Page 18

Micah

I didn’t know when it happened, exactly, but sometime in the first weeks of our relationship, all that humping like bunnies in springtime had a result I hadn’t expected so soon. But there was no doubt of it, the symptoms exactly like I remembered my omega dad when he was carrying my much-younger brother. Their “surprise” late-in-life cub.

But before I told my alpha, who I knew wanted a family one day, I wanted to be 100 percent sure of the whole thing. And that meant taking a test. I’d had a false alarm once before, while studying in Paris, and at that time, it had not been at all what I wanted to have happen. I’d bought into the only a mate can get an omega pregnant thing that so many of my schoolmates had spouted. Of course, I knew now that was nonsense. Only a mate could make me happy I was pregnant…that much was true.

That first time, I hadn’t been pregnant at all, but it scared me enough to consult a healer who pointed out that I was working two jobs and studying day and night to be able to achieve my goals. That, she pointed out, had thrown my system completely off, and I wasn’t the first omega to have such a thing happen.

And right at the moment, I was working my butt off getting ready for the spring festival. Even with Edwin’s help, it was a lot, and there was an outside chance that I was once again just having a reaction to that overwork.

But unlike last time, if I wasn’t pregnant, I knew I’d be so sad. Could I even get pregnant? I didn’t know for sure. Which was probably why I put off buying the test for a couple of weeks. I wanted the possibility, even if it wasn’t a reality.

Of course, I could only go on like that for so long. Edwin had already asked me why I wasn’t into certain strong-smelling foods. He was eventually going to ask questions, and I wanted to have accurate answers.

So, one afternoon when there was a lull in customers, I stepped out and darted down the block to the little pharmacy slash soda fountain where I could buy a pregnancy test. Of course, in a town this size, I was taking a chance that someone would see me and tell my alpha before I had the chance to. Not the proprietors, of course. But any other customer. It was such a friendly place that Edwin already knew nearly as many people as I did—people who would love to congratulate him on something he didn’t know about yet. And I could hardly holler out to everyone in the store, Nobody tell Edwin you saw me buying this, okay?

I had walked into that pharmacy at least a dozen times where I was the only customer in there, but that day? There were at least six people I knew, browsing the three aisles of first aid, personal care, and OTC drugs. They were bumping into each other. And at the soda fountain sat the vineyard owners sharing a huge banana split.

I considered going back to my shop and coming back later, but it had taken most of my courage to get here to start with, and I just wanted it done. No more guessing and hoping. So I browsed along with the rest of them, lingering while a few left and a few more came in. Quinn and Aster finished their ice cream and left, giving me a wave as they went. I stayed so long, the pharmacist came over and asked me if he could help me with anything. It had been at least a half hour, and business showed no signs of slowing down, so I gave up, pulled a pregnancy test off the shelf, and handed it to him, trying to convey the secrecy element with my eyes.

He nodded. “I will get this rung up behind the counter for you.” Obviously I wasn’t the first secret pregnancy test he’d ever sold. Possibly someone else in the store saw, but I was going right back to the shop and take the test. If it was positive, I’d tell Edwin as soon as he got back from a trip to the escrow office in the next town where he was filling out yet more paperwork for his studio purchase.

But when I arrived back at the shop, paper bag in hand, my mate was already there, stocking shelves. He came over and kissed me. “I got back and you were gone. Rocco said you went down the street somewhere?” He was eyeing what I held.

“Oh yeah. I just had to pick something up real quick.” I tucked the bag close to my side, as if that would make it less noticeable.

“Really? What?” When had my alpha gotten so inquisitive?

“Uh, nothing important.” My attempts at subterfuge were failing.

“Oh, now I have to know.” He made a grab at the bag. “Is it a surprise for me?”

Damnation! At this point, all I could do was admit it or cause a scene. Fate seemed to have a hand in things again.

“Come with me in the back, and I’ll show you.”

“All right. But I’m very curious now.”

In the kitchen, I handed him the bag. “Just so you know, nothing’s for sure, I just have suspicion that—”

“Gods, you’re pregnant!” he shouted loud enough for the whole town to hear. “That’s great!”

“Shhh!” There was no privacy in all of Oliver Creek. “I told you, I don’t know. I just want to check and rule it out if I’m not.”

His demeanor changed, glee replaced with somberness. “Are you not feeling well? We should get you to the healer right away or a midwife.”

“Alpha?” I laid a hand on his chest. “Calm down. I don’t feel bad. But I had a false alarm years ago, and I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure. Now, I have to go pee on a stick.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“I really think I can do this part alone.” Not that we were prudes or anything. We didn’t worry about who was in the bathroom when, but I didn’t want him staring while I peed on a stick. Ick. “Promise I’ll be right out. And we can wait the couple of minutes together, okay?”

He agreed, reluctantly, and I went in and did my thing then left the stick on the sink. “Now, we wait.”

A short time never felt so long…but finally the timer Edwin set on his phone went off and we tiptoed into the bathroom together to check. I wasn’t sure why we tiptoed, but we did.

“What does it say?” he whispered.

I held it up and looked at it closely. Checked the package to make sure I was interpreting it correctly. “It says I am.”

This time, his cheer could probably be heard at the big-box store. But this time, I could join in.