Page 52 of The Night Wolf
And their future pup.
Tomorrow would be perfect. Gareth would stand up in front of the pack and claim Sean’s human half, just as the wolf had claimed him for his own. Once that happened, Gareth’s life would be complete.
And he couldn’t wait.
THE NIGHTbefore his wedding, and Sean was on his knees in the bathroom, his arms wrapped around the toilet bowl, throwing up the best-tasting pizza he’d ever had. Again. Dani stood behind him, stroking his hair and assuring him that it was normal.
“That was a hundred-dollar steak, and now it’s going down the toilet. Why can’t this kid want normal things? And why does he keep making me barf it up?”
He retched again, and the smells overwhelmed his sensitive nose, which caused more gagging.
Dani chuckled. “Sometimes what we want, our bodies don’t agree with. I know it sounds awful, but it’s a fact of biology, apparently even for a pregnant male.”
When he’d gotten his stomach under control, Sean leaned back. Dani was there, a warm, wet towel in hand, wiping his mouth and face. She reached over and flushed the toilet, then closed the lid. Sean hated that she had to do this for him.
“I’m disgusting.”
“You’re not. You’re beautiful. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen before. Well, with the female wolves, but you know what I mean.”
“But I’m not a woman!” He bit back his anger. “I’m sorry.”
She ran a hand over his cheek. “Don’t be. I’m not going to get upset because you’re scared or hurting or have to get up every few minutes to pee.”
Sean opened his eyes wide. “Wait. That’s a thing?”
“It was for me, and I know others have experienced it as well.” She helped Sean to his feet.
“Great. What else do I have to look forward to?”
“Oh, swollen feet is a fun one. Your shoes won’t fit, and you’re going to feel gross, but Gareth will assure you how amazing you are, and he’s right. You’re the first Omega in centuries, and the first man to give birth ever as far as I know.”
As a pep talk went, it was pretty good. Sean went to the sink to brush his teeth, because the taste lingered.
“You don’t think Gareth is going to be upset about the steak, do you? I mean, that’s the second one I… you know.”
“No, he most definitely won’t. He’s going to smile and say he’s glad you’re feeling better, and that will be it.”
That made Sean feel a bit better. He hated the thought that Gareth might get sick of Sean’s constant ups and downs before the baby was even born. He put a hand on his stomach. He was really pregnant.
“I’m hungry again.”
God, how could he think of food now?
“And what are you in the mood for?”
He curled his lip. “Pickle juice. I don’t even like pickles.”
“For me, it was spinach. I hate spinach with a passion, but when I was pregnant with Caleb, I needed it in everything. After he was born, I couldn’t stand the stuff again.” She went to the door. “If Caleb didn’t eat them all, we have a jar of sweet pickles in the refrigerator. I’ll bring you some up and put a bit of the juice in a glass for you.”
She continued to amaze him. “How can you be so calm about this?”
Dani sighed. “You’re our Omega, Sean. Even if you weren’t, you’re still one of our pack. Anyone here would do whatever it takes to make you happy. We love you.”
Without giving him time to reply, she left, and Sean headed back to the bedroom. He crawled under the covers and nestled into the pillows, Dani’s words ringing in his head.
They love me, and I don’t think it’s just because I’m an Omega. I think they really care.
And that thought calmed him enough that he fell asleep.
