun as he hugged her close. Our laughter as we walked together, with our daughter swinging between us, giggling up a storm. It made me ache in a way I had never felt before.
What if. What if. What if.
That evening, I decided to bring it up.
“Hey, Nev?”
“Mmm…”
“What if you are pregnant. What then?”
Nevin’s smile fell. He dropped his gaze, and I could practically see him shutting down on the inside. “Kace, I told you. I can’t be pregnant. I saw doctors. I even went to a specialist. They said I’d never carry a child.”
“But what if you are?” I insisted. “What would you do?”
His bottom lip began to wobble as tears filled his eyes. “I-I don’t know… I’ve wanted a baby since I was old enough to be mated off. Seeing all the other Omegas with their newborns ripped my heart out every time I failed to conceive. It hurts to even think about.” He looked up at me with sadness written all over his face. “Why?”
“Tasha thinks you’re pregnant,” I said. “She gave me the number of a doctor she trusts. I’ve been thinking about what she said all day and I really feel like we should go see her, run some tests. At the very least, rule out the possibility, you know? Just in case? And if you’re right and you’re barren, then maybe she could put you on hormones or a heat blocker or something? Because it’s killing me to see you so sad, Nev.”
He sniffled, but he didn’t say no. Sighing softly, he rested his head against my shoulder. “Okay,” he whispered. “I-I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I told him, kissing the top of his head. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”