Chapter XXVI
As soon as I pulled out a chair at the meeting table, I’ve had an odd sensation tingling throughout my body.
Something familiar, yet brand new. Something that tells me I’ve done this already, but I haven’t.
I’ve never met Alpha Dan and his Alpha mate Kelly.
They’re both new board members who have climbed some impressive roles within the company as quickly as I did.
But I can’t shake the distracting sensation in my veins throughout our meeting regarding the upcoming changes within certain departments at Comet XI.
“So as we shift away from the old StarPoint software, we’re trying to invest in a new and improved application that utilizes three-dimensional rendering which will help us mitigate all the wasteful materials and open up space for testing beta equipment,” Kelly explains, pointing to data projected on a screen.
It really is an impressive plan they’ve laid out before me, and I agree with their projections. Cutting back on physical equipment to use three-D models is a cost-efficient upgrade.
“And if I can add on to that,” Dan interjects, “Phasing out these smaller, entry-level departments will open the job market to some of the most highly skilled Alphas in search of working in these fields. It’s a short-term loss for long-term intellectual growth for Comet XI.”
My mind drifts in and out of their presentation.
Most of it is information that has already been discussed over the phone.
My colleagues are already aware of Dan and Kelly’s innovation skills, and it all checks out so far.
I see no reason to turn down their plans to implement these minor changes for the benefit of the company.
As they slide some paperwork in front of me, smiling wide since they already know they’ve got my signature, the weird sensation within me intensifies.
I cough to clear my throat and reach for a glass of water on the table.
My other colleagues mutter amongst themselves, asking Dan and Kelly questions while signing the plan into place for the next fiscal year.
I wonder if something is wrong with Ari? Is that why I feel this odd sense of dread?
While pretending to read through the paperwork, I focus on my bond to him. He still has a pulse, so does our daughter. He’s somewhere upstairs, though. Not on the lower level with the onboarding crew. Is he looking for me?
Concentrating harder, I get a strong whiff of pineapple juice, and suddenly I can see the picture as clear as day. The corner of my mouth lifts as I imagine it. He had a craving and sourced out the juice I left for him in my office. I can see it perfectly.
The weight of his belly making him sweat.
His sense of relief when he walks into my office and sees the cold drink.
Taking a seat to rest for a minute after realizing just how tired he is from walking around all day.
I can imagine him falling asleep, and I think I can even feel through our bond his slow and steady pulse, but I know he’s got important work to do right now.
Baby, wake up, I think to myself before pushing away my daydreaming about my mate and resuming my paperwork.
I sign the deal for Dan and Kelly to go through with their changes. They’re a smart couple and have a keen sense of detail. By the time the day is over, I’m ready to go home and vent about it with Arius. I’m curious to know how his day went, too.
After a shower and one last business phone call, I meet him in the nursery of our home. Wearing one of my shirts because none of his fit, he’s standing indecisively, staring at the wall in deep thought. My arm wraps around his waist and I kiss the top of his head.
“Which color should the walls be?” he holds out a few small cards with different shades of purples and greens.
Familiarity rocks through me with a prickling sensation up my arms. With ease, I pick the lilac purple shade.
“This one.”
Arius blinks at my selection.
“Yeah, but… What about the other ones? You can’t just pick a random one, Knox, I want an honest answer.”
“It is my honest answer.” I stare at the card, slowly remembering where I’ve seen this color.
“You don’t think a pastel green would be more fitting? I like the purple, too, but I was also thinking of painting some animals and stuff so green seemed like it would represent grass?”
I see the vision, but I know it’s not what either of us wants. And I know he doesn’t have time for painting extra stuff like animals when he looks like he’s about to burst any second now.
“I think I had a dream where you were painting the wall purple,” I tell him. “Seemed pretty happy about it, too.”
Arius looks up at me with deep assessment, opening his mouth but closing it again as if searching for words.
“I had a weird dream about you, too, today,” he whispers. “Don’t you feel like our bond is stronger than most couples’?”
“Of course it is,” I wrap my arms around him from behind, resting my hands on his baby bump, “We’ve known each other since forever, and no one could ever love their Omega as much as I love mine.”
With a soft smile, he accepts my color choice. It takes some convincing to pull him away from housework and into our bedroom.
“It’s early, Knox.”
“I just want to lay with you. Tell me how onboarding went.”
We climb into bed together, cuddled close in my house that is slowly acquiring more of his personal touches next to mine. His breath tickles my neck when he speaks.
“It was good. They’re a smart group and I know the company will appreciate their skills. I got to learn some new things myself. Those StarPoint systems are tricky to get the hang of with all the complicated buttons and knobs.”
“StarPoint?” my heart thuds in my chest, eyelids popping open wide, erasing any ounce of sleep that beckoned me closer.
“Yeah. It’s the main software our department uses throughout the assembly process. It’s how they operate any machinery at each station,” Ari explains casually through a yawn.
Shit.
I didn’t even realize which departments would be directly affected by the change. If we phase out StarPoint, that means Ari’s new operators might lose their positions. The new software within Dan and Kelly’s plan will require a degree that only Alphas can attain.
This might be the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.
“What’s wrong?” Arius whispers before pressing kisses to my cheek and lips.
Swallowing the emotions fast, I kiss him back deeply, keeping it in the back of my mind that I’ll need to fix this as soon as possible. If I can.
Early in the morning, I slip away to the balcony for a phone call while Ari is getting ready for work.
“Mr. Beckett…” my colleague’s tone is not light.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but you have to understand, this is not the right move for the company.”
“Is that so? Or is it not the right choice for you? Personal affairs aside, Dan and Kelly have shown us every reason why this is the most suitable route for the company. There’s no backing out because of a handful of Omegas.”
The phone beeps with the tone of being hung up on before I can argue.
“Fuck!” I grunt under my breath, unable to appreciate the glorious sunrise as I pace anxiously. Ari is going to kill me.
“Knox!” he shrieks my name and my heart drops heavily.
Does he already know? Did someone tell him?
I rush inside, ready to apologize profusely, but I freeze, staring at my mate clutching his stomach with an agonized expression.
“Knox! I think the baby is coming!” he cries, breaths rampant as he curls in on himself.
I panic, left paralyzed by those daunting words.
My mouth goes dry. My stress levels rupture the scale. I forget every single thing that I had tenaciously studied for this exact moment. Hands splayed out uselessly, I stumble around him, unsure how to help in this situation.
“Uh, right now? Are you sure?”
He grips the edge of the bed and bares his teeth at me, evading my touch.
“Call Raul!” he yells.
“Oh, right! Yes, I’ll call him right now, just, hold it in for a minute,” I pull out my phone, only to realize it’s very much still in my hand which is trembling as I locate the doctor’s number.
“Knox, you did not just tell me to hold the baby in! Aaah!” he cries out again as the contractions heighten.
“Here, get up on the bed,” I move to help him with one hand while pressing the phone to my ear.
I don’t know how we missed all the signs. His due date is right around the corner, and he was tossing and turning uncomfortably last night. It’s strange being so focused on this one moment for months and then, bam! Here we are and it’s somehow still surprising.
Raul answers with a yawn, and I quickly explain to him our predicament. Following his instructions, I fetch some clean towels, and he promises to be here shortly.
Lying on his back with his knees up, Ari breathes through the pain.
“You got this, baby. The doctor will be here soon, okay?” I drop to his side, holding his hand tightly. He nods stiffly, crushing my larger fingers in his.
Thick, molten hot guilt churns in my gut for the duration of his labor. We’ll be on paternity leave soon. Both of us. And before we get back to Comet XI, I’ll need to look him in the eye and explain to him how badly I fucked up his career.
Unless there’s still time to fix it.