Chapter 29
I floated downstairs on a cloud. Luke and Jesse were in the kitchen, making breakfast, the scent of bacon and French toast greeting me.
“Morning, sweetness.” Jesse smiled, opening his arms to me. I snuggled against him, accepting a kiss before moving over to Luke. I didn’t have the same ease with him that I did with Jesse, but it was coming along.
“Good morning.” My cheeks warmed when Luke leaned down for a chaste kiss.
“Did you have fun this morning?” Luke asked.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because you smell like slick and alpha.”
My cheeks flamed even hotter. “I might’ve had a little fun. In my defense I’m not used to having this much sex.”
“Aves, you don’t have to defend it at all. You’re our omega. If all you wanted to do with your time was fuck us day in and day out, I don’t think any of us would have a problem with that.”
“Come sit.” Jesse rescued me from my own awkwardness, presenting me with a plate of French toast with strawberry compote, scrambled eggs, and bacon.
Micah and Bryce showed up a few minutes later, both of them freshly showered. Everyone else loaded up their plates and joined me at the table.
“What’s the plan today?” Jesse asked.
“An appointment with Micah’s sister this morning,” I replied. “Not much besides that.”
“Ready to start your aqua aerobics?”
“You make me sound ancient when you call it that.”
Jesse laughed. “Is water aerobics any better?”
“Not a bit.”
“Well, whatever we’re calling it, that’s going to be the easiest way for you to get movement in this trimester.”
“I ordered a treadmill too,” Bryce added.
“Can’t I just become one with the nest? Why do all of you want to make me exercise?” Insecurity reared up like a snake. “Do you think I’m getting too big?”
They both looked like I’d slapped them.
“Never,” Bryce asserted.
“Absolutely not, sweetness.” Jesse shook his head fiercely. “Keeping up muscle tone is important to help you recover quicker when you’re postnatal. That’s the only reason, I promise. You’re completely perfect at any size.”
“Fine, I’ll do it, but I’m going to complain the whole time.”
“I accept those terms.”
“Who’s taking me to my appointment?”
“We could all go,” Luke offered. “We can stop by the outlet mall after and get you some more maternity clothes if you want.”
I had gotten all of my dresses to be extra roomy so they would last longer, but I wasn’t going to say no to a few more pieces. “Sure, that sounds great.”
I wasn’t used to the concept of having an entourage, but I would have to get accustomed. Having all the extra hands for the baby was going to be a dream; having all of them right now was a bit overwhelming. Logically I knew I had four mates, but I was still figuring out how that worked in practice.
When I had been with Andrew, I hadn’t had to budget my time at all. I would get to see him at conferences on random weekends throughout the year, and otherwise it was just video calls that were prescheduled. Now I had a whole house full of alphas wanting to be with me. How was I supposed to keep up with them short of having sex multiple times a day? Not that I was opposed to that concept, but it wasn’t very sustainable with a baby on the way.
Luke poked my forehead. “You’re thinking way too hard. What’s going on in that head?”
“How…how do I keep all of you happy?”
They all stared at me, absolutely baffled.
“What do you mean?” Bryce asked.
“I don’t know how to be in a pack.”
Bryce shrugged. “I don’t know how to do that either.”
“Let’s back it up for a second,” said Luke. “Do you think we’re not happy right now?”
I squirmed under their scrutiny. “I don’t know.”
“Aves, what exactly are you worried about?”
“The list is pretty long when I sit down and think about it,” I replied. “I just…We’re still figuring out something that none of us really got to choose and I want to make sure no one’s getting left behind and no one’s needs are forgotten.”
Luke dragged my chair closer and draped his arm around my shoulders. “Okay, well, first off, you don’t need to worry about anything. Alphas take care of omegas. It’s our job to worry about making sure you are happy, not the other way around.”
“But—”
“I agree with Luke,” said Micah. “It’s very sweet you’re worried about that, angel, but I promise you we can figure out our own shit. If we need something, it’s up to us to speak up about it. You don’t need to worry about trying to root it out.”
Jesse nodded. “Doubly so while you’re pregnant. Our happiness is not a stress for you to consider.”
“Omegas are supposed to make packs happy, though.”
“And you are,” Jesse insisted. “Just because we’re adjusting to a new dynamic doesn’t mean we’re not happy. We get to hang out with you all day and I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.”
I pouted and Jesse drew me into a kiss, putting that jutted lip to a much better use. When he pulled away, I said, “You have to promise you’ll tell me if you need more from me.”
“Can I take you out on a date?” Luke asked. “That would definitely boost my happiness.”
“You dork.” I snuggled against his side before shoving two fingers into his underarm—a ticklish spot I remembered from when we were kids—making him yelp and dart away. “We can go out.”
“Tomorrow?”
“My schedule is very open, so yes. Whenever you want.”
“We’ll have pack meetings too,” said Jesse. “We should have had one already, but we can make sure to schedule them so everyone has a chance to check in.”
“Okay. I’ll try not to worry too much,” I promised.
That seemed to satisfy them, and after breakfast we set off to my appointment with Janessa.
“Do you want any of us to come in with you?” Micah asked when we parked.
“Not for the checkup. There’s not usually much room in the waiting area for whole packs to cram in at these clinics, anyway.”
“Ness has pack space at her clinic,” said Micah, “but it’s whatever you’re most comfortable with.”
“You can come up to the clinic, but not into the appointment room.”
They all looked so relieved I was allowing them to follow me. Luke launched himself out of the back seat to open my door for me and help me down. My pack flanked me as we headed inside.
The clinic had super squishy chairs in the waiting room for their pregnant patients and I sank gratefully into one to wait until Janessa called me in.
A nurse brought me in almost immediately. I changed into one of the little gowns and then scrolled on my phone while I waited for the doctor.
My phone buzzed while I was watching a cute kitten video, an unsaved number messaging me.
Unsaved number:
Hello! Is this Ava?
Ava:
Yes?
Who is this?
Unsaved number:
Oh my goodness, wonderful. I got your number from the agency. This is Charlotte Lawson
Whoa.
Why was Charlotte messaging me? Had Andrew actually told her about me? What agency was she talking about?
Charlotte:
Do you have time to talk right now?
What the fuck was going on?
Ava:
Not really, I’m at an appointment
Charlotte:
Of course, I’m so sorry to be bothering you. I’ve just been so excited since we got matched at the adoption agency and I wanted to start getting organized since you’re so close to having the baby. I want to make sure we have everything ready.
Adoption agency? What was she talking about? Right as I was about to ask, Janessa knocked at the door and stepped inside. I shoved my phone into my purse and pasted on a smile.
“Nice to see you again, Ava.” Janessa settled onto a stool across from me and opened up a slim laptop. “I got your files from your previous doctor and went through everything. It looks like there’s no active concerns for your pregnancy, which is great. Do you mind if we do a full physical?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” My mind was still reeling, but I had to focus on the task at hand for the moment. “Whatever you think is best is fine.”
“All right.” We went through all the basics of a physical, Janessa checking all of my vitals. “Your blood pressure is a little high, same with your heart rate. We have to keep an eye on that.”
“Oh, that’s probably just the messages I got before you came in.”
“Upsetting news?”
“A bit.”
“Okay. I’ll get Jesse to monitor you at home. If your numbers settle down outside the clinic, that would be ideal.”
We moved on to getting my height and weight, and then on to all of the baby checks. “Baby is moving regularly?”
“Yep.”
“How are you feeling during the pregnancy? Any pain?”
“I feel okay, I think. Tired. Gets harder to find a comfortable sleeping position every day.”
Janessa nodded, taking notes on the laptop. “Make sure you take opportunities to rest, even if it’s not at night.”
“I’m under alpha orders to do that,” I replied. “I’ve had a lot of naps. They’re just not the same as a solid overnight sleep.”
“How’s your mood?”
“A little swingy, but I’ve been under a lot of stress so I don’t know how much of that is pregnancy-related.”
“Entirely fair. You’re keeping up with light exercise? Any issues with movement?”
“Under alpha orders for that too. We have a pool and a treadmill.”
Janessa smiled. “Good. And your alphas are taking good care of you? I have sister privileges to be up their asses if they’re not.”
“They’re all great,” I promised. “Um, how long is it safe to have sex for?”
“For your uncomplicated pregnancy, basically right up until active labor. Have as much or as little as you would like. As long as you’re comfortable and not bleeding afterward, you should be totally fine on that front.”
At least that was one thing on a long list of worries marked off.
“I’m very happy with the progress of your pregnancy. No concerns, but we’re going to do check-in every two weeks just to be safe. Do you have any questions?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Micah has my number, obviously. Call or message me anytime, day or night.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome. I’m so glad to have you be part of the family. Now, I know you’ve already had your standard two ultrasounds, but since you didn’t know your pack at the time, I scheduled a bit of extra time for your appointment in case you’d like to have a third one done so they can all see the baby.”
“Really? I’m allowed to do that?” I’d done the first two scans alone and sent pictures of the ultrasounds to Andrew. Having someone be there, to hear the heartbeat and hold my hand, would be lovely.
“For sure. Extras are only part of standard care for more complicated pregnancies, but this would be for sentimental reasons only. You’re completely free to decline. I just thought it might be nice given your unique circumstances with the fathers.”
“That sounds great, actually. The pack is all out in the waiting room.”
“Perfect. I’ll let you get dressed and get them settled in the ultrasound room before I come back and grab you.”
As soon as she left I whipped out my phone.
Charlotte:
Do you have any ultrasound images of the baby you could share with me? I’m so excited to see them.
I was so confused by the entire situation I wasn’t even sure what to say to her. What on earth was Andrew telling her? I saved her contact out of morbid curiosity.
Ava:
I’m at an appointment for one right now but I’m really not sure what’s going on here
Charlotte:
Sorry. Am I being too forward? I wasn’t sure what the protocol was once I got your number from the agency. My husband has been the main point of contact for everything.
I read back over the messages a couple more times, still not really any clearer on the situation.
Janessa knocked on the door.
“Just a minute!”
“Do you need help getting dressed again?”
“I’m fine. Be right out.”
I hustled into my clothing, shoving my phone into my purse. I would deal with Charlotte later.
Janessa took me to the room where the pack was waiting and I slid onto the bed, rolling my shirt up over my belly. Luke and Bryce settled on each side of my head, both holding my hands. Jesse and Micah stood on the same side as Bryce so it was easier for them to see the screen.
“Are you feeling all right?” Bryce asked quietly. “You seem more stressed than usual through the bond.”
“Just nervous,” I lied. “I’ve always been anxious at medical appointments.”
He kissed my temple, his tangy cranberry and rum scent soothing me. “We’re all right here for you.”
Janessa squeezed some warm gel onto my belly and spread it around before placing the ultrasound wand against my skin. Almost instantly the sound of my baby’s heartbeat filled the room.
“Whoa,” Micah whispered. “That’s a real baby in there.”
I laughed. “What else did you think I had stashed in here?”
“I mean, I know it’s a baby, but it’s different when I can hear the heartbeat.”
Sweet flickers of awe and affection floated down the bond from Bryce and Jesse. That brought me more peace than anything else. I settled in more comfortably, Janessa sweeping the wand around to show an image of the baby sucking their thumb.
“Still firm on not wanting to know the sex?” she asked.
“Yes. I want it to be a surprise.”
“Their head is as big as yours, Luke,” Micah joked.
Luke didn’t laugh, though; he was focused entirely on the screen, his fingers warm around mine. “I can’t believe that’s our kid.”
Our kid.
I held tightly to that word, knowing he said they were ours, not just mine.
“Baby is right on track for growth,” said Janessa. “Everything looks really good. I’ll get a bunch of screenshots and print off copies for each of the families if you’d like.”
“Sure, that sounds great.”
Watching my alphas be absolutely transfixed by the images on the screen was almost as cool as the first time I had seen them myself. They were so cute coming to terms with this extra layer of baby reality. In a very short time we’d be holding the baby instead of just looking at an ultrasound.
Bryce kissed my hair. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
“I can’t either.”
Now, if only I could figure out what the hell was going on with Andrew’s wife, this would all be perfect.