Page 64 of The Omega's Alpha
“They’re getting big,” I said and reached out to scratch behind Isolde’s ears.
“Yep. You’d never know they were early. And the doctor says the new one is absolutely on schedule and doing fine.”
“Doesn’t keep you from fussing,” Bram said wryly. Now that he was standing up, I could really see his belly where it had already started to push out in front of him. He looked tired but happy as he kissed Isolde on top of her furry head. “Don’t worry, I won’t overdo it.” He looked over at me. “Classmates had a ‘baby shower’ for me when they found out. It’s basically just an excuse for a party where they give the bearer a bunch of baby presents. I told them the pup wasn’t due until May, but they gave me stuff anyway. Some of it was gift cards I can use at some of the stores around here.” He ducked his head and a pleased flush rose up his neck to disappear in his hair. “I wanted the new one to have some things that were just his. Or hers.”
It seemed at least some of the humans were friendly around here. “That was nice of them.”
“Yeah. If you’re looking for things for the pups, I could show you the best places to find them.”
That would be helpful. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.” I looked up to find Duke and Mac in deep discussion.
They stopped as soon as they noticed me watching them, and Mac came over. “I’ll take the two of you, but I’ve been strictly warned,” he slanted a look at Bram. “That someone will try to overdo it and I’m not to let that happen.”
Bram rolled his eyes and, for once, I was in agreement with him. “Oh, him. He’s convinced that if I’m on my feet for more than half an hour, the baby’s going to fall out or something. I tried to give him a biology lesson, but he was grossed out.” He smirked at his mate, then laughed when Duke crossed the distance between them to smack him gently on the bottom.
“Behave, mate, or I’ll be the one going shopping,” Duke said. “But if you want to go, fine. The pups and I can play tug of war.”
“Let me just run to the bathroom. I can’t believe I forgot this part. Darn metabolism.” Bram leaned up to kiss Duke quickly on the lips, then made his slightly ponderous way into the house.
I passed the time playing with the pups, forcing myself not to notice the pang in my heart.
Bram came back and I reluctantly handed the pups over to their sire and followed Mac and Bram out to the car. There was something off about Bram’s manner—he kept glancing at me as if he wanted to say something, then looking away or making a comment to Mac. All the way to the mall that Bram said was our best bet for getting in and out in the shortest amount of time.
I felt like there was a spotlight on us as we walked through the doors, between the yellow tabs on our collars and Bram’s very obviously pregnant state. Mac immediately went into what I now recognized as his guarding mode—relaxed, chill, and aware of everything going on around us. Practically a herding dog, really, moving from one side to another to keep us as far distant from the scatter of humans in the building as possible.
Bram caught my eyes and rolled his again, then pointed at a store a little ways down the mall. “There. That’s all baby stuff on this side, but the other half has things for older pups if you want to browse there.”
“And I’m supposed to be watching the two of you,” Mac put in, his tone a little peeved.
Bram stopped and turned to give Mac alook. “I’ve been living here since September. I wouldn’t bring Holland here if it was dangerous. I sure wouldn’t be here either.” He rubbed his belly in emphasis. “What’s gotten into you anyway? You never used to be this—” His words broke off, but I could almost hear the word that should have followed—uptight.
“Holland is Alpha’s Mate now. And we’re pushing him out into the human spotlight like no one before him.”
Bram turned to state at me, his mouth hanging open. Then, just as I was about to tell him to watch out for flies, his jaw snapped shut and he grinned. “Congratulations! Finally. Did you have to ask or did he finally wake up?”
“Bram!” Mac snapped. “That’s your Alpha you’re talking about.”
“I’m blaming the hormones,” he told Mac carelessly, and looked more closely at me. “Good, because that makes what I wanted to talk to you about a little more reasonable. Or useful. Whatever.” He shot a glance in Mac’s direction, so discreet that the watchful alpha never noticed it, but I only had a moment to ponder where Bram had learned such a traditional omega skill before he grabbed me by the arm and buried us both in racks and shelves of baby supplies. Mac followed about ten feet behind us, which Bram seemed to find sufficient for whatever great secret he wanted to impart to me. We dove into a shelf covered in cloth diapers covered in crazy, baby-friendly patterns and began to set aside a few that Bram found amusing.
I had to admit, it was fun as long as I didn’t think about never needing them for myself. I turned to show Bram a diaper with little pawprints all over the outside and caught him watching me with an anxious expression. “What?”
He sighed. “Maybe I should do this at home, but then we’d havetwoalphas hanging over our shoulders and I want to talk to justyou, because this is your decision to make.”
“What, Bram?” This was weird.
Bram gathered up our tiny stack of diapers and moved along the aisle to a rack filled with baby sleepers. “You know I took Anatomy and Physiology this year, right?”
Anat—oh, the biology course. “Yes.”
He glanced over his shoulder and I automatically mimicked him. Mac was examining a short chair that looked to be made out of fake fur and foam. He was far enough away. I nudged Bram. “So?”
He pulled out a sleeper and held it up in front of us. “What do you think of this one?” But when I frowned at him, he chewed his lower lip, then looked me square in the eye. “I think you should come see my doctor. We talked about reproductive systems this term, and the teacher dug up a book on shifter anatomy at some point—he’s pretty nice. Doesn’t mind that there’s a wolf living inside me, or a baby.” He snickered. “Anyway, we were in lab looking at different reproductive systems and he had a couple with—problems.”
Oh, fuck no. “My issues are no business of yours,” I told him coldly, though I felt my body break out in a sweat.
“But what if you could fix it?” Bram tilted his head close to mine, as if we were discussing the merits of the sleeper. “Unless you really don’t want pups?”
“That’s none of your business either,” I said through gritted teeth.
