Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Seth
M y feet swung idly against the examination bed; the stupid paper gown they had made me put on crinkling with the slightest movement I made. Or maybe that was the wide strip of white paper my bare ass was sitting on that was rustling. Either way, had I known I was going to have to strip down and be poked and prodded on this first doctor appointment, I wouldn’t have invited Alex along.
I didn’t remember them doing this to Bennett at his first baby appointment. Since Bennett hadn’t told Shay he was pregnant right away, because reasons, I had gone with him to a lot of his appointments. I had asked him to come today, but when he found out I had told Alex about the appointment, he had opted out. He did let me know that if Alex was a no show, he would be at every doctor visit I had.
Bennett was my ride or die. I was honestly closer to him than my siblings. Not that I didn’t love my older brother and younger sister, we were just all very different people. We didn’t have the same relationship that I had with Bennett.
But now I was sitting, bored, anxious, staring at the clock that showed fifteen minutes past my appointment time (which in doctor world wasn’t all that terrible), and I was completely alone.
It was fine .
I hadn’t really expected Alex to show up.
Sure, he had said he would be here, but alphas said all kinds of things. Most of them seldom meant any of the bullshit they said.
We didn’t even know each other, and I had dropped the whole, Hey, remember that hot as fuck night in the hotel New Year’s Eve? Surprise! You knocked me up , bombshell. The man didn’t owe me a thing.
But I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been playing out every scenario of how today would go in my head, and Alex was front and center. Prince Charming to my Cinderella. A very tiny part of me hoped he had meant it when he had said he would be here today. But I refused to be disappointed that he hadn’t shown.
“Barf,” I muttered, trying to wrap the sheet more firmly around my lower half and covering my ass. “I think I just made myself throw up a little in my mouth. Seth, get it together! This ain’t no fairy tale, doll.”
Resting a hand across my slightly rounded stomach, I whispered, “We’re going to be okay, little one. Papa’s got this. We don’t need no alpha. And you’ll have lots of uncles and family in your life.” Smiling, I thought of our little omega friend group that had become like family. They were always there, in our chat, with all kinds of parenting advice. Or life advice. Or just down for a good bitch session. Everyone but me had kids, mates, and husbands, so I was privy to all kinds of venting.
And kids were kind of my thing. I was a pediatric nurse, after all. I did actually like kids, even if I had never wanted any of my own. “I changed my mind though, okay?” I whispered to my belly. “I want you. It’s important that you know that. You are wanted.”
The soft tap on the exam room door brought me out of my wayward musings. My mind tended to go off in about a thousand different directions most days, but since I had found out I was pregnant it was about a hundred times worse.
The nurse, Amber, poked her head in and gave me a small smile. “There’s someone here for you. Is it okay to let him in?”
My heart stopped, then pounded so fast I thought it might jump right out of my chest. Nodding briskly was all I could do to answer. She stepped back out of sight and then he was there. Slipping into the room, looking frazzled, running a hand through his messy dark brown locks.
“I’m so sorry!” Alex said, looking around the room with wide eyes. “My client ran over with a problem we hadn’t planned on–” he stopped with a shake of his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry I’m late. It won’t happen again. I’ll make sure to not book anyone before your appointments. At least not anyone that might run over.”
“You came,” I blinked rapidly, willing the heat and wetness I felt swelling in my eyes to disappear. I would not cry over an alpha showing up for me. I would not be one of those omegas. Damn these pregnancy hormones! I cried last night over an episode of 9-1-1 . Like what the actual fuck? Who even did that? This guy, apparently.
Alex frowned, then noticed the empty chair next to the exam bed and folded his long form into it. “Of course I came.” He stared at me for an uncomfortable minute where I tried not to squirm, then he asked, “Did you think I wouldn’t?”
Shrugging, I gave him one of my well-rehearsed I don’t care either way looks. “I didn’t think about it one way or another.”
“Liar,” he crossed his arms over his chest, and I couldn’t help but notice how his light blue dress shirt stretched over his chest muscles. And dammit! He had the cuffs rolled back, exposing a couple of inches of his forearms, sprinkled with dark hair, and why the ever-loving fuck was that sooo hot?
Shifting slightly on the bed, I hoped the trickle of slick I felt dribble from my hole was wiped away on the paper under me. Because how fucking embarrassing to have a slick hole if I was about to get poked on by my doctor.
Alex stood up, coming to stand in front of me, and tilted my chin up with one gentle finger. “Seth, I will always show up for you. And our pup.”
“Why?” the word was whispered, because I could barely get it past my tight throat, staring up into his dark brown eyes.
“Seth, we’re fated,” he said gently, and I jerked out of his grasp. “You don’t remember.” The sentence was more statement than question, and he shook his head ruefully. “I was afraid of that. You had a lot to drink that night. More than I realized, I think.”
“I…I remembered enough,” I whispered, breathing the scent of him in. Immediately, I felt less tense, calmer. “I…I never really believed in all the fated mates nonsense. Not until Bennett. And a bunch of our friends, I guess. I just wasn’t sure that’s what we are.”
I fought the urge to start swinging my legs once more out of nerves, afraid I would kick Alex by mistake. Instead, I let him tilt my chin up with his finger, not fighting him this time or jerking from his touch. My skin tingled under his finger, warmth engulfing me.
“I think we have a lot to talk about,” he stared deep into my eyes and I was lost in the brown depths of his. “I brought you something. It’s in my car. Can we talk then?”
“I need to get back to work,” I shook my head and he frowned. “I’m not trying to put this off, even though I keep making the work excuse. I’m really not. But we’re short handed and I really do need to go back to work when this appointment is over.”
“I don’t even know where you work,” he told me, smiling wryly.
“Oh!” I exclaimed, “I work for Asher Pierce, the pediatrician. I’m his nurse. We’re in the process of hiring another nurse, but we haven’t found anyone yet. We were waiting for Bennett to handle that after his maternity leave. He left the hospital, you know? Of course, you know. Because you help him, right? Take on cases he would send you. And you were Shay’s lawyer for a bit, I guess? Until his ex…well, you know what happened there. So yeah, anyway, it’s just me for now. The docs are running the show while I’m here, and I can’t even imagine how that’s going. Not that they can’t take vitals, they so can, not that that’s all I do. It’s not. I do tons of things, but…I’m rambling.” I cut myself off. “Sorry. I can be a lot sometimes. You should know that up front. I’m a lot. It’s okay if I’m too much, fated mates or not. I’ll understand, trust me. I know I’m a lot.”
Alex’s brows came together, the skin of his forehead wrinkling adorably, as he deciphered all my rushed, rambling sentences. After a minute, he gave me a pointed look. “I can handle it.”
He leaned in closer, crowding me a little, and I looked up into his brown eyes with wide eyes. He was so close I could feel the heat of him, and desire swooped low in my stomach.
He bent his head, the warm air of his words ghosting my lips. “I can handle you.”
His lips captured mine in the sweetest caress of my life, that still managed to curl my toes inside my fuzzy pink socks. No one had ever kissed me with such tenderness as this man was doing at that moment. The kiss left me foggy, dazed and confused, yet every cell in my body felt alive.
The door opened, and we sprang apart like two teenagers caught by their parents, as Dr. Finn Sinclair entered the room, my chart in his hands. The man’s handsome, serious face didn't change as he looked both of us over, but his lips quirked knowingly.
Alex ran a hand through his hair, then moved back to the chair he had been occupying earlier.
“Congratulations, Seth,” Finn told me, sitting on the little rolling stool and placing my file on the little desk in the room. “Your urine test confirmed your at home test. We’ll still take some blood today though, so we can check your HGC levels.”
“His what?” Alex asked, leaning forwards in his chair.
“Human Chorionic Gonadotropin,” Finn explained, and I added, “It’s a hormone that tells them I’m pregnant. As the baby grows, the HCG numbers grow.”
Alex nodded his head, and I wondered if he was going to pull out a notebook and start writing everything down. The image almost made me giggle.
“We’ll do an exam today, since you’re overdue,” Finn told me, still engrossed in my chart. “You missed your last appointment for birth control.”
“No, I didn’t,” I assured him, positive I hadn’t.
Finn turned to me, his face in it’s usual don’t give me attitude. Really, the man was quite lovely, but he had the worst case of resting bitch face around. “Yes, you did. It says we called you to reschedule because I was out of town that week and you never did.”
Suddenly, I remembered the text message I had received stating just what he had said, and also that I had never rescheduled. For some reason, I assumed I had and just had gone about my life. I kept meaning to, but then I would get home and I would just…forget.
Turning to Alex, I saw him looking at me strangely, probably remembering exactly what I had just remembered. I had told him I was on birth control that night in the hotel when had wanted to stop and get a condom. This was my fault.
“Alex, I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my voice shaky, “I really didn’t remember that I missed my appointment. I wasn’t trying to…” my hands fluttered in the air, “trying to trap you. I wasn’t!”
He grabbed one of my jerking hands in his, halting their wild movement. “Seth, I didn’t think you did. Besides, from what I know of fated mates, birth control–even if we had used it–probably wasn’t going to work anyway.”
Finn nodded his head in agreement, but I still felt terrible about my mistake.
He went over a few more things with us, do’s and don’ts, foods I should avoid, then asked if I had any questions.
“I…I think I want to have a midwife be in charge of my care.” It was hard to look at Finn at that moment, because he had been my doctor for years, and he was great. But this was something that had interested me when Bennett had been pregnant. I had gone over all the brochures they offered here on midwifery and different types of birthing options. “No, I know I want a midwife. And I want to give birth at home. In one of those birthing tubs.”
Finn nodded, and he actually smiled, which changed his face entirely. “We have added a wonderful midwife to our staff. Let me see if Naomi has time to chat with you.” He was up and out of the room before I could say another word on the subject.
Alex sputtered then, a sort of gasping laugh, and I glanced over at him. “What…what just happened?”
“What?” I asked, confused.
“You want to give birth at home? In a what? A pool? A bathtub? Are you joking right now?” He looked so shocked by the idea of any of it, that I almost laughed.
“Yes,” I told him bristling, “I want to give birth at home. I want a calm, relaxing atmosphere. And I want to use a birthing tub. I find water soothing. I don’t want to be in a hospital.”
Alex’s tan skin turned pale. “But what if something goes wrong? What about pain medication?”
The door opened again and a tall, regal looking black woman stepped into the room, Finn following her. She smiled brightly at me, holding out her hand to introduce herself. “Hello Seth, I’m Naomi, the midwife here. I’m so happy to meet you.”
We shook hands, and then she and Alex did the same. He was still looking shell shocked and pasty.
“So, Finn is here for now, because we like to have all the patients at least meet with the doctors on staff. Since you already know each other, that's even better.” Naomi explained, and I liked her instantly. She put off good energy, very calming. “We’ll do everything to give you the birthing experience you hope for, but as we like to say in the baby business; have a plan but be prepared to toss it out at any given time.”
“Babies do what they want,” I nodded in understanding.
She laughed, “That they do. They are in charge and we are all along for the ride.”
“What if something goes wrong?” Alex asked urgently.
Naomi’s dark eyes were gentle when she answered him. “That’s why we like all our patients to meet the doctors on staff, just in case we need to go to the hospital, or they need to be delivered by them. But Seth and I are going to have an understanding,” she turned her gaze to me, “that if I say we need to go to the hospital, we go to the hospital. Right?”
I nodded, “Absolutely.” I would never risk my baby or my own life. And I was well aware of complications that could arise when giving birth. Even in a hospital.
“We’re going to get along perfectly,” she winked at me. “Now, you know no shifting after twelve weeks because it can be harmful to the baby?”
I nodded once more, feeling like a bobble head. “I do. Is a tub birth an option? I really love the idea of laboring in warm water.”
“Laboring, yes,” she told us, “delivering, no. But for most of your labor you can stay in the water to your heart’s content. But delivery will need to happen out of the water. There are too many things that can go wrong, and it’s a risk I won’t take with my patients. I’ll give you some information to take home today, things you’ll need to have to get your bed and space ready. And we do rent a birthing tub or you can purchase your own. They start around two hundred and fifty dollars. But it’s a good investment if you plan on having more pups and want to labor in the tub.”
I winced, but it would be worth the hit to my savings. I could always rent the tub, like she said, but honestly, I wasn’t thrilled with that idea. Not that I didn’t believe it wasn’t properly cleaned and sanitized, but it still gave me an ick factor.
“If Seth wants a birthing tub, we’ll purchase one,” Alex said, and I spun to look at him.
He gave me a soft smile, then reached for my hand. “I’m not going to say I’m on board with any of this,” he glanced at Naomi, giving her a sheepish smile, “no offense.”
“None taken,” she told him, not at all offended.
“But omegas have been birthing at home for hundreds of years, I guess,” he continued. “And if this is what Seth wants to do, he’s the one that has to deliver our pup. It just terrifies me, if I’m being honest. We just found each other and I don’t want to lose him. Either of them.”
Tears of emotion pricked my eyes, and I swallowed hard at his words. He gave my hand a light squeeze, and I squeezed back, because I wasn’t sure I could speak just then.
Naomi spent several minutes reassuring him–us–about safeguards in place, with Finn’s deep voice chiming in occasionally.
Honestly, I heard none of it. My total focus was on Alex. The way he listened so intently, storing all the information in his head. The way his warm eyes would fall on me every couple of minutes, and he would smile at me. The way he never once let go of my hand, his fingers entwined with mine.
I was barely aware of Finn leaving the room, and Naomi gently examining me. Her gentle hands palpitating my belly, or the internal exam that Alex squeezed my hand through, looking slightly uncomfortable when the stirrups were put on the bed.
My mind was whirling at the realization that this man was my fated, and he intended to stay by my side. He appeared to be all in, but I wondered if it was because of the baby, or if he actually wanted me as well.
Before we left the office, Naomi gave us our due date–July twenty-fourth–then had to explain to Alex how due dates for pregnancies were calculated. He had assumed, incorrectly, that since shifters only carried pregnancies for seven months, our pup would be due August first, based on the date of conception. He was counting exactly seven months from January first, and Naomi patiently explained that pregnancy lengths were actually calculated by weeks and not months. I wasn’t convinced he still totally understood the medical math that went into calculating a due date, but he finally just rubbed his forehead and nodded like he did.
We rode the elevator down to the parking lot together in silence. Alex was shuffling the many, many pamphlets Naomi had shoved at him.
“Well,” I told him when we were standing in the bright March sunlight, “I need to get back to work. I guess we’ll talk soon?”
He frowned at me, that wrinkle in his forehead returning. “Walk to my car with me? I have something for you, remember? Please.”
Nibbling on my lip, still trying to sort out all my emotions and feelings, not to mention the kiss that had rocked my entire world from earlier, I finally nodded. “Okay, yeah.”