Page 49 of Nanny Omega

But before Xander could respond, a sharp chime split the air, shattering the quiet intimacy of the moment. Both of them flinched, the sound dragging them back to reality far too soon.

“I’ll get that,” Ersa said softly, reluctantly slipping off Xander’s lap. He padded across the room, rifling through his bag until he found his connector. The screen lit up, and his breath hitched when he saw the name flashing across it—Erle. He froze, his stomach twisting. If Erle was trying to connect with him, it meant there was something wrong.

Ersa’s gaze lifted to Xander as he answered. “Hi, Erle,” he said.

“Mother wants to talk to you,” Erle said without preamble.

Ersa’s throat tightened. “Why?” The word came out more wary than he intended. He already knew where this was going—and he was dreading every second of it. “If this is another lecture about getting bonded—”

“It’s not about that,” Erle cut in with a weary sigh. “She saw the news, Ersa. We all did.”

Ersa silently groaned.

“The Lazo Pollen Festival is broadcast live, Ersa. Did you forget that?”

Ersa rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at Xander. “My family saw us too,” he said.

“She… she thinks you’re pregnant,” Erle said, his voice lowering as if the very words were dangerous. “Is it true? Ersa—what’s going on? Mom’s convinced something foul is happening between you and the alpha. She thinks he—”

“No!” Ersa’s heart pounded. “Xan—Master Quin isn’t like that. He’d never… he wouldn’t hurt me. Why would she even think—”

“Because she’s worried about you!” Erle snapped, his frustration bleeding through the line. “Put yourself in her shoes, Ersa. You avoid her calls, refuse to visit, and then the next thing she sees is you on a live broadcast—kissing an alpha. And not just any alpha—your boss. An aggressive alpha at that.”

The words landed like a punch.

“You were terrified of aggressive alphas three years ago, remember? You begged her not to bond you with one. So what’s she supposed to think now? She’s threatening to go to the authorities, Ersa. Dad and I barely talked her down.”

The blood drained from his face. “Shit,” he whispered.

“She’s concerned about you,” Erle said, his voice softening. “And honestly? So am I.”

“Where is she?” Ersa asked quickly, his anxiety bubbling to the surface. “I’ll talk to her—”

“You might have to do more than talk,” Erle interrupted grimly. “You need to fix this, Ersa. And you need to do it fast. A meeting with Quin might help. He needs to explain himself—he can’t just… get you pregnant and—”

“It’s a false pregnancy, Erle!” Ersa blurted out, his desperation peaking. “It’s not real.”

There was a long, stunned silence. Then: “What… do you mean it’s not real? Mom showed me old images of when you were pregnant. You look the same.”

Ersa closed his eyes, his grip on the connector tightening. “Where’s Mom?” he asked again, his voice barely above a whisper. “Let me talk to her.”

The connector went silent for a few beats before his mother’s voice finally crackled through.

“Mom?” Ersa said, his heart giving a small, guilty flutter.

“What’s going on over there? Are you okay?” Her voice was sharp with worry.

“I’m fine, Mother. Please stop overreacting,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You don’t talk to me. I didn’t even know where you were until Erle told me! And now you’re pregnant… but you’re not? How am I supposed to react to that?” His mother’s voice wavered between confusion and frustration.

“I’m sorry,” Ersa said softly, rubbing his temple. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“Ersa, you don’t have to shut us out,” she pressed, her voice gentling but still laced with concern. “We’re your family. Whatever happened with that alpha… we can fix it. If you’re pregnant, we’ll talk about it. We’ll find a solution together.”

“I’m not pregnant, Mother,” Ersa said, forcing his voice to stay calm even as the tension coiled tighter in his chest. “I promise, I’ll explain everything when I come visit.”

“When?” she shot back, her words sharp and quick. “You could’ve visited the moment you got that job—but you didn’t. You stayed away. Why, Ersa? What’s going on with you?”

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