Page 45 of When She Needs Them Most

I try not to let myself obsess about whether his family genetics will end up impacting Luna one day. That’s a whole lot of years into the future, and worrying about it now will only add to my stress.

Finishing up the paperwork, I bring it to the receptionist. Arden turns around, shoving his wallet back into his jacket. Once the woman behind the counter takes my clipboard, Arden accompanies me back to the chairs. He wraps an arm around my shoulders as soon as I’m settled, and I shamelessly snuggle closer.

Dr. Webb is nice, if a little to the point. She rushes through the intake, but my records did arrive, so that’s a huge relief. Honestly, everything seems to be fine. If she had concerns, I’m sure she wouldn’t be in such a hurry to move on to the next patient, right?

I sit back up after she does a quick pelvic exam and do my best to cover up with the awful paper sheet.

The nurse who monitored the exam leaves to bring Arden back in as the doctor pulls off her gloves and does a quick wash of her hands. The energy in the room changes once he’s back. And I’m grateful for the support of having someone else with me.

“We’ll have your Strep B results next week. Baby is head down, which is good. You’re one centimeter dilated, but that’s normal for this stage of your pregnancy.” The doctor takes a seat on her rolling chair, grabs the tablet from the counter, and starts typing. “First-time moms often have several bouts of practicing before true labor ramps up.”

“Wait,” Arden growls, rubbing his hand over the horrible paper sheet as he caresses my stomach. His other hand rests on the bare skin of my lower back, and he’s so close that it should be strange, but it’s not. “Isn’t it too early for her to be dilating?”

“Not at all,” Dr. Webb says with a lightness to her voice that she didn’t have when speaking to me. “Chelsea just hit the thirty-six-week mark. She made it to the point when babies can come at any time, and it’s past what we consider the danger zone. She could stay one centimeter dilated until forty weeks, or she may slowly progress up to two or three centimeters. Every pregnancy is different, but things are going well. Don’t stress, Dad.”

My heart races. I did make it clear that Luna’s biological dad is dead, but I’m guessing she believes I still have several other members in my pack.

Arden’s hand tightens on my back, and he nods. “She’s been sleeping a lot the last few days, and there was a small incident…” He goes on to recall how I woke up feverish, pounced on Kase, and didn’t settle until I’d been knotted and soaked up a fair amount of alpha pheromones. He’s tactful enough to leave out the impliedsoaked up a lot of semen,and I’m pretty sure that’s what keeps me from melting into an actual puddle of embarrassment.

I didn’t mention any of that, so he must have heard it from Linc or Kase. It doesn’t bother me. I would have told him myself. I’ve always been taught that secrets are the death of a pack. Well, that and jealousy. But I’ve never been close enough to see how a healthy pack interacts.

Dr. Webb nods, typing away on her tablet. “The fever came down after being knotted?”

“Yes,” I choke out. “But I’ve been feeling extra run-down since I moved.”

“I tend to follow the belief that it’s best to give your body what it’s asking for. Spend some time nesting; it should help to settle your instincts. Rest as much as you can, elevate your feet and legs to help with swelling, and monitor her fevers.” Dr. Webb finally glances up, but she makes eye contact with Arden. “During pregnancy, it’s not uncommon for omegas to have strong reactions to their alphas’ scents. The fact you aren’t bonded means those reactions are likely to be more severe. It’s her system attempting to entice you and her other alphas to stay close. Omegas with regular access to alpha pheromones have a lower likelihood of preterm labor and are at less risk for maternal and fetal complications.”

My jaw falls.

I didn’t knowanyof that.

Why didn’t my last OB warn me?

Maybe because she knew I was grieving Clark and wasn’t ready to start anything new?

“I see,” Arden says thoughtfully. “And it’s safe to continue intimate activities?”

The doctor smiles. “It is, but if you haven’t discontinued baths, it’s about that time. We need to know if your water breaks, and it can be difficult to tell if you’re submerged. Sexual contact is safe up until your water breaks or if you have any pain or bleeding, but otherwise, soak up that intimacy while you can.”She grabs her tablet from her lap and stands. “Take a tour of the hospital and get registered if you haven’t.” She walks over to the wall, picks out several pamphlets, and brings them over. I take them from her outstretched hand. “These tell you where our practice has hospital privileges, as well as what steps to take if you think you’re in active labor. I’d like to see you back in a week.”

My stomach wobbles. Everything is moving so fast. It all got real super fucking quick. The only plus side is that I don’t have the chance to be stressed about how the doctor assumed Arden was part of my pack.

Chapter Nineteen

Chelsea

The Blacksburg office of Shadow Security is bigger than I expected, from the way they talked about it. The parking lot alone is huge, and Arden tells me the entire building is theirs.

The commanding alpha has an important conference call that he got roped into at the last minute, but he promised to drive me home as soon as he’s done.

I waddle into the employee entrance after him and focus on pulling off my gloves and coat as he handles the alarm and turning on the lights. Yanking off the beanie, I shove it and the gloves into the pockets of my coat.

It really is a nice jacket. It has kept me nice and toasty, but Arden is a bit much with how serious he is about the gloves and making sure my head is covered. I even heard him rambling about finding me a scarf as I got settled into the truck to drive here.

Arden finishes up with the lights and leads me out into the main office. It’s a huge space, with several cubicles in the middle of the room. The walls to my right and straight ahead are lined with offices, but it doesn’t seem like anyone else is here.

He places his hand on my lower back and guides me forward. “The door on the left wall leads to the sales area. It’s where prospective clients can check out the various options if they’re interested in a security system, but most choose from the catalog.”

“How many people work here?” I ask as we pass the cubicles.

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