Page 7 of His Pretty Omega (Sweet Alps Mates #7)

Chapter Five

Seth

“I’m here, I’m here, I made it!”

I’d driven as fast as I dared to, pushing it even on the highway, to make it back to Sweet Alps before Bennett delivered.

Thankfully, there had been very little traffic, most people likely sleeping off their celebrations the night before.

There had been just a couple of cops on the highway but I had seen them in plenty of time to slow down to a decent enough speed for them to not bother me.

Unfortunately, the long drive had given me too much time for my mind to keep wandering back to the sexy alpha I had left in the hotel.

Every few miles I would remember something from the night before; a whispered word, a touch, the way his knot had filled and stretched me in the most delicious way.

It didn’t help that I kept feeling like I had forgotten something important.

The feeling was so strong that when I stopped at a rest area to pee and grab a much needed bottle of water, I opened my trunk and went through my suitcase to try to figure out what–if anything–I had left behind.

Finally I came to the conclusion that the only thing I had left behind was the incredible in bed, nameless alpha and I needed to get the fuck over it. He wasn’t the first alpha I had left before they had woken up, and I seriously doubted he would be the last.

There was absolutely nothing special about him, I finally decided as I made the turn towards the hospital. Nothing special at all.

You’re never going to see him again, so let it go. Focus on Bennett and the baby.

Fudging a bit, I parked in the employee parking lot, even though I hadn’t worked at the hospital in years.

Hopefully no one was paying that much attention or would care, and I wouldn’t find my car towed when I returned.

It was closer to the entrance, and I didn’t have a minute to waste.

If I wasn’t there for Bennett before he delivered, I’d never forgive myself.

My boots clomped loudly in the hallway as I ran past the nurses station, waving to the head labor and delivery nurse as she glared at me. My rotation in L&D hadn’t gone great, and she had taken an instant dislike to me. Didn’t seem like her opinion had changed much over the years.

“No running!” Her sharp voice instructed as I huffed toward the room Bennett told me had been assigned to him. Goddess, these boots were not made for running and neither were my lungs.

“Bennett’s having the–Fucking hell, my eyes! I did not need to see that.

Slapping the door open with the palm of my hands had revealed my bestie pushing, grunting, and red faced. His legs spread wide in the stirrups for the world to see all his parts.

Me. I was the world. Seeing it all.

Gah! My cat cried. We’re scarred for life. We can’t unsee that!

“Bennett! I love you, but I’ve just seen more of you than I ever needed to see!”

No one in the room paid my dramatic entrance any attention as Bennett finished with his contraction and lay back on the bed, panting.

Hurrying over, I took my place on the side of the bed not occupied by Bennett’s mate, Shay.

Ignoring the judgy squinted look Bennett was tossing my way, I nearly body checked the labor and delivery nurse, Chelsea, to move her out of my way.

She’d become a friend when I worked at the hospital, which was where Bennett and I had met.

She grunted, smacking me on the back of my head playfully, then wrinkled her nose at me.

“Goddess, Seth, you reek.” She waved her hand in front of her nose, as she moved to the end of the bed where all the action was taking place.

“You smell like sex,” Bennett blinked his eyes at me, his nose wrinkling in an imitation of what Chelsea had done. “A lot of sex. Sooo much sex.”

Blowing him a kiss, I sassed, “Don’t be jelly. It’s not my fault my nephew has inconsiderate as hell timing. We’ll be having a chat about that when he gets here.”

“You made good progress with that push, Bennett,” Dr. Finn Sinclair broke up our little tete-a-tete. “A couple more pushes like that and you’ll have your baby in your arms.”

It took exactly three more pushes, along with a lot of shouting encouragement from me, Shay, and Chelsea, before the room was filled with an angry wail.

Bennett flopped against the pillows, looking wrung out. The baby continued to scream at the top of his lungs, making sure anyone in a five-mile radius of Sweet Alps was aware of his birth.

The sound amped up the headache that refused to go away, but surprisingly, I didn’t care. Blinking back the sting in my eyes, I started laughing at the angry wails. I’d heard more babies crying than I could count, but this baby screaming? I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard a sweeter sound .

Clearly, I was sleep deprived and probably dehydrated and hallucinating if I found a baby screaming “sweet”. But this wasn’t any baby. This was Bennett’s baby. Something in my chest exploded with warmth and spread. Swiping at my eyes, I sniffed, happiness engulfing me for my friend.

Shay rested his forehead against Bennett’s, whispering roughly, “He’s here. He’s really here. You were amazing, baby.”

At the sight, my chest constricted tightly, and I gulped. It was an intimate moment between my best friend and his mate, and it made me feel…

Taking a shuddering breath, I looked away, trying to figure out what the weird feelings were I was feeling. Sadness. Joy. Happiness for Bennett. And Shay, I guess, because he’d had something to do with the baby and he loved Bennett. And the guy was growing on me.

But I was feeling something else, and I didn’t know what to do with it.

Jealousy. It was there again. Not of Bennett, but what he had. What he and Shay had. The way Shay cared for him. And now, they had a baby to complete their little family, that also included Shay’s son, Lucas.

It was all crazy, because I didn’t want what they had. Didn’t want an alpha. Didn’t want a mate, fated like they were, or otherwise. Absolutely did not want a baby that I couldn’t give back to their parents .

But for a split second, I did want it. Wanted that intimacy. That tenderness. That feeling of knowing someone had your back. To take care of you at your best and worst. No matter what.

I was so fucking happy for Bennett, I was. He had everything he had ever longed for.

What would that feel like?

I didn’t have time to dwell more on my weird ass feelings.

A wet, red, squirming, still attached by his cord, screaming baby was laid on Bennett’s bare chest and my lungs ached.

Staring down at that tiny baby, his head full of dark hair like Bennett’s, tears filled my eyes again.

This time I could name the feeling that engulfed me.

Love.

For this tiny little person, who I wasn’t related to by blood but was my family just the same. For my bestie, who was living his best life, and had the love of an adoring alpha.

“He’s beautiful, B,” My voice was filled with awe and wonder. “You did good.”

“Shay,” Finn called, “wanna cut the cord?”

Shay moved so fast we both laughed.

“Ow,” Bennett moaned, one hand resting loosely on his now much smaller belly. “Laughing is not good.”

Stepping out of the way, I let the nurses do what they needed to do with the baby, and gave Bennett and Shay a few minutes to cuddle on the extra-large bed .

“Does this little one have a name?” Chelsea asked, handing the baby back to his parents after cleaning him up.

Bennett and Shay looked at each other, grinning. “Brodie. His name is Brodie. Brodie Cian Pierce.”

“Brodie?” I wrinkled my nose. “Sounds like a surfer. Did Josh from The Sweet Spot come up with it? Because it sounds like something Josh would suggest.”

“We agreed on it together,” Shay settled Bennett snuggly against his side, scowling at me.

“Mmmm,” was my only response. Actually, I liked the name, but I couldn’t just suddenly stop giving Shay shit. It was our thing. Stretching, I yawned loudly, my stomach growling obnoxiously.

“I’m gonna go to the cafeteria and find some food. You want something?”

“Yes! Anything, I’m starving.” Bennett exclaimed, his stomach rumbling louder than mine was.

“I’ll see what I can scrounge up,” I smiled warmly down at Brodie, who was snuggled in Shay’s arms, sleeping peacefully. “If I can’t find anything good, I’ll pick up from the diner.”

“Ohhh,” Bennett moaned, “pancakes. Please. And bacon.”

Laughing, I winked. “Diner it is. I shall return. ”

“Maybe get a quick shower and a change of clothes before you come back?” Shay suggested. “Run a brush through your hair.”

I flipped him off as I went out the door, though he wasn’t wrong. A shower was definitely needed, along with a change of clothes, about a gallon of water and some sleep.