Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Fourteen
Dex
“What do we do now?” My stomach clenched when I remembered who I was trying to lean on. “Sorry. I know it’s not your problem, Otto. Do you think you can catch a ride back with the ambulance? I really need to stay and look for Corbin or I’d offer to drive you in Taylor’s car.”
Otto’s eyes widened in surprise for a split second before his jaw tensed.
“First, I’m pretty sure only family can ride with the patient.
Second, I’m not leaving you alone, and, third, I’m sure as hell not letting a pregnant Omega go wandering in the woods where another Omega was just shot.
I’ll go look for Corbin as soon as the cops are done talking to us. ”
“It’s great to feel wanted and all, but I don’t think anyone needs to look very hard to find me,” Corbin was trying to lighten the mood as he slipped in the open door, but the joke fell flat.
“I was waiting for a break in the activity outside so I could grab my clothes out of Taylor’s car.
I grabbed yours, too.” His cheeks pinked a little and he tossed Otto a bundle of clothing.
“Shifter or not, I’m still not a huge fan of being nude in public.
Reminds me too much of those dreams of being naked at school on test day. ”
“You’re okay!” I rushed across the room and wrapped Corbin in a hug that drove his breath out in a woosh.
“I was,” Corbin gasped, gently pushing me back so he could breathe. “What happened?”
“We aren’t sure,” Otto started to explain at the same time I spoke.
“Taylor is shot. It might have been a silver bullet. We, uh, couldn’t get the bleeding to stop.”
“Oh, sweetie!” Corbin drew me back into another, gentler hug. “Is he going to be okay?”
“We don’t know yet,” Otto huffed as a large body blocked the sun coming in the door, throwing a shadow into the room.
“Dexter? Are you okay?”
“Stan, hey! What are you doing back?”
Stan sent me a small smile. “Small mountain community. We hear sirens, we come to see if we can help.” He tilted his head toward the small group milling around on the lawn.
“Oh, right. Yeah, we’re fine but after you left, Taylor showed up with a park ranger and he’d been shot.” Stan’s brow furrowed and I sighed. “Sorry. My friend is shot, not the ranger. Then the guy disappeared, so we aren’t exactly sure what happened or even when.”
“We might be able to help figure out the when,” Stan mused. “When we were walking on the trail, before Otto, erm, joined us, I heard a gunshot. It was probably caught on my security system, so we’ll have the time and maybe even be able to triangulate the direction.”
“Really? Do you think we should tell the deputy?”
“Definitely,” Stan agreed. “Have you already given statements?”
“Kind of. We didn’t really have much to tell him, so he got a little irritated and told us to wait in here.
“Jerry can be a little abrupt at times.” Stan’s smile turned sympathetic. “Why don’t you rest for a minute and maybe drink some water while I go talk to him?”
In the kitchen, I could hear Otto grumbling under his breath while Stan and I talked and as soon as I sat down, he thrust a jelly jar of ice water at me. I accepted it and took a long swallow.
“Thanks. That hits the spot.” I looked around and realized someone was missing. “Where did Corbin go?”
“Hm?” Otto looked around and shrugged. “Bathroom? There aren’t that many options in a place this small and he didn’t go out the door, did he?”
I shook my head. “Stan was blocking the door so he couldn’t have.”
“Then he’s got to be here somewhere.”
“I’m just going to check real quick,” I said, setting my water on the coffee table, counting on an outdated copy of a hunting catalog to protect the wood from water rings. I wasn’t even halfway across the room when Corbin popped out of the hallway, a frown creasing his forehead.
“Um, I was thinking that maybe I should follow the ambulance so Taylor has his car,” he said quickly. “I can give a statement later, if they even need one from me.”
“Oh, alright.” I blinked in surprise at the change in Corbin’s demeanor. “Are you okay?”
Before Corbin answered, Stan’s shadow fell into the room again.
“Jerry said he’s got everything he needs for now..” Stan’s voice trailed off when he saw Corbin. “Ben? What are you doing here?”
Corbin sighed heavily. “Lee. Long time no see.” He hesitated for a brief moment and then barreled toward the door, slipping through the space Stan created by leaning back as he approached and calling over his shoulder. “I’ll let you know what the hospital says!”
Otto
Dex and I stared after Corbin in silence until Stan cleared his throat.
“As I was saying, I gave Jerry -he’s the deputy outside- a rundown on what happened and he said that combined with what you two had already told him, he would write up the report and get back in touch if he needs more info.”
“Um, okay,” Dex said slowly. “So, how do you know Corbin?”
Stan swallowed, his Adams apple bobbing visibly. “You know how I respected your privacy when you showed up?”
Dex blushed, the pink climbing up his neck to his face much faster than usual.
“Yeah, sorry.” Dex offered an embarrassed smile. “You know, if you need anything, we..I’m here,” he said, putting the emphasis on correcting the we to I.
“Thanks,” Stan nodded, not meeting either of our eyes. “If you’re okay, I think I’d rather go home and find some quiet, you know?”
Dex snorted inelegantly. “Oh, I know.”
Stan gave a small laugh and, nodding in my general direction, saw himself out the open door.
“Well, that was weird.”
I nodded my agreement with Dex’s declaration. “You didn’t know Stan and Corbin knew each other?”
Dex scowled at me. “Did it seem like I knew? Corbin didn’t even want to admit he knew Stan, in case you missed it before he ran like a cat on fire.”
Okay, that was fair.
The ambulance left, followed closely by Corbin in Taylor’s car.
After slipping into the bathroom to exchange the borrowed clothes for my jeans and henley, Dex and I sat in silence until the deputy came in to tell us he was leaving.
Then, Dex and I were alone, the cabin’s front door still open wide in the fading light.
“Are you hungry?” Dex broke the uncomfortable silence after a while.
“I could eat,” I admitted, “but you probably need to rest, yeah? Why don’t you let me throw something together from the stuff Stan packed?”
Dex’s brow furrowed but instead of the argument I expected, he nodded. “I’d appreciate that, thanks.”
Standing up, I hesitated for a second and then reached for a plaid blanket folded neatly on the back of the couch. Shaking it out, I held it in front of me. “Do you want to lie down while I put something together?”
Instead of lying down and letting me cover him as I expected, Dex reached for the blanket and slipped it from my fingers.
“Maybe in a minute,” he said with a sigh. ‘First, I need to pee. Again.” He dropped the blanket on the couch next to him and rose, bracing his weight on the arm of the couch when he stood.
“Are you okay?” I asked, worried.
“I’m fine, Otto,” Dex said, sounding tired. “I’m pregnant, which throws my center of gravity off a bit and makes it harder to do some things.” Detouring past me to close the front door, Dex disappeared down the short hall that led from the living area.
My brain turned that nugget of information over and over while I sliced the cheese and an apple with a knife from one of the drawers and laid it out on a paper plate with a stack of crackers.
Between being an only child and having spent my early adulthood -the period when my committed friends were having kids- incarcerated, I’d never been around a pregnant person, regardless of gender.
Those few words as he walked out of the room made me realize just how little I knew about how to care for a pregnant Omega.
Obviously, that wasn’t going to do, so after refilling Dex’s ice water and setting the glass and paper plate down on the table in front of where he’d been sitting, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and waited for the Google screen to load.
Chapter Fifteen
Dex
“You can do this,” I huffed silently, staring at my reflection in the mirror. “All you have to do is keep from horning out for a couple of hours and by then Otto will get bored and leave.”
I was able to completely control my physical reaction to being around Otto while I was in crisis mode, but when he offered to make me a snack, my control started to slip.
And when he held a blanket out for me, looking like he actually cared if I was okay?
My stupid biological urges took over, my temperature started to rise, and that familiar faint thrum of arousal began deep in my gut.
So, responsible adult that I am, I fled to the bathroom in a desperate attempt to get myself under control. Not that I was making any progress.
I was still staring at my reflection when there was a light knock on the door.
“Dex? Are you okay? You’ve been in there awhile.”
I gave a deep sigh. “I’m fine. I’ll be right out.”
I splashed some cold water on my face, willing my body to stop reacting and made my way back out to the living room.
Sitting down in front of my snack, I cocked my head at Otto who was leaning back against the cushions without a plate, his eyes trained on his phone screen.
Maybe he was ordering a ride? My stupid body refused to find that thought as comforting as my mind did.
“Are you heading out?”
Otto’s head jerked up and I could swear he looked hurt for a split second. “What? No, I told you that I wasn’t going to leave.” He paused for a second and his chest deflated a little. “I can stay outside, though, if you want to be alone.”
I stifled a sigh. Did I want to be alone? Yes. Was I willing to relegate an Alpha who wanted to protect me to the level of an outdoor pet because I couldn’t control my hormones? No, of course not.