Page 66 of A Promise of Forever
Forrest manages a smile, obviously embarrassed, but the ease with which the doctor speaks makes it easier to relax.
“My name is Dr. Emma Harrison, one of the King’s family doctors. Well, my mother worked for the family and I’m happy enough to have been afforded a position as well. Let's start with some basic blood work," she says, preparing supplies along the back counter. "We'll test hormone levels, check for any deficiencies, and confirm the pregnancy officially. If you need me to stop or slow down, just let me know, alright?"
I nod and then she turns her attention to Forrest.
“I’m going to be touching and assessing your Omega. Please note that anything I am doing is to determine his health and the health of the baby. He will vocalize anything I need to do differently, but everything I do here is no way meant to harm Sterling.”
I don’t like the sound of that. “What are you talking about? Why are you talking to him like that?”
Forrest squeezes my hand a little bit, both of us waiting for Dr. Harrison to explain. She sighs, offering us a soft smile. “I’ve worked with many Valla and they are highly protective of their mates, especially their Omegas. Any sound of distress you make, no matter how small is going to alert his protective instincts. The moment you hiss because something is too cold, Forrest mayvery well perceive that as a threat, so as a formality, I speak to the baser instincts to assert that I am not a threat.”
That makes more sense, but I still don’t understand why she would need to do all of that. Forrest merely nods, looking just as confused as I feel. Dr. Harrison has me roll up my sleeve and I try not to flinch when the needle goes in. Forrest holds my other hand, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on my skin, a low growl rumbling through his chest.
I twist to look up at him, his gaze locked on the doctor. Fuck, oh. That’s what she meant. “Valla, I’m fine.” He visibly settles, the Beta looking up at me with a relieved expression.
She pats my arm with a small piece of gauze before placing a Band-Aid over it. “All done. I’m going to run a few preliminary results on the computer here and then we’ll do the ultrasound, okay?”
She moves to the small counter and wakes up the computer before setting the vial of blood in a case. I have no idea what she’s doing, anxiety rushing through me as I glance around the room. I didn’t notice everything in here before, several pictures of Omegas in different stages of pregnancy, informational posters plastered against the wall talking about do’s and don’ts. It’s all a bit too much.
“You okay, little dove?”
I meet my Valla’s gaze and force a smile onto my face. “Just a bit overwhelmed. It’s a lot.” He draws my hand to his lips, his other hand moves to brush across my bottom lip. I hum into the touch, Dr. Harrison’s voice interrupting the moment.
"Congratulations," she says warmly. "You're definitely pregnant. Based on your hormone levels and the timing you provided, I'd estimate you're just about a week along."
Hearing it confirmed officially makes it real in a way it hasn't been before. There's actually a baby growing inside me, a tiny life that Forrest and I created together.
"Now let's do an ultrasound to make sure everything looks healthy. If you could lie back and lift your shirt?"
I do as instructed, suddenly nervous about what we might see or not see. Forrest moves with me, his hand settling along the top of my head as he lightly grips my hand, giving me the comfort I need. The nurse applies cold gel to my still-flat stomach, my entire body shuddering from the sensation.
She moves the ultrasound wand around, her eyes focused on the screen beside us. For several long moments there's just static-looking images that I can't interpret. Then suddenly, a shape appears, with a tiny flutter that Dr. Harrison says is the heartbeat.
"There we go," she says with satisfaction. "One healthy fetus with a strong heartbeat. You should be due in about three to four months, though it really depends on how your Omega biology adapts to the pregnancy. Every pregnancy is different, and male Omega gestations can be shorter than female ones."
She points to various parts of the image, explaining what we're looking at. I'm overwhelmed trying to process all the information. That tiny flickering shape is going to become a person, a child we'll raise and love and protect.
The nurse continues with information about the first trimester. "You'll want to be careful about certain foods—no raw fish or unpasteurized cheeses. Make sure you're taking prenatal vitamins, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of rest. It's normal to feel tired or nauseous, especially in the mornings. Some Omegas also experience heightened emotional sensitivity due to hormonal changes."
She goes through a longer list of things to be mindful of during the pregnancy, and I feel increasingly overwhelmed by all the rules and restrictions. Forrest looks equally stunned, his eyes wide as he tries to absorb all the information being thrown at us.No doubt I’ll catch him up late tonight researching every article he can find before he gets adorably frustrated.
The nurse must notice our expressions because she laughs gently. "I know it's a lot to take in all at once. I'll print out information packets for you to review at home. You'll come back in about three weeks for another check-up to make sure everything is progressing normally."
She gives us a few moments alone after printing out ultrasound pictures and scheduling our next appointment. I stare at the grainy images showing the tiny life inside me, barely able to process that this is real.
"We're going to have a baby," I whisper, my voice full of wonder and terror in equal measure. Forrest pulls me into a tight hug, his emotions flooding through the bond—joy, love, protective determination, and his own thread of fear. "I want to be more to this baby than my parents ever were to me," I admit against his shoulder. "I want to give them safety and love and choices. I don't want them to ever feel unwanted or like they're a burden."
"You will be amazing," Forrest assures me, pulling back to cup my face in his hands. "You're going to be the perfect daddy. Our child is going to grow up knowing they're loved and wanted and protected. We're going to give them everything you didn't have."
He presses a sweet kiss to my lips that I melt into before we break apart, Forrest grinning with barely contained excitement. "I have a bit of a surprise for you," Forrest muses. "Something I've been planning."
I nod, curious about what he could have arranged. We check out at the reception desk, and I carefully tuck the ultrasound pictures into my pocket. As we're walking to the car, I pull out my phone and send one of the pictures to Astra with the message:"It's official!!!"
Astra calls immediately, his scream of excitement so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear. "Oh my god, Sterling! This is amazing! We're going to be pregnant together! Well, you're pregnant now and I’m going to be the best fucking uncle ever!"
I laugh as Astra continues to babble excitedly about baby clothes and nursery designs and how he’s going to spoil all the babies I’m supposedly going to have. Forrest is grinning as he listens to my side of the conversation, clearly pleased by Astra's enthusiasm. When Astra finally hangs up, his voice still ringing in my ear, I look out the window to see Forrest has pulled up to the courthouse.
"What are we doing here?"
