Page 58 of A Promise of Forever
He waits until my breathing has calmed slightly before continuing. "An Omega's scent can have an added hint of something depending on their biology, especially after a heat. It's not always an actual physical scent that others can smell. Sometimes it's more of a feeling or quality that changes." He pauses, clearly weighing how to say what comes next. "But in your case, with how sweet and distinct that honey quality is, you might be pregnant."
My face loses all color as blood drains away, leaving me dizzy and disoriented. "I can't be," I hear myself saying, my voice sounding distant and strange. "That's impossible."
"It's not foolproof," Astra says gently, his tone carefully neutral. "Heat sex is designed by biology to result in pregnancy, and you spent days in heat with your Valla. You won't really get a definitive answer for nearly a week when traditional tests become accurate, but a quick trip to the hospital could test your hormone levels if you want certainty sooner."
I shake my head violently, panic overwhelming rational thought. "No, I'm not pregnant. That's impossible. I can't be. Just... no."
I stand abruptly and move to the window overlooking the ring below, needing distance and space to process what Astra just suggested. My mind is racing with implications and fears that I can't organize into coherent thoughts.
What would Forrest do if he knew I was pregnant? We've only been together a little while and we barely know each other despite the intensity of our bond. It's too soon for something this permanent and life-changing. Would he feel trapped? Would he regret claiming me so quickly?
And I don't even know how to be a father. I never had good role models, never learned what healthy parenting looks like. What if I'm terrible at it? What if I damage a child the way I've been damaged?
The questions spiral through my mind as I stare down at the ring below. The lights are flashing in complex patterns as the announcer gets set up for tonight's fights, and my gaze wanders around the space below somewhat aimlessly.
Then I see Forrest walking out of the locker rooms, his imposing figure immediately recognizable even from this distance. Lorcan appears beside him and whispers something that makes Forrest's posture shift slightly. Then my Vallaglances to the side, and I follow his line of sight to see someone who makes my blood run cold.
Wilson.
But he's not in his usual police uniform. Instead, he's dressed in an expensive suit that changes his entire appearance, making him look like a legitimate businessman rather than a corrupt cop. He's radiating a different kind of power, the confidence of someone who thinks they've already won.
A distressed whine tears from my throat before I can stop it. Wilson's gaze seems to rise directly to the viewing box, meeting my eyes across the distance with impossible accuracy. His smile is wicked and full of promise, the expression of a predator that's finally cornered its prey.
I curl up against the wall immediately, making myself as small as possible while trying to think of what happens next. He's here. Wilson is actually here in Forrest's territory, which means something terrible is about to happen.
Astra appears beside me, his voice full of concern. "Sterling, what's wrong? Talk to me."
"He's here," I manage to gasp out between panicked breaths. "Wilson is here, right down there. I need to go, I need to leave before he gets up here and—"
Bryn is suddenly in front of us, his large frame blocking my view of anything else and forcing me to focus on him instead of the ring below. "Right now, this is the safest place for you. The box is secured and there are guards at every access point. But I'll reach out to Forrest and have him come back up immediately."
"No!" The word comes out sharper than I intended. "You can't tell him. I'm okay, I can handle this. He has business to take care of down there."
"You're not okay," Astra pushes out, a whine following. "And that's perfectly fine. You're allowed to not be okay, Sterling. Justbreathe with me and let us help you. Forrest will be back up here before you know it, and then you'll be safe in his arms."
But all I can think about is the possibility that I'm pregnant, that Wilson is here to destroy everything I've built, and that Forrest might not want me anymore once he knows the truth about either situation.
I look at Astra with tears streaming down my face, despair making my voice crack. "Will he even want me? If I'm pregnant, if I'm bringing this danger to his doorstep, will Forrest still want me?"
I bury my head in my lap, unable to face the answers I might see in Astra's expression. Will Forrest be mad at me for potentially being pregnant? Will he see it as a trap or manipulation rather than an accidental consequence of our heat? Will Wilson's presence here tonight prove that I'm more trouble than I'm worth?
Forrest
Genuine anger doesn’t even begin to cut it.
I'm absolutely pissed off after the discussion with one of the Beta fighters went completely sideways. The guy tried to pull rank with Caelan, suggesting that my brother couldn't make decisions about fighter placement because he's "just an Alpha" managing other Valla. The disrespect was unacceptable, and I nearly raged at him right there in the locker room.
The Beta had the audacity to turn his attitude on me when I intervened, saying I was just a Valla who couldn't hold his temper and that my reputation for violence was overblown.That's when Caelan put him in his place with a perfectly executed punch that broke the fucker's nose and sent him sprawling on the concrete floor.
Now the Beta has a choice: fight Heath, one of our largest and most skilled fighters, in tonight's lineup. If he wins, he stays and earns respect. If he loses, he forfeits any payment he was promised and isn't allowed atThe Forgeever again. It's a harsh consequence, but necessary to maintain order and respect within our organization.
But there's a much bigger problem developing, and it's making the Beta situation feel insignificant by comparison. Wilson is standing just outside my office, dressed in an expensive suit worth more than most people’s salaries, while radiating confidence that makes my skin crawl. And through the bond, I can feel Sterling's terror and anguish so strongly that it's making my own chest tight with sympathetic distress.
I look up at the viewing box just in time to see Sterling slide out of sight. The knowledge that Wilson's presence is causing my Omega that level of distress makes violence surge through my system with dangerous intensity. I stalk over to where Wilson is standing and gesture toward my office, silently offering a private conversation. But Wilson shakes his head, his expression carrying smug satisfaction that makes me want to rip his throat out.
If I were a lesser man, I would.
"You wanted to talk to Thatcher and you've got him," Wilson says, his voice carrying enough to be heard by nearby staff and fighters. "But I'm not going to be bullied into a corner while you get to steal my Omega and try to take over my business territory. So tell me, are you actually moving into the drug distribution arena, or was that just a ploy to get me here? Because I can tell you right now, it's not going to end well for you either way." His confidence is infuriating, built on years of using hisbadge to avoid consequences. "Everyone here might know me as Thatcher," he continues, gesturing aroundThe Forgelike he owns it. "But the police outside these walls know me as Detective Wilson. All I need to do is make one call about what's truly going on in this establishment, and you'll have federal agencies crawling up your ass for months."
