7. Lainey
I’m not sure if it’s smoke inhalation, exhaustion, or some sort of stress-induced breakdown, but being held by this virtual stranger who smells like spicy gingerbread is the most safe I have felt since I was a little girl.
The embarrassment I should be feeling is nowhere to be found, instead I find myself burrowing into this alpha’s, Lawson’s, chest. There’s a ragged purr sputtering through his chest that nearly triggers my own, but I choke it back at the last second, not wanting to embarrass myself more than I already am.
There’s so much going on I can’t even bring myself to focus on my one night stand turned baby daddy is somehow also in this room and bears a striking resemblance to the man holding me.
My emotional word vomit slash confession has drained the last dregs of energy left in my body after the trauma of tonight, and I find my eyes unable to stay open a moment longer.
A strong hand strokes down my matted hair, bringing the scent of smoke and sugar cookies with it.
I am dying to see which one of these men smells so sweet, but everything hurts and all I want to do is rest.
There is no way to tell how much time has passed when I finally wake up again, but the hushed voices around me have me keeping my eyes closed for a while longer.
“The hospital is asking about our health insurance because they couldn’t find any for Lainey. Can we add her to ours without a bond?” The one I think is Lawson asks.
“Sure, if we want to be arrested for committing insurance fraud.” Someone snorts, but the sound is not at all amused.
“She’s pregnant with my baby. That has to count for something, doesn’t it?” I barely hold in my gasp. So they know I’m pregnant and somehow figured out it’s the football players. But what does that have to do with my insurance - or lack thereof? Why would the hospital even ask them?
“Unfortunately no,” the man that commented on my nest situation starts. “It would be one thing if the baby were already here, but they aren’t and the government doesn’t really give a shit about pregnant women.”
With those words, I decide I have eavesdropped enough and groan, squirming in the uncomfortable hospital bed. The groan isn’t exaggerated, I’m really sore and my lungs are on fire. I can tell someone put the oxygen mask back on me at some point, and the constant airflow is making my nose itch.
I try to sit up, but gentle hands grip my shoulders and keep me from moving too far. “Woah there, little mama. Try not to move too fast. The doctor said you might be dizzy or nauseous when you wake up, in addition to being in pain. How are you feeling? Want me to grab a nurse?”
My eyes are irritated and watery meaning my vision is blurry when I first open them, which has to be the reason I open my eyes and see a literal adonis standing at my bedside with my shoulders still encased in his careful grasp. There’s no way someone as beautiful as him is here for me.
Messy, sandy blond hair and deep brown eyes are the first things I see, quickly followed by a breathtaking smile bracketed by the most devastatingly hot dimples I have ever seen in my life.
It’s impossible to tell what his body looks like under the baggy sweatshirt and joggers, but he’s tall and broad in a way that makes my mouth water.
After a thorough perusal that makes my cheeks warm, my eyes land back on his mouth, which is now quirked in an adorably shy grin. “I’m Wyatt Hanna, Law’s pack mate. Along with these other two buffoons that failed to introduce themselves. I’m guessing you aren’t feeling too terrible?”
His teasing tone is enough to knock me out of my stupefied stare but as I clear my throat, another coughing fit takes over and all four men converge on me, hovering like they’re worried. Which makes sense, I guess, if I’m carrying the tattooed one’s baby. Which reminds me…
“What’s your name?” The question comes out like an accusation, which is unfair of me, but it’s too late to change it now.
He looks terrified, but there’s another emotion swimming in his eyes I can’t name. Relief, maybe? But he quickly shakes it off and aims a cocky smirk at me. “Lucky Daire. The younger, much hotter brother.”
I raise a single brow at the brooding sheriff perched at the end of my bed. “Is he serious?”
Lawson chuckles, shaking his head. “Unfortunately.”
Lucky scoffs, opening his mouth to retort, but the final alpha in the room cuffs him upside the head and steps forward, holding out a hand and introducing himself in a deep southern drawl. “Rhys Rivers. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lainey.”
Rhys is the one who scared me earlier with his sudden question about my nest, and it makes sense why my instinctual reaction was fear.
Rhys is scary. He’s definitely over six feet, maybe about the same height as Lawson, but every visible inch of skin is covered in tattoos.
If I thought Lucky had a lot, Rhys is a completely covered canvas.
Add that to his black, shaggy hair, the piercings in his ears, eyebrow, lip, and the general ‘fuck you’ air he radiates, he looks like someone you would never want to meet in a dark alley.
I reach out to return his handshake, but instead he turns our hands over and kisses the back of mine with a playful wink.
Oh, hell.
There’s a quick knock on the door and then a doctor steps in, looking delighted when he spots me sitting up. “Miss Ryan! You have no idea how good it is to see you up and talking. You gave us quite a scare for a moment, there.”
My eyes dart to the other men in the room, confused, and Lawson places a warm hand over my ankle. “You were struggling to breathe without coughing when you first got here. Your oxygen dropped dangerously low and they nearly had to intubate you.”
“Yes, it was very lucky your alpha came in with you and was able to soothe you enough for the supplemental oxygen to work. We try to avoid intubating pregnant patients as much as possible.” The doctor continues mindlessly as he checks the machines around me, writing something on a clipboard before clipping it back on the end of the bed.
“Well, everything looks good, so a nurse will be in to check on you soon. Just press the call button if you need anything, and we should have you out of here tonight!”
He leaves without another word, leaving the room blanketed in a silence so thick it could be cut with a butter knife.
Lucky clears his throat, looking at me with no shortage of questions in those gorgeous hazel eyes.
They are even prettier than I remember. Green and gold with flecks of brown around the irises. “So… you’re pregnant?”
I nod, cheeks hot with shame. I’m not ashamed of the pregnancy, but maybe a little ashamed of my actions that led to it. “I am.”
He mimics my nod, not a drop of doubt in his expression, despite his next question. “And is it…?”
I grimace. “It had been six months before you, and there hasn’t been anyone since, so…
” I pause, and then realize why he would be asking.
“Oh, I’m happy to do a paternity test. Or whatever you need.
I’m not asking for anything from you.” My tone is panicked by the end, the fear that he will think I’m trying to use him taking root.
Years of my mother telling me omegas are nothing but decorations, finding the richest alphas they can so they don’t have to work, circling in my head.
“Woah, nobody said anything about DNA tests or accused you of anything. We believe you.” Wyatt interrupts my spiral, sliding his hand off my shoulder to hold my hand instead.
I didn’t even realize he still had a hand on me, but I’m grateful for it.
This is all a lot to process, and I’m still so tired.
The dizziness Wyatt mentioned earlier is starting to affect me, too.
“You do?” I ask pathetically.
Lucky nods frantically, but they all echo with some form of affirmation. “Of course we do!” Lucky nearly shouts. “I was there, too. We didn’t use protection, and the timing lines up. And I’m not angry, if you were worried about that.”
A relieved sigh gusts out of me, because, yeah, I was. Lucky is a jock and from all of my experiences with them, they wouldn’t usually be cool with a random hookup turning up pregnant. Which reminds me… “Why have the staff let you back here? I didn’t even know your name before today.”
They all look to Lawson, whose cheeks are faintly pink. “I, uh.” He clears his throat. “I may have told them we were your pack so they would let us see you. I didn’t know who to call and?—”
My hand slices through the air, cutting him off. “There isn’t anyone to call. Maybe my best friend, but otherwise it’s just me.”
Lawson nods slowly with a contemplative look. “Look, I don’t mean to pry because at the end of the day I’m nothing more than a stranger right now, but do you have a place to stay? A way to replace the things you lost in the fire?”
My heart drops to the floor. Everything has been so hectic I didn’t even consider the fact that my room was on fire and I may have lost all of my things.
“I—” my hands cup my belly protectively as panicked tears spring to my eyes.
There isn’t a bump to feel yet, but I know there will be soon if I’m already three months along.
“No, I don’t. I guess I could stay with my best friend and her pack,” the rest of what I was saying gets cut off by four aggressive growls that send fear skittering down my spine.
My body curls into itself on instinct. The need to protect my baby from any potential threat comes as natural as breathing, which gives me a sliver of hope that I won’t be as bad of a mother as… nope. Not going there right now.
Lawson scoots the barest few inches further up the bed, placing a hand on top of mine.
I catch another whiff of his spicy gingerbread scent and the heart monitor, which had been going wild in time with my racing heart, instantly slows.
There’s something about these alphas’ scents that puts my omega on alert, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what she’s trying to say through the suppressants that are still wearing off.
I only stopped taking them a few days ago, and my doctor said it would be at least a week if not more before my senses and scent began to return to normal.
“Sorry,” he whispers gruffly. The weight of his big hand on mine is soothing in a way that should concern me, but I think I have finally reached my limit for what my mind can handle, because it feels a little like everything is underwater.
“Okay - pause. Why did you all growl?” At least my brain is functioning enough to ask the semi-important questions.
All four alphas look bashful, which is as amusing as it is concerning. Finally, Rhys meets my eyes, determination painted across his sharp features. “We growled because none of us like the idea of you living with some random alphas,” he remarks flatly.
I shake my head, confusion weighing my addled brain down even further. “But they aren’t random, they’re my friends.”
Rhys’s expression doesn’t change. “Don’t matter. They’re alphas, yes?”
I nod.
“Then our alphas won’t be okay with you staying there.”
A scoff escapes without a hope of me stopping it. “And who are you to tell me who I can and cannot stay with?”
A tiny smirk quirks the corner of his mouth as his sugar cookie scent brightens with hints of almond that make my mouth water. “Your scent matches, darlin’.”